True Fresco

 

Giotto. Christ Entering Jerusalem, Arena (Scrovegni) Chapel, Padua. 1305–06

 

Giotto. The Lamentation, Arena (Scrovegni) Chapel, Padua. 1305–06 

What can we know for sure?

The power of the king

The importance of ritual and tradition

The connection of kings to the gods

The centrality of the afterlife
Godhood, Family record, solar/astronomical, creation stone mythology
West side of Nile (land of the dead), sun (Ra) dies in the west
Temple of dead and temple of living with causeway

Khafre
Part of the smooth casing at top
Sphinx- Nose removed because Muslims didn't like images

Khufu
Khufu's mortuary complex had: several large boat pits to transport the king in the afterlife, a burial chamber made of red granite, a large inner chamber called the Grand Gallery
The Valley Temple closest to the floodplain
Capstone=gold/gilt

protrudes so far out makes me wonder if the headpiece is quite heavy and she is posing like this or sat like this frequently to realign her center of gravity or to lessen the stress of it on her neck. 

Old Kingdom: c. 2500 BC

Middle Kingdom: c. 2000 BC

New Kingdom: c. 1500 BC

Amarna Style: c. 1350 BC

Heraldic pose

Composite view

Hieratic scale/Hierarchical scale

Palette

Registers

Mastaba

Necropolis

Columns

Capitals

Step Pyramid

Canon- proportions kept the same (gridlines),The Egyptian canon for paintings and reliefs specified that heads should be shown in profile, that shoulders and chest be shown head-on, that hips and legs be again in profile, and that male figures should have one foot forward and female figures stand with feet together, controlling the angle of view, and the size of each part in relation to the whole

Ka-the soul/spirit

Cloisonne- the technique of creating designs on metal vessels with colored-glass paste placed within enclosures made of copper or bronze wires, which have been bent or hammered into the desired pattern.

Cartouche

Hypostyle hall- in architecture, interior space whose roof rests on pillars or columns. The word means literally “under pillars,” and the design allows for the construction of large spaces—as in temples, palaces, or public buildings—without the need for arches

Sunken relief- usually indoors, while raised relief is outdoors

Altar Stele

Book of the Dead

Akkadian: ca. 2000 BC

Babylonian: ca. 1700 BC

Assyrian: ca. 700 BC

Late Babylonian: ca. 600 BC

Persian: ca. 500 BC

Cuneiform

Mud bricks- unfired, sometimes fired by sun

Cylinder seal -personalized seal

Heraldic pose

Registers

Composite view

Hieratic scale/Hierarchical scale

Ziggurat- man-made mountains for temples

Stele- a stone or wooden slab, generally taller than it is wide, erected in the ancient world as a monument. The surface of the stele often has text, ornamentation, or both. These may be inscribed, carved in relief, or painted

Lamassu

Orthostat-stone slabs set at the base of a wall

Column

Capital

Mesopotamia; Hebrews settle in Canaan (later called Israel)

Jewelry in life and death, Pendant order out of chaos with cartouche (has name or ka), gold outline filled with enamel

Identification:

Stylistic Period

Formal Qualities

Iconography-the visual images and symbols used in a work of art or the study or interpretation of these.

Social-Historical Influences

What makes it special?

Minoan Art: c.1700-1200 BC

Mycenaean Art: c.1700-1200 BC

Fresco-a painting done rapidly in watercolor on wet plaster on a wall or ceiling, so that the colors penetrate the plaster and become fixed as it dries.

Megaron-the great central hall of an ancient Mycenaean house usually containing a center hearth

Rhyton- a type of drinking vessel used in ancient Greece, typically having the form of an animal's head or a horn, with the hole for drinking at the bottom.

Cyclopean masonry-a term used to describe a type of megalithic architecture entailing the working of unusually large blocks of stone, often for the construction of fortifications

Casemate-In fortifications, a vaulted and blast-resistant chamber with an embrasure in the outer wall, used as a gun-emplacement

Corbel arch-a structure which spans an opening like an arch by having successive courses of masonry project farther inward as they rise on each side of the gap

Corbel vault- extended arch making a hallway

High-arched eyes

Clenched hands 
Influence of Egyptian art
This is not a portrait of a real man, but an idealized figure, probably used as a grave marker.

Kouros=a type of monumental nude sculpture from the Archaic period in ancient Greece+the Greek word for "youth."
Would have been brightly painted

Archaic Kouros figures: the forward stepping left foot, the figure's smile and facial expression, the evenly distributed weight, the braided headband and long hair

 

Similarities with Menkaure: Locked knee one step forward, Stylized hair, same posture, frontal

Differences: Egypt clothed, more natural face
Greek separate from background stone

a. He incised lines into areas of black slip.

The columns expand near their center.

The columns are not evenly spaced.

The metopes are of differing widths.

The stylobate (temple platform) rises near the center.

