Study of Praying Hands

    I greatly admired the drawing of Study of Praying Hands that was presented in our reading this week. It was drawn by Albrecht Durer in c. 1508 and is currently housed in the Albertina Museum located in Vienna, Austria. While researching the piece, I was amazed to find that this was not even a final drawing. It was instead just a template for Durer's work on a triptych altarpiece that was commissioned for a Dominican church. This piece was referred to as Heller's Altarpiece was housed in the church before being moved to a private residence. It was destroyed in a fire but a copy had been made that is still preserved today in the Historisches Museum, in Frankfurt, Germany. You can see the apostle kneeling in the lower right hand corner of the main frame has the 'praying hands' that are modeled in Durer's original drawing.

    The drawing, while simply a model, is rightly housed as an individual work of art. Durer, who is credited with bringing the Italian Renaissance north into Germany, shows the influence of the Renaissance thinking in the detail that is recreated in his work. The hands, showing being pressed together lightly in prayer, show incredible detail with the veins and tendons. The hands do not appear to someone young, but someone older. The detail in this drawing is so precise that many physicians feel that the model may have actually suffered from diabetes, based on the angle that the right little finger is bent at. Durer does an amazing job of showing the humanist aspect with the clear attention to detail, but also the religious aspects of the Renaissance, conveying the faith and devotion that the person praying must have had.

    Durer's work was also important in the Reformation era, as he became a follower of the teachings of Martin Luther. From that point forward almost all of Durer's works had religious overtones. He even wrote an inscription under the painting The Four Holy Men that read "All worldly rulers in these dangerous times should give good heed that that receive not human misguidance for the Word of God, for God will have nothing added to His Word or taken away from it." This of course was a strong statement denouncing many of the acts of the Catholic Church that Martin Luther was campaigning against. Naturally Durer's works reflected his strong faith, and proved to be an inspiration for many as his works were widely produced and distributed. Martin Luther said of Durer's death "It is natural and right to weep for so excellent a man . . . still you should rather think him blessed, as one whom Christ has taken in the fullness of his wisdom and by a happy death from these most troublous times, and perhaps from times even more troublous which are to come, lest one who was worthy to look on nothing but excellence, should be forced to behold things most vile."

    While I cannot say that Study of Praying Hands inspires me in a religious way, I can certainly appreciate the detail in them, and there is no doubt that the devotion of the person praying is beautifully conveyed, which by itself can certainly provide inspiration for hoping and believing in something bigger than ourselves.

    

The Rise of Science

One of the primary traits of the Renaissance period was the recognition of the importance of critical thinking. While the "Dark Ages" consisted of what could be considered mindless chanting and storyboard pictures for simpletons, the Renaissance introduced a new wave of philosophers and scientists. What is interesting is that while the men of the Renaissance period were great critical thinkers, and based their beliefs on findings of long study and experiments, they did so in an attempt to reconcile the physical world with God. While the Church dominated the Dark Ages with their approach of religious dogma being the final authority over its subjects, the Renaissance men attempted to understand and explain the mysteries of the world, with the idea of having a more educated reason to worship and praise their God.

One of these men was Marsilio Ficino, who was a student of Neo-Platonism. Ficinio wrote several volumes on what he considered Platonic Theology. This theory was an attempt to reconcile the philosophies and science of Plato, with the beliefs of the Catholic Church. Far from trying to undermine the Church, Ficino was attempting to create rational explanations for many of the Church's beliefs. One of Ficinio's most important theories was the belief of Plato's transmigration of the soul, and how that could be linked to the Church's position on the resurrection of the soul. In this way Ficino attempted to marry the concepts of both the Church and of the Sciences. In his opinion, this would lead men to greater faith, as they became more aware of their soul and its connection to the world around them.

Others followed Ficino's example, and many more studies of the physical world were conducted. However, many of those early scientists came into conflict with the Church, as their findings disagreed with the Church's stance on many matters. One of the most famous of these is Galileo. His studies of astronomy led to a trial by the Inquisition, as his findings about the Earth and its relative position in the Universe, contradicted the official beliefs of the Church. Galileo, however, was not attempting to undermine the Church. He, like Ficino, while attempting to understand the physical world better, still had great belief in the Christian God, and remained a faithful Catholic until his death.

