For this weeks post I am going to compare the Harvester Rhyton from the Minoan culture (page 89 of the text), with the the Palette of Narmer made by the Egyptians (page 52 of the text). I want to start with what these two pieces have in common. Both are relief carvings of human beings set on dark stone. The harvester is in higher relief than Narmer, but both show the figures highlighted by the light against the dark background. These pieces are both art created on objects commonly used by people of the time, one being a vessel for liquid and the other a palette for grinding makeup. They are both connected to ceremonies or rituals important to their respective cultures.
Though similar in some ways, these two pieces are very different from one another. To start, the way that humans are depicted by each culture. As we talked about, the Egyptians had very set conventions for depicting people. The composite pose, the hirearchy of scale and their canon of proportions. All come into use on the Palette of Narmer. Narmer is huge compared to the other figures, he has a profile-front-profile pose to his body, and he is proportioned to the style of the time. On the Harvester however, the people are much more naturalistic, both in the way they are detailed, muscles, hair and clothing, and the way they are posed. It is interesting that this relief or carving is the way Minoans depicted people, not in painting, as the Egyptians are known to have done. Also different is the number of figures fitted onto the Harvester, 27 men that overlap and run all around the vessel is contrasts the space and respect given to the over sized Narmer figure on the palette.
Different also are the scenes depicted in each piece and what they mean to the people of that culture. The Palette of Narmer is a piece of political propaganda set to show his dominance of all Egypt, upper and lower. Also shown is the god Horus helping Narmer do so, telling the people that the gods are in support of his rule. There are images of Narmer's enemies cowardly running away and stacks of decapitated foes as a warning to all those who want to challenge him. The overall feel of the Palette of Narmer is dominance, power, and leadership. This is opposite of the celebration dance shown on the Harvester. There is a sense of joy and movement created by the figures different poses, the way they interact with one another on the vessel and the way they wrap around its curves. Whether it is a celebration of spring planting or fall harvesting, the men on the vessel show their gratitude. Their individuality and lack of formation also helps give the feeling excitement and dance, combined with with the open mouths of many of the men, showing a shared song or chant. It is also suggested that the vessel may have been decorated with gold leaf or paint when it was still in use, this would very much set a different tone from that of Narmer. The feeling of joy and celebration given by the Harvester is almost opposite that of the Palette of Narmer.
There is no doubt these two pieces come from two different parts of the world and two different cultures. At first glance one can find a few simple similarities, but after a longer look the two become very distinct works of art. Very different styles and conventions used by the two peoples. Then, with some knowledge of the history and symbols of the culture the two begin to move even further apart. The Egyptians were not the Minoans, nor the Minoans the Egyptians and it shows through the artwork that the two created.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Post #4 Egyptian Art
Egyptian art has an almost instantly recognizable style to it. This comes mostly from they're deep rooted and unvarying artistic conventions. The Egyptian presentation of humans, especially ones of important status, is in the form of composite poses. Heads are shown from the profile, while the eyes are from a straight on view. From the waist down is also in profile with the legs commonly staggered to show them both, while the torso is done from the frontal view. In Egyptian pieces, the person of status is scaled much larger than the other figures to show his importance.
It is interesting to think about creativity relating to Egyptian art. I don't particularly find their motives for making art all that creative. Most all of artistic creation by the Egyptians was for a purpose, to record history, tell a story, religious belief, or to praise a king or god. However, they're approach, style and conventions is impressively creative. So much so it was sampled and incorporated into other cultures who were exposed to it. The composite pose convention is very effective in relief or painting where a scene is to be depicted. The head and legs in profile give direction, while the front view torso allows both arms and shoulders to be shown that gives an unquestionably human form. The use of scale to depict status is awesome and to this day gives a feeling of power to that figure. I'm very impressed by their use of symbols in art to communicate ideas of religion, politics and culture that would be easily understood by people of the time. Like on the Palette of Narmer, the whole idea behind the falcon figure is very creatively and clearly expressed using only images. When they developed a form of writing it is fully pictorial as well. In sculpture they're depiction of humans is very life like, maybe not in scale, but the distortions of their 2D work do not show up in their statues. I think the blending of human and animal parts in Egyptian art work is very creative because there is nothing in nature that support that being possible.
