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- Before the portrayal of the human body can be critiqued, you must understand the artist's culture. As
- man evolved over centuries, his views of the body also transformed. Our tour definitely showed the
- drastic changes in different cultures' art. Each culture and era presents very distinct characteristics.
- Through time and experimentation, we have expressed our views of the human body clearly with our
- art.
- Egyptians were the first people to make a large impact on the world of art. Egyptians needed art for
- their religious beliefs more than decoration or self-gratification. The most important aspect of Egyptian
- life is the ka, the part of the human spirit that lives on after death. The ka needed a physical place to
- occupy or it would disappear. Most of the important men of Egypt paid to have their body carved out of
- stone. That was were the spirit would live after the man dies. They used stone because it was the
- strongest material they could find. Longevity was very important. The bodies are always idealized and
- clothed. Figures are very rigid, close-fisted, and are built on a vertical axis to show that the person is
- grand or intimidating. Most of the figures were seen in the same: profile of the legs, frontal view of the
- torso, and profile of the head. Like most civilizations, Egyptians put a lot of faith in gods. The sky god
- Horus, a bird, is found in a great amount of Egyptian art. Little recognition was ever given to the artists.
- The emphasis was on the patron.
- Early Greek art was greatly influenced by the Egyptians. Geography permitted both cultures to exchange
- their talents. The beginning of Greek art is marked by the Geometric phase. The most common art
- during the Geometric phase was vase painting. After the vase was formed but before it was painted, the
- artist applied a slip (dark pigment) to outside. Then the vase was fired and the artist would incise his
- decorations into the hard shell. It was important to incise humans into the fired slip and not paint with
- slip. The people in the pictures needed light colored skin, which was the color beneath the slip, because
- Greeks wanted to make their art as realistic as possible. Much like Egyptian art, the Greeks idealized
- the bodies of the people in their works.
- As the Archaic Period evolved, Greek sculptures were almost identical to the Egyptians'. Unlike
- Egyptians, the Greeks refined their techniques. Greeks used marble to construct their sculptures. It was
- considered more valuable and beautiful than any material available. They softened the lines of the
- body. Greek sculptors slowly perfected every contour in the human figure. Greek people viewed the
- human body as something beautiful and so they depicted nude men. Women were eventually nude but
- only when there was a reason, they needed to be bathing or something where they would be naked.
- They people that are sculpted are always young and their bodies are still idealized. The Greeks invented
- contrapposto, the relaxed natural stance of a sculpture. A figure that is standing in contrapposto
- becomes a sculpture in the round, meaning that the emphasis is not only on a frontal view but also
- from all angles.
- The Hellenistic Period emerged as the Romans began to produce some of the finest art in history. This
- new revolutionary style was incredible. Figures weren't confined to the unnatural or boring positions they
- had for centuries. All body parts were in perfect proportion. These statues came alive as their limbs
- reached out into space. Vacant stares evolved into human emotions, which were easily recognized on
- their faces. I think this renaissance portrayed the way people were thinking. They were exploring
- philosophy, religion, and politics. This was a time for rebirth.
- Christian art was introduced during the middle of the second century. In many cases the only difference
- between Christian art and Hellenistic art is the religious subject matter. After a slow start the Christians
- introduced something new, the mosaic. Mosaics became a favorite medium for decorating churches. Man
- was viewed in religious scenes due to the spread of Christianity.
- Byzantine and medieval art was very representative. The artists' ability to produce lifelike figures had
- regressed. The emphasis was not on man anymore. Their art was made to glorify God.
- The fifteenth century marked the arrival of the Renaissance. Artists have finally recaptured the amazing
- detail and realism that the Greeks and Romans perfected. Artists pushed the limits with new exciting
- mediums and bright colors. Filippo Brunelleschi, allowed artists to determine the relative size of each
- figure by inventing the vanishing point perspective. With that tool it was possible to put everything in
- perfect proportion. Humans were not always idealized as they were in earlier centuries. Many elderly
- people are found in the paintings.
- Neoclassical paintings commonly showed contemporary garments and scenes. History painting became
- very popular. A larger transition was made when color was used to set a mood or express inner feelings.
- Nothing like this had ever been considered. Man viewed his experiences as important stepping stones.
- To assure that experiences aren't forgotten they were preserved in artworks.
- Humans are often used in modern art. Although the people may appear very large or important, they
- are usually just vehicles used to convey a message to the audience. In Segal's Red Light, we saw a man
- walking alone in front of n old truck. The man was not colored at all. He seemed to be sauntering across
- a street at night. A feeling of depression or sadness surrounds the man. The human is not important
- but the emotion is. Most of the modern art uses the human body to portray a feeling or emotion. Rarely
- will you find any new art that displays a humans because they extraordinary.
- Romantic landscaping is incredible. The idea of most of these pieces is to show how insignificant man is.
- Before humans were always the center of attention but now here they are almost trivial. Artists like
- Thomas Cole show us what is pure and simple. The paintings use a lot of color to create very natural,
- unaffected scenes. It seems that we come upon these landscapes almost by accident. They depict ideal
- settings that are unscathed by the injustices of the world. In my opinion, the beauty of these works is
- unsurpassed by any other art.
- Through the ages each culture had its own interpretation of what the human body means. I have briefly
- explained a few of the broadest views of the human body. In order to explain one in great detail would
- take volumes. I thoroughly enjoyed Mona's tour of the museum and I hope to see her there again.
