- Discuss the influence of Nietzsche and Freud on the modernist movement, giving specific examples of their impact on arts and ideas.
- What was transcendentalism? How did it influence the writings of Henry David Thoreau?
Unit V Essay & Discussion Questions
Filed under Discussion Questions
More Discussion Questions, Unit IV
- Discuss the major changes to England in the seventeenth century.
- What are the characteristics of seventeenth-century French Drama?
- How would you describe classical baroque?
- Describe the Rococo style in painting.
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Discussion Questions, Unit III
- Describe the status of women during the early Renaissance in Italy.
- Describe the Venetian school of Renaissance painting.
- In Castiglione’s Book of the Courtier , what are the roles of men and women and their social relations?
Filed under Discussion Questions
Unit 3 Thoughts & Tips
Resources for Paper 3 (on painting) are below:
- Link to the assignment sheet
- Link to a student example
- Link to Google Art Project
- Links to Virtual Museums
- Five Steps to Success Writing Papers
Here are the resources for the exam.
Here’s the essay questions:
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Explain the concept of civic humanism. What were its origins and what were its effects?
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Is Machiavelli’s The Prince a good example of the High Renaissance literary style? (and, clearly this is not just a yes/no question!)
Youtube Resources for Unit III:
- From Darkness to Light: The Great Leap from the Middle Ages into Renaissance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5mqlyNnKUE (talks about humanism!)
- Machievelli and The Prince: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s25kX24j250&feature=related
- High Renaissance Art: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVQBVE9BzYk
- History Questions: Why is Humanism important to the Renaissance? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id0L1s9c3p4&feature=related
- History Channel: Leonardo da Vinci (1/10) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_3qOFuheB4&feature=related
Other Resources for Unit III:
- Renaissance Pop Quiz (10 questions): http://history-world.org/popquizren.htm
- Renaissance Trivia Quiz (10 questions): http://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz19903d9d8.html
- I also think my PPT videos would be very helpful for this unit!
- If you have a Netflix subscription, they have a 4-episode installment of PBS’s Empires that focuses on the Medici family, one of the most powerful Italian families of this period and one of the most important patrons of the renaissance arts, called The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance. I don’t know if I can link to it or not, but here is the URL where I found it. http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Empires_The_Medici_Godfathers_of_the_Renaissance/60034500?trkid=1997021. I watched this series last weekend, and I think it would be helpful. It talks a lot about the role of Italy in the Renaissance. While the details of each Medici aren’t going to help you on your exam, the big picture might.
Good luck preparing for Unit III’s exam. Have a good week. –ProfessorStacy
Discussion Questions, Unit II Continued
- What were the seven liberal arts? Would you agree that a well-rounded person should be *at least* proficient in all seven?
- Why was the Council at Nicea in 787 important?
- How did the feudal system work?
- Why (or How) are the works of the female author Dhuoda significant?
- How did medieval Islam influence the West?
Filed under Discussion Questions
Tips and Reminders for Unit II
By ProfessorStacy
Have you heard about Google’s Art Project? Evidently, Google is “mapping” art museums around the world with their street-view technology (think Google Earth). Visit the site here: http://www.googleartproject.com/ and learn all about the cool things you can do with it here http://www.googleartproject.com/c/faq (including zooming in so far that you can see brush strokes!). Bookmark this site; you might need it for paper 3!
Unit II Exam: It was really obvious as I graded the Unit I exam who had taken advantage of the practice exams and who had found the essay questions here on the blog in advance and prepared for them. So, first, let me just remind you to take the practice exams. They matter. Additional tips can be located at https://hum120.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/five-steps-to-success-exams/. Second, re-read this post on how to write essay exams (size matters) here at https://hum120.wordpress.com/2011/01/28/how-to-write-the-essay-questions-on-the-exams/. And then, what you have probably been waiting for: here are Unit II’s exam questions. Please use these as discussion questions this week!
- Compare and contrast the life of a peasant on a manor with that of a town merchant or artisan.
- Discuss the political, social, and religious changes from 1300 to 1500. How did these changes affect the arts of the period? Use at least two examples from painting, architecture, literature, or sculpture.
