The art works that I will be representing in my paper are the Snake Goddess and Vladimir Virgin. The Vladimir Virgin is part of the Russian culture during the
Byzantine period. The Snake Goddess is part of the Minoan Culture during Prehistoric period. The artworks represent the divine theme that is present throughout history. The divine is a way of explaining or giving meaning to something that would be otherwise unexplainable. The gods, goddess and iconic
figures are seen as divine because that helps the people understand how things happen or why they happen. The different culture uses these as a guide to help
them deal with everyday life and gives them a feeling of hope and security that there is a high power looking out for them. The theme
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of the divine is represented in these two artworks through a female figure and her relationship to motherhood, fertility and the world. The Snake Goddess is a faience glasslike figure. she is believed to have belong from the Minoan culture due to the traditional characteristics such as the clothes and style of the artifact. The exposed breast and representation of rebith with the snake due to their ability to shed their skin it is believed that the Snake Goddess represents fertility. She is called upon to help with good crop growth as well as to insure the birth of birth of lambs and kids into the herd. The Snake Goddess is an example of the stylized figures of the Minoans. The style of the Minoans is shown in the long thin arm, long full skirt that emphasis the waist of the figure and the presance of amimals. The Minoan people believed that the Snake Goddess was the goddess of renewal. The snakes were a connection to the rebirth or reproduction of life and or crops. The open top with breast exposed was to show that the woman could bare life giving liquid. The Minoans believed that the goddess or gods ruled over the land and earth. The Snake Goddess is an example of a figure set forth to worship. She is believed to rule nature and provide for the people, land and animals. The Snake Goddess is believed to be a god. The Vladimir Virgin is also seen as a divine figure but she is not worshiped nor is she believed to provide for the people. The Vladimir Virgin is more of a reminder of the sacrifice a mother gave for the people. The sacrfice is what makes her divine. She is more of a guide to the people and a reminder of her belief. The artist of the Vladimir Virgin is not knowing but it is knowing that it was created sometime during the 11th and 12th century.
It was moved to Vladimir which was the religious capital of Russia at the time and why it became known as the Vladimir Virgin. This Virgin is very special to the Russian people they credit her for many miracles the people experienced once they have prayed to her. The Virgin is believed to believed to have protected Russia from many invaders throughout time and survived the damage and fires caused by invaders. The Vladimir Virgin is such an important part of the Russian beliefs and culture that they hold a feastin honor of her three times a year. The Vladimir Virgin is a tempera on wood painting but has been reworked several time due to damage that has accrued throughout the years. It is a depiction of Mary holing the infant Jesus. The child seems to be holding onto his mother for comfort. While Mary is directing her …show more content…
eye out as if to offer her child to the people for their salvation. The painting is abstract the proportions of the child's head compared to his body is not very realistic. As well as the background of the painting is an abstract design of shapes and forms. I feel that the artists created the proportions of the figure of the child the way he did to show the small innocence of the child compared to the huge responsibility that is placed upon him. Also Mary I feel is in larger proportions as the protector and guide for her child. The artist created the painting in an idealized representation. The artist created both Mary and child to look holy and beautiful. The gold he used to highlight the clothes and the surroundings of the mother and child gives them the appearance that they have a divine light on them. The painting style has many characteristics of the Byzantine culture of art. The facial feature of Mary with her long sharp nose and thin lips.
Also the choice of colors are characterized as Byzantine. This is why it is believed to be from that period of time. Iconic figures suchas this one became more frequent during this time as the religious belief in one god began to strengthen.
The Vladimir Virgin is painting of the iconic figure of Mary and the infant child Jesus. During the time when this artwork was created the people believed that
these type of icons held the presence of divinity. Although Mary herself was not a divine being she became seen as a the divine mother because of she is the
mother of Jesus. Although many believed that the icon is being worshiped the people continued to pray to her for guidance, protection, help and support they
know she is a guide not a god. The production of icons such as the Vladimir Virgin continue in the Orthodox Church to this day. The artwork itself is a depiction
of a mother holding her child when you look into her eyes you see a kind of sadness. What we know of the story of Jesus is that he will be facing a great sacrifice.
