Sketch of Head of Homeric Hero Marble Bust - British Museum - Roman Marble version of Hellenistic original
Sketch of Marble Bust of Hadrian - British Museum
My first sketches of Roman Portrait busts….
HMD (21/11/2011)
I have just started reading the next section on Roman and Hellenistic Art in my set book – Honour, H. and Fleming, J (2009) A World History of Art (revised 7th edition), page 165 – 174.
These are just some bullet points on what i have learned so far:
These are just my basic note reminders so far. I still have a lot more reading to do…
HMD (21/11/2011)
I was feeling rather stupid over the past week.
After starting to read the next section of my course work, I realised that I had made an error in submitting what I thought was my first assignment.
I thought I had completed my first assignment, but I was wrong.
I had only finished project one of part one.
I guess I haven’t been as focused as I should be, with starting a new full time job, buying a house, organising both children’s birthday parties, and getting my head around this course, I guess I was trying to juggle too many things.
I’m however not going to let this get the better of me. I’m just going to put my head down, and plough on through.
I have a bit of catching up to do, but I’m just going to crack on with it, and get it done.
Onwards and upwards, as they say…..
HMD (21/11/2011)
Post Card - South Front of the British Museum
Introduction – Choosing a classical building
When I read in my course notes that I had to visit a classical building, the very first one that came to mind was the British museum. Even though it was a purpose built museum, and not a house, this was the one I just had to visit. This has always been one of my favourite museums, and for me it’s always been a symbol of strength, progress, and elegance.
There was also the added benefit that I could visit a classical building and view its ancient Greek and Roman artefacts at the same time.
Brief History
The British museum was founded in 1753 when Sir Hans Sloane, a physician and scientist bequeathed in his will, his extremely large collection of books, manuscripts, natural objects and antiques to King George II, in exchange for payment to his heirs.
An act of parliament then established the museum, and the collection in Montague house was opened to the public in 1759. The museum is still on the same site, although the original house was demolished to make room for the museum we know and love today. Today the museum collection houses over 70 million objects, including the controversial Elgin marbles.
As the original collection grew, the need for a larger building increased and in 1823 work started on the west wing of the museum. In 1842 Montague house was demolished to make way for the last section of the west wing, and the south and west wings were completed in 1846 and 1847 respectively. As further space was needed, the houses in the five streets backing the museum were purchased and most demolished to make way for the expansion of the museum. Additional work still continues today, with the new Conservation centre due to be completed in 2013.
Front Facade
As you approach its main south entrance from Great Russell Street in London, you can’t help but be impressed by this magnificent building.
Over its lifetime the museum has had many architects , but most of the museum was designed by Sir Robert Smirke in the Classical, Greek Revival style.
It’s stairs lead up to the colonnade with its 44, 14 meter (45ft) high voluted Ionic columns, and beautifully decorated pediment.
Using the modern technology of the 1820s, the museum was constructed from cast iron and London brick, on a concrete floor, and the public areas were then covered in Portland stone.
The windows are of little significance and are hardly noticed, hidden behind the grand columns.
The design of the building was based upon, and inspired by the temple of Athen Polias, and in my opinion also bares many similarities to the Nereid monument housed inside the museum.
Sir Robert Smirke also designed other notable buildings including Canada House (previously known as the Union Club building), and the Royal College of Physicians in Trafalgar square.
The Front Pediment
The pediment over the main entrance was designed by Sir Richard Westmacott (RA), and was completed in 1852. The sculptures were originally painted white, on a Wedgewood blue background. He designed it to depict The Progress of Civilisation, and it was meant to give visitors a taste of what they could expect to see inside the museum.
Sir Westmacott also designed other notable works, such as the sculptures on the north side of the Marble Arch, the Waterloo Vase in Buckingham Palace gardens and many memorials including the one of Nelson at the Bull Ring in Birmingham.
If we look at each section of the pediment from the left we see the following:
Image 1 – We see the creation of man, being ignorant and naive.
