Humanities- World Cultures (Week 3) - Term Paper Example

A wonderful example of religious art can be found in Islamic calligraphy. Calligraphy is simply an attempt to translate a message into text. In Islamic culture, it is believed that any image-based depiction of religious figures is a form of idolatry, and idol worship is forbidden in the Islamic religion (Dodge). Examples of this religious belief are found in Islamic calligraphy at the Alhambra Palace and the Dome of the Rock, which both contain actual versus directly from the Quran. This is in stark contrast with Christian expression in art form.

An example of this contrast can be found in the Christian mosaics at Ravenna, which contain images of the Baptist of Christ by John the Baptist and The Virgin Mary. Various forms of Art that depict history, including war, have also been used for many centuries by various cultures. One of the world’s best examples of this is the Bayeux Tapestry, dubbed the world’s first comic book strip, which depicts the invasion of England by the Normans, led by William the Conqueror. Many times history is presented to the world by the victors of a conflict, and it is for this reason that it is very likely that the Bayeux tapestry was portrayed from the Norman perspective.

There are many examples of this form of propaganda which is still being used today. For example, Ronald Maxwell’s God’s and Generals, which depicted the American Civil War from a Confederate soldier’s point of view, portrayed the Confederacy as God-fearing, morally sound, Christian people. The bias presented in the film is also evident by the fact that there are very few scenes that actually deal with the issue of slavery. Architecture is another example of religious expression in art form.

The Chartres Cathedral, which was constructed during the 12th century, displays some of the greatest examples of stained glass windows in the world. Assuming one were an illiterate peasant viewing the Life of Christ Window with no preconceived notion of what story is being told, it is a certainty that he or she would presume that this story places a great deal of importance on the birth of a child. It would seem to the peasant that the child is of some divine importance, given the depiction of angels on each side of the child, which is a symbol of divine protection.

Obviously, he or she would also understand the significance of imagery in storytelling. The use of symbolism in literature is also a very popular way of conveying a message or belief. Dante’s assignment of sins to the nine levels of Hell is an excellent example of the use of symbolism in literature to represent a belief or life lesson to be learned. In this example, the lesson is that our actions create our own reality. As the old saying goes, “You’ve made your own bed, now lie in it.” This is the same idea that is being portrayed in this classic piece of literature.

This is also an example of the inclination of human beings to believe that evil acts will be repaid for with some form of divine punishment. Likewise, it is human nature to believe that good acts will be repaid with some form of divine blessing. These desires are likely where the concepts of heaven and hell were born; in essence, they are nothing more than a creation of the human mind. Works Cited Gods and Generals. Dir. Ronald F. Maxwell. Perf. Jeff Daniels, Stephen Lang, and Robert Duvall. Warner Brothers Pictures, 2003. DVD. Dodge, Christine Huda.

Islamic Restrictions in the Arts. Netplaces.com, n.d. Web. 14 July 2011. < http://www.netplaces.com/understanding-islam/the-islamic-arts/islamic-restrictions-in-the-arts.htm>.