Byzantine Art

Justinian and Attendants is a mosaic that can be found inside San Vitale in Ravenna. It portrays the emperor Justinian and his servants and it is symbolizing the coming together of church and state. I chose this piece because it had historical significance. Church and State uniting was an important event and should be remembered.

Madonna and Child is an interesting piece because it is religious art. It portrays the Virgin Mary holding a small child. I like this piece because it symbolizes Roman Catholism and Eastern Erthodox Christianity.

Asian Art

Rong Guang Yu created this piece. I chose this artwork because the bamboo had a huge impact on the Chinese. It had many purposes but the main reason why I chose this piece is because it was symbolic. The Chinese was a nation of hope and strength. Through the darkest times, they had not given up. The bamboo is a strong and rigid plant and it relates to the will of the chinese people. The snow symbolizes the hardship that they go through and through it all the bamboo stands strong.

China is a very unique place. It has many different landscapes. The creatures that inhabit this magnificent place are all different depending on what part you are in. I chose this painting of a lotus flower and dragonflies because the Lotus flower is native to China. It is something that only China has. This painting attracted me because its very natural.

Asian Art

The Great Wave at Kanagawa was one of many paintings created to depict the power of nature over man. Asian art is unlike any other because of its majestic style. The artist that created this piece, Hokusai, wanted to show the many different views of the sacred mountain, Mount Fuji. The Japanese were very honorable and proud and this piece depicts their defiance against natures fury.

The japanese not only practiced creating motionless art but also practice in the creation of human art. Geishas were moving pieces of art. Their body was considered art work. They were defined as art by their grace and elegance. They were entertainers performing traditional arts as dance, music, or storytelling.

Greek Art

Greek art is something extraordinary. Not only did their architecture stood the slow decay of time, but also became a symbol of elegance from the middle eastern world. As a nation that believed in gods and goddesses, these sacred temples were built to house relics and a place of worship. One of these temples is the Parthenon. Built for the guardian of the city of athens, Athena, it has been a widely known structure throught the world. It was decorated with Ionic order columns and still stands today.

The Nike of Somathrace is a famous statue of the goddess Nike. It was found by Charles Champoiseae in 1863 in pieces. It is believed that it was created around 250 AD. I chose this piece because for many years it has been a symbol of victory and elgenace throughout the Greek world. It is interesting how it was formed again and how they found pieces of the statue overtime.

African Art

Modern kings or queens use their own bodies as moving pieces of artwork in order to show their power and their divinity as gods. They use many colors to celebrate life and they make their figures larger in order to play their role as a leader. I chose this photograph because it is easily seen how highly decorated the most important figure of the tribe was. By wearing his outfit, the king is able to emit an aura of authority and power

The Masks worn most of the time by the men of african tribes served mainly as tools during rituals. This piece is called "African Masks" by Jim Charter. It is identical to those made in Africa. They do not have the exact facial features of humans. I chose this piece because it had a western touch to it and at the same time still making it seem like it was made in Africa

Egyptian Art

The Sphinx has been a symbol that has represented the essence of egyptian art for over a millenium. I chose this artwork because it was one of the first colossal royal structures built by the egypatians. Built long ago from hard labor of thousands of slaves, this gigantic guardian of Egypt has become its national symbol.

The Pyramid of Giza has served as the burial site of King Khufu. The Egyptians believed in the afterlife. They housed the body of their ruler in the pyramids in order to protect and preserve it. It is the largest of the 3 pyramids in Giza. I chose this artwork because it is an immense structure and is one of the seven wonders of the world. It was constructed during a 20 year period. Originally a smooth outer casing covered the Great Pyramid but what is seen today is the inner core. pieces of the outer casing can still be found around the base of the Pyramid

Prehistoric Art

This drawing of a bison is one of many paintings created by early man. The purpose of these paintings were ritualistic. Early men believed that by painting the animal, they capture their spirit. Therefore, weaking the animal and making it easier to be hunted. This painting was very clear, detailed and well preserve. It was the best in showing basic artistic abilites that early man had

This painting found in lascaux was also one of the many cave art that early man created for ritualistic purposes. This painting of a horse is very interesting due to the fact that it has some asian characteristics in the style use to create it.