Unconventional Methods

I happened upon this painting while running around the Metropolitan Museum of Art gathering photos for our final project. This photo is Gustave Courbet’s, “Woman with a Parrot” which seemed oddly reminiscent of another work  we had studied Édouard Manets, “Olympia”. This painting was done only three years after the Olympia in 1866 and though it was done to appease Academic critics with its detailed idolized body and the shape of the woman’s physique like the Olympia, it was disjointed from Academic works in the way the nude woman was lounging around with messy hair in a messy environment from the untidy bed and the dark shadowy room. We can see that if not entirely Courbet did have some kind of effect on other artist even though he was initially criticize by others for his controversial work.

Bedirhan Gonul- Team Aphrodite

Losing my Marbles

 

By walking through the passageway between the Times Square hub and Port Authority Bus Terminal you can notice an adorable art piece by Lisa Dinhofer.

Her work Losing my Marbles showing an unusual perspective of seeing objects. As artist points out that: “ Every object I paint actually exists; I work from life. The space I create is believable – but not real. Because I design my own space, I call myself an ‘illusionist’ painter rather than a ‘realist’. The space in my work is invented. It’s flattened – like the space we see on a television or a computer screen.” So her work can be considered as abstract modern art. It really differ from other paints, mosaics from past centuries where painters focused on realism and humanism but here we see real objects but in unreal positions with incorrect linear perspective.

This masterpiece reminded me of another great work by Cezanne and his “ Basket of apples”. Similarly, those works show still life but in different space. Meaning that they were created not from one point of view but from different points because we move as we see.  Also, important to notice that apples, as well as marbles, look like they are about to fall down which also creates an illusion. In the reading about “ The Basket of Apples,” it says that Cezanne began the purposefully started destruction of a single image.

-Yuliya K.

Best Tem – Minerva

Reni vs Livy

Guido Reni, Italian, 1575-1642. Lucretia, front. ca. 1625. http://library.artstor.org/asset/AWSS35953_35953_32668241. Web. 11 Dec 2017.

The Lady and the Sea Monster

Domenico Guidi (Italian, 1625-1701) Commissioned by Francesco II, Duke of Mantua and Reggio (Italian, 1660-1694) , who died before the sculpture’s completion. Andromeda and the Sea Monster. 1694. The Metropolitan Museum of Art,
http://www.metmuseum.org. http://library.artstor.org.ez-proxy.brooklyn.cuny.edu:2048/asset/SS7731421_7731421_11776266. Web. 11 Dec 2017.

This sculpture, though made in the Common Era, resembles traits of a Hellenistic sculpture from Ancient Greece. The depiction of Andromeda in this fluid like movement is very common in Hellenistic style art as well as noticing how the free-standing Andromeda is much like new upcoming sculptures in BCE. Having the subject in the nude like so relates to how the Greeks shaped their art to show how the human body should be shown off as such, as it is in the Gods image.
This piece of art can relate to a quote from the Vergil’s Aeneid, Book 1:

“Her fury inflamed by all this, the daughter of Saturn drove over endless oceans Trojans left by the Greeks and brute Achilles. Juno kept them far from Latium, forced by the Fates to wander round the seas of the world, year in, year out. Such a long hard labor it was to found the Roman people.”

The sculpture of Andromeda is in relation to Greek art, and not Roman art. We can clearly tell by observing how the breasts of Andromeda are revealed and not hidden by shrubbery. Greek and Roman themes do relate sometimes, where we can see how Andromeda, goddess of dreams, who usually accompanies with Poseidon, can be like the daughter of Saturn. Both are strong mythological female figures, with relation to “driving over endless oceans” They differ from their cultural origins, but both parts of Greco-Roman mythology can be connected.

The artist wanted to try his best, from a 17thy century perspective, to copy an old time Greek sculpture to the best of their ability. The artist Domenico Guidi, was a prominent Baroque sculptor, who had a short life as an artist. His intentions for creating art are not that important for the relation to Roman era literature, since they are two different time periods.

Sean Reilly, Team Artemis

Tremendous Amount of Red!!!

During my trip to the MET, I took a picture of “Red Coat” painted by Alex Katz in 1982. This painting immediately reminds me of “The Red Studio,” painted by Henri Matisse in 1911. “Red Coat” and “The Red Studio” are similar because the main color is red. Also, both paintings are painted with oil on canvas. However, there are several differences between “Red Coat” and “The Red Studio.” One clear difference is that “The Red Studio” consists of many of Matisse paintings inside one. However, “Red Coat” is a visual of a woman with straight black hair wearing a red hat, a red shirt, and red lipstick. In “The Red Studio” Matisse didn’t get the perspective wrong. He purposely painted it the way he wanted it. He flattened the perspective in the room, and altered it from how we perceive perspective with our eyes. As one can see, there are white lines in which outline some of the objects in the painting. He did not paint white on top of red but painted red up to the borders of the forms he was defining. The white is painted underneath the red, which is called reserve line. In the “Red Studio,” there’s tension which animates Katz’s depiction of both people and space. It’s an enigmatic portrait of his wife Ada because we don’t know what she is thinking. 

Mohammed, team Vulcan

Glass Puzzles

 

This photo is of Pablo Picasso’s 1911 “Pipe Rack and Still Life on a Table,” at the Metropolitan Museum. The painting is located in the “Modern and Contemporary Art” gallery, and is one of the early works that explored and redefined art. Dating back to the early half of the 1900s, many artists began to move away from the traditional techniques and features of academic art. The classical traditions of religious, historical, and mythological images were rigid. Therefore, artists like Picasso began experimenting with different ideas of style.

In this painting, Picasso begins to form what we call today cubism. Although the title and text label mentions that this painting is of a still life, it’s hard to distinguish. The simple lines and geometric shapes almost create a puzzle of broken glass fragments. The shapes overlap, but do not evoke a sense of depth or dimension. Despite the shadows of the shapes, the image is mostly viewed as two-dimensional. There is no particular subject to the image, besides the supposed pipe rack at the top left of the painting. Picasso also uses words in this painting to make reference to literature and his patron, something that is not used to express ideas in most artworks. Overall, the painting is taking the typical idea of still life paintings, and making it more abstract. There is no definite shape to be able to identify the still lifes, so the viewer’s  consciousness does not overpower their initial emotions. Instead, the viewers must interpret the painting without their preexisting connotations of the still life.

 

Vicky Lee, Team Hermes

 

Wall (Unoriginal) Street

As we saw on our joint class trip to Manhattan there seems to have been a great need to turn New York into a new Greece or a new Rome. They hoped that this would live on in there stead and transform the impressions that people pre received notions when looking upon such recognized architectural styles.

Of course the structure copies the most common parts of Greek and Roman architecture only to use them as adornments instead of structural with the the large Corinthian columns and the eye catching  pediment with the central figure of Integrity.

The people who helped establish New York as a great economical hub wanted to show themselves as the inheritors of Greek wisdom in order to cultivate an image of supremacy over all that would do business under their supervision. However just because you copy a civilizations iconic works in a modern semi modern fashion does not actually give you the same knowledge and experience which the creature and owners of such structures have lacked.

-Bedirhan Gonul, Team 3/ Aphrodite

 

The Great Wave

The picture above shows the cover of one of my sketchbooks that features a print of Katsushika Hokusai’s Under the Wave off Kanagawa. The modern version is a near exact copy of the original, though the new image draws the viewer’s gaze to the large wave instead of Mt. Fuji in the background. Additionally, the space between the foreground and background differ between works, as the newer one fills the cover with images of the wave and boats, and the original has an expansive empty space covering a majority of the print. Regardless, both works were intended to be viewed and enjoyed by an audience as a symbol of art and creativity, either through influential Japanese trade or by providing a space to collect various other works of art and creation via the sketchbook itself. The medium on which both pieces were created are fairly similar, each being ink-printed onto paper. The original Wave, however, was stamped into the initial paper copy by use of wooded stamps coated in different colored dyes. The contemporary version was etched into a cardboard slab in a similar, though modern, fashion using laser-jet printers and the respective dyes that are used by them. The biggest difference between the two images, aside from the printing methods, are the ways each piece is appreciated. The original was sold and distributed all across the world and made to be admired, though the modern image is simply a pretty book cover that is not meant to have much though put into it, as books emphasize the exploration of whatever lies between the covers rather than what’s on them.

Another Unit, Another Synagogue

This synagogue can be found along Ocean Avenue, between Avenues K and L. It caught my eye because it really encapsulates a lot of formal elements we’ve covered in class. You can see the arcade of arches at the top of the stairs, with emphasized keystones, as well as arched windows framed by column/pilaster motifs with Corinthian capitals. The center of the building has a row of large Corinthian columns beneath a frieze that goes across the entire façade. Above that on either side are structures that appear similar to miniature temples, with a row of Tuscan columns supporting another arcade. On the roof, visible from the ground when standing across the street like I was, is a pair of giant green domes.

Certain details also reminded me of particular examples of Baroque architecture. For example, the Tuscan colonnade at the top was reminiscent of the piazza of St. Peter’s, although admittedly a lot smaller.

It’s not necessarily clear what the building here is made of, but it could be marble, like the works of old. The motifs mentioned could have been chosen in order to embellish the face of the building with architectural forms that are established as distinguished. Everything about this picture shows the grandeur of the place. The picture is not perfect because there was a car in front of me when I took the picture, so the base level is a little cut off, but you can see a set of doors next to the tree that give you a sense of the scale of this building. That’s what seems Baroque about this architecture: the size and flair. It’s elaborate and decorative, and very BIG – all very Baroque traits. The Baroque period is marked by drama, and this synagogue certainly has that. The building has a presence that demands attention; it’s impossible to walk past it without giving it a second look.

