Comparing Kokopelli And Anasazi

1. Is this a pictograph or a petroglyph? What is the difference between the two? What particular cultural group does it belong to? Who is depicted and what does he symbolize?

The picture in the question is an example of a petroglyph. Petroglyph is a form of rock art that is made by carving into the stone, whereas a pictograph is painted onto the stone. Kokopelli is depicted in the petroglyph above. He is a fertility figure in the Anasazi tribe. He is a symbol of the agriculture god of Southwest culture. Anasazi means “ancient stranger” or “ancient enemy” in Navajo language, that is commonly applied to the early pueblo dwellers who once lived in the Colorado Plateau or Four Corners Area. He traveled to different villages, and brought about changes in the season, bringing about rain and a bountiful harvest for the people. Kokopelli’s flute is used to announce his arrival and the seeds in his bag that he carries are meant to be planted to grow crops to sustain the tribes. He calls the goats to gather and to make baby goats by playing his flute. Therefore, he is seen as the symbol of fertility for all life such as, crops and hopes. Legends suggest that Kokopelli was an ancient toltec trader who traveled routes between Mexico, the west coast, and the southwest.
Dentalium shells that are only found in costal areas, and macaw feathers from Mexico have been unearthed in northern New Mexico and Arizona. These might contribute to the legend.

Sources:

1)Online Lecture
2)http://raysweb.net/canyonlands/pages/anasazi.html
3)http://www.indigenouspeople.net/kokopelli.htm
2. What is the name of this building and where is it located? What style is it built in? What is the name of the light brown decoration around the doorway? What would you call the painted altar in these kinds of buildings?

The name of the building is Mission San Xavier Del Bac, 1784-1797. It is located near Tucson, Arizona. It is built in Baroque architecture style that features playful and dramatic elements. The building is constructed of low-fire clay brick, stone and lime mortor, the entire structure is roofed with masonary vaults, thus making it unique among Spanish Colonial buildings within the U. S. The right roof is not finished and there are two theories to explain it. One theory is that they ran out of money to complete it. The other theory is that one of workers fell from the top, so none of remaining workers wanted to go back to finish the tower, thus the mission could not be completely built. The brown front door is an example of Churrigueresque. It has Baroque curving style on the door. It has elaborately carved decorations and columns. The scallop shell is a symbol of the Christian traveler during the crusades. Not only did they use the scallop shell to scoop up water to drink, but also it was used as an identification of Christian pilgramage. The retablo mayor or main altar is of St. Francis Xavier and it represents the Patron Saint of the Mission, and it has become a place of pilgrimage to many in the Southwest.

Sources:

1)Texbook
2)Online lecture
3)http://www.sanxaviermission.org/History.html

3. What is this object? Who is it attributed to? Discuss the various symbols found on it.

It is a headstone of Timothy Cutler, attributed to Joseph Lamson. Surprisingly, there are many interesting symbols on the headstone, despite it being a morbid topic. Symbols such as the hourglasses, angels, coffins, daisies, imps and a skull can seen on the gravestone. The words “Memnto Mori” engraved on the stone means remember that you will die and “ “Fugit Hora” means time flies. The winged skull represents death, but a death that the soul survives. The winged imps are another symbol of resurrection. The flowers are symbols of hope and regeneration in the afterlife. Also, at the top of each side panel is a cherubic being who will welcome Cutler into heaven. This piece of art shows that Joseph Lamson is pretty inexperienced in presenting depiction of human figures. The carvings of Joseph Lamson’s seem similar to Charlestown stonecutter, which indicates that he may have been the apprentice to Charlestown.

Source:

1)Online lecture

2)Textbook

3)http://luna.davidrumsey.com:8280/luna/servlet/view/all/who/Cutler,+Ensign+Timothy/Lamson,+1708+and+before+(Joseph)/

4. What is the name of this house? What is this kind of architecture called? Why is there an overhang on the second floor? Provide some information on the history of this house and cite your resources.

