Comparison 9/22/2020

 

Both artworks display religious change.  In the 1300s, Akhenaten changes the state religion from the worship of the god Amun to a new god or sun god Aten.  Akhenaten used a change of sculpture art when transitioned into the worshipping of Aten.  Egyptian art used rectilinear forms and then he used curvilinear form.  From what I read the transition of the religion was to be distinct in differences of art, but also its meaning.  The transition of religion does not make sense to me.  I was not able to find enough information to understand the need in change of religion.  Based on a reading from, “Akhenaten: The Mysteries of Religious Revolution,” it describes that Akhenaten came to power as the pharaoh in mid-1300’s.  Ruled for 13 year and changed his name to, “better reflect his religious ideas.”   The Egyptian religion, art, and writing were changed toward the steps of the new religion, but for what reason?  Why?  Did this change happen purely because he was the Pharaoh?  What significance did this truly have?  The Dome in the rock was a significant change in religion in belief and in practice.  The dome in the rock is seen as a house of worship, a place anyone can visit but not everyone may step inside.   Inside is a date of completion as 691-692, 55 years after Muslim armies captured Jerusalem from the Byzantine empire.  There is many things we still do not know about the Dome of the Rock, where there is still debate on the original function and meaning of the Dome.  With many speculations on what the true meaning of the dome, it is interesting to know that it is still where it stands.  Much like the religious change in Akhenaten, there is not enough information for the need to change religious practices and beliefs.

 

 



 

 Dr. Elizabeth Macaulay-Lewis, "The Dome of the Rock (Qubbat al-Sakhra)," in Smarthistory, August 8, 2015, accessed September 22, 2020, https://smarthistory.org/the-dome-of-the-rock-qubbat-al-sakhra/.

 

Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris, "House Altar depicting Akhenaten, Nefertiti and Three of their Daughters," in Smarthistory, December 6, 2015, accessed September 22, 2020, https://smarthistory.org/house-altar-depicting-akhenaten-nefertiti-and-three-of-their-daughters/.

 

 

Taronas, Laura. “Akhenaten: The Mysteries of Religious Revolution.” ARCE, www.arce.org/resource/akhenaten-mysteries-religious-revolution.

Comments

  1. A lexSeptember 27, 2020 at 9:04 PM

    I think that the Egyptian people were likely forced into the transition from religions, and if I remember correctly the pharaoh after Akhenaten changed the states religion back to its previous form. I also wonder how much people prayed to their old gods privately and our view of this time is distorted by the Egyptian governments control over their history.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sara YaunSeptember 28, 2020 at 9:23 PM

    Similar to you, as I was reading this I was thinking how confusing it was to me that a religion can suddenly change into something different entirely. The person who decides to change it will alter history in an interesting way to say the least. Making people of the religion change their way of life or culture and supposedly make them consider the need to forget everything about what they used to believe, doesn't sound morally acceptable.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Artwork analysis: The Black Death

Image
 The art piece I chose to write about is called “The black death.”  The piece is a depiction of the black plague, with the plague personified as the black plague.  In the piece arrows are used to strike those around her, specifically in the neck or the armpit areas likely where the infection would spread.  Black death appeared in Europe around 1348, and it killed nearly a quarter to half the regions population.   The black plague victims would experience flu-like symptoms at first and then would see, “a swell beneath their armpits and their groins.”  The disease worked fast and killed fast.  Normandy had lost nearly 70-80 percent of its population.   The pandemic ended up killing approximately half of Europe’s population of all trades.   Young, old, rich, poor, religious or not.   During the time of the pandemic, William Langland, wrote in a poem saying, “God is deaf nowadays and will not hear us.   And for our guilt her g...
Read more

Artwork analysis: My son sanctuary

Image
The art piece I chose to write about this week is the alter-pedestal of the Mỹ Sơn sanctuary.  The alter-pedestal and the sanctuary that hold the pedestal was a temple that was made to praise Hindu gods.  From the 4 th to the 13 th centuries this was a sacred sight that had more than seventy Hindu temples.  This temple was built for the God Siva which was built by the people of Champa.  Many of the temples made have survived since the 7 th century.  Inside the temples there is a rectangular room dedicated to an alter-pedestal at the center called a garba-griha, or sanctum.  The pedestal was symbolized to be a seat for the Hindu god Siva, and it was designed to resemble Meru, or, “the center of the universe,” where the gods live.  At the base of the steps to the alter there are three engraved shapes of men to symbolize that they are embracing the spiritual world above them. Above the first set of figures lays 3 more male figures that is holding from ...
Read more

Artwork analysis: Igbo Ukwu

Image
The Igbo Ukwu is, and African Iron Age archaeological site located near tehe modern town of Onitsha.   There is a bronze container in the shape of a shell with no name from what I can find.   At the top of the container there is believed to be a leopard that is standing over a circular pedestal.   The shell is different in comparison to other shells in where there are specific designs to look like circles, diamonds, and herringbone ornamentation.   The leopard can be found on other imagery of Igbo Ukwu that has historians believe that the leopards have ritual importance. At another nearby site, at the Igbo Richard, a grave found near the home Richard Anozie.   The Igbo-Richard was a burial place for elite, wealthy people.   It is unknown if the person was a ruler or had some religious or secular role in their community.   A cast bronze leopard skull was found at this sight of Isaiah’s brother.   In this culture the leopard is a frequently chosen s...
Read more