Etruscan Mirrors Vs. Cloud Gate
Modern versus Ancient, 2006 versus 300 B.C. and in some regards a culture versus a culture. The two pieces of art at face value are inconceivable to compare and seem distinctively different. Though, many differences there are a few similarities between the two pieces of art; The Etruscan Mirrors and The Cloud Gate that stem beyond the looks and into the symbolism and meaning for creation and the attempted message that the artists were trying to convey.
Starting with the Etruscan Mirrors which were created by the Etruscans. A “civilization which flourished between c. 1000 and 100 B.C” (Adams 181) These mirrors were a specific combination of tin and copper together creating a cast bronze. These Mirrors were very telling of the connection between Etruscan Art and the Etruscan women. It was a very telling history indeed as Women in ancient times were predominantly shadowed by men, but the text from Art Across Time explains differently. “Judging from Etruscan art, Etruscan women participated more in public life with their husbands and help higher positions than in ancient Greece” (185) These Mirrors were very telling with the backs of them being carved into intricate designs. “The image on the reverse of Etruscan mirrors generally showed pictures of Women, often in a mythological context” (Baccolini). To illustrate these images that were engraved, please see figure one at the end of the paper, the figure specifically shows the given detail that the Etruscans used to engrave these amazing depictions of women in mythology. In addition, these mirrors have a unique finding, in that history finds, “the mirrors are found only in the graves of women.” Which, in my opinion means one of two things, the Etruscans either valued the public image of Women, or rested a heavy value on the mythological meaning behind the engraved scene on the reverse side of the mirror. The Etruscan Mirrors created between 530 – 100 B.C. have plenty of formal elements of art. Including lines which are exquisitely and efficiently carved including converging lines to create the handle, into a curved line making the circle convex mirror. We can infer that the texture of the Etruscan mirrors where smooth on the handle and edges, with the rough engraved depictions on the back. It’s hard to argue the color of the Mirrors as they were cast in bronze, meaning a variety of metallic colors between orange and brown to see an Etruscan mirror now, you would see a range of light and dark greens due to chemical reactions of the copper alloys within the bronze metal. Transitioning to the next piece of Art the Cloud Gate a very original work of art by the British visionary Anish Kapoor unveiled in 2005 the Cloud Gate was worked on extensively and had many phases of work costing 20+ million dollars. Though located in Millennium Park, Chicago …show more content…
I have seen it on quite a few occasions, walking the Lake Michigan boardwalk, or heading to Soldier Field, to watch the Chicago Bears play. Not only did the Cloud Gate take three years just to create, when it was shipped and constructed in Millennium Park, it was hidden underneath a large tarp for approximately 7-9 months. This is where I have a unique connection and one of the main reasons I chose to pick this work of art for this paper. A 24-person crew, in 2005 took to the task of polishing this beautiful sculpture to a mirror like finish (see figure 2). My Dad owned as business in Schaumburg, Illinois; a power tool repair company, he estimates that he had repaired approximately 100 polishers that were used in five different phases in the polishing of the Cloud Gate, how cool is that! A striking resemblance to how the reflective surfaces of the Etruscan Mirrors were created. “The reflecting disc was highly polished to give a sharp, detailed image. Most were slightly concave, so that held at arm’s length much of the upper body would be in view. The alloy was copper with about 7-11% tin and less than 1% lead, resulting in a yellowish metal and, consequently, a yellowish image.” (British Museum) Keppler also mentions that twice a year they drench the Cloud Gate in 40 gallons of tide and power wash to keep it shiny and
Modern versus Ancient, 2006 versus 300 B.C. and in some regards a culture versus a culture. The two pieces of art at face value are inconceivable to compare and seem distinctively different. Though, many differences there are a few similarities between the two pieces of art; The Etruscan Mirrors and The Cloud Gate that stem beyond the looks and into the symbolism and meaning for creation and the attempted message that the artists were trying to convey.
Starting with the Etruscan Mirrors which were created by the Etruscans. A “civilization which flourished between c. 1000 and 100 B.C” (Adams 181) These mirrors were a specific combination of tin and copper together creating a cast bronze. These Mirrors were very telling of the connection between Etruscan Art and the Etruscan women. It was a very telling history indeed as Women in ancient times were predominantly shadowed by men, but the text from Art Across Time explains differently. “Judging from Etruscan art, Etruscan women participated more in public life with their husbands and help higher positions than in ancient Greece” (185) These Mirrors were very telling with the backs of them being carved into intricate designs. “The image on the reverse of Etruscan mirrors generally showed pictures of Women, often in a mythological context” (Baccolini). To illustrate these images that were engraved, please see figure one at the end of the paper, the figure specifically shows the given detail that the Etruscans used to engrave these amazing depictions of women in mythology. In addition, these mirrors have a unique finding, in that history finds, “the mirrors are found only in the graves of women.” Which, in my opinion means one of two things, the Etruscans either valued the public image of Women, or rested a heavy value on the mythological meaning behind the engraved scene on the reverse side of the mirror. The Etruscan Mirrors created between 530 – 100 B.C. have plenty of formal elements of art. Including lines which are exquisitely and efficiently carved including converging lines to create the handle, into a curved line making the circle convex mirror. We can infer that the texture of the Etruscan mirrors where smooth on the handle and edges, with the rough engraved depictions on the back. It’s hard to argue the color of the Mirrors as they were cast in bronze, meaning a variety of metallic colors between orange and brown to see an Etruscan mirror now, you would see a range of light and dark greens due to chemical reactions of the copper alloys within the bronze metal. Transitioning to the next piece of Art the Cloud Gate a very original work of art by the British visionary Anish Kapoor unveiled in 2005 the Cloud Gate was worked on extensively and had many phases of work costing 20+ million dollars. Though located in Millennium Park, Chicago …show more content…
I have seen it on quite a few occasions, walking the Lake Michigan boardwalk, or heading to Soldier Field, to watch the Chicago Bears play. Not only did the Cloud Gate take three years just to create, when it was shipped and constructed in Millennium Park, it was hidden underneath a large tarp for approximately 7-9 months. This is where I have a unique connection and one of the main reasons I chose to pick this work of art for this paper. A 24-person crew, in 2005 took to the task of polishing this beautiful sculpture to a mirror like finish (see figure 2). My Dad owned as business in Schaumburg, Illinois; a power tool repair company, he estimates that he had repaired approximately 100 polishers that were used in five different phases in the polishing of the Cloud Gate, how cool is that! A striking resemblance to how the reflective surfaces of the Etruscan Mirrors were created. “The reflecting disc was highly polished to give a sharp, detailed image. Most were slightly concave, so that held at arm’s length much of the upper body would be in view. The alloy was copper with about 7-11% tin and less than 1% lead, resulting in a yellowish metal and, consequently, a yellowish image.” (British Museum) Keppler also mentions that twice a year they drench the Cloud Gate in 40 gallons of tide and power wash to keep it shiny and