Painting The Sistine Chapel By Michelangelo Religion Essay

Painting The Sistine Chapel By Michelangelo Religion Essay Michelangelo painted the Sistine chapel between 1508 and 1512. Later a student of his, Giorgio Vasari, writes that when the work was thrown open the whole world came running to see what Michelangelo had done and certainly it was such as to make everyone speechless with astonishment(Gillgren,(2001). The Sistine chapel is profoundly Christocentric. It was not made as a form of intellect but as a form of worship. It is not an argument or an Iconic display, although both of these are present in the painting. The critical examination of the chapel at times loses the simplicity that this is just great art (Dixon, (1988). The focus of Michelangelos art was man, which on the surface seems to confirm Burckhardts analysis of the Renaissance. Neo-Platonism, however, provided a framework for reconciling secularism with Christianity. The Neo-platonists interest in man stemmed from his belief that man was that element which tied the universe together. His interest in beauty, as reflected in Michelangelos preoccupation with the nude, arose from his identification of beauty with the highest good. Far from being worldly in content, the Neo-Platonist argued that the body was the dungeon of the soul; Michelangelos contorted figures symbolize the struggle of the soul to free itself from matter and achieve a vision of God (Robb, N. (1935). In his book Painting of the High Renaissance in Rome and Florence, S J Freedberg made an effort to define the art of Michelangelo in relation to Neo-Platonism. It is said that can the art of Michelangelo in the Sistine chapel be reduced to concepts like Neo-Platonist or Christian. An iconological understanding must acknowledge both, and also recognize that with the human form is not made from tradition and a lot is Michelangelos own interest in Classical sculpture and to the very particular culture of humanist Italy at the beginning of the Sixteenth century. Upon entering the chapel, one can see historical scenes close to the entrance. These sides are filled with figures, while the scenes close to the altar only show a few figures. The Prophets and the Sibyls by the entrance are smaller than the ones by the altar. Even as the architecture is expanding, the first Prophets and Sibyls are seated steadily on their thrones. The latter ones further in almost seem to be gliding down the wall toward the floor (Gilgren, (2001). There are two competing explanations for this. One thought is formalistic and the other one iconological. Then there is a third, a quite uncomplicated explanation has really not been given its due consideration: The crescendo makes it possible for the spectator entering the chapel through the old entrance (not the present one, where most people enter today) to see the whole work in just one gaze. The figures close by are smaller and the scenes more crowded, the ones further away are larger and more sculptural-and can there fore be seen all the way from the entrance. While taking in this view is easy to understand the crescendo as a means toward making the work available to the spectator. It is a way to communicate (Gilgren, (2001). Michelangelo and the thought of the Neo-platonic Academy suggest that the Renaissance was not as secular or as pagan as Burckhardt would have us believe. Christianity was still a potent a force. The modes of expressing it in the Renaissance, however, were different from those of the Middle Ages. While Saint Bernard and the Benedictine tradition urged the Christian to abandon life in the world, Renaissance Neo-Platonism found God in beautiful things. The Renaissance man did indeed tend to worship the world, but at least for the Neo-Platonist, this was part of the worship of God. Michelangelo once said that art is brought from heaven. Only divine inspiration could have created the David and the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and it was to the divine that Michelangelo wished to appeal (Robb, N. (1935). The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in a way follows a similar pattern. When the ceiling is divided it is done so in a series of squares, triangles and circles. There are three zones to the ceiling division. The lower zone where very little light is received is defined by De Tolnay as peopled by a race enduring variations of the human condition. According to Fleming, the middle zone is a mix of Old Testament prophets and some pagan symbols that have knowledge of the Divine and mediate between man and God. The contrast of the pagan symbols and biblical prophets suggests a idea which is not completely Christian. The use of prophets and pagan examples side by side kind of suggests that Michelangelo was looking at the qualities they shared as being important instead of the specific beliefs they stood for. They are according to Fleming the inspired men and women who, through the exercise of their minds and imaginations, became the mediators between the human and divine spheres. Angels would have been representing these symbols in most of the other traditional Christian art. The ceiling of the chapel is perhaps the most famous. In the center the story of many and his relationship with God is shown. The famous finger to finger painting in the center is very well known and everywhere replicated in the world today. It looks like the ceiling is a portrait of biblical history from creation and then ending with the Last Judgment. The first scene which is the Drunkenness of Noah is consistent with Neo-Platonism. Neo-Platonism will often show the lowest state of a soul by drunkenness. The panels of the ceiling go on to show man in his low state to creation. In the panel the Creation of Adam, there are two under the arm of God. As De Tolnay states One is a girl, who represents the Platonic idea of Eve, preexisting in the divine intellect. The last panel, God Dividing the Light from Darkness, shows what a depiction of a complete pure being is. In the Creation of Eve, Michelangelo portrayed God as a human. If you start with at the beginning with the Drunkenness of Noah, the painted story goes through biblical history to where freedom finally and forever is achieved. The panels, because of this progression may then be interpreted as a Neo-Platonism manifesto (Vess, D. (1998).

