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Introduction • Works of art inspired by beliefs express things that cannot
be seen
• Spirituality
– Our sense of being connected to others, our awareness of mind and body, and the desire to understand the meaning of life and the world
• Four broad categories of spiritual art discussed in this chapter:
– Artworks that incorporate specific gods or deities
– Works that refer to the spirits of the natural or ancestral world
– Works that reflect communication with the spiritual world
– Places that have sacred character
Deities
• Stories of religious figures or deities – Explain their importance
– Make them more accessible and memorable
• Many different religions depict divine figures chronicled in: – Greek mythology
– Jewish Torah
– Oral Tradition
– Christian Bible
– Buddhist scripture
– Hindu Narratives
WORSHIP SPACES
• What affects the nature of the space?
• Why would it change over the years?
• What elements might be consistent through different faiths?
• What elements would be different?
• Who determines the shape?
4.30 Altar 4, La Venta, c. 800 BCE. Basalt, 59¼” high. Parque Museo La Venta, Villahermosa,Tabasco, Mexico
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
PART 4
THEMES
Chapter 4.2 Spirituality and Art
Altar 4, La Venta
• Olmec leaders sat on “altars,” or thrones, during public ceremonies
– Belief that leaders could travel from one world to another
• Altar 4: a ruler on the threshold of a cave
– Emergence of the man represents the birth of mankind
– He holds a rope that wraps the cave and secures prisoners
• They will be sacrificed to appease the gods
– Caves:
• Important in Olmec creation mythology, symbolic of the womb
• Access point to another world
• Seen as a living entity with eyes, a nose, and teeth
4.31 Rhinoceros, bird-headed man, and disemboweled bison, c. 15000–13000 BCE. Paint on limestone. Lascaux Caves, Dordogne,
France
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
PART 4
THEMES
Chapter 4.2 Spirituality and Art
Rhinoceros, bird-headed man, and
disemboweled bison, Lascaux Caves
• Paleolithic
• Bird-headed man
– Rare example of a human figure in prehistoric art
– Likely a shaman
• Shamans served as intermediaries between the spiritual world and the world of humans
• They used magic to heal or control events
– The man may be shown here in a shamanic trance, in the process of transforming into a bird or deity
• This painting probably served a ritual function
Sacred Places
• Sacred places restore a person’s soul
– Can be individual or communal
– Allow us to feel connected and at peace
• Some artists and architects mark sacred places
– Places of personal retreat
– Communal worship
– Connected to nature, religion, or community
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
PART 4
THEMES
Chapter 4.2 Spirituality and Art
What Makes a Place Sacred?
Hall of the Bulls, Lascaux Caves
• Section of the cave near the entrance
– Heavily painted with depictions of various animals
– Hall of the Bulls • Many detailed, realistic images
• Overlapping pictures indicate that the cave was repeatedly visited by multiple generations of prehistoric people
• Repeated use of the same space suggests that the caves were important and even sacred to those living in the area
• The images likely served several functions
– Told a story
– Taught hunting techniques
– Represented shamanistic practices (see 4.31)
Ancient Near East: Ziggurat
• ZIGGURAT=Sacred Mountain
• Mountains were seen as the place where bridge heaven and earth.
• Rulers often received requests and instructions from gods on where and how to construct ziggurats.
• Was a place for the union between mortals and gods.
• This was the center of the religious, political and social in the city
• Corners of temple oriented on cardinal compass points
ANCIENT GREECE
• MAN IS THE MEASURE OF ALL THINGS: Gods had human foibles
• GODS (Pantheon) • nature worship evolved into personification • Gods assumed human forms • had same aspects as humans • Temples: shrines to protect the statue of the god • Ceremonies outside • Sculpture as defining the function • Building conceived as a sculpture., ‘possessing power of
sculpture to evoke human response’ • Note placement. All cities had acropolis above the city
•Altar of Athena (far left)
•Erectheum (left back)
•Parthenon (Temple of Athena Parthenos)
•Armory (right middle)
•Sanctuary of Artemis
•Propylaia
•Temple of Athena Nike
Roman Temples:
• Worship involved animal sacrifice
• Temples in midst of life: on roads, in towns, etc.
