Michelangelo - Pieta

a) Michelangelo - Pieta (sculpture). It was sculpted in Rome when Michelangelo was about 22 (1498 - 1499). It is currently displayed at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.

b)

c) Full name: Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564)

DOB: March 6th, 1475 (in Caprese, a small village close to Florence)

His father was a magistrate but he as a teen was apprenticed to a Florentine painter named Domenico Ghirlandajo. However later on, he was inspired by another teacher, the sculptor Donatello, who later presented him an opportunity to move into the palace of Lorenzo the Magnificent, the powerful ruler of the Medici family. There, he studied classical sculpture in the Medici gardens and was exposed to prominent poets, scholars, and learned Humanists for 19 years. He also attained the permission of the Catholic Church to study cadavers for insight into anatomy. This experience had enabled to be the leader of the Italian Renaissance; he had later relocated in Rome and produced various masterpieces including Battle of the Centaurs, painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the David, the Cupid, the Petia, etc. He also was engaged by Pope Paul III as principle architect to supervise the building of St. Peters. Although being a painter, a sculptor, an architect, and a poet himself, Michelangelo never married and lived a life with few friends. His temper and impulsive attitude alienated many people who had known him.

Fun facts: He lived to see the publication of two biographies about his life, written by Giorgio Vasari and Ascanio Condivi. He had also worked with Leonardo da Vici.

d)The Pieta means Pity or Compassion. It represents Mary sorrowfully holding and contemplating the dead body of Christ. It is made out of marble and is composed of intricate details of the flesh, composition, and expression. The statue was commissioned by the French cardinal Jean de Billheres, who was a representative in Rome; it was made for the cardinal's funeral monument. The theme was influenced by Northern origin, popular in France but not Italy. Michelangelo's interpretation of the Pieta is unique and different from the precedents for he introduced Mary with a youthful and calm expression even though holding the dead body of Christ; the usual depiction of art back then was pain. He had finished carving it single-handedly in less than two years, producing a masterpiece that balances the Renaissance ideals of classical beauty with naturalism. By presenting the divine beauty of the statue, Michelangelo wanted to convince people that not only pain resembles redemption but also the absolute earthly beauty - which is perfect by human standards and therefore divine.

e) The sculpture demonstrates Anatomy, Perspective, Classicism, Youthfulness, Composition, and Religion. It scores a 6/9 on the list of Nine Characteristics of Renaissance art.

Anatomy = it shows the intricate details of the sculpture (veins, bones, position, facial expression, etc.)

Perspective = It is 3-D and can be viewed as different angles with different feelings and interpretations

Classicism = It portrays Mother Mary and Christ - who lived during the Roman time and dressed accordingly to its culture.

Youthfulness = It shows youthfulness on Mother Mary's face

Composition = It has a great composition which points the attention to Mary's eyes contemplating Christ's dead body

Religion = It portrays Mother Mary holding Christ's dead body after his crucifixion.

Sources:
http://www.moodbook.com/history/renaissance/michelangelo-pieta.html
http://www.saburchill.com/history/biblio/009.html
http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/michelangelo-pieta.html
http://www.biography.com/people/michelangelo-9407628?page=3
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Michelangelo's_Pieta_5450_cropncleaned_edit-2.jpg

 

Posted with Blogsy

Being a Child in the Renaisance

Being born a peasant in a family of eight, I'm always expected to work on the fields as soon as I get out of bed every day. It has become such a routine for me in a way that boredom has just become an ordinary emotion. My dad died when he was 30, leaving my mom single-handedly raise the six of us. Two of my siblings grew ill and passed away at a young age, so it's not a happy story from the beginning. I mean, life can be so unfair! I have been observing life around here and noticed that we as children have no rights at all! We're always expected to dress and act like adults; based on our background we're expected to do certain tasks that our parents have  previously planned for us. At least I feel better still having my mother, for I have a friend who is raised in an orphanage because was born to a slave mother.

Today as any other ordinary day, I woke up and hurried myself to the field. However on the way, I've encountered a merchant from down south. He asked me for directions and I gladly helped him. We talked a little bit more and then for some reason, he invited me to come with him, giving the reason that I can "accompany him for the day" since he didn't know this area that well. He offered to pay me so why not took the job, right?