The thing that interests me about the Egyptians is their mindset toward the things they create. No doubt creative and always serving a purpose but also so awesomely over the top. Six tier step pyramids built over a grave, solid gold funeral masks, fully engraved makeup stones, the Great Sphinx, all amazing. Its as if the thought was, especially for royalty, we need this thing so lets make it on the grandest scale and utmost beauty and because that, everything that survives today is incredible. To be a god king is a good thing and they made the most of it.
It is interesting to think about creativity relating to Egyptian art. I don't particularly find their motives for making art all that creative. Most all of artistic creation by the Egyptians was for a purpose, to record history, tell a story, religious belief, or to praise a king or god. However, they're approach, style and conventions is impressively creative. So much so it was sampled and incorporated into other cultures who were exposed to it. The composite pose convention is very effective in relief or painting where a scene is to be depicted. The head and legs in profile give direction, while the front view torso allows both arms and shoulders to be shown that gives an unquestionably human form. The use of scale to depict status is awesome and to this day gives a feeling of power to that figure. I'm very impressed by their use of symbols in art to communicate ideas of religion, politics and culture that would be easily understood by people of the time. Like on the Palette of Narmer, the whole idea behind the falcon figure is very creatively and clearly expressed using only images. When they developed a form of writing it is fully pictorial as well. In sculpture they're depiction of humans is very life like, maybe not in scale, but the distortions of their 2D work do not show up in their statues. I think the blending of human and animal parts in Egyptian art work is very creative because there is nothing in nature that support that being possible.
The thing that interests me about the Egyptians is their mindset toward the things they create. No doubt creative and always serving a purpose but also so awesomely over the top. Six tier step pyramids built over a grave, solid gold funeral masks, fully engraved makeup stones, the Great Sphinx, all amazing. Its as if the thought was, especially for royalty, we need this thing so lets make it on the grandest scale and utmost beauty and because that, everything that survives today is incredible. To be a god king is a good thing and they made the most of it.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Post #3 Formal Analysis: Assurnasirpal II Killing Lions
Assurnasirpal II Killing Lions is a low relief sculpture carved from alabaster. The piece stands a little over three feet tall and portrays a very detailed scene of men hunting lions from a chariot being pulled by horses. This particular work gives me a two different emotional reactions when I look at it, the initial one being danger and then through closer observation I get a sense of dominance. The image I will be referencing can be found on page 40 of the text Art History by Stokstad and Cothren.
My first reaction when looking at this piece is danger. The eye is immediately drawn just left of center to developing conflict between the man, bow drawn, in the chariot and the lion coming in close to attack. There is a moment of suspense built by how the two could potentially interact. The aggressive stance of the lion and the armed man give a sense of danger that radiates from them both. The lion, being depicted as being stuck with four arrows already, shows that its life is in danger through the expression on its face. A last stance, defiant roar. This is also supported by the detailed strain of the lions muscles. The low relief really lends itself to depth and detail of the lion's features. The man, coming face to face with the lion is very much in danger himself. Having hit the lion a number of times, I get no real sense of safety from the cocked bow the man holds. However, unlike the lion, when reading the man's face he shows no real signs of fear, which I will comment more on later. The final figure that brings a feeling of danger is both the chariot driver and his horses. The way the driver is set leaned forward, opposite the attacking lion, seems to indicate his fear and want to escape. The horses too behave like their driver, with wide eyes and ears pinned back as they leap over an already wounded lion.
The second response Assurnasirpal II Killing Lions gave me was a feeling of dominance. Based on the headdress of the people in the piece, it is likely the king is the man with the bow. He is featured dead center in this piece and is the only figure to be facing toward the left. While doing so he is staring right in the eyes of a very ferocious lion. The lion is set with an aggressive upward curve to his back, his chest puffed out and his teeth showing. It is a rather intimidating pose. But the king shows no signs of fear in his face or demeanor. There is a second defeated lion under his horses that suggests his unquestionable dominance. The lions are scaled to about the size of the horses and are slightly longer than the humans are tall. However, they are much thicker and the attention paid to the size and detail of the lion's muscles, deep, thick lines, are not seen on the humans or horses. This illustrates their sheer physical power and gives a feeling of dominance through the defeat of such great creatures.
