Just as it’s human nature to believe in something larger or more powerful than oneself, it is also human nature to express that divinity through art, this is proven time and time again in human history. Picturing the divine is a type of testimony to show a cultures greatness. The painting Arhats Giving Alms to Beggars comes from the Chinese culture of the Southern Song period. Whereas, the mosaic Christ as Pantocrator comes from the Byzantine culture of the Greek Orthodox tradition. Although these paintings come from very different backgrounds both cultures show the divine and their pressure on mankind to follow the rules, such as giving away worldly desires. By doing so and letting go of material possessions, mankind can be hopeful of …show more content…
The attachment the beggars have on worldly desires is shown by their actions towards the coins. The painting is abstract and stylized as it shows the arhats being twice the size of the beggars. This is called the hierarchal scale because the artist wanted to portray the arhats as more grand and important compared to the beggars. Another abstract and stylized feature is that the arhats seem to be floating in a cloud and not physically on the ground. However, there are some components of naturalism. For example, the shading of the arhats clothing gives the effect of movement and flow as they gracefully stride down to earth. Arhats Giving Alms to Beggars is more abstract and stylized when compared to the typical naturalistic features of the Southern Song period. A good example is On a Mountain Path in Spring which shows an abundance of naturalism. Arhats Giving Alms to Beggars also shows more human figures and less nature unlike the earlier landscape paintings of the Southern Song period. The apse mosaic, Christ as Pantocrator, comes from the Byzantine culture. Found at a cathedral in Sicily at Monreale, Italy. The cathedral was constructed under Norman rule by William II to show his power and authority. The mosaic dates back to 1180 CE. Like the painting Arhats Giving Alms to Beggars, Christ as Pantocrator also evokes religious interpretation for it pictures the divine. The use of space, color, and comportment helps elaborate the
We are also shown how these different forms of art change over time and how different cultures have adopted them and used them as their own form of art to express emotion, love, creativity, and passion. This book teaches us how art is viewed in different ways by the church and was very informative for me to obtain a better and deeper understanding of art and how the churches valued it.
Once gracing the lavish floor of Getty Center, the Coronation of the Virgin which was painted by the extraordinary Italian artist Gentile da Fabriano in 1420, attracted many attentions by its sacredness, powerfulness and magic of the Christ. At 36 ⅝ inches and 25 ¼ inches size tempera, Christ gently places the ornate gold grown upon Virgin Mary's slightly bowed head by the watching of angels from either side as she becomes the Queen of Heaven. Since the first century, Christianity has played an important role in Western Art, which has inspired numerous artists in making their masterpieces. However, artists must follow the religious ‘rules to build up the imagery of the Christ, and educate audience about the religious. Coronation of the Virgin by Fabriano is a perfect presentation of that.
Way back in the ancient cultures beliefs’ and faith played a major roll in their lifetime. It treasured the art that spoke to them and made them closer to god, since writing was not indicate back then. Some believed in only one god, some in many gods and some people believed in objects like animals, the sun, items and even the weather. After visiting the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth and observing some of the ancient Egyptian art collection displayed, I have decided to pick the theme of God to inform about. After my research, I discovered new and different key points about the Egyptian beliefs in god and how it affects us in our world today. My first object is the Kneeling Statue of Senenmut, Chief Steward of Queen Hatshepsut, the second object is Red-Figure Cup Showing the Death of Pentheus (exterior) and a Maenad (interior) and the last object is the Head of a Ewe.
Every religion has its own approach to art and architecture. An assessment between different traditions can offer an illuminating insight into the varying religious outlooks and theologies. Architecture, as well as art, is influenced by a number of forces in society, in the environment, in the psychology of the people who produce it, and in different institutions. It is an expression of inner feelings and beliefs and so naturally is influenced by religion in many societies. Religious architecture is created to experience the sacred, to provide a place into which spiritual energies flow and reflect a sense of the divine. Some
This style favored subjective perception and rebelled against life-like depictions. In a similar way, because unregenerate hearts cannot fully recognize the handiwork of God in art and in the natural world, unbelievers can only appreciate art at a subjective, superficial level, even if they understand the historical and cultural context of a given work of art. Believers, however, can see the deeper meaning behind even the artist’s message because they recognize that all artwork reflects the creativity of the original
In ancient times there was always a main focus or theme to art that was created. Majority of the time this focus was on religion. Religion has inspired many artists to create great paintings, sculpture, and architecture. In this paper, I will focus mainly on religious architecture, beginning with Greece, reflecting on Rome, traveling to Tunisia, and ending in India. Though the structures being covered are different in religion and time period, they all have one thing in common, they are spaces that create a spiritual experience for an individual.
