Art Appreciation DB 6
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thgatear3_pptlecture_ch4-02_20181017.pptxChapter 4.2 Spirituality and Art
PART 4
THEMES
Copyright © 2015 Thames & Hudson
Introduction
Artworks can reference:
Gods or deities
Spirits of the natural world or ancestors
Communication with the spirit world
Judgment after earthly death
Places that have sacred resonance
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Third Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Gods, Deities, and Enlightened Beings
Stories of specific religious figures or deities
Explain their importance
Make them more accessible and memorable
Examples include divine individuals from Greek mythology, the Christian Bible, and Buddhist scripture
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Artwork: Apollo, centaur, and Lapith, Temple of Zeus
4.2.1 Apollo, centaur, and Lapith, fragments of relief sculptures from west pediment of Temple of Zeus, Olympia, Greece, c. 460 BCE. Marble, 8’8” × 10’10”. Archaeological Museum, Olympia, Greece
Apollo, centaur, and Lapith, Temple of Zeus
Legendary battle between the Lapiths and centaurs
Civilized vs. barbaric
Lapiths are idealized and rigid
Centaurs are dramatic and ferocious
Connected to Dionysus, god of wine
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Third Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Chapter 4.2 Spirituality and Art
The sculptures are from the west pediment of the temple dedicated to the god Zeus at Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the Olympic Games
Apollo, who stands in the center of the pediment, brings about order and reason
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The Acropolis and Parthenon of Athens
Watch this video about another temple built by the ancient Greeks to honor a god:
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Third Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Chapter 4.2 Spirituality and Art
Video:
Artwork: Doors depicting scenes from Genesis and life of Christ
4.2.2b Doors depicting scenes from Genesis and the life of Christ, commissioned by Bishop Bernward for the Abbey Church of St. Michael’s, Hildesheim, 1015. Bronze, 16’6”. Dom-Museum, Hildesheim, Germany
4.2.2c Diagram with identification of panels on Hildesheim Doors
Doors depicting scenes from Genesis and the life of Christ
Commissioned by Bishop Bernward for the Church of St. Michael’s, Hildesheim, Germany
Left: scenes from book of Genesis
Right: scenes from the life of Christ
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Third Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Chapter 4.2 Spirituality and Art
In Christian Europe in the eleventh century, visual artists often illustrated themes and events from the Bible
In chronological order the doors are read counterclockwise, beginning at the top of the left door
Organized to make direct connections between the Old and New Testaments
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Artwork: detail of Hildesheim Doors
4.2.2a Detail of Hildesheim Doors: Temptation in the Garden of Eden
Detail of Hildesheim Doors
Scene from the Old Testament door
Adam and Eve expelled from the Garden of Eden
Not idealized; reflects emphasis on internal, spiritual matters
Corresponding panel on the New Testament door depicts the crucifixion
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Third Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Chapter 4.2 Spirituality and Art
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Artwork: Life of Buddha
4.2.3 Life of Buddha, stela, Gupta period, c. 475 CE. Sandstone, height 41”. India Museum, Calcutta, India
Life of Buddha, stela, Calcutta, India
Buddhist art depicts the life, teachings, and beliefs of Buddha
Stela shows the cycle of his life
Miraculous birth
Moment of enlightenment
Giving his first sermon
Achieving tranquility (nirvana)
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Third Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Chapter 4.2 Spirituality and Art
Buddha, or the Awakened One, was a Hindu prince named Siddhartha Gautama who lived in Nepal and northern India from about 563 to 483 bce
The smaller carvings along the sides of the stela show noteworthy moments after he decided to leave his princely life at the age of thirty to become a holy man
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Spiritual Beings and Ancestors
Artworks may reflect beliefs in the spirits of gods and ancestors
In African cultures, objects are infused with a spiritual presence
Ancient rituals reflect ideas that are central to a community’s belief system
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Third Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Artwork: Senufo mother-and-child figure
4.2.4 Senufo mother-and-child figure, late 19th-mid-20th century. Wood, height 25”. Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio
Mother-and-child figure
Senufo culture, West Africa
Mother-and-child figure
Exaggerated breasts and arms
Nursing suggests this is a female ancestral spirit
Guiding spirit for those responsible for maintaining religious and historical traditions
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The Master Sculptors of Benin and Ife
For more examples of traditional African sculpture with connections to spirits and ancestors, watch:
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Video:
Artwork: photograph of Navajo medicine man
4.2.5 Navajo medicine man in healing ceremony. Photo 20th century
Navajo medicine man in a healing ceremony
Carefully constructed using natural materials (such as corn, pollen, and powdered stones); temporary
Healing ceremony is overseen by a shaman or medicine man
The ailing person sits in the center
Absorbs the power from ancestors and gods depicted in the painting
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Third Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Chapter 4.2 Spirituality and Art
The images are meticulously created over the course of days or week, constructed as part of a prayer or ceremony
The subject matter comes from Navajo creation mythology and includes logs, holy plants, animals, and deities
The careful production and impermanent medium express the belief that the forces of nature and ancestry are ultimately out of human control, but that they can be tapped to benefit the community
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Artwork: Hopi kachina doll
4.2.6 Hopi kachina doll,
c. 1925. Wood, feathers,
and pigment, height 25¼".
