“The Death of Socrates: One Last Lesson”
Living in the metropolitan area, I was lucky enough to be able to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and view Jacques Louis David’s neoclassical piece, The Death of Socrates. David’s work portrays Socrates in his final moments. Socrates was being put to death due to what the government thought of was corrupting young minds with his teachings (“The Death of Socrates…”). Socrates was a Greek philosopher. He has been said to be the whole reason behind Western Philosophy (“Socrates”). One of his most famous students is Plato, who can be seen in the painting as well. Socrates is embracing death, while the people surrounding him are not taking his death as easy. Since his whole life was based
Although the government was putting Socrates to death for “corrupting young minds”, Socrates believed in democracy. He was ultimately accepting of his death, no matter how hard it is for one to accept.
Neoclassicism was a modernized result of the baroque style and classical style before. The Death of Socrates was the beginning of neoclassicism. This piece evoked emotion, much like pieces from the baroque period. It was compared to Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel and Raphael’s Stanze (“The Death of Socrates – Jacques-Louis David”). It was considered one of David’s greatest pieces of work. Jacques-Louis David was considered one of the best neoclassicism artists of the time.
The Death of Socrates is one of Jacques-David most famous paintings. The oil on canvas painting was completed in 1787 in France (“The Death of Socrates – Jacques-Louis David”). It has been said it was the greatest painting since the Sistine Chapel (Padiyar 27). David uses light to set the mood and atmosphere of the photo. The sun is somehow shining down into a dungeon onto Socrates, creating the center of attention.
The Sistine Chapel is located in the Vatican City where the Pope lives in Italy. Although there were many other artists that painted within the chapel, Michelangelo was commissioned to paint the ceiling. Michelangelo used light to help convey the stories he had painted on the ceiling. As well as the Sistine Chapel, The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci could complement The Death of Socrates. The Last Supper was painted before The Death of Socrates and is in Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan, Italy. It is not considered a true fresco style painting due to is being painted on a dry surface as opposed to a wet surface ("The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci – Facts about the Painting."). Unfortunately, due to the materials and process used to paint The Last Supper, it needs to be restored quite frequently ("The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci – Facts about the Painting."). The Death of Socrates reminds me of The Last Supper due to the central figures, Jesus/Socrates, coming to terms with their deaths. There followers are gathered around them to be with them for the last moments. Similar to Jesus, Socrates too, had a following of people. Jesus had his disciples, while Socrates has his students. Both Jesus and Socrates were both willing to accept the inevitable. They kept their dignity until the very end of their life. Most the of the men look to be upset or
Although Socrates and Pericles are in different situations while giving their speeches, they both talk about things that let you, as the reader, see their views on certain points. One of the key points they agree upon is death.
... them to acknowledge the unjust state of affairs that persists in the deteriorating city-state. Socrates believed it was better to die, than to live untrue to oneself, and live unable to practice philosophy, by asking people his questions. Thus, we can see Socrates was a nonconformist in Ancient Greek society, as he laid down his life in the hopes of saving his state, by opening the eyes of the jury to the corruptness and evils of society. Socrates also laid down the framework for a paradigm shift to occur in his city, as his acquired a formidable fan group, or following, of individuals, who, began to preach his philosophy and continue his Socratic method of questioning and teaching. Socrates philosophy is still influential and studied today, thus his ways of thinking about life, truth and knowledge, changed the way western society perceives the world.
Bernini’s “David” is 5 foot, 7 inches tall and was made in the year 1623. It is from the Baroque period, a time of discovery, exploration and increased trade. Bernini’s “David” is a three-dimensional sculpture that gives the viewer the ability to relate the image with one’s body and not only in one’s mind. Bernini wanted to show the intensity and dramatic tension in the hero David as he prepares to cast the stone from the sling. In contrast to the intensity of Bernini’s David, Michelangelo’s “David” looks much more contemplative, statuesque and less “life-like” than Bernini’s. This marble sculpture, unlike Michelang...