What I find interesting is that while these early scientists paved the way for modern science with their methodical experiments and well rounded education, they did so in the attempt to better understand nature, and by doing so having a closer relationship to God. While today science uses the same methods of study, the prevailing belief among many is that God does not exist. Instead of drawing correlations between Christian beliefs and science, today scientists seem to be more determined than ever to discount the idea of any kind of supreme being that designed the universe.

While the great Renaissance period thinkers did much to advance our understanding of the physical world around us, the work they did appears to have had unintended consequences. While they wanted to explain God and Humanity in more precise terms than was being done by the Church, they succeeded in creating an almost entire new religion, that of Science, which dominates much of the world that we live in today.

Stained Glass

Stained glass windows from the Gothic period were an important part of Christendom.  Thanks to innovations in construction that were introduced in the Gothic period, such as flying buttresses, large sections of church walls could be dedicated to house windows, since the walls were no longer the only means of load bearing.  The Church and the artists used to create the stained glass windows took this as an opportunity to create story windows, which depicted religious scenes.  French theologian Jean de Garson is credited with the saying that the windows could be used to show "simple people unfamiliar with the Scriptures what they should believe". 

One of the most famous displays of stained glass is in the Chartres cathedral.  It has 176 panels of stained glass, of which about 152 are believed to be originals.  These stained glass windows at Chartres not only depict religious scenes such as the Passions of the Christ and the Virgin Mary, but also have panels dedicated to the various guilds and merchants that contributed to the building of Charters.  They could be considered among the first classified ads, as they advertised the wealth and success of the patrons.

The image here is a photo of a stained glass window known as The Blue Virgin in Chartres.  It depicts the Virgin Mary, with Jesus sitting in her lap.  As the Chartres cathedral was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it is not surprising to see her pictured as being almost dominant over Jesus, as he is almost childlike in her lap.  They are surrounded by angels, and a dove representing peace.  The eye is naturally drawn upwards, towards the Kingdom of Heaven that is at the top of the panel.  This is an excellent example of a stained glass window that may have inspired the poet George Herbert to write

A man who looks on glass,
On it may stay his eye,
Or if he pleaseth through it pass,
And then the heavens espy.

The next image is what is called a Rose window.  The circular pattern carried two symbolism's, the sun, which was used to represent Christ, and a rose, which was a representation of the Virgin Mary.  Here we can how the artists uses lead to not only strengthen the window, but also creates a geometric pattern which again suggests a rose.  This time our eye is drawn to the center of the window, which again has the Virgin Mary with Christ sitting in her lap.

While I have not seen the Chartres windows in person, I have observed other cathedrals with their stained glass windows.  Their very nature encourages you to reflect and meditate upon their meaning, as outside light is softly diffused through the tinted window.  They can certainly invoke a somber mode, which many may find conducive to worship.

Stained glass windows are still used to decorate churches today.  They are still a way to dedicate scenes to benefactors of the work, and are still used to remind us of significant biblical or religious events.  The following picture is a top-down view of The Last Supper, created in 1984 for the Durham Cathedral.  While the style has changed slightly to allow for less prominent use of lead as part of the window, the premise is the same, a religious scene depicted in a window that allows diffused natural light.

Whether we are religious in nature or not, all can still appreciate the care and skill required in the creation of the stained glass window art form.

Greek Theatre

Theatre of Dionysus

One of the biggest influences on our culture from ancient times would be the formalizing of artistic performances, which lead to the creation of Theatre. This was apparently first done by the Greeks, although their inspiration appears to have been from the traditional storytelling that was already a staple of many religions. Taking the storytelling role of a religious figure, such as a shaman, they adapted this to plays. While they oftentimes dealt with religious matters or custom, they were not limited in scope. These plays were like recited poetry, performed by choruses of up to fifty men. A man named Thespis either introduced the concept of a single "actor" interacting with the chorus, playing the main character, or he may have been the first actor. This is where the worth 'thespian' comes from, which is a term still used today to describe modern day actors. This role of one man interacting with the chorus slowly expanded, but it appears that the Greeks never had more than three individuals perform at any one time. Around 534 B.C. the performances were arranged into formal competitions.