The house is called the Iron Works House and it is owned by the manager of the forge. The architecture is first period style, based upon country style architecture the pilgrims left behind in England. As wood was abundant, the carpenters used long planks of wood to build the houses. The second floor was larger because of how property taxes were measured. In England, property taxes were assessed based upon the square footage of the house that touched the land. The home owner was able to get more room on the second floor with the overhang. Therefore the owner could find a way around the system to his advantage by building the second floor larger with the overhang. Also, the door of the house was painted red probably because the owner had daughters of a marriageable age.

Sources:
1)Online lecture

2)http://mass.historicbuildingsct.com/?p=2165

5. What is the name of this painting? Who is the painter? How did this artist learn how to paint? What is the story behind this painting? You will need to quote from and cite one of the articles listed under “JSTOR” in the online Santa Monica College library database: www.jstor.org.libdb.smc.edu/ Then search under “Watson and the Shark.”

This painting is “Watson and the Shark” by John Singleton Copley. He was a self-taught painter. After he emigrated to London in 1774, he joined the Royal Academy of Art. He had extraordinary skill as he could achieve the personae of his sitters with his technique and skill. Copley's works were affected by his expanded knowledge of European culture, and by social and political events of his early career. The painting is an observation of an incident dramatized about a boy, Brook Watson, who loved to swim. He dove into the waters while on a voyage and was attacked by sharks. “Against a background of an authentically represented Havana Harbor, a naked youth with one arm raised is lying helplessly on his back in the water.” (Jaffe, 1977) Having already torn off one part of his leg, the shark has circled back, seemingly to swallow the helpless boy. Two men try to rescue the boy while another man tries to distract the shark. I noticed that even though all the men were on one side of the boat, it was not tilting. The reason suggested was “Copley was probably following his models, Raphael and Rubens, in designing his boat.” (Jaffe,1977)
Sources:

1)Online lecture
2)http://www.jstor.org.libdb.smc.edu/stable/1594052?&Search=yes&searchText=watson&searchText=shark&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dwatson%2Band%2Bthe%2Bshark%26acc%3Don%26wc%3Don&prevSearch=&item=2&ttl=388&returnArticleService=showFullText

6. What is the name of this portrait? (Be specific!) Who is the painter? There are other versions of this man painted by this artist—include thumbnail images and the specific names of the portraits. (Hint: visit the website of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.) Why were each of the three portraits you are discussing in this question named as such?

The portrait is an Athenaeum Portrait (the President is facing his right) of George Washington and it is painted by Gilbert Stuart. The above portrait of George Washington, painted by Gilbert Stuart is called the Lansdowne Portrait, 1796.
The Lansdowne Portrait is the full-length portrait of the President. It is called Lansdowne Portrait because it was a gift to the Marquis of Lansdowne from Senator and Mrs. William Bingham of Pennsylvania. The objects in the portrait never really existed. They were chosen by the artist to portray certain ideas to the viewers. For example the portrait shows Washington’s respected and admired military and civil leaderships. And his extended hand points towards his recent speech to Congress. The portrait was celebrated upon completion and Gilbert Stuart was commissioned to paint more
replicas.

Gilbert Stuart also painted the above portrait of George Washington but it is called the Athenaeum Portrait, 1796. The Athenaeum Portrait is the portrait where the President is facing to his right. The first portrait was so successful that Martha Washington commissioned Gilbert Stuart to paint portraits of her and her husband for their home in Virginia. Although the portrait was never finished, it is one of his most reproduced pieces. He cautiously painted it with contrasting flesh tones and it is one of his best works. The Boston library has acquired the Athenaeum Portrait since the death of Gilbert Stuart. The above portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart is called the Vaughan Portrait, 1795. This is the portrait of the President facing to his left. It is called the Vaughan Portrait because Samuel Vaughan, an American merchant who lived in London and was a friend of the President, purchased the portrait. Stuart had his first sittings with the President in 1795. The sitter’s head is placed up high to tower over the viewers to show his tall frame. Also there is a glow around the sitter’s body which seems like a halo. Perhaps the artist wanted to portray the sitter in a divine light to the viewers.

