Mona Lisa

Mona Lisa

• Mona Lisa, probably the world's most famous painting is an oil painting on a poplar wood panel by Leonardo da Vinci, who is not only an Italian painter but also a draftsman, sculptor, architect and engineer.
• The poplar panel show evidence of warping and was stabilized in 1951 with addition of an oak frame in 1970 with four vertical braces.
• It was painted between 1503 and 1519.
• The subject's mysterious smile and identity have made the painting an ongoing investigation.
  
• These signs of aging cause a little distractions on the painting's effect.
• The painting represents a woman in half-body potrait, showing a backdrop of a distant landscape. 
• The curves of the subject's hair and clothing was created through sfumato (use of fine shading), are echoed in the shapes of valleys and rivers behind her. 
• A lot of speculation have been surrounding about the subject in the image. 
• It was first suggested in 1550 by Giorgio Vasari, an artist biographer, that she is Lisa del Giocondo, wife of the Florentine merchant Francesco di Bortolomeo del Giocondo, thus suggesting another title to the work, La Gioconda.
• Another theory was by Sigmund Freud, who thinks that it was Leonardo's mother, Caterina, who thinks that the smile was perhaps from unconscious-memory of Caterina's smile. 
• Some scholars suggest's that disguising himself as a woman was the artist's riddle. 
• In August 2013, a team of art and forensic experts opened the tomb of the Giocondo family in Florence to find Lisa del Giocondo's remains, test her DNA and recreates her face. 
  
   
• Whoever she is, the painting have been a real influence in the Renaissence time and later. 
• Leonardo's preliminary drawings have encourage other artists to make more free and free studies for their paintings and attract experts to collect drawings. 
• His style also has spread among fellow artist and make them be like him, more freedom of action and thought of his own. 
• Leonardo have influenced artist in which they also dressed their subjects. 
• The painting demonstrates how perfectly the subject was treated in the way she was dressed in coloured shift, loose at the neck instead of tighter clothes that were more popular at the time. 
• There are also at least a dozen of other Mona Lisa's exist that were created by the master's students.
• Over the centuries, this ultimate women have been really popular.
• Mona Lisa till now have been in songs, films and other things.

Gero Crucifix

Gero Crucifix, circa 970

Archbishop Gero gave this wooden monumental artwork to the Cologne Cathedral, his bishop's church. The Gero Crucifix and the Milan Madonna in the Lady Chapel were the two main Gnadenbilder (representations said to have miracle powers) in the Gothic Cathedral. The Gero Crucifix is the first monumental sculpture of the crucified Christ still in existence. 

Even though it depicts the crucifix, the paint applied to it does not show the real suffering of Christ in any way. The high quality of the artwork and craftsmanship in such a ground-breaking is difficult and hard to explain. 

Pala d'Oro

Pala d'Oro

• Also known as Golden Cloth, the Pala d'Oro is the high altar re table at the Bascilica di San Marco.
• It is globally recognised as one of the most refined and accomplished works of Byzantine enamel, both front and rear sides full of decoration.
• It is 2.97 meter wide, 2 meter tall. Made of gold and silver, consist of 187 enamel plaques, 1927 gems, 526 pearls, 330 garnets, 320 emeralds, 225 sapphires, 183 amethysts, 175 agates, 75 rubies, 34 topazes, 16 carnelians and 13 jaspers. 

Consists of 2 parts, top and bottom. At the top section contain the Archangel Michael at the centre, with 6 images showing the Life of Christ in neither side of him which was added at 1209.

 

• It shows the Entry of Christ to Jerusalem, Descent into Limbo, Crucifixon, Ascension, Pentecost and Death of Virgin. 
• The bottom part shows the life of St. Mark and created in 1105 at Constantinople, these were at first along the base but have been moved to their current position along the side and top row. 
   
• At the bottom also shows Christ at the centre of the altarpiece and 4 circular enamels around him are the Four Evangelist. To the right and left are the Twelve Apostles, 6 to each side. 
• Above Christ is an empty throne representing The Last Judgement Day & the Second Coming of Christ.
• Underneath Christ and the Apostles are 12 Prophets and Virgin at the centre.
  
• On the left is Doge Ordelaffo Falier and right is Byzantine Empress Irene. The head of Doge Ordelaffo is removed and replaced with a new one, that is why it is smaller than the porpotion of the body.
• There have been theories that the previous head depicts an Emperor but the explanation does not fit. 
  
• This is the finished piece of Pala d'Oro, it has been expanded and developed since 976 until 1345 with its wood cover done.

