DB9: Power, Politics, Glory & Social Activism

achaljub

LazzariR5e_ch09_screen.pptx

Home >Architecture and Design homework help >DB9: Power, Politics, Glory & Social Activism

Power, Politics, and Glory

Chapter 9

Learning Objectives

Explain the role of art in promoting the power of individual rulers.

Discuss how art has been used for propaganda purposes.

Describe how art can glorify the achievements of a ruler.

Give examples of works of architecture that glorify the state.

Describe how certain objects of prestige play an important role in enhancing the status of a ruler.

Compare various images of war and peace.

Map 5

Map 5 The Expansion of Islam, the Byzantine Empire, and the Migration of Germanic People into Southern Europe.

Figure 9.1

9.1 Imperial Palace, Forbidden City, Beijing.

Figure 9.2

9.2 Yan Liben. Portraits of the Emperors (detail), China, 7th century. Ink and colors on silk, 1' 5 1/2" high.

Figure 9.3

9.3 Menkaure and His Wife, Queen Khamerernebty, Fourth Dynasty, Gizeh, Egypt, c. 2600 BCE. Slate, approximately 4' 6 1/2" high.

THE GLORY OF THE RULER (1 of 2)

Artistic devices are used to glorify a ruler’s image:

idealized image: ruler depicted in flawless, youthful manner, a wise or dignified demeanor

symbols: indicate omnipotence, authority, divine blessing, military or religious power

compositional devices: occupies the center, shown larger than other figures, clothing may attract attention

THE GLORY OF THE RULER (2 of 2)

Divine Rulers, Royalty, and Secular/Religious Leaders

Rulers’ depictions often combines aspects of royalty, religious leaders, and/or the divine.

Menkaure and His Wife, Queen Khamerernebty:

side by side, united by the queen’s embrace

they display the Egyptian ideals of beauty and elevated status

Khamerernebty is as large as Menkaure: pharaonic succession was traced through the female line

Figure 9.4 (1 of 2)

9.4 Emperor Justinian and His Attendants, Church of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy, c. 547. Mosaic on the north wall of the apse.

Figure 9.4 (2 of 2)

Emperor Justinian and His Attendants:

he occupies the center between clergy and military and state officials

political status: shown through the purple cloak and a jeweled crown

religious status: shown through the golden plate used in liturgy

solar disk behind his head indicates his place in the eternal ideal of kingship

the clergy hold sacred objects: a crucifix, a bejeweled manuscript, an incense burner

a soldier’s shield displays the Chi-Rho, an ancient symbol of Christ

The Emperor dominates the center of the composition, representing his power over the military and the church.

Figure 9.5 (1 of 3)

9.5 Crowned Head of an Oni, Wunmonije Compound, Ife, Nigeria, 12th–15th centuries. Zinc, brass; smaller than life size. Museum of the Ife Antiquities, Ife, Nigeria.

Figure 9.5 (2 of 3)

The delicately detailed portrait of an early African ruler, Crowned Head of an Oni, represents the ruler’s elevated status through:

use of bronze, a precious material

sense of calm and serenity

idealized, beautiful, flowing features

crown, likely a royal insignia

lines on the face indicate scarification or strings of a beaded veil

neck rings similar to those worn by the Yoruba today, fat can indicate prosperity

Figure 9.5 (3 of 3)

To see the range of styles in African art, contrast the Crowned Head of an Oni with the Reliquary Guardian Figure.

Figure 9.6 (1 of 2)

9.6 Jayavarman VII, Bayon style, province of Siemreap, Angkor region, Cambodia, late 12th or early 13th century CE. Sandstone head, 1' 4" × 9" × 1'. Musée des Arts Asiatiques-Guimet, Paris.

Figure 9.6 (2 of 2)

This portrait of the last and most powerful King of the Angkor Empire, Jayavarman VII, and the Khmer people displays his contemplative mysticism after his conversion from Hinduism to Buddhism.

