Museum Collection Completion

Art Museum Collection Completion

Bobby Washington

WORLD CULTURE AND THE ARTS (AXIA) HUM 205

With the opening of this new museum I would like to show art works from different aspects of different civilizations and their cultural development. The first piece that I chose is from the classical Greek civilization. This art form is of Greek literature what we know of this or other famous sculptures comes primarily from historical texts and later duplicates in marble The visual arts played a large part in a Greek civilization cultural revolution whose history endures to the present day.

The philosophers such as Plato and Socrates his teacher are both from Athens; Herodotos of Halikarnassos; Thoukydides of Athens, the first Greek-speaking historian who pioneered the scientific recording and analysis of some of their historical events wrote books chronicling historical events, such as the Persian War. The father of modern medicine; Hippokrates of Kos, Aeschylos, Euripides, and Sophokles the famous Athenian dramatists; and Aristophanes of Athens the comic writer all lived during this golden age of Greek culture.

Early Greek literature was in the form of plays developed for ceremonies. These stories were very popular, and became the basis for modern literature. The Greeks were also the first historians.

The second piece will be from the Roman Empire. This piece will show the architecture of the vast Roman Empires cities small and large cities. The Romans built engineering marvels across their empire, such as road systems, aqueducts, and bridges. They were well known for the building of aqueducts, which was a bridge like structure that where used to transport fresh water across vast distances. Still today, in Spain the Roman aqueduct still functions (Benton and DiYanni, 2005).just to see this type of engineering feat can marvel anyone.

There have been stories stating, that Islam bans images of people or animals but this statement is false. In itself the Koran has very little to say on the subject and the Traditions of the Prophet are open to different interpretations. All Muslims believe that Allah is without associate and He cannot, of course be represented. As He is praised and worshipped directly without intercessors, or images. Images or idols have no place in Islam. As the Koran is not a narrative like the Hebrew torah or the gospel of Bible, furthermore, there is little reason for Muslims to tell religious stories through pictures. The piece of art that I have chosen is a visual art form; Allah is at the heart of worship and aspirations for Muslims and is the main focus of their lives. This is why I chose this piece which by itself is simple yet profound. (The painting is of the creator “Allah”)

With the next piece of art form that I have chosen is from the early Chinese civilizations architecture. This art is one of China’s which is the Bronze Age. They were so concern about the after life that they constructed lavish tombs, during these times the Chinese favored to be buried underground, and many of these tombs today remain totally intact. Some of tombs are fashioned with bronze, ceramics and weapons. China’s art form of ceramics and various metals reached new heights of technology advances one example is Porcelain which is an ancient Chinese invention. This material has a non-porous body which is dense and a high gloss.

Many of the structures (ex Great Wall of China”) built during these periods are still standing in Beijing. Though out China’s history artists were trained in specific skills and with the exception of the un-skilled artists, Knowledge of materials and techniques was and still are passed from generation to generation within families.

The next art form that I will choose is from the Gothic and late middle Ages. From this era’s literature reflects for me the way that some people today often treat historical women. Historically Women's writing often seems to teach or assume that women before, say, 1800, where truly are not important, or did not write, or were just so oppressed as to be totally uninteresting, or whatever.

As someone who is learning and respecting earlier literature, from writers such as Christine de Pizan (1364-ca. 1431) who was a scholar ,poet and a court advisor (Benton and DiYanni, 2005). As a writer her books was were well received. Her most famous book was that of the “Book of the City of Ladies”. Throughout this book she attempts to alter the perception of women altogether (Benton and DiYanni, 2005).