Image 2 – He reaches his hand out to the Angel of Enlightenment, who holds the lamp of knowledge.
Image 3 – Man has now learned some basic skills like taming animals and farming.
Next man continues to deepen his knowledge and understanding of the world by learning the following subjects, which were key in the museums early collection:
Image 4 – Architecture and Sculpture
Image 5 – Painting and Science
Image 6 – Geometry / Maths and Drama
Image 7 – Music and Poetry
Image 8 – Shows how man has learned to dominate the world around him
Interior – Weston Hall leading to the Great Court
The front entrance leads into the Weston Hall, which was designed by Sydney Smirke, Sir Robert Smirke’s brother, in 1845.
Designed in the Doric style, with its tall columns and uncomplicated capitals, the interior walls and ceilings have been decorated and painted in the colours and patterns borrowed from the early Greeks.
As you continue through the hall, there are grand staircases to your left and right, leading into the galleries in the east and west wings.
If you continue straight through the Weston Hall into the centre of the museum, you enter the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court, which used to be an open air quadrangle housing the reading room.
This quadrangle was modernised and redeveloped by Foster and Partners, to change the space from an unused, outside area, to a more versatile, covered one.
In 2000 it was re-opened to the public as the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court, and it became the central hub of the museum.
They still retained the original Ionic Greek design on the old exterior of the building, which has now become the new interior, and old met new in this very clever redevelopment
.
My thoughts in Closing:
Although on the face of it, the British Museum appears to be a classical Greek styled building, it is in fact an eclectic mix of classical Greek, Roman and modern architecture. Everything a museum of its kind should be.
Studying the museum has opened my eyes to the design in other buildings around me, and I find myself noticing the different design elements in them on an ever increasing basis.
I’m now looking forward to the next chapter of my course, and to discovering more about ancient civilisations and the role that art played in their history.
Acknowledgements and References:
The British Museum (building):- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Museum#Building
Sir Richard Westmacott:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Richard_Westmacott
Sir Robert Smirke:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Robert_Smirke
History and the building:-http://www.britishmuseum.org/the_museum/history_and_the_building/general_history.aspx
The Museum’s Pediment detail:-http://www.britishmuseum.org/the_museum/history/architecture/south_pediment.aspx
HMD (10/11/2011)
Well I’ve finally done it. I have finally submitted my first assignment.
Now I can start section 2, and wait for my assignment feedback.
This has definitely been a challenging few months, with starting a new job, starting my
degree & figuring out how to go about it, sorting out both children’s birthday parties, starting and finishing a commission, and buying a new house, I’m surprised I’ve managed to get it all done!
Hopefully the next few months will be a little easier than the last few, however, we
still have Christmas and the house move to look forward to.
I’m looking forward to moving onto the next chapter, which cover ancient
Rome….watch this space
HMD (11/11/2011)
I was surprised to read in my course notes that ancient Greek sculpture and architecture was often brightly painted and gilded, and that the plain white marble and limestone we are used to seeing in classical sculpture and architecture is not how they were originally created.
Through various techniques including ultraviolet light and x-ray, archaeologists and scientists have been able to see the evidence of colour in ancient sculpture and architecture.
Organic colour pigments were used, and as certain pigments were more dense than others, when the object was subject to weathering and aging, some colours were worn
away faster than others. This would leave different levels of weathering, so with the help of scientific equipment you can see the relief of the original designs.
Archaeologists have also found remnants of sculpture and architecture that still visibly show this colour.
According to the British museum exhibits, the most frequently used colours were: copper silicate for blue, iron oxide for red and gold in the form of gilding. In addition to this colour, it is thought that they also used an opaque organic varnish over the pigments and white marble to protect it against weathering, to take the glare off the newly cut marble and to harmonise the colours.
The picture below, taken on my trip to the British museum, is of a fragment of an architectural ornament of the Mausoleum in Halikarnossos, which still shows some blue pigment.
