Interesting Works from Beyond
the European Tradition
Tips
• This PowerPoint will provide you with some
options for Art Beyond the European Tradition,
which you have to use on one of the long essays
in the free response section of the test.
• Pick at least one sculpture, one painting, and
one building/structure and study it thoroughly.
• Pay attention to the terms and the religious
aspects. These may be random MC questions
on the test.
• These were chosen because they represent a
variety of topics/prompts (depictions of the
human form, holy spaces, religious ritual objects,
etc.)
Tips
• A variety of notes are provided. Read them but
you may want to look them up further online.
• If you blank out on the long essay for Art Beyond
the European Tradition (ABET), then you can fall
back on Egyptian, Ancient Near Eastern, or
Islamic examples.
• Remember, you need to choose examples that
fit well with the long essay prompt. In other
words, do not pick a human body to represent a
holy place.
Nkisi Nkonde
Nkisi Nkonde
• This is a wooden statue from the Congo of Africa.
• It represents a hunter and has special powers. His arm is
raised and at one time held a spear. His stance is wide
and his body is stocky. People view him as a strong,
protective figure.
• He is a power figure with a stylized large head and short,
stocky frame.
• His stomach has a opening into which special powders
can be placed by Congo priests/diviners, who know how
to arouse the Nkisi Nkonde
• IMPORTANT: People in the Congo insert nails and
blades into the Nkisi Nkonde statues (many villages
have one) to stir his spirit into action.
• He has the ability to protect the village and specific
individuals from evil spirits or enemy villages. Every time
someone inserts a nail or blade, he is trying to awaken
Shiva as Nataraja aka Dancing
Shiva
Shiva as Nataraja aka
Shiva as Lord of the
Dance
• This is NOT a female! This is the Hindu god Shiva. He is
associated with destruction and rebuilding the universe.
• Destruction is not to be feared because all things die and
are reborn in a new state in Hinduism (reincarnation).
Destruction is actually beneficial and can lead to a better
state.
• Shiva has four arms to demonstrate his divine attributes.
Yet, he is anthropomorphic (has human shape).
• He dances to the beat of a drum as he destroys negative
aspects such as ignorance. There is a dwarf under his
foot symbolizing ignorance. In the upper hand to our left,
he holds the drum. In the upper hand to our right, he
holds a flame symbolizing destruction.
Shiva as Lord of the Dance
continued
• Shiva has long hair that swirls as he dances.
• His lower hands are held in a MUDRA, a symbolic hand
gesture in Hindu and Buddhist art. Shiva’s mudra is a
“fear-not” gesture. He wants Hindus not to be afraid,
because he is destroying ignorance.
• A flaming nimbus (circle or oval) surrounds his body
resembling the light of glory, which is similar to the
mandorla that surrounded Jesus in Romanesque and
Gothic sculptures.
• This is NOT a statue! IT IS SHIVA to a Hindu. It is alive.
People carry it around (note the two openings at the
base for Shiva’s transport. Believers clean it, dress it,
and give it food offerings (prasada) before eating their
meals. Shiva consumes the “essence” of the food.
Seated Buddha Preaching his First
Sermon (Sarnath, India)
Seated Buddha Preaching his First
Sermon (Sarnath, India)
• Buddha was once an Indian prince
named Siddhartha. He gave up his
princedom and decided to become
spiritual and understand how to
understand human suffering.
• He travelled with ascetics and
wandered around meditating and
fasting but realized this wasn’t the
way.
• He realized that moderation or the
Middle Way was the secret to
ending suffering.
Seated Buddha Preaching his First
Sermon (Sarnath, India)
• Buddha sits in a yogic posture meditating. His
eyes are downturned showing that he is
meditating.
• His hands are in a MUDRA symbolize the Wheel
of the Law which he created.
• He said that 1) life is suffering, 2) human suffering
was caused by desire, 3) the way to extinguish
suffering was to eliminate your desires, 4) you
could do this by following the Eightfold Path, a set
of eight rules he recommended and symbolized by
an eight-spoked wheel.
• When Siddhartha was able to realize this and
resist all temptations, he reached NIRVANA or
Enlightenment.
• He became known as the Buddha or “Awakened
One.” He is preaching his first sermon to people
here.
Seated Buddha Preaching his First Sermon
(Sarnath, India)
• Buddha has an urna or cranial bump (look at
the bump on top of his head) symbolizing his
“awakened” state. He understands all.
• He has big, drooping earlobes symbolizing that
he used to be a prince. He used to wear large
earrings because of his wealth.
• His body is broad shouldered and smooth
without much anatomical detail conforming to
the Indian ideal male body. The wheel of the
law symbolizing the Eightfold Path is in the
predella section below, standing upright in the
middle.
• Students have come to hear Buddha’s first
sermon (teaching). Two deer flank the wheel at
the base symbolizing Deer Park in Sarnath,
India, where Buddha gave his first sermon.
Shaded Dwellings
Among Streams and
Mountains by Dong
Qichang ca. 1610
• Chinese landscape paintings were important
and reflect the religion of Daoism, which
stresses harmony with nature. Did you ever
see the ying-yang symbol? This is the
symbol for Daoism. It refers to the balance
between opposites. Think of the hard
mountains and soft, flowing water as
symbolizing that balance.
• The two Chinese characters
(symbols/letters) for landscapes literally
translate to “mountains and water.”
