Ancient Egyptian Art & Architecture Essay Example for Free

Ancient Egyptian Art Architecture Essay Due to the scarcity of wood the two predominant building materials used in ancient Egypt were sun-baked mud bricks and stone, mainly limestone but also sandstone and granite in considerable quantities. From the Old Kingdom onward, stone was generally reserved for tombs and temples, while bricks were used even for royal palaces, fortresses, the walls of temple precincts and towns, and for subsidiary buildings in temple complexes. The core of the pyramids came from stone quarried in the area already while the limestone, now eroded away, that was used to face the pyramids came from the other side of the Nile River and had to be quarried, ferried across, and cut during the dry season before they could be pulled into place on the pyramid. Ancient Egyptian houses were made out of mud collected from the Nile river. It was placed in molds and left to dry in the hot sun to harden for use in construction. Many Egyptian towns have disappeared because they were situated near the cultivated area of the Nile Valley and were flooded as the river bed slowly rose during the millennia, or the mud bricks of which they were built were used by peasants as fertilizer. Others are inaccessible (unapproachable), new buildings having been erected on ancient ones. Fortunately, the dry, hot climate of Egypt preserved some mud brick structures. Examples include the village Deir al-Madinah, the Middle Kingdom town at Kahun, and the fortresses at Buhen and Mirgissa. Also, many temples and tombs have survived because they were built on high ground unaffected by the Nile flood and were constructed of stone. Thus, our understanding of ancient Egyptian architecture is based mainly on religious monuments, massive structures characterized by thick, sloping walls with few openings, possibly echoing a method of construction used to obtain stability in mud walls. In a similar manner, the incised and flatly modeled surface adornment (decoration) of the stone buildings may have derived from mud wall ornamentation. Although the use of the arch was developed during the fourth dynasty, all monumental buildings are post and lintel constructions, with flat roofs constructed of huge stone blocks supported by the external walls and the closely spaced columns. Exterior and interior walls, as well as the columns and piers (landing place) were covered with hieroglyphic and pictorial (symbolic) frescoes and carvings painted in brilliant colors. Many motifs (design) of Egyptian ornamentation are symbolic, such as the scarab or sacred beetle, the solar disk and the vulture. Other common motifs include palm leaves, the papyrus plant, and the buds and flowers of the lotus. Hieroglyphs were inscribed for decorative purposes as well as to record historic events or spells. In addition, these pictorial frescoes and carvings allow us to understand how the Ancient Egyptians lived, statuses, wars that were fought and their beliefs. This was especially true when exploring the tombs of Ancient Egyptian officials in recent years. Ancient Egyptian temples were aligned with astronomically significant events, such as solstices and equinoxes, requiring precise (accurate) measurements at the moment of the particular event. Measurements at the most significant temples may have been ceremonially undertaken by the Pharaoh himself. Art Forms: Ancient Egyptian art forms are characterized by regularity and detailed depiction of gods, human beings, heroic battles, and nature, and were intended to provide solace to the deceased in the afterlife. Egyptian art in all forms obeyed one law: the mode of representing Pharaohs, gods, man, nature and the environment. Ancient Egyptian art displays an extraordinarily vivid representation of the Ancient Egyptians socioeconomic status and belief systems. Architecture: Ancient Egyptian architects used sun-dried and kiln-baked bricks, fine sandstone, limestone and granite. Hieroglyphic and pictorial carvings in brilliant colors were abundantly used to decorate Egyptian structures. Papyrus: Papyrus is a plant. Papyrus was used by ancient Egyptians for writing and painting. Papyrus texts illustrate all dimensions of ancient Egyptian life and include literary, religious, historical and administrative documents. Pottery: Ancient Egyptians used steatite (some varieties were called soapstone). Different types of pottery items were deposited in tombs of the dead. Some such pottery items represented interior parts of the body, like the lungs, the liver and smaller intestines, which were removed before embalming (the art and science of temporarily preserving human remains). Sculpture: The ancient art of Egyptian sculpture evolved to represent the ancient Egyptian gods, Pharaohs, and the kings and queens, in physical form. Very strict conventions were followed while crafting statues: male statues were darker than the female ones; in seated statues, hands were required to be placed on knees and specific rules governed appearance of every Egyptian god. Egyptian Art Ancient Egyptian art is the painting, sculpture, architecture and other arts produced by the civilization in the lower Nile Valley from 5000 BC to 300 AD. Ancient Egyptian art reached a high level in painting and sculpture, and was both highly stylized and symbolic. Much of the surviving art comes from tombs and monuments and thus there is an emphasis on life after death and the preservation of knowledge of the past. The quality of observation and execution started at a high level and remained near that level throughout the 2nd and 3rd dynasty. Paintings: Egyptian painting is said to be one of the most unique and mysterious attributes of Egypt. Egyptian painting is not oil-based or fresco-based, it is tempura-based. All Egyptian reliefs were painted on a flat surface. Pigments were mostly mineral, chosen to withstand strong sunlight without fading. The binding medium used in painting remains unclear. After painting, a varnish or resin was usually applied as a protective coating. The paintings were often made with the intent of making a pleasant afterlife for the deceased. Some tomb paintings show activities that the deceased were involved in when they were alive and wished to carry on doing for eternity. Egyptian paintings are painted in such a way to show a profile view and a side view of the animal or person. Periods in Art: The Ancient Egyptian art style is known as Amarna art. It was characterized by a sense of movement and activity in images. Also, the human body is portrayed differently in Amarna style artwork than Egyptian art on the whole. Faces are still shown exclusively in profile.