He told me stories about where he comes from and what it's like to be a merchant. He said that he takes his job seriously and all, yet he spares some time for traveling and learning different cultures. He had just arrived here yesterday so now he was trying to browse about the city to see what it could offer. In appreciation for his eagerness, I attentively took him to famous locations and introduced him our local special goods. I also told him about my family and how us children have no rights; his reaction was priceless. Another interesting story he told me, about how children are raised differently from where he's from: children are meant to play and shielded from the worries of the world; they are to work hard at their studies to prepare for their future. Education is extremely important there, and noble children often go to school four to six hours a day; they attend university at the age of fifteen. At school, they are trained under a disciplinary and harsh environment. Furthermore, they are also taught the ways of warrior and courtier, which includes riding, swordmanship, dancing, and the arts of war. The sad thing is, it's not that much different for peasants so I guess I was destined to be born this way.

Another thing I found extremely intriguing is that noble children there marry at an early age with the purpose of gaining power and prosperity for their family and produce heirs to continue dynasties. In the end, I guess we are all born to do certain tasks; tasks that are already planned beforehand. If you're lucky enough to be born a noble, your life will be luxurious - yet it takes a greater endurance of training and hardwork. If you're born a peasant than all you'll do is do field work or take care of the households until you marry and have kids and pass away. If you're born an artist, then you're especially trained to be a good one at a young age. If you're born to merchant parents than you're especially trained to be a good merchant at a young age, also. All children are expected to do what their parents want them to, they have no choice at all!
Source:
Children of the Renaissance

I love to learn. But I never had the chance.

Being born a peasant in a family of eight, I'm always expected to work on the fields as soon as I get out of bed every day. It has become such a routine for me in a way that boredom has just become an ordinary emotion. My dad died when he was 30, leaving my mom single-handedly raise the six of us. Two of my siblings grew ill and passed away at a young age, so it's not a happy story from the beginning. I mean, life can be so unfair! I have been observing life around here and noticed that we as children have no rights at all! We're always expected to dress and act like adults; based on our background we're expected to do certain tasks that our parents have  previously planned for us. At least I feel better still having my mother, for I have a friend who is raised in an orphanage because was born to a slave mother.

Today as any other ordinary day, I woke up and hurried myself to the field. However on the way, I've encountered a merchant from down south. He asked me for directions and I gladly helped him. We talked a little bit more and then for some reason, he invited me to come with him, giving the reason that I can "accompany him for the day" since he doesn't know this area that well. He offered to pay me so why not took the job, right? 

He told stories about where he comes from and what it's like to be a merchant. He said that he takes his job seriously and all, yet he spares some time for traveling and learning different cultures. He had just arrived here yesterday so now he was trying to browse about the city to see what it could offer. In appreciation for his eagerness, I attentively took him famous locations and introduced him our local special goods. I also told him about my family and how us children had no rights; his reaction was priceless. Another interesting story he told me, about how children are raised differently from where he's from: children are to meant to play and shielded from the worries of the world; they are to work hard at their studies to prepare for their future. Education is extremely important there, and noble children often go to school four to six hours a day; they attend university at the age of fifteen. A boy's education is more extensive and he is taught arithmetic, Latin, Greek, 

Education during the Renaissance became increasingly more important and popular. Noble children often attended four to six hours of school per day and went to work or to a university at age fifteen. Usually, education started around age seven, though often younger. Upper-class girls might be sent to convents for education until either her family found her a husband or she became a nun, saving her family the expense of a dowry.

A boy's education was more extensive. A boy's education was either by a governor, college, or a tutor at home. Students, primarily in Italy, were often taught grammar and arithmetic because those were the tools of a merchant. However, privileged families such as the Medici family had their children instructed in Latin, Greek, logic, and philosophy. Boys everywhere learned a little Latin, philosophy, and rhetoric as part of a good education. If attending a school, a boy faced harsh discipline, long hours, and bad food among other uncomfortable factors of everyday life. Along with this formal education, a noble boy was taught the ways of warrior and courtier, which included riding, swordsmanship, dancing, and the arts of war.

