Class Discussion #2 - Nija Simmons

Capri was one of the most beautiful islands. I enjoyed listening to the sound of ocean waves. The water was turquoise and clear. I went swimming at Marina Grande Public beach and stepping on the rocks was painful. I thought it was interesting that a section of the water was reserved for only the people who rented the beach chairs. I remember taking a train to the shopping centers. Me and Lesley went out for lunch and got frozen lemonade drinks. They were so delicious. 

Class Discussion #1 - Nija Simmons

The National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia values ancient Roman artifacts. This artifact called Necropoli della Cuccumella is a vase used for human ashes after death. The vase is made out of a thin bronze foil and metal. I learned that the horse represents power in the Etruscan culture. This artifact caught my attention because of its long-lasting quality. What an interesting historical artifact. 

Pompeii was very hot and humid but had beautiful ancient architecture. The Great Theatre of Pompeii is an open arena used for entertainment events such as sports and performances. I can't imagine how many people would appear at this theatre. The benches and steps are so narrow. Romans built this theatre out of stone and soil. They would carve rocks to form the structure of the theatre. It's amazing how the theatre was able to last over the years because of the quality of the material.

Discussion 5 @ Hadrian's Villa

At times it can be hard to imagine the daily life of ancient people as they are often viewed as historical objects rather than actual human beings. This is especially the case when looking at those who held great deals of power, such as the Emperors of Rome, however, walking through an ancient location that they once occupied can help paint a picture of their life and the life of those around them more fully. Thus, walking through the Villa of Hadrian allowed me to see Hadrian not only as a historical figure who once held great amounts of power, but also allowed me to see the more human side of this historical figure and the people who may have been around him.

As we got into the Villa the first thing I did was sit down somewhat near the casino and watch bees and ants go about their business. I was encapsulated by these tiny insects while I was surrounded by incredible architectural artifacts, which made me think about how ancient peoples probably did the same thing. Following this train of thought, I then thought of Hadrian, a member of his family, or one of the many enslaved people that he claimed to own to maintain his Villa sitting down and being infatuated with the actions of bees and ants in the manner that I was. Though this was not the most “academic” way to think about an ancient place or an ancient people, it allowed me to view both the location and the people that occupied it as human; not simply as a historical object, but as something that truly had an essence of life and character like the people and places that exist today. 

This was my viewing experience at Hadrian’s Villas; it was a nice change of pace for me.

Discussion 4 @ Galleria Accademia

The process in which art is created may be overlooked, but it remains a thing arguably as interesting as the art itself. For me, it can be hard to imagine how canvass and oil paints or stone and chisel can become a magnificent painting or sculpture but seeing Michelangelo's unfinished sculptures allowed me to understand the process and the art itself more fully.

The unfinished works illustrated to me the idea that sculptors pull something latent out of the material in front of them. The half-formed bodies trying to escape from the blocks of marble allowed me to realize how Michelangelo pulled his vision out of a mere piece of stone. Having a better picture of the creative process of sculpting also allowed me to have a fuller appreciation for the art itself. I was able to better appreciate the intricate details of each statue, particularly the emotion that had somehow been displayed through the stone. Each sculpture became more than simply that, but rather seemed like a moment out of a story that played out in my head. I like to think that the artist had more to the story than the simple moment that may be depicted in a work of art, thus allowing me to interpret the rest of the story both for myself and as the artist may have envisioned it. The emotions of the statues really added a lot to the storytelling aspect of this artistic medium for me as I was able to feel character within the person or animal depicted within the sculpture. I gained a new appreciation for the various mediums of storytelling through art from my viewing experience at the Galleria Accademia. 

 

Discussion 3 @ St. Peter's Basilica

Many of the places or objects we viewed, or perhaps experienced, were hard to wrap one’s head completely around. Many of the things we experienced held so much history within their bodies that it may in fact be impossible to completely wrap one’s head around, To me, however, the most unreal viewing experience was during our optional visit to St. Peter’s Basilica.
The perceived perfection of every detail lined the Basilica coincided with the grandiose nature of the building itself to create an experience that is hard to encapsulate in words. It was as though I was entering a place described or depicted in a work of fiction rather than an actual physical location. I could not help myself from thinking about the wealth and power needed to build a structure of this scale and luxury. Being a sacred/religious place in some ways added to this thought as I began thinking about all of the horrible things that this body of power had carried out or justified over the course of its existence. This branch of thinking made me feel out of place and in some ways guilty as I became critical of the site which others held as one of the most adored places of their religion. I do think it is important to think about the power that the Church has held and in some ways continues to hold but I am not sure if the way in which I thought about the Basilica was the most respectful way to analyze the power of the Church.

