Team Jupiter: Cameron, Fatema, Raine, Rebecca, Shamiso, Shiyin
We reserved a study room in the library on the fourth floor. We studied on December 8th, 2017 from 2:47 P.M. to 3:53 P.M.
Final Bonus
TeamJupiter
Plums..?
Title: Still Life with Plums
Date: 1666
Artist: Pierre Dupuis
Accession Number: L.2002.58
I took a picture of this oil painting at the Met museum during my scavenger hunt. It is an image of a bowl of plums. This is considered to be a still life painting because the subject in the work is an inanimate subject matter. The painting include natural and man-made objects. The plums are an example of a natural subject matter in the painting because they are grown from a plum pit. The bowl the plums are in and the table the bowl is on are both man-made subjects because they can not be found in nature. This painting is from French culture, and was created during the late 1600s. What stood out to me in this piece was the dark background because it puts the viewers’ attention on the plums. This is known as chiaroscuro because viewers can see the sharp contrast between dark and light in the painting. Another thing that stood out to me was the fact these were plums because I thought they were grapes because the fruit was still attached to the branches. This piece relates to our class because in Unit 5, we learned about the unpopular art style of still life. In class, we learned about Cèzanne’s “The Basket of Apples” oil painting. This is an painting of a table that is set with multiple fruits and a wine bottle. You can see the relation between both works of art because they can be classified as still life paintings since the subject of both works of art are inanimate. This style of art was not popular with people because there were more popular styles of art that resonated with the people, such as historical and religious works of art, and there were cameras that were around at the time. That is why artists of this era, like Cèzanne, wanted to show the power of the human eye. They believed that the camera was no match for the human perspective because despite their high quality photos, it can never be the same as the human eye. Therefore, that is why artists painted everyday inanimate things onto a canvas, which is seen in both the “Still Life with Plums” and “The Basket of Apples”.
- Rebecca Lee, Team Jupiter
Are You Ready Kids?
I recently went to watch SpongeBob Squarepants the Musical, and during the encore portion of the show, I decided to take this picture to commemorate my first Broadway show. At the time, I didn’t realize the connection, but when I took a second look at the picture, I noticed it can be related to Baroque art in a sense because of the sharp contrast between light and dark. The stage is the center of attention because of the crew has set up the lighting. The light that surrounds the stage is darkened to the point where it’s almost pitch-dark, and the only source of light comes from the stage. This setting directs the audience’s attention to the stage, and just the stage, but it is not only the lighting that catches the attention of the people. The bright, vivid colors of the set and costumes are very eye-catching. It makes people want to keep looking and watching the performance. However, this is different from Baroque art because in Baroque art, religious messages would typically be conveyed through a painting, but this performance did not convey any religious message. The strong, bright colors were used to capture the audience’s attention, and showed the viewers the change in scenes. For example, when the rumor that the world was going to end had spread, the stage turned very dark and gloomy, with colors of dark red and black, showing the audience that this is a bad time for the citizens of Bikini Bottom. Another example is when Squidward decided to take a stand for his dreams. The set they used for this scene was very bright with pops of bright pink and yellow. Also, there was a lot of glitter and shiny decor that was used in this set. This use of bright colors shows the audience how passionate Squidward is about his dreams of performing on the largest stage in Bikini Bottom. The use of vivid colors in the performance carries the viewers on the emotional rollercoaster the people of Bikini Bottom are on as they move towards Doomsday. This is something Baroque art uses because they want the viewers to be emotionally involved in the piece, which is something this musical did using the setting and colors to their advantage.
– Rebecca Lee, Team Jupiter
Rest In Peace
[Taken in Greenwood Cemetery – https://www.google.com/maps/place/Green-Wood+Cemetery/@40.6537144,-73.9866807,277m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x89c25ac2ce420ae7:0xad7fab8221c4fc67!8m2!3d40.6590043!4d-73.995602?hl=en]
At this burial site, a man named Albert Ross Parsons is buried here. His tomb was created to resemble an Egyptian pyramid because of Parsons’ obsession with Egyptian culture. Parsons was a fanatic about the culture to the extent that he spent most of his life researching about Egypt. He even wrote a book about the culture because that is what the majority of his life studies focused on.
