Reflection - The Idealized Body in Art

The idea that it is natural human instinct to exaggerate certain features beyond what is really possible is definitely an interesting one, as it seems that much of human life is based on exaggeration, at least where aesthetics and entertainment come into play. Theater is “dramatized”, stories are pushed far beyond the limits of reality, and art is made to impress and awe rather than always simply capturing the things we see day in and day out.

I know in artwork that I myself tend to exaggerate features in drawing certain things, unless I am specifically going for a nearly photo-realistic piece. It is this exaggeration that draws attention to the portions of a figure that I particularly like, or shows off a type of character without having to write out their personality. Especially since I like to make things greater than real for the sake of making something out-of-the-ordinary, this theory of exaggeration makes quite a bit of sense to me.

In the movie though, not only did I end up agreeing with their theory of exaggeration, but I also found it quite interesting how they followed it through different art periods, and even some counter examples. Their evidence actually seemed the stronger for the counter examples in fact, as there was great reasoning behind them as well. That, and the art itself was overall quite convincing of exaggeration being used to make everyday objects and people far more engaging and interesting to view.

Compare and Contrast – 2 Greek pieces

As with nearly every other historical art period, the several defined periods in Greek art saw the creation of many pieces that, while similar in function and subject matter, vary widely in terms of the skill with which they were created and the visual aesthetics they portray. At the same time, the Greeks particularly liked their temples and as such, decorated many of them with such varying pieces. For instance, the pediments, or triangular portions of temple fronts generally held up by columns, are often sculpted or include sculptures of scenes or figures important to the time and particular temple. Two such pediments that can be viewed almost as spokes works for Greek periods are the West Pediment of the Temple of Artemis at Corfu, Greece, and the East Pediment of the Parthenon, fairly famous in its own right.

 commons.wikimedia.org/

The first of these to be constructed and carved was the West Pediment of the Temple of Artemis, around 600 – 580 BCE, which was made of limestone at a height of about 9 feet. It is usually easy to tell that pieces like this are earlier given their lesser mastery of form, as it was only in later periods that the Greeks really developed their skill with sculpting. In this case, the majority of the focus in this piece is on a figure of Medusa flanked by two lions, none of which are greatly naturalistic, and in fact look rather stylized, stiff and almost blocky, especially in terms of the pieces of fabric on the Medusa figure. In Ancient Greek mythology, Medusa was one of several snake haired Gorgon sisters, who could purportedly turn people to stone as she was so ugly to look at. Her purpose in this temple pediment however, was initially believed to be protective, though it has been argued that because it was with the aid of the gods that she was finally defeated, she may also or instead show the power of the gods. Additionally, Medusa “… is conceived as a mistress of animals exemplifying [Artemis’s] power and her dominance over nature.” (Johnson’s, 116) In much smaller proportion directly beside Medusa stand her children, at least one of who should not exist until Medusa is dead according to the narrative, but thus looking into the future. The felines resting beside Medusa and her children though, serve to make the scene heraldic, like many earlier lion guarded entryways.

 www.sikyon.com

 daphne.palomar.edu

The East Pediment of the Parthenon, which was itself constructed in the later Classical period around 438 – 432 BCE of marble, is contrastingly much more naturalistic in appearance and even intended to be more real and better looking than if it were real. The anatomy and fabric on the currently remaining figures is very detailed and somewhat idealized, like Greek sculpture had evolved to become at the time. The subject matter of this pediment is somewhat similar in that it is dedicated to the gods and the goddess Athena for whom the temple was originally built. This time however, the narrative displayed in the pediment is more of an instance in a story, that of Athena’s birth from Zeus’s head, rather than encompassing an entire story before it all happens. From the left, there are horses representing Helios as the god of the sun, then a reclining male figure believed to be Dionysus, opposite Dionysus are three figures grouped together who are believed to be the goddesses Hestia, Dione, and Aphrodite, and on the far right is another set of horses representing Nyx the goddess of night or Selene the moon goddess. The outer most figures of sun and moon guide the scene on the pediment into the celestial plane of the gods, while the figures of gods and goddesses show those who were purported to have attended or seen Athena’s birth. Sadly, the principal figures in the middle of the pediment have long been missing or likely destroyed, but would have completed the scene in its glory of almost hyperrealism.