-Chaya, team Venus

 

Ukiyo-e style in Midwood

On my journey to pick up colored paper for my little sister at the 99 cents store, I came across a post card depicting an image painted by a Japanese artist. My first though was, wow they still sell these ancient things?! Followed by my second thought in which i noticed a resemblance between this image and other paintings we had seen in class incorporating Ukiyo-e style. This picture in particular depicts a leisure activity of ordinary people, an idea embodied by ukiyo-e artists. The sea is commonly idealized as aesthetically pleasurable and is quite literally a “floating world”–> the actual translation of the term. The moon reflecting over the waters with branches towering above the sea is an everyday occurance, especially in Japan.  The underlining difference between this image and typical ukiyo-e art is that ukiyo-e artists generally characterize urban lifestyle occurances as opposed to destinations in secluded, remote islands.

– Lauren Ishay

Wet Paint!

Living in NYC is a blessing. Almost everyday, a new beautiful piece of art awaits to be seen. I came across this beautiful piece of art on my way home. Ive become accustomed to it, so the thought of taking a picture of it slipped my mind. Luckily after some research, it comes to be that the exact piece of art I marveled over has gained quite a fan base over the years. I felt this piece was relevant to unit 4 because of the relationship in color and contrast with the Clause Monet Water Lilies. Making the connection in person thinking of both pieces at ones really made me understand and appreciate the influence of art and artist from the past. The creative mind has grown and elevated over time and I’m appreciative to witness such greatness. Though it was defiantly constructed from different materials, with the Water Lilies being painted on a canvas, while this fish was painted onto the subway walls. They share different meaning as well. The fish was to represent the flooding of the devastating hurricane Sandy that struck New York a few years back. Both pieces of work are immensely beautiful. Personally I’m a big fan of natural landscapes, so I automatically granted to both of these works.

Ishmeal James

Artemis Team7

Aphrodite vs. Nude Paper Magazine

I happen to come across a paper magazine with the cover shot of Kim Kardashian by Jean-Paul Goude. Kim is posed nude, set out to “break the Internet.” This magazine immediately reminds me of Aphrodite in which we spoke about in art class. Aphrodite was an Olympian goddess of love, beauty pleasure, and procreation.

The similarities in which I see in both Kim Kardashian paper magazine and Aphrodite is nudity. Also, they are both representing beauty and can be sex symbols. However, there are many differences between both Kim Kardashian paper magazine and Aphrodite. Aphrodite is a sculpture made of marble and Kim is in a magazine, in which is is more visual and realistic. Also, Aphrodite was a goddess who had temple for her worshipers. Meanwhile, Kim posed as nude to courage women to feel comfortable and confident about their body.

I recall learning about Aphrodite in classics, which was in the first unit. Aphrodite was portrayed as a beauty and she had a magical girdle that compelled everyone to desire her. Aphrodite was also the main reason for the Trojan war. When she was in exchange for the golden apple that would make her as the fairest goddess, promised Paris eternal love from Helen who was thought to be the most beautiful woman on earth, and of course Paris couldn’t resist this offer. 

Mohammed, team Vulcan

“I am simply one hell of a butler”: Sebastian

Suetonius: Life of Augustus
“Augustus‘ was both a more original and a more honorable title,”

Res Gsestae: Augustas:

“I was able to safely forgive, I preferred to preserve than to destroy. 

These two quotes characterize Augustas because it describes his personality and his disposition.

I chose these quotes because it shows why Augusta’s name is ‘Augustus’ and how his name characterized him as a person.

The two passages are similar because they both characterize him as honorable. The 1st quote directly states that Augustus means honorable while the 2nd quote describes an action that shows such character.

This is an image of me and a character from popular anime called Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler). The character’s name is Sebastian.  He was named “Sebastian” because it was the name of the main character’s dog which he thought was fitting for the role of a butler.

The name Sebastian derives from the Greek word σεβαστός (sebastos), a city that was named after Augustus. The word translates to “venerable” which was an epithet used for Augustas. Also, It was the Greek translation of the Roman title Augustus (Etymonline.com).

Sebastian might have a name derived from Augustus and means venerable because his character was very wise and commanded respect from all other characters. He was also shown as an extremely skilled person in battle as was Augustus.

The speculation does connect to the quotes because both names describe the character of the person who holds it. I am not sure if the character name Sebastian was directly inspired from Augustas but it does seem like it was inspired by what the name Sebastian describes.

This topic also connects to our art class because we studied the sculptor of Augustus.

This is the image of the sculpture of Augustus from Primaporta. As we have seen in Classics, the name Augustus was a name that described his honorable characters and was a political title that held him as an esteemed individual.  Similarly, this image sculpture is also a visual political propaganda that set him up as an extremely important and esteemed person. This correlates to our Art class as we have learned the importance of Art as visual propaganda. His breastplate held to account for his diplomatic victory against the Parthians and advertise him as a great military and diplomatic emperor who held the title of ‘Augustus’.

 

https://www.etymonline.com/word/sebastian

image: https://www.google.com/search?q=sebastian+black+butler&rlz=1C1GGRV_enUS752US752&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi0saG7uM7XAhVr6YMKHaNBBykQ_AUICigB&biw=1366&bih=662#imgdii=Wmp_I-jQaaelPM:&imgrc=v8ocVZNwoWSQiM:

Masuma, Team Mercury

Linear Perspective on my notebook cover

This is a notebook I found in my home which have a picture of a town in Paris as it cover. The reason I chose this picture as a relevant information from the art class I had week ago is because I believe this picture is related to what call— Linear Perspective. Look closely to the river sides, the distance between the two river bank seems to be getting smaller as the river goes down, but what we know in our prospect is that the river banks will never touch each other, because they are actually parallel. The further the river goes, the smaller the distance is between the river bank. But one thing we know for sure is that there will always be a river between to two sides. Similarly to what the reading Linear Perspective Interaction, it says in the text that “linear perspective eliminates the multiple viewpoints that we see in medieval art, and creates an illusion of space from a single, fixed viewpoint.” This discovery of linear perspective was so important at the time because it had great influence to the Humanism of the Renaissance.  Why? Because this prove that “‘it structured all images of reality to address a single spectator who, unlike God, could only be in one place at a time.'” It strongly support individualism, which it’s the most important things in the Renaissance.

Parisian Perspective

The oil painting above, depicting a clear-skied Parisian day, is one of many works of art following the linear perspective model. Similar to Masaccio’s Holy Trinity, this painting, which I will refer to as Paris, follows an interconnected grid of non-visible lines meant to pull the viewer’s attention to one specific point. In the case of Paris, the focal point lies near the base of the building just below the Eiffel Tower, which is shown by the outwards placement of the buildings and increasingly wide floor space as you move from the top to the bottom of the piece. In the second picture, you can actually see faint lines carved either into the oil paints themselves, or drawn onto the canvas below that lead to the focal point and may have been used as a reference for proportions and ratios within the painting. This image differs from Holy Trinity because it is non-religious, and shows a bigger emphasis on horizontal lines, as opposed to vertical ones. Additionally, Paris is painted with oil paints on canvas while Holy Trinity was composed of water-based paints on fresco, due to the different purposes they serve. Paris was meant to be sold and moved as a decorative piece, while the permanent fresco of Holy Trinity was meant as a religious statement piece in Santa Maria Novella.

– Natalie, Team Vesta

This photo depicts the USPS branch building in 450 Lexington in midtown. Like the buildings our trip around Lower Manhattan this building was another structure symbolically attributed to ancient Roman and Greek architecture. The most past of this structure is the decorative columns on the exterior of the building, which order to give it a official and authoritative presence. The fake columns however were not completely visually accurate because while the capitals are of the Doric order the base is of a Ionic or Corinthian style. Like many government buildings that we saw while on the trip this is just another example of people copying a well know architectural style that would improve the status of their building.

-Bedirhan Gonul, Team Aphrodite

Yet Another Post About Art1010 On BC Campus…

This is a painting I found in the staircase of the Brooklyn College Student Center. It perfectly represents the use of the system of linear perspective to create the illusion of a three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface. Below is a copy of the above image with the orthogonals traced in green and then the main lines extended to demonstrate the vanishing point.

The orthogonals are the lines that would be parallel were you actually to stand in that scene and measure them. Instead, when seen from a certain angle, they seem to converge on a single point. As you can see, this technique is very effective at tricking the eye and mind into thinking there is depth to the image.

The painting was set on the wall against the staircase so that as you descend the stairs, the vanishing point becomes eye level for you. This is how linear perspective works best, like we discussed regarding how Massacio’s painting of the Trinity was set at eye level for maximum effort.

-Chaya Ovits, team Venus

The Gates of Paradise, Roman Imagery, and A Synagogue: What These Three Things Have In Common Will Shock You!

This picture shows the doors to a synagogue on West End Avenue of Manhattan Beach. It immediately seemed to me like a much simpler version of the baptistery doors called the “Gates of Paradise,” by Ghiberti.

As you can see, the baptistery doors are decorated with scenes from the life of the Biblical figure Isaac, using linear perspective to add depth to the nearly-flat backgrounds cast in bronze.

The doors in my original picture, however, are much plainer and bear only three repeated images: a wolf, an axe with wheat and other grains, and a menorah. Considering their context, these likely represent objects of cultural significance. The wolf is often a symbol of Joseph (Isaac’s grandson), and the menorah is a religious artifact with hundreds of years of history attached. The axe and grains are a little more vague, but they could be standing in for the strength and beauty (respectively) of Israel and/or its inhabitants. There are no backgrounds portrayed at all, yet the overall effect is strikingly familiar to those acquainted with Ghiberti’s gates.

