Sail Baby

It comprises three large shape canvases, the shapes have a strong, separate identities because of their prominent contours. The artist explained that the painting functions as a narrative. The painting can be portrayed as her family or her children. The individual identities of the separate shapes may represent the individuality of the siblings whereas their interconnectedness is established.

In seeing this image, it was quite creative that the artist came up with this idea. Instead of fitting the artwork to the canvas, the canvas is being adjusted to the artwork. It is unique, imaginative and impressive. Bringing something new to the table is essential when it comes to art. We get to learn new techniques and discover new ideas. Making art evolve throughout history. 

Guernica

This is an anti-war painting by Picasso on the year 1937. It has been regarded as the one of the most moving and powerful anti-war paintings in history by many art critics. It has been believed that this painting was a response to the bombing of Guernica located in northern Spain.

The scene in the painting is within a room where at an open end on the left, a wide-eyed bull stands over a woman grieving over a dead child in her arms. The center is occupied by a horse falling in agony. The major focus of the painting is the large gaping wound in the horse’s side. 

Under the horse is a dead and dismembered soldier. In his hand is where a flower grows from his shattered sword. Then up above over the suffering horse, is a light bulb shaped as an evil eye. 


Then on the upper right of the horse, the floating figure is a frightened female, who is witnessing the scenes before her. In her hand she holds a lamp that symbolizes hope.

The first thing I noticed in this painting, I believe it was how the figures are running in terror. Then I noticed a lady crying over a dead child and dead wounded person with a flower in his hand. Also it is hard to notice the figure at the back that looks like he is screaming for help. The artist wanted to show the effects when war occurs, not only the people who are fighting each other are involve but the innocent citizens as well. Many lives are being lost and many are suffering over their losses. Then they will all want one thing, one thing only and that is everything should stop. However despite all the terror and the horror the artist wanted to show he added objects that symbolizes hope and peace. Like mentioned earlier, in the hand of the floating female figure, is the lamp that symbolizes “hope”. And in the hand of the dead wounded person, he holds a flower which I believe symbolizes “peace". 

“Mrs. Siddon's as the Tragic Muse”

The lady in the painting is Mrs. Siddon, an actress and a wife of William Siddons who is also an actor. However, her marriage fell apart and they separated from each other. Her acting career carried on and prospered. She then received an offer for the role of “Queen of Tragedy” which made her a well-known actress.

The painting as seen to your right, was created from Reynolds’ inspirations of Mrs. Siddons’ astonishing talents and Classical subjects about muses from ancient Greek and Roman mythologies. That he painted Mrs. Siddons as Melpomene, the muse of tragedy. He painted her expression in conflict yet with an elegant and noble air that exuded a sense of grace. As you see in the painting she looks undecided as the two allegories, Pity and Terror who stands behind her, cloud her judgment about her situation in which Lady Macbeth will commit a crime and the remorse she will suffer.

When I saw this painting, I was speechless. As I looked closer, it felt like even though she’s going through a difficult situation. She tries to stay calm as she thinks of a solution without anything or anyone to distract her. Why do I think so? The reason is this, the way two figures behind her are acting. They seems like they’re telling the lady what to do and the way the lady is positioned. Her facial expression tells me that she’s doubtful and hesitating in whatever she’s thinking that the two figures behind her kept butting in. 

Judith Slaying Holofernes

The story behind this painting is that Judith assassinated an Assyrian general Holofernes. The painting captured the moment when Judith accompanied with her maidservant beheaded Holofernes after he fell asleep drunk.

From my perspective, the artist wanted to show her emotions through her paintings. The emotion when she wants to release all her anger and vengeance. As if she wants to portray her anger and vengeance in a manner where she is Judith while the man who is being beheaded is the man who wronged her.

I was impressed on how the emotions kept lashing out as you stare into the painting. The way on how the maid will hold the man down while Judith beheads him. The way the man tries to resist and struggles to live. The darkness of the background to give emphasis on the subject. The way the blood spilled from different directions, the facial expressions on the subjects. There were a lot of things going on compared from the version done by Caravaggio.

Why should we accept Renaissance Style?

Ever since the Renaissance period we were able to discover and improve varieties of styles and techniques. Such examples are realistic style, gothic style, abstract style and many more other styles. Discovering these styles artists were able use these to create extraordinary paintings that turn into masterpieces, their greatest works of art of all time.

It also gives distinctive features to the artist’s painting and to the artist himself. Especially when you amaze people with your style and how you express yourself in painting. Like the painting of Mona Lisa, its distinctive style is the chiaroscuro. The way the shadow gives depth to the painting as if it is 3D. And the way it gives emphasis to the subject matter. Another great example is "St. John the Baptist".




ther styles such as "elongation", a type of style that figures are elongated more than they are in reality. One of the examples is "Madonna with a Long Neck by Parmigianino. The artist made the lady's neck in the painting longer to represent the gracefulness like the swan. And then the baby in arms is much bigger than a normal baby's size.


