Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Symbolism in art Egypt History'

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2103.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Ancient Egyptian art and artefacts reveal a great deal about the culture and beliefs of this civilization. It was a civilization steeped in myth, symbolism and imagery. Tomb art has been extensively analysed and studied in an effort to reveal the essential way of life of the Ancient Egyptians, their religious beliefs and their philosophy of life. It is agreed that symbolism was an inherent part of their lives and beliefs. They looked to nature and observed the behaviour of animals, plants, the environment and also the weather to attempt to rationalize the world they lived in. Their close observation of behaviour patterns in nature resulted in a complex hierarchy of gods and goddesses who were accountable for successful living. Among the animal kingdom, certain animals gained such distinction that they were linked to certain deities. The scarab beetle is one such creature. Insects featured variously in their art, their myths and their belief in magic. While the scarab beetle is possibly the most documented of the insects, other insects such as the bee, the fly, the locust and the praying mantis have all been investigated. The butterfly features frequently in Ancient Egyptian art and yet has not been the subject of in-depth study. This investigation attempts to examine the symbolism and significance of the butterfly in Ancient Egypt. Richard Wilkinson (1994) has provided a framework for analysing symbolism in Egyptian art. He suggests nine aspects which can be examined in order to reveal symbolism. In this study, a selection of art from various dynasties is systematically examined according to these nine aspects. Each art work portrays the butterfly. Through this careful examination it is hoped that a clearer indication of the role of the butterfly in Ancient Egypt will be obtained. Having discussed all nine aspects for each of the sources, a discussion and various conclusions follow which look at the trends which appear. Certain patterns emerge which indicate that the butterfly does indeed play a significant role as a symbol in Ancient Egypt.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Antieke Egiptiese kuns en artefakte openbaar baie oor die kultuur en oortuigings van hierdie beskawing. Dit was 'n beskawing ryk aan mites, simboliek en beelde. Grafkuns is deeglik ontleed en bestudeer in 'n poging om die wesenlike lewenswyse van die antieke Egiptenare, hul godsdienstige oortuigings en lewensfilosofie te openbaar. Daar word saamgestem dat simboliek 'n inherente deel van hul lewens en oortuigings uitgemaak het. Hulle het op die natuur gesteun en die gedrag van diere, plante, die omgewing en ook die weer waargeneem om te probeer om hul lewenswêreld te verklaar. Hul noukeurige waarneming van natuurverskynsels het tot 'n komplekse hiërargie van gode en godinne gelei wat vir 'n suksesvolle lewe verantwoordelik was. Sekere diere in die diereryk was so besonders dat hulle met sekere gode en godinne verbind was. Die skarabee kewer is een so 'n skepsel. Insekte verskyn onder andere in hul kuns, hul mites en hul geloof in magie. Terwyl die skarabee moontlik die mees gedokumenteerde insek was, is ander insekte soos bye, vlieë, sprinkane, en die bidsprinkaan ook almal ondersoek. Die skoenlapper verskyn gereeld in die antieke Egiptiese kuns, maar was nog nie die onderwerp van 'n grondige studie nie. Hierdie studie poog om die simboliek en belangrikheid van die skoenlapper in antieke Egipte te ontleed. Richard Wilkinson (1994) verskaf 'n raamwerk vir die ontleding van simboliek in Egiptiese kuns. Hy het nege aspekte voorgestel wat bestudeer kan word om die simboliek te openbaar. In hierdie studie, word 'n seleksie kuns van verskillende dinastieë, sistematies aan die hand van dié nege aspekte ontleed. Elke kunswerk beeld die skoenlapper uit. Deur hierdie noukeurige ondersoek, word daar gehoop dat die rol van die skoenlapper in antieke Egipte duideliker voorskyn. Na die bespreking van al nege aspekte vir elk van die bronne, volg daar 'n bespreking met verskillende gevolgtrekkings wat kyk na die tendense wat voorkom. Sekere patrone kom te voorsyn wat daarop dui dat die skoenlapper wel 'n belangrike rol as 'n simbool in antieke Egipte gespeel het.

Art History
Ph.D.
This dissertation focuses on the Red Monastery church, an early Byzantine monument located in Egypt. A monastic community which came to be known as the Red Monastery joined an ascetic federation led by the nearby White Monastery. In the fifth century C.E., the monks of the White and Red Monasteries commissioned monumental church buildings. The Red Monastery church is a smaller copy of the White Monastery church. Both are triconch basilicas, and their enclosure walls imitate the external profiles of pharaonic temples. The interior elevations of the two church sanctuaries adopt an architectural type called multistory aedicular façades. These kinds of façades adorned elite public buildings in the eastern Mediterranean region. Although a lot of scholarship has been done on the White Monastery and its famous abbot Shenoute (ca. 346-465 C.E.), the Red Monastery church was almost completely overlooked until recently. Between 2000 and 2015, Elizabeth S. Bolman directed a major multidisciplinary project that focused on the triconch sanctuary of the Red Monastery church. Its ensemble of architectural sculpture, polychromy, and figural paintings is virtually intact. Bolman and Dale Kinney have substantially advanced the state of knowledge about monastic visual culture in late antique Egypt by focusing on the Red Monastery church. My dissertation builds on their conclusions. I have identified a different perspective from which to understand the late antique triconch at the Red Monastery. The category of sacred spectating is the interpretive lens through which I view this building.
Temple University--Theses

The contents here in examine the artistic process undertaken by Vanessa Fassie to create the mixed media work, reunion. The subjects of fear, archetypal symbolism, personal and collective histories were examined through research, archival evidence, video, sound, movement, and installation. reunion, examines not only the powers of personal and collective histories through the symbolic language of archetypes, but also how fear manifests and evolves through time. The culmination of this work was the creation of an installation within the Anderson Gallery at Virginia Commonwealth University. This Thesis was created through the use of Microsoft Word 2004.