The Degradation of Wives in the Victorian Period Essay -- Exploratory

The Degradation of Wives in the Victorian Period The degradation of the married woman in the Victorian era existed not only in that she was stripped of all her legal rights but also that no obligations were placed in her realm. Upon marriage, Victorian brides relinquished all rights to property and personal wealth to their husbands. Women were, under the law, â€Å"legally incompetent and irresponsible.† A married woman was entitled to no legal recourse in any matter, unless it was sponsored and endorsed by her husband. Helpless in the eyes of civil authority, the married woman was in the same category with â€Å"criminals, lunatics, and minors† (Vicinus 7). Eighteenth-century, English jurist, William Blackstone curtly described her legal status, â€Å"in law a husband and wife are one person, and the husband is that person† (Jones 402). The Victorian woman was her husband’s chattel. She was completely dependent upon him and subject to him. She had no right to sue for divorce or to the custody of her children should the couple separate. She could not make a will or keep her earnings. Her area of expertise, her sphere, was in the home as mother, homemaker and devoted domestic. Clear and distinct gender boundaries were drawn: Men were â€Å" . . . competitive, assertive, . . . and materialistic.† Women were â€Å"pious, pure, gentle . . . and sacrificing† (Woloch 125). No greater degradation took place in the Victorian woman’s life than in the bedroom. The Victorian woman had no right to her own body, as she was not permitted to refuse conjugal duties. She was believed to be asexual: â€Å"The majority of women, happily for them, are not much troubled with sexual feeling of any kind† (Woloch 128). The inference is, if the husband did not demand the f... ... Fiction, and Contract Theory: Trollope’s He Knew He Was Right.† Criticism XXXVI (Summer 1994): 401-14 Hellerstein, Erna Olafson, Hume, Leslie Parker, and Offen, Karen M., eds. Victorian Women; A Documentary Account of Women’s Lives in Nineteenth- Century England, France, and the United States. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1981 Marshall, Gordon, ed. Dictionary of Sociology. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. National Center for Victims of Crime. Public Policy Issues: â€Å"Spousal Rape Laws: 20 Years Later.† 27 March 2002 . Perkin, Joan. Victorian Women. New York: New York University Press, 1993 Vicinus, Martha, ed. A Widening Sphere: Changing Roles of Victorian Women. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1977 Woloch, Nancy. Women and the American Experience. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2000

