Greek Civilizations Began To Emerge - Free Essay Example

Greek civilizations began to emerge in the ninth and eighth centuries BCE, divided into four periods, the Geometric, Archaic, Classical and the Hellenistic. Made for trade, many metal and ceramic wares were created in exchange for grain and raw materials. With human form and proportion being the Greek artists main focus, a multitude of ancient art including, sculptures, paintings, architecture, and ceramics have been made to perfection. Ancient Greek ceramics and vases are beautiful pieces of art that were made in different shapes and sizes, many of which are preserved and kept in museums. There were two techniques in adding detail to these artifacts, the black-figure technique, and the red-figure technique. With the black-figure technique, a sharp tool was used to cut through the slip, a mixture of clay and water applied to the surface of a pot, creating intricate details of the black figures, revealing the unpainted clay underneath, only visible through the firing process. With the red-figure technique on the other hand, it was reversed. The figures were a reddish, orange color and any negative space surrounding them were painted black. In the ceramic that I chose, the artist decided to use the black-figure technique. The audience can really see the contrast between the people and the background and even the different colors within the shields, skirts, and hats. There are three warriors depicted, two of which are carrying what seem to be javelins aimed at each other. One warrior is carrying a shield on his left arm, while the other on the right arm. The artist made it so the back of the shield on the left arm is facing the audience and the hand is facing the right direction, unlike many of the paintings we saw in ancient Egyptian art. On the other warrior, the audience can see that the front of the shield is facing the audience. Such minor details make it so that it is realistic as it can be in Greek standards. We can also see two other people standing behind the warriors which could be rulers guiding them. Just like ancient Aegean art, the figures were drawn very curvy; we can see the pear-shaped bodies of the warriors with a small chest and thick thighs. Patterns on this ceramic are surprisingly symmetrical and repeated as seen on the shield and the bottom. Even more fascinating, with unbelievably complex details are the sculptures of Gree ce. There were two types of sculptures, one was marble which was the medium for Lacaoon and His Sons. The audience can really see the definition in the hair and muscles in the bodies. Even the fangs of the snake are digging into the thigh. The poses and facial expressions are more dramatic, with both of the boys looking worried and frantically trying to get away from the snake, the boy to the right is even leaning over with one leg up to try and get the snake off of his leg. Laocoon himself has his head back in pain as the snake is biting into his thigh. The second type of sculpture is bronze, which was the medium for Perseus with the Head of Medusa. The hollow-casting of Bronze allowed the artists to create more complex poses, unlike marble statues where extended body parts had the risk of breaking off. Again, the Greeks paid attention to the muscles and hair making it look very realistic. Perseus is shown carrying the head of Medusa, a woman who was transformed by Athena, completely severed from her body, which lays lifelessly on the floor. The audience can see that Perseus arm is completely detached from his body which is one of the benefits of bronze sculptures. He is also standing in the contrapposto pose, which g ives the body a more balanced look. My favorite part about this sculpture is the detail in the wings and the ripped neck. Sculptures have come a long way since they were first made. Although Greek architecture is not in the best condition today, we can still appreciate the hard work and thought put into it. One that is still standing today is the Temple of Poseidon, the Greek God of water which originally comprised of 36 columns and now, 18 columns remaining. The columns of the temple were made in Doric order, one of the three orders of greek architecture, a simple, round column that was bigger on the bottom and gradually got skinnier going up, which made the columns look bigger than how they really were. The big blocks sitting on top of the columns remind me of Stonehenge. With intricate details and different types of materials, the Greeks were able to make beautiful pieces of art. All four of the pieces I chose were very different from each other, but they all told a story of what the Greeks thought to be everyday life. Ancient Greek is one of my favorite things to study whether it be the art or mythology, and it was very interesting to see how detailed the artists were and how most of the art is still standing today and I hope to see some of these pieces in person.

Johnny Got His Gun Fishing with Father - Literature Essay Samples

Dalton Trumbo is perhaps best known for his Communist viewpoints and for his involvement in the HUAC committee in Hollywood and for his work in the movie industry. However, Trumbo’s novels are widely regarded as some of his best work. In one of those esteemed and probably best-known novels, Johnny Got His Gun, Dalton Trumbo uses a third-person point of view and stream of consciousness-like syntax to characterize the exceptionally complex and changing relationship between the young man and his father. Trumbo’s book is structured in an exceptionally unique way. The most striking aspect of its structure is Trumbo’s extensive use of flashback. The passage about the main characters fishing trip with his father is an example of Trumbo’s use of flashback, as it is written in a reflective point of view of the young man on a camping trip with his father and his friend. â€Å"They had been coming to this place ever since he was seven,† says Trumbo, â€Å"Now he was fifteen and Bill Harper was going to come tomorrow†¦ Tomorrow for the first time in all trips together he wanted to go fishing with someone other than his father (Trumbo). While the third-person point of view somewhat isolates the reader from the situation, it also makes it more interesting in that it emphasizes just how groundbreaking the situation is in their relationship. In other words, the third-person point of view amplifies that the boy is growing up and is breaking away from the once clo se relationship he and his father had once shared. The use of third person point of view likewise highlights a striking generational gap between father and son. On one hand, the son wants to wake up â€Å"Early in the morning† to go â€Å"Fishing† with his friend Bill Harper. On the other, his father, who is presumably old, tired, and somewhat boring, â€Å"Doesn’t want to go fishing† as he’s tired and â€Å"[Going to] rest all day† (Trumbo). Not only does point of view illuminate a generational difference, it also characterizes the changing nature of their relationship. That is, they were once best friends who did everything together, but now are growing apart as the boy grows up and becomes his own person, not needing the once invaluable support and attention of his doting father. Additionally, Trumbo uses stream of consciousness-like syntax to characterize the evolving relationship of father and son. This is especially evident when Trumbo says, â€Å"For a while his father didn’t say a thing. Then he said why sure go along Joe†¦ A little later [he asked if] Bill Harper [has] a rod?† to which the son responded that Bill doesn’t have a rod (Trumbo). The boy’s father in turn tells his son to â€Å"take my rod and let Bill use yours† as he wasn’t going fishing with them and thus had no use for it (Trumbo). The fact that the boy’s father gives his son his prized pole, the â€Å"only extravagance his father had in his whole life,† is a kind of symbolic passing of the torch between father and son (Trumbo). In other words, the pole is a symbol for both the newfound independence and freedom of son and for the changing nature of the relationship between father and son (from loving and almost mutualistic to lo ving yet independent). Similarly, Trumbo’s use of such fast-paced, stream of consciousness-like syntax during which the boy’s fishing trip is described at the end of the passage underscores the boy’s happiness for his new freedom and the changing nature of his relationship with his father when Trumbo says, â€Å"He got up and gave Bill his road and took his father’s for himself†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Trumbo). The boys then went to their fishing trip, hoping that they catch something and yearning for an experience without adult supervision, again showcasing the power of a single fishing pole. In effect, the son is becoming his own person who doesn’t particularly need his father anymore. And through the use of third-person point-of-view and symbolism, Trumbo not only makes the aforementioned evident, but also makes it clear that the two, even though the son is becoming his own man, will always be close to each other and will still have a good relationship no matter what happens in their lives, which is underscored when the boy ironically destroys his father’s pole, signifying that the father’s broken trust in the boy and foreshadowing the gruesome fate of the boy. Works Cited Trumbo, Dalton. Johnny Got His Gun. New York: L. Stuart, 1970. Print.