Both pictures show a set of dark doors embellished with a series of lighter metal images that have relevance to Biblical figures or scenes, organized into rows. Each set of decoration serves the basic purpose of making the doors more aesthetically pleasing, although one (Ghiberti’s) looks like it took much more time and effort because it is so much more intricate. Ghiberti’s doors are much taller and more imposing, whereas the synagogue’s doors are the usual height and just enhanced by the pictures. Also, it is unclear whether the first picture’s images are actually made of bronze, but it does not appear to be the same material as Ghiberti’s doors.

The pictures on my doors could easily apply to Roman culture too, although the context of their placement makes this extremely unlikely as its original purpose. The wolf has long been a symbol of Rome, because of the legend of the founders Remus and Romulus being raised by a she-wolf Lupa. When other powers rebelled against Rome (like the slave revolts Rome claimed were the “reconquering” of Sicily), a coin was made depicting a boar (the symbol of the Italic peninsula) trampling a wolf. The axe could be seen as referring to the axe of the fasces, a bundle of rods symbolizing imperial power, and the grain to the latifundia, a system of plantation farming that kept the Roman economy afloat. The menorah is a traditionally Jewish symbol, but the arch of Titus (pictured below) depicts a menorah because it shows the conquering of Jerusalem and the aftermath of the destruction of the second Temple (which stood on the hill that now holds the Dome of the Rock). Therefore even the menorah could in theory be a reminder of Roman triumphs.

The doors I took a picture of are similar to Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise and reminiscent of Roman imagery and symbolism. Their purpose is a little more simplistic than the works of antiquity, but overall they are made for the same reason: to look nice.

-Chaya Ovits, team Venus

Linear Perspective in NYC Subways

NYC is filled with subways. We all take it to places around the city. If you stand on the platform and look over to the other end, you can see that the sides of the platform converge together and vanish at the distance. Another thing that can be seen is the sides of the train which come together as you look farther back. This reminded me of what we had earned in class about linear perspective. Linear perspective is a system of art in which parallel lines converge together to create the illusion of depth. But believe it or not, linear perspective is not just seen in drawing or paintings. It is seen in the real world too such as the conversing sides of the subway platform.

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Aisha, Team Ares

Grand Central Terminal

Over the weekend, I visited a close friend of mine at SUNY Purchase. I took the Metro North from Grand Central to get there. The ceiling of Grand Central Station, as many have seen before, has a massive astronomical mural of stars and constellations. While I do not believe there is a religious context behind the piece, it did remind me of the Sistine Chapel piece by Michaelangelo that we studied in class. Furthermore, the terminal itself resembles a large barrel vault – another structure we studied in class.

The function of Grand Central Terminal is much different than the function of the churches we studied in class. Grand Central is a transportation and somewhat of a business hub, where thousands of commuters pass through every day. The churches we studied in class have religious purposes, as one could probably infer. I would imagine that Grand Central was built as a massive barrel vault to support the ceiling mural, but I don’t know why this particular ceiling mural was chosen in the first place, other than for how nice it looks. Regardless, it has a different purpose than the Sistine Chapel mural, which tells biblical stories. This mural is like a manifestation of the universe in a way.

-Harry, Team Vesta

BTS, old made new.

BTS- Blood Sweat and Tears

Everyone has been saying my obsession with this Korean boy band is unhealthy, but I can prove otherwise. While its true that especially American singers don’t have much meaning to their songs, I could argue that BTS (방탄소년단) is different. The more songs they release the more I realize there is a connected story between all of them and that they are trying to tell us something other than just the song. In this blog I will be discussing their hit song of 2016- Blood, Sweat, and Tears (피 땀 눈물) While its true that it is aesthetically pleasing to look at, we shall focus and dig deeper.

To begin with, they are in a museum. Aside the fact that there are several sculptures that were inspired by Hellenistic and Classical periods, there is a big painting that caught my attention.This painting is ‘The Fall of the Rebel Angels’ by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. There is a certain theme of Fallen angels and temptations throughout the Music Video.

The painting this person (Jin) is looking at is very intense. The way I see it is a battle of hell and heaven. Its intensity and emotion reminded me of a painting by Giulio Quaglio, located in Ljubljana Cathedral in Slovenia.

Both of these paintings give a feeling of darkness, as if there is a battle. They are both very intense. Furthermore, this painting by Guilio Quaglio is painted on the ceiling, just like what? You guessed it. Just like the painting in Sistine Chapel, by Michelangelo.

We are not only a minute into the video, but I already found so many things that come from early Renaissance period that started in Florence. This is all about revival, old things made new. I really appreciate how they [BTS] are able to incorporate so many complex things into their music video.

Additionally, fast forward to 3:46, the music video shows someone blindfolding one of the members, and the lyrics go:

Kill me gently,

Close my eyes with your hands,

Cant resist it anyway

Cant even run away anymore

You just too sweet too sweet too sweet

As I previously mentioned the painting of Sistine Chapel, I think there is one fragment about the painting that can be applied here. It would be the fragment of temptation of Eve wanting to bite on the forbidden fruit.

Also, the very beginning of the music video, to tie into the theme of temptations we encounter this fragment:

Behind the neon lights, we see the painting which shows ‘The lament for Icarus’ by H. J. Draper. As we know, Icarus was warned by his father to not fly neither too low, because the humidity of the sea will melt the wax, neither too high as the hot sun will do the same. However, he disobeyed and listened to his temptations and did as he pleased which caused his death as his wings melted and he crashed into the sea. Similarly, both Adam and Eve knew they shall not eat this apple, as it was prohibited by God. Again, they just like Icarus disobeyed and followed their temptations and ate the fruit of knowledge.

Later in the music video, we see one of the members uncovering his eyes, and he walks to a giant statue.. And kisses it. I believe that is him making a pact with the fallen angel, from that point he was able to see everything as it is. Similarly, after Adam and Eve ate the forbiden fruit, they were able to see truly, they recognized their nudity and felt ashamed. Not to sound too cliche, but they were finally able to truly see.

I would like to use this great opportunity and tie in my classics post here. As we learned, ancient Greek theater was always religious, and they would tell stories already known by everyone. As you can see, this music video contains many religious aspects. Just like the ancient Greeks, the producers of this music video in a way retold a story that many of us read in a Bible. They presented it to us in a new way, yet were able to deliver same meaning. Another very interesting scene that I would like to mention is the “Last Supper” scene. 

Here we see them gathered by the table, with all sitting but one. That one that was contemplating through out the entire music video. He has been seen looking at the painting in the beginning, he is also the one to start seeing things as they are, and now he is the one looking into distance. Why is looking into distance significant you may think, well it is significant because he seem to either know or anticipate something. Similar to the “Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci.

This is a painting of Jesus eating his last supper before crucifixion. Jesus was aware of his fate, upcoming betrayals and what is awaiting him. Just like this member he knew something was going to happen.

So, this is the end of my analysis. This video contains a lot of symbolism, and it is just impossible for me to thoroughly go over all of them. I gave brief points that I found interesting and similar to our both art and classics classes. It is very complicated, and I advise all of you to watch the video and make your own conclusions. Do you see the similarities I see? You have different theories and analysis? Whether we share similar opinion on this topic or not, the truth. I tried my best explaining, and I hope you’re not confused. 

• Diana, Team Mercury.

The Modern Day Struggles of Being Cupid

“Give Me Love” – Ed Sheeran (Music Video)

   

KEY:

Red Line = Orthogonals.    Yellow line = Horizontal Line,    Green Dot = Vanishing Point

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While listening to one of Ed Sheeran’s popular song, “Give Me Love,” I noticed that the song’s music video incorporates many elements from our Art and Classics course.

One incredible development during the Renaissance was Brunelleschi’s system of linear perspective. His formation of lines and diagonals enabled artists and architects to manipulate images into the illusion of reality. Space, shape, and size furthered Brunelleschi’s success of recreating life’s visual experiences into a still image. When looking from any individual’s eyes, our surroundings are examples of linear perspective itself.

In the screenshot above, there are qualities of linear perspective that can be identified with the understanding of how the objects and subjects of the video are seen. At a close observation, the overhead lights form orthogonal lines (red lines) of the image. The light beams move towards the middle of the photo, and direct the viewer’s eyes to the vanishing point (green dot) of the picture. The tunnel walls also acts as orthogonal lines. As the bricks of the walls move towards down the tunnel, the lines become more condensed, and create the illusion of space and depth. The light’s reflections and shadows also add a subtle sense of distance, because the light and shadows seem to merge together when approaching the vanishing point. The outline of the concrete ground also acts as an orthogonal line that points to the vanishing point. Though the horizon line (yellow line) is not obvious to the eye, it meets the middle of the image as the plane where it meets the viewer’s eye level. Touching back onto how the still image depicts distance, the figure in the foreground is proportionally smaller in scale due to the distance between the camera and the subject.

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When directing your focus to the subject, the woman has a pair of cupid wings that is explored through the music video’s plot. The story unravels references to Aphrodite in which we have discussed in Classics class.

In the music video, the main subject is dressed with a pair of wings and holds a bow and arrow. The video’s plot reveals how she takes on the roll as a cupid and shoots others to fall in love with each other. The subject’s act as a cupid relates to Aphrodite’s abilities to cause people to fall in love due to her title of being the Goddess of Love and procreation. The video’s subject’s actions can be compared to the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite where William Blake Tyrrell translates that Aphrodite’s:

clothed in a dress more gleaming than bright fire. Like the moon, it shimmered around her soft breasts, a wonder to behold. She wore coiled bracelets and shining earrings, and beautiful necklaces were about her tender neck, beautiful, golden, glittering (86-90).