(British Museum - GR 1972.0509.87 - carved around 360 BC)
These next photos also taken at the British museum, are of the South Metope IV of the Parthenon, and a reconstruction of the missing pieces and a suggested colour scheme.
South Metope IV of the Parthenon
There’s a wealth of information available on this subject on the web, and I found the following sites helpful:
Wikipedia’s entry on Polychrome , last viewon 31/10/2011: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polychrome
The Harvard Magazine, last viewed 31/10/2011: http://harvardmagazine.com/2007/11/dazzlers.html
Archaeological Institute of America’s online magazine, , last viewed 31/10/2011: http://www.archaeology.org/0801/trenches/colorgods.html
The Smithsonian.com’s article, True Colours, detailing the discovery of colour in
classical architecture and sculpture, last viewed 31/10/2011: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/true-colors.html?c=y&page=1
…………….HMD (31/10/2011)
Blog 07 – Ionic, Doric, Corinthian, and Tuscan order architecture
I wanted to find out what the major differences were in Classical architecture.
I have been looking at classical buildings and reading about the Ionic, Doric, Corinthian and Tuscan orders, but didn’t know what distinguished one order from another.
I thought I’d make some notes on the differences , and have now found that when I walk through town, I’m starting to identify those key elements in buildings all around me. I have even found myself doing it while watching programs on TV!
The characteristics I have found are:
Image with thanks to Britannica.com
Image with thanks to Britannica.com http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/127132/column (last viewed 29/10/2011)
Doric
Greek Doric columns have a very plain capital, and no distinctive base (the column goes straight down into the ground). The Roman Doric columns however do have a simple distictive base. The columns are wider at the base and the column shaft is fluted.
Ionic
Greek Ionic columns have two horn-like volutes making up the capital, and a distinctive
base. They also have a fluted shaft, but the flutes are deeper and more distinguished
than that of the Doric columns.
Corinthian
Greek Corinthian columns have a very decorative capital depicting acanthus leaves, foliage and sometimes flowers. The fluted column shafts are narrower than the Ionic and Doric ones, creating the illusion of elegant height. They too have a decorative base.
Tuscan
Tuscan Columns are similar to the Doric style, but have a smooth shaft and a distinctive base.
There are other styles within the classical order, but the above four are the main ones.
I have found the following websites useful when looking at the different styles:
http://www.guidetocolumns.com/ionic_columns.htm (last viewed 29/10/2011)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_order (last viewed 29/10/2011) http://www.oneonta.edu/faculty/farberas/arth/ARTH209/orders.html (last viewed 29/10/2011)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abacus_(architecture) (last viewed 29/10/2011)
….HMD (29/10/2011)
I recently paid a visit to the British Museum , following the requirement to visit a classical building for my course work.
I chose the British Museum as my building of choice for several reasons.
I learned a lot from my visit, took loads of pictures and came home with many
more areas I wanted to research.
The museum is beautiful, and one day just isn’t enough to take in all its wonders.
I spent all of my time in the department of Ancient Greece & Rome, starting with
Ancient Greek pottery and making my way through Roman sculptures and busts, the
Nereid monument, the friezes and huge sculpture of part of a horse from the Mausoleum, and the Sculptures from the pediments of the Parthenon.
I can see why the Ancient Greeks and Romans have had such an influence on all future
architecture. They really were true perfectionists , and took great pride in their flamboyant work and achievements. My opinion is that they were probably extremely vain and proud, as they seem to have spent a lot of time and money trying to impress each other, and the world.
One thing that stood out for me was that the design of the British museum seemed almost identical to that of the Nereid monument, which was in turn inspired by and
modelled on the Acropolis.
I also learned that the Ancient Greeks & Romans used colour on their sculptures
and walls.
