ArtH 111 Midterm Study Guide

1. Menkaure & Khamerernebty • Context-religious This is a Ka sculpture. In Egyptian culture, there is the notion that an energy/spirit/soul, the Ka, survived after the actual body expired. Even though there was no longer a body, the Ka would continue to need shelter and sustenance; the Ka would inhabit the mummy to receive offering from family, worshippers, etc. Because mummies were frequently stolen or destroyed, Ka sculptures were made in case the Ka spirit needed a new shelter. The family could ten continue to bring offerings to the Ka.

• Style-period This piece is of the Egyptian Old Kingdom style. It is a freestanding piece, but connected by back to the Greywacke block; this is very characteristic of the period style. As for the form, it is also characteristic in the manner that bilateral symmetry prevails, there are harmonious proportions, and how the lines work to keep the human figure compact. It is also characteristic of the Egyptian Old Kingdom style in the manner of how the portrait establishes a standard representation of Kingship and Queenship. They carry themselves as royalty, are wearing distinctive high status clothing (Headdresses, false beard), and the female’s “womanhood” is very apparent (swollen belly, full breasts, pubic triangle).

2. The Apoxyomenos (“The Scraper”) • Materials The Greek original of this piece was a bronze. Unfortunately, like many other pieces of the time, it was melted down. What we are seeing is the Roman marble copy.

• Style-period and personal (Lysippus) The Apoxyomenos follows the Late Classical Style. Lysippus employed a new set of proportions and a heightened sense of realism. His point was to engage others in the piece and make use of real space.

3. The Augustus from Primaporta • Style-period The portrait of Augustus from Primaporta follows the High Classical Style of Greek Art. A great way to recognize this is to see that Augustus chose to represent his eternal youth, rather than show his real age (this was created posthumously); this is very characteristic of the Greek Classical Style.

• Subject Matter In this portrait, Augustus wanted to show all of his accomplishments and really prove his high status. Augustus was one of the first males to earn the title of emperor and also earned the title “son of a god” because he inherited all of Julius Caesar’s belongings (as being his adopted son). There are subtle references to this, and also to his relation to Venus. Also, in the portrait, he is portrayed with the role of commander and using the distinctive gesture as if he was pointing and giving a speech; again, indicators of high status.

4. The Imperial Army • Provenance-Archaeological Findspot In 1974, excavations started at the burial mound of the First Emperor of Qin at Lintong. Pits around the tomb contained more than 8000 life-size painted terracotta figures of soldiers and horses, as well as bronze horses and chariots. Pits were organized in parallel trenches to the east of the funerary mound.

• Carving and Casting Techniques To create these figures, a combination of techniques was used. A slab of concrete was used for the bottom, then there were hand-built feet and legs, then coils of clay were used for the torso, then attached were molded arms and molder hands, then, the front of the head was from a mold and the back of the head was either from a mold or hand-made. Lastly, the ears were from molds. There were 10 different molds for the front of the face, but no two faces are identical.

5. The Bust of Nefertiti • Materials The Bust of Nefertiti contains a limestone core, covered by layers of plaster, and then painted.

• Provenance-Archaeological Findspot This piece was excavated by a team of German archaeologists. It was found in room number 19 in the house of Tut Mosey (the sculptor). A rarity, the place of creation was the archaeological findspot.

6. Roman Portraiture • Context-religious and social The religious context is all about the funerary aspect. It was very important to record the face and features of the recently deceased. The social context was to show familial relations. It was very important to make portraits of ancestors to display in the home for others to see who you were related to.

• Style-periods There was a lot of fluidity between verism and idealism. Comparing to the Republic period Patricians, the artwork was more realistic, stoic/serious, there was a tremendous reliance on line to show age, the use of shading was to show sunken cheeks, and there was great representation of texture.

7. Olmec Heads • Materials The Olmec Heads were carved from basalt. Basalt is a volcanic stone. All of it came from the same quarry, which was located 60+ miles away from where the portraits were found. This is significant because it is a very heavy stone and the heads were massive.

• Subject Matter The subject is Olmec people. As you may notice, there are all wearing headdresses. These headdresses can be read with great degree of specificity; the headdress was the most important piece an Olmec could wear. It functioned like a nametag, either personal name or family/lineage name.

8. The Uruk Vase • Provenance-Current Ownership The Uruk (Warka) Vase is currently owned by the Iraq Museum in Baghdad. In 2003, amidst war, it was stolen from the museum, but returned within a couple of months.

• Subject Matter The Warka/Uruk Vase is the first great work of narrative relief sculpture known. It depicts a religious festival in honor of the goddess Inanna.

9. The Palette of Narmer • Context-religious On the back of the palette, there is a motif that is the standard pictorial formula signifying the inevitable triumph of the Egyptian god-kings over their enemies. It also shows that at the very beginning of Egyptian history, the state policy established the pharaoh as the divine ruler.

• Subject Matter This palette has an overall narrative of conquest and victory. It shows icon-based subject matter (little icons add a lot of meaning). The most important icon is of Narmer sporting insignias of kingship.

10. The Hegeso Stele • Style-period This stele follows the High Classical Period style. It matches other pieces of the time in the great preoccupation with women’s clothing (their folds, draping, etc.) and in the relationship between garments and revealing the form of the woman’s body (the damp clothing look).

• Carving Technique This stele employs the use of both high relief and low relief carving.

11. The Raimondi Stele • Style-period This stele follows the Chavin Style. This style was recognized for incision technique and embedding subject matter within subject matter. It has a great ability to manipulate line and challenge human perception.

• Carving Technique The carving technique employed was incision; low relief is an understatement for this piece.