Aphrodite’s presence attracts and seduces those around her, and is reflected in Ed Sheeran’s song. In the homeric hymn, Aphrodite is known to be a elegant, lustful, beautiful, and graceful Goddess that is ineffable. Her powers become a strong influence over other people’s actions and emotions, which can overrule their thoughts and morals. The homeric hymn discusses the consequences of love, lies, and sex that Aphrodite is responsible for. However, most references to Aphrodite are usually the immaculate ideals of falling in love and being loved.

Similar to Ed Sheeran’s music video, the presence of the woman shows her duties as a cupid. She travels around the city and uses her power of love to counteract the dark and bleak night. Those alone begin to fall in love with the people around them, however, it juxtaposes the song’s lyrics. The cupid’s inner conflict and idea of love is enhanced by Sheeran’s song, and convey a more obvious result of love that the Homeric Hymn does not quite relate to modern love. Though the central theme of love is carried out by the woman with the white wings, her job as a cupid is not as fantastical as it seems. The subject of the video struggles with finding love herself, and has a inner conflict while she watches her actions help others fall in love. In the last scene of the video, it’s seen that she has stabbed herself with her cupid’s bow in attempt to make her fall in love. Ed Sheeran’s music video and the Homeric hymn portray a large difference in the society of today and the past. Sappho reveals the struggles of being in love, whereas, Ed Sheeran expresses the struggles of finding love.

 

Vicky Lee, Team Hermes

 

 

Domes in NYC

In New York City, where tourist congregates and take images of the tall buildings, rest some of the oldest forms of art- Domes. Domes first appeared in the ancient middle east, India, and the Mediterranean. It was normally on small scales to later be adopted by the Romans. Today, one of the most memorable Domes is in the Pantheon. This image was taken in the NY Stock Exchange building where my team and I (team Jupiter) called the American flag a fasces because it’s a symbol of American power and nationalism. 

Roman Catholic Cathedral Church

This is a place that I have visited several times. The last time I was there I was with my aunt Angela and I took some pictures because I was able to relate it to all those characteristics that represent the Roman Catholic Churches. This is the Cathedral of St. Patrick located on Fifth Avenue between 50th and 51st streets in Midtown Manhattan. The photo taken by me is the one from the outside, the one from the interior I chose it from Google images in order to be able to show you those aspects in the inside we learned in class. As for example the Basilica of Santa Sabina, the Cathedral of St. Patrick starts from the door with a path of columns that lead directly to the altar, which is in the center right at the end. From the outside in the Cathedral of St. Patrick can be seen the three doors that Christian Churches have in most cases, representing the sacred trinity: God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Unlike the Basilica of Santa Sabina that does not have these three doors. Finally it is important to clarify that a basilica is generally a public building that is not necessarily built for religious reasons, but in the case of the Basilica of Santa Sabina and many other cases it is used for this purpose. However, a cathedral is completely intended to be a Christian place that contains the seat of a bishop, thus being the main church of each diocese or particular church.

Jamilex Dominguez. Team Mercury.

What does baseball have to do with anything??

Yankee Stadium is one of the most popular baseball stadiums in New York and home of one of the most successful sports teams in the world. Yankee Stadium is located in the concourse section of the Bronx and was rebuilt in 2009. Although most may not first think about Roman architecture when they look at Yankee Stadium, there actually is some Roman influence. Throughout the exterior of the Stadium,  there are multiple arched windows that replicate a Roman Colosseum. Along with the windows, you can see that the building itself is built with a mix of stone. The Stadium consists of a mix of limestone, granite and cast stone. It also has many vertical lines which actually emphasizes the Stadium’s monumental atmosphere.

Brittany, Team Hephaestus

Art in Manhattan

As I was walking one day in the city with my friends I noticed this beautiful building and the first thing that came to my mind was my ART 1010 class.  I found this building in lower Manhattan and the bottom part of this building is actually a bank.  Now that I am taking Art 1010 it has made me more aware of the architecture around me and my mind is now open to realizing the beauty of art. I decided to pick this piece of art because it reminded me when we talked about the three Greek orders we analyzed in class. The three Greek orders were Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian and this specific column showed and resembled an Ionic order. This column was scroll shaped above the shaft which is a major part of what an Ionic order represents. This columns were also very big in person which is how they were shown in Greek history.  Art 1010 has opened up my eyes to different pieces of art no matter where I am and taught me really appreciate the different types of Art around me.

Triumphal Synagogue

This is a picture of the front of a synagogue located on Ave K at the corner of East 29th Street. As you can see, the double doors are framed by arches and there is a column motif between and around them. This reminded me of the Arch of Constantine, with its multiple arches. Constantine’s arch was erected to celebrate victory in battle, and it had three arches for aesthetic reasons (ie., to look impressive and thereby be a better monument representing glory and power). These arches are also decorative, but it’s likely that the multiple doors are because of the separate seating inside. It’s interesting to note that in ancient architecture the arches were always open, while nowadays we fill them with doors for practicality. Certain elements have a similar purpose to the ancient work it resembles, but overall the design is intended for an entirely different function.

It’s difficult to see in the picture, but at the top of the arches (between the doorframe and the arch’s curve) there are also painted friezes like those we studied in art and architecture from the early Christian/late Roman period. Their presence brightens the décor by adding color and filling the space that would otherwise be a blank gap, like the paintings in antiquity were meant to do in the temples, churches, or mosques we looked at. Both these paintings and their ancient counterparts add interest to the architecture, although the modern paintings are much more durable and less likely to fade or chip, because of technological advances (new kinds of paint, etc.) since the ancient paintings were created.

-Chaya Ovits, team Venus

Union Square Savings Bank.

 

While I was hanging out with my friend I noticed a very breath-taking building. The building I’m talking about is the Union Square Savings Bank which is located on Union Square East and East 15th. It was built in 1905 by an architect Henry Bacon. (Henry is also famous for designing Lincoln Memorial). This building was inspired by Greek architecture with Roman influence. Greeks did not like mixing certain styles with another. However, Romans thought mixing styles creates a unique and renewed feeling to the creation. In other words, they saw no problem in mixing patterns of say Doric order with Corinthian.

As we can see, the column is a Corinthian column, however the shaft seems to be of those from Doric order. Horizontal lines that we observe on this shaft are unusual for Corinthian columns as those are normally done without stacking those pieces. These horizontal lines, on the other hand, are normal for the Doric columns.

The first thing that came to my mind when I saw this building was the Roman Basilica due to its outstanding front columns. The Union Square Savings Bank is very enormous in size and has very impressive entrance, just like those of Roman Basilicas. One in particular would be the Basilica of Santa Sabina. You might think they are complete different, and I would have to agree, the exterior of the Santa Sabina is nothing like the Union Square Savings Bank. However, the inside of the Basilica of Santa Sabina is very rich and contains many interesting pieces. What reminded me about Santa Sabina would have to be the columns, they are just as enormous and just as beautiful.

To conclude, NYC is full of wonderful places I haven’t been to prior to this class. I’m very thankful that I live in such a big and diverse city as NY with many wonderful landmarks that derive their origins from Greek and Roman arts.

Diana, Team Mercury.

 

Trinity Church

This is the Trinity church in lower Manhattan where we took our field trip. It is visually similar to the basilicas we discussed in class. It has a central nave and aisles on either side. I was very interested in the iconography craved into the walls near the alter but what grabbed my attention most was the stained glass windows. It reminded me of the mosaic of Justinian in San Vitale. Although the mosaic and the stained glass are made from different mediums, the windows look as if they were put together piece by piece so that the image resembles a mosaic.

 

-Carrissa, Team Hestia

Lower East Side’s Crossroad

On the walls of the Delancey St/Essex St station is an enormous mosaic of a fish in a wave. The mosaic is composed of a vibrant array of blue, green, yellow, red, white, and purple stones. The colors compliment each other to create a depth in shadow and detail to the fish. The bright mosaic brings life into the daily routines of many New Yorkers. Though the fish is 2-dimensional and does not invoke any sense of movement, the waves of water that surround the fish imitates the crashing of waves and the upward movement of spraying water.

Similar to the Byzantine style buildings, such as the Justinian mosaic in St. Vitale, I also noticed how the mosaic is blended into the clean canvas of the white tiles around it. The colors The use of the mosaic and white tiles on the walls dematerialized the concrete material that can be seen at the bottom of the picture. The images are also unproportional and unrealistic as a method to emphasize certain characteristics. Unlike the Dome of the Rock, this mosaic uses figurative images of animals.

When taking account of the location of the station, I inferred that the mosaic must be referring to one of the most iconic and historical building of the neighborhood. The subway station lies beneath the Essex Street Market, the current market continues to house multiple vendors, grocers, butchers, and stores. The market thrived around the 1950s in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and served as a station that sold fresh produce and goods. The Lower East Side is also known for it’s cultural diversity and diffusion due to the prolific amount of immigrants that live in nearby tenements. In fact, the artist Ming Fay used the fish as a way to symbolize the “crossing” of the paths of people. The metaphor is used to compare the immigrants who have traveled across water to reach the city. The fish creates a subtle reminder of the neighborhood’s history, and representation of it’s importance to New York City.

 

Work Cited:

MTA. http://web.mta.info/mta/aft/permanentart/permart.html?agency=nyct&line=J&artist=1&station=18 Accessed 7 November 2017.

