Seated Buddha. Thinking and Writing about Art History

This paper will discuss the bronze statue called Seated Buddha. It is necessary to speak about the style of this sculpture, its artistic elements, and its relation to the social, religious political and cultural world of that period.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Seated Buddha. Thinking and Writing about Art History specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This work of art was created in Thailand in the fourteenth century. Its height is approximately fifty inches. The name of the sculptor remains anonymous to art historians and archeologists. The subject of this artistic piece is SiddhÄ rtha Gautama, the originator and spiritual leader of Buddhism. His legs are crossed and one his hands nearly touches the earth. This gesture has to symbolize Buddha’s victory over Mara. One can only deduce the true purpose of this work. Probably, this work of art strives to demonstrate the placidity of Buddha and his serenity. Similarly, the message of this sculpture may not be clear to the viewers at once. Probably, this author tried to show that only by following the principle of Buddhism one can achieve peace with the others and with oneself. To some degree, this statue demonstrates how an enlightened person can look like. By creating this statue, the author tried to set an example for the viewers. Yet, this is just a conjecture. This Seated Buddha was created during the so-called Sukhothai period. This period which began in the early fourteenth century, and this work has several elements of the sculptural style which evolved during that time. Namely, we should speak about slightly elongated head of Buddha, placid facial expression, and very smooth skin. It should be noted that during that time, the statues of Buddha were usually cast out of metal and at that time it was a real departure from the convention.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your fir st paper with 15% OFF Learn More Overall, the person depicted by the sculptor produces the impression of power and tranquility. In part, my response can be explained by his posture and facial expression. Unfortunately, we do not know whether this artistic piece fits into the career of the sculptor or not. Moreover, there is very little information about the life of this sculptor. It is quite possible that he relied on both visual and literary sources. For example, the depictions of Buddha are present in numerous illustrated manuscripts and drawings of the twelfth and thirteenth period. We can mention such sources as the so-called Pali texts which explain how the statues of Buddha should look like (Kislenko, 81). It is worth mentioning that these Pali texts present a very detailed portrayal of Buddha; there are many metaphoric descriptions of his face, body, feet, skin, and so forth (Kislenko, 81). Thus, the sculptor could have relied on wealthy literary tradition. Currently , there are no documents of that period which discuss this work of art. One cannot tell how this piece was perceived by the contemporaries. Yet, we know that this sculpture was cast in during the time when the Sukhothai Kingdom was very powerful (Kislenko, 10). Such sculptures could represent not only Buddha, but also the rulers of the country. Overall, this work of art demonstrates that such religion as Buddhism played a very important role in the life of the the Sukhothai Kingdom. At that time, the teachings of SiddhÄ rtha Gautama became prevalent in the intellectual circles of the Sukhothai Kingdom. This philosophy truly became the mainstream ideology. Even now its importance cannot be underestimated.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Seated Buddha. Thinking and Writing about Art History specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is possible to compare this Seated Buddha with other sculptures created earlier. For ex ample, one can draw parallels between this statue and Amida Buddha created in the thirteenth-century Japan. They are similar in terms of posture and facial expression of SiddhÄ rtha Gautama. Nonetheless, the Japanese structure differs in terms of technique, since it is made of carved wooden pieces which were joined together. Apart from that, the hand of Amida Buddha makes a gesture which symbolizes peace. Thus, the statue that we are discussing emphasizes the perfection and power of Buddha, whereas its Japanese counterpart focuses on his peacefulness. These are the main differences between them. These distinctions can be explained by the fact that the two sculptors perceived this person in different ways. At this point, art historians do not know very much as to how this sculpture was created. One can see that this statue consists out several metal casts which were joined together. Yet, it is very difficult to determine the methods that the sculptor applied while creating this art istic piece. Moreover, it is unclear if he/she made some preliminary steps in order to better visualize the image of Buddha. These questions are still of great interest to modern art historians and archeologists. This sculpture is a prominent example of Thai art. It shows that during the Sukhothai period this culture achieved enormous degree of sophistication. Moreover, this piece demonstrates the extent to which Buddhism shaped the identity of Thai people. In this case, Buddha symbolizes an ideal which everyone must try to attain. Finally, this artistic piece can be praised for its meticulous metalwork which is very difficult to surpass.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Works Cited Kislenko, Arne. Culture and customs of Thailand. London: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004. Print. 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Historical Profile of the Roman Republic

