Amanda Garret ART 211 Blog

  Seated Figure , terracotta, 13th century, Mali, Inland Niger Delta region, Djenné peoples, 25/4 x 29.9 cm ( The Metropolitan Museum of Art ) https://smarthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/dt1213.jpg     Art discoveries from Sahara, a region in southern Africa, give insight on human and artistic evolution in African civilizations. Rock paintings that depicted domesticated animals prove that agriculture developed in southern Africa as early as 7000 B.C.E. However, these agriculture communities moved away when the Sahara began drying up around 3000 B.C.E. This led to the emergence of Egypt and Africa in the North. From then on, the Nile river (the world's longest river), hosted trade from central Africa to Egypt for as long as a thousand years.     Depicted above is a corpus of a sophisticated terracotta sculpture. These sculptures, found in present day Nigeria, provide the earliest evidence of a settled community with such artistic technology. The crea...

  https://collectionapi.metmuseum.org/api/collection/v1/iiif/317877/654779/main-image     In Ethiopia, Christianity was adopted in the fourth century by the Askumite emperor of Ezana. It is believed that Ezana wished to adopt Christianity because he was influenced by his desired relationship with the Roman Empire. The earliest examples of Christianity in Ethiopia come from coins that had crosses on them. Other examples of Christianity in Ethiopia are church architectures in Aksum, Matara, and Adulis. These buildings were very large and they consisted of a monumental set of stairs. The earliest churches of Askumite were assembled in a circular shape, but later churches follow those described in the Old Testament-- squared sanctuaries with two aisles running along the side. Churches in Ethiopia served the religious needs of administrative and military officials. This makes me wonder... Were Ethiopian churches not open to the public?     Depicted above is...

  Flame-rimmed” deep bowl, Middle Jomon period (c. 3500–2500 B.C.E.), earthenware with cord-marked and incised decoration, 13 inches tall ( The Metropolitan Museum of Art ) https://smarthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/DP23088-870x867.jpg Goggle-eyed”-type dogū figurine, late Jōmon period (1,000- 400 B.C.E.), excavated in Tsugaru city, Aomori prefecture, Japan, clay, H. 34.2 cm ( Tokyo National Museum, Japan ) https://smarthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Screen-Shot-2019-08-18-at-11.48.47-PM-copy-2-300x361.jpg      The Jōmon period, which occurred  from c. 10,500 to c. 300 B.C.E, is known as Japan's Neolithic period. To sum it up, this period was all about grasping onto the world and creating a new one. More specifically, men hunted and fished for their food, while women made clay pots by hand. In Japanese,  Jōmon stands for "cord pattern", which is the technique of creating pottery that from this period. Pots like the one depicted in the ...

     Painting of a large banyan tree, showing the numerous intertwined aerial roots reaching down to the ground creating an appearance of many trees when in reality it is just one tree; commissioned by Lieutenant-Colonel W.R. Gilbert, a Commandant of the Ramgarh Battalion based in Hazaribag, India, c. 1825, watercolor ( British Library ) https://smarthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Add_Or_2525-870x723.jpg Shiva as Lord of the Dance (Nataraja), c. 11th century, Copper alloy, Chola period, 68.3 x 56.5 cm (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) https://smarthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Hindu-overview-Shiva-as-Lord-of-Dance-Nataraja-at-Met-300x169.jpg Unlike Christianity or Buddhism, Hinduism does not consist of teachings from just one founder. Instead, Hinduism has diverse traditions that are constantly evolving. Hinduism is also unique because it does not follow a single text like the Christians follow the Bible. Since Hinduism does not have a specific teacher or ...

  Uta Codex (Uta Presents the Codex to Mary), c. 1020, Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm. 13601, f. 2, recto ( digitized ) https://ka-perseus-images.s3.amazonaws.com/223c317e5ed4dfa063a27fc3f6543210c4c5fb4a.jpg     The average person believes that the Middle Ages was a dark period because of the way films, books, and the media has portrayed it to be. This time period is viewed to the less important time period between two important ones. However, art from the Middle Ages consisted of abstract and naturalistic art that did not follow a dark theme. In fact, ideologies and beliefs of the Middle Ages were the foundations of what we know today. In 942,   Henry the Liudolfing's son, Otto, became emperor (which is where the "Ottonion" period got it's name from) and became alliances with the pope. The Saxon's contact with Rome played a huge role in the development of Ottonian art. Ottonian art consists of manuscripts, metal work, carvings, and churches/cathe...