Byzantine Art

I really enjoyed learning about the history of different artworks during the ancient and medieval time period. The art that stood out the most and was the most interesting to me, is the Byzantine Art. I think that this is because all the beautiful churches and cathedrals that were built during the Byzantine Period are found mainly in Russia and Eastern Europe. I am originally from Ukraine, which happens to be part of Eastern Europe, and I had several opportunities to go see some of the most amazing cathedrals ever built during the Byzantine Period. I was intrigued by both, the historical context of Byzantine Art as well as its visual detail.

Santa Sophia Cathedral (above) in Kiev, Ukraine, was one of the few cathedrals that I have seen. Although it looks magnificent in its size and has amazing artworks all over its walls, floors, and ceilings, it cannot be compared to the glory of the Church of Hagia Sophia. (top right, right) Hagia Sophia was built in 537 in Constantinople during the reign of Justinian and Theodora. It was built in place of an older church that was burned down during a rebellious battle against the emperor. The main visual aspect of the church is its ginormous dome, which looks like its suspended in the air when the light shines through the windows encircling the dome and reflects gold mosaic that cover the surfaces of the dome. (Stockstad, 235) The central dome is extended by two semi-domes that are located on either side of it, making the central space extend into a longitudinal nave. This dome area is called the "naos" in Byzantine architecture, and it is flanked by side aisles and galleries above them overlooking the "naos". The large-scale dome built as part of Hagia Sophia "is one of the boldest experiments in the history of architecture." (Stockstad, 236) The architects working on this project stretched out their building supplies to their physical limits, thus emphasizing the spirituality of the building. But the dome was too shallow and extended too far outwards, which caused it to collapse in 558. The dome was rebuilt in much steeper slope and with a summit that was 20 feet higher than the one of the previous dome, and this helped the church stay in one piece throughout the years that followed, some bringing earthquakes with them. The Sanctuary is located behind a crimson curtain embroidered in gold, where the celebration of Mass took place. Only the emperor was allowed to enter the sanctuary during Mass while everyone else was left on the other side of the curtain. The main focus of the congregation was not on the altar, but rather on the beautiful dome that was above them, looking like a window to heaven, as well as on the many devotional paintings, icons, that were portrayed in the gallery. "This upward focus of the people is explained by the Byzantine philosophers as a way to rise above the material world and into the spiritual phase." (Stockstad, 237)

Hildesheim Doors

The doors of abbey church of St. Michael are one of the "most ambitious and complex bronze-casting projects undertaken since antiquity." (p. 448 Stokstad) They were made under the direction of Bishop Bernward, in 1015, in Hildesheim, Germany. The doors are made of bronze and are 16 feet and 6 inches in height. The door consists of eight pairs of panels that are located next to each other on the horizontal line. The first eight panels that are on the left side of the door, from top to bottom, have molded drawings starting from the creation of Eve and down to the scene when Cain murders Abel, from the book of Genesis in the Old Testament of the Bible. The second eight panels that are on the right side of the door, from bottom to the top, have molded drawings of Jesus life starting from the Annunciation scene on the lowest panel and up to the scene of Noli me tangere, from the New Testament of the Bible.

The drawing of each panel has architectural elements and landscapes in a low relief in the background. In the foreground of each panels' drawing, there are people who are molded in much more detail compared to the background, and have 3-dimensional depth to their heads which make them stand out more. Each pair of scenes across from each other is meant to compliment the other scene and the event which it depicts.

For example, the seventh panel down on the left side of the door, shows Offerings by Cain (grain) and Abel (lamb). And its paired with another panel on the left side which is the scene of Nativity. The Offerings by Cain and Abel shows us how the two brothers brought the best of their labors and offered it to God to glorify Him, but God only accepted Abel's offering of the lamb, the most innocent and pure of the creatures, because his heart was pure and sincere. Abel is also known as the first martyr, and this scene pretty much shows his last day on earth before his brother Cain killed him of jealousy. The other panel, the Nativity, shows the scene of Jesus birth.  It shows how God had sent His Son down to Earth to save the sinners, those who did know Him yet. Jesus was born an innocent child into a manger, a place where animals live and eat out of. This could be referenced to the lamb that Abel offered to God, the lamb is the symbol for Jesus. Some people say that Abel himself was also a symbolism for Jesus, he was innocent and had a humble heart. And the birth of Jesus shows the Holy Child being offered to us to be later sacrificed for our sins, which is a different version of the offering that Cain and Abel brought for Gods glory.

These two panels are related to each other mostly through the lamb that Abel brought as an offering to God, and through Jesus, who like the lamb, was given as an offering for the sins of people.