Jayavarman VII repelled invaders, fought rival states, and was known for building projects, including the Temple of Bayon at Angkor Wat.

In this portrait, Jayavarman VII chose to be represented as a mystic.

His turned-down eyes and gentle smile became known in Khmer art.

To sum up, many royal portraits across different cultures use similar attributes to convey elevated status:

idealized face/body

symbolic details

centralized composition

dignified demeanor

Objects of Royalty and Prestige

Hawaiian royal objects were made of materials taboo to others in that society.

Hawaiians considered feathers sacred and connected with the gods, so only royalty could own or wear them.

Colors have symbolic value:

red = royalty

yellow = a prosperous future

Figure 9.7

9.7 Cloak and Feather Hat, Hawaii, 18th century. Museo de America, Madrid.

Figure 9.8 (1 of 2)

9.8 Mesquakie Bear Claw Necklace, Tama, Iowa, USA, c. 1860. Otter pelt, grizzly claws, glass beads, silk ribbon, 1' 4 1/4" × 1' 2 1/4" × 3". Photo archive of the National Museum of the American Indian.

Figure 9.8 (2 of 2)

For the Mesquakie people, grizzly bear claws were signs of high status.

The grizzly’s nails were difficult to acquire and considered a great trophy.

The Mesquakie Bear Claw Necklace represented:

Strength.

tenacity (of the bear).

dignity (of the owner).

Contemporary Political Leaders

Today, almost no rulers consider themselves to be divine, and many are not royalty.

There is a great difference between images that are produced under the ruler’s direction and those over which the ruler has little or no control.

Pictures of contemporary rulers come to us as newspaper, television, or online images.

Figure 9.9 (1 of 2)

9.9 Leni Riefenstahl. Triumph of the Will, Germany, 1934. Film. Kobal Collection.

Figure 9.9 (2 of 2)

In 1934, Adolf Hitler commissioned the film Triumph of the Will to glorify:

his rule.

his military strength.

the Nazi order of Aryan supremacy.

Riefenstahl’s film established Hitler as the first media hero of the modern age.

Riefenstahl’s film affected future political campaigns and laid the foundation for consumer advertising.

THE POWER OF THE STATE

Palaces, government buildings, and monuments make the state and ruler seem powerful.

Palaces

Official residences of kings, emperors, and religious leaders visually represent the state’s power.

Figure 9.10 (1 of 2)

9.10 Lamassu, Khorsabad, Iraq, 720 BCE. Limestone, 14' high.

Figure 9.10 (2 of 2)

The brutal and ruthless Assyrians dominated the Near East for more than 300 years.

Lamassu sculptures guarded the palace gate to terrify and intimidate all who entered.

The winged Lamassu is part lion or bull, with the head of a human being.

The horned crown symbolizes the king’s divine power.

Figure 9.11 (1 of 2)

9.11 Persepolis, general view, Persia (Iran), 559–330 BCE.

Figure 9.11 (2 of 2)

This Persepolis palace complex consisted of many structures, including hypostyle halls.

The palace is a fortified citadel located on a terraced platform.

The windows were made of solid blocks of stone with cutout openings.

Interior spaces were large, wide hypostyle halls.

The Royal Audience Hall was 200 ft. square and 60 ft. high and held up to 10,000 people.

These halls’ one hundred carved columns supported a wood-beamed ceiling.

On top of the columns were elaborate capitals with curving scrolls and foreparts of bulls or lions. Some had human heads.

A grand staircase was covered with images depicting subjects presenting tribute to the king. Stairs were chiseled from stone blocks and fitted into place.

Figure 9.12 (1 of 2)

9.12 Palace at Palenque, Maya, Chiapas, Mexico, 514–784.

Figure 9.12 (2 of 2)

Palenque was the center of one of several successive empires in Central America.

Palenque provided living quarters for the Mayan royalty, a center for religious rites, facilities for astronomical studies, and an administrative precinct.

Several thrones were found here.

The 72 ft. tower added important verticality to the horizontal design.