It was probably the grandest and most beautiful building I have ever been in, yet there was something scary about these qualities, at least to me. It is frightening that there is a continued pattern of exuberant wealth and power being consolidated in small groups of people. This pattern seems to almost always end in suffering yet we still cling to the idea. This was my experience of viewing at St. Peter’s Basilica.

 

Discussion 2 @Roman Forum

I find it troubling that many times “normal people” are not really recognized or emphasized in historical studies. Ancient societies would not have been able to operate without the existence of said “normal people” yet often their contributions are not highlighted. Partially, for this reason, it was hard for me to imagine the City of Rome had existed in some form for thousands of years. Visiting the Roman Forum helped me to picture the age and history of the city better, however. It is still odd to say that I was in the location which Ancient Roman citizens would consider the heart of their city, though I think being there allowed me to imagine streets and buildings filled with people as they would have been in ancient times.  Being in the physical historical location helped me to visualize the everyday person that had existed during that historical period.

 Viewing the ruins of what once was the heart of the Roman city also allowed me to more fully visualize and understand the history of Ancient Rome. The fall of the Roman Republic, the Empirical rule of Rome, and other historical events became things that people actually experienced rather than ones that we only read about. Coming to this fuller understanding was definitely hastened by being in the center of the historical location where these events played out. It was interesting for me to think about what might be left of the American empire thousands of years from now which people may walk through and recall the history of the country. 

 

Discussion 5:Villa Giulia / National Etruscan Museum

 On May 24^th the group and I visited  Villa Giulia / National Etruscan Museum where after a guided tour we got to walk around the museum ourselves and see things we would of not with being guided. My friend and I discovered these superhero fetuses made by a French artist Alexandre Nicholas. I got too these fetuses in only three angles not from behind or bottom, but it was in a special called synthetic crystal acrylic. Being in this glass made it stand out more and this is what this artist was also known for. Putting these fetuses in it could make the people walking around, catch their eyes and to learn more about it. These fetuses were to show the vulnerability of the superheroes but how they are in that pose to one day show their potential and what they have to offer the world. That’s how I saw it, the superhero’s in a state that makes them so fragile but seeing it enclosed in that glass dressed like their superhero outfits, made the viewing better. I felt like how it was in that crystal, shining in the lights and how it was formed, it was positioned in the right angle that you knew what the art was and could enjoy it from the way the museum put it. It was a marvelous viewing in all, and then seeing all the other fetuses was amazing too, I felt like the light the museum put it on made it stand out more and who needs angles if it’s a person, a baby.

Discussion 4: Statue of Centaur in Pompeii

 In Pompeii there was a particular statue that caught my eye, which at first I just called the horse man with a head in it. Later on by doing some research I discovered it is a centaur. I saw more pictures of it online and some were closer from on angle and even making it look like they were next to it. The viewing experience I got from it was definitely better then some picture as I could walk a full circle around it and see it from all angles and it was way higher then pictures. Looking up at the horse, seeing the head inside the centaur was better not only in person but being to look at it from all angles. It was missing pieces in certain places like the head, and then carved in was another person head in the middle of the body. This statue was not really in the guided tour so I had to look it up myself to know more about it. So seeing it first, being able to form my own questions and then doing my small finds, was amazing. I was able to say yeah I saw that, or oh that makes more sense. I really did enjoy seeing it and learning on my own more what this statue had to offer.

Discussion 3: Ostia Theater

 On May 28^th 2022, we had a day in Ostia where we got to visit ancient cities there and a place I found very interesting was the theater. We saw a theater in Pompeii that was small and only got to see from an open window and only get to see it from one angle. Looking at it only open and down, from the bottom near the stage was not as exciting as in Ostia. Seeing the Ostia theater and walking through all sides, even going all the way to the top and seeing from an aerial view was thrilling. From down below you could see all around at the people on the top and from the sides, getting to walk around and see the stage. But, on top, it was a whole other experience was I got to test out how the structure of the theater made it so everyone, no matter where sat, could hear the people on stage. A traveler with me stood at the bottom and from up there it was far, but she spoke in a normal volume and you could hear her from the top! Looking around to understand how it worked made the experience much more amazing and understanding how they used what they had, with no microphones like we do now was a phenomenal moment. This was more of a semi-self-guided tour as once it was spoken about we got to use the theater basically, as much as we could, and it made it worth it than just passing the area. Being able to walk all around it, seeing every step, all around it, bottom to top, on my own was a good independent viewing experience. 

