The topic for this weeks Art History blog is the Trevi Fountain. The Trevi Fountain was completed in 1762 by Giuseppe Pannini, is 85x65 feet and is made of stone and marble. It's function was to mark the end of one of the major ancient aqueducts in the city. The Trevi Fountain is located in the Piazza de Trevi.
The Iconolgy of the Trevi Fountain consists mainly of myths. One myth surrounding the Trevi Fountain regards people throwing coins into the basin. Tradition says that if you throw a coin into the Fountain, it will guarantee another trip to Rome. There are also traditions that say two coins will lead to a new love, and three will lead to a marriage or a divorce.
The myths surrounding the Trevi Fountain are a testament to how important this work of art was in ancient times and still is today. There are probably a hundred or more fountains in Rome, however this is the one that people come to when they want to guarantee a trip back to Rome, a new love or marriage. This importance comes from the Fountain being attached to Romes most powerful aqueduct and such an elaborate scene of Neptune and other Triton's in the Fountain itself.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
325 Week 5
The topic this week is the purpose of leisure. For our class excursion on Monday, we went to the Borghese Gardens. The Borghese Gardens remind me of New Yorks Central Park. I think that the purpose of leisure for Americans and Italians is slightly different.
As we discussed in class, Americans view leisure as "recharging the old battery to return to work". As Americans we feel that our time off is an opportunity to rest up and be able to work harder. I believe that for Americans the link between travelling and leisure is very strong. When we are able to get vacation time from work, in my experience, we very rarely stay at home. We would rather go visit and exciting, exotic place, that we really enjoy or have never been to before.
In my experience with Italians however, their view of leisure is slightly different. I believe that Italians are much more likely to view leisure as an opportunity to spend time with family and friends, rather than an opportunity to travel all over and see new places. Italians would rather spend their time with family and friends because they know these are people they can trust. As I have mentioned in previous blogs, Barzini describes Italians as suspicious people who believe that things are rarely what they seem, words have hidden meanings and basically that no one that they are not familiar with can be trusted. This molds their view of leisure because its allows them to spend more time with people they trust. It gives them a chance to let their guard down, and truly relax instead of constantly being on high alert for pickpockets, scams and thefts.
An example of this is our Campus Coordinator and friend, Danilo. Danilo had this past weekend off. He was free to do whatever he wanted, he could have travelled anywhere he wanted, and seeing as he is such a connected person with many friends, it would not have been hard to find a destination. However, instead of travelling all over Italy or Europe, he decided to go home and visit his Dad and brother. After a few weeks of taking us all over Rome and Italy, and looking out for us, I'm sure he was ready to relax (especially after Naples). Danilo did not need exotic places to be able to relax and unwind, all he needed was his family and those he trusted.
As we discussed in class, Americans view leisure as "recharging the old battery to return to work". As Americans we feel that our time off is an opportunity to rest up and be able to work harder. I believe that for Americans the link between travelling and leisure is very strong. When we are able to get vacation time from work, in my experience, we very rarely stay at home. We would rather go visit and exciting, exotic place, that we really enjoy or have never been to before.
In my experience with Italians however, their view of leisure is slightly different. I believe that Italians are much more likely to view leisure as an opportunity to spend time with family and friends, rather than an opportunity to travel all over and see new places. Italians would rather spend their time with family and friends because they know these are people they can trust. As I have mentioned in previous blogs, Barzini describes Italians as suspicious people who believe that things are rarely what they seem, words have hidden meanings and basically that no one that they are not familiar with can be trusted. This molds their view of leisure because its allows them to spend more time with people they trust. It gives them a chance to let their guard down, and truly relax instead of constantly being on high alert for pickpockets, scams and thefts.
An example of this is our Campus Coordinator and friend, Danilo. Danilo had this past weekend off. He was free to do whatever he wanted, he could have travelled anywhere he wanted, and seeing as he is such a connected person with many friends, it would not have been hard to find a destination. However, instead of travelling all over Italy or Europe, he decided to go home and visit his Dad and brother. After a few weeks of taking us all over Rome and Italy, and looking out for us, I'm sure he was ready to relax (especially after Naples). Danilo did not need exotic places to be able to relax and unwind, all he needed was his family and those he trusted.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
490 Week 4
Today for our class excursion, we had to pass out surveys on the Italian national health care system. This was a very interesting experience. I really had a better understanding of what Barzini is talking about in his book. In chapter 10 Barzini talks about how the day an Italian is "truly born" is when he figures out that things are seldom what they seem, words not always what they sound like, and most of what he has learned throughout his life is complete nonsense. He claims that an Italian will "surely come to grief if he carelessly tries to live according to the rules he has been taught." He talks about how the rules may work in some countries, where the people are "well ordered" but it is different in Italy.