A few students with the questions in advance for Unit I still had trouble answering them. The issue is not that the material is not available in your book and PPT/YouTube presentations. The issue is that you have to THINK about the answers. Nowhere does it just say “here’s the differences” or “here’s how religion reflected the political changes,” etc. To successfully answer the essay questions (all semester), you must learn the material and process it. You have to think about it and become a critical thinker. To read about critical thinking, visit these websites:
- http://www.criticalthinking.org/articles/becoming-a-critic.cfm
- http://www.studygs.net/crtthk.htm
- http://www.skepdic.com/essays/haskins.pdf
Unit II Paper: The Unit II paper is about architecture. The description of the assignment is on the course Blackboard site and here at https://hum120.wordpress.com/architecture/. A chapter on architecture is on the Bb site, as well, for extra reading / understanding as needed. A student example of this paper is posted here at https://hum120.wordpress.com/architecture/student-example/.
Unit II Extra Credit: Film options for Unit II are available here at https://hum120.wordpress.com/extra-credit/unit-ii-options/. I have never received a paper on one of these films, so I don’t have a student example to share. Please consider writing one! (I recommend Name of the Rose if you haven’t seen any of these.)
Supplemental Materials: I have been searching Youtube for other interesting videos for this Unit, and I have found the following that you might watch for supplemental assistance.
- Medieval Europe: Castle Life: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6Fn2WtXfis&feature=related
- Medieval Castles with Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioGvEA_KNc4
- Medieval Europe: Feudalism: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCPp7XWZfHo&feature=related
- Medieval Europe: Design of a Castle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_w4FGgOVsM&feature=related
- Medieval Europe: Religion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra2t3S8jp8w&feature=related
- Inside the Medieval Mind (multiple videos; begin here): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QcQWhqIQfw
(multiple videos; begin here) - The Dark of Ages (multiple videos; begin here): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLNrxajzGCw&feature=related
- Western Civilization: The Middle Ages (multiple videos; begin here): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hEx9-kR5Rs&feature=related
- Medieval Europe: High Middle Ages (multiple videos; begin here): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTYPFNs5LP8&feature=related.
Good Luck finishing up Unit II! You can do it.
PS: I found another series on Netflix (on demand) set in this time period: Pillars of the Earth. Description: “Like the novel on which it is based, the miniseries centers on the construction of a cathedral in the fictitious town of Kingsbridge during a tumultuous period of English history known as The Anarchy in the 12th century.” Evidently, there were 8 episodes last year, and it was nominated for a Golden Globe. You can read more about the book by Ken Follett at http://www.ken-follett.com/bibliography/the_pillars_of_the_earth.html.
King Menkure and His Chief Queen
By: Britney Padgett
The sculpture of King Menkure and His Chief Queen is a well-known sculpture created in Ca. 2525 BC. However, the artist who created this amazing piece of work is unknown. This life-size sculpture was found in a hole below one of the floors in the king’s pyramid in Giza in the year of 1910. The sculpture is now on display at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. At this time the sculpture is in great condition, considering the time frame in which it was developed. I originally viewed this sculpture in The Western Humanities textbook on page 23. I also viewed several photographs on the web, one of which I included that is located at, http://www.TourEgypt.net/featurestories/fou rtqueens.htm. The sculpture, made of slate, depicts Menkure, who was a 4th dynasty ruler, and his chief queen. Menkure is posed in the usual Egyptian stance with fists clenched wearing a kilt and headdress. His chief queen is posed beside him on his left side in a more natural way. Her arm is rested around him. She is wearing a long garment to the length of her ankles. He and his chief queen are around the same height and size, making them more lifelike.
When looking at the sculpture you may say that it appears to be three dimensional. Both figures seem to pop out at you. The feet are very defined thus adding to this. The dimensionality used allows you to view the sculpture from both the left and right side and the front but not the back. The effect of this dimensionality is a more human, lifelike sculpture.
The sculptures mass is large and lifelike, the sculpture stands 4 feet 8 inches high. Both figures are approximately the same height, however this is odd for the time frame, most male figures were significantly larger than the female, thus showing power over the female. However the height of the chief queen had been thought to reflect her royal status.
