Hagia Sophia and Pantheon - Essay Example

Fine Arts Lesson #6 Assignments Writing Assignment: Hagia Sophia and Pantheon Hagia Sophia is a museum in Turkey that has served different religions in its capacity both as a mosque and as a church, both Eastern Orthodox Cathedral and Roman Catholic Cathedral. The building is the oldest surviving pieces of Byzantine architecture and its beauty lies in its transformation and adaption to suit the needs of its occupants. From the exterior, one would envision Hagia Sophia as only a mosque and when I first encountered the building I believed that Christian elements within the original building would have been completely removed due to the Muslim influence. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the Apse mosaics within the building that depicted Biblical scenes. Mosaic art gained appreciation in my mind when I observed the Apse mosaics closely when previously mosaic art held no beauty for me. The most important feature in the interior of the building that appealed to my eye was the dome that rests on four concave triangular pendentives. It is because of these pendentives that the rectangular base is transformed to a circular dome as the building rises. One would expect the pendentives to serve only the practical purpose but when I observed the structure of these pendentives, it allowed me to appreciate the beauty of the architecture. The pendentives are both awe-inspiring as well as practical. Even without the pendentives, the beauty of the dome will still be maintained due to the presence of the forty windows that the architects of the original dome envisioned when creating the dome. The presence of these windows has allowed for a good play of light within the internal structure. I feel that without the dome, Hagia Sophia would not have gained such popularity among modern artists and architects. Pantheon is a building located in Rome, Italy that recounts the brilliance of Roman art and architecture in this age. The Pantheon served as a temple for the Romans and featured all the Roman Gods at different points of the building. The building is a treat in itself and observing the building from the front, with its Corinthian columns, I failed to envision the dome within the building despite having read extensive literature on the building. However, the east of side of the building prominently displays the rotunda. When entering into the building through the Corinthian columns, I felt that I was entering history. The high columns further strengthened these feelings as I realized that I was entering something majestic. This was a place where our ancestors prayed for successful lives, healthy sons and good produce. However, looking at the building, I did not believe that this building was as old as the Roman age, given its condition despite the years. The most beautiful aspect of the building for me was the dome and the oculus in the interior of the building. Standing directly beneath the oculus and looking up gives one a feeling of being engulfed in the majesty of Roman architecture. Pantheon for me was Roman architecture in its prime. The vaulted arches of the dome have inspired many architects since they have been created but none have been able to match the brilliance of the Pantheon. It is not just the arches that catch the eye of the viewer. The architects of Pantheon have also been able to play with light using the circular structure of the dome. However, they have done this by using the top of the dome. The oculus allows light to shine on part of the vaulted arches and through the direction of the light, the Romans were also able to tell time. Combining the practical aspect with the beauty of the building is one of the most beautiful arts of the Romans . Reflection Assignment: Islamic Advancements and Achievements Muslim advancement in mathematics and architecture inspired many other cultures that came in contact with it. One of them was Renaissance culture that took good advantage of the Muslim presence in Spain to learn from one the most developed cultures of that period. One most common architecture element found in Renaissance architecture is the arch. The arch in Renaissance architecture is predominantly inspired by the Muslim arches. While the columns were a part of the Roman heritage, Renaissance architects introduced the arches held over the columns to create a symmetrical and a balanced facade. Renaissance architecture was took help from Muslim advancement in mathematics. The Muslims were probably the greatest mathematicians of the time and introduced many mathematical laws. Renaissance architects made use of the Muslim knowledge by introducing mathematical proportions, symmetry and geometric order to their architecture. The floor plan of Renaissance building was most commonly symmetrical and usually followed a rectangular grid. Another element of Muslim architecture that later inspired Renaissance architects was the domes. Domes in Muslim architecture were introduced by the Ottomans in the 15th century as a sign of spirituality. Just as Muslim architecture often complimented the central dome with small domes created around the central dome, Renaissance architecture did the same by introducing small domes around the major central dome. An example of this is the St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Research Paper Assignment: Topic & Bibliography Topic: How Sandro Botticelli and Tiziano Vecellio explore the identity of Venus in their paintings. Bibliography Anon, The Birth of Venus, n.d., Retrieved From http://ftp.aa.edu/lydon/Art07/ArtProject/Sophia_Botticelli/index.htm, Web Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker, Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, n.d., Retrieved from http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/Botticelli.html, Web Goffen, Rona, Titian's "Venus