Sumerian Architecture and Art: Ziggurat of Ur-Nammu

Purposes of Art & Design

Religious Ritual

• Sumerian: Ziggurat of Ur-Nammu (21st century BCE, Ur, Ancient Iraq):
  • Built by King Ur-Nammu, dedicated to Nanna/Sin
  • Made of mud bricks and fired bricks
  • Significance: One of the most important religious structures and temples in prehistoric times

Commemoration of a Vital Event

• Roman: Arch of Constantine (312-315 AD, Rome, Italy):
  • Not attributed to a specific artist, but part of a collective work
  • Made of marble
  • Significance: Symbol of Roman victory and establishment of the Christian order, representing the power of the Roman Empire

Social Commentary

• Nineteenth century: Géricault, The Raft of the Medusa (1819, France):
  • Painted by Theodore Gericault
  • Oil on canvas
  • Significance: Represents the importance of survival and resilience in the face of disasters and harsh conditions

Propaganda

• Modern, Berlin Wall against Division (1989, Berlin, Germany):
  • Artist unknown
  • Made of stones, colors, and barbed wire
  • Significance: Strong message of unity and social cohesion

Recording of Visual Data

• Pre-History: Lascaux Cave Painting (Upper Ice Age, 15,000-17,000 BC, Lascaux Cave, France):
  • Artist unknown
  • Made of natural colors, mineral colors, and natural paints
  • Significance: Provides a unique window into the lives of people in ancient times, contributing to our understanding of the development of culture, art, and lifestyle

Creating Beauty

• Renaissance: Leonardo’s Last Supper (1495-1498, Milan, Italy):
  • Painted by Leonardo da Vinci
  • Mixed color technique, including oil colors
  • Significance: Wonderful and pivotal masterpiece in the history of art, combining artistic beauty with religious symbolism

Storytelling

• Northern Renaissance: Bruegel, The Blind leading the Blind (1568, Belgium):
  • Painted by Pieter Bruegel
  • Oil on canvas
  • Significance: Iconic painting expressing the concept of ignorance and spiritual and moral misguidance

Modern Art

• Goya, The 3rd of May (1814, Spain):
  • Painted by Francisco Goya
  • Oil on canvas
  • Significance: One of the most important works of art in the history of Western art, poignantly and realistically depicting a human and political tragedy
• Picasso Guernica (1937, Paris):
  • Painted by Pablo Picasso
  • Oil on canvas
  • Significance: Symbol of human suffering as a result of wars and violence, an artistic expression of the injustice and destruction caused by conflicts### The Nature of Changes in Art & Design
• Changes in art and design can be categorized into four types:
  • Change of subject matter
  • Change of content
  • Change of form
  • Change in materials used

Purposes of Art & Design

• Art and design serve various purposes, including:
  • Religious rituals
  • Commemoration of important events
  • Propaganda and social commentary
  • Recording of visual data
  • Creating beauty
  • Storytelling
  • Evoking intense emotions
  • Creating new products for users

Week 5: Victorian Art

• The Victorian era (1837-1901) saw significant advancements in science, literature, and social development.
• During this period, the British Empire became a powerful and wealthy nation.
• Art during the Victorian era was characterized by:
  • Classicism, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Impressionism, and Post-Impressionism.
• Notable artists and architects of the time include:
  • Charles Barry (Westminster Hall, 1836)
  • Joseph Paxton (Crystal Palace, 1851)
  • Van de Velde (Chairs, 1899-1905)

Art Nouveau

• Art Nouveau (1890-1905) was a decorative style characterized by:
  • Whiplash lines and organic forms
  • Floral and plant-inspired motifs
  • Highly stylized and flowing curvilinear forms
• Art Nouveau aimed to unify arts and design, creating a "total work of art."
• Influenced by Japanese art, especially Hokusai's woodblock prints.

Japonisme

• Japonisme was a wave of Japanese art and design influence in Europe in the late 19th century.
• It was characterized by:
  • Organic forms and reference to the natural world
  • Clear and simple designs
  • Use of organic and geometric shapes

Notable Artists and Their Works

• Hokusai: "Views of Mount Fuji" (1829-1832)
• Arthur Mackmurdo: Book Cover for Wren's City Churches (1883)
• Victor Horta: Staircase of the Maison & Atelier (Horta Museum), Brussels (1898)
• Antoni Gaudí: Casa Batlló, Barcelona (1877-1904)
• Gustav Klimt: The Kiss (1907)

De Stijl (1917-1935)

• De Stijl was a movement in Holland that emerged in the early 1920s.
• It was influenced by Dadaism and emphasized functionalism and simplicity.
• Notable artists and architects of the movement include:
  • Theo van Doesburg
  • Gerrit Rietveld (Schroeder House, 1924)

Characteristics of De Stijl

• Use of primary colors and black and white
• Elimination of surface decoration
• Emphasis on rectilinearity and geometric shapes
• Influence on subsequent design styles### De Stijl Artistic Movement
• De Stijl was a prominent artistic movement that represented an advanced use of abstract techniques and primary colors.
• The movement's significance lies in its simplicity and idealism, achieved through the use of basic colors and geometric shapes.

Gerrit Rietveld's Works

• Gerrit Rietveld's Red & Blue Chair (1917) is a prominent example of the De Stijl movement, characterized by simplicity of design and abstraction.
• Rietveld's Zig Zag Chair (1932) is another example of the movement, featuring a simple and abstract design with a 90-degree angle.
• Rietveld's Van Gogh Museum (Amsterdam, 1932-1973) is a significant cultural monument, housing the largest collection of Van Gogh's drawings and paintings.

Piet Mondrian's Works

• Piet Mondrian's Composition II in Red, Yellow, and Blue (1930) is a prominent symbol of abstract art, greatly influencing modern artistic developments.
• Mondrian's Composition in Red, Yellow, and Blue (1939-1942) is another example of his geometric abstraction, featuring a distinctive use of primary colors and straight lines.

Bauhaus School

• The Bauhaus school was established in 1919 in Dessau, Germany, by Walter Gropius, focusing on social and political ideals, as well as aesthetics.
• The school's program combined handicraft and industrial production methods, with an emphasis on functional design.
• The Bauhaus style and teaching methods heavily influenced design teaching in art and design schools, with notable figures like Walter Gropius, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and Johannes Itten.

Notable Artists and Their Works

• Johannes Itten's House of the White Man (1921) is a prominent abstract artwork, reflecting an advanced use of lines and geometric shapes.
• Wassily Kandinsky's On White II (1923) is a significant embodiment of his abstraction, exploring the relationship between colors and shapes.
• Paul Klee's Ancient Sounds (1925) features a bold use of colors and geometric shapes, expressing the artist's spirit in exploring the relationship between color, shape, and sound.
• Paul Klee's Souther Garden (1936) reflects his unique style of expressionist and abstract art, characterized by geometric lines and unique use of colors.
• Walter Gropius's The Bauhaus Archive (Berlin, 1960) is a unique collection of artwork and historical documentation, reflecting the influence of the School of Fine Arts on contemporary design and art.
• Johannes Itten's A Color Theory (1961) is an essential reference in understanding color theory and its applications in art and design.