Critical Analysis of an Artwork from Modern Art of the 20th Century Name Institution Date

Critical Analysis of an Artwork from Modern Art of the 20th Century Spring Temple Buddha Introduction The Spring Temple Buddha is a depicting Buddha and was completed in 2002. This piece of art is found in the Zhaocun Township of Lushan County in . It gets its name from the nearby Tianrui hot spring, which spews water at 60°C. The spring is of great importance to the inhabitants of that place due to its curative nature (Lambert, 2011). Spring Temple Buddha Artwork

I selected this artwork because it is unique in that it is among the tallest worldwide, standing at 420 ft (128 m), inclusive of a 66 ft (20 m) lotus throne. The total height of the statue is around 682 ft (208 m), taking into account the 82 ft (25 m) building it rests on and the hill upon which it stands. Underneath it lays a Buddhist monastery. The monument consists of 1100 pieces of copper cast, weighing around one thousand tones. Its construction came as a result of Bamiyan Buddhas destruction by the Taliban in Afghanistan. This was in 2001 (Marseken, 2011). Critical Analysis There are two sets of 365 steps to climb representing the number of days in a year. The implied meaning of this is that one should do something good every day, cultivate oneself every month, gradually, which will eventually bring success. The is kind and solemn showing the essence of art in China. This is also depicted by the pose it takes. This is without doubt a religious aspect in addition to the aspects of life it brings in regard to the number of steps it has (Marseken, 2011). This can be compared to the Gothic statute to bring out this aspect completely In the middle ages, Gothic monument represented the anguish and zeal of the Christianity and its faith. Statues have been fundamental in religious attachment in many cultures, and until recent centuries large statues, that are too expensive for private individuals to create, were usually a sign of religion among other things. A Chinese culture is depicted by this statue in regard to religion (Lambert, 2011). Its utter size alone is enough to command attention. It rises majestically among the gently sloping green hills of the Fodushan Scenic Area in east-central China. There are extra nearby attractions that include the Foquan Temple. It was built during the , has an immense 116 tones of bronze, which make the “Bell of Good Luck”. The bell's sound can be heard several miles away when rang. In addition to the hot spring, the area is acknowledged for its waterfalls and the attractive Tongtian River (Daniel, 2012). Combine all these aspects and out comes an aspect of deep thinking to create it.

Conclusion In conclusion, one cannot just ignore to point out the creativity brought out in the creation of this piece of art. Not only did this monument curve out their most common purposes, which is in some form of association with religion but also has life teachings in it. It stirs one’s mind so that he will actually appreciate any piece of art regardless of whether it appears important to him or not.

References Daniel, B. (2012). Obama in Exile: Dr. Diol Bokier. Luoyang: House Publishers. Lambert, M. (2011). Spring Temple Buddha. Zhaocun: VDM Publishing. Marseken, F. (2011). Buddhist Temples in China. Eastern Han: General Books LLC.