Today, I found a wonderful and beautiful picture from internet. Please look at:
http://sgline.epfl.ch/BERGER/First/zoom.cgi?english&EGYPTE&16

It is a picture of the Egyptian arts. We already know about the Old Kingdom (2780-2680 BC.), the Middle Kingdom(2258-2052 BC.), and the New Kingdom (1570-1070 BC.). We already figure out that the characteristic points of view in the Egyptian painting in class. The Old and Middle Kingdom periods arts are not naturalistic, using only frontal and profile view points. On the other hand, the new Kingdom period BC. Egyptian Arts became more lifelike, natural and realistic. We can see the backgrounds and other settings for the major figure. This movements of the minor figures was in the Egyptian arts. (This tendency spread to the major figure).

These pictures in this period tell us a great deal about ancient Egyptian life, custom and society.

The first thing they tell us is that these characteristics do not fit with what we have learned about Egyptian art. The face is in profile, however, the that body and legs are also profile. We have learned "profile-frontal- profile, but this picture is profile- profile-profile. I thought this is a new type picture in this period.

Secondly, we can imagine a story or ideas about this picture. Women who were crying and felling on their knees their are showing their sadness, therefore I thought this picture is showing the funeral. But we can see a man's big legs beside the four women in the picture. He looks like an administrator or a bureaucray. He has really big legs, so the big legs are showing that he is a like strong and powerful man. It seems that he deprived these women of something their food, and is threatening them. Thus, we can imagine that this picture shows the Egyptian society--stratification society.

Tomoko Yuasa
Art History
Prof. J. Karet
October 18, 1995
Assignment

This example of classical Greek architecture is from the Acropolis in Greece. This architecture was constructed between 421 and 405 BC. This is a part of the temple "The Erechtheion". The Erechtheion is an ionic building and named after a hero of the myth, "Erechthus". This architecture in this picture is the south porch of The Erechtheion. This porch is called "The porch of the Maidens".

The reason why I chose this architecture is that I had a great interest in these posts. Each post is sculpted in a woman's shape. This is very beautiful, graceful and unique. These posts show the women in frontal view, full length and standing. The women's arms are broken and they are wearing long dresses. The main characteristic of these posts is that we can see one side leg out of the dress. This is very sexy style.

This architecture was built near the parthenon. These two architectures may be connected. I hear that these women are looking toward the Parthenon. I think these women watch the god of the Parthenon.

Finally, we could find "The classical architect-sculpture balancing the realities of structure with the necessities of ideal beauty."

Ayano Kajihara
Art History
Prof. J. Karet
November 11, 1995
Assignment

Reference

http://libra.caup.umich.edu/ArchiGopher/GreekArchitecture/Acropolis/slide05.gif

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