Assurnasirpal II Killing Lions, being a low relief sculpture is not intended to be viewed from behind but instead more like a painting. The way the scene is laid out gives a feeling of movement from left to right that can almost be read like a panel in a comic book. However, unlike a painting, the low relief allows very clear physical depth and texture. Places like the lions mane and the beards the men wear. The way the figures come off the back drop allow for shadows to form and the depth becomes very apparent in places where the soldiers overlap in a row, as well as the horses. The alabaster is a sort of brownish/gray color that is some what mundane. The lack of color does not necessarily detract from the piece because the the relief gives dimension and the craftsmanship is very detailed.
The Assurnasirpal II Killing Lions is a very interesting piece that conveys a number of emotions and feelings when I look at it. The innate sense of danger I feel from seeing the lion ready to attack. The feeling of dominance and power I receive from the king's demeanor when I look further. All combined with a story like movement created by the figures being composed from left to right, makes me feel like I can see the action play out in my head. Assurnasirpal II Killing Lions is a very gripping piece.
My first reaction when looking at this piece is danger. The eye is immediately drawn just left of center to developing conflict between the man, bow drawn, in the chariot and the lion coming in close to attack. There is a moment of suspense built by how the two could potentially interact. The aggressive stance of the lion and the armed man give a sense of danger that radiates from them both. The lion, being depicted as being stuck with four arrows already, shows that its life is in danger through the expression on its face. A last stance, defiant roar. This is also supported by the detailed strain of the lions muscles. The low relief really lends itself to depth and detail of the lion's features. The man, coming face to face with the lion is very much in danger himself. Having hit the lion a number of times, I get no real sense of safety from the cocked bow the man holds. However, unlike the lion, when reading the man's face he shows no real signs of fear, which I will comment more on later. The final figure that brings a feeling of danger is both the chariot driver and his horses. The way the driver is set leaned forward, opposite the attacking lion, seems to indicate his fear and want to escape. The horses too behave like their driver, with wide eyes and ears pinned back as they leap over an already wounded lion.
The second response Assurnasirpal II Killing Lions gave me was a feeling of dominance. Based on the headdress of the people in the piece, it is likely the king is the man with the bow. He is featured dead center in this piece and is the only figure to be facing toward the left. While doing so he is staring right in the eyes of a very ferocious lion. The lion is set with an aggressive upward curve to his back, his chest puffed out and his teeth showing. It is a rather intimidating pose. But the king shows no signs of fear in his face or demeanor. There is a second defeated lion under his horses that suggests his unquestionable dominance. The lions are scaled to about the size of the horses and are slightly longer than the humans are tall. However, they are much thicker and the attention paid to the size and detail of the lion's muscles, deep, thick lines, are not seen on the humans or horses. This illustrates their sheer physical power and gives a feeling of dominance through the defeat of such great creatures.
Assurnasirpal II Killing Lions, being a low relief sculpture is not intended to be viewed from behind but instead more like a painting. The way the scene is laid out gives a feeling of movement from left to right that can almost be read like a panel in a comic book. However, unlike a painting, the low relief allows very clear physical depth and texture. Places like the lions mane and the beards the men wear. The way the figures come off the back drop allow for shadows to form and the depth becomes very apparent in places where the soldiers overlap in a row, as well as the horses. The alabaster is a sort of brownish/gray color that is some what mundane. The lack of color does not necessarily detract from the piece because the the relief gives dimension and the craftsmanship is very detailed.
The Assurnasirpal II Killing Lions is a very interesting piece that conveys a number of emotions and feelings when I look at it. The innate sense of danger I feel from seeing the lion ready to attack. The feeling of dominance and power I receive from the king's demeanor when I look further. All combined with a story like movement created by the figures being composed from left to right, makes me feel like I can see the action play out in my head. Assurnasirpal II Killing Lions is a very gripping piece.
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