Discussion 2 Colosseum

 Going to see the Colosseum was one of the highlights of the trip for me and a viewing experience I will never forget. Pictures do not to do the place justice as seeing it from just one side or from a distance was not enough. I felt like being there in person made the history come to life and seeing where the gladiators fought in person was like really being able to imagine how they went down. I felt with it also being a guided tour then just on our own was much more better as this is a very monumental location that going in with little knowledge would of not been enough. Hearing Dr. Rock talk about the stories being the colosseum and in such detail brought the place to life for me. While standing at the site, listening to her talk I could imagine Nero’s garden how it was destroy/covered up to become a place to watch fights and shows. Than later on with historians uncovering it and getting to see where the gardens were and the maze once there, was just made it all worth coming in person to see. All in all, seeing the location it self, as a whole and not behind glass like museum parts or in pictures made the viewing for me more worth my wild. Being able to walk around the whole colosseum, taking my own pictures from all angles, was better than any google search.

Class Discussion 5: Temple of Diana

  Within the massive grounds of the Villa Borghese, there is a small, circular structure that was once a temple dedicated to Diana (Tempio di Diana).  While the structure itself is beautiful and intricately designed, it is missing the original statue of the goddess it was dedicated to, which is now on display in the Louvre in France.  The pedestal and inscription remain, but the absence of the statue completely changes the tone of the structure, since it now seems to just be similar to a small gazebo within the villa’s grounds.  This atmosphere was not helped by the fact that tourists seemed to view the pedestal as a prop for photos, many of which waited in line to take turns hopping onto it for a quick picture.  The lack of respect for the space was somewhat frustrating to me, since it had already been damaged by the original looting of the statue that has been further disrespected by people treating it as nothing more than a backdrop rather than a site of historical significance.  The presence of the statue might not guarantee that people would be more respectful of the temple, but it is likely that visitors would not be as quick to jump all over it with little regard for the structural integrity.  By removing aspects of the Tempio di Diana, part of the site’s dignity has also been removed, which contributes to an entirely different viewing experience than one would have if we were able to see the temple as it was originally designed and intended to be viewed.

Class Discussion 4: Galleria Sciarra

  Although it was one of the lesser-known destinations, the Galleria Sciarra was one of my favorite finds during our time in Rome.  It was originally built to be a courtyard as part of a private residence for a wealthy family to facilitate access between their properties, but it has since been changed into a public passageway as a shortcut between office buildings.  It features a glass roof that illuminates the walls covered in frescoes of powerful women, as well as the embodiment of the Virtues.  While this is not an ancient site (it was constructed in the 19th Century and restored later), I found it to be an interesting example of how sites once intended to highlight wealth and opulence can be transformed into functional spaces for the public.  What was once intended to be kept private for the enjoyment of a select few powerful individuals has been turned into a means of making life easier for the public, since it provides a walkway to avoid walking around the building complex but the glass roof has preserved the beautiful frescoes within the space so they can still be enjoyed.  While this was not the original intention of the artist and owners, since this space was originally a private courtyard, it is an excellent example of how time alters the functionality of spaces and objects.  Much like how Nero’s private residence was transformed into space to be used by the public, the Galleria Sciarra has been preserved not to highlight the influence of the original owners, but to provide ease and beauty to the daily commute of countless pedestrians who pass through the space.

Class Discussion 3: Galleria degli Uffizi

As one of the oldest and most-visited museums in the area, the Gallerie degli Uffizi, or Uffizi Gallery, was another of my must-see destinations in Florence.  The museum is home to a large collection of sculptures and paintings from a wide variety of ancient and modern areas, including several pieces by Botticelli, Caravaggio, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci.  With such an impressive collection it makes sense that the museum would be crowded, but I was unprepared for just how busy the space would be.  Before even entering the main exhibits, visitors must climb several flights of steps, which open to the first corridor.  The main corridors are lined with marble statues and frescoed ceilings, with windows offering a beautiful view of the city on one side and gallery entrances on the other.  However, they were also packed full of visitors at the time of my visit, which made it difficult to appreciate the details of the frescoes and sculptures.  Some galleries were busier than others, depending on the popularity of the pieces featured in each room, which made it difficult to view the more well-known pieces in depth since there were many other visitors waiting for their chance to look up close.  With that being said, I appreciated the way the museum was organized, since artwork was sorted based on the artist and the style, which made it much easier to view the artistic and historic influence of individual artists and eras.  

