Travels Into History and Art
Travels into History and Art
Blair Lawson
HUM/205
June 2011
Robert Zomermaand
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Travels Into History and Art
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Travels into History and Art
Art is not only a creative way humans can express themselves, but also a way to
remember the past. Throughout my life I have observed many adventures and majestic subjects.
By absorbing art from many cultures and civilizations, I have been blessed with the ability to
travel through time and experience the past.
This book will help the reader understand and enjoy the history and pieces of art created
from the Egyptian and Roman civilizations. The Italian Renaissance period is also discussed.
Italy is one of my favorite places to visit because I have made an abundance of art discoveries
there.
I want share with readers my love for art; and to help them differentiate between the
aspects of civilization and culture as they pertain to the art of the particular periods. I will discuss
at least one piece of art work from each of the three civilations.
The first civilation I visited as an art historian was Egypt. It began in approximately
3000 B.C., lasting until nearly 300 B.C. With a recorded history of five thousand years it is
among the earliest civilizations. Ancient Egyptian culture had a major impact on the art world
and was the foundation of the history of western art (123 Independence Day, n.d.).
The Egyptians’ major art influences were from Mesopotamia. Mesopotamian art
expressed scenes from nature, mainly on pieces of pottery and later in and around cemeteries.
The major meaning behind Egyption art was to help them pass with ease into the afterlife
and to worship their gods. Egyptian society was very stable and this allowed Egyptian artists to
freely express themselves through their works. Order and structure were the main focus of the art
pieces. Though their art work was based on traditional beliefs, their pieces of art were not very
realistic. We see their art work as spiritual and conservative. The pieces were made of clay,
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wood, granite, soft stone, ivory, and metal. They also produced sculptures, paintings, metal art,
architecture, hieroglyphics, and ceramics.
The cultural beliefs of the Egyptians are also expressed in their art. The art during this
period was created for only royal families, pharaohs, gods, as they were at the top of the
Egyption social pyramid. The social pyramid defines the Egyptian society. At the top of the
pyramid was a Pharaoh and considered a God here on earth. Below the pharaoh on the pyramid
was the pharaoh’s closest advisor, the vizier. High priests and nobles were under the vizier. After
them came the doctors, priests, and engineers; which was considered the fourth level. On the
third level we find the scribes and the craftsmen were on level two. The bottom of the pyramid
was for the slaves and farmers. The workers supported the professionals above them, just as the
base of the pyramid supports the rest of the structure (Aldokkan, 2001). The engineers,
craftsmen, and scribes are the people who are accountable for creating the Egyptian art; such as
the coffin of King Tutankhamen.
King Tutankhamen’s coffin is one piece of art work discussed in the book. Despite the
brevity of his reign, this minor ruler was buried in a sarcophagus that contained three coffins, one
inside another, the outer two of wood covered with gold sheet, and the innermost one made of
solid gold (Benton & DiYanni, 2008). This coffin of solid gold weighs 250 pounds and was
measured at 73’ inches long. The coffin was inlaid with semiprecious and enamel stones. Most
of the art was made to worship and honor King Tutankhamen, who was a fairly young king,
living only ten years, from 1347 B.C to 1337 B.C.
Along with the coffin other pieces of artwork were discovered in his tomb, which was
discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter. They were put there to remind him of his family and
there were many replicas of the young king himself. Apparently, he died suddenly because a
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proper royal tomb, to our knowledge, was never prepared for him. Instead, the tomb of
Tutankhamen is relatively small and follows a design more often found in non-royal tombs
(Simon & Baker, 2003). King Tutankhamen’s tomb clearly showed that the Egyptians believed
deeply in life after death. The picture below shows the inner coffin of King Tutankhamen. This
piece of art is an excellent example of how beautiful and detailed the art was during the Egyptian
civilization period.
(Dunn, 1996)
Like the art created in Egyptian civilization period the Roman civilization period also
created beautiful and full of life artwork. My travels took me to the Roman civilization next.
Their art form and rituals behind it were developed from examples of a couple of earlier
civilizations, the Etruscan and the Hellenistic periods. The Etruscan society was the most
dominant Italian culture of the period. Greek treasures discovered by the Roman’s also
influenced their art.
There were two types of Roman art at the time: secular and utilitarian. The Romans’ art
was not exclusively devoted to religion but was functional. It was created from different items,
such as sculptures, relief sculptures, statues, paintings, and mosaics. Through their art they also
created pottery, literature, and architecture. One of the main functions of their art was for
decoration, both interior and exterior. The Roman art was created from bronze, clay, marble,
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metal, wood, and, newly discovered by the Romans, concrete. With concrete the had more
creative freedom with art and could make things such as buildings more complex and detailed.
The Roman society, like the Egyptians, was indeed hierarchical, which is a system of
arranging their people in rank order. The lower classes included the slaves, freed people,
foreigners, Latin’s, and commoners. Also included in the lower-level were women. According to
VROMA.org, since the lower classes wwas not defined by male activities, there was no problem
with including women (n.d.). Females and male children were automatically members of the
social class of their parents. The upper class consisted of senatorial and equestrian. Like the
lower class women also were included in the upper class. According to VROMA.org, although
membership in these classes was dominated by the same families over many generations, the
classes themselves were defined according to male activities rather than birth (n.d.). The slaves
were not allowed to own any pieces of art work or land. The people who owned art were the
senators and statesmen along with a few others. The leaders in Rome were also often given
offerings of art as gifts. The rich citizens funded the Roman art and made the astonishing pieces
we see from them possible.