of Urbino", London: Cambridge University Press, 1997, Print Hagen, Rose-Marie and Hagen, Rainer, What great paintings say, Volume 1, Germany: Taschen Verlag, 2003, Print Hudson, Mark, Titian: wheeler dealer who created a goddess, The telegraph, 2009, Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-features/6093122/Titian-wheeler-dealer-who-created-a-goddess.html, Web Dennis, Kelly, Art/porn: a history of seeing and touching, New York: Berg, 2009, Print Writing Assignment: Site Visit—Saint Sernin Church The Saint Sernin Church is one of the most widely referred examples of Romanesque period. Romanesque style entered European architecture during Medieval Europe and later inspired the popular Gothic art and architecture. The elements that characterize the Romanesque architecture are apparently obvious in the Saint Sernin Church, which contains the body of Saint Sernin. One architectural element in Saint Sernin Church that corresponds with Romanesque architecture is the arches. The arches in Saint Sernin Church are semicircular and are placed above wide doorways. The windows of the church also contain arches which is another element of Romanesque architecture. Another element within the Saint Sernin Church is the element of alternation. Piers and columns are alternated in Romanesque Architecture in the form of ABA alternation. Alternation creates dynamism in the form ‘where a sense of forward movement ebbs and flows with the undulation of the single and double columns’ (Patton, 2004). The same is apparent in the Saint Sernin Church as the visitor feels that he is being compelled to move forward to the altar by the presence of the piers and the columns. Columns are yet another element of Romanesque architecture and are found at various places in the Saint Sernin Church including the crypt. In the case of Saint Sernin Church, the columns are drum columns and they Church serve both functional and decorative use. The columns of the church support the shaft to aid the structural design of the building while the carvings on the columns aid the design of the church, thus making it beautiful to look at. Additionally the drum columns of the Saint Sernin Church are built on stone cylinders so that they can support the weight of the whole structure. The presence of buttresses also makes the Saint Sernin an example of Romanesque period. Since the walls of the church are heavy and massive, buttresses have been employed to share the weight of the building and to make it much stronger. The buttresses in Romanesque architecture did not project well beyond the wall and had a flat square profile unlike buttresses in Gothic architecture. In the case of Saint Sernin Church, the buttresses are bare vaulted buttresses have been employed to buttress the nave because of the presence of the aisle and the vaults. The church tower in the exterior of the church is yet another element found commonly in Romanesque architecture. Church towers in Romanesque architecture acquired different forms such as circular, square or octagonal. In the case of Saint Sernin Church, the church tower was octagonal in shape. The tower of the Saint Sernin Church is the most striking feature on the exterior of the church. Also known as the Bell tower, the tower is divided into five tiers, containing arches and vaults. Reflection Assignment: Visual Language The manuscript of St. Matthews shows a person bent on the task of writing something on a book with the help of a quill. However, when one studies the painting in detail, certain visual details grab the attention and force the viewer to consider their importance in the picture. The first one is the placement of the book at the feet of the man. One is forced to wonder what kind of book is it. Another feature that draws attention to the painting is the upward swirls that the painter employed when creating the painting. The swirls add motion and urgency to the entire painting. The eyes of St. Matthews also draw attention to the man himself. The eyes are worried and half mad. St. Matthews was bestowed with the responsibility to passing the word of God to the rest of the humanity and the burden of the responsibility is apparent through his eyes. Also St. Matthews’s posture speaks of the responsibility of the evangelist. The posture is bent and hints at the urgency in St. Matthews’s manner to record the text. The horn shaped ink holder that St. Matthews is holding tightly onto is also something that one notes about the picture. Illuminated manuscripts held much importance in the middle Ages due to a variety of reasons. One of them was the religious messages that were written in these manuscripts. Illuminated manuscripts often contained the word of God and since the society in the middle ages was God-centric, illuminated manuscripts held much awe for the people. Another reason why illuminated manuscripts were privileged pieces of artwork was because they were the first books to be written. Previously, printing press was not present and all books had to be written by hand. They were thus difficult and timely to produce and thus were only owned by rulers and other prominent people of that era. An illuminated manuscript often took years to complete and retained individuality because they could not be copied. The rise of literacy during the Middle Ages was another reason why illuminated manuscripts gained importance. Education to the masses allowed the people to read and write. When they could read, they were more interested in reading manuscripts since they focused on the word of God. Reflection Assignment: Medieval Era’s Greatest Triumph Gothic cathedrals have been considered medieval era’s greatest triumph because of their architectural beauty and skyscraping elements. Gothic architecture was originally inspired by Romanesque architecture that had developed to a great extent through the