Online Midterm Exam

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Online Midterm Exam

Part 1

The art is titled “The Marriage of Shiva & Parvati” and was produced between the 10^th and 11^th century to an unknown, most likely Hindu, artist. Similarly, it is based on the classical style of art that depicts antique symbols in a western tradition dating back to many decades ago. Moreover, it makes use of sandstone.

Part 2

The artwork focuses on the idea of love and the process of acquiring it from the opposite sex. In particular, Shiva is made a widower by the death of his first wife. However, the gods meet and decide to send him a reincarnate version of her who ends up being much more beautiful. As such, the sculpture is a reflection of the joy that engulfs people and its power to forge lasting friendships between complete strangers. The nature of sexual appeal is also daring due to the presentation of naked parts of the body thereby illustrating a form of modernity in which populations had begun to embrace sexuality. Additionally, the inclusion of an equal number of gods on either side of Shiva and Parvati shows the acknowledgement of gender equality and the contribution that the female gender plays in the development of the society. Likewise, the artist uses vertical lines to portray subtle emotions such as tension thereby offering a contrast to the celebratory mood. Horizontal lines are drawn as well in parallel with the objects thereby achieving an aesthetic harmony. Moreover, the piece is well lit due to the evenness of the objects that makes them less distracting. It is made from a brownish color that helps in the maintenance of the natural theme. Therefore, it shows that love is an expression of true feelings and is meant to be eternal. Their faces are beaming as well, and that is used to provide viewers with hope. Consequently, such a narrative asserts the benefits of being optimistic as that would lead to a better quality lifestyle.

Part 3

The above artwork is significant because it acts as a tribute to the gods especially Indra and Vasudeva. Such individuals were revered in the Buddhist community hence indicate the benefits of aligning oneself with them. In addition, it is a good indicator of the lifestyle of people during medieval times thereby being an archive of human evolution. Moreover, its incorporation of Asian architecture helps to diversify its audience while being informative of its heritage. Culturally, its finishing is sophisticated, and that implies that the inhabitants of the time were highly skilled as well.

Part 4

The use of animal objects symbolizes their complimentary nature with humans. For example, the inclusion of the cobra is meant to underscore the energy that can suffice when an individual awakens certain emotions. Furthermore, the serpent is meant to create more texture thus improving the aesthetic beauty of the sculpture. Moreover, the artist uses curvy lines to build an impression of continuous motion. By so doing, the art appears interactive since it becomes appealing to the viewer. Likewise, the use of a black background is vital in creating a color contrast, which highlights the symbols on display more easily. As such, audiences undergo less strain while observing the artwork. Contours and boundaries are well carved with smooth finishes thereby making the details conspicuous in order to highlight the different genders, as well as themes. In fact, the engraving is so precise that the images are realistic hence achieving the intended purpose.