Phideas did he sculptural program decorating the Parthenon

symbol of democracy in dc

 

ca. 440 BCE
Ancient Greek, Classical

Persian and greek wars
Centaur=chaos
Very ideal on Lapiths (Greeks)
Greeks were opposite of chaos

ca. 440 BCE

 

the emotional expressionism of the figures

the interest in other cultures
the dynamic energy and sense of motion

NOT-the technical accomplishment of the carving

Column

Capital

Drum

Fluting

Entasis- bulging on doric columns

Triglyphs and Metopes

Frieze

Pediment

Contrapposto-an asymmetrical arrangement of the human figure in which the line of the arms and shoulders contrasts with, while balancing, those of the hips and legs.

Lost-Wax Bronze Casting

Agora- The agora was a central public space in ancient Greek city-states. It is the best representation of a city-state's response to accommodate the social and political order of the polis. The literal meaning of the word "agora" is "gathering place" or "assembly"

Acropolis-a citadel or fortified part of an ancient Greek city, typically built on a hill.

Cinerary urn-A vessel used to preserve the ashes of the cremated dead

Sarcophagus-a stone coffin, typically adorned with a sculpture or inscription and associated with the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Rome, and Greece

Filigree- ornamental work of fine (typically gold or silver) wire formed into delicate tracery

Granulation- A decorative metalwork technique in which tiny balls of metal (granules) are fused to a metal surface

Relief carving- sculpture that projects in varying degrees from a two-dimensional background

Terra cotta- unglazed, typically brownish-red earthenware, used chiefly as an ornamental building material and in modeling

Orator pose- If you stand in contrapposto, lift your right arm, and raise your index finger

Look for an Etruscan work that shows the influence of each of the following periods:

Egyptian

Minoan

Ancient Near East/Greek Orientalizing Period

Greek Archaic

Greek Classical

Roman

Empire Period: c. 100 AD

Late Empire: c. 300 AD

Words to Know:
veristic portrait- realistic true to life

engaged columns- half in wall

forum-a public square or marketplace used for judicial and other business.

basilica- law court

barrel vault-a vault forming a half cylinder.

groin vault- Two intersection vaults (on top=x)

arcade- a series of arches in a row

oculus-a round or eye-like opening or design, such as a circular window or an opening at the apex of a dome.

coffers- a recessed panel in a ceiling.

aqueduct-an artificial channel for conveying water, typically in the form of a bridge across a valley or other gap.

encaustic- (especially in painting and ceramics) using pigments mixed with hot wax that are burned in as an inlay.

domus-In Ancient Rome, the domus was the type of town house occupied by the upper classes and some wealthy freedmen during the Republican and Imperial eras.

atrium- A central room or space in ancient Roman homes, open to the sky in the middle; a similar space in other buildings

impluvium-a water-catchment pool system meant to capture rain-water flowing from the compluvium, or slanted roof. 

peristyle-a row of columns surrounding a space within a building such as a court or internal garden or edging a veranda or porch.

fresco painting- method of painting water-based pigments on freshly applied plaster, usually on wall surfaces.

Tetrarchs- The Tetrarchy was established in 293 CE by the Emperor Diocletian. It consisted of four different rulers, two head emperors (originally Diocletain and Maximian) and two junior emperors (originally Constantius and Galerius). These four Emperors spit the empire into four districts and each ruled separately.

Nerva

Trajan

Hadrian

Antoninus Pius

Marcus Aurelius

324 Constantine founded Constantinople (now Istanbul)

325 Constantine formed counsel of Niceae (Nicene Creed)

337 Constantine died

380 Christianity became official religion of the empire

391 pagan religions banned

395 empire divided into east and west; also church

404 Honorius moved capitol to Ravenna

410 sack of Rome, decline in western empire

Chi Ro Monogram- x with a p (two letters in christ's name)

Ichthus symbol-Fish; Jesus Christ God Son Savior; draw on ground and other finishes it

Orant position-standing with arms outstretched sideways, or bent at the elbow, with the hands at shoulder level and palms facing forward, position of prayer

Clerestory

Martyrium

Tesserae

Nimbus

Nave

Aisle

Gallery

Narthex

Apse

Icon

Iconoclast, Iconophile

Psalter

Pantocrator

Middle Byzantine Art: c. 900-1200 A.D.

Late Byzantine Art: c. 1300 A.D.

Theme: “New wine in new bottles”

395 empire divided into east and west; also church

404 Honorius moved capitol to Ravenna

410 sack of Rome, decline in western empire

Tesserae

Nimbus

Nave

Aisle

Gallery

Narthex

Apse

Icon

Iconoclast, Iconophile

Psalter

Pantocrator

Looks like it goes on and on forever (the timelessness of prayer)

Red and white voussoirs-Islamic invention

White marble (inlaid stones with color)

Paradise on Earth

Non functional/ decorative minarets

Symmetry and Complex designs

Watercolor

Designs from Persia

Influence from Western art (cupids, king james)

Handing a gift to Sufi Shaikh (accepting with shawl so he doesn’t touch him, poor not heavily adorned)

Hindu artist

Hourglass (show time)

Qibla Wall-the wall in a mosque that faces Mecca

Kufic Script-a style of Arabic script that gained prominence early on as a preferred script for Quran transcription and architectural decoration, and it has since become a reference and an archetype for a number of other Arabic scripts

Minaret-tower for call to prayer

Horseshoe arches-also called the Moorish arch and the keyhole arch, is a type of arch in which the circular curve is continued below the horizontal line of its diameter, so that the opening at the bottom of the arch is narrower than the arch's full span.

