Study Notes on Narrative Structures in Visual Art

Week 5: Narrative Structures in Visual Art

Introduction to Narrative Structures

  • Question: How do pictures tell stories?

Timeline Overview

  • 2014-2020 C.E. References
  • 2254-2218 B.C.E. Historical Context
  • Influential Periods:
    • Ca. 2950 B.C.E.
    • 1473-1458 B.C.E.
    • 2520-2494 B.C.E.
    • 1353-1336 B.C.E.
    • 12th c. B.C.E.
  • Update Timeline includes works from “Week 4: Depicting Human Bodies.”
  • Significant Dates:
    • Ca. 24,000 B.C.E.
    • 520 B.C.E.
    • 475 B.C.E.
    • 480 B.C.E.
    • 1st c. B.C.E – 1st c. C.E.
    • 1501 – 1504 C.E.

Case Study: Uruk Vase

  • Title: Carved Vessel from Uruk (Warka Vase)
    • Date: c. 3300–3000 B.C.E.
    • Material: Alabaster
    • Dimensions: Height 36 inches
    • Location: Iraq Museum, Baghdad
  • Description of Visual Structure:
    • Sequential Narrative modeled through multiple registers
    • Four vertically stacked parallel registers featuring:
    • Grain and Reeds
    • Rams and Ewes
    • Men carrying fruit, grains, wine, mead
    • Tribute scene at the top register with two reed bundles as symbols of goddess Inanna
  • Additional Details:
    • Top Register includes:
    • Attendant figure holding the train of a missing king figure’s garment
    • Goddess figure with two reed bundles representing Inanna
    • Servant figure offering produce
    • Overlapping imagery of two rams supports further tribute representations, hierarchically suggesting reverence and importance. The shape of tribute vessels is compared to the Warka Vase.

Archaeological Context

  • Discussion of the impact of the 2003 looting of the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad on the preservation and narrative integrity of such historical art pieces.

Case Study: Column of Trajan

  • Title: Column of Trajan
    • Date: Rome, 113 – 116 C.E., or after 117 C.E.
    • Material: Marble
    • Overall height including base: 125 feet
    • Length of relief: 625 feet
    • Location: In Situ in Rome
  • Narrative Features:
    • Total Figures: 2662 figures depicted in 155 scenes
    • Trajan appears in 58 scenes
    • Presentation encourages viewers to follow the story from bottom to top, emphasizing a fixed perspective rather than a circumferential view.
  • Breakdown of Activity by Length of Scene:
    • Marches: 29%
    • Battles: 21%
    • Other: 12%
    • Construction: 12%
    • Negotiations: 9%
    • Sacrifices: 7%
    • Trajan Speeches: 6%
    • Events Recorded by Historians: 4%
  • Specific Scenes and Events Highlighted:
    • Image of Victory appears halfway, dividing tales of two Dacian Wars
    • Notable events including the Death of Decebalus, Crossing of the Danube, and elements showcasing Roman soldiers engaged in construction projects during their campaigns.

Case Study: Bayeux Embroidery

  • Title: Bayeux Embroidery
    • Date: c. 1066 – 1082
    • Artisanship: Norman-Anglo-Saxon, potential origins from Canterbury, Kent, England
    • Material: Linen with wool embroidery
    • Dimensions: Height 20 in.
    • Location: Centre Guillaume la Conquérant, Bayeux, France
  • Description:
    • Continuous Narrative depicting the events surrounding William of Normandy, including moments such as King Edward’s enthronement.
  • Key Scene Analysis:
    • Various representations of significant figures, including King Harold and William the Conqueror. The narrative flow reflects critical historical moments within the confines of textile art.

Case Study: Masaccio's Tribute Money

  • Title: Tribute Money
    • Artist: Masaccio
    • Date: 1427
    • Medium: Fresco
    • Height: 8 feet
    • Location: Brancacci Chapel, Florence
  • Narrative Style:
    • Identified as Continuous Narrative: Synoptic Type.
    • Explores religious themes through visual storytelling.

Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise

  • Title: Gates of Paradise
    • Artist: Lorenzo Ghiberti
    • Date: 1425–1452
    • Material: Gilt bronze
    • Height: 15 feet (4.57 m)
    • Location: Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Florence
  • Significant Panels:
    • Featuring scenes from both the Old and New Testament, emphasizing the theme of continuous narrative.

Conclusion

  • Various forms of narrative structures analyzed in different periods and styles of visual art, encompassing elements from sequential narratives to continuous storytelling in monumental art forms.