Arenberg Basin Case Study

located on the first floor of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, in the Ancient Near East

The Beaker with Ibex Motifs is a prehistoric pottery art work, found in near-perfect condition during a 1906-1908 excavation of a Susian necropolis in Susa, Iran. The Beaker with Ibex Motifs is a large vessel with dimensions at 28.90 x 16.40 cm. Used by the first inhabitants of Susa, this beaker is a the first example of a funerary item. The identity of artist is unknown, however, it is thought the beaker was created sometime between 4200 and 3500 B.C.E.

When analyzing Romans Sarcophagus Depicting a Battle between Soldiers and Amazons (Warrior Women)” The artist used a multitude of visual elements to grab our attention. One great powerful example that caught my attention was the four corners of the roman sarcophagus. The four corners of the sarcophagus stood out the most to me be it depicted the battle's outcome while maintain a balance of each side. It shows us trophies, weapons, kneeling Amazon prisoners and hands bound behind their backs, but directly at the corners we men and women kneeling with their heads down which is unusually because through all of the weapons and trophies and chaos we see the after math of the battle. Showing us the true feeling of sorrow, forgiveness and possibly

In contrast, the Cuxa Cloister, as part of the Catalan monastery of Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa, allowed monks to contemplate at their leisure (accession number: 25.120.398–.954). There wasn’t a fixed time or schedule they had to adhere to in order to access the Cloister. A pleasant pink, this marble cloister is 2,743 x 2,377 cm. Created circa 1130–40, prior to the Chapel, the Cloister also monbs to immerse themselves in nature and consider Christ’s teachings before or after mass. Being at the heart of the monastery, the centralized location of the space made it easily accessible, and a popular space for monks to wash themselves and their clothing. Yet, this space isn’t just for tending to one’s physical needs, it’s also for one’s spiritual ones. Filled with heavy symbolism, the sculptures feature mermaids, animals with two bodies and lion devouring people, to symbolize tensions between good and evil. The space, while physically open is more concerned with opening the mind and letting in Christ’s teachings in a self-guided way. Similar to the Chapel, the symbolism in the Cloister, is a visual reminder of

The historical data regarding the Oratory of Galla Placidia is it was previously the site of the oratory of the Church of the Holy Cross and now houses the bodies of Roman royalty. The notable Roman royalty which is thought to reside there is Galla Placidia, who is thought have the largest sarcophagus of the three present there. Galla Placidia was the daughter of Roman Emperor Theodosius and had a fondness for art. The other two Sarcophagi are believed to be holding her husband Emperor Constantius III while the other is debated with either the sarcophagus holding her son Emperor Valentinian III or brother Emperor Honorius. Galla Placidia is thought to have commissioned this artwork, yet this is another point debate where there are indications for and against this idea.

The artwork I chose to talk about is on page 232. Figure 8.16, Funerary Relief of a Circus Official, Ostia, 110-130. The medium of the artwork is made from Marble relief. The Tombs in the old days of roman families built outside of the city walls, along roadways entering the city. The vision of the monuments is to preserve individual’s fame, family honor, and status in the society. The extended family of the deceased also held feasts and putting out food and drink for the dead for enjoying. The large figure in the picture is the official himself, holding hands with his wife at the left side. The handshake symbolizes in the Roman art the indication of marriage. The palm branch symbolizes the victory. There are many accents in the artwork

This paper will focus on the Statue of Dionysos leaning on a female figure. Also known as the Hope Dionysos. The statue is displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art and is located on the first floor Roman and Greek art chamber. Upon entering this sector, you will notice a grand statue that catches your eyes and captivates you as it welcomes you in gracefully. The exhibition is set up in the back center of the room, and is noticeable due to the largeness in scale and the enigmatic yet calming disposition the statue portrays. My first impression of the sculpture was how detailed and realistic the statue is. Since the statue was so defined you would be able to identify what he was wearing and how his body was shaped to how long his hair was during this time period. I was profoundly intrigued by how peaceful the statue of Dionysos embodied and found myself coming back to it and looking in awe. In curiosity, I would choose this statue for my assignment because I wanted to learn more about the history of the Hope Dionysos. In this essay I will be describing my formal analysis of the artwork, the subject matter behind it, the artist and the historical content of the statue of Dionysos.

There have been countless duels between two opposing sides in the history Roman artistry. This sculpture relief signifies the classic battle of good versus evil. Time and time again, benevolent heroes find themselves in a struggle to combat worthy yet malicious adversaries. The Roman sarcophagus, a two by five feet marble coffin, is certainly no exception. It represents another division to this timeless good-evil epic, its visual characteristics, emphasis on contrasts, and its extensive array of details give it an identity that is uniquely its own. It portrays a sense of legendary fantasy to the viewer, one pertaining to hostility, violence, and pure anger. The sculpture seems overly shallow due to

This paper will analyze the iconography of the mosaic, Good Shepherd (lunette, Oratory of Galla Placidia, c. 425-26, Ravenna, Italy), that is located on the lunette over the north doorway of the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna. The iconography has been one of the most recognized and admired works of art since the 3rd century AD. In the mosaic, the artists present a depiction of Christ symbolic and traditional of Byzantine art during the conversion of Christianity in Roman provinces.