Large tower windows facing the four cardinal points may have had both astronomical and defensive uses.

Figure 9.13 (1 of 2)

9.13 Imperial Throne Room, in Hall of Supreme Harmony, Forbidden City, Beijing.

Figure 9.13 (2 of 2)

Chinese royal architecture supported the emperor’s claim to be the Son of Heaven, father of the people, and the one who maintained Heaven on Earth.

The Imperial Palace had 9,999 rooms and no commoners were allowed to enter.

The high ceiling is covered with elaborate patterns.

The focus is the throne, framed by columns and elevated on a stepped platform.

Figure 9.14 (1 of 2)

9.14 Jules Hardouin Mansart and Charles le Brun. Hall of Mirrors, Versailles, France, c. 1680.

Figure 9.14 (2 of 2)

Built by Louis XIV, the palace of Versailles was a sign of power and an instrument for maintaining that power.

The Hall of Mirrors is 240 ft. long, ceilings covered with frescoes, embellished with bronze capitals, sparkling candelabra, and jeweled trees, all in the Classical Baroque style.

Figure 9.15 (1 of 2)

9.15 Olowe of Ise. Palace Sculpture, Ikere, Nigeria, 1910–1914. Yoruba. Wood and pigment, 5' × 1' 1 1/4".

Figure 9.15 (2 of 2)

The Palace at Ikere provides another example of artwork that symbolizes kingly power.

Because women are revered for their procreative power, the queen towers over the king as the source of his power.

His crown is topped by a bird, are reproductive symbol for mothers, female ancestors, and deities.

Seats of Government

Social and political pressures help determine which styles of architecture are used in government buildings.

In 1836, the old Houses of Parliament in London burned. A new design was sought that would reinforce England’s desire to create a national identity.

Figure 9.16 (1 of 2)

9.16 Charles Barry and A. W. N. Pugin. Houses of Parliament, London, 1840–1860. 940' long.

Figure 9.16 (2 of 2)

Architect Charles Barry designed the Houses of Parliament general plan with A. W. N. Pugin responsible for ornamentation.

Both felt Gothic Revival style was appropriate for a Christian nation, alluding to the soaring cathedrals of the medieval period.

The building’s resemblance to a medieval church or a castle visually places the Parliament as a metaphor for the church with the strength and power of the government.

Figure 9.17 (1 of 2)

9.17 Te Papaiouru Marae, Maori Meeting House, Ohinemutu Maori Village, Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand, late 19th century.

Figure 9.17 (2 of 2)

New architecture evolved in New Zealand in response to political and social needs.

In the 19th century, the Maori nation changed radically as a result of European colonization.

The Maori meeting house represents the body of a powerful ancestor and, once inside, the living became one with their ancestor.

This meeting house offered an elaborate version of the chief’s house and a site for reaffirming tribal values and clan ties.

Bargeboards represent the ancestor’s arms and hands.

Sculptures on Maori meeting houses are carved with swirls, lines, and frightening imagery to empower clan members and intimidate outsiders.

Carvings represent mythical first parents and thus the tribe’s history.

Monuments

Commemorative monuments are often large, with architectural elements, sculpture, and inscriptions.

Many monuments commemorate past events, civic leaders, and military heroes.

Roman triumphal arches commemorate military victories.

Figure 9.18 (1 of 2)

9.18 Arch of Titus, Rome, Italy, 81 CE. Marble on concrete, 50' high, 40' wide.

Figure 9.18 (2 of 2)

The Arch of Titus was built by Domitian to record his brother Titus’s apotheosis (deification).

Engaged columns have Ionic and Corinthian elements, an example of the Roman synthesis of Greek orders.

The attic is the uppermost section with the inscription.

“Winged victories” in the spandrels symbolize Titus’s military successes.

Under the barrel vault, one relief depicts Titus being carried up to heaven on the back of an eagle, a visual image of his deification.

WAR

War is part of the story of power, politics, and glory’s representation in art and building.