Many of the people who I interviewed last Thursday definitely shared some of the same sentiments and Barzini. The first four people I asked to do the survey were people selling things in the square. I approached them, and in my horribly broken Italian asked them if they had a moment to fill out a sonjado (survey) for me, a studente Americano. There first reaction me asking them was the same. No. No matter what I tried to say in Italian or English could get them to fill out this survey. After these first four failures, I decided to switch my attention from middle aged vendors, to people my age. After I made this change, I was much more successful. I believe that I was much more successful with people my age for two reasons. The first being I had much more in common with them, compared to the middle aged men selling fruit. The second I think comes from the fact they may not have had their "true birth" and were not as paranoid as the older, more seasoned vendors. The vendors have had more experience than the younger people with the darker side of Italy. This darker side consists of the pickpockets, beggars and the all the other people who have nothing to lose. They will use innocent looking schemes to try and scam you. I believe that these street vendors have more experience with these elements of Italian society than the younger students, and that is reflected in their attitudes and trust levels.
Many of the people who I interviewed last Thursday definitely shared some of the same sentiments and Barzini. The first four people I asked to do the survey were people selling things in the square. I approached them, and in my horribly broken Italian asked them if they had a moment to fill out a sonjado (survey) for me, a studente Americano. There first reaction me asking them was the same. No. No matter what I tried to say in Italian or English could get them to fill out this survey. After these first four failures, I decided to switch my attention from middle aged vendors, to people my age. After I made this change, I was much more successful. I believe that I was much more successful with people my age for two reasons. The first being I had much more in common with them, compared to the middle aged men selling fruit. The second I think comes from the fact they may not have had their "true birth" and were not as paranoid as the older, more seasoned vendors. The vendors have had more experience than the younger people with the darker side of Italy. This darker side consists of the pickpockets, beggars and the all the other people who have nothing to lose. They will use innocent looking schemes to try and scam you. I believe that these street vendors have more experience with these elements of Italian society than the younger students, and that is reflected in their attitudes and trust levels.
Monday, March 22, 2010
325 Week 4
As you walk through the city of Rome, you will find that there are piazzas everywhere. One of my favorite is the Piazza del Popolo. Many years ago Popolo was the first thing you will find when you enter the city. It is also called the "trident" because Via's Corso, Babuino and Ripetta intersect there. It is my personal favorite because if you look with the North gate to your back, the southern side of the piazza is mirrored. The exact same image is reflected on both sides of an obelisk in the center.
The Piazza del Popolo is an example of a piazza being used to impress other people. In the older days, it was the first thing people saw when they entered the city. The piazza was used to give foreigners a good first impression of the city when they arrived. Piazza's also serve as a meeting place for people and market places as well.
The Piazza del Popolo is an example of a piazza being used to impress other people. In the older days, it was the first thing people saw when they entered the city. The piazza was used to give foreigners a good first impression of the city when they arrived. Piazza's also serve as a meeting place for people and market places as well.
Monday, March 15, 2010
490 Week 3
What can we learn from the Romans about health care?
A few weeks ago in class, Professor M told us that the life expectancy and infant mortality rate in Italy are better than America's. This tells me they must be doing something right. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Romans and their good health is the fact that they walk everywhere. Rome is like any other major city in the fact that most of its residents have no use for cars. They rely on the Metro, buses and there own legs to get them to places. When you live and work in the city, having a car doesn't make much sense. Not only are the Romans walking everywhere, the city itself is full of hills, making their walks much more demanding than other places.
Another positive aspect of Roman health care (and Italians in general for that matter) is the quality of their food. They very rarely use preservatives, making their food much fresher than ours in the U.S. All of the food prepared here is used fresh daily.
While they may live longer, there are still things that Romans could work on to improve their health. First thing is quitting smoking. Many Romans still smoke, and it is a well known fact that smoking is unhealthy for you. Just the other day walking through Termini (The main train/metro station in Rome) I saw 3 or 4 kids no older than 12 smoking cigarettes in the middle of a train station. They could make an effort to enforce the law and make the cigarettes harder for young kids to get.
On a side note, the lack of driving Romans and Italians seem to do may be directly related to their longer life expectancy. The roads in Italy and Rome are fairly compact and difficult to navigate. The apparent disregard for the speed limit does not help their odds. Just something to think about.
A few weeks ago in class, Professor M told us that the life expectancy and infant mortality rate in Italy are better than America's. This tells me they must be doing something right. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Romans and their good health is the fact that they walk everywhere. Rome is like any other major city in the fact that most of its residents have no use for cars. They rely on the Metro, buses and there own legs to get them to places. When you live and work in the city, having a car doesn't make much sense. Not only are the Romans walking everywhere, the city itself is full of hills, making their walks much more demanding than other places.
