Egyptians were the first people to make a large impact on the world of art. Egyptians needed art for their religious beliefs more than decoration or self-gratification. The most important aspect of Egyptian life is the ka, the part of the human spirit that lives on after death. The ka needed a physical place to occupy or it would disappear. Most of the important men of Egypt paid to have their body carved out of stone. That was were the spirit would live after the man dies. They used stone because it was the strongest material they could find. Longevity was very important. The bodies are always idealized and clothed. Figures are very rigid, close-fisted, and are built on a vertical axis to show that the person is grand or intimidating. Most of the figures were seen in the

Byzantine and medieval art was very representative. The artists' ability to produce lifelike figures had regressed. The emphasis was not on man anymore. Their art was made to glorify God.

Neoclassical paintings commonly showed contemporary garments and scenes. History painting became very popular. A larger transition was made when color was used to set a mood or express inner feelings. Nothing like this had ever been considered. Man viewed his experiences as important stepping stones. To assure that experiences aren't forgotten they were preserved in artworks.

Early Greek art was greatly influenced by the Egyptians. Geography permitted both cultures to exchange their talents. The beginning of Greek art is marked by the Geometric phase. The most common art during the Geometric phase was vase painting. After the vase was formed but before it was painted, the artist applied a slip (dark pigment) to outside. Then the vase was fired and the artist would incise his decorations into the hard shell. It was important to incise humans into the fired slip and not paint with slip. The people in the pictures needed light colored skin, which was the color beneath the slip, because Greeks wanted to make their art as realistic as possible. Much like Egyptian art, the Greeks idealized the bodies of the people in their works.

Humans are often used in modern art. Although the people may appear very large or important, they are usually just vehicles used to convey a message to the audience. In Segal's Red Light, we saw a man walking alone in front of n old truck. The man was not colored at all. He seemed to be sauntering across a street at night. A feeling of depression or sadness

Some topics in this essay:
Expression Essay, Hellenistic Period, Filippo Brunelleschi, Egyptians Greeks, Egyptians Geography, Thomas Cole, Red Light, Christianity Byzantine, Greeks Romans, Renaissance Artists, human body, views human body, art egyptians, art religious, bodies idealized, frontal view, modern art, greek art, christian art, perfect proportion, egyptian art,