Historical Profile of the Roman Republic Rome was once just a little hilly city, but soon its capable fighters  and engineers took over the surrounding countryside, then the boot of Italy,  then the area around the Mediterranean Sea, and finally, even further, extending into Asia, Europe, and Africa. These Romans  lived in the Roman Republic   a  time period and a system of government.   The Meaning of Republic: The word republic comes from the Latin words for thing and of the people The res publica or respublica referred to the public property or the common weal, as the online Lewis and Short Latin dictionary defines it, but it could also mean the administration. Thus, the term republic as first employed as a description of Roman government had less baggage than it carries today. Do you see the connection between democracy and republic? The word democracy comes from Greek [demos the people; kratos strength/rule] and means rule of or by the people. The Rise of Democracy The Roman Republic Begins: The Romans, who were already fed up with their Etruscan kings, were spurred to action after a member of the royal family raped a patrician matron named Lucretia. The Roman people expelled their kings, driving them from Rome. Even the name of king (rex) had become hateful, a fact that becomes significant when the emperors took control as (but resisted the title of) king. Following the last of the kings, the Romans did what they were always good at copying what they saw around them and adapting it into a form that worked better. That form is what we call the Roman Republic, which endured for 5 centuries, beginning in the year 509 B.C., according to tradition. Tarquin, the Last King of RomeBrutus, Lucius Junius BrutusRape of LucretiaFamous Men of Rome The Government of the Roman Republic: 3 Branches of GovernmentHaving witnessed the problems of the monarchy on their own land, and aristocracy and democracy among the Greeks, when the Romans started the Republic, they opted for a mixed form of government, with 3 branches: consuls, senate, and an assembly of the people. Cursus HonorumAristocratic men were expected to follow a certain series of life events, from the military to the political. In the political sphere, you couldnt just decide you want to be consul and apply for the position. You had to be elected to other lesser offices first. Learn about of the magisterial offices and order in which they must be held. ComitiaAssemblies were an aspect of democratic government. There was an assembly of the centuries and an assembly of the tribes.ConsulsAt the top of the political ladder at least of the political offices were imperium (power), since there wee also censors who lacked imperium were the consuls (occasionally, dictators), two of which served for a period of a y ear. Consult this list of consuls for those pairs of men who held office during the period of the collapse of the Republic. Censors of the Roman RepublicCensors didnt rate movies in ancient Rome but did conduct the census. Here is a list of the censors of Rome during the Republican period. Periods of the Roman Republic: The Roman Republic followed the legendary period of kings, although history dosed heavily with legends continued into the period of the Roman Republic, with a more historical era only beginning after the Gauls sacked Rome [see the Battle of the Allia c. 387 B.C.]. The period of the Roman Republic may be further subdivided into: an early period, when Rome was expanding to the start of the Punic Wars (to c. 261 B.C.),a second period from the Punic Wars until the Gracchi and civil war (to 134) during which Rome came to dominate the Mediterranean, anda third period, from the Gracchi to the fall of the Republic (to 30 B.C.). Timeline for the End of the Roman Republic The Growth of the Roman Republic: Wars of the Roman RepublicRome emerged only gradually as the leader of Italy and then the Mediterranean. Starting in the legendary period under the kings, Rome had joined forces with Sabines (as in the rape of the Sabine women) and Etruscans (who ruled as kings of the Romans). During the Roman Republic, Rome formed treaties with neighboring villages and city-states to allow them to join forces either defensively or aggressively. Roman Treaties of the Roman RepublicDuring Romes early period of expansion, from the fall of the monarchy in 510 B.C. until the mid-third century, she gradually spread her dominion over the peninsula of Italy, making treaties with all the states she conquered. The Growth of RomeRome started gaining strength from about 510 B.C., when the Romans threw out their last king, until the middle of the 3rd century B.C. During this, the early Republican period, Rome made and broke strategic treaties with neighboring groups in order to help her conquer other city-state s. Expansion of Rome Beyond ItalyRome didnt initially set up to conquer the world, but it gradually did so, anyway. A side effect of its empire-building was the reduction of Republican Romes democratic policies. The End of the Roman Republic: Books on the Late Republic / Roman RevolutionSometimes it seems as though there is too much material on Rome around the time of Julius Caesar. Theres a reason for this many first-hand accounts a rarity in ancient history. The authors of the following books distil the Latin primary sources to present authoritative pictures of the Roman Republic when it was the dominant world power abroad but in revolt or chaos closer to home. Articles on the End of the Roman RepublicLook at the Gracchi brothers, the conflict between Sulla and Marius, external forces like Mithradates of Pontus and pirates, the social war, and other factors that strained the Roman republic and led to the formation of the first period of the Roman Empire, the Principate.