- <br><br><b>Bibliography</b><br><br>
- Before the portrayal of the human body can be critiqued, you must understand the artist's culture. As
- man evolved over centuries, his views of the body also transformed. Our tour definitely showed the
- drastic changes in different cultures' art. Each culture and era presents very distinct characteristics.
- Through time and experimentation, we have expressed our views of the human body clearly with our
- art.
- Egyptians were the first people to make a large impact on the world of art. Egyptians needed art for
- their religious beliefs more than decoration or self-gratification. The most important aspect of Egyptian
- life is the ka, the part of the human spirit that lives on after death. The ka needed a physical place to
- occupy or it would disappear. Most of the important men of Egypt paid to have their body carved out of
- stone. That was were the spirit would live after the man dies. They used stone because it was the
- strongest material they could find. Longevity was very important. The bodies are always idealized and
- clothed. Figures are very rigid, close-fisted, and are built on a vertical axis to show that the person is
- grand or intimidating. Most of the figures were seen in the same: profile of the legs, frontal view of the
- torso, and profile of the head. Like most civilizations, Egyptians put a lot of faith in gods. The sky god
- Horus, a bird, is found in a great amount of Egyptian art. Little recognition was ever given to the artists.
- The emphasis was on the patron.
- Early Greek art was greatly influenced by the Egyptians. Geography permitted both cultures to exchange
- their talents. The beginning of Greek art is marked by the Geometric phase. The most common art
- during the Geometric phase was vase painting. After the vase was formed but before it was painted, the
- artist applied a slip (dark pigment) to outside. Then the vase was fired and the artist would incise his
- decorations into the hard shell. It was important to incise humans into the fired slip and not paint with
- slip. The people in the pictures needed light colored skin, which was the color beneath the slip, because
- Greeks wanted to make their art as realistic as possible. Much like Egyptian art, the Greeks idealized
- the bodies of the people in their works.
- As the Archaic Period evolved, Greek sculptures were almost identical to the Egyptians'. Unlike
- Egyptians, the Greeks refined their techniques. Greeks used marble to construct their sculptures. It was
- considered more valuable and beautiful than any material available. They softened the lines of the
- body. Greek sculptors slowly perfected every contour in the human figure. Greek people viewed the
- human body as something beautiful and so they depicted nude men. Women were eventually nude but
- only when there was a reason, they needed to be bathing or something where they would be naked.
- They people that are sculpted are always young and their bodies are still idealized. The Greeks invented
- contrapposto, the relaxed natural stance of a sculpture. A figure that is standing in contrapposto
- becomes a sculpture in the round, meaning that the emphasis is not only on a frontal view but also
- from all angles.
- The Hellenistic Period emerged as the Romans began to produce some of the finest art in history. This
- new revolutionary style was incredible. Figures weren't confined to the unnatural or boring positions they
- had for centuries. All body parts were in perfect proportion. These statues came alive as their limbs
- reached out into space. Vacant stares evolved into human emotions, which were easily recognized on
- their faces. I think this renaissance portrayed the way people were thinking. They were exploring
- philosophy, religion, and politics. This was a time for rebirth.
- Christian art was introduced during the middle of the second century. In many cases the only difference
- between Christian art and Hellenistic art is the religious subject matter. After a slow start the Christians
- introduced something new, the mosaic. Mosaics became a favorite medium for decorating churches. Man
- was viewed in religious scenes due to the spread of Christianity.
- Byzantine and medieval art was very representative. The artists' ability to produce lifelike figures had
- regressed. The emphasis was not on man anymore. Their art was made to glorify God.
- The fifteenth century marked the arrival of the Renaissance. Artists have finally recaptured the amazing
- detail and realism that the Greeks and Romans perfected. Artists pushed the limits with new exciting
- mediums and bright colors. Filippo Brunelleschi, allowed artists to determine the relative size of each
- figure by inventing the vanishing point perspective. With that tool it was possible to put everything in
- perfect proportion. Humans were not always idealized as they were in earlier centuries. Many elderly
- people are found in the paintings.
- Neoclassical paintings commonly showed contemporary garments and scenes. History painting became
- very popular. A larger transition was made when color was used to set a mood or express inner feelings.
- Nothing like this had ever been considered. Man viewed his experiences as important stepping stones.
- To assure that experiences aren't forgotten they were preserved in artworks.
- Humans are often used in modern art. Although the people may appear very large or important, they
- are usually just vehicles used to convey a message to the audience. In Segal's Red Light, we saw a man
- walking alone in front of n old truck. The man was not colored at all. He seemed to be sauntering across
- a street at night. A feeling of depression or sadness surrounds the man. The human is not important
- but the emotion is. Most of the modern art uses the human body to portray a feeling or emotion. Rarely
- will you find any new art that displays a humans because they extraordinary.
- Romantic landscaping is incredible. The idea of most of these pieces is to show how insignificant man is.
- Before humans were always the center of attention but now here they are almost trivial. Artists like
- Thomas Cole show us what is pure and simple. The paintings use a lot of color to create very natural,
- unaffected scenes. It seems that we come upon these landscapes almost by accident. They depict ideal
- settings that are unscathed by the injustices of the world. In my opinion, the beauty of these works is
- unsurpassed by any other art.
- Through the ages each culture had its own interpretation of what the human body means. I have briefly
- explained a few of the broadest views of the human body. In order to explain one in great detail would
- take volumes. I thoroughly enjoyed Mona's tour of the museum and I hope to see her there again.
- <br><br>
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