arts quarter 1

• Ancient art includes sculptures, architectures, and paintings
• Prehistoric art includes paintings found inside caves, possibly used for communication
• Prehistoric drawings of animals were usually correct in proportion
• Cave of Lascaux paintings feature large animals native to the region and were discovered in 1940
• Sculptures like the Venus of Willendorf were made from limestone and symbolized fertility
• Architectures like megaliths were made of huge stone blocks, possibly intended for burial
• Egyptian art is characterized by detailed depictions of gods, human beings, and nature
• Egyptian paintings aimed to make the deceased's afterlife pleasant, featuring themes like the journey to the underworld
• Egyptian sculptures used heavy symbolism, often representing gods as composite creatures
• Greek art emphasized human accomplishments, with gods created in the image of humans
• Greek paintings during the classical era commonly depicted battle scenes, mythological figures, and everyday scenes
• Greek sculptures evolved over time to show all points of human anatomy and proportion
• The Hellenistic style of Greek sculptures emphasized elaborate patterns, dramatic movement, and mannered arrangement of figures
• Roman art tended to be realistic while Greek art was idealized
• Roman artistic innovations included equestrian statues, naturalistic busts, and decorative wall paintings like those found in Pompeii
• Most Roman paintings were copied or imitated from Hellenic Greek paintings, using the fresco technique with brightly colored backgrounds
• Roman paintings depicted a wide variety of subjects such as animals, everyday life, still life, mythological subjects, portraits, and landscapes
• The main innovation of Roman painting from Greek painting was the development of landscape painting
• Mosaic is an art process where an image is created using small pieces of colored glass, stones, or other materials, commonly used for decorative art or interior decorations
• Fresco painting in Roman art depicted ceremonial rites, such as marriage or initiation of a woman in a mystery cult
• Roman sculptures were mainly made of monumental terra-cotta and often depicted continuous narrative reliefs around columns
• The Portonacio Sarcophagus depicts battle scenes between Romans and Germans and is carved in marble
• The Sarcophagus from Cervetiri shows a husband and wife reclining comfortably, made of Terra Cotta
• The Colosseum, the largest amphitheater built during Roman times, was used for gladiator contests, dramas, animal hunts, public executions, and later as a fortress, quarry, and Christian shrine
• Byzantine art is known for extravagant mosaics, dazzling use of gold, and its deep connection with the rise of Christianity in Europe
• Byzantine sculptures often depicted religious themes, everyday life scenes, and motifs from nature, using animals as symbols and acrostic signs with theological significance
• The Hagia Sophia, meaning "Holy Wisdom," transformed from a church to a mosque and now a museum, featuring one of the biggest domes ever created with 108 feet in diameter
• Romanesque art combined features of Roman and Byzantine buildings, characterized by a vigorous style in both painting and sculpture, with mosaics on church walls and a variety of artistic traditions
• Gothic art is known for soaring lines, busy details, and crowded compositions, with Christian themes dominating but secular art also emerging and flourishing
• Gothic stained glass windows were created to transform stone interiors with warm colors and instruct Christians in their faith
• Gothic sculptures had greater freedom of style, projecting outward from the wall and featuring more lively and realistic figures with individual attitudes
• Gothic architecture introduced new devices like the pointed arch and stone vaulting supported by piers and clustered pillars, allowing for higher ceiling vaults
• The Cathedral of Chartres, also known as Notre Dame Cathedral, is renowned for its rich architecture, splendid stained glass windows, and thousands of sculptured figures