Italian Renaissance

You can't have Renaissance without the Italians (and I'm sure they'd be the first to tell you that). While their were periods of rebirth all across Europe, the Italians really nailed it- home to some of the most famous architects, engineers, and artists, and some who dabbled in all three (hence the term "Renaissance Man"). Also the period when one of my favorite artists of all time, Michelangelo Caravaggio, was born. While there was so much going on during the Renaissance, and we should be focusing on the interiors of the time, I'm going to veer away from our usual subject matter and really focus on the art. Commissioning works of art at this time was immensely popular, and oftentimes a show of one's wealth. Paintings from this period are some of the most famous of all time. All time. The span of the entire world of art and the majority came from this 200 year span. Pretty, pretty, preeetttyyyy impressive. On to the paintings!

The first I've chosen to discuss is "Europa and the Bull" by Titian. The story depicted in this image is that of the God Jupiter who falls in love with Europa. So he turns himself into a bull and convinces Europa to climb upon her back and when she does he carries her away and uh, well I'll let you figure out the rest.

This is "La Primavera" (The Allegory of Spring) by Sandro Botticelli. This might be one of the most famous of the most famous. La Primavera was commissioned by the Medici family and has about 1,000 theories on what the story behind it actually is. I'm going to leave you with the description most widely agreed upon from the Uffizi Gallery Museum website
             "Among the many theories proposed over the last decades, the one that seems to be the most corroborated is the interpretation of the painting as the realm of Venus, sung by the ancient poets and by Poliziano (famous scholar at the court of the Medici). On the right Zephyrus (the blue faced young man) chases Flora and fecundates her with a breath. Flora turns into Spring, the elegant woman scattering her flowers over the world. Venus, in the middle, represents the “Humanitas” (the benevolence), which protects men. On the left the three Graces dance and Mercury dissipates the clouds."
It really is worth looking up some of the other theories on it though, highly recommend.

The final work I've chosen to discuss is "The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden" by Masaccio.

Not technically a painting, but a fresco, located in the Brancacci Chapel, to me, this image is one of the most haunting of all time. The title pretty much explains what it depicts, the moment Adam and Eve are escorted by an angel from the Garden of Eden after committing the Original Sin. The torment on Eve's face and the way she covers herself is so powerful. Adam also shields his eyes in embarrassment. It really is just a commanding work of art. 

BONUS INFO! If you enjoy the art of this period as much as I do, or would like more in depth explanations, please take Art Survey I with Dr. Arthur Iorio. The man knows his stuff and was one of my favorite courses of all time. Enjoy!

The Americas

The early American civilization was broken up into four major cultures- the Olmec of Mexico, the Mayans of Central America, the Aztecs of Mexico, and the Incas of Peru, but I will be focusing on the Olmec. The Olmec were the prominent culture of Mexico from 2000 - 300 BC. The Olmecs were responsible for creating the first calendar of the western world, and also had their own form of hieroglyphic writing. Their culture revolved around their polytheistic religion and the temple was considered the epicenter of the city. They were well known for their large stone head statues and jade sculptures. I love the fact that art was such a prominent factor in their culture and all the artifacts that have been left over from this time.

A jaguar, the symbol of the Olmec people, carved out of jade.

Modern day flooring inspired by the use of jade

BONUS INFO! If some of you are too young to remember, there was a show called "Legends of the Hidden Temple" on Nickelodeon network where contestants had to answer questions and perform various competitions and the "co-host" of the show was a giant talking head named Olmec!

Olmec from "Legends of the Hidden Temple" - slightly terrifying.