In recent years the moon jar has become known as a symbol of a national Korean identity. Moon jars are made of porcelain and have a large, spherical body that is made in two separate halves which...Show moreIn recent years the moon jar has become known as a symbol of a national Korean identity. Moon jars are made of porcelain and have a large, spherical body that is made in two separate halves which are luted together. The vessel emerged out of practicality and was appreciated for its purposefulness and distinctly Korean aesthetics. From the colonial period onwards, the vessel was reinterpreted by Japanese scholars to suit their colonial narrative. Following liberation of colonial rule, the moon jar was elevated to the status of a national symbol and promoted through active strategies of cultural diplomacy. Nowadays, the moon jar is approached aesthetically and philosophically in American and British Museum. By analyzing catalog text it can be concluded that the moon jar is seen as an exemplary artwork representing Chosôn aesthetics and philosophical values.Show less
The English countryside is dotted with old parish churches, often there since Medieval times and seemingly untouched. But appearances are deceptive and most of them, if not all, did change...Show moreThe English countryside is dotted with old parish churches, often there since Medieval times and seemingly untouched. But appearances are deceptive and most of them, if not all, did change considerably, and probably at least twice. The first major transformation happened in the 16th and early 17th century when after the Reformation churches were adapted from catholic places of worship into buildings fitting a new protestant liturgy. More surprisingly a second drastic transformation happened in the mid 19-hundreds, then vice-versa, altering churches backwards into more catholic settings for still protestant worship. This thesis examines the last, which not only generated huge changes in internal arrangements, layouts and furnishings, often beyond recognition, but also left us the churches we are familiar with and indeed established the blueprint for all churches in the Anglican and Episcopal community worldwide. In general churches were adapted according to a new concept created by an obviously successful and powerful movement, aiming for revitalisation of the Church of England: the Ecclesiological Society. Although the result of some compromising and adoption of ideas of others, their ecclesiological concept was strict and detailed, aiming for an ideal setting for Anglican worship based on 14th century forms, but which in fact was totally new and neither Medieval nor Anglican. A concept that required, and indeed generated, not only a radical internal rearrangement and refurnishing, altering churches from pulpit focusing auditoriums into sacramental spaces orientated to the altar, but also a full restyling into the only style befitted for truly Christian, English churches: the Middle Pointed Style. Many writers see the mid 19-hundreds as a period of revolution in which churches en-masse were transformed according to the ecclesiological principles: rigidly and rigorously. Broadly speaking this may be true. Still, three different cases of church remodelling, although providing only a tiny impression, show differently. St. Andrew’s Church in Castle Combe, Bath Abbey and St. Eadburgha’s in Broadway all got their ecclesiological arrangements, but neither of them to the full. And more noticeable, neither of them was restyled into the preferred Middle Pointed Style. The ecclesiological transformations may generally have been rapid and rigid, but certainly some churches followed their own patterns and paces, determined by facts such as the churchmanship and position of the incumbent or the significance and role of the church in the community.Show less
Research master thesis | Arts and Culture (research) (MA)
open access
This thesis concerns the Afro-Brazilian cult of Candomblé, focusing on the work of Pierre Verger. The research presents Candomblé as a cultural-religious practice, which is the result of a cross...Show moreThis thesis concerns the Afro-Brazilian cult of Candomblé, focusing on the work of Pierre Verger. The research presents Candomblé as a cultural-religious practice, which is the result of a cross-cultural exchange, referring to the photography and discourse of Pierre Verger and other authors, such as Reginaldo Prandi, Roger Bastide and Babatunde Lawal. This work introduces Pierre Verger’s intimate relationship with Candomblé and the north-eastern Brazilian state of Bahia. The thesis reviews the history and constitution of Candomblé in the slave trade context of colonialism, its Yoruba roots, mythology, public ritual and initiation rite. Finally, the thesis attempts to frame Candomblé in an art historical perspective through the Yoruba metaphor of artistic creativity and the concept of orí.Show less
The observation of evolutionary processes in cultural expression and art can be traced back to antiquity and has played an important role in historiography and the human sciences in general for...Show moreThe observation of evolutionary processes in cultural expression and art can be traced back to antiquity and has played an important role in historiography and the human sciences in general for centuries. However, over time the notion of directed cultural development towards a point of hypothetical perfection, as well as the corresponding belief in cultural developmental stages, came to be considered out-dated and suspect.The 20th-century abandonment of evolutionist art history is mainly due to the insight that one cannot establish what constitutes ‘improvement’ or ‘increasing complexity’ in the visual arts. Up until the Modern period a sense of directed progress was seen in the perceived improvement in mimetic quality of the artworks. The famous 20th-century art historian Ernst Gombrich in particular strongly believed in an ascending line towards ever-increasing realism. The present thesis concerns the uses of the metaphor of Darwinian evolution for the study of art history. How did evolutionism, before and after Darwin, develop in art historical writing? And how can a renewed analysis of the resemblances between biological evolution and art history resolve earlier problems with evolutionism and result in a reappraisal of the metaphor? The structure of the thesis is twofold. Firstly, we will look at the role of evolutionism in art history, both with respect to a pre-Darwinian, general sense of evolution and to a Darwinian, specifically biological sense. This historical overview will describe the general tendency to read art history as a process of gradual development towards ‘improvement’ and the role biological evolution has played in this perspective. Secondly, this thesis proposes a new role for the metaphor of biological evolution within the field of art history.Show less