So the sadness in Mary's eyes is that she knows of the great suffering her child will face. Jesus who is born a divine figure holds onto his mother for
protection and love. Mary who becomes a divine figure because of her Virgin birth of the baby Jesus. When you look at the artwork you get a sense of peace, love and sacrifice. The artwork brings about feelings of sadness as well as hope. The Vladimir Virgin is seen as a religious symbol/icon. It is not to be worshiped but rather used as a guide to help strengthen our belief in the holy order. The painting of the Vladimir Virgin is the divine representation the divine presenence in people. Another artwork that is of a divine woman is the Snake Goddess. What makes this work different from the Vladimir Virgin is that the Minoan people believe that she is a god. They viewed her as a holy power to watch over them and provide them the things they need. The Vladimir Virgin is only a symbol of something divine where the Snake Goddess is seen as the divine being. In the example of the Vladimir Virgin is a divine figure because she is the mother of Jesus. She is not a god herself but is only a symbol of something holy. She represents motherhood as a sacrifice. The Snake Goddess is also seen as a symbol of motherhood. But, she is thought of as a goddess who has power over the land and nature. She is a symbol of fertility but is not thought of as a mother figure only she is thought of also as a goddess of reproduction of renewal of all things in nature such as life, crops and animals. Work Cited Gardners Art Through the Ages by Fred S. Kleiner fourteenth Edition 1. Minoan Snake Goddess Chrisropher L.C.E. Witcombe http://arthistoryresources.net/snakegoddess THE VLADIMIR VIRGIN AND ITS EXPLANATION 3. WRITTEN IN ARABIC BY SPIRO JABBOUR TRANSLATION CHECKED BY MRS. FIONA MANSBRIDGE http://www.orthodox.cn/saints/vladimirvirgin_en.ht
1432.) is a magnificent work of Christian art. The painting of the Lord is covered with symbolism from top to bottom. The background has Christian’s symbols of wine and pelicans which relates to blood of Christ. The Lord wore clothing such as the headgear that represents the trinity, and sash that reveals the Sabbath. The phrases in the painting that reveal about eternal life and power of the Lord. Finally the painting has symbols of power: the large amount of gold presented in the painting and the crown below his feet. The painting is rich with symbolism, and the work of art need to be carefully overserve to see the full
Witcombe further speculates that these statuettes may have served as a representation of the Mother Goddess, also referred to as Earth Mother and that the deity may have been represented in the form of a leader or matriarch.
The representation of divinity was clearly defined in Christ in Majesty with Symbols of the Four Evangelists through its subject matter, technique, and style. Christ acts as the focal point, but the artist also used different subjects from the Old and New Testament to decorate the apse. Unlike the mosaics in the apse of Byzantine churches, the artist employed the technique of classical fresco painting. The artist also applied decoration to the figures with the hierarchy of scale, and through the geometric style in the drapery instead of maintaining a sense of realism.
The immediate background consists of natural mounds of dirt and a brick wall that enclose the Virgin, Child, and St. John, amplifying the protective effect that Mary’s figure has. The dirt mounds roll inward with a brick wall bordering them on the right, drawing the viewer’s attention towards the three figures. The background is painted in broad terms, with a simple, uniform depiction of tree leaves and smooth rock faces on the horizon. This contrasts with the fine-lined detail and texture of Mary’s hair, facial features, and veil, which further contribute to her elegance and highlight her
The ability to create a picture of The Annunciation in one’s mind is a key factor in understanding the analysis of the work. Francisco de Zurbaran approaches the painting with a naturalistic style. The painting features a room in which a woman – like angel is seen at the left kneeling on the ground before the Virgin Mary. The figure of Mary is placed between a chair and a small wooden table draped with a green cloth. Mary disregards an open Bible on the table, as she appears solemn while staring at the floor. Floating above the two main figures in the upper left side of the painting are cherubs resting on a bed of clouds. They happily gaze down at Mary with eyes from Heaven.
The history of the Madonna and Child starts in the Byzantine era. In this era paintings were not meant to look realistic, but rather were supposed to remind the viewer of a story or theological concept, in this case usually the concept that Jesus was both fully God and fully human. The years progressed and these paintings became more and more realistic as the Renaissance era was ushered in. During this time period artists strove to paint more accurate representations of their subjects. Even during this time, however there was still a use of iconology. Though all of these paintings have basically the same content, with the addition of various saints and angels, the theology that we can see in each painting differs greatly.