Augustus of Prima Porta

I will be doing about one of Roman sculpture which is Augustus of Prima Porta. This marble statue adopts feature from Greek athletic statue from 5th century B.C., the Doryphoros of Polykeitos; from its head, leg and posture. It was found in villa of Livia in Prima Porta and was built to commemorate Roman victory over Parthians in 20 B.C. It portraits Augustus as a handsome and young ruler.

The Head

The face shows a young emperor even at the time it was constructed, Augustus was about forty years old. It shows a broad skull, a narrow chin, sharp eyebrows, a hooked nose and a rounded mouth. The eyebrow is trademark of Augustan style. The style of the hair is what called as Primaporta hairstyle. The hair  is locked in comma-shape locked across the forehead and the neck is broad and short. Kleiner writes that even though the statue is recognisable, it is still an artificial rendition of Augustus' image.

The Hand

The right hand of the statue is a big difference between Augustus and Doryphoros. Rising the right hand is a Roman gesture in making address. The posture gives viewer a domineering impressions showing Augustus as a powerful ruler of Rome. It is also important to note that the real right hand of Augustus was lost and have never been recovered. The left hand may have carried an object.

The Breastplate

The cuirass signifies Augustus as the leader of military power. It shows the victory of Augustus over the Parthians in 20 B.C. The breastplate have a cosmic setting as you can see. Most people say that it was Caelus at the top, which was the sky god. Sol, the sun god is below him in a four horse chariot and Aurora riding a female figure. On the left is Hispania and the right is a captive female barbarian. Below is Tellus the Mother of Earth recline and cradles two babies and a cornucopia full of fruits. All of the gods on the breastplate show that Augustus' victory has a cosmic favour. The most important thing is he figures on the middle. On the right is identified as Parthian barbarian by the way he dress and it refers to Phraates IV, the Phartian king. He is holding a Roman standard which was lost by Crassus, the Roman General in the battle of Carrhae in 53 B.C. The Parthian king is returning the standard to the man on left, who was wearing a cuirass, helmet, military boots, and accompanied by an animal maybe a dog or a she-wolf that represents the Roman army. But, this figure suggest a military protagonist and it believed that it is Tiberius, who was Augustus' intermediary in the victory over Parthians.

The Stance and Cupid riding a dolphin 

The pose is similar to Doryphoros. Right leg is taut while left leg is relaxed like it is moving forward. Even Augustus is wearing military suits, his feet are bare. A general would be wearing a military boot instead of bare feet and this suggest Augustus divinity. While Cupid or Eros, Venus' son is riding a dolphin on the lower right side shows Augustus' have divine lineage of the Julian family to Aenas, the founder of Italy and Venus. Scholar suggests that the face of Cupid is sculpted to similar to the face of Augustus' son, Gauis, born in 20 B.C. The hairstyle is similar to Augustus' Primaporta hairstyle, the boyish face is mean to introduce Gauis to the Roman public life. The dolphin probably refer to the birth of Venus who appear from the sea. And maybe refer to Augustus' naval victory at Actium in a political view.

Emerald Buddha

The Emerald Buddha

• Nobody knows when or where it was made, the history was very mysterious like The Great Sphinx.
• The image was discovered in 1434 when lightning cracked it* at Chiang Rai temple, now known as Wat Phra Kaeo.
• It was covered in plaster until it started to flake off and revealed the jade underneath when it was discovered.
• King of Lanna send soldiers to bring it back to Chiang Mai when he heard this.
• The elephant sent to carry the image refuse to go back and they need to re-route to Lampang (by the way, Buddha image was believe to have power over their movement). 
• Later, another king got to 'convince' the image to go back to Chiang Mai where it was enshrined in Wat Chedi Luang. 
  
• But it is not long when in 1552, line of Lanna kings was interrupted and filled by the crown prince of Laos. 
• The image was later moved to Vientiane, new capital of Lao and stayed for more than 200 years. 
• Before General Chakri become King Rama I, he went on a punitive expedition to Lao in 1778 and conquered it.
• He brings back the image and built a temple to house it.
• Have various names in Thai such as Wat Phra Rattanasasadaram or Wat Phra Gaeo but only known as Emeral Buddha in English. 

*probably Thor, no, I'm just kidding

Venus de Milo

Venus de Milo

   For everyone in the world, Venus de Milo mysteries lies in the missing arms but actually it is more than that. This Greecian statue who is always depicts as the goddess of love and beauty, dressed half-naked would been called Aphrodite. However, the Roman Venus de Milo caught on. 