We have been conditioned into thinking that the sculptures were all white marble, but
there is evidence to show that they used bright contrasting colours to compliment the form of the architecture. This painted effect must have been quite striking, and nothing like the cold, soothing, delicate marble we are used to seeing, and associate with classical sculpture/architecture. The effect must have been impressive, expressive, rich, loud and vibrant.
I had a wonderful day walking through the various galleries, talking lots of pictures and
spending too much time in the gift shop buying more books! (I really need more bookcases!)
I left wanting to find out more about the history of the British museum and its
building, as well as a few other areas, so I decided to research the following:
That’s all for tonight. More to follow tomorrow….HMD
My First attempt at an annotation - The task was to annotate a Greek sculpture or vase painting. I just hope I haven't tried to cram too much information into a small space. There is still so much more that can be said about this piece
What is a canon?
According to Dictionary.com (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/canon last viewed 05/10/2011) the origin of the English word canon, comes from the Greek word kanon, meaning measuring rod / rule, or similar to the word Kanna, meaning cane.
The term has several meanings, and is often used to:
So then what is the Western canon?
I already understand that a canon is a guideline / benchmark or set of rules, and is also a list of works. I have learned from reading my course notes and general browsing online with Google, that there are many different canons, and as humans we have a need to group things, so that we can have a better understanding of them.
According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_canon last viewed 05/10/2011), the Western canon refers to a list of books, music and art that have been classed as great works, and which have been the most influential in shaping Western culture.
From reading Wikipedia’s chapter on Western Art History (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_art last viewed 05/10/2011), Western art is the art of European countries and the art that is created in the forms accepted by them. This all has its base roots in the works of ancient Greece and Rome.
The ancient Greeks had high ideologies of beauty and perfection, which was reflected in their sculptures, and architecture. This appealed to ancient Rome, and they adopted and developed that style to meet their own ideologies. This process has continued and we find that even now, our modern view on what is perfect and beautiful is still based on those ancient Greek ideas.
I wanted to reflect on the following quote taken from Honour, H. and Fleming, J (2009) A World History of Art (revised 7th edition), page 139:
” The idealised statues modelled and carved in ancient Greece, much copied in the Roman empire and rediscovered in fifteenth-century Italy, became part of the western artistic canon…They also established a criterion of human beauty that has insidiously conditioned the attitudes of Europeans to themselves and to others, encouraging belief in ‘the eternal law that first in beauty should be first in might’ as John Keats puts in ‘Hyperion’ (1818)”
The problem with this is that our entire culture has a preconceived idea of what beauty is, limiting our openness to new ideas and views.
We are bombarded by images of the perfect woman or man, and in most cases the images around us have been edited to meet our warped expectations of perfection. We subconsciously believe that only the beautiful are successful, and we inadvertently ostracise those that don’t meet this criteria.
With this in mind, we constantly strive to achieve this ideal of beauty, sometimes at great expense, and then often lose self esteem & confidence when we can’t reach this goal, sacrificing our happiness in the process.
We strive to paint like famous artists, and try to create what the market is dictating will sell, based upon our cultural ideologies. We sacrifice our own originality and new ideas, to meet these expectations.
Who was then it that decided what these benchmarks should be?
Historically most great works of art were commissioned by the church, political movements, and the aristocracy. Those that were considered to be the wealthy and cultured elite. Therefore the commissioned works themselves depicted their ideologies and ways of life.
In my opinion, I think that in the beginning the working man and the poor would probably have had a very different outlook, but as they themselves could not commission any great works, they would never have been able to express their ideas in such a public way. They themselves would have started to believe this warped idea of perfection from the sculptures and architecture around them, and so their ideas would have changed and been moulded into the new ideal.
I think that as humans, we need to have a benchmark or measure on which to base our achievements, but also believe that those benchmarks should not be definitive.
We should still explore and challenge our own views and preconceived ideas. Try to stretch those boundaries and come out of our comfort zones, to express them. After all nothing new and exciting was created just by thinking about it.
HMD (05/10/2011)
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