Modern day Hollywood Bowl

These competitions in turn lead to full-fledged theatres being constructed just for the purpose of housing them, and allowing for as many spectators as possible. The Theatre of Dionysus, named after the original religious festival, could seat up to 17,000 people. It's design is still used today as many amphitheatres have the same basic layout, with tiered rows rising up from the stage area, to allow clear views for as many audience members as possible. The 'orchestra pit' as well, derives from the Greek theatres, as the word was derived from the name of the platform which was originally where the chorus would be that chanted and interacted with the actors on stage.


There were two main areas of performance. While the Greeks originally started the competitions to select the best Tragedies, the genre expanded to include Comedy. The original Tragedies were designed not just to have sad endings, but to teach moral lessons. They often showed the folly of arrogance by mortal man, especially when competing with the Gods. While Comedies did not have the same heavy handed feel, they also taught moral lessons, albeit in a not so depressing manner.



It would be hard to find another event that has transcended time and culture as much as the Greek Theatre has. While the profession of being an actor has sometimes waned in social status depending on the particular culture, more often than not actors were considered celebrities. In today's world most any person will have at some times in their lives entertained the thought of being an actor. While the form of 'Theatre' can be said to have evolved, as film, television, and other mediums have been invented, the basic premise of gathering to watch a form of story played out by actors is a fundamental aspect of the world population. All over the world there are cultures that have some form of performance art that can trace its roots to the Greek Theatre. Today, we still flock to see movies and plays. We still have festivals and ceremonies where the best of the genre's are awarded, and Tragedy and Comedy still rank amongst the most popular forms of theatre that exist today.


 
Informative Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre_of_Ancient_Greece

http://www.crystalinks.com/greektheater.html


 

 

Greek Influence in Art

    Like many others, I had heard of some famous Greek works of art, especially sculptures. The Venus de Milo, The Discus Thrower, and Hermes, are all sculptures that I have seen either in movies or on television. While I understood that they were great works of art, I never took the time to appreciate the how and why.

    Greek art, particularly in regards to sculptures, actually has its roots in Egyptian art. The Greeks did not just start with their amazing sculptures, as in the Archaic period, they at first seemed intent on mimicking the Egyptian style of sculpture. This involved statues in very stiff poses, with little to no expression. In the images below the one on the left is from Egypt, while the one on the right is from Greece (New York Kouros). There are many similarities, down to the way both sculptures are making fists with their thumbs pointed outward. The form of the statues again is very stiff, and not any kind of natural pose.




    After Greece defeated the Persians and began its rise to a World Power, the education that the Greek's valued began to show in their artwork. Using advanced mathematics the Greeks were able to start to accurately portray human proportions on their statues. This began the Classical Age of Greek art. As new artists were able to build upon the geometry involved in getting the human proportions correct, they were then able to go even further and create natural poses, so that their sculptures then seemed to be moving and alive. This can be seen in the sculpture of The Dying Gaul. While you study the form you are drawn to the statues gaze, while it seems to both struggle to stand and examine the mortal wound it has suffered. You can see the strain being put on the arms as he attempts to lift himself up one last time, and the exhaustion that is on the nameless Gaul's face. The attention to detail can also be seen in the collar that the Gaul is wearing, as it is made to represent twisted gold wire that the Gaul's would wear into battle. While the overall posture is one of defeat, you can still sense the pride in the warrior, trying to stand up one last time and not quite ready to accept death as being imminent.

    In contrast the Venus De Milo, or Aphrodite, is a form of stunning beauty. While the arms have been missing, it is believed that she may have been holding a mirror in one hand and a shield in the other. The image even now projects near perfect beauty, and actually used to be the seal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

    We owe the Greek sculptures for making it possible to learn more about not only their triumphant moments, but also their everyday life, as many Greek sculptures attempted to capture 'snapshots' of normal life. This of course has influenced us in many ways, from the way new artists choose to express themselves, to even what we still consider to be ideal beauty.

    

Mummies

    Reading about the mummification process was very interesting. I'd known about some of the details, the removing of the brains, the bandage wrapping, etc. but I didn't realize that there were actually different tiers of mummification depending on your wealth/social status. Obviously the Pharaohs would receive the first class treatment of the careful removal of the organs, the coating of resin, and the painting of facial features.

