Dipylon Vase Greek, Late Geometric belly-handled amphora by the Dipylon Master ca. 750 BCE Height: 51" Ceramic National Archaeological Museum, Athens On Geometric vases of the Greek world in the 9th and 8th centuries, we see a decorative enhancement of ceramic vessels using geometric ornament. Continuous bands of meanders, zigzags, triangles are some of the most popular patterns, while circles and semicircles are seen less often. Zones of patterned ornament are divided into registers. Much of this ornamentation mirrors the ordinary basketry designs of the time period, and there is some influence from weaving that is indicated in the painted patterns on these Geometric vases. However, basketry and weaving does not fully explain the whole phenomenon of Geometric decoration. Book of Kells Folio depicting Christ Enthroned ca. 800 CE Ink and pigments on vellum 13 x 9 1/2" Trinity College Library, Dublin Making of Manuscripts, Getty Museum (Video, 6:19) "Insular La Tène art is characterized by curvilinear forms, abstraction, and a high degree of technical expertise in metalworking. [As seen in the purse cover design from Sutton Hoo]. It distinguishes itself from Greco-Roman art in that it is determinedly non-narrative despite a great tradition of storytelling…Shape-changing ambiguity is one of its prime characteristics, with reversible images in which creatures are part-human, part-bird, part-animal and part-mythological monster, where faces peer from foliage out of which they grow, and where foreground and background appear to interchange. It is an art that demands the active participation of the viewer’s imagination; in other words, it is the art of quiet contemplation or you will miss much of the subtleties. From the first century BCE onwards, the art is based on carefully laid-out compass design, and until the coming of the Romans to Britain, most designs avoid straight lines and rectangular spaces. It is with the introduction of Christianity that there is a marked change in Insular art. One of the main reasons for this is the conversion to a religion based on a sacred text, the Bible. The idea of a book with illuminations is foreign to pre-Christian art in Ireland, Scotland and England. Once the codex, or book, is introduced, a remarkable new type of approach to book illustration is developed. Often the ornamentation is so elaborate, it will obscure the clarity of the letters themselves, something a book illustrator trained in the Greco-Roman tradition would never do. Another contribution is to introduce each Gospel book with a decorative page, which is often referred to as a carpet page. This may have two functions: one, to easily find the beginnings of books; and second, it has been suggested that the cross motif and ornamental designs protect the Word from corruption through the use of symbol and magical power. This is hard to prove, but it would be consistent with what is known about medieval beliefs in magic. The result of approaching the illumination of the book as if it were jewelry or metalwork was to fundamentally change the relationship between word and image." – Dr. Dorothy Hoogland Verkerk From, Ireland’s Exquisite Insular Art, by James Weiner, https://etc.ancient.eu/interviews/irelands-exquisite-insular-art/ Opening Folio of the 26th Volume of the "Anonymous Baghdad Qur'an" Calligrapher, Ahmad ibn al-Suhrawardi al-Bakri; Illuminator, Muhammad ibn Aibak ibn 'Abdallah A.H. 706/ A.D 1306–7 Made in Iraq, Baghdad Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper 17 x 13 7/8 in. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Neither the Qur'an nor the sayings of Muhammad (known as the hadith, or Traditions) specifically forbid figural representation in art. However, both sources take a strict position against the worship of idols and the worship of images. The steadfast compliance of these rules was adopted early on by Islamic religious leaders, and we often find that animal and human motifs are reserved for non-religious applications. Four types of ornamentation can be found in Islamic art: calligraphy, human and animal forms, vegetal motifs and geometric patterns. These patterns can be applied as a single element or combined to form intricate and complex arrangements. While geometric ornamentation reached its apex in the Islamic world, sources for the basic shapes and elaborate patterns already existed in the Byzantine and Sasanian empires (Sasanid Dynasty of ancient Persia). Islamic artists appropriated key elements of this late antique tradition, and elaborated upon them to invent a new form of decoration that stressed the importance of unity, logic, and order. What purpose does the ornamentation on these three works of art above serve for the viewer and user of these objects? Take the time to leave a comment by 11:59 pm. The Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus ca. 359 CE Marble Approx. 4' x 8' x 4' Museum of Saint Peter's Basilica, The Vatican, Rome Khan Academy, video (4:26) https://youtu.be/UjX4ExCixWY The sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, a coffin made of marble, is one of the earliest surviving high-status examples depicting Early Christian iconography. When we speak of iconography, we are referring to the traditional and conventional images or symbols that are associated with a subject, and especially a religious or legendary subject. With the sarcophagus of Junius Bassus we find the earliest visual example of, yet again, adopting and adapting here, Roman convention for depicting imperial and godly figures in the service to Christianity. When in the year 313 CE Emperor Constantine granted religious toleration throughout the empire under the Edict of Milan, the persecution of Christians officially ended. Shortly before his death in 337, Constantine himself was baptized as a Christian and thereby aligned the seat of the Roman Emperor with the divine authority of the Christian Church. As Christianity became an official practice, the long tradition of visually honoring Greek and Roman gods was now necessitated for the depiction of Christian iconology and doctrine. Remember still, the majority of the population was illiterate but had a great deal of training in visual literacy, and the power to communicate