The Marbles of Parthenon

After hearing the lecture and reading the few articles about the Parthenon Marbles, I feel that my opinion goes back and forth. Overall though, I feel that having the marbles in a museum is fair and I feel that having them in a Greek museum would also be fair. Yet there seem to be pros and cons to both.

Lord Elgin, ambassador of Constantinople, made up his mind that he wanted to put the Parthenon Marbles in his home as decoration. He solely wanted these sculptures for their beauty. He negotiated with the Turkish government who were in control of Greece at the time. Eventually his agents began chipping away at the Parthenon Marbles. the Ottoman's were very pleased with Britain's help in blocking Napolean in Egypt that they forced Elgin, in 1816, to sell the marbles to the British government. He was given what would be four million dollars today, for the marbles. It was enough to pay off his debt from his divorce. The British museum then had the frieze depicting the birth of Athena placed along their walls where people could walk by and see every detail. In 1879, more than 15,000 art students studied the marbles and from then on, many more students were given the opportunity. 

By placing the marbles in a museum, they were not only better preserved, but also easier to look at. If the marbles were still on top of the Parthenon, the details and techniques used would not be able to be examined because they would be so high up. I think that is one pro for them to be held in a museum. Although, it is sad that they were separated from their original origin, I still think that the marbles themselves serve as one whole piece of artwork that should be admired to the fullest. For scholars and people who show a great interest in art history, I think that this makes for another positive aspect of the marbles being separated from the Parthenon. It's already amazing just learning about the sculptures and the meanings behind them, so being able to see them up close would be even better. Seeing the Parthenon itself would also be great, but if the marbles were up high on the Parthenon, we would not be able to appreciate them as much. 

Much controversy has come about as to whether or not the marbles should be returned to Greece. In November of 2002, the Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor finally agreed to meet with the Greek Minister, Evangelos Venizelos to discuss the return of the marbles. Greece threw out the option of opening up a museum in Athens, that could  be ran by the British, and hold the marbles of Parthenon. They even offered to provide the British Museum with other Greek artifacts.To me, there seem to be plenty of benefits for the British in this agreement yet they won't give in. I feel that placing the marbles back in Athens would be fair because they would be close to their origin and after all, they are Greek artifacts. It would also be nice having the Parthenon and its marbles close together so that they can be seen almost together. According to the Britishmuseum.org, they have 5 million visitors per year, which is probably why they would like to keep the marbles where they are at. Yet, if they still had control over the museum in Athens, they would still probably have the same number of visitors if not more. To me, they are just being stubborn. I feel that Greece has offered them some great incentives that could be very profitable and beneficial to the British. Having two museums with several different artifacts, including more of the Greeks best antiquity seems like quite the deal to me. The British museum also seems to mainly focus on the aesthetics of the marbles making them pieces that are solely meant for beauty. Within the marbles are great historical stories about the Goddess Athena, also known as the Goddess of Wisdom. These pieces tell her story and although they are very beautiful pieces, they should also be appreciated for the story that they tell. I think that by placing the marbles in Athens, the history behind them would come back. They would be closer to the Parthenon, where they were first created, and together, they would create the entire story of the Goddess Athena. There is also the fact that "Athens" was named after Athena. It would make sense to have a work of art dedicated to the Goddess Athena, in the town that was named after her. 

All Greece is asking for, is for the Parthenon marbles to be placed back where they belong, which is in the area that they originated from. I think that Greece is being very fair about this situation and that they really aren't asking for a lot from the British. The marbles of Parthenon should also be returned to the city of Athens for the sake of its history and to represent the town that it was created in and for. I also think that having the marbles placed in a museum rather than on the Parthenon is more suitable for those who appreciate art and the beautiful marbles themselves. 

The Statues of the Cycladic Women Compared to Venus

I really enjoyed learning about the Venus of Willendorf and her story as well as the many theories that were brought up. Her story really stuck with me and now that the statues of the Cycladic women have been brought up in our lectures, my interest has been struck again because of the major similarities that the Venus of Willendorf and the statues of the Cycladic women share. They are similar yet very different in many ways but one can still infer that the statues have a similar meaning and one might have influenced the other. 