Resistance to Change in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart Essay example

   Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart chronicles the life of an individual whose carefully constructed world crumbles as his culture is assimilated into a colonizing society. This character, Okonkwo, is prestigious within his community, and in most respects views himself and is viewed by his neighbors as an honorable man. Yet for all his seeming honor, Okonwko self-destructs when his world begins to change. Although the value system held by Okonkwo's village may differ somewhat from that held by other cultures, his particular experience during colonization is universal. When Okonkwo defines himself as an honorable man and thinks back upon his life achievements that have made him so, he focuses most strongly upon his ferocity. He has "brought honor to his village by throwing Amalinze the Cat" in a wrestling match (Achebe 3). Furthermore, his "impatience with unsuccessful men" causes him to "pounce on people quite often" (4). Although it is sometimes problematic for him, Okonkwo's violent and impulsive nature generally earns him great respect in his society. par tab Okonkwo's second most obvious trait is his "inflexible will" (24). This trait enables him to survive the year of the yam famine and build up his prosperous compound, despite his "grim struggle against poverty and misfortune" (27). Okonkwo becomes very proud, knowing that this success "was not luck." He thus believes that he controls his own fate: "Okonkwo said yes very strongly; so his chi agreed. And not only his chi but his clan too, because it judged a man by the work of his hands" (27). As a self-made man, Okonkwo has learned that he can attain his goals through ferocity, violence, tenacity, and stubbornness. His repeated successes have made ... ...ten, to preserve their integrity to their self-image and heritage, individuals intensify their ethnic behavior in the face of obliteration. For many such as Okonkwo, this is a suicidal act, if not literally, then at least socially, politically, and economically. Sources Cited and Consulted: Achebe, Chinua.   Things Fall Apart. Oxford: Heinemann, 1996. Culross, Melissa. "Chinua Achebe and Things Fall Apart." Postimperial and Postcolonial Literature in English. Internet. http://landow.stg.br/ own.edu/post/achebe/ things.htm l. Irele, Abiola. â€Å"The Tragic Conflict in the Novels of Chinua Achebe†. In  ChinuaAchebe’s Things Fall Apart:  A Critical Companion. Delhi: Worldview, 2003. Kortenar. Neil Ten, â€Å"How the Center is Made to Hold in  Things Fall Apart†.  In  Chinua Achebe’s  Things Fall Apart: A Casebook. Ed. By Isidore Okpewho. Oxford; OUP, 2003.