     It is found in pieces of a ruin ancient city on the island of Milos or formerly known as Melos, where it got the name. The sculpture of this statue is believed to be Alexandros and carved between 130 and 100 BCE. Some suggested that this is not Aphrodite or Venus. It might be Amphitrite, the sea goddess which was adored at Milos. Or maybe it is Victory or it could be a prostitute. With her arms missing, it is a continous debate throughout the time. 

     It is also a gift to King of France, Louis XVIII, because Kentrotas asked a French naval officer helped him to unearth it. Venus de Milo was promoted for being more greater than Venus de' Medici at her Louvre debut. In 1939, Venus de Milo and some other priceless such as Winged Victory of Samothrace and Slaves by Michelangelo were hidden for safekeeping at variouschatteaux in French countryside. Venus actually missing more than her arms. She was worn with jewellery such as bracelet, earreings and headband at first. The holes of jewelleris can be seen and gove clues to the missing accesssories. 

     The statue has also lost the color as it is polychromy like other statue. But, the trace of the original paint could not be detected today. It stand at 2.03 meter. Venus could also be a copy of Aphrodite of Capua, which is from Roman era. The missing arm has been a debate for others until today to imagine what she was holding, what is the posture and many more. 

 

    

The Leshan Giant Buddha

The Leshan Giant Buddha

• Largest stone Buddha in the world. 
• Located not far from Chengdu, in Sichuan province, China. 
• Aged over 1300 years old. 
• The statue sits at the junction of three rivers, Min river, Qingyi river, and Dadu river. 
• It was a statue honouring Maitreya and worshipping him was popular around 4th and 7th centuries. 
• The entire of the statue is made of stone, except for the ears that made from wood, then affixed and covered in clay.
• The Buddha's hair is arranged with special spiralled circles with 1021 twist that have been embedded to the head.
• If the statue stood upright, it would be almost eye to eye with The Statue of Liberty. 
•  71 meters tall, 15 meters high, 28 meters wide, each eyebrow of 5.5 meters, nose of 6 meters long and ears measuring of 7 meters. 
• Drain passage are also built inside the Buddha's hair,collar, chest and back of ears have prevented it from erosion and weather through the millennium.
• The statue once sat in a 13-story wooden pavilion before it is destroyed at the end of Ming dynasty and letting the statue expose. 
• The statue was believed to be built for calming the water that killed many people every years.
• The project of building this statue started at 713 AD by Hai Tong. 
• It was completed 90 years later by the local governor at 803 AD. 
  
• Today, erosion is the biggest threat to The Leshan Giant Buddha. 
• It was nearly destroyed by erosion and wind before 1963, when Chinese government began to repair and protect it. 
• The World Heritage Community of UNESCO inscribed Mount Emei Scenic area and The Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area on the wold heritage list. 
• Since 2001, it was rumoured that the government has spent about $40 million dollars preserving it.   

Great Sphinx of Giza

Hello everyone, i'm going to start with The Great Sphinx of Giza. I'm very attracted because it is the largest single-stoned statue in the world. It has been a symbol for ancient and modern Egypt world.

The most recognizable statue in Egypt and among most famous in the world, The Great Sphinx of Giza. Egyptologists, and scholars, professor and historians outside of the archaelogy field claimed that it is older than the 4th Dynasty date mainstream Egyptology continually insists on. Scholars remain disagree over who built it and when it is created but they agree it is an impressive work over the centuries. There are many theories about it but no one have agree upon it.

                                                       

                                               the pharaoh making offering to god Horus

The goddess Mut from New Kingdom                                                                   

The statue was never known as 'the sphinx' by the ancient Egyptians. During the New Kingdom of Egypt (1570-1069 BCE), the sphinx was known by the Egyptians as Horemakhet (Horus of the Horizon) and a cult grew up and associating it with god Horus. The 4th century CE Coptic Christians called the statue Bel-hit (The Guardian) and this name is still used today.

The Giza plateu was different in appearance to how it is present today. The capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom was nearby city of Memphis; Giza was chosen for the kings of the 4th Dynasty the great pyramid builders, because it had been used by rulers from the Early Dynastic Period (c. 3150-2613 BCE) and maybe the Predynastic Period (c. 6000-c. 3150 BCE). Evidence shows that the sphinx was created after the pyramids come from an inscription on the left paw of the statue dating back to 166 CE.

The sphinx defies an easy and comfortable placement in time. An argument for the earlier construction of the sphinx is that, athough archeologists have found inscriptions and evidence related to the contruction of the pyramids of Giza in the 4th Dynasty, how the workers were housed, what they ate, how they were paid, there was never any mention about the sphinx.