 

Vicky Lee, Team Hermes

Sarcophagus in the MET

This marble sarcophagus (Sarcophagus with Scenes from the Lives of Saint Peter and Christ) located in the Metropolitan Museum of Art dates back to the early 4th century of the Roman Culture. When I saw it at the museum, it reminded me of Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, also dating back to the Roman culture and the mid 4th century.

The description of this sarcophagus illustrated that it was carved about the time when Christianity was first recognized as a legal faith within the Roman Empire, similar to the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus. And similarly, the sarcophagus depicts the scenes from the life of Christ. On this sarcophagus, there are two legendary scenes of Saint Peter’s arrest in Rome and the miracle of drawing water from a rock performed in his jail cell, and more scenes of Christ on the lower side. On the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, there are multiple scenes from the Bible. Christ is in the center and looks very youthful like a young philosopher-teacher, with a scroll in his hand. He’s represented by a movement and naturalism.

Both sarcophagi are very similar in that they were carved around the time when Christianity was first recognized as a legal faith in the Roman Empire, and both are exquisite examples of Roman funerary art. However, the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus is different as it brings together Classical and Early Christian Art. With the columns and capitals, and Christ being situated above the river gods, the sarcophagus shows  Christianity surmounting old polytheistic traditions of the Ancient Romans, and thus, serves the purpose of synchronizing the new religion into its empire.

This also relates to Classics class where we learned about syncretism, the merging of two different cultures, which is happening here with the sarcophagus merging Christianity and the old Roman polytheistic traditions.

–  Isra Nazlin, Team Minerva

#1010unit2 #artandclassics

Land Reform But To What End?

Appropriate Citation:

McInnis, Edward. “The Antebellum American Textbook Authors’ Populist History of Roman Land Reform and the Gracchi Brothers.” Journal of Educational Media, Memory, and Society; Oxford, Vol. 7, Iss. 1,  2015, https://search-proquest-com.ez-proxy.brooklyn.cuny.edu/docview/1768236623?accountid=7286&rfr_id=info%3Axri%2Fsid%3Aprimo. 6 November 2017.

The main audience for this essay is anyone who is a student that needs to accurately learn about the Grachi land reform policy and its connection to the modern day American political system. We see the author merge the two topics after he briefly gives a backstory to the history of the Grachus brothers and then brings to the attention of the reader behind the reason the topics are connected “2,000 years later, American political leaders and commentators would resurrect parts of the history of the Gracchan reform effort to promote their own causes and agendas.”(26)

“What Gracchus had in his mind in proposing the measure was not money, but men. Inspired greatly by the usefulness of the work, and believing that nothing more advantageous or admirable could ever happen to Italy, he took no account of the difficulties surrounding it.”(Pg 25, Readings) An example showing that Grachus the originator of the theory that land reform would be beneficial to all was just like all the current power seeking American politicians who are ironically just seeking power and glory like Grachus

Bedirhan Gonul, Team Aphrodite

Fasces

On this trip to lower Manhattan, there were unique and interesting piece’s of Art. One image that stood out to me was the was the fasces on different buildings.  Each fasce represents a different idea or culture and this individual fasce was on the city bank farmers trust building.

Anthony Mancuso     Team Venus

 

 

 

White house Architecture?

In chapter 2, we talked about Greek and Rome architecture. We went on talking about Art after Constantine and early Christian art. We also looked over the changing of architecture through out the years. Rome have copied style of Greek but after Constantine introducing the new religion of Christianity, another form of art took place that is now used in our churches. The churches and Temples made in the past have had many transformations while some stayed the same. Although architecture has developed throughout the years, some past discoveries are still the same. The columns orders like Doric, Ionic and Corinthians are seen everywhere. Big houses, historical buildings and parks use the same type of architecture that goes unnoticed everyday. Museums and historical places seem boring to people because they don’t know the history behind it. Before asking this class, I would have never look at prospect park or buildings like the white house and find Ancient times architecture. I recently saw a picture of the White House and immidetly started to think about the columns being used here. I noticed that the ionic architecture was used in the building. If you look at the front you can clearly see that the columns are ionic orders. If you look carefully at the entablature you can see that the frieze is empty. Unlike the Parthanon, it does not have wars and stories showing events. It has a pediment but does not have any fluts. Just like the Parthanon, it has a intermediate block. Its amazing to see how we have copied so much from our past. It proves that no matter how far we get with techonolgy, some works are ageless and they will always find their way back. These orders of Doric, Ionic and Corinthians have been seen in mosques and buildings on the streets and its sad to see that no one never questions them. People usually don’t notice these things but if they become more aware of their surrounidngs, they will be able to see how much of the past is around us. Architecture will be appreciated more and value will increase as people gain knowledge about the great work of art. Fizza Saeed , Team Hermes

Polybius’ Constitution

Fun fact: As I was looking for pictures I came across an arcade version of Polybius. This was a fictional arcade game from 1981 that hasn’t been proved to ever exist. Though it did start an urban legend that it was a psychology experiment ran by the government to see what effects the of addiction the game had on players. Eventually, this arcade game supposedly disappeared from the arcade market.

The search return that I received from using OneSearch was an article called “Polybius and the American Constitution“. The appropriate MLA citation format that I used is Chinard, Gilbert. “Polybius and the American Constitution.” http://www.jstor.org.ez-proxy.brooklyn.cuny.edu:2048/stable/pdf/2707009.pdf. Jan., 1940. The primary intended audience for this publication are American Architects. “This theory, however, had not originated with Swift, and the Doc- tor himself had quoted his authority-no less than Polybius-who tells us, ‘the best government is that which consists of three forms, regis, optimatium et populi imperitum’ ” (pg 43). This quote is connected to the search term by saying that Polybius had the best way to describe the best government. Polybius tells us that the best government consists of three forms, which translates to “King, conservatives, and inexperienced people”. What Polybius could be saying is that there should a King or some type of leader to guide us in the government. The conservative people could be for good traditions to keep going and don’t make changes to certain things. Inexperienced people could be for more energy in the government, someone who has ideas that are outside of the box for the government. “Nor again can we style every oligarchy an aristocracy, but only that where the government is in the hands of a selected body of the justest and wisest men” (Polybius, On the Form of States). This quote from the ancient texts explains how Polybius knows that the government can get messed up and how selecting the wisest and adjustable candidates are best for the government. This reminds me of the three orders from Art History. The three orders are columns called Ionic, Corinthian, and Doric. Each of these orders consists of specific bases, shafts, capitals, friezes, etc. If one of the parts of an order get mixed into a different order, it wouldn’t look right. This connects to government in a way that the government, itself, can get mixed up if we choose the wrong candidates. The government also has a lot of orders like the Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branches.

Chinard, Gilbert. “Polybius and the American Constitution.” http://www.jstor.org.ez-proxy.brooklyn.cuny.edu:2048/stable/pdf/2707009.pdf. Jan., 1940.

Caroline, Team Cronos

Fasces and familiar faces

While on the Classics trip in lower Manhattan this past Friday, my group and I stopped to write about this statue situated at the entrance of the Alexander Hamilto U.S Custom House. The statues surrounding the building were meant to represent the seven different continents and the culture they each contain. I felt this image was relevant to both Art and Classics because it shares the Greco-Roman appearance of sculptures we studied previously, as well as the influence from different cultures we focused on in Classics. The two figures closely resemble Aphrodite and the Doryphoros based on the facial features and the draped clothing (or lack thereof). The signature archaic smile graces the faces of both figures and the realist proportions of their bodies give it a Greek Classical period feel. While ancient Greek statues were often made of bronze or marble, this piece seems to be made out of concrete, a more modern alternative. Additionally, the statue is used for aesthetic purposes and to show a connection between different periods of world history, rather than as a grave marker or symbol of wealth.

– Natalie, Team Vesta

Fasces in the City

On the trip I got to see many fasces on different buildings, but this specific fasce is  on the city bank farmers trust building, which was located in lower Manhattan.

 

FASCE

Our last Friday trip, I got to see fasces on the statue of George Washington right in front of federal hall. I also got to see fasces on the city bank farmers trust building. They were all around us and shows power and authority. Fizza Saeed, team Hermes

Coffee and Columns

On my way to school this morning, I stopped by a deli near the 59th st train station in Brooklyn for a quick breakfast and noticed the decorations on the wall near the entrance. These columns immediately reminded me of the different columns used when building Greek temples, as seen in the Parthenon, Megaron, and Hera I & II. These columns are made solely for aesthetic purposes and provide no real support for the building, but the capital follows the shape of columns in the Ionic order, proving their Greek influence. Ancient Greek and Roman buildings were often made up of a combination of stone, concrete, wood, or marble and decorated according to the purpose of the building’s construction. The deli is a fairly ordinary food shop, rather than an extravagant temple of worship, so these columns are made out of affordable painted plaster and wood mold, as opposed to pure marble or stone.

– Natalie, Team Vesta

Victory Wings in New York City

One Monday afternoon, after my math class at Brooklyn College, I went to the neighborhood of Park Slope. I went to an Egyptian restaurant located in Park Slope to do a project for CLAS. 1110. From Brooklyn College I took the 2 train, I got off the train at the Grand Army Plaza. When I got off the train and started to leave the station I found these art works, which impressed me a lot. I immediately thought of my ARTD. 1010 class and the other project I had to do for this class. I took photos quickly, since my phone did not have enough battery, and I went to my destination.