Both Etruscan and Roman tomb sculpture function to memorialize the departed allowing them to move on from the world of the living and seeks to comfort those who have lost the ones they love. The two societies have differing practices in regards to death and therefore sculptures concerning the subject are somewhat different with a few identifiable similarities. While both societies seek to comfort the living and commemorate the dead this is achieved through different approaches. The Etruscan Sarcophagus with reclining couple from Cerveteri, Italy and the Mummy of Artemidorus from Roman Egypt are two examples of contrasting representations of the dead. When analyzing tomb sculpture one of the main questions is whether the work adapts a retrospective approach (presentation of the deceased as they were in life) or a prospective one (the viewpoint of looking forward to life beyond the grave). While the Etruscan sarcophagus gives a more retrospective memorialization through the depiction of the couple in a state of regularity the Roman Mummy of Artemidorus presents a more prospective approach concerning the deceased through the emphasis of funerary practices.

This paper is a formal analysis of the Marble grave stele with a family group relief sculpture. It is a pentelic marble style relief standing at 171.1cm tall carved by a master. It is from the Late Classical period of Greek, Attic which was completed around ca.360 B.C. . I chose to analyze this piece as apposed to the others because I’m mainly attracted to art and sculptures from the Greek era. The overall color used in this relief is ivory with a few cracks and pieces broken off. There is some discoloration which causes the color to come off as slightly light brown for most of the relief. The sculpture appears larger compared to the other sculptures in the art room. It represents a family which includes a man, his wife, and their

Among the many artworks I have seen, I decided to discuss about the “Sarcophagus Depicting a Battle between Soldiers and Amazons (Warrior Women)” from the Roman civilization. It was built sometime in between 140 A.D. to 170 A.D and is approximately forty and a half inches in length, ninety-one and a half inches in width, and fifty and a half inches tall in height (“Roman Sarcophagus”). This masterpiece appealed to me because of the unique approach that has been designed to honor the deceased. Many people are familiar with the formatting and inscriptions of a gravestone because it is usually engraved with an individual’s full name, birth date, and death date. During the Roman Empire, a sarcophagus, which is a coffin, was widely used to show decorative themes that includes: battle scenes, hunting scenes, weddings, or other memorable episodes from the life of the deceased individual. The most luxurious ones were made from marble surrounded by symbolic sculptures, figures and inscriptions on all four sides (“Sarcophagus”). Another feature that captured my attention was the large quantity of details used to bring out a lifelike aspect of the deceased individual’s favorable moments in their life. In this artwork, this sarcophagus was dedicated to a Roman commander. The exterior of the sarcophagus has been well-decorated and carved with exquisite details depicting a battle scene

This essay starts with the use of Roman architecture to practice Christianity. Then I will write about how the image of the Roman emperors became the inspiration for the image of the Jesus. Finally I will discuss the way Romans used the same iconography and narrative they already had as a formula to image the bible.

This extraordinary work by Carpaccio is a landmark in the history of devotional images. It is, in effect, a meditation on the them of Death and Resurrection. To the right, the Old Testament figure Job sits on a block inscribed in pseudo-Hebrew, while on the left, portrayed as a hermit, is Saint Jerome (ca. 347 -420), who wrote a commentary on the book of Job. Christ’s dead body is displayed on a broken throne, also inscribed in pseudo-Hebrew. A bird—symbol of the soul —flies upwards. The landscape, barren on the

These findings as well as findings in layer 1 and layer 5, figure 3.3, in the western mound, seem to add some support of the Brothers of the Abby Church of St. Vincent of finding the tomb of their patron saint. While not necessarily the bones of a saint, there is indication of Roman occupation/ activity of the site. Labeled a and e in layer 7 of Figure 3.2 of the eastern mound, a is a fragment of bronze, highly polished on one side, inscribed “Avgvsta” and e a fragment of glass that is undated and unsourced. In the western mound, figure 3.3 in layer 1 a Roman coin of Constantine the Great dating between 288-337. Also in the western mound in figure 3.3 labeled g, 18 sherds of early Medieval pottery from about 1200 AD. The western mound is viewed and excavated at the road that was cut into the barrow in 1136. Evidence of this being of the work in the building of the church is seen in the pottery from this time period. There seems to be a possibility of the brothers stumbling on a Roman burial in their activities. It is to note that there is claims that the burial uncovered was contained in a sepulcher of marble carved with scenes from the life of Christ and inscribed VINCENZO VIVATIS IN CHRISTO. According to Brother Wilfrid in a letter this burial and stones from it were moved to under the alter in the nave of the church. In an interesting study of the bones and relics with the bones could shed light in if the site did at one point contain a Roman era burial. There is a shadow of doubt concerning the burial as described due to the era’s relic trade and need to draw pilgrims to the church to help with their income. Research in the Roman, burial practices after Constantine the Great’s conversion to Christianity should also be research. In the final layers, layer 1 in figures 3.2 and figure 3.3 of both sides of the barrow are now covered with modern topsoil showing no more