Warriors, Weapons, and Fortifications

Warrior images can be found in almost every culture.

Fierceness is shown by:

large size of warriors

emphasis on armor, weapons, or regalia of power

menacing or aloof facial expressions

Figure 9.19 (1 of 2)

9.19 Andrea del Verrocchio. Equestrian Monument of Bartolomeo Colleoni, Italy, c. 1483–1488. Bronze, 15' high. Campo Ss. Giovanni e Paolo, Venice.

Figure 9.19 (2 of 2)

Equestrian Monument of Bartolomeo Colleoni merges the horse’s power with the rider’s strength and determination.

The 15 ft. statue is raised on a high pedestal, thus viewers are vulnerably placed under the horse’s raised hoof.

The animal’s tense, bulging muscles, and Colleoni’s twisted pose and scowling face are the embodiment of aggression. He was a condottiere (mercenary soldier).

Figure 9.20 (1 of 2)

9.20 Tula Warrior Columns, Mexico, 900–1000. Toltec. 16' to 20' high.

Figure 9.20 (2 of 2)

In the Toltec city of Tula in central Mexico, colossal Tula Warrior Columns stand on a temple platform atop a pyramid.

The 16- to 20-ft.-tall figures held up the temple roof; symbolically they supported the religion.

The warriors wear Toltec garb, elaborate headdresses, each hold an atlatl (spear-thrower) at their side.

The warriors’ attire functions to increase their power and prestige.

The warriors’ uniformity gives the impression of a formidable army that could crush anything.

Figure 9.21 (1 of 2)

9.21 Plaque with Warrior and Attendants, Benin, Nigeria, 17th or early 18th century. Brass, 1' 7 1/4" high.

Figure 9.21 (2 of 2)

Plaque with Warrior and Attendants depicts a Nigerian warrior king.

The king:

is larger than his attendants; his body displays classic African figurative proportion, approximately three heads high.

wears an apron and shield with leopard imagery.

dominates the composition with spear, helmet, and shield.

presents a frontal, symmetrical composition and conveys absolute authority, power, and strength.

Figure 9.22 (1 of 2)

9.22 The Great Wall, China. Construction began during the Qin Dynasty in 206 BCE, with major work occurring during the Ming Dynasty, 1368–1644 CE. Brick faced, average height 25', 1,500 miles long.

Figure 9.22 (2 of 2)

Strategically placed watchtowers contained embrasures for cannons and were used as signal stations—smoke by day, fires by night.

The brick-faced wall averages 25 ft. in height and width, and it creates a light-colored, undulating line for 1,500 miles.

This enduring war fortification is considered a “wonder of the world.”

War Scenes

Art can present war as a memorable, glorious, action-filled.

Art can document battles.

Art can emphasize the horrors of war.

Figure 9.23 (1 of 3)

9.23 Palette of King Narmer, Egypt, c. 3000 BCE. Slate, 2' 1" high.

Figure 9.23 (2 of 3)

Glorifying War

The Palette of King Narmer was used for mixing black eye makeup.

The carving records the unification of Egypt when Narmer, king of Upper Egypt, was victorious over Lower Egypt.

Symbolism:

The horizontal fish above a vertical chisel are pictographs for “Narmer.”

There are two images of Hathor, the cow goddess and the king’s protector.

Figure 9.23 (3 of 3)

Narmer is larger because of his status.

Left side: Narmer wears the cobra crown of Lower Egypt as he inspects beheaded enemies; intertwined necks of beasts may represent unification of Egypt.

Right side: Narmer wears the tall white crown of Upper Egypt and a servant carries his sandals (bare feet suggest a divine event); falcon represents Horus, god of Upper Egypt, who is perched triumphantly on a head and papyrus, representing Lower Egypt; bottom register renders dead prisoners.

Figure 9.24 (1 of 2)

9.24 right, Burning of the Sanjo Palace, detail, from the Heiji Monogatari (hand scroll), Kamakura period, Japan, late 13th century. Ink and color on paper, 1' 4 1/4" × 22' 9".

