The Colosseum

The Colosseum is a huge amphitheater. It was designed for gladiatorial contests and combats between men and animals, or simply between animals. The exterior is made up of rows of arches knows as arcades. There are three stories of round arches framed by entablatures and engaged columns. There are three types of columns used in the Colosseum. On the ground floor there are Tuscan columns, on the second-floor Ionic, and on the third Corinthian. Small windows and engaged rectangular Corinthian pilasters are located on the fourth floor. The Roman’s intentionally put the heaviest (Doric) columns on the lower level, building up with more delicate structures. The surface of the outer wall becomes flatter as the structure rises, carrying the viewer’s eye upward. The repeated round arches lead the eye along the entirety of the building.

Two types of vaults were used in the ceilings of the corridors. The upper wall contained sockets so that poles could be inserted to support canvas that covered the structure and protected spectators from sun and rain. It contained a built-in drainage system used for washing away the blood and gore of combat and animals.

Travertine, a hard, durable limestone that mellows to a golden yellow, was used for the framework of the piers, and tufa and brick-faced concrete were used for the walls between the piers. There was marble on the interior as decorative facing. However, for the large part concrete was used, a rough mixture of mortar, gravel, rubble, and water.

The inner part of the colosseum is circular, with step like seating. The circular shape creates fluidity and harmony. The seating allowed for all the spectators to view the gruesome entertainment. A series of stairs below the ‘bleachers’ allowed for viewers to climb to the top of the building. The center was comprised of an enormous pit, where the entertainment would take place. Directly below the pit there were cages and a series of passageways, which added to the drama of entering the ‘stage.’

Lacoon and His Two Sons

The sculpture of Lacoon and his two sons is done in the round. The viewer’s attention is drawn toward Lacoon’s face first, which is considerably larger than that of his two sons. It is framed with curly hair, which has a fluid motion that adds to the effect of Lacoon’s struggle. He has full lips that are pursed in agitation. His brow is wrinkled and his eyes look up in agony. Lacoon’s arms are extremely muscular and one has a sense of the blood flowing and the muscles tensed underneath the skin. We can see a vein stretching underneath his right arm. His torso is also muscular and lifelike. We can see his skin stretched across his right flank exposing his rib bones. Our attention is drawn downward where a serpent is beginning to puncture his thigh with its teeth. We then look to the right, where a look of distress is apparent on his son’s face. His son’s hair is slightly more stylized; with curls reminiscent of Classical Greek sculpture. One foot remains on the ground while the other is lifted up in an attempt to rid himself of the serpent. The weight is distributed to one leg in contrapasto style.  The serpent’s body winds around the boy’s arm, across his back, around his ankle and then onto Lacoon’s leg. A robe is draped around the boy’s shoulder, which cascades down to the ground revealing him nude. A cascading robe is also found directly beneath Lacoon, who is seated on a pedestal. The boy to the left is being dragged back by the serpent’s long body and both legs are slightly lifted as he attempts to escape. A hand is thrust to his side as he attempts to pull away the mouth of the serpent that is beginning to dig into his left side. His eyes are cast upward in the same direction of his fathers. As a whole one can see the distress and anguish experienced by the family in the sculpture through the lifelike expression of muscles and facial features.

The Bust of Nefertiti

The Bust of Nefertiti is approximately 19 inches high and is carved in a naturalistic style. The lines of Nefertiti are fluid and give the viewer a sense of movement in the neck and jaw. There are no unrealistic lines on the bust. The face and chest of Nefertiti are light colored, while her crown is dark blue with colorful decoration. Geometric patterns are recurrent on both the crown of Nefertiti as well as her blouse. Red, green, blue, and orange squares loop around the front and down the back of the crown. The blouse of Nefertiti is made up of blue horizontal lines that are approximately two inches apart with white circles and oblong shapes in between. The large dark blue crown offsets the balance of the bust, adding weight and drawing attention to the top of the sculpture. It rises straight up from Nefertiti’s head and end in an abrupt flat top. It is one of the most prominent aspects of the sculpture simply due to the fact that it takes up at least a third of the work. The two diagonal planes create tension. The sculpture is done in limestone and painted. Nefertiti’s lips are painted an orange/red color and her eyebrows are thick, dark brown. The lower and upper part of her eyes are traced in black, extending slightly black, drawing the eye to the slight indentation above her jaw. This line along with her strong jaw line indicates Nefertiti’s youth and beauty. Her neck is long and slightly stretched forward. This creates an acute triangle along the outreached neck and back along the crown. Her skin appears smooth and flawless, punctuated only by the dark colors of her mouth eyes, and eyebrows. All hair is tucked into her crown, adding to the strength of her face and posture and creating upward motion. The nose and ears are small and perfectly curved, revealing the similarities between Egyptian concepts of beauty and current western ideals.

Analyzing Techniques Used on The Lion Panel

The Chauvet Cave contains some of the oldest surviving works of art in the world. Hundreds of thousands of people have marveled at the fact that some of the paintings date back to 30,000 B.C. Yet, the sheer age of the paintings are not the only amazing quality about them, the works in themselves are something to be appreciated. One of the most prominent works in the cave is known as the ‘Lion Panel.’ Paleolithic artists made use of their uneven medium to add depth and shape to the animals. The three lions are the largest animals in the panel. They are created with thin, black, fluid lines suggesting movement. The middle lion has considerable shading on its face while the bottom lion only contains dark shading on its lower jaw. A herd of rhinoceroses are portrayed below the three lions. They are the best example of the Paleolithic artist’s more refined and developed understanding of depth and shadow. The rhinoceros facing right has only slight shading behind its horn, while the one directly below it has considerable shading around its torso, mouth , hind legs, and ears. There is great variation in the portrayal of each rhinoceros. Those in the far lower right corner are completely covered in light shading, giving the viewer the sense that they are father back in the plane. The contrast between the light coloring of the lions and the dark shading of the rhinoceroses solidifies the idea that the lions are the most important and powerful part of the panel. Inside the lions there is a light outline of deer. The placement of the deer as well as the rhinoceroses shows that the lions were the most powerful and important element of the work. The shape of the cave also adds dimension to the work, the shapes of the animals are made with consideration to the uneven surface that they were painted on. The cave shape and position also casts varying shadows which add to the drama of the piece.