After a few days, I began to investigate about these works of art. I discovered that it was ‘’The Irresistible Romance of Travel’’ created in 1995 by Jane Greengold. The figure reminded me very much of one of the few figures depicting a woman we saw in class: ”Nike (winged victory) of Samothrace.” Both figures have a common meaning: a woman with wings, representing victory. They also have similar functions: ”Nike (winged victory) of Samothrace” commemorates a naval victory, and ”The Irresistible Romance of Travel” uses the wings as a symbol of the victory of the north in civil war. It seems to me that in the work created by Jane Greengold, as a modern work, the woman is represented with a little less discretion than in Nike. Both have a very similar shapes, but in Nike you can appreciate the illusion of more fabric to cover the woman, which at that time could not be seen publicly if they were not properly covered.

Jamilex Dominguez.

 

Greek Art in the 21st Century

After leaving my job at Wall Street, I decided to walk around and came across the large buildings at the financial district. I noticed their structures, and, shortly after, noticed one particular building with columns that reminded me of those which were used in Greek temples. As soon as I saw the scroll-like volutes, it gave it away that it was ionic structure. I couldn’t help but realize how beautiful it really was and how the scroll-like ornament added sophistication as well as an ancient feel to the building. It is obvious that this structure is used to hold offices, as opposed to back then in the mid sixth century B.C.E when it was used to honor the Greek gods, such as Hera and Artemis at Ephesus. This is a perfect example of how Greek architecture has influenced modern-day society and how their styles have lived over the course of many centuries.

Hidden Parthenon in Union Square

I recently ventured around Union Square as I was walking through the city when I saw this building called the Village Presbyterian Church. At first glance it looks like it resembles a sort of federal law building or something that has a large purpose; however, the structure was used as a Presbyterian church which is now repurposed as an apartment building. It heavily resembles the Parthenon that we studied in Art History; what struck out to me to the most were the Doric columns, since Doric columns are simpler in structure than the other orders, that were designed for the building. The columns looked sculpted quite elegantly and the architect went to great lengths to design this structure even though its purpose was to be used as the exterior of a Presbyterian church. The building’s exterior looks very well-designed and reminds onlookers of its Greek revival influences. Though the structure looks very similar to the Parthenon, one of the differences I’ve noticed was the material it looked like it was made of. While the Parthenon was made up of limestone and an early first version of marble, the old church looks like it was developed with a weaker component of marble; the church comes off as looking like a basic white color that comes off as “cheap” looking. Besides this, the structure looks very well-designed and shows off a beautiful recreation of Greek architecture.

The Library of Columbia University

 

 

In the photo above is The Library of Columbia University, located on the university’s campus.

As seen in the picture, the building has the signature column design of the ionic order. The columns have the ridges along the shaft, and the body tapers from small to big, creating a sense of slenderness to the columns. At the top of the columns are the capital’s curled scrolls, and the bottom is the stylobate and stereobate.

The library also features a dome, a feature of Ancient Greek architecture that is seen in The Pantheon. Although there is no opening to the ceiling like the oculus of The Pantheon, the building takes after its portico and rotunda structure. As for the frieze, the building makes a simple inscription of the library’s name. The photo also shows the use of Roman numerals MDCCLIV, which dates to 1754, the year Columbia University was established. There are also laurel leaves on the frieze, which refers to the symbol of victory or status that was given to the Greek god Apollo. The laurel’s symbol can be implied to Columbia’s high status as a Ivy League university.

Unlike the traditional forms of Ancient Greek architecture, the library has fully enclosed walls, windows, and air conditioners behind the columns. The walls prevent rain, snow, or wind from going into the library, but the large windows enable the same appreciation of natural or heaven-like light as the Greeks. The building is also most likely made out of concrete (as most modern buildings are), and may contain a sort of metal skeleton within to withhold the weight of the whole building. On the other hand, Ancient Greeks used a mixture of clay, rocks, minerals to build their temples.

 

Vicky Lee, Team Hermes

Corinthian Columns At the MET

A couple weeks ago my friend had to go to the MET for a project and I went along with her. When we first arrived to the MET, the eight columns in the front caught my eye. I took a picture of them but didn’t think too much of it. However looking back at them now, I realize that they remind me of Corinthian columns. Corinthian columns have the most intricate designs of all the different orders (doric, corinthian,and ionic). The columns in front of the MET had very ornate and leafy designs, which are also common feature of Corinthians columns. In addition, the columns had the “slender” effect and were proportionate to the top of the columns (also known as the capital). Unlike Corinthian columns, Doric columns are simple and have plain round tops (capitals) with no design. On the other hand, Ionic columns are similar to Corinthian columns but they usually have two opposed scrolls on the capital and the design is much less complex.

Mohammed, team Vulcan

Corinthian Columns in Prospect Park

During my commute to school, I often choose to bike through Prospect Park, as opposed to biking through traffic on Parkside Avenue. Just across from the Parade Grounds, there is this large, clearly Greek-inspired building. It is a peripteral building with extravagant Corinthian-style columns, as the column heads have decorative leaflike designs. In Ancient Greece, a building of this design would have likely been used as a temple, with a site for worship around the exterior. However, I have seen this building used more often as a venue for parties, cookouts, and other events. I’ve even seen people hold weddings in this building. Lastly, I am not sure how old this building is, but I can’t possibly imagine that it is nearly as old as any of the Ancient Greek temples that we have studied. My bike ride through the park is definitely my favorite part of my commute to school, and seeing this quirky building so out-of-place every morning certainly an important part of that experience.

Harry, Team Vesta

Greek Art in San Francisco Airport

For the very first blog post for Unit 1 of Art History, I decided to choose this picture I took a year ago when I was about to leave San Francisco.

Last summer, I decided to travel for the first time with my mom and grandma, and we traveled to San Francisco for my first trip. I had lots of fun meeting different family members, eating all sorts of different foods, and exploring all sorts of places. When that trip was over, I was casually roaming around the SFO airport with my overpriced iced caramel macchiato. While I was walking, I realized how many different arts and sculptures there were around the airport. The sculpture above was the one that caught my attention the most. It was so colorful and it was made with what I thought were colorful rubber bands. Back then I wasn’t as aware of Roman or Greek art and I simply thought it was just very pretty and cool. Now that I’ve been educated on different types of Greek and Roman art, I researched fully on this particular sculpture and I soon realized it is a remake of a classical Greek sculpture. This sculpture is called the Cardboard Kore and it’s made by thrown out cardboard packaging. It was created in 2004 by the artist/sculptor named Micheal Stutz.

The Cardboard Kore reminded me of the kouros/korai during the Archaic Period as the way the body and face were shaped unhuman-like, had a fixed posture, Archaic smile, and fully clothed from head to toe. I believe the sculptor’s inspiration of Cardboard Kore was based off the Peplos Kore (Athens, Greece 530 BCE), as shown in the image above. The Peplos Kore was a grave marker and also was dedicated to the goddess Athena. The Peplos Kore is called that because of the dress that she is wearing, which is called a peplos. It was originally painted with vibrant colors but was soon chipped and worn off due to the amount of time it had gone through since it was last painted. In the remake sculpture (Cardboard Kore), the colorful cardboard strips did a great job of representing how colorful the original sculpture might have been.

After researching on these sculptures, I realized how much history an artwork can have. Last year and even an hour ago, I only looked at as a pretty and tall piece of art. It’s amazing how through learning about these different artworks, it has slowly started to change my perception of art as a whole.

Citation:

17green. “Posts from December 17, 2013 on Art History & the Art of History.” Art History the Art of History. WordPress, 17 Dec. 2013. Web.

Public Art Collection. N.p., n.d. Web.

Smt41@cam.ac.uk. “Peplos Kore.” Faculty of Classics. N.p., 24 Oct. 2016. Web.

http://onassisusa.intelligentlearningmedia.com/blogos/?p=308

 

 

♀ Venus Earrings and Aphrodite♀

Greek/Roman Architecture On Campus

Roosevelt

library tower

Ingersoll

library (side)

our very own Ingersoll

Roosevelt

library (side)

library tower

I was walking around campus and thinking about this assignment when I noticed that pretty much every building on Brooklyn College’s campus has elements of Greek and/or Roman architectural design. In the 4 pictures above, you can see an arcade of arches (Ingersoll), arches with column designs between them and a pediment above (Roosevelt), an arch-shaped window and columns setting off the windows (library), and arches supporting a structure topped by a dome (library tower).

Greek temples used columns very often, since they relied on post-lintel architecture. The Romans began using arches (and, by extension, domes) because they allowed more stability and more open indoor space. Modern day architecture doesn’t need to rely on domes or columns to hold up our ceilings, but we still use elements like this in specific contexts.

Classical architecture is very popular for inspiration when it comes to buildings that need to have a certain gravitas. The structure of columns and arches lends that kind of weight, a way of hinting that this too is old and respectable. College campuses and governmental facilities often have similar features to the temples of old because it subtly implies importance. The design elements are no longer strictly functional; we use them because we like how they look and what they mean. By recreating these ideas in brick instead of marble or concrete, we prove that we don’t need them but choose to include them for the aesthetic benefits.

-Chaya Ovits, team Venus

Alexander the Conqueror, the Student, the Innovator

Isabel, sister, age 15, at home

Do you know who Alexander the Great was? 

Yeah, I heard of him.

What do you know about him? 

I think there was a song about him. He did something really important but I don’t remember what he did.

Where did you learn about him?

I believe I learned about him in Global History I or 6th-grade humanities.

Tom, father, age 53, at home.

Do you know who Alexander the Great was? 

Yes.

What do you know about him? 

I believe he was tutored by Aristotle. He conquered vast amounts of territory in the ancient world. I think he used elephants but. I could be mixing him up with someone else.

Where did you learn about him?

Probably in high school.

