Art History Essay Example for Free

Art History Essay This paper will attempt to give a descriptive analysis and comparison of two medieval sculptures viewed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The first sculpture entitled, â€Å"Virgin and Child;† attributed to Claus de Werve, a Netherlandish sculptor by Pierre Quarre a curator and chief of Musees de Djon and a leading authority on Burgundian sculpture. Claus de Werve was commissioned by the Duke and Duchess of the town of Poligny to create this statue for the convent which was headed by a Francisean nun named Colette between 1415-1417. The statue which is made of painted limestone is believed to be a gift that was commissioned for the convent. The second sculpture is entitled, â€Å"Mother and Child; Mali† which was created in Mali by the Bomana peoples. The statue of Virgin and Child is a religious humane figure of the Virgin Mother Mary and Jesus as a young boy which is associated with the Catholic Church and Christianity. This sculpture illustrates a mother and son involved in a tender moment. The statue is big in size and its dimensions are 53 x 42 x 28 inches and sits in the center of the Medieval Art exhibit in room 304 of the museum. The Virgin Mary in this sculpture appears very large in size as compared to the child. Her curly brown hair is positioned back away from her face, which is long and cascades down the sides of her face on to her shoulders. The skin of this sculpture resembles those associated with Caucasians with thin lips and long pointed noses. Her complexion or skin color I cannot tell because it is featured in a very dark room of the museum. On top of her head there appears to be a cloak or hood like garment that comes up to the middle of her head. She is wearing a long free flowing gown or dress underneath the cloak while she is sitting on a bench or piece of wood like structure. The child in this sculptured art has short curly brown hair and is wearing loose fitted clothing from that time period while sitting on the lap of the Virgin Mary. He appears comfortable as he sits in an angular position backwards gazing up into her face. As he sits on the lap of the Virgin Mother he gazes up into her face so matter of factly while he talks with her about the discoveries found in this book called the bible. The child appears to be pointing specifically to an important scripture or words of wisdom to emphasize perhaps to his mother the importance of learning this knowledge from the bible. The child’s actions and facial expressions appear to illustrate that he is the teacher and she is the student getting lessons on Christianity. Upon looking at the child’s posture the viewers can immediately assume that this child possesses a special quality or trait not found in other children. The facial expressions displayed on both mother and child signals a special unique moment that can only be shared between the two. The loving manner in which she firmly and carefully cradles her son with her left arm while holding the bible with her right lets viewers know that she wants to keep him safe from harm and prevent him from falling to the ground. At the same time her posture appears regal and straight as she looks down adoringly at her son with head slightly bowed while quietly and intensely listens to her son. On her face is a small smile that evokes pride for being selected as the chosen one to give birth to this special gift. The facial expressions of the Virgin Mary face appears to send encouraging signals to continue practicing his teachings so that she can perhaps help spread words of wisdom to others.. The second sculpture that will be discussed is entitled Mother and Child; Mali, which was created and carved out of wood by peoples living in Western Africa, called Bamana peoples. These individuals have artistic traditions in pottery, sculpture and beautiful cloths that are very distinct and connected to their cultural history that dates back to the 17th century. This group is located in the Bougouni or Diola area of Mali, which is located in western Africa. The Bamana individuals are part of the Mande culture and reside in the village of Bougouni. These individuals are taught while growing up to follow strict cultural practices regarding life experiences, such as hard work, responsibilities and taking care of a family. All members of this society have a specific purpose and it is up to all individuals who reside within this society to fulfill that purpose. One of the cultural practices of the Bamana peoples is to have large extended families. These extended families can grow as large as 100 to 1000 members. This may lead others to believe that most individuals within the Bamana society work together towards one common goal and the well being of all individuals regardless of blood ties. . Even though the Bamana society is mostly controlled by males, females or mothers are regarded highly and respected as individuals responsible for bringing forth life in their society. This respect is illustrated in the wooded sculptured entitled, Mother and Child; Mali. This figure was carved from wood by the elders of the Bamana village and symbolizes a mother or matriarchal figure that appears to act as a protector over her young child. The dark brown wooden sculpture is featured in the African and Oceanic section at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The sculpture is very tall and is approximately 49 inches tall. The material of this sculpture consists of dark brown wood that was just recently cleared by the museum according to one of the security guards there. At first glance when I approached this sculpture it reminded me of some sort of totem pole, because some of the body features are exaggerated on this sculpture. The torso and arms on the Mother and Child sculpture appear exaggerated and longer than most human figures. The female in this sculptured illustration