Dr. Jeckyll and Mr Hyde :: essays papers

Dr. Jeckyll and Mr Hyde In Robert Louis Stevenson’s famous novel about dual identity, Dr. Henry Jekyll, an affluent surgeon, creates a potion by which he can transform into Edward Hyde, the physical manifestation of his evil side. After many months of thrilling nighttime criminal escapades through the streets of London, his antics under the cloak of Hyde get him in trouble when he slays prominent public figure Danvers Carew. Jekyll is so shocked by this deed of evil that he decides an end will be put to his transformations, a science he calls transcendental medicine. Much to his alarm, Jekyll finds that he now turns into Hyde without his wanting it, undeniably a side effect of the drug. After locking himself into his cabinet, in order to facilitate his use of the drug in case of spontaneous transformations, his concerned butler Poole alerts good friend Gabriel Utterson, a lawyer. Together, they break into the cabinet, only to find they body of Hyde, lifeless on the floor. The pair finds an envelope addressed to Utterson which shall supposedly explain why they cannot find the body of Henry Jekyll. The book finishes with the letter Jekyll wrote for Utterson being presented to us as though he is reading it. Utterson is to rejoin Poole in the house at the stroke of midnight, no later, in order to call the police and inform them of the murder. We will start the chapter three weeks after the discovery of the corps. Note: I have tried to make the style of writing alike to Mr. Stevenson’s as much as possible. The Incident of Mr. Enfield and Mr. Utterson Mr. Utterson, the lawyer, was not a man of weak stomach, but even his strength had restrictions. Although he was an individual of strict self-control, he did approve a known patience for others; an ability he had come by due to a singular resurfacing thread that seemed to wind it’s way through his life: he repeatedly had the luck (or misfortune, as one may see it) to be the last good influence in the lives of moribund men. And so, it seemed, that the thread had reappeared in his life by way of the troubling matter of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and that it was choking the willpower right out of poor Mr.

Fyne Piece of Marketing Case Study

CASE STUDY 1. 1 A ‘FYNE’ PIECE OF MARKETING As the strode purposefully into the board room to make his presentation to the firm’s monthly director’s meeting, Fred Fahr, General Manager of Fyna Foods Ltd, felt just great. His confidence was that of someone who knows he has faced a problem and come up with the right answers. ‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ he began, ‘as you are aware, two months ago we were given the opportunity to supply the Beefies Hamburger Chain with their new Supa-Long French fries.At the time, we all agreed this was great potential business for Fyna Foods, but that it also posed a major problem for us – what to do with the excess potato left over after we supply Beefies with the extra-length fries. Unfortunately, we still haven’t been able to come up with a perfectly square potato! To dump this excess material would mean almost certainly making a loss on the Supa-Long Fires business. I am very pleased to be able to report to you today; however, that my team has come up with what we feel is a pretty fine solution. Fred deliberately paused as he sensed the increased air of anticipation around the table. Even old Thomas Fynaski, the firm’s octogenarian founder, seemed to rouse himself from his doze. ‘We found the answer by combining the excess potato material with other vegetables to create a breakfast burger,’ Fred went on. ‘I have to say the lab boys have done a really good job and created a product that Fyna Foods can be proud of. My family doesn’t usually eat hot breakfasts, but we all tried some the other morning and agreed they were really quite nice.Once we had the product developed I gave it to our marketing people and they’ve decided to call it â€Å"Bubble and Squeak† – it’s what we used to call leftovers back in the 1960s. I am sure we all remember when we were kids,’ he joked, ‘how good leftovers used to tas te the next morning. We’ve decided to advertise it as â€Å"The delicious breakfast alternative to bacon and eggs†. ’ ‘What about the factor? ’ one of the director asked. ‘This product doesn’t look like anything we produce at moment. ‘Well, you know how our Production Department’s managers are,’ replied Fred. ‘If the factory had its way, we’d never produce anything that wasn’t quick and cheap to run through the machines. Anyway, we have agreed to pack the new line in boxes of 24 burgers, which nicely fits our packaging machinery. The factory were pleased with that. ’ ‘How do the numbers stack up, Fred? ’ asked Daphne Green, the Finance Director. ‘Pretty good, actually,’ Fred replied as he flicked up a chart. See, we start with the excess potato tonnage from the Supa-Long contract. That’s equivalent to sales about 400,000 packs of Bubble and Squeak in the fir st year. We think the Supa-Long contract is going to grow at about 10 percent per annum, so we also need to budget to increase Bubble and Squeak’s sales by that amount each year. We do have a bit of problem with price, which I’m still working on. The Sales Department is concerned it won’t be able to move these volumes of product at the price the accountants have given us.I’m not too worried about that, though, because the product development people, in their normal way, have produced a super premium quality product in the test kitchen – a bit too good, really, for the market we’re aiming at. I’m confident that we can play around with some of the ingredients and quantities and get the product costs down to a level that Sales can live with. ‘We’ve got a few rough edges to smooth off,’ concluded Fred. ‘But, overall I think we’ve come up with an excellent solution that lets us take on the Supa-Long contrac t and gives us a great new product for Fyna Foods. There was a general murmur of approval around the table. As it subsided, however, Fred noticed that Bill Wyse, the recently retired Marketing Director of a large transnational food business had his hand raised waiting to catch the chairman’s eye. As silence returned to the room he spoke for the first time during the meeting. ‘Well, Fred,’ he said quietly. ‘You’ve obviously put a lot of work into this. I can tell you feel you’ve done a great job. But in my humble opinion, you don’t seem to appreciate what marketing is all about. ’ Questions 1.Collect three descriptions of marketing, one from a text, one from a marketing practitioner, and one form someone who does not work in the marketing fied. Which perception seems the closes to Fyna Foods team’s activities on the Bubble and Squeak project? Justify your choice. 2. From the perspective of Bill Wyse, what differences are th ere between the production stage, the selling stage and the marketing stage of marketing management evolution? 3. In what areas might a food manufacturing company such as Fyna Foods be subject to societal criticisms?