Once you leave the two main corridors on the top floor, the Uffizi becomes much less crowded.  It was far easier to navigate the remaining exhibits with smaller crowds and a slower-paced environment, which allowed me the freedom to explore the paintings and their stories more fully.  This was a much more fulfilling and informative experience, and it was a definite reminder that curators must be aware of their responsibility to create an atmosphere where visitors can truly take in the piece they are viewing in order to appreciate its significance, since rushing through cheapens the experience and makes it more difficult to explore the artist’s intentio

Class Discussion 2: Galleria Accademia

  On our second day in Florence my main goal was to visit two key art museums, the first on my list being The Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze, or Galleria Accademia.  This museum’s main draw is Michaelangelo’s marble statue of David, but it features a large collection of Renaissance paintings and smaller marble statues as well.  Since I was unable to prebook tickets, I arrived at the museum before it opened to ensure that I would be able to enter without waiting in line for hours, which meant that the museum was incredibly crowded once I was finally able to enter.  This made it difficult to view the majority of the paintings and smaller statues, since the sheer volume of visitors was difficult to get through in a cramped space.  With that being said, the museum was definitely laid out to maximize viewership of Michaelangelo’s David.  While other statues had been placed too close to the wall to view all angles, or displayed in close proximity to similar works, David was placed independently of any other displays on a pedestal that allowed visitors to see all angles of the statue as it towered over them.  The height and separate display made it clear that this statue was valued more highly to the curators than the rest of the exhibit, which makes sense since it is one of the most famous statues in the world, but this does make the rest of the collection seem less important by extension.  By dedicating the majority of the space to this singular piece, the Galleria Accademia creates an optimal viewing experience for the details of this statue at the expense of the other work featured in the gallery, which made it difficult to appreciate the rest of the art in its entirety.

Discussion #4 Annmarie at Accademia Gallery

 Accademia Gallery was a short 3-minute walk from our hotel in Florence. Despite this, my roommate and I woke up around 7AM to get to the gallery an hour before opening. We got dressed and quickly headed down the street. The gallery opened at 9AM and we got there at approximately 8:15AM. There were still about 10 people in line ahead of us. A few minutes later, a couple got in line behind us. The next time I looked around, there were over 50 people in line after us, and we still had about 15 minutes to open. Once the museum did open, their first priority was getting everyone with preregistered tickets inside. It took us about 10 minutes for our line to even begin moving. By around 9:30 AM, we were in. 

Inside we had two options inside the first room. We could continue the causal museum route or follow a smaller path that leads to an instrument museum. Of course, we chose the latter. There was an arrangement of different wooden instruments. I was unfamiliar with the names of the instruments but some of the cello-like ones were larger than myself!

The first exhibit outside this subsection was a bronze head of Michelangelo exhibit. The exhibit begins with 3D recreations of the bronze heads. There were mirrors behind these replicas for us viewers to get the full 360 viewpoints. We then finally saw the actual bronze heads. Each one was of Michelangelo but still looked different from the other. Some were purely heads and others were down a little past shoulder length. The attention to detail was so meticulous for each head. I couldn't imagine the patience it took to create the bronze heads.  The museum staff has my full respect for the amount of work that went into replicating each head. The brief video they showed prior to entering shows a head being scanned over and over until they are sure each dip is measured, each raise is in the right location etc. The Accademia Gallery was one of the best museums I have been to in terms of art preservation. 

Discussion #3 Annmarie At the Uffizi Gallery

 It was around four flights of stairs to get to the Uffizi Gallery. As tiring as it sounds, and believe me, my legs were melting into the staircase, the hike was more than worth it. Immediately, we entered a hall of shoulder-up sculptures. In each corner, there was a centerpiece of a much bigger sculpture.  My personal favorite was two dogs on each side of the first entrance. The artist, who was unfortunately lost in time, truly captured the eager but loyal man's best friend. 

