Time Traveling, Art Historian Book Chapters - Roman Paintings - Essay Example

?Time Travel Chapter Roman Paintings: Campanian Frescoes When in Rome, there were a lot of things I learned and experienced about their paintings.Today, many paintings survive from the classical world of Rome. Some of which are Frescoes from Campania, which is around Naples. This area basically covers ‘Pompeii, Herculaneum and other towns. (“Roman Painting”, 2009) These towns had great cultures and art forms, most of which was luckily preserved by the eruption of volcanic Mt. Vesuvius in AD 79. During my visit of these areas, I was amazed by the paintings people had created directly on the “walls of their rooms and portable panels”. (“Roman Painting”, 2009). I was even witness to people imitating existing paintings, in that they were making paintings of existing paintings. This probably played a great role in mass production of paintings and that is probably where this began. It could simply just have been people trying to improve their painting skills however. From observing the living conditions of the people, it was very clear that they used paintings as more than just decor hanging on a wall. Their domestic conditions and living scenarios were very claustrophobic. Most of the dwellings were windowless, dingy and dark. In an attempt to right this, and to visually brighten up their rooms, the Romans painted in scientific ways that helped brighten up their homes. This included the fresco technique of painting and other forms. It wasn’t unusual to walk in to a room painted with the brightest of hues, or a wall that was divided into “multiple rectangular areas like the tic-tac-toe design”. Multi-point and trompe-l’oeil effects were also widespread in Rome. (“Roman Painting”, 2009) In my escapades of Rome I was lucky enough to witness the preparation and painting of a Fresco! It was a highly complex process, but the result was beautiful. Preparation involved firstly applying a few coats of mortar – a mixture of lime and sand, which was “followed by a few coats of lime and finely powdered marble”. (“Roman Painting”, 2009). The next step involved the application of coloured pigments to make the designs on the still-damp wall, followed by application of tempera and liquid wax after the wall dried. In the late nineteenth century, four styles of painting were identified and I was very lucky to have been able to observe them all in my visit to Rome. Incrustation was the first style which I witnessed as being ‘originated in the early 2nd century BC’. (“Roman Painting”, 2009). When viewed, I was strongly reminded of marble veneering. The painted decoration is very similar to slabs of coloured marble. A great example of this style is the Samnite House in Herculaneum. Observing this piece, I could only imagine how this style manages to represent the cultural aspirations of the middle class of the time. The second style, which was developed almost a century later, allowed the “opening up the wall by allowing illusions of windows and porticos”, therefore giving one a distinct feeling of looking out at imaginary sceneries. (“Roman Painting”, 2009). Gazing upon samples of this type, such as the Odyssey paintings from a Roman House currently in the Vatican, I couldn’t help but be immersed and lost in sceneries so beautiful, that it was hard to believe they were not really there. The third style is Ornamental. This was probably the first picture gallery, as the style focused on closing up walls to create said effect. As I wandered through rooms, I noticed typically, a large central piece that was surrounded by a smaller picture on each side. The fourth style seems to have been named for paintings many decades later. It is a heterogeneous style that incorporates bits from each of the previous ones. (“Roman Painting”, 2009) Chapter 2: Islamic Art of Ornamentation After Rome, and the amazing paintings I had been lucky to witness, I decided it was time for another great civilization – Islam. I wanted to witness something different… something beautiful and brilliant… and this I found in the Islamic art of Ornamentation. Ornamentation, as we know is the creation of ornaments such as jewellery, figurines, idols, and so on. The art of ornamentation in the Islamic Civilization seemed to be a good place to start. From observing scores of Muslim artists, there were a few things I learned about them. They explore the unknown in their art. Rather than draw what they see – whether in people or nature, they prefer to use their imagination, the genius and the creativity to display great taste, talent and skill in art. Thus, I came by the world of ornamentation in Islamic Civilization and to put in one word, I was simply – amazed! The most amazing part about Islamic art is that it is beauty on the outside, and the inside. Aesthetics is the core of art in the Islamic culture and ornamentation is a key part of this function. This is why it is such a big deal and creating this beauty is a form where the shape and content of the artwork combine to make a whole unit that spills with beauty. From what I observed in my time in the Islamic Civilization, Islamic ornamentation has distinctive characteristics. I watched is grow and flourish in design, production, subject and method. I watched as Muslim artists put their creativity and vivid imaginations in their art. They chanelised their brilliance in the best possible manner, every time. I happened to notice however, a pattern. There