Going down the social ladder you started getting less treatment, until, if you were a member of the lower class you pretty much got thrown in a tub of Natron, which was a naturally occurring chemical in Egypt, and allowed to 'dry out' for about 70 days, at which point your family would come to collect you for your burial. Reading more about the procedure at http://www.mummytombs.com/egypt/methods.htm showed that it actually took several centuries for the Egyptians to perfect the art of making a long-lasting Mummy. Some of the earliest mummies were nothing more than bodies wrapped in linen, then covered with plaster to give them shape. It wasn't until much later in the process that the extended time period, the moisture leaching, organ removal, and linen wrapping became almost an art form. Interestingly, it also appears that towards the end of the Egyptian dynasty, the quality of mummification also severely declined. Almost like there was an influx of 'mummy specialists' that gave little attention to the bodies, but instead focused on quanity.

    The idea of 'preservation' seems to still be prevalent in our society today. While most may have given up on the idea of keeping their current physical body for the next, or after, life, they still place great emphasis on preserving their bodies as long as possible. Instead of painting the face of their youth on a wooden mask, now we have all manner of cosmetic surgery available to try to retain a youthful appearance. While the richer or more powerful people have access to the more expensive procedures, even the poor among us do their best to keep up with a variety of products marketed to maintaining youth.

    This would seem to indicate that a form of culture that has continued on for thousands of years is that we as humans do not want to grow old, at least not past our physical primes. This is indicated by some of the most ancient of stories, where protagonists like Gilgamesh or even Adam and Eve were either in pursuit of eternal life, or once had it but then lost it due to divine retribution. While the morals of those stories seem to teach us that we should not spend our time chasing something that is impossible to have, but rather filling our time with fulfilling pursuits, that is a lesson that is not easily learned.

    A possible lesson we can learn from the ancient Pharaohs and the stories in this week's reading is that the old saying of "you can't take it with you when you go" is most certainly true. How we apply that to our lives is up to us as individuals, but it may help to but some of life's concerns in a better perspective.

Scars

Scars can define a person, tell you where you've been, what you've seen. They last a lifetime, always reminding you of where you've been, where you've come from.

She studied me with her innocent blue eyes, taking in my face as if looking at me for the first time. "Oh, what happened here?" She gently traces the scar that divides my left eyebrow into two distinct sections.

My eyes lose focus as I think back to that night. It comes upon me suddenly, something I hadn't thought or dreamed of for years. My fists slowly clench as the memory becomes more vivid, until I am reliving the moment again and again.

I was four or five years old, I vaguely recall that my parents had once again left me behind with relatives while they took a weekend trip somewhere. I know I was watching TV, but the exact program escapes me, that wasn't important. What comes rushing back is the sudden panic I felt, as I suddenly had to urinate with extreme urgency, the way only a little kid can. I rushed to the bathroom, ripping at my pants in a desperate attempt to avoid wetting them, after all I was grown up, not some baby to be wetting their pants! The urge to pee was becoming excruciating, which made me all the more clumsy trying to un-buckle some Popeye cartoon belt that was designed by some devil spawn for the sick purpose of making kids wet themselves.

Finally though I acheived victory with nary a drop staining my pants. While I was rescuing my pants from infamy however, my victory was short lived. While I did succeed in freeing myself from my pant prison, my trajectory was thrown off. Instead of a clear steady shot into the toilet, the propulsion sent a stream straight up, making a thousand tiny rainbows as the soft bathroom light reflected through each golden prism. While I stared in awe I did not notice the pool quickly forming around my socked feet. As I stepped forward in an effort to right the errant flow, the socks succeeded where my pants had failed, and I slipped, falling face foward and cracking my skull against the rim of the target toilet bowl.

I do not recall much after that, other than my Uncle yelling about piss everywhere, and my Aunt slapping a band-aid over my eye. I rememeber the painful peeling off of the band-aid later, as it seemed determined to remove every hair that formed my eyebrow. What the band-aid left behind was enough to show the bloodly split that now effectively gave me three eyebrows. It tooks months for my eyebrow to grow back and start to cover the scar, until finally I barely gave it a glance when I looked in the mirror.

She had brought that memory back however, and I was taken back to a different time, a different place.

"Did it hurt when it happened, does it still hurt?"

I put a finger to her lips in a shushing motion. "It doesn't matter anymore, some battles are best left in the past."