Each style is very unique that one is keen to perfect it and make it as his own. Many will admire and try to imitate it. It might offend some artists but on the bright side the art style will be carried on.

The Heroic David

David is a masterpiece created by Michelangelo Buonorroti. It represents the Biblical hero David from 1 Samuel 17. The Israelites are fighting the Philistines, whose best warrior, Goliath, repeatedly offers to meet the Israelites best warrior in a man-to-man combat to decide the whole battle. None of the Israelite soldiers is brave enough to fight against the giant Goliath. Until David, accepted the challenge. Saul, the Israelite leader gave him armor and weapons but he declined. Instead, he goes with his sling shot and confronts the enemy. He hits Goliath in the head with a stone, knocking the giant down and then grabbed the sword and cut off his head.

This statue became a symbol that symbolizes the defense of civil liberties embodied in the Republic of Florence due to its heroic nature. It has the eyes of David that gives a warning glare towards Rome. The way it appears seem like he’s ready for battle. His neck is tense and the veins bulge out of his lower right hand. And the way he twist his body gives off a feeling that he’s in motion.

Later in 1873, the statue of David was removed from the piazza to be protected from damage and was placed in Accademia Gallery where it attracted many visitors. It is even listed as the largest and grandest among the ancient statues. Michelangelo’s David became one of the most recognized works and symbol of strength and youthful beauty. 

Parthenon of Athens

The Parthenon is a former temple that was dedicated to the Greek goddess, Athena, who people of Athens considered their patron. It is regarded as a symbol of Ancient Greece, Athenian democracy and western civilization and one of the world’s greatest cultural monuments.

Athena is a Greek goddess of wisdom, courage, law and justice, strength and battle strategy. She only fought for reasons and would not fight without a purpose. She is portrayed as a shrewd companion of heroes and is a patron goddess of heroic endeavor. 

For a time, it served as the treasury if the Delian League, which later became the Athenian 

Empire. Later in the final decade of the 6^th century the Parthenon was converted into a Christian church dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

The Parthenon is a classic peripteral octastyle Doric temple with Ionic architectural features. It stands on a platform or stylobate of three steps. It is quite to the other Greek temples, it is a lintel construction and is surrounded by columns carrying an entablature. There are eight columns at either end and seventeen on the sides. There is a double row of columns at either end. The colonnade surrounds an inner masonry structure, the cella, which is divided into two compartments. 

At either end of the building the gable is finished with a triangular pediment originally filled with sculpture. The columns are of Doric order, with simple capitals, fluted shafts and no basses. Above the architrave of the entablature is a frieze of carved pictorial panel, separated by formal architectural triglyphs, typical of the Doric order. Around the cella and across the lintels of the inner element of the architecture is Ionic in style rather than Doric. 

To build the Parthenon. Its massive foundations were made of limestone and the columns were made of Pentelic marble. Pentelic marble is a material that was utilized for the first time. It is flawless white with a uniform, faint yellow tint which makes it shine with a golden hue under sunlight. This marble can be found in Mount Pentelicus or Pentelikon which is located in Attica, Greece.

The Book of the Dead

The Book of the Dead contains a number of magic spells to assist the deceased to the afterlife. It was developed from a tradition of funerary manuscripts. The first funerary texts are called Pyramid text, it is written in hieroglyphic style. 

Hieroglyphics were a formal writing system used by the ancient Egyptians that is a combination of Iogographic and alphabetic elements. Egyptians used cursive hieroglyphics for religious literature on papyrus and wood. 

Papyrus is a leading Egyptian merchant in graphical paper, office paper, facility supplies and in industrial packaging. 

These texts are written on the walls in the burial chambers exclusively for the use of the Pharaoh. The purpose of these texts was actually to help the deceased king to take his place amongst the gods.

Then in the Middle Kingdom a new version of funerary text emerged, this is called Coffin Text. These texts are commonly written in the inner surface of the coffin though they are usually found written on tomb walls or on papyri. These texts were available to wealthy individuals that numbers increased to those who are expecting to participate in the afterlife. This process is to be described as the “democratization of the afterlife”. 

Not only the book is magical it is as well religious. It was legitimate and activity as praying to the gods. Also the spells are used for amulets to keep the deceased from harm. Spells are very useful that they also appear on amulets wound into the wrappings of the mummy. 

Summary:

The Book of the Dead depicts the beliefs of the Egyptians about nature of death and the afterlife. Also it shows many scenarios to the reader what path they encounter. Many of hieroglyphs also represents humans or animals to prevent them causing any harm to the deceased Pharaoh. It contains a number of magical spells to help the deceased to the afterlife. Also they said that it has a purpose to help the deceased Pharaoh to take his place amongst the gods and to reunite with his divine father, Ra.