is a basic method to study the art – Floral and Geometric decoration. (“Art of ornamentation in Islamic civilization”, 2010) FLORAL ORNAMENTATION GEOMETRIC ORNAMENTATION While Floral Ornamentation basically is ‘designs from leaves and flowers’, (islamstory.com) Geometrical orientation as its name suggests, was the ornamentation wherein the artists focused on geometric shapes and designs and used them creatively. In either case, the artist would produce designs separately, jointly or even overlapping. They could also be interchanged by way that floral and geometric elements could also be interchanged. Whether it was in the decoration of walls, domes or antiques, floral and geometric patterns were highly popular. From what I got to observe, it was evident that the Muslim artist was striving to create beauty beyond anything that had ever been created. Whether in imitating nature, adding his own creative swoosh or using innovative ways to use geometric shapes, there was always something the artist was looking forward to achieve. Even in case of something as simple as decorating antiques, copies of the Quran and other books and ceilings, a standard was followed – in order to maintain the standard of design. Multi-sided star shaped formations are very key when it comes to Islamic arts and artists all over ensured they used this key design element when they designed anything. (“Art of ornamentation in Islamic civilization”, 2010) Chapter 3: Indian Art After travelling to the civilizations of Rome and Islam, I figured it was finally time to set foot on the civilization of India. As we all know, India is a very diverse civilization. India has always had a variety of people and this has created various cultural aspects for the nation, not to mention civilizations for the country. And obviously, if the civilizations were so vast and varied, their art forms would be too. I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to spend time wherever in the nation I fancied, and at whatever time I wished. And from all the time travelling, I have learned a lot about the Indian Civilization. Beginning at the Indus Valley Civilization, I learned about “steatite and limestone statuettes and terracotta figures that were mainly animal figures made in abstract form and very sophisticated”. (Roy, n. d) Abstraction has always been a very integral part of Indian Art, even though it showed place in western art only in the late nineteenth century. INDUS TERACOTTA SCULPTURE Realism, however, took a while to enter the Indian art scenario, making its first appearance only in the third century BC. This was due to the invasion by Alexander and later on led to the development of the unique school of art, now known as the Gandhar School of Art. The Gupta period and the construction of the Ajanta Caves was phenomenal! I was really impressed by the murals that were painted throughout the caves, depicting Jataka tales. These were similar to the frescoes I noticed in Rome, and were also similarly seen in the Elephanta and Ellora caves. (Roy, n. d) FRESCOES OF AJANTA When the Muslim invaders invaded India, they brought with them their own forms of art. This was probably how one can see influences of Muslim or Islam art in Indian art as well, whether in floral motifs or miniature art forms. I was also lucky to be witness to the establishment of major schools of art such as “the Mughal, Pahari and Rajasthani art forms.” (Roy) The subject of art has also always been varied, ranging from religious parables to folk stories, mythology to erotica, and so on. The depiction of the common man is also a very famous form of art. When the British came to India, they brought with them European forms and trends of art. Their biggest contribution was possibly the introduction of individualism in art. It was only in this era that Indian artists got the recognition they deserved and began working on their signature styles. (Roy, n. d) When it comes to Indian art, there were many things I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to witness. Individualism was probably the most gratifying. It was amazing to watch how the artists worked on creating their signature styles and creating a special way for one to recognize their work. This has helped the historians and artists of our time study the civilizations and learn all they possibly can about art and also by extension about the civilization as mentioned. Not everyone gets a chance to go back in time and be a part of history, literally. I have been given that chance. And I am absolutely amazed at what I have witnessed with each passing moment. It isn’t just the evolution of art that has managed to impress me, but the fact that so many factors play such important roles in the evolution of art and art forms across civilizations, across the globe. It would be very hard to pick a favourite, or even describe any civilization as being more interesting than the other, as each civilization has its own specialties and that is what makes it unique. References “Art of ornamentation in Islamic civilization.” (2010). Islam Story. Retrieved from: http://en.islamstory.com/art-of-ornamentation-in-islamic-civilization.html “Roman Painting: Frescoes From Campania.” (2009). Art and Archaeology. Retrieved from: http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/roman/painting.html Roy, J. (n. d). “21st Century Indian Art.” 21st Century Indian Art. Retrieved from: http://www.21stcenturyindianart.com/history.htm Read More