Visual and Iconographic analysis of the Baptism of Jesus mosaic

art-history-images.com

sacred-destinations.com

The Orthodox Baptistery in Ravenna, Italy, also known as the Neonian Baptistery, has one of those deceiving exteriors common in Early Christian architecture, in that it is particularly plain and unassuming, whereas the interior shines with brilliantly tiled mosaics. Among these lies the Baptistery’s centerpiece, the mosaic depicting the Baptism of Jesus.

This mosaic is placed in the literal center of the Baptistery ceiling, within its dome, and dates from 451-475 CE. It shows the figure of Jesus standing in the river Jordan, whose personification stands to the side, being baptized by John the Baptist. Although most of it is original, John the Baptist’s right arm, Jesus’ head, and the dove above him are restorations from the 18^th century, and an over-zealous restorer added the dish in John’s hand in the 19^th century.

Because this is the central mosaic in a Baptistery, it would make sense that the scene is of a Biblical baptism, and the artist chose the most important baptism in the view of Christianity: the Baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist. John the Baptist and Jesus are obviously what the artist considered the most important figures in the story, and anyone who knew the story that he or she was trying to portray would likely agree, and thus they are emphasized in the mosaic.

The figures of John the Baptist and Jesus are nearly in the center of the mosaic, not only indicating their significance, but also allowing room for the full figures of both. Within historical context, there were not the established rules that we have today on composition, which basically state that unless you really know what you’re doing, you do not put anything in the exact center of an image, thus artists would generally rely on their intuition as to what “looked right”. The center of an image then, acts as a focus point indicating importance, like the same indication would be used for royalty in the center of their court. They are further emphasized as important and holy by the halos on their heads, unlike the smaller figure of the River Jordan, who is plainer and without quite the same significance.

Having the river Jordan personified as the third figure in the mosaic is something that seems like a bit of an anomaly from our modern perspective, however, it has precedents in other mosaics of Early Christian origin, possibly due to the conversion of people from other religions for whom such an image would be common place. It is interesting to note as well that there is a label above the head of the river Jordan figure, naming who he is. The figure itself is also holding a reed and a garment to offer Jesus, showing how even something as mighty and unchangeable as a river acknowledges Jesus’ power, at least that is what the artist seems to believe.

The background of the mosaic does not contain much beyond its field of gold, likely to indicate the light that is such an inherent part of Christianity, and to make another connection to the idea of Jesus as royalty, or the equivalent in power. Along with the expanse of gold, the background contains enough of a riverbank, its plants, rocks, and water specifically, that it is clear where the scene is taking place, also helped by the personification of the River Jordan. Additionally, there are the symbols of the cross and the dove integrated into the mosaic around and behind the figures, furthering the idea of Christ and Christianity in the scene. The dove, is generally accepted as a symbol for peace, but the cross here seems to almost foreshadow Christ’s death and resurrection, as well as being a general symbol for Christianity.

The main mosaic is then surrounded by further Christian icons and symbols. The first is a ring of the Twelve Apostles each labeled with their name. The second is a ring with alternating depictions of empty thrones for Christ, and open Gospel books, along with other smaller motifs.

Overall, the main mosaic of the Orthodox Baptistery in Ravenna, Italy is rife with Christian imagery, symbolism, and importance. Additionally, because it has been so well preserved for its age, it is a highly valuable piece of study for Early Christian artwork.

Source:

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/ravenna-battistero-neoniano

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.

The Stele Law Code of Hammurabi

The Stele Law Code of Hammurabi, an ancient Babylonian artifact, is a slightly over seven-foot sculpture made from diorite and inscribed with the code of laws written by King Hammurabi of Babylon. This code of laws was written to cover just about any possible type of law for general society, particularly as dealing with criminal acts. This set of laws originally dictated by King Hammurabi had to be translated into several different languages around the empire, but the stele engraved with it is one of the greatest records we have of Babylonian law.

Above the cuneiform script of the code of laws there exists a relief sculpture of King Hammurabi himself and a Babylonian god, Shamash, depicting the scene in which King Hammurabi received the code of law from Shamash. Generally, this scene is fairly well balanced, as the figures are similar in size, even though Shamash is presented sitting on something like a throne and King Hammurabi is standing. The god is larger in proportion to King Hammurabi however, as he is the more important of the two figures. On the left, King Hammurabi is still fairly large and before Shamash without an interpreter, thus showing what a close relationship to the god he himself has. It is interesting to note though, that despite the composite view of seeing different angles of the figures at once, both of their heads are carved in enough relief so as to be well presented in profile and facing each other equally. Again, such emphasis on the two figures exchange of near equality, gives King Hammurabi a great sense of power over most “mere mortals”.

When looking again at the whole sculpture, it can be seen that the large portion of text lends a sense of heavy repetition, particularly as the cuneiform alphabet seems to unfamiliar eyes to be very uniform. As well, such a repetition gives the piece a very balanced look horizontally, but seems to make it somewhat top heavy, as the text does not reach quite to the floor and there is no counter to the relief at the top.

As for the physical properties of the statue, the diorite that it is carved from gives it a particularly smooth texture in places where the carvings and actual stone has been well polished, in contrast to much of the writing, which seems to lend another more rough texture to the piece. In addition, the fact that it is made of such a durable stone gives the piece a very heavy sense of weight and endurance or permanence. The stone seems like because it is so large and stable, it would present a very difficult challenge to move and must therefore when it was made it must have been placed in a prominent position where it would remain for a long time after.

Pictures:
> Photo 1
> Photo 2

Additional Info:
> www.allaboutarchaeology.org
> www.historians.org

Film Reflection

The Cave of Forgotten Dreams

My initial reaction to the film Cave of Forgotten Dreams was oddly enough a bit of “déjà vu”, because in high school I actually went on a trip to France, and though we obviously did not visit the particular cave featured in the movie, the caves do look quite similar. The surrounding area as well seemed like a similar portion of France, and in fact, we even later in the same trip visited the recreation of Lascaux Cave, which I was reminded of when seeing the cave paintings.

Like for many, the mystery of cave paintings and the relative skill with which they were created are what draws me personally into ancient art. The mystery and wonder lay not only in seeing something that was put into place unfathomable amounts of time ago, at least, unimaginable for my 20 year old self, but also in simply trying to understand why such paintings would have been made to begin with. Given that these are some of the very few remains from so long ago, the best we can really do is guess and imagine.

The film, in my opinion, did quite a good job of capturing that sense of wonder, awe, mystery, and just a little bit of that far-more-significance-than-you-will-ever-achieve sense I got when seeing similar cave paintings. Even though some portions of it were slower, I also think that it covered a great deal of fascinating and diverse information on something that I had never really known that much about in such detail.