[Bob Hook]

Lucas, I couldn’t agree with you more the Byzantine art is hard to define. It appears to me that all the art we look at in this section is focused on Christianity. The depiction of many of the elder saints from the Old Testament right up to the depiction of the Holy Trinity. Given the debate of the Second Commandment, I find it very interesting that the focus is on religious themes. The concept of not worshipping the images but only the god they represent is philosophical hair-splitting at its very best.

[Bob Hook]

Laura, I agree with your point about how early Christian and Jewish art utilized scenes and stories found in the old testament in their art and buildings. It is as if you can dance around the image of God and create images that point you to god but you just can’t show the likeness of God. By not defining what god looks like you keep a great deal of flexibility in the system. He/She can take on any shape, ethnicity, physicality or even non-physical form. I still find the discussion of Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit all very confusing.

[Bob Hook]

Kaitlyn Great job, I was very focused on the sculptures and the paintings from this period. I appreciate you reminding us of the architecture and especially the Old Saint Peter’s Basilica.

[Bob Hook]

I think that syncretism is prevalent in much of the early Christian art and structures of the time of this time. I think that the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus offers several examples of this. One of the panels shows Christ’s entry into Jerusalem which is a derivative of Roman imperial art. The “adventous’ was an accepted pattern showing the conquering hero being offered homage as they enter the city. Another panel depicts the Judgement of Pilate. Again this is based on a Roman formula named Justitia, the dispensing of justice. In the original, Marcus Aurelius is seated on a sella curulis and on the sarcophagus it is Pontious Pilate in the role of Roman governor who sits on the sella curulis.
One final comparison appears as the god Erotus harvesting grapes and wheat. Images from Roman and Grecian art that convey the sense of harvest and seasonal changes. The Christians adopted these images in a third or fourth century C.E. statue. The cherubs are still collecting sheaths of wheat and grapes from the vines. They are shorter and less well-proportioned as Christian images but convey the same harvest scene. I think the continuation of art from the Greco-Roman era into the Christian era is because more art was conserved to be viewed from the Greeks and Romans and a common language was available to describe it. This has provided for a continuation of myths and artistic styles over several centuries.

[Bob Hook]

I think the early Jewish and Christian artist took completely different paths to avoid the creation of false idols to worship. The Jewish artists were forbidden from depicting their god or even speaking his name. They did develop a religious culture based upon stories cultural stories from the Old Testament. They did not have a direct figure to worship but they were pointing you in the direction of their god. This all works in theory until you come upon the synagogue at Beth-Shean. Here you find the most prominent mosaic actually depicts the signs of the Zodiac. The corners are marked by four different woman figures used to depict the season. I think this may have been a transitional statement between Greco-Roman art and into the pure religious creations that appear later. Side Note: I found it interesting that the source for this was the Bible History Daily, obviously a Christian organization, and the story is titled, “Jewish Worship, Pagan Symbols. I thought this was another great example of propaganda by one religion against another.

The Christians took a little different approach. They avoided the graven images at first and before the time of Constantine the figure of Christ was rarely done. This changed over time and by 359 C.E. the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus depicts a figure interpreted to be Christ. However, it is a very youthful Christ based upon a representation of Apollo. Again we are in a transitional period but there also other references to previous gods. In this case, the young Christ is displayed as the ruler of heaven with his feet placed above Caelus, Roman god of the heavens. My point is that the Christians broke the rule little by little until they could depict Christ in all forms and situations without retribution from the church or Papal authorities. The Jewish religion has remained true to their initial vision and never speak of or depict their god.

[Bob Hook]

Great mixture of old world and new world. I loved the combination and I too liked the lined paper. It showed a nice sense of values within the framework of the project. Good Job

[Bob Hook]

I loved all the creativity our class has shown in these final projects. The porch of “princess maidens” made me chuckle. Good Job

[Bob Hook]

I took a little different approach in that I took a modern day image of Blue Babe at the UAF museum and transposed it with Procreate to create a new image of him as a Minoan Bull. I decided to learn and use Procreate at the same time as I was finishing this for a final. Not sure I would take that on again. Enjoy here is the link https://drive.google.com/file/d/10TlPLjgyXSjdkg_MA2q-fOTufC59tW1o/view?usp=sharing

[Bob Hook]

Miranda, I think your right about persuasive art as propaganda. I think the artist has a little choice but to include the items that a sponsor wants to include. I doubt artistic integrity held much weight in a discussion with a person of power, let alone an emperor.

[Bob Hook]

Great catch on the Latin language. It is a major part of our linguistic heritage and I had forgotten about it as a factor. I had Latin in school years ago and it still helps me in identifying the meaning of unknown words.

