Appreciation of thirteen famous paintings and sculptures in the prehistoric and medieval West.
Since the Renaissance in the 14th century, Western painting has gone through a variety of styles, including Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassicism, showing a rich artistic landscape. It records the development of civilization and society and creates aesthetic values. Early paintings were based on animals and figures, and later were influenced by ancient Greece and Rome, and were based on mythological stories. Medieval paintings, which were predominantly religious, appeared in the large windows and walls of churches, especially in Italy. The works of this period are centered on the gods, and the expressions of the characters are painful and full of asceticism. We look forward to showcasing the most representative pieces from prehistory to the Middle Ages.
ThirteenthThe ancient Roman portrait "The Baker and the Couple", also known as the "Neo Couple", was created in the 1st century AD. The painting measures 58 centimeters in length and 52 centimeters in width, and is considered a masterpiece in Pompeii's frescoes. Although the identity of the owner of the mural is still being investigated, it is generally believed that the characters in the mural are not bakers, but lawyers and couples.
The young couple in the painting shows Roman emotions and personalities. The husband shows a shy, sincere character, and faces the audience with a longing look;The wife looked thoughtfully into the distance, a pen touching her slightly pointed chin. The two seem to have their own preoccupations and their eyes are looking in different directions, hinting at a certain state of affairs in their marriage. The painting reveals the bitter reality of their shared bed and dreams, unable to share a life. Even more poignant is the fact that their home, Nao's house, was unfinished at the time of the eruption, so the lonely marriage may not have lasted long.
The fourteenth"The Kiss of Judas", this picture is one of the representative works of the famous Italian painter Giotto in the 13th century, marking the gradual liberation of Italian painting from the Byzantine stereotyped religious painting style, and is a masterpiece of European Renaissance painting.
In this painting, the artist uses a dramatic approach to place the two polar opposites, Jesus and Judas, at the center of the vision, with the rest of the figures lined up on either side, in a symmetrical manner towards the central figure. The picture shows the complex scenes of many characters, aiming to reveal the dark and light sides of life, and show the sharp conflict between justice and **.
The painting depicts Judas leading a group of soldiers, along with chief priests and Pharisees, armed with lanterns, torches, and weapons, storming the Garden of Gethsemane. This painting profoundly expresses the conflict between justice and **, light and darkness, as well as the contrast between good and evil, beauty and ugliness in human nature.
The fifteenthOil on oil by Mr. and Mrs. Arnolfini, 1434, 818 cm wide 597 cm, it is one of the works of Jan van Eyck at the height of his career. The importance of this painting stems from a number of aspects. First of all, it embodies the essence of painting, which is to convey emotions and ideas through visual imagery. Secondly, Jan van Eyck's unique use of oil-based pigments makes the picture present a delicate, rich and textured visual effect. Finally, the layout and structure of the painting is very clever. Standing in the bedroom**, holding hands, the Arnolfini couple seemed to express a lifelong affection, as if expressing a lifelong affection, and at the same time a symbol of loyalty and sharing in adversity. This simple and authentic expression of emotion makes the painting an important historical testimony that reflects the values and cultural traditions of the society of the time.
SixteenthHieronymus Bosch in the Netherlands, "Hay Wheel", oil painting, 135 cm long and 190 cm wide, created in 1500-1502, now in the Prado Museum in Madrid. The oil painting is a triptych, including the painting on the outside of the wings, and consists of a total of four oil paintings. The theme of the painting comes from an old Dutch proverb: "The world is a four-wheeled cart full of hay, from which everyone can take as much grass as he can." ”
The content of the painting is rich and varied, showing the various states of the human world. Angels kiss with devils, prodigal sons playing mandolins sit on nun's lap and flirt, monsters play music, and saints pray. The hay cart is dragged to the right by a few strange animals, and to the right is hell. The car was followed by the pope, the king, and the people, who were so elated that some ran ahead, some ran between the wheels, and some had been run over to death. There are people and beasts mixed here, or they are fighting each other, or they are fighting, in short, they are busy, absurd and strange. In the blue sky, the thin ** stood in the yellow auspicious clouds and looked down on everything.
Bo Xi looks at this bizarre world from the perspective of **, which is full of good and evil, truth and falsehood, beauty and ugliness. He makes a profound satire on the world, showing his profound observation of reality and the way in which romanticism is presented. This makes Boch unique in the world of painting and has become a wonderful flower in the history of Dutch painting.