A Cycle Is a Biological Pathway or Process in Which the End Product

A cycle is a biological pathway or process in which the end product of one cycle becomes the starting point for the next cycles Write an essay about cycles. Respiration Cells in the body use ATP as a direct source of energy. The conversion of glucose into ATP takes place during respiration. There are 2 different types of respiration, the more common and frequent one is aerobic respiration which is the production of ATP for energy. The less common one is anaerobic respiration, the production of lactate during which the muscles have a limited supply of oxygen, and however keep working despite this.Aerobic respiration requires oxygen and glucose present to work, and occurs in 4 stages: 1) Glycolysis- the splitting of a 6-carbon glucose molecule into 2 3-carbon pyruvate molecules. There is a net gain of 2 ATP’s produced. 2) Link reaction- the conversion of the 3-carbon pyruvate molecule into carbon dioxide and a 2-carbon acetyl co-enzyme A molecule. No ATP is produced during this stage. 3) Krebs cycle- the introduction of acetyl co-enzyme A into a cycle of oxidation-reduction reactions that yield some ATP and a large number of electrons. ) Electron transport chain (ETC) – electrons used from Krebs cycle to synthesise ATP with water produced as a by-product. Glycolysis is the initial stage of aerobic respiration, and it takes place in the cytoplasm of cell. It is the breakdown of glucose into pyruvate, (which then goes in to initiate the second stage, the link reaction, and so forth) although there are a number of smaller enzyme controlled reactions for tis to take place. 1. Activation of glucose by phosphorylation.Before glucose can be split into 2 pyruvate molecules, it first must be made more reactive by the addition of 2 phosphate molecules, donated by the hydrolysis of 2 ATP molecules to ADP. This provides the energy to activate glucose. 2. Splitting of the phosphorylated glucose. Each glucose is split into 2 3-carbon molecules of triose phosphate . 3. Oxidation of triose phosphate. Triose phosphate is oxidized transferring 2 hydrogen molecules to a hydrogen-carrier, NAD to produce reduced NADH. 4. Production of ATP. Enzyme-controlled reactions convert each triose phosphate into 3-carbon pyruvate. molecules of ATP are regenerated from ADP. The pyruvate molecules produced in the cytoplasm during glycolysis are actively transported into the matrix of the mitochondria where the link reaction takes place. Pyruvate undergoes a series of reactions to be made into acetyl co-enzyme A. the following changes occur. * Pyruvate is oxidised by the removal of hydrogen. This hydrogen then binds to NAD to produce reduced NADH (which is later used to produce ATP late). * The 2-carbon molecule acetyl group that is thereby formed combines with a coenzyme, coenzyme A (CoA) to produce Acetyl CoA. A carbon dioxide molecule is formed from each pyruvate. Pyruvate + NAD + CoA acetyl CoA + reduced NADH + CO2 The Krebs cycle involves a series of oxidat ion-reduction reactions that take place in the matrix of mitochondria. * the 2-carbon acetyl CoA from the link reaction with a 4-carbon molecule to produce a 6-carbon molecule. * This 6-carbon molecule loses carbon dioxide and hydrogen’s to give a 4-carbon molecule and a single molecule of ATP produced as a result of substrate-level phosphorylation. The 4-carbon molecule can now combine with a new molecule of acetyl CoA to begin the cycle again. The ETC takes place in the cristae of the mitochondria, where ATP is synthesised using the ETC as followed; * The H+ atoms produced during glycolysis and the Krebs cycle combine with the NAD and FAD that are attached to the cristae. * The reduced NAD and FAD donate the e- of the hydrogen atoms they are carrying to the first molecule in the ETC * This releases the protons from the hydrogen atoms and these protons are actively transported across the inner mitochondrion membrane. The e- meanwhile, pass along the ETC molecules in a series of oxidation-reduction reactions. The e- lose energy as the pass down the chain, some of this is used to combine ADP and inorganic phosphate to produce ATP. The remaining energy is used to from heat. * The protons accumulate in the space between the 2 mitochondrion membranes before they diffuse back into the mitochondrion matrix via protein channels. * At the end of the chain the e- combine with the protons and oxygen to form water.Oxygen is therefore the final acceptor in the ETC. Photosynthesis Photosynthesis occurs in 2 stages. The light-dependent reaction which takes place in the thylakoid, and the light-independent which takes place in the stroma. Both are vital for the production of ATP. The light-dependent needs light to undergo its reactions. The thylakoid contains chlorophyll which absorbs light. Photophosphorylation occurs during this reaction which is the making of ADP plus an inorganic phosphate to make ATP.NADP is also reduced during this reaction into NADPH. As well a s this happening in the light-dependent reaction, water is split via photolysis in to protons and electrons and oxygen which diffuses out of the leaf. The light-independent reactions does not require light to process, however it does rely on 2 major products of the light-dependent reaction to take place, ATP and NADPH. This reaction is shown in the form of the Calvin cycle. * CO2 enters the stroma from the light-dependent reaction, and produces 2 3-carbon glycerate-3-phosphate. 2 ATP molecules then donate 2 phosphate molecules to produce ADP. And NADPH is oxidized to produce NADP. This goes on to form 2 3-carbon triose phosphate molecules. * 1-carbon from the triose phosphate molecule is then stored to contribute to making glucose. ATP is then reduced again donating a phosphate molecule to produce 5-carbon rubiscose bisphosphate, this in turn then produces and enzyme rubisco which catalyses the whole cycle again. * This cycle must happen 6 times in order to make 1 glucose molecule.