In my travels to the Roman civilization I have seen some remarkable pieces of art. One of
my favorites, is The Temple of Fortuna Virilis. This temple was believed to be built around the
late second to mid-first century. This temple is believed to be built for or dedicated to the god
Portunus, whom was considered the protector of harbors and sea trade. The small and elegant
building stands on a tall base with trabrtine columns that have Ionic order. The basic style of this
temple was peripteros style in Greek times. In Roman times, the columns combined the walls of
the sacrid room to the pilaster. Greek sculpturesque temples turned into Roman picturesque ones
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as if the form turned into the frame, or, as if the signification turned into the sign (Kyoto-Inet,
n.d). It is truly amazing to think of how many years this building has withstood man and nature.
(Kyoto-Inet, n.d)
My travels had to come to an end in the Roman civilization period. I must say though I
enjoyed my time there. It was extraordinary.
I then advanced to the next stop in my travels, which was the Italian Renaissance period.
Art forms from all the periods I had visited so far had been amazing and beautiful. The Italian
Renaissance period did not let me down. The more dominant art works during this period were
the sculptures, paintings, and, especially architecture. In our modern world this art approach and
the concepts during this period are still copied and appreciated. I also believe that the art work
created in this period will motivate and influence future artists. The art created during this period
was realistic and indeed symbolized its theme. The artist in the Italian Renaissance were very
significant when it came to contributing to the arts and culture. Over time their art became
mathematical and even three dimensional in its observation. The well-known Leonardo Da Vinci
was a magnificent artist who indeed used these methods to make his art. One very interesting
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fact I learned during this travel was that some of the most famous artists during this period were
not just artists but scientists as well.
As mentioned earlier, one of the more dominant art works during this period was their
architecture. Their buildings were created to be extravagant, lavish, and magnificent. Domes,
arches, and columns are seen in their structures.
Like the Egyptian Civilization the Italian Renaissance created their artwork for the rich,
to decorate and lavish their homes, but unlike the Egyptians their churches also displayed their
art form. Their artists created mainly for religious beliefs, but a few pieces may be found to
symbolize daily life. Many artists in this period focused on human anatomy, for their art was
created to be realistic.
Most of the art during this period were crafted using wood, marble, bronze, metal,
granite, oils, and ivory. Many believe that the world’s greatest artist of all-time lived during this
period in Leonardo Da Vinci. His signature piece, The Mona Lisa, still stands out today. It was
her slight smile in the painting that still intrigues viewers. This painting is to be believed created
around 1503 to 1505 and was done on wood with oil. The painting is of a figure of a woman,
dressed in the Florentine fashion of her day and seated in a visionary, mountainous landscape. It
is a remarkable instance of Leonardo's sfumato technique of soft, heavily shaded modeling. The
Mona Lisa's enigmatic expression, which seems both alluring and aloof, has given the portrait
universal fame (WebMuseum, 2006). The picture displayed below is that of Mona Lisa, one of
the most famous pieces of art work, it is still admired in our modern world.
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(WebMuseum, 2006)
The Egyptian civilization, Roman civilization, and Italian Renaissance all still have big
influences on todays modern cultures and art. For example, according to touregypt.net, most of
what we see of ancient Egyptian art, at museums or in books, are pieces that appeal to modern
aesthetic tastes (1996). We also see new movies coming out all the time about these civilizations.
My travels have taken me too several breathtaking and exciting periods of our history.
My hope in writing this book is to guide my readers to a better understanding of the history and
art created during the Egyptian civilization, Roman civilization, and Italian Renaissance period
while enjoying it as well.
Travels Into History and Art
References
123 Independence Day . (n.d.). Art and Culture, Egypt . Retrieved from
http://www.123independenceday.com/egypt/art-and-culture.html
Aldokkan. (2001). Egyptian Social Pyramid . Retrieved from
http://www.aldokkan.com/society/social_pyramid.htm
Benton, J. R., & DiYanni, R. (2008). Arts and Culture (3rd ed.). Upper Sandle River, NJ:
Pearson.
Simon and Baker . (2003). King Tutankhamon and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs. Retrieved
from http://simonandbaker.com/king-tut.html
VROMA. (n.d.). Social Class and Public Display. Retrieved from
http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/socialclass.html
Kyoto-Inet. (n.d). History of Roman Archietcture. Retrieved from http://web.kyotoinet.or.jp/org/orion/eng/hst/roma/fortuna.html
WebMuseum. (2006). Leonardo Da Vinci . Retrieved from
http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/vinci/joconde/
Dunn, J. (1996). King Tut's Coffins. Tour Egypt . Retrieved from
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/tutcoffins.htm
Andrews, M. (1996). An Introduction to Egyptian Art. Tour Egypt. Retrieved from http://
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/artoverview.htm
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