appears to be seated on a throne like chair protecting her young. The female figure does not have on a top and her breasts are carved like two long triangles. On the female’s lower body a short cloth covers her hips as she sits on a bench cradling a small child. On the mothers right arm is an upper arm bracelet or rings and on her left arm there appears to be a sheath with a long knife concealed inside. On her head is a hat which is also cone shaped and inserted into the hat there appears to be sharp like objects sticking out. Along the sides of her head coming down from the hat are two thick braids that rest on her shoulders. The facial features portrayed on this sculpture feature big almond shaped eyes with a long thin nose and lips, which is consistent with the features found on the Bomana peoples living in that region or area. The facial expressions of the woman featured in this sculpture appear to be smiling as the figure looks out from above. Her posture as she sits on her throne like wooden structure is very straight and upright. The infant in this sculpture appears to be clutching or clasping at the mothers body for a secure place to hold onto. The infant featured is completely nude and his face against his mother’s torso as the legs straddles around the waist of the mother. A cloth like fabric appears to be at the waist of the mother separating the lower body proportions from touching. The mother sculpture is featured without any feet only legs and I do not know if the object was purposely created in that manner or if this art work was damaged and the feet destroyed. The similarities discovered in both sculptures depict the mother and child as aloving caring protectorate of the young. In both of these sculptures the mother is cradling the child in her arms on her lap while sitting down on a throne like structure. The child or son created in both works of art appears to be seated on their mother’s lap. addition the mothers size featured in both works are proportioned larger to the child displayed. others featured in both works of art portray the mother figure as a very large and powerful being in proportion to the child. Both appear to be seated on a throne like structure while holding or cradling a child in their arms. Both sculptures have a deeply rooted spiritual religious connection in their society. The Virgin and Child is a symbol of hope for all who live and believe in Christianity. The young child Jesus is known to all to be the one sent by god to save the peoples of the world from hell. While the mother and Child of Mali sculpture is also viewed and symbolizes the strength and power that a mother possesses. This art work also is connected to the Bamana society as a religious symbol of hope for the future, because without women in society there would be not be a future. These sculptures also evoke a sense of peace and serenity to individuals when viewing them. The difference viewed in both is that Mother and Child was constructed out of limestone polychromy and gilding, and the Virgin and Child; Mali was constructed from carved wood. The Virgin and Child sculpture appears to have life like features while the Mother and Child sculpture physical features appear to have been exaggerated with the long torso and large hands. One was created in France and the other in Mali Africa. One artist was used or named on the sculpture depicting the Virgin Mary while a group of Bamana elders are credited with the Mother and Child sculpture. The female body figure’s is completely covered in cloth. Only her hands, face and neck can be viewed, the child she is holding is also covered from head to toe in a loosely fitted garment, which may lead one to believe that the society in which these individuals resided are very conservative. The Mother and Child; Mali sculpture depicts individuals in a very primitive and natural manner. A society that does not place limits and is not afraid to display the beauty of human anatomy for all to see. The female in the sculpture has hardly any clothes covering her body and the infant is completely naked the physical features on the virgin Child sculpture although created thousands of centuries ago can still be viewed clearly. While the Mother and Child: Mali physical features of the figures appear to be weathering with time. This artwork in addition is only 500 years old. To conclude both sculptures reflect the ancient cultures by which they were made and focus on the importance of life in their societies during their respective time periods. They were selected because I enjoy observing art work that connects to my culture and history. It is very interesting to look through the eyes of the artist and view their interpretation of how the physical appearances of individuals during the biblical era were portrayed. I am a Roman Catholic and I was completely drawn to the sculpture at the museum, because it sort of reminded me of the statues in my church it immediately had this calming effect on me while I stood there staring at the piece attempting to sketch it for this assignment. As mentioned earlier in the paper I really thought the Virgin and Child; Mali was a totem pole because of its size and big wide eyes and head. However, after realizing that this sculpture stood as a symbol of motherhood in Africa I began to appreciate for bringing importance to all mothers in that society and around the world. Unlike the Virgin and Child sculpture it did not bring about a calming effect it kind of emitted power and strength. You got the sense that this mother would attack you in a minute if you attempted to bring harm to her child. All in all my experience at the Metropolitan Museum of Art was very pleasurable and in the future I plan to visit it again to look for other sculptures that I can connect with in the future. Through the eyes of other artist you can visualize history and the life of individuals who lived in the past.