Discovered early on in the Aegean area were stylized statues of men and women. These statues were found to be representations of the Cycladic people and more of these statues represented women. Structurally, the statues are very simple and abstract. None of them contain faces, hiding their identity. They all have extended feet so that they are standing on their toes which could mean that they are meant to lay down. The figures of women all have a slight curve in the abdomen area, giving them the appearance of a stomach. They are also given slight curves on their chest, creating the appearance of breasts. Across their chests, resting upon their stomach, are their arms as if to cover up their breasts. These statues are very interesting  because they hide so much meaning within them and they also relate to another very prominent statue, The Venus of Willendorf.

When comparing the two statues, there are some very obvious features that they share. They both lack faces, keeping their identity hidden or maybe making it so that it is not the center of attention. Both of the statues have emphasis on two prominent areas related to reproduction such as the breasts and the belly. The emphasis in these areas lead to the theories of these statues representing fertility and reproduction. Both of their feet are extended with their toes facing down so that they are unable to stand. They both hide their meanings leading to many different theories as to why they were created in the first place. 

While both of the statues have pretty big similarities, they also have many differences. While the Venus of Willendorf portrays a larger and more immodest woman, these Cycladic statues of women are portrayed as being the opposite. They appear to have a thinner shape, they have emphasis on their breasts and stomach yet not as much as Venus, and they are also much taller than Venus standing at twenty-five inches where as Venus stands at about four inches. The Cycladic statue shows a more modest woman in the fact that her arms are crossed, covering up her breasts. She is representing the original Venus statue more because the original statue would pose in a way to cover up her breasts and torso area. 

Both statues have their own individual characteristics that are different from one another but still support their theory of representing reproduction. The Venus of Willendorf also contains a large torso area. The areas that seem to matter to reproduction are all very emphasized on the Venus of Willendorf's body making her look ideal for child baring. The statue of the Cycladic woman was discovered to have once been painted. One theory for these paint marks was that they were used to draw attention to certain areas where people needed healing power of some sort. In the Cycladic woman's case, the paint would be on her stomach drawing attention to a fertile area on her body. The paint could have also represented that she was already pregnant. 

A lot of the evidence and theories given to both the Venus of Willendorf and the the statues of the Cycladic women lead to them being representations of reproduction. Because of their similarities, it seems as if this theory gets a little closer to becoming a fact. The similarities also lead us to believe that the Venus of Willendorf, from the prehistoric age, influenced the creation of the statues of the Cycladic women later on.

A Look at the ZIggurats and the Pyramids of Giza

The Ziggurats of the Ancient Near East were built using brick and tar-like structure to hold the bricks together. The structures were large and blocky, consisting of stairs and terraces. The Ziggurat temples would be whitewashed or made white once they were finished being built. Many of the temples were even built on top of rubble. The Ziggurats stood about 170 feet tall and resembled mountains through their large shape and height. Mountains were known as spiritual plains and had spiritual imagery to the people. The sole purpose for the building of the Ziggurats was to worship. Names such as "the House of the Mountains" and "Bond Between Heaven and Earth" were given to the Ziggurats because they represented the middle ground between Heaven and civilization. On top of the Ziggurats were shrines where people could go and worship as well as take offerings to the gods and goddesses.  

The Pyramids of Giza were comprised of 2.5 ton stones and the ground had to of been made flat before building. Each pyramid began with a Mastaba, which was a rectangular structure with a flat top and underneath the mastaba was a tomb. Within the mastaba was a room called a Serdab where the statue of the deceased was kept. Bodies were mummified and placed in the mastabas. The reasoning behind the mummifications and statues were to preserve the Ca of the deceased or in other words, their soul. The Pyramids were then built on top of the mastabas. The Pyramids of Giza were built West of the Nile, also known as the land of the setting sun, symbolizing death. They were given a white limestone casing with a gold cap. Today the white limestone is no longer there because it wore away. The three main pyramids dedicated to Pharaoh's were Khufu, Khafe, and Menkaure. The pyramid Khufu is the oldest and the tallest standing at 450 feet tall. Pharaoh Khufu was placed within his pyramid instead of below. Blocks had to push on the sides of the pyramids to keep them from collapsing on the Pharaoh's tomb. The pyramids were often raided by thieves because of the art and treasures that were within. 