• The Chinese believe that the mountains
have spiritual powers because they reach
up to the heavens. Therefore, looking at
mountains is good for the soul.
• Chinese landscape paintings were the
highest form of art in China. It was closely
connected with CALLIGRAPHY and used
the same types of brushstrokes.
• Chinese landscapes are not of real
places. They are imagined and
idealized landscapes. The Chinese
expression woyou means to “wander
while lying down.” In other words,
daydreaming of a perfect place.
• Chinese landscapes were painted ink
on paper with limited use of watercolor
paint. The colors are restrained and
subtle in order to harmonize better with
the ink lines.
• The paintings were NOT framed or
glazed over like European oil paintings.
Artists mounted them on silk backing
and created paintings as hanging
scrolls, hand scrolls, and fans.
• Chinese landscapes reflect the Daoist
belief that peace is based on a
harmony of opposites, which is
observable in nature.
Mayan Mural at Bonampak
Mayan Mural at Bonampak
• The Mayans lived in Guatemala and
southern Mexico. They were a series
of city-states. They shared a
common language and believed in
many gods. Yet, they often went to
war against each other.
• Prisoners were usually sacrificed to
please the Mayan gods. The Mayan
gods needed blood to be pleased.
Mayans believed that the gods gave
them corn for their sustenance. They
believed they were created by the
gods from maize (corn flour) and
blood. Therefore, they needed to
return blood to the gods in order to
be blessed with good harvests.
Mayan Mural at Bonampak
• In this scene, prisoners who are naked
except for loin clothes (shown in the middle
levels and on their knees) are presented to
the Mayan king. The Mayan king stands in
the center and is rendered in hierarchical
scale. He has green quetzal feather in his
head dress and vest and holds a large
scepter/rod of power.
• A prisoner has already been sacrificed at
his feet.
• The members of the king’s royal court flank
him on either side including advisors,
priests, and spouse.
• Warrior stand at attention with weapons
along the bottom.
Great Stupa at Sanchi, India
Great Stupa at Sanchi
• A stupa is a Buddhist reliquary mound. The Great Stupa
at Sanchi, India is 120 feet across and 54 feet tall. It is
the most famous example.
• It is not literally a mound like the stupa was traditionally.
It is a rounded brick building constructed to house relics
(holy objects such as a robe, etc.) of the Buddha.
• It is enclosed by a wall to symbolize it is a sacred area.
Buddhists want to visit this site to be close to Buddha’s
relics. Buddha was not a god but rather a very holy and
enlightened man. Buddhists circumambulate (walk
around) the Great Stupa and pray.
Foguang Si Pagoda, China
Foguang Si
Pagoda (inside
view)
• Each level is
independent and
represents a mandala,
a Buddhist drawing
symbolizing the
universe. Going to the
different levels can
represent different
incarnations of the
Buddha. Shakyamuni
Buddhists believe that
the Buddha was
reincarnated several
times to help future
believers reach
Enlightenment.
Foguang Si Pagoda, China
• Buddhism spread to China and became the
main religion of China. The Foguang Si
Pagoda is equivalent to the Great Stupa at
Sanchi. It houses a large statue of the
Buddha, and houses some of his relics.
• The Foguang Si Pagoda is the oldest, extant
wooden pagoda in the world. The eaves
(overhanging sections) are characteristic of
East Asian architecture. The pagoda was the
Chinese adaptation to the Indian stupa.
• The Foguang Si Pagoda has eight sides
symbolizing the Eightfold Path for living to
reach nirvana or enlightenment.
Foguang Si Pagoda, China
• Buddhism spread to China and became the
main religion of China. The Foguang Si
Pagoda is equivalent to the Great Stupa at
Sanchi. It houses a large statue of the
Buddha, and houses some of his relics.
• The Foguang Si Pagoda is the oldest, extant
wooden pagoda in the world. The eaves
(overhanging sections) are characteristic of
East Asian architecture. The pagoda was the
Chinese adaptation to the Indian stupa.
• The Foguang Si Pagoda has eight sides
symbolizing the Eightfold Path for living to
reach nirvana or enlightenment.
Grand Shrine of Ise, Japan
• This is the
HONDEN of the
Grand Shrine of
Ise.
• This is where
the Shinto gods
or kami exist.
• Food and other
ritual offerings
are left to please
the kami.
Grand Shrine of Ise, Japan
• Shinto is the native religion of
Japan and is polytheistic. There are
an infinite number of kami or spirits.
Gods are the highest kami and the
honden hall is dedicated a
god/gods.
• There is a statue of the god inside
the honden.
• See the next slides to see the other
parts of the Grand Shrine and other
Shinto shrines.
Shinto Shrines
• Torii – Entrance to the shrine precinct
Chozuya – Wash Basin
• Washing hands and
rinsing mouth
before saying
prayers.
Shrines
• Torii and purification font
• Porch with a drum (used in rituals)
• Haiden – hall of worship where people
pray and dances are offered
• Heiden – hall of offerings
• Honden – enclosed room with richly
ornamented door, much higher than the
rest of the shrine and symbolic dwelling
place of the kami
Diagram of the
Grand Shrine
of Ise Japan
• Find the torii, ritual
cleaning pool, and
honden hall.
• The honden is
similar to how
Greek and Roman
temples held
statues of their
gods.