[Bob Hook]

I have come to believe that the world around us is presented in a manner that is controlled by the people in power. Some of these presentations have intentional biases and fall under the definition of “propaganda.” Major pieces of art have always been financed a supported by those in power or the prophets of the afterlife, the religious faction. I think that the Arch of Constantine is a great example of the retelling of history to glorify the present leaders. The major theme is of the arch is to place Constantine on equal footing with emperors who also had arches in Rome. Examples are the Arch of Titus, The Arch of Septimus Severus and the Arch of Marcus Aurelius that didn’t survive. Constantine wanted to make sure that the citizens knew he was equal to the past leaders.
In addition, he borrowed scenes, actual sculptures, from earlier time frames. These sculptures were of Trajan, Hadrian, and Marcus Aurelius, three of the five emperors known as the good emperors. It is clear that he wants his reign associated with these benevolent and respected leaders. Other aspects are sculptures that clearly show the capture and subjugation of foreigners to the rule of the Romans. The “Barbarians’ are not the only conquered people. There is also a depiction of Constantine’s victory over a rival Roman leader Maxentius. I think one of the most interesting aspects of the construction was when the heads of past emperors were re-shaped to appear more in the image of Constantine. Finally, some of the last panels are formed in an entirely different shape a pattern. Those depictions are very similar to the way early Christians depicted characterizations a varied from the styles of the other statues. This may have been designed to show his conversion to Christianity. I think it is very interesting how subtle propaganda can be.

[Bob Hook]

The Romans are definitely a part of our society, their influence can be found in many aspects of our society. I wanted to focus on just one artifact from their culture to demonstrate their influence on modern society. The Colosseum is a great example to consider.
Originally, known as the Flavian amphitheater in honor of the Flavian Dynasty. The name at some point changed to Colosseum probably in acknowledgment of the “colossal’ bronze statue of Nero that was near. The term colosseum is now commonly accepted as a reference to any large stadium designed for watching sports and entertainment. The structure itself provides an architectural reference for the types of columns it is constructed from. Doric columns on the lower levels, Ionic on the second level and the third level was constructed with Corinthian columns.
The materials of construction were also unique. The walls were constructed of travertine and brick-faced concrete. This was a new building material and concept that is still utilized today. The use of concrete decreased the skills required of the workers and allowed greater error tolerances over cutting and setting a stone. The Romans also began utilizing the concept of urban planning. Unlike the Greeks, they no longer had to rely on the features of the natural landscape to determine the placement of buildings and amphitheaters. Instead, they could shape the landscape to their construction needs.
One final concept that remains prevalent today in our own major event centers is the concept of saved seats. The Colosseum utilized individually marked shards of pottery as tickets and the entry portals were clearly identified with a number. All designed to allow entry and egress from the facility in an efficient manner.

[Bob Hook]

Aubri, I agree with you. The Humanistic movement evolved from the Greek Classical and allowed artist and society to broaden their subject matter. They were no longer bound to nobility and the gods and goddesses but could begin expressing the values and images of individuals.

I think it is the struggle and trials and tribulations that make us human. To depict these events in art captures them as accurate representations for future generations. The one struggle I have with this progression is the fact that gods and goddesses still appear in various scenes. This might be the regressive portion of the Hellenistic movement.

[Bob Hook]

Jessi, I appreciate your point of view and as a father of daughters and a husband to my wife, I’m reminded just how much society and art defines the roles of men and woman. It is refreshing to see a more equal and joyful representation of this in Etruscan art. It is important for all of us to work towards equal wages, equal access and equality in our cultures. A slight editorial on International Woman’s Day 2019.

[Bob Hook]

I think that it is interesting prior to the Etruscans the depiction of women is as fertility figures, goddesses, servants, and slaves but rarely as equals to men. Women were seemingly cast to a cultural role above or below there male counterparts. but almost never as an equal. The Greeks continued this concept with “symposiums’ a meeting of males and servants to discuss life with the copious consumption of alcohol. Women were excluded from these events. We can only speculate as to what the reasoning was.
At the same time, the Etruscans were developing a more equal and intimate social structure between men and woman. They left only their artwork, retrieved from tombs and did not provide us with a written record of their lives. The terracotta statue, Sarcophagus of the Spouses, from 509BCE depicts this relationship well. The woman is held close in the arms of a man, reclining on a couch while attending a banquet in the afterlife. They are positioned in a manner that there is no bias created because of size or positioning of the man over the woman. It appears they are enjoying their time together in a more equal status

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