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Period: 2701 BCE to
Beauty In Humanities
My timeline's theme is beauty. I picked beauty because of its human connection. Beauty can be found in anything. It is universally understood by all humans. Despite societies having different interpretations, beauty brings cultures together through its appreciation. -
2700 BCE
Standard of Ur
I find the Standard of Ur beautiful because it shows a glimpse into the past . I love how the Sumerians chose to emphasize war, the most prevalent part of what was then, current society. The box is also decorated with precious gems that display striking colors of red, blue and white.
(M1) -
2300 BCE
Epic of Gilgamesh
What I find most beautiful about the Epic of Gilgamesh is the theme. Gilgamesh seeks eternal life to no avail. He accepts his immortality and learns to make the most of his mortal life. I love how the Epic of Gilgamesh tackles a universal part of the human experience, mortality.
(M1) -
543 BCE
Nirvana
Nirvana is the ultimate goal of a buddhist. Nirvana’s beauty lies with its peacefulness. Nirvana is the escape from the suffering cycle of rebirth. If one relinquishes greed and ignorance the reward is freedom from suffering.
(M3) -
470
Dialectical Method
What I find beautiful about the Dialectical Method is how it encourages the pursuit of truth. It promotes critical thinking and explores new ideas with curious bystanders. It is always beautiful to see wisdom flourish in a society.
(M2) -
Hamlet - Shakespeare
The beauty of Hamlet lies in its creative approach to a protagonist. Shakespeare portrays Hamlet not as a classical hero but as a human who is plagued with uncertainty and guilt. Throughout the play he is seen doubting himself and questions his own actions. I think this brilliantly gives the play depth.
(M10) -
Tabula Rasa
Tabula Rasa is Latin for blank slate. John Locke states a person is born without any experience or knowledge. What I find beautiful about Tabula Rasa is the innate innocence a human being is born with. Theoretically all humans are born as good people.
(M2) -
Ozymandias - Percy Bysshe Shelley
The Beauty of Ozymandias is found in its humility. It tells a tale of a great king with a great kingdom who loses everything to the force of time. It's a reminder that we came from nothing and will end up as nothing.
(M4) -
Impression Sunrise - Claude Monet
I think Impression Sunrise beautifully captures tranquility. The landscape was made with only calm blue and orange tones. The sun casts a soft glow of sunshine. Lastly the waters are low and slowly shifting. These details were chosen ( in my opinion ) to disproportionately emphasize the feeling of peacefulness.
(M5) -
Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte - Georges Seurat
The beauty of Sunday Afternoon is seen in its pointillism style. George Seurat pioneered a novel way of painting called pointillism. By using only fine points he is able to control the form of objects. The trees have hazing, fuzzy features. However, juxtaposed are the sharp features of the people's clothing, umbrellas and other accessories. It's impressive how Seurat can choose when to emphasize or blur a detail.
(M5) -
Emily Dickinson - “Hope” is the thing with feathers
“Hope” is beautiful because it inspires determination. I loved how Emily Diskinson portrays determination as a strong hopeful bird. As long as you have hope you can overcome anything.
(M4) -
A Trip to the Moon - Georges Méliès
A Trip to the moon is beautiful because it shows us a world different from our own. The film takes a whimsical approach to science fiction. It's fascinating to see how different science fiction was in 1902.
(M11) -
The Persistence of Memory - Salvador Dali
The Persistence of Memory beautifully visualizes a fading memory. The painting is scattered with figures that are familiar but unrecognizable. Stretching clocks symbolize time melting and warping. I think it's a brilliant way to capture the inaccuracy of human memory.
(M5) -
Falling Water - Frank Lloyd Wright
Falling Water is a beautiful synchronization between nature and architecture. The house seamlessly flows with mother nature. You never leave the calmness and tranquility of nature. The best detail is the construction, using only organic materials such as stone and wood.
(M7) -
The Agony of War - Salvador Dali
The Agony of War is beautiful because of its social message. A decrepit fearful head stands in the middle of an isolated barren landscape. It bares endless faces symbolizing the never ending death of war. Those who profit from war are shown as snakes. They rush in from the sides and mutilate the head, even after it has decayed. Salvador Dali uniquely portrays the effects of conflict on humanity.
(M5) -
Autumn Rhythm - Jackson Pollock
Autumn Rhythm is a beautiful interpretation of fall. The swift movement of the painting reminds me of falling leaves. Autumn Rhythm is also rich with the traditional colors of fall. This painting beautifully strips Fall down to its most iconic features.
(M5) -
Two Young Man by Lake - Henri Cartier-Bresson
“Two Young Men by Lake” is beautiful because of the social message. The perspective / angle tells the story. The black men are depressingly looking at their reflection. While The White House oppressively stands over them in the distance. Henri Cartier-Bresson cleverly captures the somber sentiment of this dark time with nothing more than three subjects.
(M9) -
Rock and Roll
For this module we listened to different genres of influential music. So I decided to share one of my favorite rock songs. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts 1- 5) by Pink Floyd. This song is a 14 minute progressive psychedelic rock experience. The most beautiful aspects are the singing, composition/ progression, and the guitar effects.
(M6) -
Dattan - Kazuo Shiraga
DATTAN is a painting made with an out of the box technique. Shiraga uses unorthodox methods for the production of his paintings. Beauty can be found in the unique creative process. I also find the expression beautiful. The vivid contrasting colors are captivating. I believe they express anger and haste. Along with the brush strokes, the colors create a strong movement seen across the whole painting. The movement is fluid, similar to water.
(M5) -
Cafe Deutschland 1 - Jörg Immendorff
This wont let me put the full description (Character limit ). Please see emailed document. -
The Internet
Although the Internet is not classically beautiful. Beauty can be found in its connectivity. The Internet breaks down barriers between humans. Ideas can be transmitted in seconds rather than the days previously required. The new world of a connected society is thanks to the internet.
(M8)