In the reading, “Pseudo-Callistenes”, the exerpt says, “Then he made a bed of wax and put on it the statue he had made of Olympias. He lit a fire and poured there on the broth of the plant, saying over it the vows suited for these doings, until the spirits appeared to Olympias; for he saw, from the signs there, Ammon united with her. And he rose and said, ‘My lady, you have conceived from me a boy child who shall be your avenger.’” The author of the “Alexander Romance” is trying to emphasize that Alexander can be compared to the gods because of the way he looks and victories in battles. Alexander is romanticized into a godly image because of his physical attributes. His horns represent Alexander’s relation to the Egyptian god, Ammon. This shows his divine ancestry, which causes people to believe he is divine as well. Also, his victorious in war further amplify the divine nature of Alexander because he was able to defeat many and help a lot of people during his reign. This can be connected to the pyramid tomb because in the past, Egyptians buried their Pharaohs in tombs because of their royal status. The Egyptian royalty that rests within the pyramid tomb was considered to be divine and godly. This is how the people who worshipped their rulers in Egypt treated their Pharaohs. The way people treat Alexander’s godly status can be compared to that of a Pharaoh because of the way people romanticize the godliness of these rulers.
In the second unit of art history, we learned about the influence in Christianity in Roman art and architecture. During the fourth century, Christianity was a religion that was rapidly growing, but it remained a mystery, which caused it to be the target of ostracized by the public. However, Constantine was able to help the transition of Christianity because of the amount of support he gave to the mysterious religion that forced its followers to only follow one religion, which was Christianity itself only. Constantine’s support for Christianity grew after the Battle of the Milvian Bridge because his victory was deemed as a sign from the heavens, meaning he thought the gods had helped him with his battle. After this battle, Constantine became the strongest supporter of Christianity. This relates to the image because in front of the pyramid tomb, there are statues of Mary (mother of Jesus) holding a baby, presumably Jesus, and Jesus holding a lamb. Mary and Jesus are two iconic figures in Christianity because Jesus is the god people worship in Christianity. He is the most important person in the religion of Christianity. However, the second most important person is the one who created Jesus, which is Mary, his mother. The sculptures of these two significant people were standing outside of the pyramid tomb as if they were guarding it for Parsons since he’s resting within it.
– Rebecca Lee, Team Jupiter
Vroom Vroom
This piece can be found in Chinatown. I found this structure interesting because I never realized how its design was influenced by the Greeks. I have visited Chinatown many times before, and I have seen this structure a lot while driving into Chinatown and walking in the nearby area. However, until I took art history, I never saw how the design of this arch-shaped structure was heavily influenced by ancient Greek architecture. I thought this structure was relevant to the material we learned in Unit 2 because of the way the structure is designed. For example, there are many sculptures along the sides of the arch, and there’s a frieze on the top. Similar to ancient Greek architecture, the sculptures were used to signify the importance of something. I’m not sure what the designs mean, but it’s really similar because of the frieze. It’s heavily decorated with many sculptures, both the friezes in columns and the arch located in Chinatown. This structure serves the purpose for allowing vehicles to pass under. It welcomes people to Chinatown as the cars and trucks are exiting from the highway. In the past, other arch-shaped structures, such as the Arch of Constantine were used to memorialize an important event. Its purpose has changed throughout the years, but the Greek influence continued through the architecture of everyday structures. I think this arch resembles the Arch of Constantine because of the its shape. They both have an arch, but the structure in Chinatown only has one arch in contract to the Arch of Constantine because the Arch of Constantine has three arches. The size of the arch in Chinatown is not similar to any of the arches of the Arch of Constantine. Also, this material of this piece is made out of concrete, while the Arch of Constantine is made out of marble. Another difference is the inner part of the structures because the Arch of Constantine has sculptures on the inner part, but the arch in Chinatown has niche-like designs in the interior.