Peasants were usually completely uneducated, stripping away from them one of the key factors in social mobility. Artisans would be educated through an apprenticeship or at home, although it was possible for a boy to attend a cathedral school to become a member of the clergy.

Marriage for noble children was usually very early as a result of the child's obligation to gain power and prosperity for their family and produce heirs to continue dynasties. In lower classes, a man did not marry until they had obtained land or established themselves in a trade. Women of those classes usually waited until their families could raise a proper dowry before they married. Women were usually significantly younger than the men they married.

world, and to work hard at their studies in preparation for the time when their presumably carefree days would end

world, and to work hard at their studies in preparation for the time when their presumably carefree days would end

Sent from my iPad

Module 1 Part 2

Please identify at least one modern day example of someone who is Machiavellian and explain how they fit this description. Do you agree that it is better to be feared than loved? Does the end justify the means?

One modern day example of someone who is Machiavellian would be Kim Jong Un - the current Northern Korean Chairman. Succeeded the position after his father's death in December, 2011, Kim Jong Un followed his footsteps in developing a nuclear warhead that could hit the United States within a few years. Additionally, he also alienated the Obama administration as well as provoked China because of the country's decision on launching the ballistic missile test - which posed the danger of debris falling into maritime sea lanes, populated islands, and the South China Sea. In order to do these missions, he has spent a massive expense on nuclear development instead of improving the citizens' life as he has previously professed. The country's obsession with military hardware has taken the chairman's attention away from doing the necessary thing - he only does what he thinks is right. In short, he fits the description because when he does something, he "does it right" - he risks everything in order to fulfill his idealism no matter if it might hurt others; it is rather devoid of morality.

I agree that it is better to be feared than loved because life is not perfect despite however we can imagine it to be.  It's reality, and reality requires wisdom and experiences. To be feared is to be cautious- to prepare oneself's from the disappointment of hurt and failure. To be feared is to be realistic; it doesn't mean to lose confidence and not to have faith in oneself. It depends on the definition of fear, but I'll define it as being wise, which means to be prepared to take in the consequences. It doesn't mean to close up oneself and fear to express oneself. 

It depends whether if the end justifies the means. Sometimes it is worth it to risk everything for the final result, yet at other times it is not. For instance, the U.S. dropping two atomic bombs on Japan during World War II is indeed one example of 'the end justifies the means' for even though it the action has left a disastrous impact on Japan, it ended the war which prevented further suffering. At other times, it might not be worth it to give up everything for your final desire because at the end, you'll probably lose everything along the way that once has been so precious to you. There's no such thing as just simply black or white, right or wrong - it depends on what situation it is and what values one has in order to make his/her decisions. 

Source: http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/k/kim_jongun/index.html

Sources for the American Advertising Pitch Project

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_of_the_Magician
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUpUPnswrDzjVISp70RoZN9y8q_DA-1U6N8X6FlGGfxKIeJH-yMDM76rNXsKPwVK_TA8Kyk6AdGenOKdQkGnfx_0Qq6N_1gcH8hGOjMVWzhGNro0EQNSWyVZN5wOeiUPqSpjsEJiKm0ro/
s1600/uxmal%2Bpyramid.jpg
http://www.moon.com/destinations/cancun-the-yucatan/the-state-yucatan/the-puuc-route/uxmal-
archaeological-zone/the-ruins/pyramid-the-magician
http://www.hanksville.org/yucatan/El_Advino.html
http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/uxmal-00/uxmal-01-9.gif
http://www.sacredsites.com/americas/mexico/images/pyramid-magician-500.jpg
http://eagleincomemarketing.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/billboard1.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Mayan_-_Dwarf_Figurine_-
_Walters_20092036_-_Detail_A.jpg

Billboard - Pyramid of the Magician - Uxmal, Mexico

Kelly, Perlman, Sophia, Lisa

Flyer - Pyramid of the Magician - Uxmal, Mexico

Kelly, Perlman, Sophia, Lisa