In the book “Phaedo,” Plato discusses the theory of forms with ideas that concern the morality of the form. There are four philosophers that are expressed which are Phaedo, Cebes, and Simmias regarding the execution of Socrates. Socrates is presented in “Phaedo” on the morning of his execution where he is being killed. He tells his disciples Simmias and Cebes that he is not afraid of dying because a true philosopher should welcome and look forward to death but not suicide. A man should never commit suicide. He says that we are possessions of the Gods and should not harm themselves. He provides the four arguments for his claim that the soul is immortal and that a philosopher spends his whole life preparing for death.
1B. As Socrates takes the stand to defend himself against the Athenian government he began to explain why he should not be there and how he ended up at the stand in the first place. He cites an encounter with the oracle Delphi. He explains that he asked the oracle who was wisest of all men. The oracle replied that no man was wiser then Socrates (note this will be important later in describing his philosophy). Socrates knowing that he himself knew nothing and that there must be somebody out there with more knowledge than him set out on a journey. He went to many different kinds of people, poets, craftsmen, even politicians. All seemed to have much knowledge about many things. But Socrates found that even with all their knowledge of poetry, politics, and crafts none of it was true wisdom. When he would tell these people that they were in fact not wise, they wouldn’t take to kindly to Socrates.
In the School of Athens, Raphael portrayed the splendid scenes of philosophers, scientists and artists in this school. The school of Athens was set up by Plato, who is the ancient Greek idealistic philosopher. The central side of the picture is Plato and his disciple Aristotle, who have intense discussions. Although Plato's teacher, Socrates, was no longer alive when he founded the Academy of Athens, however, Raphael drawn Socrates in the left of a group of characters, to show the hierarchy of philosophy. Different gestures of them illustrated different idea on philosophy. Plato stretched out his finger pointing on the above represents the idealism
Now that there is an understanding of the paintings and their history we will compare and contrast the elements of design of each painting. The first element of design that will be looked at is line. Line has two characteristics, one is direction and the other is linear quality. Direction of line is “related to our experience of gravity” (Notes). These lines can be either horizontal or vertical. Horizontal lines are calm and balanced lines as seen in “The Death of Socrates”. Vertical lines “defy gravity” (Notes) and contain dynamic lines. Dynamic lines are diagonal lines that give art work a sense of movement, implied action. They use of vertical lines is best seen in “The Death of Sardanapalus” because of the dynamic use of lines in the painting
It seems to be solely based on opinion, there is not one true answer as to if the painting is beautiful or not. It can be voted beautiful by the majority of a country, and looked at as the epitome of beauty throughout that country, and then seen as the complete opposite on the other side of the world. Unlike the other Athenians, Socrates admits to not knowing anything that is truly beautiful or good, as he understands that it is arbitrary. To the other Athenians, this seems ludicrous, to have no knowledge on what is truly good or beautiful, as it seems obvious, to notice the beauty and goodness of things. Everyone thinks that what they know to be beautiful and good must be true, but no one seems to notice that of course not everyone can be right about what they think, as they are merely opinions, and differ amongst one another. Socrates is the one to step back and notice this, and understand that no one knows anything truly beautiful and good, (29) which gives him an advantage over the city. Socrates can benefit the people of Athens by showing them this, as he teaches them to step back and look at the bigger picture. How can we know anything truly good and beautiful, if only God holds the knowledge of truth? Socrates would not only
Socrates discusses that people should not fear death because we do not know the qualities of death. Even though we do not know what death is, he makes some suggestions for the possibilities after death. He suggests that maybe death is just an endless sleep without dreaming, it is where we can finally come to peace with ourselves. He also suggest that maybe in the afterlife he will be able to meet heroic people in the past, where he can share his experience and question people to see whether they are wise. Even in death Socrates is still going to practice philosophy even if the place is bad. Even if he did not live a just life that he thought he did, he can examine what he did wrong and fix the problems in the after life. I agree with Socrates
Plato’s ideas. There are many different aspects of Greek art that can be accredited to Plato
