Jeremy Velasco's Art History Blog

      The Bestiary  https://smarthistory.org/bestiary-book-beasts-medieval-world/     The middle ages is a period of time in Europe between the end of the fifth century and the start of the Renaissance in the fifteenth century. This time period has been famously referred to as the dark ages due to the loss of classical learning after antiquity in the fifth century. Contrary to belief, the dark ages was not a time of struggle or ignorance. As historians learned more about the time period, they changed the name to the middle ages and this was a time when Christianity was flourishing in Europe.                            The Bestiary was one of the most popular texts during the middle ages all due to the mass expansion of Christianity in Europe. Followers of Christianity believed that every element of the world is a creation/manifestation of God. This book places emphasis on the religio...

https://smarthistory.org/introduction-to-mosque-architecture/ A mosque is a building or place where Muslims gather for prayer. Like the church to Christianity, the mosque is a very important part of the Islam religion. The original mosque was thought to be the home of the Prophet Muhammad. His home was constructed in the "7th-century Arabian style, with a large courtyard, surrounded by rooms supported by columns". As a result many of the mosques is this area are designed in this same style. Islam is a global religion, its followers spread across the world. The followers of Islam have constructed Mosques all over the world many with different designs and representations. Due to the common function of the mosque, they do share common features. Every mosque, regardless of the time it was built and the region it was built in shares four common features; a courtyard (Sahn), a niche (Mihrab), a tower (minaret), and a dome (qubba). The courtyard is the place where all men in the tow...

 Islam is one of the world's monotheistic faiths. The Kaaba, believed to have been built by Abraham and his son Ishmael is the most important center for pilgrimage in Islam.  The Kaaba, which means 'cube' in Arabic, is the religious epicenter of Mecca. The Kaaba is granite masonry covered in silk curtain, with calligraphy in gold and silver thread. It is the holiest shrine in Islam. In the Islam religion, followers pray five times a day, and regardless of your location, these prayers are directed towards Mecca and the Kaaba.  The Pre-Islamic Kaaba originally housed the black stones and statues of Pagan gods. Muhammad was the one who returned the shrine to the monotheism of Abraham. The black stone of the Kaaba is highly revered by the Muslims because it is believed to have been given the Abraham by the Angel Gabriel.  Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, this is a religious event that almost every Islam strives to achieve in their lifetime. Hajj is one of The Five Pillar...

https://smarthistory.org/battle-of-the-romans-and-barbarians-ludovisi-battle-sarcophagus/ Ancient Rome has a very rich history. My first thought about Ancient Rome revolves around the idea of gladiators, fighting for sport and entertainment at The Colosseum. As I dove farther into research I stumbled across the Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus.  This large stone impression is a depiction of the fighting between the Romans and the Barbarians (goths). This large piece contains over 50 individual figures made with incredible detail. As we examine the piece closer, we are easily able to identify the Romans and tell them apart from the goths. The Romans are depicted as "good guys" in the impression they are shown are more noble and honorable, dressed in armor, their features are more detailed and ideal. This was made to symbolize the Romans as noble and brave men compared to the savage barbarians. The Barbarians are far less detailed, described as caricature like compared to the Romans...

https://smarthistory.org/greek-architectural-orders/ Architecture in ancient Greece was extremely advanced for its time. Famous buildings such as The Parthenon and The Acropolis are some of the earliest examples of modern day architecture that we can find.  An Architectural Order describes a style of building. The most classical Greek Architectural Orders are; Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian.  The Doric Order is one of the earliest forms of pillar to date. " The Doric order emerged on the Greek mainland during the course of the late seventh century B.C.E. and remained the predominant order for Greek temple construction through the early fifth century B.C.E., although notable buildings of the Classical period—especially the canonical Parthenon in Athens—still employ it."  The Ionic Order, while emerging around the same time, was built slightly different with the base supporting the column unlike the Doric Order. " The monumental temple dedicated to Hera on the island of Samo...

The Lion Gate https://smarthistory.org/lion-gate-mycenae/  The Mycenaean culture dominated southern Greece from 1600 B.C.E. to 1100 B.C.E. around the time of the Bronze Era in Greece. The Mycenaean Period also referred to as the "age of heroes" was a time well known for Homer's Epics, tales of Greek Mythology that we are familiar with even today. The culture made famous by stories, also contributed some of the earliest metal workings, large-scale construction, and readable writings ever discovered by historians.    Mycenae, in Southern Greece was seen as a fortress on a hill, not only because of its geographical location, but due to its sheer size. In Homer's Epics there is a story of the cyclops, a giant, one-eyed race of mythical creatures. It is said that the stones used to build The Citadel are so large, that only the Cyclops is capable of moving stones that size. Within this fortress lies The Lion Gate. As you can see in the picture, The Lion Gate is a large impr...

I have selected art out of the Assyrian Empire and more specifically, the piece I chose is Ashurbanipal Hunting Lions. ( https://smarthistory.org/ashurbanipal-hunting-lions/ ) After researching, the artwork I've decided to highlight today is Ashurbanipal Hunting Lions. The Assyrian Empire had a large military culture. Men were obligated to fight in the army and serve under the aggressive warrior king. The Assyrians were savages, their armies would kill, conquer, and burn entire villages. Resources were collected from these conquests and as a result, Assyrian Kings were incredibly wealthy. The kings used their riches to build large, luxurious palaces. On the inside, these palaces were decorated  with grand impressions depicting warriors, war and fighting. The warriors in these impressions were all depictions of the Assyrian King as a grand warrior.  Ashurbanipal Hunting Lions is especially interesting because of the symbolism that the impression portrays. This impression is sai...