Art Museum Collection

Greek Visual Art

            One of the key pieces of Greek sculpture, and their visual arts, was Doryphoros (Spear-Bearer).  This work by Polyclitus also represented a shift in Greek architecture by showing a figure in the middle of movement.  This is seen as the weight of the Doryphoros is being transferred to the right leg as the left leg is being lifted up in Classical Contrapost form.  The figure holds to the Greek emphasis on portraying the ideal rather than actual, historical, figures.  (Doryphoros, n.d., para. 1-3)

            This style of art heavily reflected on Greek culture and the pursuit of the ideal.  This most likely heavily stems from Plato's work on the Forms.  This art then was an attempt to recreate images of the male, human form on Earth.  The ratios of the ideal human form can also been seen as a visual manifestation of emerging mathematical principals with Greece.

Roman Architecture

            The Pantheon in Rome is a key piece of Roman Architecture.  The structure was originally built in 27 B.C.E. but was by fire in 80 C.E. and was completely rebuilt around 125 C.E. (Pantheon: Rome, n.d., History section, para. 1-2).  The structure was originally built as a temple dedicated to all gods (Pantheon: Rome, n.d., para. 1). The structure contains a number of uniquely Roman elements:

The building is circular with a portico of three ranks of huge granite Corinthian columns (8 in the first rank and 16 in total) under a pediment opening into the rotunda, under a coffered, concrete dome, with a central opening (oculus), open to the sky. The height to the oculus and the diameter of the interior circle are the same (43 metres), so the whole interior would fit exactly within a cube (alternatively, the interior could house a sphere 43 metres in diameter).  (Pantheon: Rome, n.d., Structure section, para. 1)

            This piece represents a number of key Roman cultural developments.  One of the most significant is the dome which represents a major advancement in architecture.  It also underscored the significance of math, and mathematical thought, within Rome.  More so the structure emphasizes the Roman tradition of combining a number of elements to create a very powerful overall effect (Benton & Di Yanni, 2005, p. 111).

Islamic Visual Art

            The visual art form of calligraphy became a highly developed art form within the early Islamic world, and continues today.  Calligraphy was thrust to the forefront of Islamic art due the the religious limitations of no art work that could be idolized.  This resulted in art that could not depict imagery of man or animal.  Calligraphy then provided a form which was not banned, but could be developed to reflect artistic nuances.  Calligraphy became an even more significant aspect of Islamic culture as the Qur'an was put into written form:

Instead of recalling something related to the reality of the spoken word, calligraphy for the Muslim is a visible expression of the highest art of all, the art of the spiritual world. Calligraphy has arguably become the most venerated form of Islamic art because it provides a link between the languages of the Muslims with the religion of Islam. The holy book of Islam, al-Qur'an, has played an important role in the development and evolution of the Arabic language, and by extension, calligraphy in the Arabic alphabet. Proverbs and complete passages from the Qur'an are still active sources for Islamic calligraphy. (Calligraphy, n.d., Islamic calligraphy section, para. 3)

Chinese Architecture

            The Hall of Supreme Harmony represents all of the major architectural nuances of early China.  Chinese architecture has a number of core differences from Western architecture.  A significant element of Chinese architecture is the element of symmetry "which connotes a sense of grandeur" (Chinese Architecture - Wikipedia, n.d., Features section, para. 3).  The center of a building, or the main building in a campus setting, operate the the axis point for the symmetrical design (Chinese Architecture, N.D., Basic idea and structure section, para. 1).  "The distribution of interior space reflects Chinese social and ethnical [sic] values. For example, a traditional residential building assigns family members based on the family's hierarchy" (Chinese Architecture, N.D., Basic idea and structure section, para. 1).  Finally, Chinese architecture differs from Western architecture in that rather than focusing on height and depth it instead emphasizes the width of the buildings.  This external appearance "suggest the all-embracing nature of imperial China" (Chinese Architecture - Wikipedia, n.d., Features section, para. 2).