When comparing the Ziggurats and the Pyramids of Giza, it's clear that they were both used to worship. The Ziggurats were used to get closer to gods and goddesses and show appreciation for them and the pyramids were used to worship and appreciate the pharaohs. To many people in our culture today, the ZIggurats the Pyramids were like a church. Both structures stand tall and show greatness in their height as well as their all around large structure. They were both also given the color of white, which could symbolize peace and purity. The pyramids as well as the Ziggurats were given names dedicated to those whom they worshipped or treasured. Both structures were purposely built for important figures and were meant to carry on the names of either their gods and goddesses or their pharaohs. Both structures were very successful with their dedications and carrying on the names of those whom they worshipped. 

There are also many differences within each of these structures. The Ziggurats were meant to be climbed and for people to stand on top of them to get closer to their gods and goddesses, where as the pyramids held their important figures within. The shapes of both of these figures are very different. The Ziggurats were more blocky where as the pyramids were obviously shaped as pyramids with a triangular structure. When it came to the structure of the pyramids, having a flat ground was very important. When it came to building the Ziggurats, they were just built on top of rubble. 

Overall, the Ziggurats and the Pyramids of Giza are both very intriguing structures and the physical features, as well as the meaning behind them, both make them the important structures that they were and continue to be today. 

The Warka Vase

Standing about three feet tall, telling a story within three different registers is the Warka Vase. The Warka Vase illustrates different scenes from early Mesopotamia's offerings and ritual marriages. I chose this work of art because it shows great importance in its story through its detail, the stone that it was carved into, and the placement of each figure and scene. 

According to our book, the vase was carved out of alabaster or a fine white stone. From the picture, the stone looks very sturdy, which to me means that this piece was meant to last and preserve what stories are being illustrated. After reading about the Warka Vase and looking at the pictures, I feel that the illustrations were meant to last and be passed on to remind generations after, what was important. I think that this was their way of documenting their culture and trying to keep it alive. In one of the lectures, we hear that writing was not an option, therefore illustrations were created. Considering that this was their only form of documenting, their illustrations must have been like photo albums or videos to us. 

The illustrations are divided into registers which are horizontal bands. On the Warka Vase, there are three registers and each of them have an important illustration in them. The illustrations carved into these registers provide a lot of detail. In the animals and humans, you can see lines and shapes that make them appear muscular. The lines all look very deep and sharp, producing depth and bringing the illustrations more to life. Movement is implied by the placement of the legs on the animals and on the people which also brings more life to the illustrations, especially in the second register. In the second register, men walk along with offerings in their hands.  Their torsos face the viewers also giving us a sense of movement. Clearly they are taking their offerings to someone who is important to them such as the goddess Inana who is carved into the third register. They each hold something different to present to the goddess

In the third register, the goddess Inana stands between two poles, or her gate, with her rich land behind her. She is the tallest figure in the third register and also has a larger appearance which leads the eye to her. Her scale compared to the other figures also makes her look more powerful. The fact that she is higher up than everyone else shows that she is someone of importance, which is also known as the hierarchy of scale.Depth is shown in the third register making her land look big and full. Also, out of all three registers, the third seems to be the largest which could indicate that it is the most important part of the story. It also overpowers the other two registers by being at the top. It has more control over the other two by sitting on top of them. In the book, it states that the third scene represents the ritual marriage between the goddess Inana and her consort, Dumuzi. It says that this took place during the New Year's festival to ensure fertility of crops, animals, and people, to continue the wellness of Uruk. This could be why the register with the goddess Inana sits above the other two. Inana was the Goddess of Fertility therefore she was seen as having power over the production of crops, animal, and humans. Everything that humans needed to survive and keep their land, was in the hands of the Inana. 

The structure of the Warka Vase also seems to show from the bottom to top, what is important in means of survival. At the bottom there are the crops and the animals. The crops being before the animals. In the middle there are the humans, and at the top is a celebration of survival. The crops feed the animals and humans, the crops and animals both feed the humans, and with healthy, surviving humans, the population of Uruk can grow and survive. 

The fact that this Vase was produced to share the story of the goddess Inana and the New Year's festival for fertility shows that this was an important event and the goddess Inana was an important person to the town of Uruk. I find the vase to be a beautiful work of art and I love how so much is told within three registers of illustrations.