Art and designThe human form Portraits and Adornment

Why do we create objects in human form?

We want to give a form to a god or spiritual being

We want to represent ourselves

We strive to create a perfect human

We wish to celebrate and remember a person

We want to experiment with our bodies

We try to understand and record unfamiliar or new peoples

We want to communicate the power of an individual

We are interested in ourselves

We want to commemorate an ancestor

We want to portray emotions and feelingsWe want to entertain

We want to give our children something to play with

We want to define our own identity

We want to depict the people we admire – heroes, heroines, idols

Art and design: the human formPortraits

Portraits on objectsWhat is a portrait? What objects might a portrait be displayed on?

Portraits can be made for many purposes. What purposes can you think of?

to display and celebrate someone living

to spread the image of a leader to create a sense of group identity

to legitimise power and authority

to honour someone

Portraits may be for private or for public display. How might this affect the image?

to remember what someone looked like

Portraits for the afterlife

• Both these masks are from Egypt and were placed over the face of the mummy of a dead person.

• What is similar and what is different about these portraits?

• Think about where they would be displayed. How do you think this influences the portrait?

• This mask of Satdjehuty dates from about 1500 BC.

• Satdjehuty was the wife of king Ahmose I. She was therefore very important and received a lavish burial for her journey to the afterlife.

• Her mask is decorated with lapis lazuli and gold leaf, both very valuable materials. The crest may suggest protection by a deity.

•The almond-shaped eyes seem to dominate the mask.

Portraits for the afterlife

We don’t know the name of this woman who died around AD 120 – over 1500 years after Satdjehuty – when Egypt was ruled by the Romans.

Cultural influence from Greece and Rome led to this style of depicting people.

Artists used this new style while continuing the traditional Egyptian practice of placing a portrait panel over the face at burial.

Examine how the flesh has been created with dark and light areas on the face. Where is the source of light? Which part of her face is your eye drawn to most? Why is this?

Portraits for the afterlife

Portraits and powerWhat is the name of this view of the human face? Where else do you commonly see this view?

• Where do you think this object comes from?• What kind of object do you think it is?• How has the face been given prominence?• What might the colours indicate?

Portraits and power

Mao Zedong (1893-1976), was leader of the Chinese Communist Party.

This is a badge from the 1960s when they were worn by almost all Chinese people to show allegiance to the Party.

The face of Mao, in profile like on a coin, stands out in silver against the red background, with barely visible golden rays coming from his face.

'Respectfully wishing Chairman Mao a long life without obstruction'

'Long live Chairman Mao'

Portraits and power

Art and design: the human formAdornment

The human form can be altered by the addition of different forms of adornment – think of as many ways of adorning the body as possible.

jewellery

Why do we do this?

piercing wigs

body paint make-up

clothingtattooing

scarification

headgear and hats

footwear

masks

What kind of adornment can you see on this figure?

What effect does this have?

Describe the form and style of the object.

Where do you think this object is from and why?

This figure is nearly 1 metre tall - what might it have been used for?

Did you find:

• hair in a topknot?• the facial markings?• necklace?

Tattooing occurs all over the world and has a wide variety of meanings and symbols. Moko (facial tattoos in Maori) uses various techniques, such as chisels to make grooves or points to puncture the skin.

For Maori, moko:• adds a protective layer to the body • shows family and ancestry• denotes status and role in society

The designs are considered taonga (treasures) and belong to certain families and their ancestors. This figure of an ancestor was a central housepost in a Maori meeting house.

What kind of adornment can you see on these figures?

What are the figures made from? What are the challenges of working with this material?

What are the figures doing?

How does the drapery help to show us?

Discuss whether these bodies look realistic.

Compare these figures with the figure on the right from a Greek monument in Turkey – how is the drapery different? What effect does this have? How is movement suggested?

These famous sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens are considered very fine examples of naturalistic drapery carved in marble. Examine how the sculptor shows the anatomy of the body through the fabric.

The human form: art and designAdditional images

Painting on paper of a lady standing by a flowering treeIndiaLate 18th century

The Chinese warrior Yan QingColour woodblock printby Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861)JapanAbout1827-1830Loaned by Professor Arthur R. Miller

Ceramic tile showing a female figure holding a bottle IranAbout1700

Self-portraitWilliam Alexander (1767-1816) Watercolour and grey wash over graphiteEnglandAbout 1792-4

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