The Ancient Near Eastern world gives us the earliest material evidence of the beginnings of civilization. We bear witness through the visual arts of the establishment of cities, religious beliefs and institutions, government, law, and writing-elements that serve to define civilized society. The Ancient Near Eastern civilizations that arose along the Mesopotamian river valley expressed their relationship to their world and each other through the visual arts, recording experience and belief. Below are three examples of such work, a mosaic (an art form that uses the technique of making pictures or patterns from small pieces of colored stone or glass set into cement or plaster, and in the case of the Standard of Ur, into bitumen), and two relief sculptures (sculpture made so that all or part of it projects from a flat surface). One of the earliest works of literature to emerge in the Western world is the Gilgamesh Epic, a poem about a legendary hero and leader revered for his strength and supernatural connections. I invite you today to read an excerpt from the Gilgamesh Epic (click on the link here or find it under Handouts on the ART 101 webpage), and to look for and highlight the names of individuals (pronouns) and the materials referenced in the poem. In comparison to this literary work, take a look at the artifacts shown below, watch the videos and or follow the links to the museums that own these works, and think about the poem. What materials do you see referenced in the poem and do they apply to any of the works here? Who is mentioned in the poem? What would you like to know more about? Address any of these questions and post a comment by 11:59 pm . Looking forward to reading your thoughts… Standard of Ur From Tomb 779, Royal Cemetery, Ur (modern Tell Muqayyar), Iraq ca. 2600 BCE Shell, lapis lazuli, and red limestone inlaid in wood and bitumen 8” x 1’ 7” British Museum, London Khan Academy Standard of Ur (Video, 8:48)
Daniel Chester French Lincoln Memorial (detail) 1911–1922 Photograph (1922) of full-sized plaster model of head (1917–1918) 50-1/2" tall As introduced in our lecture, What Is Art?, we have come to identify the elements with which an artist works to successfully communicate their meaning and purpose. Along with line, shape, mass, space, time and motion, color and texture, an artist heavily relies on light, whether actual or implied. Our eyes are light-sensing instruments and everything we see is made visible by light. Implied light is achieved in a painting when an artist utilizes hues in values from light to dark, from bright white accents to dark shades in order to illuminate their subjects, to show their volume and mass. Actual light, whether it is sunlight, moonlight, or artificial light, also plays a role in how a work of art communicates. The way light falls on a subject influences, greatly, how we see it, as can be evidenced in the plaster model of the head of Abraham Lincoln shown here.
How does the application of light on a three-dimensional object, the portrait of Abraham Lincoln here, change your perception of the man being represented? Please respond by 11:59 pm . I look forward to reading your comments! |
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