Alex's Art Blog Apparently

    The Umayyad period led to Islamic art becoming more unified during its formative years. Arabic becoming the main language in land unified by the Umayyads allowed artist to work in a more unified manner. During this period Islamic art became distinct from nearby regions as well as developing new architectural styles for their religious spaces. Creations such as the Dome of the Rock, the Great Mosque of Medina, and the Great Mosque of Damascus characterize this period and are a testement to the great wealth of the Umayyad Dynasty (Yalman).       Islamic art is somewhat hard to define for a western scholar. Their architecture and décor often relies on geometric patterns and calligraphy due to their religions doctrine on idolatry; this causes religions artwork to be much less common in the Islamic World. Some of the most identifiable monuments to Islamic culture come in the form of architecture, such as the Taj Mahal and g...

   The City of Dura-Europos has provided a wealth of well preserved relics and artworks due to its abandonment after a Persian invasion left it uninhabitable. Yielding over 12,000 artifacts preserved at Yale Universities art gallery, the city contains three major cultural cites in the form of a Mithraeum, an Early Christian site, and a Synagogue. Due to increased hostilities in Syria, the site is no longer being excavated, but it does contain a series of caves underneath that contain evidence of the worlds first chemical warfare attack.      Europos was founded founded by the Seleucid Empire near 300 B.C.E. It is located alongside the Euphrates river giving it natural protection from the east side. The construction of the walls around the city created a safe zone that would eventually be called "Dura" by its citizens, which means "the Fortress (Dura-Europos).  Upon its discovery in 1920, Yale University and the French Academy enlisted a team of Bedouin trib...

     The Icon With Saint Demetrios was created during the Middle Byzantine period, which ranged from 850-1204 C.E. The amount of surviving artworks from the Middle Byzantine period is much higher than that of the Early Byzantine period. This is due to religious infighting between the iconoclasts, who were believed the depictions of those other than Christ or god to be idolatry, and those who believed in the worship and depictions of saints. While this period is known for the uptick in the amount of churches being built and remodeled, the increased stability due to the downfall of the iconoclasts led to the commission of private artworks such as carved ivory (Hurst). These commissions were otherworldly in focus, and often depicted saints or other religious figures.      Icon with Saint Demetrius (950-1000 C.E.) https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/465946      The Icon of Saint Demetrios depicts the Byzantine saint and patr...

      Understanding the burial practices of an ancient cultures is a important step towards understanding that culture itself. These practices can provide an insight into what a person held dear in life, and what religious or spiritual meanings certain items may have. Much of our understanding of Etruscan artwork comes from comes from the burial practices of ancient Etruria (Taylor). When looking into Etruscan art, similarities between other regional art styles in the Mediterranean begin to become apparent. Like many other local regions, Etruscan's grave goods often include references to their wealth and prosperity during life. From the 8th century to the 6th century, the goods within the tombs became much more lavish; these extravagant goods are a strong indicator of a time of economic prosperity for Etruria. Goods included in these tombs are golden bracelets, brooches, and other silver and bronze vessels. These tombs also indicate an emerging upper class in Etruscan reg...

 " Should the Elgin Marble be returned to Greece or stay in the British Museum? Who do ancient cultural artifacts belong to? Is it better to have some of the sculptures viewable in numerous museums throughout the world or together in one place?"      The sculptures taken from ancient Greece in the early 19th century make up the British Museums exhibit on the Parthenon. These artworks are more than 2000 years old and represent the "High classical" style of ancient Greek art.  The sculptures are revered for their depiction of the human body and their naturalist features (Zucker & Harris).       During a war in 1687 a Venetian mortar struck the  Parthenon causing the damage that destroyed the roof; later Venetian attempts to remove a statue of Poseidon also resulted in the destruction of the statue. Thus began the destruction and plunder of the Parthenon. In 1770, much of the damaged marble was reported to have used ...

    "What ethical questions need to be considered when conducting archeaological studies on ancient sites? How can sites be protected while also being studied? How can the biases and preconceptions of archeaologists and other scholars cause problems during excavation and reconstruction? What is the difference between conservation and reconstruction? Should sites be conserved or reconstructed?"        The ethical questions involved with archaeology often focus around conservation and respect for an archaeological site. According to Tim Williams at the Getty Conservation Institute, over the last two decades, scientific techniques have advanced, allowing for noninvasive scouting in discovered sites. With the help of satellite imaging, LiDAR, and unmanned aerial vehicles, a site can be inspected before it is disturbed. Archaeologists have shifted their focus to balancing interpretation of a site, how it is presented, and conservation in an ...