SeventeenthThe Book of the Most Beautiful Prayers by the Limburg brothers in the Netherlands, written between 1412 and 1416, is considered the pinnacle of the late medieval book enlightenment and one of the finest books of the Middle Ages. The book is now preserved in the Kanté Museum in Chantilly, France, where it is highly anticipated.
One of the most striking illustrations is the Almanac, which vividly depicts the life of the upper class of the Duke of Berry during the twelve months of the year. Each month's scene shows the characteristics of the month through beautiful pictures, making people feel the rhythm of nature and the change of seasons. In the almanac, the full and busy characters are brought to life, closely related to court life, showing vivid and realistic daily scenes.
EighteenthDucchio's Madonna and Child on the Throne is a Gothic work of art created by Ducchio in 1308, in the form of tempera on wood, measuring 450 centimeters in length and 290 centimeters in width. The painting is now in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, and has attracted many art lovers.
The composition of the painting is grand and unified, showing an incomparable harmony and beauty. The various colors are intertwined, as if they are expanding in the space, creating a majestic momentum. Every detail of the painting has been carefully designed, whether it is the reproduction of the circular pattern, the golden circle of the halo, the head of the Virgin and the angel, the arch of the throne and the crown of the pedestal, and even the figures of several kneeling angels, all of which show the artist's unique pursuit of formal beauty.
NineteenthNotre-Dame de Paris, a French Gothic art building, was built in 1163 and took nearly two centuries to build before being completed in 1250. Famous for its unique architectural style and precious artistic value, this church is one of the symbols of Paris, France.
The plan of Notre-Dame Cathedral is a rectangular horseshoe Gothic Latin cross shape, with a total length of about 127 meters, a total width of about 48 meters, and a total height of 96 meters. The interior of the church consists of five longitudinal cabins, including a middle cabin and two wing cabins on each side, and two bell towers about 69 meters high on the west façade. At the top of the cross is the altar, while the long wing of the cross is the main nave of Notre-Dame, presenting a unique architectural aesthetic. At the east end is the altar, and then there is a semicircular outer wall, and there are doors at both ends of the horizontal hall, and a small tower is placed next to it. The most striking symbol of the church is its 96-meter-high minaret, which towers over the western part of the city of Paris and has become the symbol of the French capital.
Notre-Dame Cathedral is not only the world's first Gothic church in the full sense of the word, but also has high historical and cultural value in the carving and painting art of its architectural body. The large collection of art treasures in the church attracts tourists and art lovers from all over the world and has become an important symbol of French culture and history. As an important holy place for the world's mainstream religions, Notre Dame Cathedral is also the center of faith and the destination of the soul.
TwentiethThe Leaning Tower of Pisa, an outstanding example of Italian Romanesque architecture, built between 1063 and 1272. Compared to the imitation Romanesque architecture elsewhere, the Leaning Tower of Pisa is a more direct reference to the model of ancient Roman architecture, and therefore shows a more pure Romanesque style. The Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Cathedral and the Baptistery, with their thick walls and strong vaults, fully demonstrate the archaic style of ancient Romanesque architecture.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa, as a freestanding bell tower of the cathedral, was built in August 1173 on Piazza Miracoli in Pisa, in the province of Tuscany, Italy. The Piazza de l'Miracle is dotted with other religious buildings, such as the cathedral built between 1063 and the 13th century, the baptistery built between 1153 and 14th centuries, and the cemetery built in 1174, which form a unified Romanesque architectural style with the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is exquisitely constructed, with a height of 5836 meters, 55 meters high from the ground to the top of the tower. The width of the bell tower wall is 4 at the ground09 meters, and at the top of the tower it is reduced to 248 meters. The total weight of the entire tower is about 14453 tons, while its center of gravity is located 22 above the foundation6 meters. The area of the circular foundation is 285 square meters, and the average pressure on the ground is 497 kPa. The leaning tower of Pisa has an inclination angle of 399 degrees, 2 deviations from the outer edge of the foundation5 meters, the protrusion at the top of the tower reached 45 meters. This unique building was first discovered in 1178 with a tilt.
The twenty-first ".The Crucifixion of Jesus", a work of Byzantine art, created in 1085. This painting shows the unique charm of Byzantine art, and at the same time represents the level of development of painting art at that time.