Roman and Early Christian Art

        Christianity existed within the Roman Empire, along with many other religions, in the second and the third century. Although the Early Christians and the Romans lived in the same country, you can easily tell the difference between them by studying each peoples artworks, especially their architecture for religious purposes. I think that these differences came about because of the different beliefs of the two people.

        The greatest of the Roman art could be seen through its architecture. I will talk about the temples. The Romans believed in many gods and built temples for them using columns, similar to the Greek temples, but with only one entrance. In these temples, they would have an image of the person or saint to whom the temple is dedicated, and an altar on which to bring offerings. During public rituals and religious ceremonies, the people of Rome would start, or end at the temple where an offering will be brought on the altar marking either an end or the beginning of the ceremony. 
         Early Christians, on the other hand, believed in only one true God, and instead of building temples with an altar for their God, they built churches with a large open area for standing or sitting in which many people could gather to worship God. 
        The Christian Church of Santa Sabina (p. 226, Stokstad) was constructed by Bishop Peter of Illyria between 422 and 432. Its basic elements consist of a rectangular shape and "a nave lit by clerestory windows, flanked by single side aisles, and ending in a rounded apse." (p. 227) White decorations together with the light coming in from the windows create a very airy and open space.  In contrast to its simple brickwork exterior, the interior of Santa Sabina displays a wealth of marble veneer and 24 fluted marble columns, which support the rounded arches, creating a nave arcade. The walls of such churches also displayed various paintings of Biblical scenes.
        The Temple of Portunus (p. 173 Stokstad) which was built in c. 75 BCE in Rome, is dedicated to the god Portunus. It is similar to Santa Sabina because it is also rectangular in shape and contains columns supporting it. But the difference between the columns of the two buildings, is that the Church columns were there strictly for support, and the temple columns were supporting the porch roof, but most of them were free-standing (half) columns surrounding and decorating the exterior walls of the temple. 

Parthenon Marbles

Around 490 BCE, 2 Athenian architects were put to a task, to design a larger temple to be built using the existing foundation of the Parthenon temple built for Athena. The workers were told to use the finest white marble throughout the whole works, even on the roof. All of the dimensions had to be right when building this temple, including the spacing between each column as well as the different thickness of the columns in different areas. The point was so that the temple would have an organic appearance to it rather than looking "like a heavy, lifeless stone box."  (p. 130 Stockstad) The sculptural decoration of the Parthenon reflects Pheidias' unifying aesthetic vision, but at the same time conveys the triumph of the democratic Greek cities and the Greek civilization over barbarism.

Over several centuries, some of the sculptures and parts of the temple got lost and other became damaged. Many of the Parthenon Marbles were recovered throughout time and were placed in  the museums of six different European countries. However, most of the sculptures could be found in either Athens, or London.

I think that it is a good idea that the sculptures were placed in the British Museum. That way, not only Greeks, but many more people have a chance to appreciate them and learn more about the Greek temple and its sculptures. I personally enjoy aesthetic works more than I do ancient and historic art, so I don't see how it can problematic otherwise for anybody when these beautiful remains of Parthenon were placed in the British Museum. I understand why someone would want the Parthenon marbles be returned to Athens, to their original location where they were carved and turned into the magnificent Parthenon temple, giving pride to the architects and the workers who worked on this project. But at the same time, I think that it's great that other people get to enjoy them as well, in their local museums. I think that the marbles should stay in London. That way, instead of it seeming like the British are robing the Athens of its sculptures, Britain had simply moved them to a different location, therefore, creating a mini-Athens in another part of the European continent.

Aegean Art of the Cyclades

“From about 6,000 BCE, Cycladic artists used poor-quality local clay to make a variety of ceramic objects, including engaging ceramic figurines of humans and animals, as well as domestic and ceremonial wares. It was only after 3,000 years that they had begun to produce marble sculptures.” (Stockstad, 82)

The Cyclades had many supplies of fine and durable marble. Their sculptors used this stone to create figurines of humans, ranging from a couple of inches to 5 feet in height. It is assumed that these figurines were mainly made by female artists because most of the sculptures were female bodies.  An example of one of these figurines is a figure of a woman that is presented in a pose of strict symmetry. Her arms are folded just below her slightly protruding breasts, as if she is clutching her abdomen. Her neck is very long and the head is slightly tilted back with no facial features visible, except an elongated protruding nose. The body parts on this figurine are pared down to essentials, and some joints and junctures are indicated with incised lines. 

The sculptor of this artwork had carefully designed it by laying out the figurine with a compass and drawing three equally sized circles that are evenly spaced out. The first circle started at the top of the head and went down to the waist. The second circle was from the bottom of the neck and down to the knees. The third circle started at the waist and went all the way down towards the bottom of the feet. This made the figurine equally proportional when divided into three parts.