Chris, friend, age 26, over iMessage

Do you know who Alexander the Great was? 

I do know him.

What do you know about him? 

He was the king of Macedonia and was taught by Aristotle.

Where did you learn about him?

I actually learned that stuff back when I took classical cultures at BC.

 

The most notable detail of these three conversations to me is that everyone learned about Alexander the Great at some institutional educational facility, like middle school, high school, or even college. This alone could indicate the importance of his conquests and his role in history, as his story is so widely taught and valued. Both my sister and my father learned about him in high school, and I think it is reasonable to assume that my friend Chris likely did as well, at least initially, and that he learned more details about Alexander the Great in college. Another interesting detail from these answers is that only my father mentioned anything about Alexander’s conquests. This is peculiar, since the immense amount of territory that Alexander took over is essentially what made him “Alexander the Great.” While I don’t believe my father was right about the elephants, his comment about Alexander as a conqueror aligns the most with what we learned in class. At one point in the Alexander Romance, it reads, “And he [Philip], recalling and remembering what had happened concerning this, went forth to meet his son. And he greeted him, saying, “Hail, Alexander, conqueror of the world.” And Philip remained cheerful and happy in the secret and hidden hope for his son.” In this excerpt, Philip addresses Alexander as the “conqueror of the world,” and this idea about Alexander’s destiny in leadership and conquest comes up many times in this reading. It may very well be the most important aspect of Alexander’s life.

 

Another similarity between answers is that both my father and Chris wrote that he was mentored by Aristotle, which is not a detail that I recall going over in class nor reading about in our assigned texts. Upon going back to the texts, I did find that it mentions how “Aristotle of Nicomitachos, the Stagirite from the city of Meteos” taught him philosophy in the Alexander Romance text. I found the relationship between Aristotle and Alexander particularly interesting because of its significance in the art world as well. Alexander the Great was never depicted with a beard, which was odd at the time but represented the shift into the art style of the Hellenistic period. In the Classical period, men were often depicted with beards, such as Aristotle, but in the Hellenistic period, which is said to have begun after the death of Alexander, men were more often depicted as clean-shaven – and this detail also greatly influenced Roman art. I think the teacher-student relationship between Aristotle and Alexander can also be seen symbolically as the beginning of a shift in art style.

-Harry, Team Vesta

Aristotle, with a beard.

Alexander the Great, depicted without a beard.

Tags:  Alexander, CLAS5, EveryoneKnows, Art

Open your eyes! Its all around us!!!

 

Last Friday, I was getting out of Cortelyou train station thinking for an idea for my first blog for art class. I knew Art was all around us but I couldn’t  find that one perfect thing that spoke to me. Just like everyone else, I don’t pay too much attention around me but last Friday I happened to look up and was amazed to see Rome architecture around me. I been living here for more than five years and I never noticed these windows! I have seen them around but never at the station where I took the train twice a day. I would never have care about them until now. After taking Art class, I am able to connect this with early Christian architecture . After rome became Christian is when the churches were build and these kinds of windows were mad for the light to come in. This architecture can also be connected with Basilica of Santa Sabina and Basilica of Constantine where “The wall of the nave is broken by clerestory windows that provide direct lighting in the nave”( Basilica of Santa Sabina).  These windows are also used in San Vitale and Hagia Sophia. In this train station, they have the same purpose which is to bring the light inside. They copied it beautifully and designed it in modern way by adding little flower art on it and yet it doesn’t catch people attention. This architecture have been used for several churches and mosques. Humans have been repeating the same culture of architecture for years and generations. Its devastating to see how people in our every day lives don’t question or notice these little things around them. It shows how knowledge of the simple things around us can connect us to our roots and past. People should really take the time off from their phones to observe the life around them. They will definitely be surprised to see the things they are blessed with and the beauty of our world. -Fizza Saeed, Team Hermes

We ”KNOW” Alexander the Great!!

Do you know who Alexander the Great was? What do you know about him? Where did you learn about him?  Write up the answers you received as a blog post.

Temurbek Sabirov, Best friend, Age 18, Student, Snapchat conversation. “Yes, I know him He is basically a dude who was student of Aristotle. People say he was from Macadonia. He conquered half of the world. He educated the world by whatever he learned from Aristotle. I learned this from back in my country Uzbekistan”.

Kevin Chun, Friend, Age 17, Student, Facebook messenger conversation. “Yea I know him. I think he was a conquer from Greek world. He wasn’t a good guy. He controlled people. I learned about him in High School”.

Siam Hadid, Friend, Age 19, Student, Snapchat messenger conversation. “um I heard of him, He is some guy I had to write essays on in global class. He did some wars. He was a military leader. I learned about him in high school”.

All the answers I received from my friends show how little to no knowledge they have about Alexander. They all learned about him at some point but still don’t have the right information. One of them mentioned how he educated the world “from time to time he umpired his fellow students . And when he saw a team being defeated , he joined in the battle. and then, in turn, it was victorious. ( Alexander Romance, 30) ” It shows how  they were right about him being a leader and educator but they still don’t know as much as  I and the people in our class learn. My friends learned about him ones but we learned about him in details, which is why we know more. As we learned in our Art class, During Hellenistic period Alexander was always shown clean-shaven, which was an innovation, because all previous portraits of Greek statues or rulers had beards. We can see the pic without beard, this fashion lasted for almost five hundred years. – Fizza Saeed, Team Hermes

Do we need professors like Socrates?

Socrates, Plato and Aristotle are the greatest names of philosophy in Greece and they are also called the Athenian philosophers. Plato was a student of Socrates, and from Platos writings we get to know about Socrates and Plato’s student Aristotle. The trio laid fundamentals of western philosophy.  Plato wrote about Socrates, describing how he did not propose any specific knowledge or policy. He showed how argument, debate, and discussion could help men to understand difficult issues. Most of the issues he dealt with were only political on the surface. While his dialogue with Adeimantus talking about the nature of democracy, Socrates states that “many people would behave like women and children looking at embroidered objects and actually judge it to be the most beautiful” by that he basically means that people act like stupid humans to look at democracy as something beautiful. He was put on trial because he was accused of corrupting the youth of Athens. He was accused of corrupting the morals of youth, teaching them new tjings which was seen “bad” for the people of Athens He also failed to acknowledge the gods of the city. Which was the reason he was put on trial. He was famouse for his method and and Irony. Some people might see him as great professor, someone who comes up with new ideas and challenges society, someone who is brave enough to challenge the traditions and ideas. But others might see him as criminal who is trying to change youth minds, someone going against religious beliefs and not accept how the society is designed. He was put on trial and died by drinking the hemlock, a drink as his preferred death. The Painting of Socrates is named as the “Death of Socrates” by Jacques- Louis David. (1787). We saw this painting in our Art class and discussed how the art is used to show his power and his death.We looked at the lighting, color and clothes that contribute to show the meaning of the painting. Also the people around him showing the mood and importance of the situation and environment. All the factors discussed in art class about the way painting is designed clearly show the importance of Socrates and his importance to people around him. -Fizza Saeed ,Team Hermes

 

Pantheon or High School?!?! (Cameron Cannon)

If you say this is Midwood High School then you are correct! If you said “Wow, Brooklyn Pantheon!” you are also correct. This is an image I took outside of Midwood while waiting for the B6 bus. It has six Ionic columns similar to that of the Pantheon in Rome, Italy. An ionic column can be recognized easily with the scrolls on it’s capital and are thin compared to the deisel Doric columns that were made in the proportion of men.

This building was built in 1940 as the result of the Works Project Administration to hire millions of unskilled workers who happened to be unemployed.  Midwood also has a Georgian Cuopla [fun fact]. Along with it’s Greek artitecture, Midwood’s motto is a latin phrase, “Verus, Bonus, Et Pulcher” meaning the true, the good and the beautiful”. So, if you ever think it’s hard to find any ancient form of art in New York City, right across the street from Brooklyn College is the perfect inspiration and I did not look too hard.

Hall, Stephen S. “The Smart Set.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 4 June 2000, http://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/04/magazine/the-smart-set.html?mcubz=3. Accessed 17 Sept. 2017.

Art in subway

This is an image of the mural Flatbush Floogies in Flatbush Avenue subway station. This piece of work seems similar to the artwork adorning the friezes of Ancient Greek temples. As the image shows, there are floating figures that are heavily draped and you can see the creases made by the “fabric”. We have also seen such work in Greek sculpture like the Nike of Samothrace, and many others where the sculptures were draped and the creases of the drapery gave it an illusion of movement as it does in this mural. The Muriel is also cast in bronze which is another similarity, as many of Greek sculptures were made of bronze. However, there are differences between these art pieces. The image shown above holds a banner which has “Flatbush Avenue” written in it and records the history and the legends of the area. While the Ancient Greeks did dedicate their arts to local myths, most of these legends were related to Greek Gods and had religious undertones. Also, the art from Ancient Greek was meant to be seen with vibrant colors, however this mural, from the beginning was meant to be seen in the bronze color and does not have sacred meaning behind it.

The figures in the mural with its bodiless and floating bodies are nymphs. This relates to classics class because we have read about nymphs in the Drama Medea. Medea was the daughter of Eidyia, who was the nymph of Okeanid and was sometimes referred to as sea-nymph herself.  Nymphs are also mentioned in the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite as Aphrodite orders Anchises to give their child Aeneas to the nymphs. She addresses them as “Nymphs that live on the great and fertile mountain…assoiate neither with mortals nor with immortals” (Gregory Nagy, line 258).

We see this figure of Greek Mythology, a nymph who was part of many Greeks tragedies and myths, used in a Modern art and shows how the classical figures inspired the contemporary work.