In the century following the rise of the Gothic church, the art of painting gradually came to prominence in places such as Florence and Siena in Italy. Compared with Byzantine or imitation Romanesque painting, Gothic painting focused more on a realistic style. During this period, painters such as Cimabuye, Duciou and Giotto emerged, among whom Giotto is known as the father of Western painting.
Twenty-second Statue of AugustusThe sculpture was created around 20 BC and is now in the collection of the Vatican Museums in Rome, Italy. This marble statue represents Augustus, the first emperor of the ancient Roman Empire, the famous Octavian. The statue is regarded as the most inventive work of Roman reproduction of Greek culture in its entirety.
The statue was inspired by Greek sculptor Polycritus' The Spear Bearer, a classic work that depicts the ideal male figure. However, the Statue of Augustus is not simply copied, but innovated. The majestic image of the Roman Emperor Octavian replaces the young man in the original, and the Roman general's costume and the cuirass symbolizing the "divine authority of kingship" make the statue more royal.
Octavian raised his right arm in a commanding gesture, and through his gaze and gestures, he seemed to be in control of the entire space with his own strength. At his right foot, the image of Cupid, a small goddess of love, adds a touch of benevolence to the statue, indicating that he was not only a great commander, but also a loving monarch. The statue not only shows the innovative spirit of Roman art, but also reflects the new Roman understanding of power and domination.
Twenty-thirdAncient Egyptian Family and Happiness, a lithograph of Ancient Egypt, created during the Eleventh or Twelfth Dynasty, circa 1980 BC. This work is from the tomb of King Lianhan of Oman and is now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
In this lithograph, we can see a family of four: mother, son, father and daughter-in-law, from left to right. The figures in the picture are lifelike and show the daily life of an ancient Egyptian family.
The middle plate is lined with a variety of food, including meat and green onions. These foods symbolized the ancient Egyptians' desire for family reunion and a good harvest.
This lithograph not only shows the family life of ancient Egypt, but also reveals the social customs and cultural traditions of the time. It is an important window into the history and culture of ancient Egypt and a precious heritage in the history of art.
Twenty-fourth"The Discus Thrower", this round sculpture is a famous round sculpture of ancient Greece, about 152 centimeters high. The statue was originally made of bronze, but the marble replicas we see today are later generations. The original has been lost, but the reproductions are in the collections of the National Museums of Rome, the Terme Museum and the Vatican Museums, allowing this masterpiece to survive to this day.
The sculpture is inspired by the ancient Greek sporting events, especially the magnificent moment of a man throwing a discus. Artist Milon vividly captures the moment when the discus returns to its highest point and is about to be thrown, making the viewer feel as if the weight of the discus throw and the athlete's all-out effort. This kind of power of "leading but not triggering", although displayed in static, contains great dynamism and vitality.
Through this sculpture, Minnon demonstrated the fitness, strength and grace of the human body, providing a model for later generations to create art. At the same time, "The Discus Thrower" is also an important source for the study of ancient Greek carving art, providing us with a valuable perspective on ancient Greek culture and society. With its timeless beauty and artistic value, this sculpture has become a valuable heritage of human culture and history.
Twenty-fifthThe Venus of Miró, also known as Aphrodite of Miró, is an ancient Greek marble statue. The 204-centimeter-tall statue was created between 150 and 100 BC and was found on the island of Milo in the Aegean Sea.
Famous for its exceptional artistic value and unique cultural background, this statue is considered a classic depiction of Aphrodite (known to the Romans as Venus), the goddess of love and beauty in Greek mythology. It shows the grace and fullness of the goddess, while also embodying the virtuosity of ancient Greek sculpture.
According to the inscription on the base of the statue, the statue is believed to have been written by Alexander Antioch. However, early people mistakenly thought it was the work of the master sculptor Praxtris. Despite this misidentification, the Venus de Milo has undoubtedly become one of the important representatives of ancient Greek sculpture art, providing valuable materials for later generations to study and appreciate ancient Greek culture.
Prehistoric art takes animals as the theme, and the techniques are realistic and vivid. From the end of the Neolithic period to the Middle Ages, the art spans Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome. Medieval art emphasized the spiritual world, and great achievements were made in architecture, including Byzantine churches, Romanesque churches, and Gothic churches. In addition, carvings, mosaics, and frescoes have also had certain achievements. These works provide valuable information for us to understand human history and culture.