- Johnson's History of Art, 7th Edition

On "Ti Watching a Hippopotamus Hunt"

Iconographic analysis of Ti Watching a Hippopotamus Hunt

 art.jerryandmartha.com

 

Much of the artwork still existent today from Ancient Egypt is contained in the tombs and burial chambers of once famous or important people. The artwork’s main purpose being to celebrate not only the life that these people have lived, but also the life that they were believed to begin after their death on Earth: their Afterlife. One of such artworks is a painted relief that has been dubbed Ti Watching a Hippopotamus Hunt, found in the tomb of Ti, an important official, in Saqqara, Egypt.

Such works like this one often depict activities and things that the people in them enjoyed in life, in an effort to give them those same activities in the Afterlife. In this case, the activity of hunting is something that this person wanted to have carried over into the next life. In addition to which, as our textbook mentions, “The conquest of nature, [like in hunting] for instance, served as a metaphor for triumph over death.” (Janson’s, 58) all-art.org however, states that the paintings may also or alternately have symbolized certain seasons throughout the year, allowing for a perpetual calendar that the deceased could follow while in the Afterlife. Either way, many of the paintings had additional underlying meanings for their journeys into the Afterlife.

As well, many of the ways in which the subjects (like the people, animals and backgrounds in the relief) are painted also follow certain patterns of meaning. For instance, the main important figure is far more stylized and idealized, meant to show them as the pinnacle of humanity. In contrast, the figures of the servants and lower class people look much more naturalistic and expressive, having much more dynamic poses and realistic proportions. Many of the animals also, are more natural looking and have significance beyond their places as wild game and decoration. Again from our textbook, it says that the hippopotamus was believed to be an evil creature, an embodiment of chaos and the god Seth, a destructive god corresponding with the animal’s penchant for eating crops.

As with many things of course, much of the true intended meaning of such a picture has been lost to the ages, as generations and generations beyond those who saw its original form have come and gone. Scholars continue to try and make the best translations and decipher as much as they possibly can in terms of the meaning of these reliefs, and can often make very well educated guesses based on the evidence that they do have. In the end though, all art is open to the interpretation of the viewer, and sometimes the best we can do is guess at a piece’s original intent.

Information:

- Janson's History of Art, 7th Edition

- http://all-art.org/Architecture/2.htm

On the Loss of Historic Art

 - The War on Iraq and its effects on Art and Architecture -

My immediate reaction to just about any loss of historical artifacts, regardless of their origin and function, is generally some sort of sadness. For art and architecture specifically, I tend to feel a great sense of loss, as not only are such things irreplaceable, but they are things I usually value highly for their design and aesthetics. As well, it also seems very frustrating to me that such objects have survived for so long at this point, only to then be broken or lost or even destroyed entirely. There have been so many years and so many other opportunities in which they could have been taken away from humanity forever, and yet it only happens now, in a time which I almost feel like I could have had an affect on. Or at least, a time in which I had a greater chance of seeing and experiencing them than many of their peers that have been lost or damaged for centuries.

Even though I may not have seen the particular pieces that are in this case missing or affected from the areas in the Middle and Near East, I do have some familiarity with them from previous Art History and other classes. This means that I also feel like I have permanently lost that opportunity to see them as they were before being lost or damaged. It is not only me that has lost that same opportunity however, it is gone for everyone who ever wanted to see and learn about the history of Iraq, Iran, and other portions of the Middle East, it is lost to anyone who appreciates the art of peoples who existed incomprehensible amounts of time before us in the very same places that we are today, and many such pieces will never again have the opportunity to influence the lives of countless people and generations as they likely have done before.