Choosing a Career Path Essay -- building management

Never once was there a doubt in my mind that I wasn’t going to college. But the question as to what career path do I want to pursue was always the hard part. When declaring my major, I had no idea that Michigan State had so many different options. My original major was pre-law, and then it was general management, now I’m leaning towards construction management. I watched â€Å"A Family That Preys† by Tyler Perry, and one of the characters was a construction manager. Like a child, watching this movie persuaded my decision to go into this field. I didn’t declare this as my first major because I was uneducated on the field, so I went with a major that I knew about. I am only in my second semester of college and I have changed my major twice. My uncle has been very successful and he has greatly inspired my choice of continuing my education. He was a successful insurance agent at state farm, and then went on to owning his own insurance company. Even though he i s in the insurance field, he is going back to school for trucking and looking into construction as well. One night we sat at my grandmother’s dinning room table and discussed my future career plans. I told him that I was interested in construction management but I was uneducated in the field so I didn’t change my major yet. I need to educate myself about being in the construction field by reading books, interviews, magazines, etc. The name construction management in itself sounds like a hand full, there’s no question that pursuing this major will be a lot of hard work and dedication. When I looked up the course requirements, the requirements reinforced my preconceived notations about this field. Calculus, microeconomics, and accounting, sounds scary and they are only 3 of the 120 cr... ...MSU RO:Academic Programs: Construction Management." MSU RO:Academic Programs: Construction Management. Michigan State University, 23 Aug. 2011. Web. 01 Apr. 2014. Perry, Marjorie A. "Marjorie A. Perry - About." Marjorie A. Perry - About. Marjorie Perry, 02 Nov. 2013. Web. 06 Apr. 2014. . "Summary." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 8 Jan. 2014. Web. 31 Mar. 2014. . "Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program | SBA.gov." Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program | SBA.gov. The U.S. Small Business Administration, 1 Feb. 2011. Web. 06 Apr. 2014. .

Is Faustus a Tragic Hero Essay

Much of the information in Dr Faustus is derived from a collection of semi-fictitious German stories (the ‘Faustbuch’) in which the life of German scholar and purported necromancer, Georgius Faust are narrated. Where the Faustbuch narrates a simple tale of sin and retribution, Marlowe creates a tragedy in which a human being makes a clear choice for good or bad, with some knowledge of the possible outcome. In order to do this, Marlowe has drawn on the conventions of classical Greek tragedy, many of which dictate the nature of the hero or heroine. In ancient times, a hero achieved heroic status not because of saintliness or wickedness, but because of the acts he performed in life. The hero should have a socially elevated status and suffer a reversal of fortune in which he experiences great suffering. This is all certainly true of Faustus, who is highly regarded as both a lecturer at the University of Wittenberg, and an accomplished scholar. During his life, he performs extraordinary feats, which were unlike anything experienced by lesser mortals. Even by modern standards, the notion of necromancy is disturbing; for a contemporary Elizabethan audience, for whom religion permeated all aspects of life, it would have been inconceivably horrific. Once Faustus is â€Å"glutted with learning’s golden gifts and surfeited upon cursed necromancy† he uses his powers to embark upon amazing adventures (for example learning the secrets of astronomy upon the summit of mount Olympus) which, again, are befitting of the tragic hero. Faustus reversal of fortune is also typically tragic. During the final scene of the play, in which we witness Faustus’ final hour before being taken off to hell, he is, like all heroes of classical tragedy, completely isolated. There is a poignant contrast in Faustus’ degeneration from the successful, revered conjurer of the previous scenes, to the disillusioned scholar we see here. In despair, he tries to conjure and command the earth to gape open but realises that, â€Å"o no, it will not harbour† him. His terror, desperation and frantic hopes are all conveyed by the final soliloquy, which is both graphic and physical in its nature. The dramatic moment of Faustus’ death, as his flesh is torn by devils, is at the same time horrendous and moving. His experiences the type of physical anguish reminiscent of the blind Oedipus, and this enactment of the spectacle of pain and death is at the heart of a true tragedy. In order for the audience to engage with the hero, and feel empathy and pathos as a result of his suffering, it is essential that he is presented with the opportunity to make conscious decisions about his fate, all be they the wrong ones. The plot of Dr Faustus contains several such opportunities. Faustus is given a chance to repent on several occasions; before signing the contract with Mephastophilis, he seems to heed the voice of the good angel, and is about to â€Å"turn to God again†, but denies this as a possibility because God does not love him. However, despite the â€Å"vain fancies† of God and heaven which clearly plague him, Faustus is resolute and clear about what he is committing himself to. Here, we see another trait of the classical tragic hero, hell bent on a course of action which he believes is right, even thought he knows it will eventually bring about his downfall. Even at the very end of his 24 years, when the hope of salvation comes along in the form of the old man, Faustus (fearful of the wrath of Lucifer) instructs â€Å"sweet Mephastophilis† to torture his would-be saviour. When Faustus chooses to kiss the image of Helen of Troy, whom he knows is nothing more than a demonic spirit in disguise, we feel that he must realise he has made a fatal choice. By now the tragedy is inevitable; of his own free will Faustus has rejected all hope of salvation and the audience waits in trepidation for his impending doom. The question of fate versus free will is a key theme in Dr. Faustus, and one which is important when considering Faustus himself as a tragic hero. If, indeed, Faustus has the freedom necessary to change or reverse his predicament then he is truly a tragic hero. The chorus’ assertion that â€Å"cut is the branch which might have grown full straight†, does seem to support the idea that Faustus was not doomed from the beginning, but was given choices and opportunities to repent his wicked ways. Mephastophilis sums this up perfectly when, in response to Faustus’ desperate, remorseful accusation: â€Å"thou hast deprived me of the joys of heaven†, he reminds Faustus that â€Å"’twas thine own seeking†¦thank thyself†. However, when we consider the religious beliefs held by most of Marlowe’s contemporaries, there appears to be a contradiction in Faustus’ apparent free will. In Elizabethan times, the ideas of a popular branch of Christianity known as Calvinism (of which Marlowe himself would certainly have been aware) were widespread. Calvinists held the belief that human beings, as a direct consequence of original sin, have no free will. Also, Christianity has traditionally taught of God’s omnipotence and omniscience- i. e. God knows all and sees all. It follows, therefore that God has planned our fate and knows it long before we are even born. If this is the case, then doubt must be cast upon the notion of Faustus as a true tragic hero; if his fate was already mapped out then all the ‘choices’ presented to him are rendered arbitrary. When debating with himself at the beginning of the play, Faustus does seem to have some awareness of this, reasoning that we are all inherently sinful and therefore are condemned to die, because â€Å"the reward of sin is death†. Despite the fact that Faustus essentially cheats, twisting quotes from the Bible in order to justify his intended pursuit, one cannot help but feel that he shows insight into the problems raised by fate/free will, concluding that what is meant to be shall be (â€Å"che sara, sara†). In conclusion I would say that for the most part, Faustus is the perfect example of the tragic hero. He is an engaging character who holds the audiences’ attention until the very last, even when we do not find his personality particularly appealing. Indeed, the arrogance and blasphemy apparent in many of Faustus’ speeches (â€Å"a greater subject fitteth Faustus’ wit†, â€Å"Faustus, try thy brains to gain a deity† etc) are characteristic of the classical tragic hero. For example, Faustus’ pride and arrogance (which the Greeks called ‘hubris’) is strikingly similar to that of Aeschylus’ tragic hero, king Agamemnon. As far as the issue of free will is concerned, I think that Faustus does have the opportunity to make his own decisions, despite Marlowe’s paradoxical portrayal of a God whom, whilst able to control our predestination, cannot (when it comes down to it) control or undo the contract which Faustus makes.