Lynching: Southern United States and Male Roles Essay

Lynching in the South was a violent intimidation tactic used towards African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. Lynching played a huge part during the Civil Rights Movement. Lynching had a negative effect on both blacks and whites; the justice system didn’t take lynching serious; Many African Americans were exploited for everyone to witness. Lynching in the South had a negative effect on both African Americans and whites during the Civil Rights Movement. A lot of black men became jobless, convicted, or killed which led to many black women playing the male roles to keep their families stable. The Ku Klux Klan and mobs plans were to prevent African Americans from getting an education, job, voting, and owning their own property, so as a result they terrorized them every day. Thousands of African Americans were lynched by white mobs. Some middle class whites sought out to put an end to lynching because it had gone too far. African Americans were psychologically scarred from witnessing other African Americans being lynched. The justice system abandoned their oversight of constitutional protections toward African Americans. Lynching could exist because the law enforcement would not prevent it. The government allowed lynching to carryon for years. Federal legislators tried to get bills passed to make lynching a federal crime but it failed. The government played a little role in protecting the safety of individuals. As a result The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People made anti-lynching campaigns; even after all the failed attempts the NAACP still was active to put an end to lynching.

Art and Function in a T-Shirt Essay Example for Free

Art and Function in a T-Shirt Essay Defining and evaluating artistic and aesthetic value has often been a problematic task. This is because aesthetic judgements are subjective and are influenced by prevailing cultural, economic, political, and social norms. Hence, the definition of art remains a contested domain between those who believe in â€Å"high art† and the advocates of artistic and cultural relativism. (Danto 35) The difficulty in ascribing aesthetic value to objects is evident in the fact that relativism, with its focus on the individual subjective experience, would render anything and everything as artforms since humans ultimately attach meanings to objects they possess. Changes in culture and socio-economic conditions also alter and influence the very standards by which the aesthetic value of art forms and other objects are judged. For instance, in judging a t-shirt with Bob Marley’s face printed on it on the front through the use of the silkscreen method, one easily dismisses it as a non-art when judged according to the traditional notions of fine art. This is because the t-shirt and the print on it do not express artistic creativity, which is a prerequisite for objects to be considered art forms. The t-shirt and the print, which can be replicated many times over by any one with knowledge on silk screen printing, do not possess relevant canonic properties of art such as unity, complexity, and intensity which could evoke intense human experiences and therefore, aesthetic appreciation (Goldman 185). The sight of the t-shirt does not stir up feelings of beauty nor does its fabric hold anything extraordinary for the senses. The print on the t-shirt does not convey a particular style to capture attention or cause pain or pleasure, at least not in the way that beholding Picasso’s paintings evoke wonder, mystery, and other psychological sentiments arising purely from the painter’s use of style, colors, and the imagination. Likewise, the t-shirt with the print on it was created not for the purpose of being admired as an art. As such, the t-shirt is not valuable in itself but gains value for its function to humans, contrary to traditional visual and other forms of art. Art forms are valued for their artistic worth