Socrates attempts to make other people reason well and therefore be virtuous by performing their human function; I believe that this action inwardly reflects Socrates’s own virtue. For example, if a professor can effectively teach mathematics to his students, then he most likely holds knowledge of the subject within himself. In a similar way, Socrates instills virtue in other people, which shows that he himself is a virtuous being. Although some people criticize him, evidence of his positive impact is reinforced by the approval and support of his friends in the Apology. While promoting virtue when alive, Socrates wishes to continue to encourage virtue even after death. For example, at the onset of his death, Socrates asks the jurors to ensure that his sons are given grief if they care for anything else more than virtue (Plato and Grube 44). While Socrates could have been thinking about himself or other things at that moment, he is thinking of how to guide people towards living virtuously. Both his actions while living and his intentions after death reveal that Socrates wished to aid people in living virtuous lives, which highlight his own state of
Whether Socrates is portrayed correctly or not, he certainly was a great man. His contribution to western thought cannot be denied. For even if his teachings were different from what they are known to be at present, his influence on Plato is immense. And so, it is no small matter to describe the tragic passing of such a man as Socrates was and remains for philosophy today. Yet in all the indignation which is expected to arise at the death of Socrates, the panache with which he departs is captured excellently in Plato's “Apology.” Specifically, at the end of the "Apology," Socrates makes a very important statement that has had great impact on philosophy ever since its original proclamation. The Stoics in particular have taken this to be the cornerstone of their ideology. The statement made is that "you must regard one thing at least as certain—that no harm can come to a good man either in his life or after his death,” (Plato 100). The following examination focuses therefore on a brief explanation of the circumstances which lead to this statement being made by Socrates, as well as a closer look at why he thinks this to be the case. It is assumed that this statement is true, and validation for that assumption is to be sought as well.
Socrates was an insightful philosopher who had an opinion on all the basic fundamental questions. He had very strong beliefs that he willed others into believing through questioning and proving ignorance in others beliefs. He has particular views on every fundamental question and particular views on how people should live their lives. He says God has spoken to him about philosophy and says that it is his destiny and it is his calling in life. Through philosophy he searches for answers to the fundamental questions and gains wisdom and knowledge. The fundamental question of condition is the question of what, if anything, has gone wrong with the world? The question of solution is what can fix the problem? Then there is Death which asks what happens
Neoclassicism is an artistic style influenced by the Greek and Roman that students observed the first antique art works and reproduced them. Their inspiration came from the Greek mythology and used it as the resource. The definition of the Neoclassicism is that they emphasized on the historic subject matter, and moreover, the solemnity of composition. The Neoclassical style usually showing order and rational illusion in the works. The color usage is clam and the brushstroke is often being visible. Numbers of outstanding painters in this era, but the best-known painter is Jacques-Louis David. His famous painting is The Death of Socrates, which reveals a rational, solemn scene. In contrast, Romanticism expresses on emotion and imagination more than the Neoclassicism. Painters focus on the nature, violence, and legends of their paintings. In addition, emotional exploration had extended into the animal world that they will used animals as the metaphor of human behavior. Because of the influence of the Baroque eras, Romanticism is usually produces dramatic art
“In barely twenty-five years, from shortly before 1500 to about 1520, some of the most celebrated works of Western art were produced" (Getlin 372). Two well-known artists were from this period; Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Leonardo is often known as a “Renaissance man” as he was good at many things. Study of Human Proportions is a well-known investigation of his, in which he related the human body to a square and circle to establish ideal proportions of the body. (Getlin 372) In Living With Art it states “Leonardo’s interest in mathematics is also evident from his careful rendering of perspective.” Michelangelo first had a reputation of being a sculptor. He was commissioned to sculpt the biblical hero David in which it shows his debt to classical sculptures, but it was not a simple restatement of Greek art, for it shows Renaissance characteristics. (Getlin 373) “The Greeks knew how bodies looked on the outside. Michelangelo knew how they looked on the inside, how they worked, because he had studied human anatomy and had dissected corpses. He translated this knowledge into a figure that seems made of muscle and flesh and bone, through all in marble” (Getlin 373). Another characteristic is the sculpture has tension and energy; David is not so much standing in repose as standing in readiness. (Getlin 373) “Classical Greek statues tended to have calm and even vacant expressions. But David is young and vibrant- and angry,