Another positive aspect of Roman health care (and Italians in general for that matter) is the quality of their food. They very rarely use preservatives, making their food much fresher than ours in the U.S. All of the food prepared here is used fresh daily.
While they may live longer, there are still things that Romans could work on to improve their health. First thing is quitting smoking. Many Romans still smoke, and it is a well known fact that smoking is unhealthy for you. Just the other day walking through Termini (The main train/metro station in Rome) I saw 3 or 4 kids no older than 12 smoking cigarettes in the middle of a train station. They could make an effort to enforce the law and make the cigarettes harder for young kids to get.
On a side note, the lack of driving Romans and Italians seem to do may be directly related to their longer life expectancy. The roads in Italy and Rome are fairly compact and difficult to navigate. The apparent disregard for the speed limit does not help their odds. Just something to think about.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
HUm 225 Week 3
The Last Supper is probably one of my favorite works of art of all time. I enjoy it because there is so much going on in the picture, its detail really makes the viewer look at the painting if you want to understand what is going on. The Last Supper was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci from 1495-1498. It is currently located in the Santa Marie delle Grazie in Milan. It is 460cm x 880cm on canvas (Wikipedia).
There is alot of iconography in The Last Supper. In the painting, Jesus is having his last meal with all of his apostles. The picture is depicting the apostles reactions directly after Jesus tells them that one of them will betray him. If you look at the reactions of the apostles you will see looks of shock, anger and disbelief. The person whose reaction interests me the most is Judas. Judas, as we all know, was the apostle who sold Jesus out to Pilot. If you look at his reaction, he is the only one who is not showing some sort of emotion. Da Vinci also put his elbow on the table. This is just a basic observation, but I was always told, and still am, that having your elbow on the table is rude. I believe this is Da Vinci's way of showing that Judas knew what was going to happen, and that it may have been planned.
There is alot of iconography in The Last Supper. In the painting, Jesus is having his last meal with all of his apostles. The picture is depicting the apostles reactions directly after Jesus tells them that one of them will betray him. If you look at the reactions of the apostles you will see looks of shock, anger and disbelief. The person whose reaction interests me the most is Judas. Judas, as we all know, was the apostle who sold Jesus out to Pilot. If you look at his reaction, he is the only one who is not showing some sort of emotion. Da Vinci also put his elbow on the table. This is just a basic observation, but I was always told, and still am, that having your elbow on the table is rude. I believe this is Da Vinci's way of showing that Judas knew what was going to happen, and that it may have been planned.
325 Week 3
Does history contribute to faith?
The blog topic this week, to me is very interesting. When I have thought about Jesus' life, I always think of my faith, what I have been taught about Him and what I know about my religion. I have never really thought of Jesus from a historical perspective. Its hard to remember sometimes that other people may not believe that Jesus is our Savior or our God.
My answer to this question is yes, history does contribute to our faith, however it is not the sole reason we believe. History is the basis for all religions. This is obvious after our class discussion. During class, Professor M brought up the fact that Judaism, Christianity and Islam have some common elements, such as Abraham. History, gives us proof that the elements of our faith (regardless of which one you believe in) really did exist. It is called history because it based on factual events and persons.
History gives faith a starting point. It allows us to start somewhere and then we form our own beliefs from there. For example, there is plenty of historical evidence that Jesus existed, very few people will deny that. However, as Peter says in his first letter, Christians believe that Jesus is our Savior and that we should be obedient to Him. Other religions view of Jesus however are very different. For example, when He was alive, the Jews considered Jesus a heretic, and eventually put him to death for his teachings. The conclusion I have come to is that faith is rooted in history, but perception, judgement and individuality form your faith.
The blog topic this week, to me is very interesting. When I have thought about Jesus' life, I always think of my faith, what I have been taught about Him and what I know about my religion. I have never really thought of Jesus from a historical perspective. Its hard to remember sometimes that other people may not believe that Jesus is our Savior or our God.
My answer to this question is yes, history does contribute to our faith, however it is not the sole reason we believe. History is the basis for all religions. This is obvious after our class discussion. During class, Professor M brought up the fact that Judaism, Christianity and Islam have some common elements, such as Abraham. History, gives us proof that the elements of our faith (regardless of which one you believe in) really did exist. It is called history because it based on factual events and persons.
History gives faith a starting point. It allows us to start somewhere and then we form our own beliefs from there. For example, there is plenty of historical evidence that Jesus existed, very few people will deny that. However, as Peter says in his first letter, Christians believe that Jesus is our Savior and that we should be obedient to Him. Other religions view of Jesus however are very different. For example, when He was alive, the Jews considered Jesus a heretic, and eventually put him to death for his teachings. The conclusion I have come to is that faith is rooted in history, but perception, judgement and individuality form your faith.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
