Purse Cover

This piece was found in a treasure-laden ship from a burial mound at Sutton Hoo in Suffolk, England. It is made up of gold, glass, and enamel cloisonne with garnets and emeralds. The right and left sides of the cover mirror each other. Towards the center two eagles are depicted attacking ducks. On either side of these birds lie depictions of men being attacked on either side by beasts. The attacking figures are snugly and artistically fitted together with their victims. Above the eagles is an interlacing pattern of two writhing animal figures. Geometric designs were placed above each human figure. The entire piece is beautiful with intricate and symmetric design, violent in its subject matter, and even serves a practical purpose.

Norwegian Wood Carving

This carving is a decoration of the portal of at the stave church located at Urnes in Norway. Staves are wedge-shaped timbers that are placed vertically. This portal is almost the only thing that has been preserved from the entire church. The interlacing patterns along the sides are meant to show monsters intertwining with plants. The tendrils are meant to look as if they are growing organically. Though by this time, most of Scandinavia had been Christianized, the Vikings did not abandon their artistic traditions. This intricacy is the final product of three centuries of Viking art and is astonishing in its inventive detail.

It is also possible that the tendrils are a representation of Yggdrasil, the enormous mythical tree in Norse mythology that was said to have connected the nine worlds. Nidhogg was a dragon that resided at the base of the tree, and could also be represented here by the monstrous forms moving through the branches.

 

Still Life With Peaches

Unlike previous artistic styles, the ancient Romans were concerned with depictions of inanimate objects as well as depictions of the living. The painting above is an example of the beautiful still life pieces that began appearing in Italy in the early A.D. years. This specific wall painting, which was created between the years of 62 to 79 A.D., was found in Herucaneum, Italy. Though the artist’s identity is unknown, art historians are still able to appreciate the method that they used. The artist used light and shadows to add incredibly realistic detail to the scene. The collection and placement of the objects, a branch of peaches and a carafe sitting on a shelf, draw attention to the simple, everyday beauty that the Romans experienced.

As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the Roman depictions of inanimate objects were unheard of in ancient art. Though these paintings were indeed beautiful, artists would not come to embrace this still life style until the Dutch artists did in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Though the Dutch canvases were painted with more detail and perfection, their methods of enhancing the light and shadows of the object was extracted from the ancient Roman method of still life murals.

Octavius was less than nineteen years old when he inherited Caesar’s fortune, and less than thirty two when he defeated Antony and Cleopatra at Actium. When he became master of the Mediterranean world, the rule of the elders that was so characteristic of early Rome came to an end. All of a sudden, there was a youthful emperor and Roman artists were called upon to create drastically different portraits of this drastically different leader. In addition, Augustus advertised himself as the son of a god (due to Caesar being made a god after his death), and this also changed how he was portrayed.

Many portraits of Augustus like the one above were created throughout his life, and they were meant to put the image of a godlike leader before the public eye. Official portraits of Augustus never aged, and he was also portrayed as a handsome youth even in the years before he died. The vast majority of the people of his empire had never and would never see the emperor in person, so this quasi-deception was completely accepted.

 

Head of a Roman Patrician

During the Roman Republic, patricians were proud of their lineage and keep imagines of their ancestors in their homes. Imagines are likenesses, but often in the medium of a bust rather than a portrait. These likenesses are usually very literal. They were one of several ways that the patrician class celebrated their elevated status. It distinguished them from the lower classes, especially slaves and former slaves, whose ancestors were said to be property rather than people.

Imagines are almost exclusively men of advanced age, the few women that there were would also have been older. This is because the elders held the power in the state. In addition, the patricians did not want idealized portraits, they wanted an accurate reflection of their individual face. This desire for an accurate record is directly related to the practice of keeping these sculptures in the family home as a record of ancestry. These imagines were “veristic,” a word that refers to their superrealistic qualities

The sculpture depicted above was found near Otricoli, Italy and is estimated to have been from between 75 and 50 B.C. It is made from marble and is approximately a 1′ 2″ high. The truthful nature of these family portraits is accurately reflected in the face of the patrician above; every wrinkle is painstakingly recorded. In addition, it is interesting to note that this accuracy also reveals something about his character: the man looks serious, experienced and determined, all characteristics that were admired during this particular period of Roman history.

Dying Warrior

(fig. 1)

(fig. 2)

 

The two statues shown in the above images, are figures that were set in the pediment of the Temple of Aphaia, in Greece. A pediment is the triangular upper part of the front of the temple, typically surmounting a portico of columns. The first warrior (fig. 1), lay facing the west and is approximately 5′ 2.5″ long. The second warrior (fig. 2), lay facing the east. His length is approximately 6′ 1″. Both of these sculptures were completed around 490 B.C.  Though they were both damaged, they have since been restored to their former glory.