Gothic Literature

            The Divine Comedy by Dante is the most prominent work emanating from the Gothic era.  The Divine Comedy follows Dante as he pursues Beatrice through Hell, Purgatory, and finally into Heaven.  As Dante ascends from Hell through Purgatory he is initially accompanied by Virgil, as his guide and as a representation of human reason.  As Dante finally ascends to Heaven he becomes reunited with Beatrice, repressing divine revelation, and she becomes his guide.  (Benton & Di Yanni, 2005, p. 276)

            The Divine Comedy first, and foremost, has a resounding Christian theme focusing on the topic of the redemption of man.  Secondarily, the Divine Comedy operates as an extremely sophisticated allegory representing many alternate meanings throughout the various cantos.  Dante weaves in numerous references to contemporary politics and events and his critique of them.  (The Divine Comedy, n.d., Thematic concern section, para. 1-3)  The Divine Comedy represents much of the Christian ideals and optimism coming out of the Gothic age, and has had a strong influence on the views of the Christian afterlife since its writing (The Divine Comedy, n.d., para. 1).

Baroque Music

            In the wake of the Catholic Church's counter-reformation movement, and the following Council of Trent, there was a significant renewed interest in the arts by the Church.  One of the more significant contributions of this time was Handel's Messiah.  Messiah was composed as an oratorio due to the diminishing popularity of opera as well as a requirement that religious themes not be done in a public theater.  The oratorio was composed in 23 days, contains roughly 50 pieces, and lasts approximately three hours.  "The first part concerns the prophecy of the birth of Christ; the second focuses on his suffering, especially the crucifixion; and third encompasses his resurrection and the redemption of the world" (Benton & Di Yanni, 2005, p. 384).

            The distinctively Christian theme Handel's Messiah made it a hallmark piece from the Baroque era.  While not directly funded by the Church, or the beneficiaries, the renewed interest in this type work made Handel's oratorio possible.  Furthermore, the counter-reformation movement focused heavily on making art less esoteric and understandable to the masses (Benton & Di Yanni, 2005, p. 359).  Handel's Messiah played a significant role in the dissemination of the Church's message in an understandable fashion.

Summary

            Each piece in the museum was selected because it was both a moving piece and was an archetypical piece from the genre and era.   Doryphoros was selected both because of the beautiful complexity of the piece and because it represents a transitional piece for Classical Contrapost form.  The Pantheon in Rome was selected because it is simultaneously one of the most beautiful works of Roman architecture as well as being something that still remains standing today.  Islamic calligraphy was selected because it became such an extremely developed art form for an otherwise heavily limited culture.  The Hall of Supreme Harmony (Forbidden City) was selected because of its beautiful representation of the symmetry of Chinese architecture.  The Divine Comedy was selected both for it being a beautiful work and the profound influence it has had on successive generations’ view of the afterlife.  Handel’s Messiah was selected for it beauty and perseverance as a key piece of Christian music up to present day.

            The Pantheon in Rome had a number of cultural cross currents with the Greek civilization.  One of the most significant was the aim for a level of mathematical perfection through architecture.  Secondarily, a number of styles were taken directly from Greek architecture.  The Corinthian order for the columns, while rarely used by the Greeks, was a design taken from the Greeks.

            While the Pantheon owes much of its design to the Greek culture it also represents a transhistorical piece throughout history including present day.  In particular the popularization of the Corinthian order made its way into Baroque, Renaissance, and present day designs (Coninthian Order, n.d., Examples of the Corinthian order section).  In the United States in can be seen in the columns on the Capitol Building as well as on the General Post Office in New York (Coninthian Order, n.d., Examples of the Corinthian order section).  Secondarily, the Roman desire for overall impression over strict adherence to a design can be seen, in particular, in post-modern architecture and the blending of many elements together.
References

Benton, J. & Di Yanni, R. (2005) Arts and culture. An introduction to the humanities. New Jersey: Peason Education, Inc.

Calligraphy (n.d.). Retrieved on July 31, 2005, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calligraphy

Chinese Architecture – Wikipedia (n.d.) Retrieved on July 31, 2005, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_architecture

Chinese Architecture (n.d.) Retrieved on July 28, 2005, from http://library.thinkquest.org/10098/china1.htm

Coninthian Order (n.d.). Retrieved on August 23, 2005, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corinthian_order

Doryphoros (n.d.). Retrieved on July 17, 2005, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doryphoros

Pantheon: Rome (n.d.). Retrieved on July 17, 2005, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheon%2C_Rome

The Divine Comedy (n.d.). Retrieved on August 14, 2005, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_Comedy