Better late than never I suppose..

ESSAY #3a

This and That

QUESTION: How are Egyptian, Greek and Roman art and architecture both interconnected and yet independent and; How did they collectively or independently affect the development of art in the Early Christian period?

SUMMARY

When I went to go answer this question I experienced a lot of thought processes. I wanted to show how these three different forms of art were connected yet very different and unique. So then I began reviewing my notes and readings from my art history book to find the evidence.

REASON

I think the reason you asked us this question is because it is important when learning about art history and history in general that you’re able to see connections between different forms, eras of art or events and miles stones in history. This essay topic specifically relates to the course because we are constantly learning, researching and making connections to what we discover.

PURPOSE

I think the purpose of you asking us this question was so we could better understand this period of time. By looking deeper into the subject matter, and analyzing what we already know to come to a conclusion, it reinforces the material we learn in and outside of the classroom.

DIRECTION

The direction I took was immediately opening my text book and note book. I began to look at the Roman, Greek and Egyptian art work. I looked for similarities, whether they were physical similarities or similarities in purpose. Next I looked at the development in the Early Christian period and how the art contributed to that period of time.

IMPRESSIONS

One of my biggest “Aha!” moments was when I realized how these three different styles of art are so similar. In their own way they are working towards a similar goal; basically a utilitarian, religious and expressive purpose. However, I did find this essay a bit challenging to answer because everything is so related.

THE ANSWER 

     In life we make connections to better understand the world around us as well as our past. As humans, we often like tangible things and sometimes fear the unknown. So to be asked “How Egyptian, Greek and Roman art is interconnected and yet independent?” is an intricate question to dive into. 

 Egyptian (left)   Greek (middle)  Roman (right)

(I don't know why the links aren't working properly)

I grouped together photos of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art to help compare and contrast..

      From observing these photographs of wall art one can detect that all three art works convey important people, ideas, or concepts in their civilizations. Each style is very unique but the general images are for a similar purpose. Notice how all three show a relationship between people and or animals. Like anything in life time passes, people and things evolve and grow; and we begin to take inspiration from our surroundings.

    “The Late period in Egypt saw the country and its art in the hands and service of foreigners. Nubians, Persians, Macedonians, Greeks, and Romans were all attracted to Egypt’s riches and seduced by its art.” (Art History, pg.79)

    Egyptians in my eyes were the trend setters of their time. People took what they wanted from the Egyptians and turned the art into their own. Even the architecture and purpose was more or less borrowed. The Idea of the pyramids, after life, and honoring the pharaoh was a general concept that was spread to Greece, Rome, and many civilizations after that. Symbols and funerary architecture from helped developed the iconography that we see repeated in much of the ancient art and early Christianity. Temples, sanctuaries, and monuments were big in Greece, but they were not a new concept. From Greece, the Romans got inspiration and revived Greek classical ideas; the Romans were wonderful at sculpting portraiture. Concepts of the Egyptian after life, the Greeks fixation on truth being beauty and the Romans realists ways have been thrown around and developed over time. This is shown mainly in sculpture; the Egyptians sculpting what the want to look like in the after life, Greeks sculpting what they should or want to look like in present life, and the Romans sculpting what they really do look like. (Art History)

I am finding myself getting off topic quickly here but everything is so interconnected it's just blurring my vision of answering this question..

Egyptian Architecture (left)   

Greek Aechitecture (middle)   

Roman Architecture (right)

As far as how they affected the early Christian period, I think it was more a group effort. Yes, each style of art has their own unique trait, but because of the strong influence on each other, they collectively affected the early Christian period. As "art" developed and ideas were being shared in Europe, there was an explosion of knowledge, creativity and religion happening. As the Christian period began, it had all of this collected styles of art to work with. That is why im my opinion some of the Christian art is so beautifully crafted.

Early Christian Art