Moreover, the iconographic evaluation shall also be done on two kings of Mesopotamia and Egypt who represented their culture.
Iconography is the study of art that interprets the meanings and purpose behind art pieces. The study also deals with the broader understanding of symbols that beholds mysterious and encrypted messages. Iconographers evaluate different content presented in the form of art such as paintings, sculptures, etc. (Kleiner & Mamiya, 2010).
On the evaluation of images of the Egyptian king, it can be observed that they were always presented surrounded by the feminine. This represented the Egyptian culture and structure of the Egyptian kingdom. It was not known until the iconographers compared all the art pieces of an Egyptian king. It was observed that sculptors were made to reflect the prestige of kings. Also, iconography helped in understanding that Egyptian kings were drawn after their deaths because that kept them alive in the memories of people. This resulted in an addition of their family prestige and their kingship (Kleiner & Mamiya, 2010).
For instance, the image selected for iconographic evaluation of the Egyptian king represents Seti I as being welcomed by a Goddess. The material used for creating artwork on the slate is painted limestone. The measurements of the art piece are 226×105 cm. The characters are centralized with no spaces left on both corners except the borders. This lets the viewers focus on the characters directly (Kleiner & Mamiya, 2010).
Figure 1: Seti I being welcomed by Goddess Hathor
The second art piece that has been selected for the evaluation is about the Pharaohs and enemies of Egypt. The art piece displays Pharos in a different from who is merely trying to save Egypt from enemies. The material used to create the art piece is again limestone as it is the most widely used material in the Egyptian era. The art piece is clear as it is made up of a very handstand with finishing on with a measure of 5 1/2 x 4 3/4 in. (14 x 12.5 cm) (Kleiner & Mamiya, 2010).
Figure 2: Ostracon, Pharaohs attacking enemies of Egypt
Furthermore, Mesopotamians have also contributed a lot of art pieces for the iconographic evaluation. Mesopotamians’ great history of kingships. In consideration of the iconographic evaluation of a Roman king, figure 3 has been selected. The figure represents Charles V who has been a Roman emperor. The art piece is made on a canvas with different oils presenting Charles V along with the dog. The picture reflects the substantial esteem of Charles V dressed in the robes of either or. The type of work is painting with a measurement of 192×111 cm (Kleiner & Mamiya, 2010).
Figure 3: Roman Emperor Charles V with a dog
The fourth art piece selected for iconographic evaluation is an art piece referred to a roman culture that displays Rudolf II who is a Roman emperor. The king has been shown as a very noble wise person as a slight post thereof body has been crafted. It should be noted that kings wanted their portrait to display their stronger side even though they did not seem to be strong. It was done to meet the expectations of common people because they regarded their emperors to be stronger than a common man. Painting kings in ultimate robes made them look different from a common man. The type of art piece is a painting that has been drawn on a canvas with different oils. The canvas measures 51 x 42 cm positioning Rudolf II in the center of the canvas (Kleiner & Mamiya, 2010).
Figure 4: Rudolf II Holy Roman Emperor
Lastly, the art piece of Charles Willson Peale displays a political view of the culture he belonged. The painting displays him as a leader wearing a robe of a wise man. The posture is slightly bent on his left side of the body while his hand is on the cannon. The cannon displays the ideals of the culture that they want to lead people. The display of cannon shows their power in terms of weapons. In this way, it could be said that art pieces can display a political image of a culture. The painting measures 95 x 61 3/4 in. (241.3 x 156.8 cm) on a canvas made up of oils (Kleiner & Mamiya, 2010).
Through iconographic evaluations of the above photos, it comes visible that art pieces are reflections of cultures. Previously, great iconographers have managed to unveil the codes behind the paintings and other art pieces. Iconographic evaluations can still clarify many facts about cultures and their origins as there is a great deal of contribution of art from all cultures of the world.
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