The artist wanted to draw you in by giving you a place to look at imminently upon looking at her and after looking at her your eyes is drawn down to her genitalia. This leads me to believe that she was created to represent fertility in woman, because certain exaggerated parts of her body and very detailed female reproductive organs.
This piece communicates what was valued most at this point in time. Christianity was at the center of life in fourteenth century Europe. So much so that these artist were commissioned to create these highly valued religious pieces most for private purposes ,so the people could have a relic or icon to worship in their homes. Specific artistic conventions had o be followed when creating these pieces. The monarchies ruled through the church. There was huge emphasis on the man and afterlife, To ensure eternal salvation man devoted their lives to spreading and commemorating the word of Christ.
Byzantium art focused on human figures. The most prominent figures that were created were Christ, the Virgin Mary, the saints, and the apostles. The emperor was believed to be divinely sanctioned by god. Human figures were portrayed in sculptures in two different styles. One style expressed power, authority, and grandeur. The other style expresses adoration, sympathy, prayer, and distress.
also the goddess of war and the patroness of arts and crafts. Which led her to be a great leader
Early Christian art during the period of Roman persecution was highly circumspect, and innocuous objects—the fish and the dove—were used to symbolize Christ and the Holy Spirit. Later Christian art, however, became replete with iconographic symbols. In particular, many of the saints became associated with specific objects—Saint Peter with two keys, for instance, or Saint Catherine with a broken wheel.
Tradition of the Community: Starting in the Middle Ages, there were the first written accounts of visions of the Virgin Mary, but as the time moved into the Reformation Age, the visions of Mary became more and more frequent. People claimed she appeared them and acted as an instrument of God, telling them to spread the faith and build churches. The most well-known vision that took place during the Reformation when Mary appeared to Juan Diego of Guadalupe, Mexico in 1531.There were many reported miracles in the town that seemed to point to a divine being helping, for example, the roses in the middle of winter, an uncle miraculously cured of a deadly illness, and the image of the Virgin Mary on Juan’s tunic. This vision led to the spread of Christianity to the western hemisphere, and the fact that Mary was speaking Juan’s native language seemed to bring about the belief that Mary is truly the Mother of all Christians and the mediator of the word of God to common people. The vision of Mary at Guadalupe is just one of many that happened during the Reformation, and led to many shrines being built to honor the areas where Mary was believed to have appeared to the people. Each shrine had some symbolic meaning to honor Mary in specific ways. For example, in Guadalupe, the shrine to Mary included the Mexican flag to represent her reach to the Mexican culture, a purple background to represent Mary’s queenly figure, and a pink tunic to represent the sense of joy she fills the people who come into her presence with. With many people claiming to have seen the Virgin Mary, masses began to participate in the tradition of praying directly to Mary in addition to attending church. This allowed people to be able to connect in a stronger way with ...
“Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” According to both the religions, Mary, who was a virgin and betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, was considered to be the ‘most blessed’ among all women. “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God…..How shall this be, since I have no husband?” The archangel Gabriel tells Mary that she is going to have a baby and that she should name the child Jesus. Despite the fact that she is very young and a virgin, she does not disbelieve the angel. She has no fear of what the society would think, she just wants to understand more about her pregnancy, however she has no doubt. Th...
When the religious art leaks out of the religious community and into the broader world of culture, it is one of the ways the meaning of the art can evolve. This is also an opportunity for the art to draw the world to religion. Moreover, artistic reinterpretation of sacred imagery can help keep religion honest. The church has always been enriched by the tension that comes with diversity in art. Art is communication and effective art communicates effectively to any group at any level.
Life, chaos, harmony and death are aspects that played a strong role in the belief system of the ancient Egyptian people. These aspects focused on the belief of Gods and Goddesses as well as guidelines that affected how ancient Egyptian people lived their lives. Due to these themes having played a role in the ancient Egyptians lifestyle, many symbols, illustrations and works of art were created to go against the aspects of chaos. Countering the idea of chaos, there are works of art that are seen to symbolize the focus on how the ancient Egyptians tried to achieve a harmonious and balanced life by how they viewed their actions and lifestyle choices. Ancient Egyptian art that focus on symbolic images of their belief system are seen