Figure 9.24 (2 of 2)

Japan was convulsed by civil war and two invasions by the Mongol emperor Kublai Khan.

Warfare and artistry were particularly interwoven at this time.

Burning of the Sanjo Palace is a scene from the Heiji Monogatari which is an illustrated scroll nearly 23 feet long, telling the tale of two feuding clans in the 12th century.

Strong visual contrasts heighten the sense of chaos.

Jumbled shapes differ from the clean lines of the palace roof.

Groups are juxtaposed with single figures to build and then diffuse dramatic moments.

On the next slide, compare the battle depictions in the Palette of King Narmer with this painting of a battle that occurred during the Kamakura era in medieval Japan.

Figures 9.23 and 9.24

Figure 9.25

9.25 Mathew B. Brady (or staff). Dead Confederate Soldier with Gun, 1865. Civil War photograph.

Nineteenth-Century Battle Scenes

Before the invention of the camera, artists had license to exaggerate or even fantasize about the battles and warriors.

Along with romanticized photographs of war heroes came horrific battlefield scenes, such as Dead Confederate Soldier with Gun by Mathew B. Brady

The first to photograph war, Brady made 3,500 photographs covering both sides of the U.S. Civil War.

Brady often arranged props, such as the rifles, to enhance both the composition and the sense of tragedy.

Figure 9.26 (1 of 2)

9.26 Red Horse. Battle of Little Big Horn, 1880. Sioux. National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

Figure 9.26 (2 of 2)

Battle of Little Big Horn, painted by the Sioux artist Red Horse, represents the Native American version of Custer’s last stand.

Sioux warriors advance from the right. Custer was defeated, the dead and wounded from both sides occupy the bottom of the image.

Red Horse stacked figures above each other to show the chaos and detail of battle.

Figure 9.27

9.27 Sergei M. Eisenstein. The Battleship Potemkin, Russia, 1925. Film stills.

Twentieth-Century Images of War

War is still glorified in 20th-century art, but more images present the horrific side.

After the Russian Revolution in 1917, Vladimir Lenin recognized the advantages of film.

Sergei M. Eisenstein was commissioned to glorify the heroism and martyrdom of the Soviet people in his film The Battleship Potemkin, 1925.

Eisenstein used many cinematic devices:

full views

extreme close-ups

panned shots

iris (blurred edges)

traveling camera

flashback

crosscutting

Eisenstein’s strength was his editing. He used a rapid form of montage that allowed the viewers to piece together the narrative from fleeting images.

Quick-cut images capture the feeling of terror, panic, and chaos.

Figure 9.28 (1 of 3)

9.28 Pablo Picasso. Guernica, Spain, 1937. Oil on canvas, 11' × 28' 8".

Figure 9.28 (2 of 3)

Guernica dramatized the 1937 destruction of the Basque capital during the Spanish Civil War.

German Nazi planes bombed the city, which burned for three days and left more than 1,000 people dead.

Horrified, Picasso immediately made sketches for the painting, blending aspects of Surrealism with Cubism.

Figure 9.28 (3 of 3)

Painting’s symbolism:

the bull represents Fascist Spain, doomed to be tortured and suffer a slow, inevitable death

the gored, dying horse represents the Spanish Republic

the fallen soldier holding the broken sword represents the spirit of resistance

other heads represent shocked witnesses to the carnage

the electric light bulb shaped like an eye suggests that the world is being shown its inhumanity

Picasso said, “Painting is not done to decorate apartments. It is an instrument of war for attack and defense against the enemy.”

Figure 9.29

9.29 Felix W. Weldon. USA Marine Corps War Memorial, Arlington, Virginia, 1954. Cast bronze, over life-size.

War Memorials

The USA Marine Corps War Memorial commemorates 6,800 U.S. soldiers who died in the battle for Iwo Jima Island in World War II.

