Survey of Art History Exam 2 - Slide Identification

Early Asian - Ancient Greek - Ancient Rome

Great Stupa at Sanchi

• Founded 3rd century BCE

• India

• A dome, or big pillow

  • Stupa: “empty seat”: sacred Buddhist monuments

  • Relics: objects associated with a holy person

  • Axis Mundi: axis of the world

    • Connected to the power center of the world

• The upper and lower walkways (circumambulate) are used for walking meditation

  • The higher walkway was likely for hierarchy; the higher enlightened would literally be walking on a higher level

• This was technically a Buddhist structure, but at this point, Hinduism was closely intertwined.

  • Yakshi: female figure associated with the fertility of nature

Buddha and Attendants

• c. late 1st - early 2nd century

• India

• mudra

• high relief sculpture

Bodhisattva Seated in Meditation

• early 7th century

• Three Kingdoms period - Korea

• Cast bronze

• freestanding sculpture

• Buddha vs. Bodhisattva

  • an almost Buddha, partially enlightened but holding off on becoming completely enlightened to help others (like teaching and guiding others to enlightenment).

    • they look much fancier

      • still attached to the world and riches

      • jewels and drapery

    • androngonous figures, serpentine figure/post

Symbols of the Buddha

• Ushnisha: mound of wisdom; topknot

• Urna: tuft of hair between eyes

• Mudras: hand gestures

• Chakras: wheels, often on soles of feet

• Stretched Earlobes: detachment from wealth

How to spot a Buddha:

1. Wearing a monk’s robes: sign of renunciation of material objects

   1. outer mantle, lower wrapping, underrobe

2. Mudras: different positions of hands, each has meaning

3. Elongated earlobes are a designation of elite status

   1. Reminder that Buddha was born a prince, but gave that up

4. Face expresses serenity and focus

   1. closed eyes, slight smile

5. Ushnisha: bun on top of head

   1. Flame on top of that (enlightenment)

   2. Short curls

6. Urna: symbol of wisdom (dot in between eyebrows)

7. Lotus posture: control of body

Shiva Nataraga

• c. 7th century

• India

• Hindu

• Shiva Nataraja is the form that Shiva takes when it is time to destroy.

  • Standing on a little creature (representing the crushing of evil or ignorance).

Main Hall, Inner Shrine, Ise

• Japan

• 690 CE

• Last rebuilt in 2013

• Shinto (nature, finding balance): is the indigenous religion of Japan

  • centered around the worship of Kami (deities/nature spirits)

  • emperor/ruling families are descended from the kami

  • everything has a spirit

  • “to leave this world in a better harmonious state for the next generation”

  • caring for the past and recognizing ancestors will make you a better person in the present

• This shrine is reborn (rebuilt) every twenty years

  • The spirit of the temple stays the same

Woman

• c. 2,4000 BCE

• Cycladic Greek

Octopus Flask

• c. 1500-14,50 BCE

• Minoan Greek

• The drawing/octopus can fit the form and wrap its arms around the spherical vessel

  • The painter had to consider how this image would fit the form

  • synergy between potter and painter (different people)

Funerary Krater

• 750-735 BCE

• Geometric period

• Attic Greek

• Funerary Krater, Dipylon Cemetery, Athens

  • Put ashes in it

• Simplified, stylized depictions of daily life, animals

  • depicts a dead person on a coffin, funerary procession

  • registers!!

Achilles and Ajax Playing a Game

• c. 540-530 BCE

• greek

• Exekias

• black figure decoration

• amphora

Anavysos Kouros

• c. 530 BCE

• Archaic Greek

• Archaic smile

Spear Bearer (Doryphoros)

Polykleitos (sculptor)

• 440 BCE

• Classical Greek

• Originally titled Canon (model of perfection/the model to be emulated)

• established Polykleitos’ canon of proportions, setting ideal correlations among body parts

• Contrapposto

  • notice the harmony of opposites

    • if the left hip is tense, then the right hip must be relaxed

• Calm, reserved, peaceful, neutral

• likely supposed to be holding a spear in right hand

• this gets copied many many times, other sculptors start sketching from it, modeling from it, learning from it!!

Grave Stele of a Little Girl

• c. 450 BCE

• classical Greek

Praxiteles

• Aphrodite of Knidos

• c. 350 BCE

• Hellenistic Greek

Nike of Samothrace

• c. 180 BCE

• Hellenistic Greek

• Nike alighting on a warship

• Baroque: the headpiece on the front of the ship/this was originally part of a huge ship

• Goddess of achievement, championship

Apollonius - seated boxer

• c. 50 BCE

• Hellenistic Greek

• Greek art was no longer about idealization and perfection

  • he looks proud, defiant (looking up), but there is a sense of tiredness, he is bruised and battered

  • looks warm and human rather than the earlier style of cold and perfect

• there is real emotion on his face

Pont du Gard

• Roman

• last 1st century CE

• Aqueduct: brings fresh water in from a mountain reservior (using gravity)

  • like a railroad track meant to carry water

• keystone, voussoirs, rounded arch

• the arch allows for them to use less material, less money, to create it, also lighter and less likely to break

Augustus of Primaporta

• Roman

• Early 1st century CE

• apotheosis: ascension to godhood

• emerges as the first emperor of Rome

• This could be a marble copy of a bronze statue

• The Parthians often won over Rome (stealing their Standards (war symbols))

  • Under the reign of Augustus, Rome finally defeated the Parthians

• Very naturalistic depiction of the human body

  • not static

  • once painted

  • raises right hand - addressing his troops

  • uses contrapposto (the relaxed pose - term came from Greece)

• Cupid (riding a dolphin) depicted on his left leg

  • recalls Venus: meaning Augustus was descended from the gods

• The artist intentionally idealized Augustus

  • making him younger, beautiful (he was much old at this time)

  • recalls Greek idealization

• Augustus “invented” this new era of idealization > verism - this is a change

• lots of imagery on the chest plate

Equestrian portrait of Marcus

• Roman

• Aurelius c. 176 CE

• They thought this was supposed to be Jesus or one of the Apostles - or Constantine

  • This is why it didn’t get melted down to reuse it

  • It had to have been something special to not destroy and repurpose

• Orator pose: hand up, gesturing as they are talking (to troops/senate/citizens of rome/etc)

  • authority

• Horse is striding in motion, pulling to the right

  • reins controlling him

  • powerful animal yet Marcus is in full control of it

• Cast in individual pieces (horse and man) then put together

Pantheon

• Roman 110-128 CE

• Temple to all gods (pan = all encompassing, theo = gods)

• Building things like this would be the emperors trying to flex on everyone

• Not super impressive from the front; this is a common theme from the Romans. They hide the impressive parts inside.

• Incredibly large open area covered by a dome

  • Geometric shapes having special meaning

  • Circle = perfection

    • Perfection of gods/heaven

  • Squares = the earth

• Drama of going from ordinary entrance (cramped) to an expansive, detailed area.

• recognize:

  • Coffers: carving out material of the roof to make it light and keep structure

  • Oculus:

  • Rotunda:

  • Portico:

  • Facade

• The Truvian Man: greek architect that talked about structure that combined circle and square to create the most divine and special place

  • Bringing together heaven and earth