Voussoirs- the stones that arent a keystone in an arch

Iwan-a vaulted space that opens on one side to a courtyard.

The Five Pillars of Islam

1. The Profession of Faith (The Shahada): “There is no God but God, and Muhammed is his prophet”

2. Daily Prayers (Salat): Five times a day, point towards Mecca

3. Alms-Giving (Zakat): Donate a portion of earnings (or good deeds for those unable to donate money) to the poor

4. Fasting during Ramadan (Saum): Ninth month of the Islamic calendar; from dawn to dusk (no eating or drinking during daylight)

5. Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj): At least once during one’s lifetime; visit the Kaaba (shrine said to be built by Abraham and his son Ishmael)

Anglo-Saxon: c. 600 A.D.

Hiberno-Saxon: c. 700 A.D.

Viking: c. 800 A.D.

Carolingian: c. 800 A.D.

Ottonian: c. 1000 A.D.

cloisonné

illuminated manuscript

initial page

carpet page

miniaturist

scriptoria

codex

the four evangelists

westwork

Symmetry

Design: Interlace (Celts)

Little eyes and beaks (birds and snakes)

Small things that you can carry in travel

Granulation=tiny dots in surface

Anglo Saxon Art:
(Mostly in England)

Art that had no exposure to the Greek/Roman/Classical tradition

 

Sutton Hoo Ship Burial Site (Movie: The Dig)

Cloisonne="Fenced in" (Bronze outlines with garnet and enamel)

Millefiori (1000 flowers)=Fused glass technique

Hero Pose

Intricate culture

Thought to be Viking, but coins showed it was much older

Receptive to Christian missionaries and became missionaries themselves

Isolation

Scriptoria: Workshops for reproducing scriptures (handwritten and hand decorated)

Combined metal-work animal style of Anglo-Saxon art with Christian themes

 

St. Matthew, from the Book of Durrow

Ezra Restoring the Bible

 

Animal Head

Unified much of Europe

France, ruled from now Germany (Frankish)

Holy Roman Emperor Christmas day 800 AD

 

Equestrian Statue of a Carolingian Ruler

 

Accusation and Judgement on Adam and Eve

 | Temptation and Fall   | vs.  | Crucifixion
 | Tree of knowledge of Good and Evil/ Tree of Life |   | Cross
 | Adam and Eve | | |Similarity in composition | Roman soldiers|   | In Adam all men die, in Christ all shall be made alive |  

Things are more stable (better roads, more trade) = more travel = pilgrimage + crusades

 

 

 

#1 spot= Jerusalem, but too far and dangerous and held by Muslims

#2 spot Rome (patron saints Peter and Paul, but too far and dangerous

3rd best but most popular is in Spain Santiago de Compostela

 

Why go on a pilgrimage?

1. to express Christian devotion 2. to purify the soul and perhaps even  produce miraculous healing benefits.  

3. to reduce time in purgatory 

4. to gain forgiveness for a sin or crime

5. to travel and see some of the world

 

The routes together look like a shell (symbol of pilgrimage)

Santiago de Compostela

barrel vault

compound piers

bays

apsidiole

ambulatory

transept

crossing

narthex

nave

reliquary

cloister

tympanum

trumeau

jamb

groin vaults

campanile

mandorla

 

Gislebertus, Eve

Made buildings look weightless.

 

West façade of abbey church of Saint-Denis. ca. 1137–40

 

Ambulatory of abbey church of St. Denis

 

Notre Dame de la Belle Verriere

 Purposes of Stained Glass Windows:

 

Read from bottom up, storytelling

Ribbed groin vaults

Flying buttresses

Nave

Transept

Crossing

Aisles

Ambulatory

Nave arcade

Gallery

Triforium

Clerestory

Compound piers

Westwork

Jamb statues

Cult of Mary

Gothic “sway”

Stained glass

Tracery windows

Rayonnant or Court Style

Flamboyant Style

Fan Vaulting (England)

 

Annunciation and Visitation

Courtly style

 

Altarpiece of St. Clare ca 1280

Fortitude

 

Royalty commissioning art

There is even a sense of dramatic irony in the piece. The mourners are inconsolable and you feel the heartbreak in Mary as a mother. The weight of the figures reflects the heavy emotional weight of the scene. They don’t know that Christ will rise again in 3 days. They don’t see the paintings after this one that show triumph over death. In this way, we are a bit like God when viewing the work. We know exactly what kind of hope and glory and joy will follow, but all they can see is what is in front of them: a crucified savior, a symbol of destroyed hopes. In a hopeless moment, we are able to look to the mountain moving up the back of the piece knowing that there is more after this dark moment. I have to remember that I don’t have all the answers and I can only see one perspective, but God (the viewer, the Creator) can see all of the beauty to come.

Central panel

Right panel

Open