Being a Global Citizen

Global citizenship is a term that is widely used for different purposes and meanings. There is no single agreement on the meaning of global citizenship. As we all know, the world is changing faster than most of us can keep up with, technology is one of those drivers of change and people are becoming more connected to each other around the world than ever before through internet usage. As people become more connected they begin to see themselves becoming a citizen not only through their natural birth place but a citizen of the world. There are many ways to understand citizenship or being a global citizen.Based on the legal-political view, citizenship is a status granted on individuals by political communities that they belong in. It can also be defined as people giving allegiance to a country, they have to accept and uphold the duties, responsibilities and exercise the rights that they are entitled to as citizens such as obeying the laws, paying taxes, serving in the military forces i f they need to, and have rights to participate in the political life by voting and participating in elections. As a citizen it is important to maintain law and order to society.Students around the world are embracing cultural diversity and the school system is teaching the students about them. Throughout global media and technologies, virtually everyone on earth is exposed to foreign ideas and even our own communities are more diversified than ever before. The most important thing to understand about cultural globalization is it is largely driven by corporations, rather than countries. A citizen of the world is someone’s awareness of the world as a global community and recognizing the rights and responsibilities of citizens within it.As a citizen of the world we must stand up to solve poverty, stand up to environmental degradation that is tearing apart our land, stand up and protect our country if it is being threatened, and be an activist against anything that deprive anyone from their rights, life, and pursuit of happiness. It is important to recognize we are not just citizens of our respected countries but citizens in a larger global community. Economically, with the rise of a global economy, we are now more dependent upon people who don’t live in our local communities.Businesses are not restricted to one geographic area or group of the people instead they are everywhere. We are no longer a citizen of our own country, but citizens in a global community. These changes provide opportunities for great collaboration and we can find a way to work together. Global citizenship is seen as a way to reduce differences in quality of life among countries, reduce poverty, and protect the environment. Globalization is seen as a cause that could address worldwide issues such as hunger, malnutrition, and clean water. Protecting the environment and natural resources also becomes part of this concept of citizenship.Being a global citizen is not necessarily bein g a good global citizen. By saying that I mean, we don’t have to be a really rich or anything to be global citizens; just the little step to do something is all it takes. Standing up for something you believe in, helping out the unfortunate, stopping someone from saying a racist comment is all part of being global citizens. A citizen of the world would be one who sees an opportunity to influence a global decision and accepts the behavior that comes with it. All individuals have duties and responsibility of doing that.

The Opening Scene Of The Silver Linings Playbook - 771 Words

In the opening scene of The Silver Linings Playbook (2012) the main character, Pat, was just being released from a court-ordered stay at a psychiatric hospital. After finding his wife cheating on him, with their wedding song playing in the background, Pat reacted by aggressively assaulting the other man. Unfortunately, because of this incident, Pat lost his job, his wife obtained a restraining order against him, and he was about to be sent to jail. However, rather going to jail, he took a plea bargain that sentenced him to eight months in a psychiatric hospital. Once he was released, Pat lived with his parents since his wife still had a restraining order on him. In various scenes, we see ways in which Pat is expansive in his thoughts about getting back together with his wife, Nikki. He also became extremely joyful when he felt like things were going in a step in the right direction on his mission to win back his wife, and grew particularly irritable otherwise. Scarred by the moment he found Nikki having an affair with their wedding song playing, Pat develops hallucinations about the song causing him to hear it even when it wasn’t on. Hearing the song, whether it was actually playing or only playing in his head enraged Pat, causing him to experience a manic episode. Pat’s excessive optimism about getting back together with his wife caused him to have irrational thoughts, which drove him to make poor judgments and partake in reckless behavior like when he broke hisShow MoreRelatedDescription Of Bi Polar Disorder Essay1592 Words à ‚  |  7 PagesDescription of Bi-Polar Disorder Pat Solitano has been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. He suffers from unwanted thoughts, aggressive outburst, delusions and mood swings. In many scenes Pat is seen having irritability, and uncontrolled anger. He has become obsessed with running and exercise. He believes it is a way to impress his wife and restore his marriage. Pat has refused to take medication and believe positive thinking will help him overcome is illness. Pat’s formal DSM diagnosis would be Bi-polarRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie I Chose Silver Linings Playbook 1746 Words   |  7 PagesThe analysis of the movie I chose was Silver Linings Playbook. This movie was a revamping of the publication Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick. Patrick, known as Pat throughout the movie, Solatano, Jr. is portrayed by Bradley Cooper. Although it is unclear what is different about Pat in the very beginning, the story soon unravels his skeletons in the closet. The opening scene starts as Pat is being released fr om the Karel psychiatric facility in Baltimore. Pat was institutionalized