The sculpture of this Cycladic woman is one that might seem somewhat similar, but is in fact very different from the Woman from Willendorf figurine of the Upper Paleolithic period. The Willendorf figurine dates back from 24,000 BCE. Although it is believed to have been made by a female sculptor, like that of the Cycladic figurine, the Woman of Willendorf is much fatter and is more round that the skinny Cycladic figurine.

First of all, the Woman of Willendorf is carved from limestone. Its sculptor had exaggerated the figures female attributes by giving it enormous breasts, a big abdomen with a deep navel, wide hips and rounded buttocks and knees with solid thighs. The sculptor might have been trying to express the health and fertility of this woman figurine by emphasizing on those well-nourished body attributes.

Secondly, the folded arms on the Cycladic figurine abdomen seem to make her look shy and modest. On the contrary, the Woman of Willendorf’s arms are on top of her breasts, right below the neck, therefore exposing her large breasts and other female body parts, making her look very comfortable and unashamed of her body. The Willendorf figurine also looks a little provoking as if she is selling her body.

These few physical differences of the two figurines also indicate the difference of the two eras that they are from. During the Upper Peliothilic Period, a round woman was considered healthy and very attractive. The figurines of that time were emphasized in their roundness and sexuality, also showing that they are a symbol of fertility, like the Woman of Willendorf figurine. However, the sculptures of the Bronze Age women have been found almost exclusively in graves, like the Cycladic Woman figurine, making it seem as if they are mainly associated with death and burial of their owners.

Pyramids vs. Ziggurats

The ancient Egyptians built pyramids as tombs for their pharaohs and their queens. There were many amazing pyramids built in Gaza, but i will only talk about a couple that are the most famous and how these pyramids are similar and different from the ziggurats of the ancient Near East, both in their physical appearance and the function for which they were made. 

One of the earlier Egyptian pyramids built was the Step Pyramid of king Djoser. The pyramid's construction was in the form of a low mastaba tomb upon which extra levels were gradually added to give it a step-like appearance. Underneath the pyramid was a complex system of corridors with a burial chamber lined with pink granite, that goes about 28 meters underground. 

The second pyramid is more famous and is one of the greatest pyramids ever built. It is known as the Great Pyramid of Giza. The pyramid is located southwest of modern Cairo. It was built for king Khufu and was completed around 2550 BC. 

 

It is estimated that the Great Pyramid contains approximately 2,300,000 blocks of stone with an average weight of 2.5 tons each and some up to 15 tons. Its sides measure 230 meters in length. The structure that was once about 146.6 meters high, had become a little shorter after some of the outer casing had been removed to for building other building in Cairo during the Middle Ages. The design on the inside of the pyramid had also been changed during the pyramid's construction resulting in the burial chamber being relocated to a different location. One of its most spectacular features is the enormous sloping Grand Gallery. At the Gallery's top is a low corridor which leads into the King's Chamber, the walls of which are made of polished granite. A large granite sarcophagus is open and no burial goods have ever been found. To the east of the pyramid, some of the smooth basalt paving of the mortuary temple remains and the causeway which led to the river temple is now buried with the valley temple being under modern buildings. Small pyramids for queens are adjacent to the Great Pyramid, as are boat pits. Some believe that the purpose of the boats may have been to provide a way for the deceased king to travel through the underworld. 

The builders of pyramids were not slaves, like many people think, but rather they were Egyptian villagers and some were even permanent employees of the pharaoh. The graffiti on the walls of the pyramids indicates that at least some of these workers took pride in what they did and even came up with names for their teams. Like I had mentioned in the beginning, pyramids were built as tombs for pharaohs and their queens. The great pyramids were a sign of the deceased pharaohs' power and were meant to protect them in the afterlife. 

Ziggurats on the other hand were built by kings, not pharaohs. By building ziggurats, the king showed that he could perform more impressive religious deeds than the priesthood. Ziggurats are the Mesopotamian equivalent of the Egyptian pyramids, they are large artificial square mountains of stone and they are as ancient as the pyramids of Egypt. But there are two big differences between a pyramid and a ziggurat . A ziggurat was not a tomb but a temple, and ziggurats were built well into the Seleucid age, whereas the building of pyramids came to an end after c.1640 BC. Ziggurats are, briefly, temple towers.

The most famous ziggurat is the Tower of Babel (above) which is mentioned in the Biblical book of Genesis. It was built by many people of Babylon and dedicated to king Marduk. The height of the tower is believed to have been 2,484 meters. This aspect of Babylonian cosmology is echoed in the Biblical story, where the builders say "let us build a tower whose top may reach unto heaven". The king wanted to prove to the world that he can build a tower so high that it will reach the heavens and he will be like God.