– Rebecca Lee, Team Jupiter
Mitochondria
The author wrote this article for people who are interested in the Gracchi in general because his article is about contrasting the differences between Babeuf’s case. In different translations of the case, Babeuf is portrayed in a different light. The purpose of the article is to compare and contrast the two translations. The author connects the search terms to one another by talking about Marcuse’s publications in regards to Babeuf. The terms Gracchi and France are related in the article because Marcuse’s publication occurred during a time with multiple revolts in France against a corrupt leader. The author shows this relation many times throughout the article. For example, in the article, the author writes, “Marcuse recreated the thought of Babeuf in the image of Marcuse’s own Kantian abstractions and yet, revealingly, disparaged it all as primitive.” The author explains that Babeuf’s rebellion against the French leader was considered to be savage because of the way it was conducted. Babeuf’s trial showcased in a negative light because it was probably translated by someone who is against him. This shows the relation between the two search terms because the revolt occurred in France against the Gracchi, who was the leader at the time. Another example is that in the article, the author states, “Babeuf is forced to argue on a more philosophical plane than was his habit, obeying certain rules of legalistic form, but in so doing he concedes nothing to bourgeois ideology, he does not resort to a game of sterile abstractions.” Babeuf is shown as a philosophical man in contrast to what was just said about him in the other translation. He is seen as a wise man in contrast to a primitive savage. This shows the relation between the search terms because of his rebellion against the person in power. In actuality, the Gracchi is a powerhouse duo of Roman brothers that were in charge. However, Gracchi is used as a reference to those brothers in the article to show the power of the leader in France. From the readings, the excerpt states, “What then are the beginnings I speak of and what is the first origin of political societies?” (Readings for CLAS 1110 on the Roman Republic, page 5) this quote is relevant to the article because it questions the political system. Similarly to Babeuf, the excerpt challenges the way the way the society has been run by politics. Despite whether Babeuf is considered to be savage or wise, he was against the way France was ruled, and he revolted against the leader.
Alp, Al. “The Redemption of the Gracchi and the Class Nature of the Republic.” Journal of Contemporary Asia 25.3 (1995): 397-413. Web.
– Rebecca Lee, Team Jupiter
Ram
After visiting City Bank, only a few streets away, I discovered this ram with horns that reminded me of Alexander the Great. The ram was a part of the decoration for a building that was not historical relevant. It was only a small business. However, this decoration could be used to emphasize the power of consumers and money in New York City, which is similar to the power of Alexander the Great.
– Rebecca Lee, Team Jupiter
Miniature or Fun-Sized?
While I was looking at the flowers that were displayed outside of the flower shop, I noticed this miniature column that reminded me of the Classical Greek Corinthian columns because of the way it was designed in the style of an Ionic order. The miniature column is like a small version of the actual Corinthian columns. The miniature column is an Ionic order, like the Corinthian columns, because it has a frieze, capital and base. They share no similarities in terms of their purpose or size. The miniature column is on the small side, whereas a full-length Corinthian column is very tall and wide. Also, the purpose of both columns are different because the miniature column’s intended use is for decoration. Instead of holding the roof of a building, the miniature column holds flower pots. However, the two columns do share similarities in terms of their physical appearance. The miniature column looks like a Corinthian column because of its capitals. Both the miniature column and Christian columns both have elaborately decorated capitals. They are both decorated with leaves, flowers and scrolls.
