Reading Art: Understanding Iconography Transcript

Reading Art: Understanding Iconography 1

Reading Art: Understanding Iconography

Three images appear on the screen: a vase of flowers, an owl, and an image of the Buddha

Understanding iconography, the symbolic meaning underlying images, is one aspect of visual literacy. Visual literacy and understanding the roles of the artist deepens one’s appreciation of art in general. The Week One assignment reinforces concepts presented din Ch. 1 and 2 regarding artists’ roles and understanding art.

Through the following exercises, you will learn more about the system of signs artists use.

The following scenarios highlight different roles of artists as they create meaningful works of art.

Choose one of the following to begin

A. European artist living in the 1430s B. Greek sculptor living in 280 BCE C. Present-day artist interested in Buddhism

Selecting A presents the following scenario:

Roles of the artist: In this scenario, you are painting a representational artwork, which represents people and things as they appear in nature. Over the centuries, many people were eager to have artists paint their portraits. As an artist living in the 15th century or even today, one of your primary functions is to record the world.

Scenario: You are an artist living in Europe in the 1430s. A wealthy couple who wish to have a wedding portrait painted approached you.

Click the next button to continue.

Painting portraits during the 1430s in Northern Europe was not simple illustration, but something rich and full of symbolic elements. In this scenario, your portrait will include symbolic references to marriage

First think of ideas associated with marriage

Drag and drop the related words to a branch.

The student is presented with a list of words. Some are related to the ideal concept of marriage; others ar not. Which of the following words do you associate with the ideal concept of marriage or the marriage ceremony?

Loyalty Witness Fickleness Independence Poverty Purity Freedom Vow

The correct words associated with marriage for this exercise are: loyalty, purity, witness, and vow.

What sorts of objects might represent these ideas associated with an ideal marriage?

Next, the student is presented with four objects that each correlate with one of these words. The images are:

A dog A candle A vase of lilies Two hands joined or clasped

What object represents loyalty? What object represents vow? What object represents witness? What object represents purity?

The correct answers are:

The dog represents loyalty. The hands joined or clasped represent a vow. The vase of lilies represents purity. Flowers may have many different meanings; lilies in medieval or renaissance paintings often symbolized purity. The candle represents the idea of a witness being present to the marriage vows. In renaissance paintings the candle may represent the idea of divine witness to the marriage ceremony

Giving form to ideas and concepts such as loyalty or fidelity is another role of the artist. Click the next button to continue.

On the next page the student sees the objects incorporated into a wedding portrait

The dog, the lily, the clasped hands, and the candle are now a part of the portrait. Together, these symbols create an artwork that reflects the ideals and aspirations of the portrayed couple. Click on the following link, and select Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife to see an example of this type of painting from the 1430. http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/e/eyck_van/jan/index.html

The next scenario relates to the Greek sculptor living in 280 BCE.

Roles of the artist:

In this exercises, you will notice how symbolic elements associated with Athena embody ideas. The Greeks especially were concerned with conveying ideas such as tragedy and human drama in their art. This is a traditional role of the artist: to give form to philosophies, ideas, or feelings.

Scenario: You are a sculptor living in Greece in the year 280 BCE. The village elders commission you to create a life-size sculpture of Athena, one of the Greek goddesses.

As a Greek sculptor, you are familiar with Athena and the symbols associated with her. She is the goddess of wisdom and is associated with victory, war, the arts, and justice. She is the patron of the city of Athens.

Fill in the missing areas in the following sculpture of Athena by dragging and dropping the objects that

The students is presented with the following objects and places them on the figure of Athena:

A shield, a helmet, and a spear: Athena was born fully armed. She is associated with military victory and the spear, helmet, and shield were associated with intelligent military strategy.

A snake: With Athena, the snake is a symbol of the creative power of wisdom, fertility, and healing.

An owl: The Greeks associated the owl with wisdom, and represents Athena the goddess of wisdom.

A small, winged figure: This is Nike, who was the Greek personification of victory. She accompanies Athena, the goddess associated with military victory.

You have completed your sculpture of Athena. Your fellow Greeks recognize the armor, owl, snake, and Nike as her symbols. With iconography, art historians and archeologists working in the present day can identify statues of Athena and all of the Greek gods and goddesses, each possessing unique symbols or attributes.

The next scenario relates to the present-day artist interested in Buddhism.

Roles of the artist:

Religious imagery throughout the world often works to convey the truth of respective belief systems and or doctrines. This can lead to imagery and symbols that are not easily readable by those unfamiliar with various religions, their history, and teachings. For many in the West, Christian imagery is easily recognizable. Understanding the imagery of enlightenment present in depictions of the Buddha is fundamental to gaining fuller understanding of Buddhism.

This scenario highlights another role of the artist, a need to reveal hidden or universal truths.

Scenario:

In this exercise, you are a modern person who is interested in learning more about Buddhism. You have decided you would like to paint an image of the Buddha.

To begin your research you must find out what certain aspects of Buddhist art mean. To learn more, complete the following matching game. Match the definition to its representation.

The students is presented with four images to match to the following four definitions:

The symbolic hand gesture known as mudra.

The ushnisha is a bump that signifies the Buddha’s divine knowledge and artists depict it as a hair knot.

The mark in the center of the Buddha’s forehead known as the Urna, or the Eye of Wisdom.

This flower symbolizes mental purity. The Buddha sits in a fully open one to convey his full enlightenment.

Here you see your completed representation of the Buddha, with all symbolic elements in place. Together

Copyright © 2014 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Adapted with permission. Reading Art: Understanding Iconography 4 the image speaks of the search for enlightenment that the Buddha achieved.

Iconography:

Awareness of the symbolic significance of objects and signs broadens our understanding not only of art works but also of how similar objects operate in the world around us. Can you think of any icons or symbols that convey meaning to you, the viewer, which another culture or time may not understand?

Roles of the Artist:

You have learned more about the traditional roles of the artist. One last role of the artist is to help us see the world in a new or innovative way. Can you think of ways in which you would approach a traditional subject and re-think it in a way that is new and challenging? See Ch. 13, page 318 of your text. Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty makes us think about what constitutes landscape art.

Go the syllabus for your assignment.