Though this pair of statues was mounted to the same temple and both portray deaths of soldiers, there are many differences between the two. The first warrior is shown reclining on his side, looking up at his spectators with a placid smile. One would almost be unable to tell that he is dying, if not for the bronze arrow in his side. In fact, apart from this arrow, the figure shows no sign of suffering, or any human emotion at all. This rigid sculpture reflects Archaic tones, unlike the second dying warrior who lay facing the east. Contrarily, his figure belongs to the Classical word of art. This is evident from the emotion that is visible. He seems very human in the way that he looks as though he is attempting to push himself up off the ground with his shield. His face, stressed, is focused on the ground and he is entirely concentrated on his own anguish, not the eyes of his spectators.

These two warriors provide a perfect comparison between the Archaic style and the Classical style. Just by looking at the dates in which they were sculpted, we are able to define exactly when the Classical revolution occurred.

Aegean Funeral Mask

The art pictured above is a funeral mask, crafted during the Prehistoric Aegean age around 1600 to 1500 B.C. This mask, which is made of beaten gold, was found by archeologist Heinrich Schliemann in a Mycenaean Grave Cirlce in Greece. One can gather, from the glamor of the piece as well as it’s location, that it was a part of a royal burial. Many have speculated as which kind was laid to rest wearing this mask, even Schliemann claiming that it belonged to King Agamemnon himself, though it’s owner is still anonymous. Even so, historians can admire this mysterious piece of art. Though the mask is often compared to the burial mask of Tuttenkhamen, the differences are clear. Mycenaean art was slightly more primitive and unrealistic, though still rich and beautiful.

It is approximately 1 foot high and, apart from minor chips and dents, retains its orginal glory. The golden face is not a perfect depiction of the human face, but it is clear that the artist wished to create a sense of reverence towards. In fact, the almost inhuman symmetry implies that the subject of the piece was regarded with much respect. Though this shining mask has never revealed its name, the piece is still valuable for understanding Aegean art as well as the burials of Mycenaean kings of old.

Temple of Hera I

This Temple for Hera was built around 550 BC. It is located at Paestum, which is south of Naples in Italy. It is generally referred to as Temple of Hera I to distinguish it from another temple that was dedicated to Hera and built later (that one is referred to as Temple of Hera II). This is one of the earliest temples built in the Doric style. The Doric style is a style of Classical architecture characterized by simplicity and austerity.

The ground plan of this temple is different from that of most Greek temples. This is mostly due to a central row of columns that divides the center of the building into two parts. Columns were placed under a single, long timber running the length of the building under the roof. While this was an obvious way to support the large temple, using this particular method resulted in the loss of several key temple features. With a row of columns down the center of the temple, there was no place to put a central statue of the deity being honored. In addition, to preserve the beauty and symmetry of the columns, it was necessary to place three columns at the entrance. This meant that there would be no framed doorway for viewing the statue that would not have a place to go. This central row of columns is found only in early Archaic temples.

In addition, the closely placed, bulky, and compressed columns are also characteristic of the Archaic period. The builders seem to have been worried that if the columns were narrower or more spread out the temple would collapse. In building later temples, it would be discovered that this was not the case; but nevertheless this temple is an example of how the Greek architects sought the ideal proportional relationship among all parts of a building.

Landscape with Swallows (Spring Fresco)

On the walls of a ruined house on the island of Akrotiri survives a pleasant mural painting. Since 1650 B.C. it has preserved the ancient Cycladic view of nature. Nature is beautiful and vibrant, vast and intriguing. Wind travels through the lilies, swallows move through the wind. The rocky terrain is not rough but fluid in form. The coloration is extravagant. Realism is put to rest so that dreamlike styles might take its place. Nature meant so much to the artist that their reproduction of nature prioritized and exaggerated its meaning. Surrounded by nature, the artist’s joyous admiration overflowed onto the walls of a humble house.

It is the first known example of a pure landscape painting. The image contains no humans or any narrative element; it’s purpose is to convey a feeling about nature. Unlike the murals on cave walls in Paleolithic Europe, which depicted isolated figures of animals and occasionally humans, the Spring Fresco contains a complete setting, and lacks a focus on conspicuous characters. The cave murals had no backgrounds, this mural has nothing in front of the thriving landscape.

Marine Style Octopus Jar

This ceramic jar painted with the image of an octopus was created around 1500 BC in Palaikastro, Crete. It is an example of the Marine Style, which was an expression of the Cretan love for nature. Being surrounded by water, the Cretans had many opportunities to observe marine life in its natural habitat. Perhaps this is why they chose it as the subject of much of their art. During the Middle Minoan period, potters began creating more sophisticated forms of ceramic pottery, and painting their works with vivid images. Many of these jars contained depictions of marine life.

This jar in particular represents a break from tradition. Although this jar was painted with the same flowing strokes, includes the same detailed realism, and depicts the same subject of marine life as earlier works, the colours are markedly different. Up until this period, the jars had always been painted light on dark. This octopus jar from the Middle Minoan period features dark painting on a light background. During the Late Minoan period, this would remain the style, but eventually artists would revert back to the original tradition of painting light on a dark background.

In addition, the way the tentacles reach out and around the jar reflects a connection between the subject and the pottery that was not always present in this artistic style. The artist has managed to make the rounded canvas of the jar work to the advantage of the subject; drawing attention to the large eyes and head of the octopus. This can be contrasted to earlier jars that depicted a scene rather than a single subject.