Prehistoric Favorite Picture

From the slide of images that were featured in this presentation, this image is one of my favorites. This one is one of my favorites because it shows color brilliantly. This image shows light on the parthenon showing that it is very important, which is what we discussed in class. The light shadow is also slanted which gives the parthenon the illusion of it rising up out something showing that it is durable, and that it can not be destroyed. The size of it is also something that we discussed in class showing also that is is something very important because is bigger than life. The little person in the image shows that this culture beilieves it was bigger than life because the person represents life. This image also shows the range of lines being directed toward a certain point or area in the image making the viewer focus more on the parthenon and nothing else. All of the focus should be on the parthenon because it is the subject of the painting. The viewer is supposed to notice the parthenon first, and then notice the fact that it has obviously survived something tragic by finally focusing in on the image as a whole and noticing the pieces on the ground in the shaded areas. Another thing that was discussed in class was the fact that this is an oil painting, and at this point in history oil paintings were the most important and expensive paintings. This shows how the parthenon was considered to be a very important landscape to this culture, and I absolutely agree with this.

The parthenon was considered to be a temple of protection for the people of Athens in Greek History, so it is understandable for this to be painted as if it were the most important thing. While reading in the Prown Article and learning about Material Culture, I completely understand the reason for painting the parthenon in this manor. Material Culture has many different phases to it, but the one that is hit on the most is the idea of historical artifacts surviving through history. The parthenon can definitely be put into this category because in this painting it seems as though there has been something like a battle around this monument, that ruined some parts of the it, which are in the dark areas of the image. These pieces are in the dark parts of the image because that represents how that is the past and the parthenon survived it. The artist is visiting the fact that the parthenon is a very strong structure and has endured many things, but it is still standing. This painting shows the struggle, and more than likely the artist is relating to that struggle and is showing it through the painting. The small image of the man at the very bottom of the photo may actually be the artist, and he could be walking alone because he has jsu survived something that was very painful.