important tenets through images was inherited by Christian leaders. This sarcophagus belonging to Junius Bassus, a Roman prefect or regional governor, who died in 359 at age 42, is indicated through the Latin inscriptions on the cornice above the top register to have been recently baptized. He was a praefectus urbi as well, which was the highest level of administrative function in the city of Rome at that time, and had recently become a convert to Christianity, which had only been legal in the Roman Empire for 50 years or so. The Senate decided to give Junius Bassus the honor of a public funeral, as he was still serving the Empire at the time of his death. The sarcophagus was placed behind the confessio (typical early-Christian resting place under an altar for a saint or martyr) at Old St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The face of the sarcophagus has been divided into two registers, think back to the Standard of Ur, and is structured to emulate a two-story Roman temple façade supported by composite columns, and divided into ten panels by a colonnade at the top and bottom. The upper register supports an architrave and cornice that is finished with a gable roof which at one point was elaborately carved with additional sculpture. On the front side, ten scenes derived from the Old Testament (four scenes) and the New Testament (six scenes) are carved into the marble providing a moralizing program, that is, Old Testament scenes are set against New Testament scenes as prefigurations (forerunners) for Christ. The two end (side) panels of the sarcophagus depict four scenes, two on each end, representing the four seasons and the typical occupations of the seasons, namely, the harvesting of grapes, wheat and olives by Cupids. The figures all wear togas of the classical Roman upper class, and are modeled along the same style of the Late Empire sculptures, Portrait of the Tetrarchs and the Constantinian relief sculpture from the Arch of Constantine, depicting figures with larger heads and shorter bodies. The scenes on the front side are, from left to right, upper register: 1) Sacrifice of Isaac; 2) St. Peter Taken Prisoner; 3) Christ Enthroned (treading the Head of the Roman pagan god of the heavens, Coelus) between Peter and Paul, the veritable saints of Rome; 4 & 5) Jesus before Pontius Pilate at his Trial (last two compartments). The scenes from left to right, lower register: 6) Suffering of Job; 7) The Temptation of Adam and Eve; 8) Jesus’ Entry Into Jerusalem on a Donkey; 9) Daniel in the Lion’s Den; 10) St. Paul led to his Martyrdom (The Execution of Paul). Before the time of Constantine, the figure of Christ was rarely directly represented. On the sarcophagus here we see Christ prominently represented in a formula derived from Roman imperial art as the enthroned emperor (panel 3). Christ's gesture of holding a scroll in his outstretched left arm in Panel 3, with St. Peter standing to Christ's right and holding a scroll himself, is known as the traditio legis, "handing over the law," and it became a classic convention of early Christian art. It displays an aspect of the deity, Christ, as a lawgiver and a teacher; it is an eloquent symbolic representation here of the teacher passing on his legacy to St. Peter as the founding father of the Church. In Roman imperial art it was used to indicate the emperor as a lawgiver or one who was investing someone with authority. The classical tradition continued to be a recurring element in Christian art throughout the Middle Ages. For today, I would like for you to choose one of the scenes (panels) from the front of the sarcophagus of Junius Bassus above to research. Define the subject of the panel you have chosen to delve into and share it on your post. Then, knowing the story behind the subject, think about how the artist represents the scene. Is it an accurate description of the subject? Does the artist choose certain characteristics, elements, or attributes to hint at the subject? Would anyone looking at this work understand what these images represented? How does the artist depict the story? I will be evaluating your responses for a grade this time around, so legitimately research, use Brittanica, use the resources of Christian iconography listed on the class website's Resources Page, look at the Life of Jesus in Art handout on the ART 101 page, and share succinctly but with detail for your fellow colleagues. Watch the videos presented below and take a good look at the sculptures here that represent individual emperors reigning during the Early, Middle, and Late Imperial Period. Republican rule, that is, governance by a Republic, a state that is ruled by a representative body of citizens, and in the case of Rome, a Senate that was controlled by the patrician class of Roman citizenry, ends in 27 CE. Thereafter, the rule of emperor-kings alongside the still functioning Senate, ruled the Roman Empire. The label 'Good Emperor' arises during this Imperial period, and the representation of Roman emperors as 'good' is a facet of these works, as seen below. These portrait sculptures were produced in multiple copies and disseminated and erected in all places that came under Roman rule. They were reminders of who was in control and what qualities they represented to the people that came under their rule. Looking at how these emperors were represented in their portrait sculpture, what do you believe are the qualities that make a good emperor? How are they depicted in their portraits? Do you notice any shared characteristics?
My husband, some years ago, had gifted me a pancake recipe book. I love to bake and I love breakfast! Did I mention I also love to eat? The three recipes here come from Kate Habershon's little cookbook, Pancakes and Waffles. I've been fortunate to be able to bake a little more at home these past couple of weeks, and to be fortunate to have my kids and husband bake for me. Perhaps you will all enjoy these really easy recipes that I've also adapted using gluten-free flours. Enjoy them and the links to the history of pancakes (just click on the slides above to National Geographic and Mental Floss). So from my family to yours, Cheers! Have a great weekend everyone!
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