Nature and Sanctuary: Human Presence in the Landscape - Assignment Example

Part 2 Tour Questions Word Count Name Name of school Week 1: NATURE AND SANCTUARY: HUMAN PRESENCE IN THE LANDSCAPE JOURNAL QUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION: 1: Explain the significance of religious belief in the art of the Stone Age. People in the stone age worshipped animal and the Palaeolithic religion represented animals as gods. Art of the time, including sculptures and cave paintings representing the sincerity of animals, various paintings depicted the beauty, strength, motions and depth of animals, such paintings also played a sacred role. Below is a sample stone age art. 2: How do you distinguish between function and ritual at Stonehenge? Justify your answer. The arrangement of the stones depict designs used by the serpent worshipers, archaeological evidence also relates this stones. Stonehenge and similar designs have been found in Druid temples. Functionally, the Stonehenge appearance at the inner sanctum would only allow the sun rays to reach it by passing the Heel Stone, the shadow of the stone enters reaches the alter stone. This combination represented the sky god. By these relation, Stonehenge could be used to celebrate Winter time or the annual marriage of the great goddess and the sky god1. Below is a sketch of the Stonehenge JOURNAL QUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION: How does the use of monumental art and architecture in each culture combine politics and religion? Does this help explain the social function of the art and architecture of the periods? Historically, religion predate politics and architecture in the region begun with the construction of temples. These temples were decorated with monuments that had religious significance, as society progressed, and politics developed along religious lines, these monuments begun to play political roles. Monumental art and architecture that followed were designed for both political and religious significance. Explain the symbolism and use of the ziggurat in Mesopotamia. Ziggurat were structures in the ancient Mesopotamia where they would conduct religious ceremonies and give offerings to the gods, they symbolised dwelling places for the gods and each city had its Ziggurat. Below is a sketch of the Ziggurat2. Explain the idea of permanence and the persistence of tradition in two examples of Egyptian art and architecture. Egyptian art and architecture depicts the history of the Egyptians across, some of this scenes are similar. For instance, the entrance of Nubian Temple of Ramses II built in the 19th dynasty (1250bce) and diets at the entrance of the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut built in the 15th century are similar cultural art and design. Week 2: THE CLASSICAL TRADITION IN THE WEST: GREECE JOURNAL QUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION: Why is ancient Greece described as a 'humanistic' culture? Various forms of art in Greek culture put human beings at the centre, human experience, moral psychological complexity and essence guides art. The physicality underpins the belief that human body is divine. Using one example of Greek art and architecture, explain how their functional applications and approaches to artistic expression embody specifically Greek humanist values, attitudes and qualities. The Greece design and positioning of the fountain houses at the centre of civic societies showed humanistic value, these structures were decorated with sculptures of men undergoing their daily task in relations to water resources, focus in this decoration is on the benefits man gets from water. Decorations of the hydra depicted feminine roles of collecting water and socialisation role played by the fountain house. Below is a sketch of the hydra Seminar Outline aspects of the Parthenon which emphasise its central role in Athenian culture and its place in Athenian public life (religious, political, social and artistic traditions). You should consider the art, architecture and sculpture of the Parthenon. The Parthenon played a critical artistic role to the Athenians, each side is lined with single raw of Doric columns, with high precision and unify the natural setting and design. The statue of Athena and wall carvings demonstrate the height of classical artistry at the time. The Parthenon also played religious role, it was regarded at the temple of the Athena, virgin goddesses and patrons of Athens. Political, it was a symbol for the Athens as the dominant power after the Persian war and as a central control3. Below is a sketch of the Parthenon. Week 3: ROME: CAPUT MUNDI (‘head of the world’) JOURNAL QUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION: As you read select one significant Roman building: how does the Roman idea of space in architecture compare to that of the Greeks and Egyptians (again refer to one example of each)? Roman architecture greatly borrowed concepts from the Greek, for instance, the Greece constructed sites like the Parthenon to accommodate large groups of people, the conception of space is seen in Roman construction of the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli. By grinding stones to fit perfectly, Egyptians were able to constructed large courts, palaces and temples with sufficiently large spaces to accommodate a large group of people, an example is the Malkata Palace. In all the three, buildings had large rooms for the general public and a smaller room for special functions4. Seminar Group 2 A: Choose a significant example from Roman public art (sculpture) and explain why you believe it exemplifies central aspects of Roman culture and social values? As with the Greeks, the Romans made statues of their gods, when the rulers begun to claim divine powers, they become subjects of the statues, the sculpturing work depicted the role of this rulers often presenting them undertaking different functions. For instance the depiction of Augustus of the Prima Porta with arm stretched to the public is a representation of social and cultural relationship, social status, values and expectation between rulers and the subject5. Below is a sketch of Augustus of Primaporta. Group 2 B: Choose a significant example from Roman architecture and explain why you believe it exemplifies central aspects of Roman culture and social values? Roman design and use of the Coliseum depicted how Roman people were divided into different social classes, people with highest ranks occupied the lower seat and the common occupied the upper seats. The words engraved on the walls of the Coliseum is a roman cultural belief that they are the masters of the world. Below is a sketch of the Colosseum6. Week 4: EARLY CHRISTIAN AND BYZANTINE JOURNAL QUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION: In what ways and for what reasons does Byzantine art and architecture (choose one example) differ from the more classical forms of ancient Greece and Rome (again refer to one example of each)? The spread of church building to the East brought about the Byzantine architecture. Notable differences between Byzantine and western designs of Romans and Greece is the centrally placed dome plan with apes and entrance placed directly opposite, the alter was placed at the East end and not at the centre of below the dome. Another notable differences was that Byzantine did not depict Jesus as God but as Pantocrator7. Group 3B: What is the purpose, symbolic and functional, of the plans used in Early Christian and Byzantine buildings? Focus on two examples. The dome was seen be of great importance in both Byzantine and the early Christian church architecture, its shape symbolised heave or the new Jerusalem, which could be seen but not touched. The sculptured images of Christ, besides its symbolic role, also had inspirational role to the followers. This designs are visible in the architecture of Hagia Sophia and the Cathedral of San Marco. Below is a sketch of the Hagia Sophia8. References Hill, R., Stonehenge. Cambridge. Mass: Harvard University Press. 2008. p 78 Aspy, R., and Grossman, B., The Ziggurat Model. Shawnee. Kan: Austin Asperger Publications. 2007. p83 Marry, B., The Parthenon. Cambridge. Harvard University Press. 2003. p47 Ingholt, H., The Prima Porta Statue of Augustus. Washington. Lake University Press. 1969. p72 Peddley, J., Greek art and archeology. London. Cambridge Press. 2008. p40 Robert, D., Greek and Roman Architecture. London. Cambridge University Press. 1969 Lilly. M.. Byzantine architecture." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. Encyclopedia.com. 2014 Alissandro, T., A neglected mosaic in the south gallery of Hagia Sofia. Constantinople. 2007 Read More