The artist in creating this sculpture has used line and form consistent with the Egyptian time frame. The bodies anatomical shapes combined with naturalistic details not only reflect the tastes of Egyptians but also represent a fundamental character of Egyptian culture. Strong vertical lines and counterbalancing horizontals define King Menkure’s facial features as well as his legs and feet and the chief queen’s breasts and a hint of her stomach. These lines make the sculpture more like a photograph, lifelike, and show archeologists the time period in which the sculpture was created.
The texture of the sculpture, seemingly smooth on the bottom and back whereas the figures seem to be rougher, more textured helps a viewer, such as us, conclude that these figures were of royalty. They stand out and are viewed as strong figures.
Within the sculpture there are many important focal areas. The artist has created many areas of interest. Such as, the stance of the King, with his left foot forward and fists clenched. This shows the kings dominance and strength. The chief queen is to his left side, which is thought to be inferior to the right. She has her arm around the king’s waist showing she is there to encourage and support. The king’s head is turned a little to the right while the chief queen’s face is frontal, this shows she is presenting him to the world and supplying him with strength and confidence.
I am drawn to this sculpture because of the realistic features of it. I am very impressed with how the artist created both the man and woman at the same height in a time period where men were quite a bit larger than women to show their power. However, the height did not affect how the artist still portrayed the man’s dominance and strength. When I look at this sculpture I am reminded of the words “behind every great man there is a great woman”. This sculpture portrays the role a woman played. She stands beside the man, she encourages and supports him, and supply’s him with confidence and strength. My reaction to the sculpture is that of happiness, this is one of the first sculptures of the time period I have seen that portrays the man and woman as partners and equals.
Filed under All About Essays, Ancient Times, Sculpture, Written By Students
Willendorf Figurine
Betty Abrams
Professor Taylor
Hum 120
24 January 2012
Willendorf Figurine
This unnamed figurine of a female was found in Willendorf, Austria. (pg.2) The artist is unknown, however around thirty thousand similar sculptures have been found all over southeastern Europe. It is possible that it may have been a representation of a religious figure such as a Goddess. The statue is kept at the Naturhistorisches Museum in Vienna. (pg.4) The image of the figurine in the Western Humanities book on page 4 appears to be in excellent condition. The statue is dated approximately Ca.25, 000 BCE. (pg.4) Today this figurine would be considered as being of an overweight female. The stomach is bulging over the sides of the hips, and the thighs are quiet round. The breasts are enormous and drooping. The hair is in knitted rows around the head and there are no facial features visible. There are traces of red paint left on it so perhaps the facial features may have been painted on instead of carved.
The statue is rather small at a height of only four and three eighths inches tall. The stomach extends wider than the shoulders. The small size would make it easy to pack the figure around. The meticulously straight rows of the tightly knitted hair show the precision and care that the artist took with this carving.
The medium used for this sculpture was limestone. There is pitting visible which lends an interesting texture suggesting normal imperfections of the human form. Ones eye travels smoothly down the form of the statue. The head is neat and circular and then the eye is drawn inward towards the neck. The arms lead down and around to the tops of the breasts which extend down and over the stomach. Then the stomach makes a vee slant towards the privates and the legs.
I have mixed feelings about this statue. I agree with the book on some of the interpretations of the use of such figurines, such as the fact that it was probably used as a religious symbol of a “Mother Goddess”. But I am leaning more to the use for a “bountiful supply of food” instead of the use as a “fertility symbol”. (pg.3) My idea of a fertility symbol would have wider hips instead of a huge stomach. I also believe that very few women would have had such a body as this during the period of time in which this sculpture was made. The amount of work that would have been required for the procurement of food and taking care of one’s family would have meant that only the privileged such as a priestess or goddess could have become so robust.
Matthews, Roy T., F. DeWitt Platt, and Thomas F. X. Noble. The Western Humanities. New York: McGraw Hill, 2011. Print
Filed under All About Essays, Ancient Times, Sculpture, Written By Students
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