Painting The Sistine Chapel By Michelangelo Religion Essay

Painting The Sistine Chapel By Michelangelo Religion Essay Michelangelo painted the Sistine chapel between 1508 and 1512. Later a student of his, Giorgio Vasari, writes that when the work was thrown open the whole world came running to see what Michelangelo had done and certainly it was such as to make everyone speechless with astonishment(Gillgren,(2001). The Sistine chapel is profoundly Christocentric. It was not made as a form of intellect but as a form of worship. It is not an argument or an Iconic display, although both of these are present in the painting. The critical examination of the chapel at times loses the simplicity that this is just great art (Dixon, (1988). The focus of Michelangelos art was man, which on the surface seems to confirm Burckhardts analysis of the Renaissance. Neo-Platonism, however, provided a framework for reconciling secularism with Christianity. The Neo-platonists interest in man stemmed from his belief that man was that element which tied the universe together. His interest in beauty, as reflected in Michelangelos preoccupation with the nude, arose from his identification of beauty with the highest good. Far from being worldly in content, the Neo-Platonist argued that the body was the dungeon of the soul; Michelangelos contorted figures symbolize the struggle of the soul to free itself from matter and achieve a vision of God (Robb, N. (1935). In his book Painting of the High Renaissance in Rome and Florence, S J Freedberg made an effort to define the art of Michelangelo in relation to Neo-Platonism. It is said that can the art of Michelangelo in the Sistine chapel be reduced to concepts like Neo-Platonist or Christian. An iconological understanding must acknowledge both, and also recognize that with the human form is not made from tradition and a lot is Michelangelos own interest in Classical sculpture and to the very particular culture of humanist Italy at the beginning of the Sixteenth century. Upon entering the chapel, one can see historical scenes close to the entrance. These sides are filled with figures, while the scenes close to the altar only show a few figures. The Prophets and the Sibyls by the entrance are smaller than the ones by the altar. Even as the architecture is expanding, the first Prophets and Sibyls are seated steadily on their thrones. The latter ones further in almost seem to be gliding down the wall toward the floor (Gilgren, (2001). There are two competing explanations for this. One thought is formalistic and the other one iconological. Then there is a third, a quite uncomplicated explanation has really not been given its due consideration: The crescendo makes it possible for the spectator entering the chapel through the old entrance (not the present one, where most people enter today) to see the whole work in just one gaze. The figures close by are smaller and the scenes more crowded, the ones further away are larger and more sculptural-and can there fore be seen all the way from the entrance. While taking in this view is easy to understand the crescendo as a means toward making the work available to the spectator. It is a way to communicate (Gilgren, (2001). Michelangelo and the thought of the Neo-platonic Academy suggest that the Renaissance was not as secular or as pagan as Burckhardt would have us believe. Christianity was still a potent a force. The modes of expressing it in the Renaissance, however, were different from those of the Middle Ages. While Saint Bernard and the Benedictine tradition urged the Christian to abandon life in the world, Renaissance Neo-Platonism found God in beautiful things. The Renaissance man did indeed tend to worship the world, but at least for the Neo-Platonist, this was part of the worship of God. Michelangelo once said that art is brought from heaven. Only divine inspiration could have created the David and the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and it was to the divine that Michelangelo wished to appeal (Robb, N. (1935). The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in a way follows a similar pattern. When the ceiling is divided it is done so in a series of squares, triangles and circles. There are three zones to the ceiling division. The lower zone where very little light is received is defined by De Tolnay as peopled by a race enduring variations of the human condition. According to Fleming, the middle zone is a mix of Old Testament prophets and some pagan symbols that have knowledge of the Divine and mediate between man and God. The contrast of the pagan symbols and biblical prophets suggests a idea which is not completely Christian. The use of prophets and pagan examples side by side kind of suggests that Michelangelo was looking at the qualities they shared as being important instead of the specific beliefs they stood for. They are according to Fleming the inspired men and women who, through the exercise of their minds and imaginations, became the mediators between the human and divine spheres. Angels would have been representing these symbols in most of the other traditional Christian art. The ceiling of the chapel is perhaps the most famous. In the center the story of many and his relationship with God is shown. The famous finger to finger painting in the center is very well known and everywhere replicated in the world today. It looks like the ceiling is a portrait of biblical history from creation and then ending with the Last Judgment. The first scene which is the Drunkenness of Noah is consistent with Neo-Platonism. Neo-Platonism will often show the lowest state of a soul by drunkenness. The panels of the ceiling go on to show man in his low state to creation. In the panel the Creation of Adam, there are two under the arm of God. As De Tolnay states One is a girl, who represents the Platonic idea of Eve, preexisting in the divine intellect. The last panel, God Dividing the Light from Darkness, shows what a depiction of a complete pure being is. In the Creation of Eve, Michelangelo portrayed God as a human. If you start with at the beginning with the Drunkenness of Noah, the painted story goes through biblical history to where freedom finally and forever is achieved. The panels, because of this progression may then be interpreted as a Neo-Platonism manifesto (Vess, D. (1998).