About Presidential Pardons

Not even President Gerald Fords pardon of Richard Nixon caused as much political and legal flak as former President Bill Clintons pardon of Marc Rich, indicted in 1983 on charges of racketeering and mail and wire fraud, arising out of his oil business. And then, before the Rich stew had reached a rolling boil, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) disclosed that her lawyer brother Hugh Rodham had accepted some $400,000 in fees to help two other felons get pardons from President Clinton. The two pardoned were Glen Braswell, who had served three years for a 1983 mail fraud conviction, and Carlos Vignali, who had served six years of a 15 year sentence for cocaine trafficking in Los Angeles. Sen. Clinton said she was very disappointed and saddened, and told her brother to give the money back and he did, but the damage had been done. Except to Braswell and Vignalie, who ended up drawing Get Out of Jail Free cards, after all. Now, President Bush has stated, Should I decide to grant pardons, I will do so in a fair way. I will have the highest of high standards. [From: Press Conference - Feb. 22, 2001] What are those high standards? Are they written down, and what gives the President of the United States the power to pardon anybody? Constitutional Authority for Presidential Pardons The power to grant pardons is given to the President of the United States by  Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, which states in part:   The President ... shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment. No standards, and only one limitation -- no pardons for the impeached. Can Presidents Pardon Their Relatives The Constitution places few restrictions on who presidents can pardon, including their relatives or spouses. Historically, the courts have interpreted the Constitution as giving the president virtually unlimited power to issue pardons to individuals or groups. However, presidents can only grant pardons for violations of federal laws. In addition, a presidential pardon only provides immunity from federal prosecution. It does provide protection from civil lawsuits. What the Founding Fathers Said The whole subject of presidential pardons stirred little debate at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. No less estimable Founding Father than Alexander Hamilton, writing in Federalist No. 74, suggests that, ... in seasons of insurrection or rebellion, there are often critical moments, when a well-timed offer of pardon to the insurgents or rebels may restore the tranquility of the commonwealth. While a few Founders suggested involving Congress in the pardons business, Hamilton remained certain the power should rest solely with the president. It is not to be doubted, that a single man of prudence and good sense is better fitted, in delicate conjunctures, to balance the motives which may plead for and against the remission of the punishment, than any numerous body [Congress] whatever, he wrote  in Federalist 74.. So, except for impeachment, the Constitution places no restrictions whatsoever on the president in granting pardons. But what about those standards President Bush has promised to apply to any pardons he may grant? Where and what are they? Loose Legal Standards for Presidential Pardons While the Constitution places no significant limitations on them in granting pardons, we have certainly now witnessed the grief that can come to presidents or former presidents who appear to grant them haphazardly, or show favoritism in the act. Surely, presidents have some legal resources to draw upon when saying, I granted the pardon because... Operating under the guidelines of Title 28 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Sections 1.1 - 1.10, the U.S. Pardon Attorney, of the Justice Departments Office of Pardon Attorney assists the president by reviewing and investigating all requests for pardons. For each request considered, the Pardon Attorney prepares the Justice Departments recommendation to the president for the final granting or denial of the pardon. Besides pardons, the president may also grant commutations (reductions) of sentences, remissions of fines, and reprieves. For the exact wording of the guidelines used by the Pardon Attorney in reviewing requests for pardons, see: Presidential Pardons: Legal Guidelines. Keep in mind that the recommendations of the Pardon Attorney to the president are just that -- recommendations and nothing more. The president, bound by no higher authority than Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, is in no way required to follow them and retains the ultimate power to grant or deny clemency. Should This Presidential Power be Limited? At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, delegates easily defeated proposals to make presidential pardons subject to the approval of the Senate, and to limit pardons to persons actually convicted of crimes. Proposals for constitutional amendments limiting the presidents pardoning power have been offered in Congress. A 1993 resolution in the House suggested that, The President shall only have the power to grant a reprieve or a pardon for an offense against the United States to an individual who has been convicted of such an offense. Basically, the same idea proposed in 1787, the resolution was never acted on by the House Judiciary Committee, where it slowly died. As recently as 2000, a Senate joint resolution proposed an amendment to the Constitution that would have allowed crime victims the right to reasonable notice of and an opportunity to submit a statement concerning any proposed pardon or commutation of a sentence. After officers of the Justice Department testified against the amendment, it was withdrawn from consideration in April of 2000. Finally, keep in mind that any limitation or change to the presidents power to grant pardons will require an amendment to the Constitution. And those, are hard to come by.