or for their ability to command a definite blending of particular perceptual and sensory elements from the audience (Goldman 188). On the other hand, subjecting the t-shirt to evaluation based on the principles of aesthetic value leads to interesting results. The t-shirt with Bob Marley’s face printed on it clearly fulfills two aesthetic principles. First, the t-shirt becomes a medium for the image of Bob Marley, a cultural icon in reggae music and in the historical struggle of Jamaicans. In this case, the t-shirt with Bob Marley’s image transcends its status as an object worn by humans to cover themselves and becomes an expression of the values of reggae and Jamaican culture in a manner similar to cultural artifacts. Second, the t-shirt itself may be valued by an individual for the sentiments attached to the shirt. It could have been given as a gift for an occasion or has been worn to events associated with feelings of happiness which make the t-shirt valuable to the individual because of the memories of joyous times spent while wearing it. Thus, other people might consider the same t-shirt aesthetically valuable. Fenner observes that objects do not have intrinsic aesthetic value; rather it is the subjective experience of humans that create aesthetic value for objects, particularly the expectation of pleasure from an object (122). Those who appreciate and know Bob Marley may value his image on the t-shirt and subsequently feel pleasure or the elevation of other feelings associated with Bob Marley’s musical contribution and historical roots. As such, the t-shirt may be appreciated by people who share a cultural affinity with Jamaica or of the counterculture that Bob Marley represents. The value of Bob Marley’s silkscreened image extends to the t-shirt which carries it and reinforces the value of the shirt for its owner. The t-shirt, donned by the owner, can therefore be considered the medium for the expression of individuality and creativity of the wearer. Wearing Bob Marley may be a political or cultural statement for a particular culture, particularly as a representation of the struggle against apartheid or against conventional popular music and the culture it represents. Hence, the appreciation of Jamaican culture or reggae music becomes another definitive aspect of the aesthetic experience that may be separate from the experiences attached to the t-shirt as an object. Likewise, neither the fact that the t-shirt was not created for the sake of art nor its low economic worth prevents it from being categorized as an art form. Fenner notes that the presence of traditional aesthetic properties do not necessarily lead to an aesthetic experience or to the creation of an aesthetic value (121). Hence, the audience can view a pricey painting without feeling any connection with it which would make the painting worthless in terms of evoking a subjective experience of appreciation for creativity or imagination. On the other hand, the same audience may behold the image on a shirt and feel an instant connection, a feeling of intense emotions from memories or meanings attached to the object of attention. It is clear that the traditional definitions of art and the accompanying distinction and stratification between â€Å"high art† and â€Å"lowbrow art† has slowly been eroded with the rise of cultural relativism and postmodern theory. Doubtless, the rigid formality of art has come under attack even within various artists’ circles itself that ascribe to the fluidity and less structured styles of postmodern culture. Thus, even an ordinary t-shirt can now be considered an art form when, after critical analysis, it is able to fulfill the principles of aesthetic value. Fenner, David E.W. The Aesthetic Attitude. Atlantic Highlands, N.J.: Humanities Press, 1996. Goldman, Alan. â€Å"Beardsley’s Legacy: The Theory of Aesthetic Value.† The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 63.2 (2005): 185-190. Art and Function in a T-Shirt. (2017, Mar 25).