Masuma, Team 18

Barbarians in Barcelona

Back then in Ancient Greece the term “barbarian” was a little bit different from how it is today. The Greeks used this term to describe people who didn’t speak their language so they saw them as different and barbaric. However now a days when we use the words “barbarian” or “barbaric” we are usually describing something destructive, brutal and violent. Over time the words we use and their meanings have changed to fit society.

The news article called, “’Barbaric Act’: World Reacts to Barcelona Attack”, states,” “Revolting”, “cowardly”, and “barbaric” are some of the words leaders worldwide have used to describe the attack in Barcelona that killed 13 people.” Also another article called ” MASSACRE ON LAS RAMBLAS; 13 dead and 100 injured as van rams Barcelona tourists; Two suspects held, one shot dead after a barbaric Isis attack; Holidaymakers tell of horror amid scenes of carnage; Selfie sticks. Baby buggy wheels. .. and a scene of utter carnage” states, ” Broken bodies lay in pools of blood on the famous street, where shops, bars and restaurants are normally packed with tourists and locals.”.

These two articles talk about how terrorists drove a van into a crowd of tourists in a holiday hotspot, Las Ramblas in Barcelona. The ones being treated as the term, “Other”, in this case is the ISIS terrorists because they are the ones acting violently. I think the target audiences for these two articles are the ones who suffered any sort of pain from the events like loss of a family member or they 100 people that got injured from the van charging through the crowd. Besides the people who suffered in these events, I think the articles are also targeting the general readers as their target because it warns them to be careful and not to do such dangerous activities that cause others so much suffering.  One social value that’s being affirmed as a shared value towards the target audience is peace or the idea of it because in the articles, it shows that people were surprised that Barcelona would be a target of an attack. They were surprised because Barcelona is a beautiful city with a huge mix of different nationalities. Also another social value that is being expressed as a shared value towards the audience is sympathy. In the articles, many world leaders from various countries are showing sympathy towards the families of the ones who were killed and injured. An example of this is the Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announcing a three day mourning period for the victims. The way we use the word “barbarian” or “barbaric” is very different compared to its meaning from ancient Greece. Besides using it to describe someone who spoke a different language or an outsider, Greeks used the word barbarian to describe a group of people or tribes. This is shown in Herodotus’ Histories in (1.4), “For Asia, with all the various tribes of barbarians that inhabit it, is regarded by the Persians as their own; but Europe and the Greek race they look on as distinct and separate.” The term “barbaric” or “barbarian” are used the same to describe how violent the terrorists acts were.

“‘Barbaric act’: World reacts to Barcelona attack.” Al Jazeera America, 18 Aug. 2017. Infotrac Newsstand, login.ez-proxy.brooklyn.cuny.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=STND&sw=w&u=nysl_me_brookcol&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA500927983&it=r&asid=c762eefde6341fbbd70329eef4dc46f3. Accessed 10 Sept. 2017.

“MASSACRE ON LAS RAMBLAS; 13 dead and 100 injured as van rams Barcelona tourists; Two suspects held, one shot dead after a barbaric Isis attack; Holidaymakers tell of horror amid scenes of carnage; Selfie sticks. Baby buggy wheels. .. and a scene of utter carnage.” Daily Mail [London, England], 18 Aug. 2017, p. 1. Infotrac Newsstand, login.ez-proxy.brooklyn.cuny.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=STND&sw=w&u=nysl_me_brookcol&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA500964884&it=r&asid=3951a9418c5636ba0ff8c7cd08adb7fb. Accessed 10 Sept. 2017.

Hell Hath No Fury

The scene is dark with an impeccable consciousness of regret hovering over you as you eat the third handful of buttery, salty popcorn. A few kernels spill over failing to make it to your mouth but your eyes are pasted onto the pail nonpareil actress holding a tendentious expression over the angry, frightened Reverend. The remnant taste of a cola you sipped four and a incessant seconds ago is still lingering off of your tongue and that’s when the phenomena occurs: Why did I choose THIS net-flick?! Why does anyone choose a series to binge and who on earth in 2017 can relate to the Salem Witch Trials or a woman stuffing a rat down her husband’s throat?! Apparently a flock of WGN America’s Salem fans including myself.

Salem is a television show about the contras’ of freedom. We all have freedom to do whatever we please but the consequences are not so lithe or agreeable- often objectionable. Arguably, a young woman in love and separated from her true love by the religious tyranny of the Puritans, Left alone with a bastard child she enters the world of satanism to rid herself of child. She is later unable to alter her choices when her lover returns with burdens of his own. Torn between reviving Satan in hopes of creating a new world of peace and leaving her duties to be a mother and wife in an autonomous state.

Showing What is Right From Wrong

 

In the Harry Potter series, Hermione is known to be a very smart woman and is sacred to get in trouble. She is not afraid to show how she feels about certain topics. She tends to do things for the goodness of them. In their society, Draco Malfoy is usually a source of some problems in the school.In one of the scenes in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Hermione sees Draco and his friends making fun and waiting for Hagrid’s pet to be executed. Hermione sees them and she believed what they were doing were wrong. So, she goes to put a spell on Draco, but she decided not to. She, instead, punches him showing how she is standing up for what she thinks is right. In all schools, they have a rule where you would get suspended or expelled if you punch someone. So, Hermione basically sacrificed herself to getting suspended or expelled to show how wrong Draco and his friends are. Hermione actually ends up not getting expelled nor suspended.

In comparison to Antigone, in Sophocles’ Antigone, the society show how men think that women don’t stand up for themselves because they think they cannot. Antigone buried her brother herself, which is a crime to bury someone. Antigone’ sister, Ismene was going to confess the crime that she did not do. Antigone does not want her sister to confess it so she sacrifice herself to go confess the crime and she did. Antigone was trying to prove that she has buried her brother to Creon, but Creon wouldn’t believe it because she was a female. Antigone was then sent to prison where she killed herself.

#OldisNew #CLAS2 #Sophocles #Antigone #Team Cronos

“Out of the Foam”

 

Aphrodite literally means “out of the foam”, and the sea shells are one of her symbol that tells the story of her birth. These are the seashells I picked up from the beach this summer and it perfectly shows how we can find Greek mythology, especially Aphrodite in our daily lives. The story of Aphrodite’s birth gives her the seashell symbol as she was said to be born from the foam of the sea. More specifically she was said to be born from the foam from Uranus’s genitals which was severed by his son Cronus and thrown into the sea, according to Hesiod in his Theogony, hence her role as goddess of love and fertility. When she was born “out of the foam”, the sweet East Wind carried her to the island of Cythera, where she arrived at the shore by floating on a scallop shell. Thus scallop shells became the symbol of her birth.

Because she rose from the sea at Cythera, Aphrodite is also referred to as the Lady of Cytheria.  In the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite translated by William Blake Tyrell, Aphrodite is addressed as “I will sing to Cyprian Cytheria, who gives kind gifts to mortals; on her lovely face, ever smiling, an alluring bloom shimmers. Hail, Goddess, ruling well-built Salamis and Cyprus in the sea: give me an alluring song” (Tyrell. B. William, 10 .1–5). The quote characterizes Aphrodite, as it addresses her as “Cytheria” and “Cyprus in the sea”, which refers to the story of her birth. It also characterized her as a sea goddess, as Aphrodite literally rose out of the sea, riding a scallop shell.

This is an image from the Greco-Roman fresco from Pompeii C1st A.D called “The Birth of Aphrodite“. The formal analysis of the painting is very straight forward. The subject of this piece is the myth related to Aphrodite’s birth as it shows the scallop shell by which she rode to the shore of Cytheria and is now being attended by other minor goddesses. It also depicts the goddess in nudity which was very controversial in ancient Greek as women were rarely shown so boldly. Also, we discussed in art class the Statue of Aphrodite in Knidos, which also shows her nudity, but does so more modestly, unlike this picture. As we discussed in art class, the scale of Aphrodite in relation to other objects, as well as her being placed in the center clearly identifies her as the main subject. The way the artist adorns her with pieces of jewelry, the cloak, and intricately woven hair as she luxuriously lies in her shell shows how the painter chose it carefully in a way that befits the goddess of beauty.

Masuma, Team Mercury

#CLAS1, #Aphrodite, #SeeninNYC, #artandclassics,

Cameron, Team Jupiter

 

This is an image of me [Cece] in my bedroom. While I was reading the final play for class on Friday, I could not help but think about some really good Greek food like Souvlaki.  While food was on my mind, I also remembered an old saying about the a olive branch but I did have any symbol like that to take a selfie with nor did I remember the saying. While shuffling through my jewelry box, I realized I a oak tree accessory for my choker I always wear.  The oak tree is a symbol in Greek Mythology usually representing several powerful gods such as “Zeus, God of Thunder,  or a symbol of physical strength and morale” (nickthegreek, ladyoftheloch.co.uk). After taking a picture, I thought how does this relate to our lessons after only ONE DAY in class?! It hit me- Medea of Euripides’ Medea held strong to her own moral compass. In her mind, the death of her own kin was validated because of her ex husband’s betrayal. Despite the several pleas of the Chorus, Medea replies  to being told she would regret her decision with “never mind all other words are in vein” (Lushnig, 818). This shows how her stubbornness and strength, much like the Oak Tree, lead her to the sacrifice of her own children. Even before going on with her plan to poison  her children, the King and Jason’s new wife, she grieved knowing what she had done as wrong. It was more upsetting for her to be betrayed and replaced than to leave in exhile. The act of committing such sacrifice  is unbearable however I must admit takes the strength of hundreds of Oak Trees.