Favorite Pieces!

I enjoyed most about this quarter was learning about the Aegean Art! But more specifically I liked learning about the Minoan culture. They are very interesting to me because they were naturalistic and cared most about their surroundings. I really liked that they were very in-touch with animals.  Also, they were very bold and brave when it came to warriors. They seemed very powerful, I liked that most of their artwork ad architectural pieces were with raised arms as a symbol of power and embrace.  One of my favorite pieces of art is the “Woman or Goddess with Snakes” (c.1700-1550 BCE), because it seems like a strong female symbol. With her upraised arms she is powerful and not afraid. The texture of her is also very interesting because it seems sturdy and unbreakable. Not only do the upraised arms and the rough texture stand out, but also the snakes make her seem impossible to touch to whomever she is facing. I think that is an important symbol because she is bare-breasted and it makes me think that the snakes are protecting her fertility and life because they are so fragile.

            I also enjoyed learning about Greek art. I find the Greek culture very interesting and unique. What makes me drawn to them most is the fact that the Gods meant everything to them.  For example, the reconstruction of “The Statue of Zeus at Olympia” was very appealing to me because of not only the size, but also the meaning. The statue is nearly 43 feet high! That is not the only thing that captures your eye though; all the gold it’s made it is beautiful! The materials made of the reconstruction are absolutely gorgeous. Both the history and physical appearance of this statue makes it all more the better. I like that he is holding the goddess of victory and the fact that he’s decorated in naturalistic things like lily’s, stones, ebony, and ivory. It is interesting that the eagle was not included in this reconstruction, but the scale of this statue makes the piece extremely intriguing. I hope to one day visit some Greek artwork in Europe. The pool is of oil makes this piece the most interesting. It adds extra character even though it’s for weather erosion.

            Another one of my favorite Greek pieces of the geometric period is art piece of the attributed to the Hirschfield Workshop, Funerary Krater (“Dipylon Krater”), c, 750-700 BCE because it has so much character! They started using similar resemblances to the Minoan and Mycenaean vases, but with more shapes like spirals and diamonds. Even though the humans in this vase are not naturalistic, they are interesting and unusual which is why they are so interesting to me. Each section on the vase shares it’s own section of a story or symbol. There is always something to look at, at the incredibly detailed vase. I love the figures of the humans and how oddly shaped they are. It makes me wonder why they made the humans this way. Maybe it’s because you can’t tell the difference between the men and the women. The chariots and horses were an interesting detail that I think definitely entails death. I also like that there is not a lot of color throughout the vase, it gives it a smoother theme and more concentration on the details. Which is strange because I love vibrant colors and lots of detail, but this vase is striking to me, it is definitely one of my favorites!