Catholicism by suggesting the certain standard of religious art capture the beauty of divinity and
But Honthorst’s painting contrasts with both typical ceiling paintings and his own typically Biblical subject matter. As we gaze up toward heaven to look at the painting, we expect to see a Bible story; instead, our eyes are greeted by a merry pastoral scene depicting common people in the midst of a common activity. Unlike many of the paintings that Honthorst saw in Italy, its secular subject parodies the idea of heaven depicted in many ceiling paintings. Instead of looking up to see angels floating in the distant atmosphere, we see a host of ‘normal’ people. We are even invited to join them, and the simple balcony makes us feel that we need only climb upstairs in order to enjoy the same happiness.
Artwork is for its creativity and has values it all comes down to that God is the creator of everything we see and feel. We, as humans are the best artwork God could imagine because we are created in the image of God artwork can be a form of number of things like the form of fantasy. Three things that I found interesting, and the first one is how that Christian art should be in the twentieth-century art. Language changes and so does art. The second thing is that Christian art really should be different from country to country if Christianity art is in Africa then it should stay in Africa same goes for Japan and Indian these are just a few of examples. The third thing is that the body of the Christian’s artist work should reflects on His or Her Christian worldview. Showing marks of the culture of which the person has become should reflect on you own country and how you embody the nature of the world that is viewed from a Christian standpoint. (Schaeffer, Francis A. Art and the Bible. N.p.: n.p., 2006. 75-76.
Throughout history, people have used paintings and art as a tool to express their religious beliefs and values. Illustrations depicting the Virgin Mary and child, often referred to as Madonna and Child, are one of the most recurring images in Christian and European Art through the ages. Though these paintings and sculptures may have similarities in their iconography and style each work of art varies based on the different artists’ and time periods. Two paintings that portray these features currently reside in the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. The first, Virgin and Child by Rogier van der Wyden, was originally painted after 1454. In the painting, the Virgin Mary is holding Christ against her shoulder as he twists around to face toward the viewers. The second painting is Virgin and Child with a Donor, painted by Antoniazzo Romano and originally painted c. 1480. In this painting, Virgin Mary is supporting Christ who seems to be standing and includes a figure of a man with his hands crossed in prayer. While both paintings depict the mother and child, there are both similarities and differences in style and portrayal. In this paper, I will thoroughly examine these traits, as well as address the similarities and differences associated with the two paintings. This analysis will be done by using information gained from reading Gardner’s Art Through the Ages, in class lectures from ARTH 1381 Art and Society Renaissance to Modern and ARTH 1300 Ways of Seeing Art, and close visual
Dura-Europos was the start of Christianity in Syria. Believers had a place to believe and be safe with what they practiced. There were many ways how the Christians displayed their love for God. In the article it states “the art in the murals and mosaics in Dura-Europos make clear that early Christians were not iconoclastic.” They believed that art was a way to honor the saints and God. The art that was displayed in the church could be seeing as honoring God and also telling a story to the people who couldn’t read. The Roman’s had the same idea, honoring God with art forms, and also telling a story to the public with the art and sculpture. Sometimes scaring people who couldn’t read by using visual sculptors to show them what would happen if they didn’t obey
Throughout the Bible, God helps us understand beauty by using pieces of art. Francis Schaeffer helps his readers understand God’s appreciation of art with his book revised in 2006 entitled, Art and the Bible. Schaeffer helps the reader find new insights into the background of the arts in the Bible, intrigues the reader with at least three perspectives on art and helps the reader relate art to his or her life.
Art in the Medieval Times was dreary and bland. Many works of art were solely about God or holy figures. The most obvious change from the Renaissance to Medieval Times was the arts, according to Document A and also that “One begins to know the names of the artists ... feel stronger emotions in the subjects”. This shows that Renaissance art not only changed in style, in changed in how it made the viewer feel when seeing the art. Similarly, in Document A, Renaissance art is described as “new artistic styles would echo the broader movements and interests of the new age.…”. As compared to Medieval Times, the style of art became something similar to the time that people could relate to. In the Medieval Times, art was just meant to extol God’s many feats. People who viewed the painting were supposed to put that style of art on a pedestal. Medieval art was supposed to be worshipped, not so much understood. The individual in the Medieval Times was supposed to take away from the painting that the only thing that mattered in their life was the Roman Catholic church and God already had a plan for their lives. But in comparison, Renaissance art was supposed to empower and help people of the time to understand themselves and the fact that they can change their own lives.
During the Italian Renaissance, the pope is considered the most powerful authority, so that for the artist, the importance of being highly regarded by society stemmed from attitudes associated with the “divine”. At this point, to be respectable artist meant that one valued all sacred disciplines and practices. These values left very little room for any form of expression of humanism because only forms of God communication were acceptable which carried contextual meanings intended to include the holy creatures within a spiritual
Throughout the vast history of art, historians can find connections throughout the centuries. Artists from the beginning of humankind have been inspired by the world around them. From the Apollo 11 stones to present day, history and culture have provided inspiration and have been the focus of various pieces. Examining artwork from the 15th-18th century, viewers can be shown a whole world that would be unknown to us without these artist’s contributions. History, religion, and cultural events have sculpted the art world, and we can observe this through many pieces during the 15th-18th centuries.