Humanities Assignment 3

PREHISTORIC PERIOD

That period was called prehistory since it is before written history. The period dates as early as one the earliest works of art which is the "Venus of Willendorf" from 30,000 -25.000 B.C.  That work was found in modern day Austria in a location called Willendorf. Other works that help us understand prehistory are the cave paintings which date already around 20 to 13 thousand years B.C. PREHISTORIC - before written history

MESOPOTAMIAN CIVILIZATION:

The Prehistoric Era or Period is not considered to be a civilization.

A civilization would be a group of people who would have established a way of life which had a source of water. The earliest of these areas where there are rivers where people developed a civilization is the area referred to in Humanities as Mesopotamia. The rivers are the Tigris and the Euphrates. The area next is the Egyptian area around the Nile River. Later the civilizations developed in the continent of India and in China. The period of MESOPOTAMIA is considered by many historians to be one or the earliest civilization since it possessed language, architecture, a type of government, astronomy, ceremonial type situations and trade and commerce etc.  That group of people developed a complex culture. Early objects of MESOPOTAMIA are as early as 3500 to 3300 B.C. A harp was found that has been from around 2600 B.C.

Ziggurat 2,220 B.C.E

Royal lyre, from the tomb of Queen Puabi, Ur, Iraq, 2650-2550B.C.E.

Cylinder seal and impression, showing snake-necked lions, from Mesopotamia, 3300B.C.E.

The next group of people would be the Egyptians. Their type of government was based on the rule of dynasties which meant that they were rules by pharaohs and queens.

The early part of the Egyptian Civilization is marked with the Sphinx which dates around 2600 and the pyramids at the Giza plateau which is outside of modern day Cairo, Egypt around 2500 and give or take one hundred years. (you will need to look up the pyramids with the names of each pharaoh in order to know the dates)

The treasures such as those that you are familiar with that the archeologist Howard Carter found in 1922 were uncovered in an area in Egypt called the "Valley of the Kings" and that is not near Cairo. Later after the pyramid age the later time period in the Egyptian history, the tombs housed the mummified (preserved) bodies of the pharaohs and the kings. They were then placed inside a deep carved tomb in a very rocky terrain in Egypt. That time is referred to as the New Kingdom.

The Nile River was extremely important for the people of Egypt to plant and harvest and they had to perfect irrigation to exist. They were good sailors and were able to develop a way of keeping very good records since they used the plant papyrus to make paper and wrote on it.

The Sphinx, Giza, c.2650 B.C.E.

Great Pyramid of Cheops(Khufu), Giza, Egypt,2680-2565 B.C.E.

Tomb of Tutankhamen in the Valley of the King 1340 B.C.E.

GREEK CIVILIZATION:

Before the Greek times that we all know about which is when the Parthenon was built, there were others traveling to regions that are now called Greece and the island of Crete.  Crete is where the first group of people that left behind major contributions which are considered to be important heritage Greek.  Many of you have studied the great Greek philosophers who are from the era which is more near the Classical era of the Greeks which is later. The early development on Crete began already around 2000 B. C.  The Golden Age or Classical Age as it is also called developed in the 400's which is the 5th century B.C. The group called the Minoans was named the Minoans because an archeologist named Sir Arthur Evans found it and excavated the site and wanted it to be called that since the king was called King Minos. The palace called Knossos was excavated by Sir Arthur Evans beginning in 1900.  Another group of people who helped pave the way for the great Greek era called the Classical era or the Golden Age (5th century) was the Myceneans. That was also a very important group which fought in the war called the Trojan war. The Minoans may have been conquered by the Myceneans. The location of the Mycenean Civilization is on the mainland of modern-day Greece and is in a much different area. You may want to look at a map.  There were many types of pottery at the time of the Greek civilization and there were figures painted on various shapes of vases. The shapes were called amphora, kylix and kraters.

Kouros, 615 B.C.E Century B.C.E.

Theatre at Epidaurus, 4th B.C.E.

Parthenon, 5th Century B.C.E

Hellenistic Greek Art is usually around the 3rd 2nd and 1st centuries B.C.E and it is Greek, but it is more ornate and show violent themes many times

The three orders of columns in architecture of the Greeks:

Doric: the simplest in shape and the column does not have a base

An example is the Parthenon located on the acropolis in Athens, Greece

Ionic: this has a scroll like form on the top that is like a swirl shape with a base, an example is the Temple of Nike which is also located on the acropolis

Corinthian: this order is the most elaborate of these three orders. It is decorative and tall and has a base. The temple below the acropolis called the Temple of Zeus (Romans called it Jupiter) is an example).

ROMAN CIVILIZATION:

The Etruscans were peoples who lived in an area in the Italian peninsula and many of their cultural ideas were absorbed into the Roman Civilization. The Romans would become the most powerful culture on the Mediterranean Sea for several centuries until the Middle Ages after their central government is unable to manage (popularly called in history as the "fall of Rome").

The Romans were interested in incorporating much of the Greek architecture and the Greek ideas such as the pantheon of Greek gods into their culture. Greek artists were imported to the main area of Rome and they were made to mass produce art. Much of the art was made of marble.

The Romans established a republic and conquered the ancient Greeks, Julius Caesar (100-44 B.C.E.) became emperor but he was assassinated. The republic then fell.

After Julius Caesar's death Emperor Augustus (623 B.C.E. 14 C.E.) initiated a short-lived period of peace. Rome became a center for architecture, city planning transportation leadership and expertise, military leadership and power, and a central government.

Pont du Gard, near Nimes, France, 1st century B.C.E

Pantheon, Rome,118-28 C.E.  (A.D.) Constantine the Great sets up his capitol in Istanbul (today's name) and it was called Byzantium 333 or 334 A.D.

Mt. Vesuvius 79 A.D. 

