Alex's Art Blog Apparently

      Qin Shihuang was the first ever emperor of China and conqueror of many different regions in Asia. His longest lasting legacy however is the tomb he constructed to immortalize his achievements, create a long-lasting impact on China, and conquer death itself. His tomb consists of a great underground city, populated with statues of a his army which included infantry, cavalry, light vehicles, and their corresponding weaponry. The warriors are stationed outside the Emperor's burial chamber which contains a multitude of artifacts. The Qin dynasties early contributions to Chinese culture are located here, and through analyzing some of the artworks present within the mausoleum we may gain further insight into that culture.      During Shihuang's rule, The First Emperor was able to unify the region under one ruler, even if that rule was short lived. Despite his dynasties control only lasting 15 years (221- 206 B.C.E.), he built th...

     The theft of Cambodian art has been a problem affecting the Khmer cultural center for hundreds of years. This problem has persisted into the 20th century; during the Cambodian civil war looting of major archeological sites was common, and provided a boost to the war chest of the Khmer Rouge. These funds prolonged the war, and eventually led to the establishment of Democratic Kampuchea, a singe partied dictatorship that had the support of the Viet Cong and China. The looting in Cambodia has caused the cultural antiquities of the Khmer to be dispersed throughout the world, diluting the cultural heritage of the region.      The argument behind artworks being sent back to their cultural homeland has been hashed out repeatedly in the modern era. During the looting of the Cambodian Civil War, the site of Koh Ker lost most of its relics. Many of these relics appeared on the national art market years later, and made their way into collections throughout t...

     The Palatine Cathedral was built around the late 8th century to the early 9th century during the rule of Emperor Charlemagne. Constructed in Aachen, which is in modern day west Germany, it is made to emulate churches of the eastern regions of the Holy Roman Empire and symbolize unity within the empire (Aachen Cathedral). During his rule, Charlemagne sought to reform the Holy Roman Empire in the fashion of the Byzantines. His reform was started with the writings of his Admonitio generalis and Epistola de litteris colendis which outlines his church and cultural reforms. To help in this, Charlemagne sought out the advice of scholars throughout Europe to council him through the change. During this period artists worked directly for the emperor and his chosen few, they leave behind manuscripts, sculptures, and architecture for historians to examine (Ross). Charlemagne would brandish is capital in Aachen as the "new Rome" in an effort to create positive assertat...