In class, I found the use of symbols in art to be interesting. The Greek deities fascinate me. They each have distinct personalities and traits, and have extremely flawed characters. Maybe the fact that they were flawed made it easier for the Greeks to connect with them, as they felt they were more alike than different. It was interesting to see the different deities represented in paintings and sculptures. The Greek sculptures we looked at were incredible. They seemed to be anatomically precise, and had the smallest details in them.
The biblical symbolism was also interesting because of the incredible amount of distinct symbols. I had no idea there were that many Biblical symbols, but upon explanation, they all seem to make sense. It was fun to look at paintings, trying to locate and explain these symbols. What I don’t know is if most of the people at the time of the paintings knew about these different symbols. It seems like it might be a waste to spend so much time trying to include them and make allegories if their significance is lost on the majority of the population. I would also like to know how there came to be a consensus on what certain animals, flowers, and objects symbolize. Some seem pretty obvious, such as Satan being represented as a snake, but others seem random, such as the pelican representing the Eucharist. Who suddenly decided that a pelican would represent the Sacrament and not anything else?
Pictured above: the sacrament
We also started talking about Egyptian, Greek, and Roman architecture this week. I sometimes wonder how the cultures’ architecture and art we study are chosen. We have yet to mention Middle East, Chinese, or Japanese arts. Maybe it is because our art today was more derived from then Greeks and Romans? I would think that some of our art and architecture would have to have been influenced from the Middle East, because during the Crusades, Western Europe picked up many things from the area, including new spices, sciences, fabrics, and manners. Some would go so far as to say that it was contact with the East that led to the explosion of new ideas in the Renaissance. It seems that one way or another, the Middle East would be a key factor in how our art, architecture, and society got to the point they are at now. Anyways, class discussion was pretty interesting this week, and I thoroughly enjoy being there.
You're right, there is a lot of Middle Eastern influence in the Western world, especially leading up to the Renaissance. Unfortunately, I don't know a lot about the specifics. If you'd like to look up that information and share with the class I'd be happy to give you some extra credit points.
ReplyDeleteAlso, with the symbols in the middle ages, they were actually essential for the lower classes to understand what is being depicted, especially since so few people were able to read. It was how they were able to know the scriptures. They would have been taught what the symbols represent in church and catechism. Also, several books were published about the animal and flower symbols since it was something that a lot of people were interested in. They believed that everything was in some way a symbol for God, and so there are a lot of works to help people be able to read all the symbols they see every day.
i have really enjoyed learning about the different symbols as well. most of the biblical ones i was fortunate enough to learn about on my mission but others i had no idea about. i too would like to learn their origin. one day we can ask the person who came up with the idea.
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