• They were painted with bright frescoes
PANTHEON: ROME
• Means: ‘All the Gods’
• space used for political function: Hadrian made decrees from
• Built as Roman Temple, converted to Catholic church
Major Holy Days
• Yom Kippur: Day of Atonement
• Rosh Hashanah : new year
• Hannukah: Festival of Rededication
• Pesach (Feast of Passover)
• Barmitzvah
• 12 Tribes
• Torah: : the inspired word of God as told to Moses (means teaching) aka Pentateuch
• G-d exists • G-d is one and unique • G-d is incorporeal • G-d is eternal • Prayer is to be directed to G-d alone and to no other • The words of the prophets are true • Moses' prophecies are true, and Moses was the greatest of the prophets • The Written Torah (first 5 books of the Bible) and Oral Torah (teachings
now contained in the Talmud and other writings) were given to Moses • There will be no other Torah • G-d knows the thoughts and deeds of men • G-d will reward the good and punish the wicked • The Messiah will come • The dead will be resurrected
EARLY CHRISTIAN/BYZANTINE
• Emphasis on congregational worship • Basilica form • Nave • Aisles • Clerestory • Narthex • Transcept • Atrium • Tradition for churches built over martyr sites.
Christus-Sol. From Christian Mausoleum of the Julii. St. Peter’s necropolis. Rome mid 3rd C. Vault Mosaic.
ICONOGRAPHY
4.33a Plan and section (through main gallery of oldest region) of catacomb of Callixtus, 2nd century CE, Rome, Italy
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
PART 4
THEMES
Chapter 4.2 Spirituality and Art
What Makes a Place Sacred?
Catacombs of Priscilla, Rome
• The catacombs in Rome
– Series of underground tunnels
– Measure between 60 and 90 miles in length
– Contain the remains of nearly 4 million people
– Sacred space for pagans, Jews, and Christians
• Praying figure in the catacombs of Priscilla
– Fresco painting
– Familiar to all religions
• But interpreted differently by each one
• Could have helped win potential converts to Christianity
Old St. Peter’s basilica. Rome. 333-390. interior 368 ft,
FIRST CHURCH IN FORM OF ROMAN STATE BUILDING
Old St. Peter’s Basilica. 320-335 Built over the Circus of Nero (where many Xians martyred) and a cemetary. Had relics and bones. EACH SPACE HAS SPECIFIC USE
•.
8.28 Hagia Sophia, Constantinople (Istanbul) completed 537.
CONVERSION OF SPACES. TRANSFORMATION BETWEEN RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS
Virgin and Child Enthroned. Katholikon. Hosios, Loukas, Greece. 1020
Crucifixion. Katholikon. Hosios, Loukas, Greece. 1020
PAntokrator. Abbey church, Monreale, Palermo. Before 1883.
Christ, deeis mosaic (det) from Hagia Sophia. 13th C. deeis: Christ flanked by Virgin and Baptist.
ROMAN CATHOLIC: ROMANESQUE THROUGH BAROQUE
• Western European tradition
• Canonical Hours: Vigil, Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sect, None, Vespers, Compline
• These taken from Jewish tradition
Chartres, Notre Dame Cathedral. 12th-13th C.
NOTRE DAME=OUR LADY Chartres owned tunic of Virgin Mary
The Notion of Stained Glass Windows: Light and Color
Detail of Windows from Chartres.
carpenter’s window
det. Rose window
14.08 Michelangelo’s plan for New St. Peter’s. 1546.
14.9 N.S.P.’s as built by Maderno according to Michelangelo’s drawings 1606-16
15.6 Veronese. Last Supper (Christ in the House of Levi). 1573
RELGIOUS LEADERS AND EDUCATORS OVERSEE IMAGERY OR LACK THEREOF
17.20 Bernini. Cornaro Chapel. 1645-52
(anonymous ptg. Illustrating the chapel)
ART FOR RELIGIOUS MOTIVATION
17.21 Bernini. Ecstasy of St. Teresa. Cornaro
Chapel, Sta Maria della Vittoria. 1645-52.
Marble. 11’6”
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
PART 4
THEMES
Chapter 4.2 Spirituality and Art
Gianlorenzo Bernini,
The Ecstasy of St. Teresa
• Funerary monument for the Cornaro family in Rome
• Ecstasy of St. Teresa
– St. Teresa had a vision that she was pierced by an angel’s arrow and infused with divine love
– Theatrically set in the clouds, dramatic light effects
• Typical of the Italian Baroque style
– Bernini skillfully depicted a variety of textures
– Combination of realistic details and exaggerated devotion
• Supports the Catholic Church’s ideas
– Individuals should form a personal relationship with Christ