Another famous ziggurat is Ziggurat of Ur. Built in 2100 BC by king Ur-Nammu in honor of the sun god. It is a rectangular shape with 3 staircases in the front which come together at the top at a gate. The front staircase is believed to have only been used by the higher priest to climb to the higher stages of the ziggurat. Archeologists believe that there was a temple on the highest terrace of the ziggurat. On either side of the main staircase was a buttress, a support built against the wall to make it stronger.

These are other physical differences between a zaggurat and a pyramid. Pyramids did not have an entrance on the top, but instead they had entrances on the bottom of pyramid and those lead down the stairs and corridors even deeper, Unlike the ziggurats which were meant to lead you up towards the heavens, not down. Also, pyramids had no temples, but they had tombs and their purpose was not for worshiping gods, but for protecting the dead and giving them access to the underworld.

Formal Analysis of Nanna Ziggurat

Sponsored by King Urnamu of Ur, 2112 BCE, Nanna Ziggurat is a magnificent, mud-brick building that was dedicated to the moon god Nanna.

The viewpoint suggeseted by this structure is from a frontal distance. The 3 sets of diagonal stairs, one in the front and one on either side of the building, lead the viewer's gaze and attention to the top, where they are coming together at an imposing entrance gate atop the first of three platforms. This structure doesn't seem like it wants the viewer to look at it from different angles and sides, instead it makes one want to go straight to the top and of it and see the surroundings from above.

The building is made of mud brick, which gives it an earthly color and makes the structure seem very ancient and dull in appearance. But the composition of the bricks, which are stacked on one another to form a block-like, rectangular looking shape with a base of 205 by 141 feet, gives the structure a very stable and powerful look.

This structure gives a great emphasis of volume when looked at directly from the front, especially with the grand staircase diagonally leading to the top and covering a great distance from front to back, also adding motion to the building. But as you look towards the sides of the building, they appear more flat and more two dimensional in appearance with no sense of motion at all, but rather a very stable look.

The surface structure of Nanna Ziggurat is very rough. Like i mentioned above, the texture and the color add to its roughness and war-like look that makes the structure look very powerful and undefeated. If there was more color added to the building, i think it would soften it and highlight some of the interesting parts, but at the same time, it will weaken the appearance of the structure. It is very interesting how This construction is so boring, and yet so powerful in appearance with some sense of movement at the staircase.

Venus of Willendorf

Venus of Willendorf is the earliest famous image of a woman. It was found in Austria in 1908 by the archaeologist Josef Szombathy. The statuette was carved from fine porous oolitic limestone. It is very curvy with a protruding stomach and very large breasts and buttocks. Her older age and pronounced female forms made her an item of prehistoric art. Although the statuette is a female, the fact that her feet and arms are missing and there is no defined face, doesn't really make her a woman.
Ever since Venus of Willendorf was found, the name ''Venus" has become a term that described all obese Palaeolithic statuette's of women. Classical "Venus", on the contrary, stands for a beautiful young and nude goddess of love, sex, and beauty.  Classical "Venus's" form,with smaller breasts and not such curvy buttocks and stomach, and sexuality are treated with a high degree of civilized restraint. Venus of Willendorf's figure is exactly the opposite and give it the uncivilized, primitive look.
Today, in many books the name ''Venus'' is substituted by the name ''Woman''. This change was name as if to remove the title of a goddess from the figurine and think of her more like of a human. The lack of a face also suggests that she be seen not as a personality, but rather as a sexual object.
The fact that the statue is also really fat, implies that she was not a woman of Stone Age, because those women would not have had the chance to get that fat from all the work that they did. Venus of Willendorf seems like she was waited on and had her work done by others so that is why she became obese from the lack of movement and excessive intake of fats. Also, the great emphasis on the statuettes vulva and the red ochre that could represent blood, suggest that she served some purpose in connection with female menstruation and a sign of fertility for women. This also increases the chances that the statuette was more likely caved by another female.

Week 1 Introduction

Hello Everyone! My name is Lesya. I am a transfer student from Big Bend Community College of Moses Lake, WA. In college, I was planning to go for a Radiologic Technician, but I never made it into the program so I then decided to major in Art and transferred to CWU!  I am from Ukraine originally and after going back to visit my country a couple of times, I got to really enjoy the historical places there and the culture, which is becoming more and more different than what I remember it to be. This inspired me to want to learn more about art and the history of it, and that is why I am here and taking this class:) looking forward to this quarter with everyone!