Art History #2

What are some key characteristic that define the Roman Empire?

What are some key characteristic that define the Roman Empire?

- Split into two eras: Ancient Roman Republic - 509 BCE - 27 BCE and Roman Empire - 27 BCE - 476 CE

- Origins of Roman culture are mythical

- Romans absorbed Greek and other cultures that are of use to them

- Mostly realism and verism

- Political propaganda statues

- Round arches

Head of a Man (Brutus)

Ancient Roman Republic - 300 BCE

Verism

What is verism?

Extreme realism in depiction. Most associated with Roman ancestor portraits

Roman Portrait Busts

Ancient Roman Republic

Left: Portrait of an Elder (80 BCE)

Right: (60 BCE)

Roman Patrician Carrying Portrait Busts of Two Ancestors

Ancient Roman Empire (25 BCE)

Augustus of Primaporta

Ancient Roman Empire ( 1st century CE)

Political Propaganda

Young Flavian Woman

Ancient Roman Empire (90 CE)

Verism

What are the three types of Roman Architecture and Statues to promote Empire?

1. Free standing columns topped with statues

2. Equestrian Monuments

3. Triumphal Arches

Middle aged Flavian Woman

Ancient Roman Empire (late 1st century CE)

Verism

Column of Trajan

Early Roman Empire (115 CE)

Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius

Ancient Roman Empire (178 CE)

The Arch of Titus

Ancient Roman Empire (81 CE)

Triumphal arch

ROUND ARCH = ROMAN

Spoils from the Temple of Solomon (Relief from Arch of Titus)

Ancient Roman Empire (81 CE)

Imperial Procession

High and Low relief from Ara Pacis

Sense of depth by overlapping

Ancient Roman Empire (19-9 BCE)

Pont Du Gard

Ancient Roman Empire (1st century BCE)

Round arches

Massive building projects like this were one way the Roman Empire was successful

Why was the Roman Arch so important?

Development of the round arch combined with concrete fundamentally changed architecture. The Romans used used this comprehensively and as a part of their empire building.

Pantheon

Built by Emperor Hadrian

Ancient Roman Empire 125 BCE

What does pantheon mean?

a temple to all the gods

What is a coffered ceiling?

It is a series of sunken panels in the shape of a square/rectangle/octagon, that both strengthens the ceiling and provides decoration.

Wall Painting From Pompeii

Ancient Roman Republic (40-50 BCE)

Use of perspective

What is perspective?

An artistic technique that creates the appearance of three dimensions on a flat surface.

What is tonal modelling?

Shading. Another way to create depth

House of Vettii

Pompeii

Ancient Roman Empire (79 CE)

Brothel

battle of Centaurs and Wild Beasts from Hadrian's Villa

Ancient Roman Empire (125 CE)

Mosaic

Constantine the Great

Ancient Roman Empire (325 - 326 CE)

What were the important political changes under Constantine?

312 CE - battle vision - Christianity

313 - Edict of Milan allows religious toleration of Christians

330 - Moves capital of Empire to Constantinople

What is a basilica?

A basilica was a building designed for public meetings and other business. They later got repurposed for churches

What were three architectural term related to Basilicas? What do they mean?

Apse- semi circular portion of basilica that juts out

Clerestory- second story of basilica that allows light into central hall

Coffered ceiling- sunken panels

The Tetrarchs

Roman empire (300 CE)

Realism declines

Portrait of Tetrarch

Ancient Roman (late) (early 4th century)

Emperor Caracalla

Ancient Roman (212 CE)

Arch of Constantine

Roman Empire (312-315 CE)

Hadrian/Constantine Hunting Boar and Sacrificing To Apollo

Roundels were reused from earlier sites (130 BCE)

On the Arch of Constantine

Constantine Addressing the Roman People in the Roman Forum

On the Arch of Constantine

315 CE

When was the Vedic Period?

1500-500BCE

This was the rise of Hinduism, which later resulted in a shift towards Buddhism.

What are the key points of Hinduism?

Originated as a geographical term related to Indus River Valley

No definitive texts or founders

Neither Mono or Polytheistic (Idea of the Unity)

Oldest Vedic texts are from 1700BCE, Sanskrit

Who/What is Brahman and the three essential deities?

Brahman is the unity of the universe

The three essential deities are:

Trimutri- The creator

Vishnu- The preserver

Shiva- The destroyer

What is Dharma?

The sense of national order. Connected to samsara: the continuous cycle of birth, life, death, rebirth

Who is the original Buddha?

Prince Siddhartha Gautama.

What are the 4 noble truths of Buddhism?

1. Life is free of suffering

2. Desire is the cause of all suffering

3. To be rid of all suffering you need to get rid of desire

4. Follow the 8 step plan to Nirvana

Who was a key figure in the spread of Buddhism?

Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Empire in 263BCE.

What is aniconism?

The belief that you cannot draw living beings for fear that they will become idols over the one, true God. Deities represented in other ways that are symbolic or abstract

What is iconclasm?

The deliberate destruction of images especially because they are thought to be idolatrous or incorrect.

Ashokan Pillar

250BCE

Early Buddhism

Early example of state support for Buddhism

At this point, Buddhism is generally aniconic

Lion Capital

250BCE

Buddhist

Great Stupa at Sanchi

Built 250BCE, expanded 100BCE

Buddhist

What is a toranna?

Gateways that typically have symbolic meanings.

Torana at the Great Stupa

250BCE, Expansion 100BCE

Buddhist

The Great Departure: Aniconic depiction of Buddha's life on the Torana at the Great Stupa

250BCE

Buddha is represented in footprints

Yakshi (Heavenly Damsel) on the Torana of Great Stupa

100 BCE

Early India Buddhism

What are Votive Stupa?