Guns Germs and Steel summary

Europeans had an advantage over the Native Americans. They had the horses and the guns. Guns played a major role in the success of the Europeans. Guns not only aided in overthrowing the Native Americans, but also aided in keeping the Europeans alive by allowing them to hunt and gather food. Horses also played a huge role. They made battle and travel easier. Over time, the use of animals began advancing. Animals provided warmth and lolls.They aided in warfare as well by providing transportation for those fighting and also for transportation of foods and other goods. Animals were a major tool in the farming of land. This allowed for the technological advance of going from hunter- gatherers to food producer. This advance increased the crop yields, which allowed for an increase in population. Food production and larger populations favored more rapid technological development. People began inventing things Just out of curiosity or even to take up a new hobby.Many Native tribes, such as th e Navajo, began adapting the European use of dyes for weaving. Some tribes also took up ranching. A big technological advance was writing. The Europeans created a writing system, which would allow the transmission of knowledge across the land. Writing allowed long distance communication among the Europeans. It was the new technological advance that changed their lives for the better. They could write to someone a ways away without they, themselves, having to be there.Writing also yielded communication and record keeping of certain events. The next advance was the organization of societal roles. Bands and Tribes had egalitarian governments with Informal leadership and no real structure to conflict resolution. Chiefdoms Justify kleptomaniac and have a centralized form of conflict resolution. States have a centralized government with many levels of bureaucracy. States are good at developing weapons and providing troops. Egalitarian governments with informal leadership and no real struc ture to conflict.

Monologue of Inspector Calls Essay

That morning I was scared and devastated to go back to that shop Milwards that day. Although father forced me he still doesn’t believe what he’s done while I was going to the shop people kept on talking quietly but I knew they were talking behind my back as it was just obvious. I was shocked as father didn’t want the matter to go out in public due to his reputation and his honour. I was ashamed to be walking in the street that morning but I had learnt my lesson which other people didn’t know. I was in the shop and suddenly I had a flashback I can just remember. The previous summer was quite strange as I was very suspicious that day as I felt Gerald’s s absence. During this time I felt he must been having a affair, I couldn’t suspect anything else due to the fact of his absence. I can remember that very night when the inspector came home, inspector Goole he seemed a bit curious at first and said we had killed this girl called Eva smith I didn’t really recognize that girl or heard her name before. I was astonished to know father had something to do with this. Inspector Goole then came up to me enquiringly as he thought I was involved. I looked at the photograph I just noticed I knew this girl,. I felt horrible knowing that this girl Eva smith got fired from her job because of me. I didn’t realise it at that time, just because I thought of that silly dress. I didn’t know what to think of myself any more knowing what I’ve done to this poor girl who did nothing to me. Just because I was jealous of her. This is what happened I was shopping at Milwards and when I saw her I told the manager that until the shop assistant (Eva smith) was gone I would never set foot in that shop again. I amazed to see that my parents and Gerald didn’t really take any notice to see what we had done. I don’t about the relationship between Gerald and myself as I don’t think I can have I relationship with someone who can’t tell the truth. I know he’s a nice man and I was excited about my engagement but Gerald didn’t realise what he had done he didn’t seem to value our relationship as well. Moreover mother and father didn’t learn anything they were just happy to know everything was over and none of this would be spoken again. I was just happy when the inspector said ‘ we are members for each other and we are responsible for each other’ that night when everything was over I remembered what the inspector had said and wanted to change everything. What had happened was then the past and now is the future.

Essay about Williamss Use of Symbolic Reference in The...

Williamss Use of Symbolic Reference in The Glass Menagerie Tennessee Williams wrote The Glass Menagerie basing it on himself and his life, although not always in detail. Tennessees life was not one of perfection. It had a lot of downs causing the play to be a very sentimental, dimly lighted and emotionally play. Although this play has a very basic story line Tennessee use of symbolism crates a much more meaningful story of the Wingfild family. Symbolism is used in almost every object, character and in the language used throughout the play. There are not very many props used on stage, apart from basic necessary props such as the settee and table. Other props are much more significant to†¦show more content†¦She quit her one means of socialising, her business course at collage because she was that nervous that she sick. We can see that she is very shy person; she makes a little fantasy world with her glass animals. Laura is also symbolised by the name Blue Roses. Jim calls her this name; the gentleman caller who has comes over to the apartment for dinner. Jim also went to the same high school as Laura. This is were the name came about: Aw, yes Ive placed you now! I used to call you Blue Rosesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ . Jim once asked Laura why she had not attended school for a few days, when she replied Pleurosis Jim misheard and from then on he called her Blue Roses. Blue Roses is a very symbolic phrase, it describes Lauras character very well, because roses are not blue, therefore it shows that it is a special and un ique rose. This is how Laura is, she is also special and unique, because she has a minor physical defect, one of her legs is shorter than the other. Laura also has a very exceptional character, we can see this from what Jim tells her: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦other people are not such wonderful people. Theyre one hundred times one thousand. Youre one times one! They walk all over the earth. You just stay here. Theyre common as-weed, but- you-well, youre- Blue Roses!. Laura and Tom were abandoned by their father andShow MoreRelatedPsychoanalytical Study of A Streetcar Named Desire Essays2039 Words   |  9 PagesStreetcar Named Desire. But how does this emergence of ideas take place in the process of psychoanalysis? Is it something easy and natural? How does our unconscious communicate with us in our everyday life? There are some tools that our unconscious uses for this communication, such as: dreams, faulty actions, Freudian slips, metaphors, jokes among others. Dreams are a very powerful media used by the unconscious. According to Freud, dreams are wish-fulfillments (ADLER: 1996, 533). This explains