Sources:

1)http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2005/stuart/philadelphia.shtm

2)http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/gg60a/gg60a-1121.html

7. Who is the maker of this delightful little creature? What is the background of this artist? Please include a thumbnail image, name, and location of another of this artist’s carvings.
The maker of the rooster carving is Wilhelm Schimmel. He was born in Germany and immigrated to Pennsylvania after the civil war. He was an itinerant woodcarver well known for his bird and animal carvings, namely eagles, parrots and roosters. In exchange for food and shelter, he worked for neighboring families by taking care of their children. He was an alcoholic and he often traded his carvings for food and alcohol. It was fascinating that he only used a jackknife, bits of glass and a few paintbrushes to produce carvings out of soft pine, which he would then sell for a few pennies each. He died in a poorhouse, but his works are famous today. The eagle carving is another piece by Wilhelm Schimmel and it is displayed at the Milwaukee Art Museum. Eagles were one of his signature pieces. The body was roughly carved using a sawtooth technique from a block of wood. The beak of the eagle is similar to that of Schimmel’s parrot carvings. Sources:
Online lecture http://www.mam.org/collection/details.php?ID=M1967.124 8. What is this object and what is its name? Who made it? Discuss its particular importance for Southern slaves.

It is a quilt made by Harriet Powers and it is called the “Bible quilt”. They are stories from the bible. For example, Adam and Eve naming the animals and Jacob’s ladder. The “Bible quilt” symbols were used as a map, like sign post. The symbols on the quilt are mainly stories from the bible. The Underground Railroad was neither a railroad nor underground. It was more like a secret network of safe houses and anti-slavery activists who helped slaves escaped to freedom. The slaves who were weak and hungry, often traveled at night to avoid being detected. They used the north star as a compass and the symbols on the quilt to seek safe houses that would welcome them and provide them with help. The symbol were copied or painted on the door of a safe house or a barn. Only then would escaping slaves know that the house with the symbol on the door is safe to seek shelter on their way to safety.

Sources:

1)Online lecture

2)http://www.earlywomenmasters.net/powers/index.html

9. What is the name of this painting? Who painted it? What group of painters did the artist belong to? What were the members of this group trying to convey in terms of religion and preservation?

Thomas Cole painted the painting and it is called the “The Oxbow” (View from Mount Holyoke—The Connecticut River Near Northampton after a Thunderstorm). Thomas Cole (1801-1848) was the leader of The Hudson River School. He believed that the viewer could see the glory of God in the landscapes like mountain ranges and beautiful skylines, as well as the rage in the thunderstorms. In terms of preservation and religion, The Hudson River School had a very strong influence on the mid to late nineteenth century developing preservationist movement. They used broken branches or tree stumps in their paintings, in a way to show the need for preservation of the landscape, as well as preservation of the moral behavior of an environment that was becoming increasingly industrialized. . The Hudson River School painters convey their messages through their landscapes to God using romantics, dramatics and lofty themes.

Source:

1)Textbook

2)Online lecture

3)http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nattrans/ntwilderness/essays/preserva.htm

10. What is the name of this painting? Who painted it? What were some of the concerns that this painter had about Native American tribes and how did he try to remedy this? Include a thumbnail, name, and location of another portrait of a Native American by this artist not mentioned in the lecture or in the textbook.

The name of this painting is “Buffalo Bull’s Back Fat, Blackfeet”, 1832, by George Catlin. George Catlin’s concern was that the Native American’s were “doomed”. He was worried that America’s expansion would threaten not only the beautiful wilderness, but also the Native American civilization. He said in his writings, that these elements should be preserved “by some great protecting policy of government…in a magnificent park… A nation’s par, containing man and beast, in all the wild and freshness of their nature’s beauty!” The sitter is “Buffalo Bull A Grand Pawnee Warrior” 1832. The location of the painting is the Smithsonian American Art Museum. George Catlin captured over 500 paintings and assembled them into an Indian gallery and gave lectures about from the memories he had of the American Indians. He wanted to preserve the Native Americans by painting them and selling the paintings to the U.S. government so that his paintings would always be intact. However, Congress rejected his petition to purchase his works. Due to debt problems, he sold his works to Joseph Harrison, which was later donated to the Smithsonian in 1879.

Sources:

1)http://myboe.org/cognoti/content/file/resources/documents/bc/bc0bd0c1/bc0bd0c1a55dc5e7dc82635380f96ae84f214ac5/downloadedfile_43976_2266_natlparks_catlin.pdf

2)http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artwork/?id=3945