A type of votive figure used in Buddhism. This was more closely related to offerings to a god rather than eternal prayers.

Buddha and Attendants

131 CE

Buddhist

This shows a shift a physical representation of Buddha

What is Greco-Buddhist?

A representation of Buddha that drew inspiration from Greek due to the high volume of traffic between the two cultures during the Hellenistic era.

Summarize Buddhist period.

Visual representations start approximately 250 years after the death of the Prince

Ashoka unites India and spread Buddhism

Hinduism is always practiced

Stupa is a memorial mound for cremated remains

Buddha was originally aniconic

Around 100CE, representations of Buddha spread

Entrance to Cave Temple of Shiva at Elephanta

550CE

Hindu

When does Hindu art begin to pick up?

Although Hinduism predates Buddhism, little imagery survived from that time period. Hindu art picks up around 500 CE.

Main Hall Cave Temple of Shiva

550 CE

Hindu

Shive Lingan Cave Temple of Shiva

550 CE

Hindu

Eternal Shiva at Cave Temple of Shiva

550 CE

Hindu

Shiva/Parvati

550 CE

Hindu

Hindu Temple

Kandariya Mahadeva Temple

1030CE

Hindu

What is darshan?

The idea of seeing and being seen related to individual worship rather than large congregations.

What are the largest settlements of Neolithic China?

These settlements were around rive valleys

In the North: Yellow River

Central, Southern, Basin Shanghai: Yangtze River

Jade Cones

2500 BCE

Ancient China

Jade Bi

2500 BCE

Ancient China

Liddest Vessel

1100 BCE

Ancient Chines

What are taotie motifs?

Common images of abstracted zoomorphic/animal faces

Burial Mound and Tomb of Complex Shi Huangdi

Ancient Chinese (210 BCE)

Soldier, The Great Terracotta Army

Ancient China (210 BCE)

Found in Emperor's burial mound

What were the three important historical movements of the Han Dynasty Period?

(206 BCE - 220 CE)

1. Confucianism gets promoted by state

2. Daoism gets promoted by state

3. China takes control of West and opens trade aka silk Road

Nesting Coffin of Lady Dai

Ancient China (2nd Century BCE)

Funeral Banner of Lady Dai

Ancient China (2nd Century BCE)

Related to naming and commemorating the dead.

Detail from Funeral Banner

Ancient China (2nd Century BCE)

Earliest portrait known in Chinese painting

What is an ushnisha?

three dimensional oval at the head of the buddha. Symbol of enlightenment

What is an urna?

circular dot or spiral mark on the forehead

Seated Buddha

Chinese Buddhism (Zhao Dynasty, 338 CE)

Earliest known Buddha sculpture in China

What are the time periods of Late Roman/Early Christianity and what was it marked by?

Marked by the instability within the Roman Empire under Constantine's rule

Late Roman Period 234-410 CE

Medieval Byzantine Empire 476-1453 CE

Medieval Western Europe 476-1000CE

Seated Buddha

Yungang Caves

Chinese Buddhist Art (460 CE)

Why is Christian art often ambiguous in early eras?

Christianity was illegal, and many Christians were persecuted

The Good Sheperd

Second half of 3rd Century

Early Christian

What is syncretism?

The merging of elements from different cultures and religions. In art, it is seen through the repurposing of older visuals in new religions

Catacomb of Priscilla

Rome

Late 3rd Century- 4th Century

Early Christian

The Good Shepherd from Catacomb of Priscilla

Late 3rd-4th Century

Early Christian

Reconstruction Drawing of old St. Peter's Basilica

Rome

320-327CE

Early Christian

One of the first openly Christian buildings put up during the Roman Empire; it was later torn down during the Renaissance due to the idea that they could build something better

Interior of Church of Santa Sabina

422-432 CE

Early Christian

Church of Santa Costanza

350 CE

Early Christian

Interior of Church of San Vitale

Consecrated 547CE

Medieval Byzantine

Detail of Interior of San Vitale

Christ Enthrone, Flanked by Angels, St. Vitalis and Bishop Ecclesius

Consecrated 547CE

Medieval Byzantine Art

Emperor Justinian and His Attendants, North Wall of the Apse

San Vitale

Consecrated 547

Medieval Byzantine

Detail of Emperor Justinian and His Attendants, North Wall of the Apse

San Vitale

Consecrated 547CE

Medieval Byzantine

Empress Theodora and Her Attendants, South Wall of the Apse

San Vitale

Consecrate 547CE

Medieval Byzantine

Harvesting of Grapes, Mosaic from Santa Costanza

350CE

Early Christian

What is Medieval?

Medieval means middle ages and is essentially the downfall of Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire

This is art that comes after 476CE (the end of Early Christianity)

Divided into Medieval Byzantine and Medieval Western Europe

from 476CE to Renaissance

Detail of the Admonitions Scroll

Original attributed to Gu Kaizhi

Chinese Art (600-1000 CE)

What is Confucianism?

The system of ethics, education, and statesmanship taught by Confucius and his disciples, stressing love for humanity, ancestor worship, reverence for parents, and harmony in thought and conduct.

Who was Qin Shi Huangdi? What did he do?

First unifying emperor of China.

Develops a bureaucracy

Enforces unified language

Connects forts along northern border to create Great Wall

Tries to suppress spread Confucianism and Buddhism

Fan Kuan

Travelers by Streams and Mountains

Chinese Art (600-1000 CE)

Key characteristics of Chinese art

Jade

Taoties

What are some key characteristics of Christian Art?

30 CE - 476 CE

Good Shepherd symbol

Jesus