12. The Krater • Provenance-current ownership The Metropolitan Art Museum in New York purchased The Krater from an antiquities dealer in 1972. Rumors found that The Krater was looted from a tomb in Italy, so they had to send the artwork to Italy. In spring 2009, The Krater finally went on display in a Rome museum.

• Style-personal Euphronios followed 4 aspects of personal style. 1. He was very interested in cramming multiple figures in the picture plane. 2. He was consistently interested in great anatomical detail through the use of line work. 3. He was very interested in the body in motion. 4. He was interested in spatial illusionism (foreground, background, etc.) and using extreme/complex examples of overlap.

• Painting Technique The Krater used a special technique entitled “Red Figure Technique.” Clay was both the material of The Krater and the paint which covered it.

13. Samarkand Ware • Materials Samarkand Ware was made of coarse earthenware with a white slip applied over. The calligraphy was executed with a black slip. The pieces were then sealed with a transparent glaze.

• Subject Matter Surprisingly, the subject matter is primarily a non-religious context. The subject matter offers a little bit of wisdom and then a wish for the reader. Since it has nothing to do with the Koran or Allah, the Samarkand Ware is very distinct from other styles of Islamic ceramics.

14. The Uch’ab • Subject Matter The scene is taking place inside a palace; it depicts three men, two at work and one observing. The only thing that tells us the observer has more status is that he is merely sitting there scratching his arm. The man sitting on the floor has the lowest status. Overall, this still shows men of high status, as they are able to do leisure activities and wear noble garments.

• Style-period These cacao vessels are of the Maya Late Classic Period. They follow the period style because the emphasis of the work is out the outside, rather than the inside, as it is designed to hold actual food and drink.

15. Hunefer’s Book of the Dead • Subject Matter The scene depicted is that of Hu-Nefer’s heart being justified by the scales. Having been justified by the scales, he is brought by Horus into the presence of other gods to receive the award of eternal life. • Style-period This work follows the New Kingdom period style. The figures have all the formality of stance, shape, and attitude of traditional Egyptian art. Abstract figures and hieroglyphs alike are aligned rigidly. The return to conservatism is unmistakable.

16. The Eadwine Psalter • Subject Matter The Eadwine Psalter is part of a codex that contains the psalms. In this work, Eadwine is commemorated. There is a theme of fame by work; eternal fame; the theme of scribal and artistic genius; the idea that the book is an offering to God. Most important of the subject matter is to notice that he is hoping to show a comparison/relation between himself and famous Christian authors, the 4 evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

• Style-period This follows the Romanesque period style. Line is one of the most important elements of form. The Romanesque period had a fancy for exuberant line work; notice the light swirls in the robe. Also, most characters are concentrated in the foreground; the use of overlap was to create meaningful depths.

17. Early Qur’ans • Context-religious Korans contain a number of revelations Muhammad heard; since he originally recited them, there is a recurrent idea that Korans must be sited… Koran means “recitations.”

• Style-period and regional Page layout of Korans is remarkably consistent, usually containing 5-11 lines per page. All are in Arabic. All share the Kufic style of calligraphy.

18. Paracas Mantles • Context-Social The mantles were garments that Paracas men wore socially; they were used to show high status. It belonged to a set of four garments. Women never wore these.

• Context-Funerary Mantles were also used for Paracas funerary rituals. Upon death, after the body was properly cleaned, the body would be put in the fetal position and wrapped in many layers, the second-last of which being a mantle. The mortuary bundle was done for both men and women.

• Weaving Technique The artists used a balanced plain weave, consisting of warps and wefts. The borders of the mantle were created separately (using the same technique) and then weaved on. Once an artist used the balanced plain weave technique, another group of artists would embroider the figures.

19. The Bayeux Tapestry • Patron Odo commissioned the tapestry. He was a Norman who participated in the battle that is being depicted here. He was related to William and was a Bishop in Bayeux. He then gifted the Bayeux Tapestry to the Cathedral in France.

• Style-period The Bayeux Tapestry follows the Romanesque period style. A preoccupation in the Medieval Romanesque period was to imitate ancient Roman artwork. They were also interested in extensive continuous narratives.

• Weaving Technique If you want to be accurate, this work is not really a tapestry; we can see that in the weaving technique. The Bayeux Tapestry employs the use of the balanced plain weave.

The Vienna Genesis Early Christian Period Style

Illustrated books were popular in the ancient world. The oldest well-preserved painted manuscript containing biblical scenes is the early sixth-century Vienna Genesis, so called because of its present location. The pages of the book are fine calfskin dyed with rich purple. The scribe used silver ink for the Greek text. Folio 7 of the Vienna Genesis illustrates the story of Rebecca and Eliezer. When Isaac, Abraham’s son was 40 years old, his parents sent their servant Eliezer to find a wife for him. Eliezer chose Rebecca, because when he stopped at a well, she was the first woman to draw water for him and his camels. The manuscript painted presented two episodes of the story within a single frame. In the first episode, at the left, Rebecca leaves the city of Nahor to fetch water from the well. In the second episode, she offers water to Eliezer and his camels, while one of them already laps water from the well. The artist painted Nahor as a walled city seen from above, like the cityscapes in the Santa Maria Maggiore mosaics and innumerable earlier Roman representations of cities in painting and relief sculpture. Rebecca walks to the well along the columnaded avenue of a Roman city. A semi-nude female personification of a spring is the source of the well water. These are further reminders of the persistence of classical motifs and stylistic modes in Early Christian art. Contemporaneous with but radically different from, the mosaic panels of Sant’ Apollinare Nueovo, the Vienna Genesis incorporates many anecdotal details, such as the drinking camel and Rebecca bracing herself with her left foot on the rim of the well as she tips up her jug for Eliezer. Nonetheless, the figures are seen against a blank landscape except for the miniature city and the road to the well. As at Ravenna, everything necessary for the bare narrative is present and nothing else.