On a similar note, the decorated capital gives the impression of a flower because of the way the capital is decorated. This reminds me of Aphrodite because her symbol is a rose, which is a flower. In her story, her lover, Adonis, gets injured while he was hunting. Aphrodite quickly rushed to his aid, but she cut herself from the thorns from a bush of white roses. Her blood stained the white roses, turning them red. The red roses symbolize Aphrodite’s devotion to Adonis. The flower, or rose, represents Aphrodite. Also, in Vitruvius, the author describes a Corinthian column as an “…an imitation of the slenderness of a maiden; for the outlines and limbs of maidens, being more slender on account of their tender years, admit of prettier effects in the way of adornment.” This description of the Corinthian column can be used to describe Aphrodite as well because of her beauty.
– Rebecca, Team Jupiter
Suspended Until Death
The ultimate fight between life and death was occurring in the very eyes of the bystanders there, but all they could do was look away as the gruesome fight comes to its end.
“A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the Supreme Court challenges the execution of death sentence by hanging, which the petitioner describes as “barbaric, inhuman and cruel,” as well as violative of Article 21 of the Constitution.”
In this article, the prisoners that are sentenced to an hanging execution are being treated as the alien group because of the severity of the punishment. It causes extreme suffering for both the prisoner and witnesses. After the drop occurs, the prisoner is forced into a fight-or-flight reaction for just a gasp of air. He struggles to breathe as the rope tightens around his neck, and witnesses are forced to watch this gruesome scene to the extent they pass out. According to the article, all of the executions are terrible to the extent where at least one witness passes out every time. The author feels that this type of death is not necessary because of how horrific it is. Hanging on a noose does not only cause the prisoner to struggle for his life for almost 15 minutes, but it also forces the witnesses to see something that can’t be unseen. This article targets the general public. The way the article is written appeals to the public in a way that gathers remorse and sympathy. In the article, they included a very vivid description of the hanging, which puts readers in the horrific scene. The author is trying to emphasize the urgency of this matter. Execution by hanging is not a humane way for anyone to die. It’s very cruel and savage.
“His own rank was too humble for him to hope to obtain vengeance without some barbarian help.”
This is similar to a use of the word barbarian in our readings for this class because of how it is used. In class, the term ‘barbarian’ is used to describe someone that’s different from the others, a person who is alienated due to his traits. This relates to the term used in the article because it shows how people can be subjected to cruelty like that. In the story of Herodotus, there is a line that refers to the aid of the barbarians. The tone that is used in this line is not very nice. The way the terms ‘barbarian’ and ‘vengeance’ are used in the same sentence shows a bad image of the barbarians because they are portrayed as petty and villainous in a sense. In other words, barbaric, or barbarian, is a term often used to describe something bad and horrendous.
TNM Staff. “’Barbaric, Inhuman and Cruel’: PIL Challenges Hanging as a Mode of Executing Death Row Convicts.” The News Minute, 21 Sept. 2017, http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/barbaric-inhuman-and-cruel-pil-challenges-hanging-mode-executing-death-row-convicts-68768.
– Rebecca, Team Jupiter
Three Stooges Who?
“Here’s to Tiny Brauer, a dependable gangster, and Bud Jamison, a reliable detective, and Symona Boniface, a perfect society matron, and Connie Cezan, a go-to gold digger with silver-dollar eyes.”
The author believes an ideal society is promoted in the media often, but the public is never exposed to the reality of things, such as the comedy show featuring the Three Stooges. Their show showcased their dangerous actions with no consequences. For example, in the world of the Three Stooges, if one of the Three Stooges were hit on the head with a hammer, they would not bleed from the injury. However, other supporting characters are always impacted by the injuries, showing the audience the Three Stooges’ invincibility in a sense. Despite the comedic effect of the show, the author believes that a false sense of a perfect society is promoted because of the invincibility, but in reality, no one is invincible, not even the Three Stooges. The author’s idea of an ideal society is having supporting characters be as important as the main cast because he does not like how they fade. Even though without the supporting characters, the show would not be able to go on. The author believes the supporting characters play just an important role in the show as the main characters, such as the Three Stooges. I think I live in the same society as this person because that is the true nature of movies and films. Most of the attention is usually given to the main characters since they are in the center. People can’t help, but focus on them. I agree with the author because it would be more difficult for the main characters to act their story out if there were no supporting characters. Even though their roles may not be significant to the plot, I believe that their roles are crucial for the survival of the show. “…and I fell to wondering how this could have happened. But when I considered the institutions of the Spartans, I wondered no longer.” Xenophon would have agreed in the sense that it is difficult to shine when you are being overshadowed by a greater being. People tend to overlook the ones that are in the limelight, and focus mainly on the spotlight, which is something the author strongly emphasizes in the article. In other words, a perfect society is ideal, but unrealistic because of the way things have set in media.