The sculpture is inspired by a photograph that captured the flag raising after the Marines charged up Iwo Jima’s Mt. Suribachi.

Weldon’s bronze sculpture:

is grand, larger than life.

is dramatic.

depicts soldiers forming a triangle, indicating strength-solidity.

has numerous diagonals suggesting haste.

The past blends with the present as a real flag is raised and lowered on the memorial everyday.

Figure 9.30 (1 of 2)

9.30 Maya Ying Lin. Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C., 1982. Black granite, 492' long; height of wall at center, 10' 1".

Figure 9.30 (2 of 2)

Vietnam Veterans Memorial:

names 58,000 who died in chronological order

family and friends make rubbings of the names, leave remembrances

visitors meditate or mourn rather than celebrate

The long, V-shaped memorial is set with one end pointing to the Washington Monument, symbol of national unity, the other pointing to the Lincoln Memorial, remembering a nation divided by civil war.

The position reflects the national anguish over soldiers who died in a war about which the general population was ambivalent.

The lack of glorification of this war made the memorial very controversial. Compare Maya Lin’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial with Weldon’s Marine Corps Memorial.

Figures 9.29 and 9.30

Figure 9.31 (1 of 2)

9.31 Eddie Adams. Brigadier General Nguyen Ngoc Loan summarily executing the suspected leader of a Vietcong commando unit, Saigon, South Vietnam, February 1, 1968.

Figure 9.31 (2 of 2)

Magazine and newspaper coverage brought the realities of the war into U.S. homes, as seen in this war photograph taken in 1968 by Eddie Adams.

Its brutality and harshness contrasts with earlier romanticized images of war.

PEACE

Winged allegorical figures, doves, women, and pastoral landscapes have symbolized peace in Western art.

Gardens, bells, and temples serve as monuments to peace in Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

Figure 9.32

9.32 Edward Hicks. The Peaceable Kingdom, United States, 1830–1840. Oil on canvas, 1' 5 7/16" × 1' 11 9/16". Brooklyn Museum of Art.

Art About Peace

The Peaceable Kingdom is based on a biblical passage.

Edward Hicks was also inspired by William Penn and his treaty with the Indians (visible in the background).

Hicks’ visual metaphors are typical for rendering the concept of peace:

luminous sky

lush vegetation

animals rendered in imaginative style

feeling of innocence and peace

Figure 9.33

9.33 Ara Pacis Augustae, Rome, 13–9 BCE. Marble,outer wall: 34' 5" × 38' × 23'.

Peace Monuments and Peace Offerings

The Ara Pacis Augustae was built to commemorate Emperor Augustus work in Spain and France on his return.

Carved foliage, fruit garlands symbolize:

the golden age of plenty.

fecundity.

ripeness.

peace (all under the rule of Augustus).

Ara Pacis celebrates the peace of the Roman Empire, and is a monument that glorifies Augustus.

Figure 9.34 (1 of 2)

9.34 Moctezuma’s Headdress, Aztec, Mexico c. 1519. Quetzal and cotinga feathers, gold plaques. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

Figure 9.34 (2 of 2)

Art and gifts are often exchanged to seal peace treaties.

Precious objects may show submission or are given to avoid further confrontation.

Moctezuma’s Headdress was likely given to Cortés as either a peace offering or a last measure to avoid Moctezuma’s demise.

Figure 9.35 (1 of 2)

9.35 Presentation Pipe Tomahawk, Ottawa, United States, c. 1820. Wood, inlaid metal; 1' 11 1/2" × 8".

Figure 9.35 (2 of 2)

Native Americans created tomahawks and pipes to use for peaceful exchange.

The Presentation Pipe Tomahawk weapon was superbly crafted and was meant to be presented as a ritual peace offering.

Discussion Questions

In what ways can art be used in the service of the state and rulers?

What role does photography play in presenting images of war? Do photographs always provide the truth?

Many of the images in this chapter were used for propaganda purposes. Where do you see images or tools of propaganda today?