Once inside, each corridor was separated by the individual artists. I can't help my tourist nature at times and originally my favorite was the Birth of Venus. Once I saw Botticelli's name, I knew it was time to be on the lookout. To my surprise, the painting was huge! It covered the entire wall the piece was displayed on. The lighting of the room really helped to highlight the color scheme Botticelli selected. Ocean blues and sea greens complimented Venus and others so wonderfully. The golden frame was the icing on top of the whole viewing experience.

My one of favorite paintings, of all time, is  Judith Beheading Holofernes. To my surprise, the painting was housed in the Uffizi. As soon as I saw it around the corner, I was taken aback in awe. Reading 1.99m by 1.62m dimensions online versus seeing the image in person was a mind-blowing experience. The detail level was amazing and meticulous. I could see up close the emotion involved in each character. When I closed my eyes, I felt myself inside the scene. I could smell the blood splattering, and I could hear the probable screams involved. I hope everyone feels the same way about an art piece as I do with this particular one.

Discussion #2 Annmarie At Vatican City

 Today we took a bus ride to Vatican City. Immediately, we were surrounded by arguably the best architecture both countries had to offer. Our group had the same idea of immediately heading towards St Peter's Basilica. Inside, I was entranced by every individual art piece. Each one was handcrafted with immense attention to detail. Paintings covered every square inch of the ceiling with gave the atmosphere darker lighting adding to the tranquil experience. An array of sculptures also covered the perimeter of the basilica. Some were made of stone that so perfectly etched the way clothing lies on real flesh. The metalwork is equally crafted and well maintained. My personal favorite is the arrangement of cherubs on the many pillars inside. Each is unique in appearance and yet they all fit perfectly as a whole. 

The Basicilia was also offering the chance to tour inside the Tomb of the Popes. Each Pope buried there had their own individually crafted resting place. Some had a metal sculpture of the body placed on top. This gave the feeling that I was personally attending their own funeral in real-time. I respected the Vatican's wishes and did not take any photographs of these Tombs. I encourage everyone to at least attempt to visit them to fully respect the effort the artist took to craft each piece as well as the Vatican's effort to preserve such precious pieces of history and culture alike. 

Discussion #1 Annmarie

 Due to unforeseen circumstances, I did not get the chance to visit Pompeii. I did, however, get the chance to explore the city of Sorrento a bit longer than my classmates. Unlike Rome, Sorrento was a beach town but equally filled with life. There were tons of small businesses selling everything you needed. A few of our group members and I bought a drink called limoncello. It is an alcoholic beverage made from lemon zest and is mainly produced along this coastline. To fit this theme, a lot of the shops sold other lemon-themed merch. Glass stores sold different kitchen equipment with lemons painted all over. A few stores had different styles of lemon salt and pepper shakers. Clothing stores had lemons on every clothing imaginable.  In every shop I have been to, the owners took pride in their stock and were more than happy to chat with me. Though I personally did not experience this, two of my classmates were handed an assortment of drinks and snacks to try. I was allowed to touch clothes, and hold different bottles of limoncello to decide what one I wanted. The store clerk was very happy to have me take my time and carefully pick out what bottles I would want to bring home. After deciding on two bottles, the owner carefully wrapped each individual bottle. The wrapping was so tender despite her wrapping with a speed that only comes with years of experience. You can tell she loved her job and all her customers. 

Discussion Topics

 Slight change of plans for discussion topics, as we discussed at Ostia today:

During our time in Rome, contribute a total of 5 posts (the first post about Villa Giulia / Pompeii plus 4 additional posts), each one discussing an experience that you have had of viewing a site / object / etc. Be sure to read your classmates' posts and respond to at least two using the comments.

Change for the final paper:

Choose one object, structure, or site, and analyze the viewing experience. For students in AWS 324, compare and contrast the viewing experience of three objects / structures / sites.

Discussion 1: Pompeii

In Pompeii seeing the palestra, where the Romans played their sports and did their exercise in the nude, the viewing experience was all-around look being able to be there to see the location. It was amazing to see it all in one area and look at it from all angles from how big the field was and learn more about where they would enjoy their time. they were surrounded by columns and had a vast green area to be on. Being in the nude they could be more exposed to the air and made it easier for them to play without restraints of clothing. I felt like this was an amazing experience and place to see.