Barry, Dan. “Even the Three Stooges needed second fiddles.” New York Times, 14 Apr. 2012, p. C1(L). New York State Newspapers, login.ez-proxy.brooklyn.cuny.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=SPN.SP01&sw=w&u=nysl_me_brookcol&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA286305637&it=r&asid=77e09f0c690b2e7e7add46fde7acc86f. Accessed 15 Sept. 2017
– Rebecca, Team Jupiter
Aphrodite v. Mermaid
Taken during a walk in the neighborhood (09.2017)
I found this image interesting because it was a lamppost with mermaid sculptures. Whenever I think of mermaids, the first thing that always comes to mind is how the Sirens would seduce sailors nearby by enchanting them with their beauty or songs. In a sense, it reminded me of Aphrodite because of the way the mermaids seduced the sailors. “As for all the rest, there is nothing that has escaped Aphrodite: none of the blessed gods nor any of mortal humans.” (Line 34-35, Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite) Similar to the mermaids, despite a few exceptions, many people have fallen to the temptation of Aphrodite. Her seduction was very influential to men to the extent she was very aware and confident in her own seduction. Aphrodite is known as the goddess of love, beauty and sensuality. After doing some research, I came upon a story about the original mermaid. Her name was Atargatis, a Syrian goddess. She was not always a mermaid, but because of her beauty, she was not able to fully transform into a fish, so her top half remained human, and her bottom half turned into a fish. This was the original story of mermaids, but as time passed, Atargatis’ story was merging with the mythology of Ashtarte, an ancient Semitic goddess of love and war. Ashtarte was considered to be the complement of Aphrodite because they were both goddess of love that were considered to be very beautiful. However, because of the changes in mermaid mythology, Aphrodite ended up having a large role in the story of Pisces. When she and her son were facing the monster Typhon, they were aided by two fish that helped them escape to safety. However, there are differences between mermaids and Aphrodite due to the origin of mythology and story of each. They may have similar seduction methods, but they’re two completely different things. One is half-fish, and the other is a goddess.
– Rebecca, Team Jupiter
Once Upon A Blog Post
Growing up, many people associate the Big Bad Wolf with the idea of a villain. This character has been portrayed often in the media as someone who is trying to harm others. The Big Bad Wolf has made an appearance in classic fairy tales, such as the Little Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs. However, in both stories, he plays a frightening character that causes trouble for others.
In today’s society, people are constantly surrounded by propaganda. The media uses propaganda to influence the way people look or think about things, which can also cause people to have many misconceptions of the reality of the world. For example, on Facebook, there is a section called “Trending Now..”, which shows users the latest headlines of news. However, this does not mean Facebook users are able to see all of the news because the trending topics are subjective. Facebook may be putting a bigger emphasize on specific news articles in order to hide the harmful ones. Misconceptions do not lead to a happy ending in society because it affects the way people see things. It doesn’t allow people to have a clear perspective on things.
In the play, Medea gives a gift to Jason’s wife as a form of apology after she had caused a scene. This led Jason to believe that things were okay between Medea and his wife. However, things were the complete opposite because although Medea had done a nice gesture, the present was covered in poison. This proves that everything is not always what it seems.
– Rebecca, Team Jupiter
The Past in Present Tense 