Gustav Heye Center, New
York (National Museum of
the American Indian)
Hopi Kachina Doll
Kachinas: supernatural spirits that personify events and natural elements
Masked dancers embody kachinas in annual festivals dedicated to rain, fertility, hunting
Jemez kachina doll helps ensure a successful corn crop
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Third Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Chapter 4.2 Spirituality and Art
The natural phenomena represented by kachinas include the solstices, constellations, plants, and animals
Elaborate headdress on the Jemez kachina contains cloud symbols, denoting its effectiveness in bringing rain
Carries a rattle and a sprig from a Douglas fir tree (represented by a feather)
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Connecting with the Gods
Some individuals intermediate between people and deities
Rulers depicted interacting with the divine realm
Reinforces power, divine right to rule
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Artwork: Stela of Naram-Sin
4.2.7 Stela of Naram-Sin, c. 2254–2218 BCE. Pink sandstone, 6’7” × 3’5”. Musée du Louvre, Paris, France
Stela of Naram-Sin
Commemorates the Akkadian king’s victory over the Lullubi people
He is located closest to the sun god: reinforces the king’s status
Favorable connection with the gods ensured prosperity for his kingdom
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Third Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Chapter 4.2 Spirituality and Art
Naram-Sin, an Akkadian king who ruled central Mesopotamia (part of modern Iraq) around 2254–2218 bce, was both head of church and state
Naram-Sin’s horned helmet and larger size emphasize his importance
The sun god is not depicted in human form but appears symbolically as a sunburst
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Artwork: Virgin of Vladimir
4.2.8 Virgin of Vladimir, 12th century (before 1132). Tempera on panel, 30¾ × 21½”. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia
Virgin of Vladimir
Icons (portable religious images)
Used by the Eastern Orthodox Church during the Middle Ages
Inspires devotion; believed to communicate with God
Gold backgrounds, linear outlines, stylized poses, haloes for Madonna and Child
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Third Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Many icons were painted on wood panels, so they could be carried around, although some were attached to chapel screens in churches
This icon, probably made in Constantinople, was intended to bless and protect the city in which it was housed (it has been in Moscow almost continuously since 1395)
Only the faces are original; the rest of the panel, probably damaged by people touching it, has been repainted
The Orthodox Church required the form and content of icons to follow traditional rules
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Artwork: Gianlorenzo Bernini, The Ecstasy of St. Teresa
4.2.9 Gianlorenzo Bernini, The Ecstasy of St. Teresa, 1647–52. Polychromed marble, gilt, bronze, yellow glass, fresco, and stucco, 4’11” high (figures only). Cornaro Chapel, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome, Italy
Bernini, The Ecstasy of St. Teresa
Typical of the Baroque style
Depicts St. Teresa’s vision: she is about to be pierced by an angel’s arrow, infusing her with divine love
Theatrical staging; dramatic light
Intensity of her piety serves as an example to be followed by the devout
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Third Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
PART 4
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Chapter 4.2 Spirituality and Art
Gianlorenzo Bernini (1598–1680) made this sculpture between 1647 and 1652 to decorate a funerary chapel for the Cornaro family in the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome, Italy
The combination of accurate and believable details with an exaggerated picture of devotion reflects the Catholic Church’s new emphasis at that time on believers establishing a strongly personal relationship with Christ
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Gianlorenzo Bernini: The Ecstasy of St. Teresa
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Third Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Chapter 4.2 Spirituality and Art
Video:
Artwork: Book of the Dead of Hunefer
4.2.10 Book of the Dead of Hunefer: Last Judgment before Osiris, c. 1275 bce. Painted papyrus, height 15⅜”. British Museum, London, England
Judgment and the Afterlife
Scroll with spells designed to help navigate the way into the afterlife
Buried with the scribe Hunefer
Pleads his case to judges
His soul is weighed on a scale
He is proven to have lived an honorable life
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Third Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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The act of judging a life before the deceased is allowed to pass into the afterlife has been the theme of numerous artworks
In many judgment scenes, scales are featured as a symbol of justice in which a life is “held in the balance” before the soul is allowed to pass on
Hunefer is presented to Osiris
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Artwork: Gislebertus, The Last Judgment
4.2.11 Gislebertus, The Last Judgment, c. 1120–35. Tympanum from west Portal, Cathedral of Saint-Lazare, Autun, France
Judgment and the Afterlife (contd.)