MIDDLE AGES:

5th to the 15th centuries

The reason some people call this period the Dark Ages may be because there were some groups of single-minded people who stifled many of the thinkers of their day. (especially scientific study)

The feudal system was in place at that time and also the Black plague happened during some of the years of that time period.

Morality plays were performed in cities to relay messages of how people should think and behave.

Architectural structures still stand today in many areas from Greece, Turkey, England, Italy, Germany, France, Spain to list a few.

Byzantine Architecture Abraham's Hospitality and the Sacrifice of Isaac, San Vitale, Ravenna, 547 C.E, Wall Mosaic

Romanesque Architecture St. Sernin, Toulouse, France, 1080-1120

Gothic Architecture Chartres Cathedral, France

1145-1220

Each style has distinct characteristics which reflect the beliefs at that time and some churches still remain for visitors to see today.

 Notice in Byzantine Art that the work is done many times with flat areas of color and heavy use of line. The artist may have also done his work in mosaics.

Romanesque Architecture: notice how the interior space looks different than the Gothic interior. The Gothic interiors of cathedrals will have pointed arches whereas the Romanesque will be rounded. The interior space of the Gothic may seem larger and taller than the Romanesque. The Gothic churches also made use of stained glass windows.

RENAISSANCE PERIOD:

Began in 15th century

In 1347 the Black plague arrived in Sicily and it spread northward. Petrarch wrote a poem about Laura who died from the plague.

Chaucer wrote about pilgrims who traveled to Canterbury to see the shrine and help them reach salvation.

The Renaissance revived the ideas and information about Greece and Rome. It became a new way of thinking for some powerful people who had leadership positions. Therefore, it would become a time of change. That can be seen very noticeably in the visual arts. Brunelleschi would be part of a competition with Ghiberti in Florence which marked a new beginning showing the competitive spirit as well as a new definition of who an artist was. Now the names of who did the work on the cathedrals would begin to emerge.

The Renaissance is when Leonardo da Vinci lived, Raphael Sanzio who painted the famous "School of Athens" and when Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the chapel called the Sistine. Michelangelo did the "David" sculpture and the sculpture of the mother of Jesus holding her son called the

"Pieta" (later 15th century) The Mona Lisa was painted by the famous inventor and painter Leonardo da Vinci.

printing press had a major influence

Calvinism and the Protestant Reformation

BAROQUE PERIOD:

1650-1750

The emergence of the middle class would be seen in the subject matter seen in the arts.

Notice the art of Bernini and how his sculpture of the "David" is one of motion and in the midst of action.

Notice Rembrandt from Holland and how his work is so personal and emotional with high contrasts of light and dark.

Notice how Rembrandt's portraits reveal who the person is and their personality. He was and still is considered one of the best portrait painters ever to have painted.

Velasquez was a great painter who was able to capture such fabulous settings and when you see an actual painting of his you will understand what a great portrait is. You will never be satisfied in your life ever again with mediocre art.

Ruben 1577-1640

Vermeer 1632-1675

Velasquez 1599-1660

El Greco 1544-1644   Mannerism which elongated the forms or bodies to make them look other worldly or spiritual

Handel 1685-1759

Johann Sebastian Bach 1685-1750

John Milton 1608-1674

Opera brought about new construction of opera houses.  Opera was invented.

Vivaldi wrote the "Four Seasons" one of the most famous Baroque compositions.

J.S. Bach was a teacher but he is known today as establishing the way that western compositions are written in terms of keys (tonality) etc.

CLASSICAL PERIOD:

CLASSICAL PERIOD and architecture can be called NEO- CLASSICAL:

In music, the symphony became important with now development of FOUR sections. The piano became important and the harpsichord was not used as much.

This period is more refined and had a balance and order to it compared to the Baroque Period which seemed to have more decoration and action or motion.

1750-1820 or 1825 depending on your source.

Famous painter:  Jacques Louis David   "Oath to the Horatii" "Death of Socrates" "Death of Marat" (Paintings)

Writer: John Locke

Advocated civil liberties such as basic judicial rights and the right to have public assembly

the monarchs gradually began to acknowledge some individual rights, including the beginning of free speech and expanded suffrage, but initially it was not done willingly.

American Revolution 1776

French Revolution 1789

The ideas that the kings had the divine right to rule was shattered and the Western idea of a new political system was born.

Thomas Paine moved from England to America in 1774. He was a staunch believer in human rights and wrote anti-slavery tracts. He believed that legitimate laws were designed to protect individual citizens. “COMMON SENSE”

How do you think that the availability of printed material may have impacted or influenced people in the early area of the modern day United States?

Ludwig van Beethoven rebelled against the aristocracy. Listen to his last symphonies and compare his first, 5th and 9th. His last one was his 9th.

Beethoven wrote many other works other than symphonies.

Mozart wrote 41 symphonies. Also listen to Haydn's symphonies.

Beethoven has also been placed in the Romantic Period by some writers since his later music is intense and emotional.

ROMANTIC PERIOD:

Romanticism was style that reflected ideals of freedom and it began in Paris, France. the style spread to areas of Europe in the 1800's.

Romanticism flourished in music and literature. The operas of Richard Wagner reflect this era. The Ring cycle is considered to be one of the most ambitious musical projects ever to be undertaken.

Composers:

Chopin

Liszt

Schubert

Mendelssohn

Tchaikovsky

Wagner

Brahms

Emphasis on nationalism, deep feelings of emotionalism and subjectivity.

The piano became a solo instrument.

19th Century and IMPRESSIONISM

Ravel

Debussy

20th CENTURY

Stravinsky

Schoenberg

Berg

Gershwin

Many styles of music etc.

jazz

rock

country

swing

Bebop

Cool jazz

Free Jazz

Ragtime

Blues

etc.