influence of the greatest civilizations of the world including the Romans and the Muslims. The element of buttresses within the Romanesque architecture was employed in Gothic architecture in a more modified form. Buttresses allowed Gothic architects to add length to the structure so that very high buildings could be constructed. Length was added to the original structure through the buttresses and the architects of that period achieved a new point of architectural accomplishments where skyscrapers became possible. Flying buttresses allowed increased weight to be put on the structure since they distributed the weight of the building evenly and also were able to carry the main weight of the increased structure. Furthermore, the use of the pointed arches also led to increase strength in the Gothic buildings. Pointed arches distributed the weight of the building on a number of vertical columns. Walls became used as just panels while pointed arches allowed for the introduction of large windows in the original Romanesque architecture. Another reason that Gothic Cathedrals gained a great amount of prominence was because they took in the religious culture of the time and adapted it in the architecture. Light was considered the expression of God and architectural elements in Gothic cathedral focused on glass windows that allowed light within these religious structures. The paintings on the glass windows were closely related to religious themes and biblical scenes. The use of high rise towers and fan vaulting created an upward movement that reflected on man’s ultimate vision to reach the heaven above. Also the use of plan according to the scholastic philosophy showed how Gothic Cathedrals were a reflection of not just the architectural genius of the time but also the religious beliefs of the people. The overall structure of the Gothic cathedrals lent awe in the eyes of the public because of the graceful beauty and implied strength. Writing Assignment: Emotion and Realism in Gothic Art The growing concern for realism and emotion in today’s art and architecture can be traced back to Gothic Art. Gothic Art is not the commercial art that we often come across in posters promoting music albums and shows. But rather Gothic Art is much deeper than that and Gothic art forms of its late Middle Ages truly depicted the emotion and realism of the painters and sculptors of that era. Gothic art was developed a response towards the more subtle and soft, Greco-Roman style. Thus Gothic art that was created focused on creating a response from the viewers in its larger than life portrayal of the art. It was not possible that Gothic art would not evoke a response, but response could vary greatly between compassion or fear, pity or awe. One sculpture from Gothic art that depicts pain effectively is Death of the Virgin, Tympanum in the left doorway of Strasbourg Cathedral. The pain and suffering of Mary Magdalene is shown as she sits by the death bad, wringing her hands and clinging to the Virgin. The crowd surrounding Mary Magdalene is also showing expression of pain. However these expressions range from agitation and resigned hopelessness. Similarly the paintings of Gothic art also depicted emotions effectively. An example is the Pieta of San Remigio. The painting depicts the death of Jesus. Emotion in the painting is apparent through the sorrowful expression of the people around the death bed, including that of Mary Magdalene. Religious elements were also present in gothic art since they depicted the collective feeling of the public. Religious painting and sculptures were thus very common in Gothic art and since they connected with the people, it created another dimension of realism in the paintings and sculptures of the Gothic period. Realism was also common in Gothic art. The characters created in Gothic art were realistic in their structure and expression. In Gothic sculpture, the sculptors employed three dimensional art forms with great focus on drapery. One example is Coronation of the Virgin, located in Strasbourg Cathedral. The attention to detail and the drapery in the sculpture adds to the element of realism. Even though the sculpture is placed within the tympanum, the sculptor has managed to introduce three dimensional figures in the sculpture. Also painting in Gothic art was adapted in three dimensional forms as opposed to the stiff, two dimensional forms within Romanesque art. One example is Madonna of the Quail, painted by Pisanello in 1420. The painting shows Madonna with her child, flanked by angels on both sides. The drapery on the angels and the background of vegetables and birds adds realism to the picture. Also the artists has painted Madonna and the child as three dimensional figures complete with the smooth ivory feel of the child’s skin. Research Paper Assignment: Thesis Statement The Goddess of Love, Venus has been portrayed in different context by different painters depending on their time frame and their perception about this goddess. While the depiction may be different, Venus remains essentially sexual and no painter has been successful in robbing Venus of her sensuality. In this research, we attempt to explore the treatment of the female gender by two artists namely, Sandro Botticelli and Tiziano Vecellio on the identity of Venus in their specific paintings. These artists belong to different time settings and thus have explored Venus in a completely different context. In both the paintings, Venus is shown as a sexual being. However, the similarity ends here. Botticelli’s Venus is modest as compared to the wanton Venus of Vecellio. Also Vecellio’s Venus is more humane while Botticelli’s Venus has a divine aura about her. References Patton, Pamela Anne, Pictorial narrative in the Romanesque cloister: cloister imagery & religious life in medieval Spain, Germany: Peter Lang, 2004, Print Read More