Bottom row of figures await judgment
Christ’s right: souls of the blessed and angels
Christ’s left: scales and the ravaged bodies of the damned
Grotesque appearance sent a strong message to churchgoers
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Third Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Chapter 4.2 Spirituality and Art
In twelfth-century Europe, depictions of the Last Judgment took on an ominous tone
The Romanesque characteristic of elongated and somewhat angular figures on the sculpture throughout the whole portal creates a visually dynamic tension
A pair of hands comes down from above to gather the sixth figure from the right for his weighing
In the center of the carved tympanum, Christ is shown as larger than all the rest of the figures, indicating his key role in the judgment of humankind
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Artwork: Johannes Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance
4.2.12 Johannes Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance, c. 1664. Oil on canvas,
16¾ × 16”. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Judgment and the Afterlife (further contd.)
Vermeer subtly includes religion in a scene from everyday life
Painting behind the woman shows the Last Judgment
Scales are empty, but balanced
Actions, not possessions, are the true indication of worth
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Chapter 4.2 Spirituality and Art
Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675) focuses on an ordinary moment, in which the woman is standing at a table by a window near her open jewelry boxes
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Sacred Places
Allow us to feel connected and at peace
Marked by artist and architects
Places of personal retreat
Communal worship
Connected to nature, religion, or community
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Third Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Plan of Lascaux Caves
4.2.13a Plan of Lascaux Caves, Dordogne, France
Pigment on limestone rock in Hall of the Bulls
4.2.13b Hall of the Bulls. Pigment on limestone rock, Lascaux Caves
Hall of the Bulls, Lascaux Caves, France
Required great effort
Overlapping images: the site was visited repeatedly over time
Indicates the place was significant
Likely purposes: storytelling, teaching hunting techniques, and representing ritual practices
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Third Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Chapter 4.2 Spirituality and Art
The walls of the Lascaux Caves in southern France were painted sometime between 17,000 and 15,000 bce
Similar paintings have been found in other places in France and Spain, indicating that these paintings were part of a widespread cultural practice by people who either moved from place to place or shared ideas with others
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Plan and section of catacomb of Priscilla
4.2.14a Plan and section showing part of the catacomb of Priscilla, 2nd and 3rd centuries CE. Via Salaria, Rome, Italy
Catacomb of Priscilla
4.2.14b Fresco from the Cubicle of the Velata, catacomb of Priscilla, 2nd and 3rd centuries CE, Via Salaria, Rome, Italy
Catacomb of Priscilla, Rome, Italy
Series of underground tunnels
Burial places and temples
Sacred for pagans, Jews, and Christians
Imagery, such as the praying figure, was familiar to all three faiths
Interpreted differently by each
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Third Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Constructed outside the city of Rome, Italy, between the second and fourth centuries ce
An underground system of tunnels measuring between 60 and 90 miles in length and containing the ancient remains of 4 million people
Using imagery, such as this prayerful person, that was familiar to practitioners of other religions probably helped win potential converts to Christianity
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Artwork: Main entrance portal (iwan), Masjid-i-Shah
4.2.15 Main entrance
portal (iwan) with muqarnas
vaulting. Masjid-i-Shah,
early 17th century,
Isfahan, Iran
Main entrance portal (iwan), Masjid-i-Shah
Muslims pray five times a day, facing direction of Mecca
Mosque features include: iwans (vaulted entrances), minarets (large towers), mihrab (prayer niche)
Decoration: foliage designs, intricate blue tile work, calligraphy
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In addition to the Taj Mahal, Shah Jahan was responsible for the building of Masjid-i-Shah, also known as The Mosque of the Imam in Isfahan (present-day Iran)
Minarets rise above the city to call citizens to prayer
In its central courtyard there is a large pool for cleansing before prayer
The muqarnas (or stalactite vaults) are decorative elements originally used to cover the tombs of holy men
One description suggests that the muqarnas sanctify the space by symbolizing “the rotating dome of heaven.”
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“The Abode of Paradise”: The Taj Mahal
For more examples of exquisite Islamic decoration, watch:
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Third Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Chapter 4.2 Spirituality and Art
Video:
Artwork: Ise Jingu, Japan
4.2.16 Ise Jingu, site dates from 4th century CE, rebuilt 1993, Mie Prefecture, Japan
Ise Jingu, Japan
Shinto religion: well-being is connected to natural elements (water, trees, mountains, sun)
Shrines built on sacred sites
Simple design, natural materials
Rebuilt every 20 years because nature is cyclical and is renewed
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Chapter 4.2 Spirituality and Art
Shinto focuses on the here and now and reveres nature itself as a deity
Sites, such as a mountain, were once worshiped directly, but over time shrines were built as places to worship a god, known as a Kami, that was important to a particular area
Ise Jingu is one of thousands of shrines throughout Japan dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami
Local residents visit the shrine to revere the goddess and seek her assistance
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Artwork: Rothko Chapel
4.2.17 Rothko Chapel, 1966–71, Menil Collection, Houston, Texas
Rothko Chapel Houston, Texas
Open to people of all beliefs
Contains 14 paintings by Rothko
Intense colors inspire contemplation
Rothko wanted to create an environment to transport viewers beyond everyday experience
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Third Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
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Mark Rothko (1903–1970) was a Russian-born American Abstract Expressionist painter
Rothko worked closely with the architects on the designs for the chapel
Canvases employ a restricted, dark palette of colors ranging from maroon and plum to black
The chapel was part of the artist’s search for the simplest means to express universal truths that are spiritual but not connected to any particular religious doctrine
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Spiritual Resonance
To explore more places with spiritual resonance, watch:
The Gothic Cathedral of Chartres
The Pyramids of Giza
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Third Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
Video:
Video:
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Chapter 4.2 Spirituality and Art
Spiritual Resonance (contd.)
To explore more places with spiritual resonance, watch:
St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel
Teotihuacan:
Ancient Mexico’s “Place of the Gods”
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Third Edition, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields
Video:
Video:
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Chapter 4.2 Spirituality and Art
Chapter 4.2 Copyright Information
This concludes the PowerPoint slide set for Chapter 4.2
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts
Third Edition
By Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2015 Thames & Hudson
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Picture Credits for Chapter 4.2
4.2.1 John Hios/akg-images
4.2.2a Dom-Museum Hildesheim
4.2.2b Dom-Museum Hildesheim
4.2.2c Ralph Larmann
4.2.3 India Museum, Calcutta
4.2.4 The Cleveland Museum of Art, James Albert and Mary Gardiner Ford Memorial Fund, 1961.198
4.2.5 © Peter Arnold, Inc./Alamy
4.2.6 Photo by Photo Services. Courtesy National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. (18/2023)
4.2.7 Musée du Louvre, Paris
4.2.8 State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
4.2.9 Photo Scala, Florence/ Fondo Edifici di Culto – Min. dell’Interno
4.2.10 British Museum, London
4.2.11 Hervé Champollion/ akg-images
4.2.12 National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Widener Collection, 1942.9.97
4.2.13a Ralph Larmann
4.2.13b Colorphoto Hans Hinz, Allschwil, Switzerland
4.2.14a Ralph Larmann
4.2.14b © Araldo de Luca/ Corbis
4.2.15 © B. O’Kane/Alamy
4.2.16 Courtesy Jingu Administration Office
4.2.17 Photo Hickey-Robertson. © 1998 Kate Rothko Prizel & Christopher Rothko ARS, NY and DACS, London
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