The purpose of this thesis was to explore how alchemy has influenced Carlos Estevez’s work through a study of the symbolic repertoire and the philosophical concepts associated with it in his art, particularly how these are expressed in his artworks and how alchemy has evolved thematically in his oeuvre. The study of alchemy influenced this artist so deeply that even pieces that were not primarily inspired by this philosophical system show traces of it, essentially by representing the concept of transformation, crucial to understanding the alchemical process. This thesis is based on Carl Gustav Jung’s idea of metaphysical transformation as one of the main aspects of alchemy, and on his theory of active imagination as a tool to represent thoughts through artworks. Alchemy transformed Estevez’s art, and by extension the way he approaches life, making him conscious of the importance of transmutation and alchemical concepts.

From approximately 1900 until 1914, Odilon Redon worked almost exclusively on decorative projects, both privately and publicly commissioned. Additionally, he created numerous uncomissioned decorative works - highly ornamental paintings with decorative subject matter that were conceived of by the artist himself as decorations. Yet despite the fact that decorative works made up a significant portion of Redon's late oeuvre, he is rarely considered as a major figure within the decorative arts movement at the turn of the century, unlike his contemporaries Paul Gauguin and the Nabis. His close involvement with these artists, as well as his affiliation with a number of the same important critics, makes his exclusion from discussion of the decorative revival all the more surprising. There has been very little scholarship on Redon's decorative works that consider them in in relation to the international decorative movement. Nevertheless, his late works actively engaged with the avant-garde aesthetic theories of the time. My dissertation will place Redon in the context of the decorative and Symbolist art movements by examining the profusion of decorative projects with which he was involved during the last decades of his career. By considering important themes within these movements, like elevation of craft arts, the encouragement of floral designs, the revival of religious and mythological subject matter, and principles regarding the unification of the arts, I argue that Redon warrants consideration as a decorative painter at the turn of the century in France. My first chapter introduces the idea of the decorative revival in the nineteenth century, and considers the way the definition of the term "decorative" evolved during the period. I also present the historiography of Redon scholarship, as it relates to his decorative works. The second chapter examines the historical background of the decorative and Symbolist movements in the nineteenth century. I focus first on the pan-European decorative revival, especially in England and Belgium, then examining how this influenced French art. The Symbolist artistic movement developed simultaneously, and as such, I will examine the ways in which the two movements overlapped. Finally, I consider how Redon's artistic development was affected in this aesthetic climate. Subsequent chapters examine specific themes in Redon's decorative oeuvre, and how these related to ideas and undercurrents in the general decorative and Symbolist art movements. Chapter three focuses on flowers and nature as decoration, exploring the increase of floral imagery in both decoration and Symbolist painting, and how Redon adapted his own artistic language from these influences. Chapter four examines the revival of traditional imagery from religious and mythological subjects, as well as occultist themes, and explores the way Redon used his decorative style to create new symbolic meanings for these themes. Chapter five focuses on Redon's murals at the Abbaye de Fontfroide, in which I argue that they represent a modern Gesamtkunstwerk. My final chapter underscores Redon's place within the decorative and Symbolist movements and examines the influence he exerted on his contemporaries through his use of the decorative arts.

This study considers the relief decoration of private tombs in Lower Egypt in the period 664-332 BC. The basis for analysis is a chronologically arranged descriptive catalogue, which includes both isolated blocks in museum collections and tombs whose location is known. The present condition of the relief and its content are described in detail there. Texts are considered where they provide infotmation on provenance and dating, and hand-copies are provided. Each piece is illustrated in the plate volume. Enough of the material can be dated by textual evidence to provide a solid framework for stylistic ordering of the remainder. The resulting chronology has important implications, dividing the period into two major phases, covering the seventh and sixth centuries, and the fourth century, separated by a hiatus in production of tomb reliefs. The chronology proposed eliminates the possibility that either Greeks or Persians exercised any significant influence on Egyptian art before the very end of the period. Instead, native tradition emerges as the primary inspiration for Late Period artists. Two sources stand out. The first is the Old-Middle Kingdom tomb repertory (archaism), the second is the New Kingdom tradition carried on in the minor arts, a source largely-ignored hitherto. These were not slavishly copied, but adapted and "modernized" to suit the taste of the time. The independence and creativity of Late Period artists is emphasized. A discussion of stylistic development in light of the dating system is given, and several themes are analyzed in detail as illustrations of the larger issues raised.

The purpose of this science of Art History research paper is to find out the meaning of Cats in Art. I have limited my studies to the Nationalmuseums picture gallery and found forty paintings with cats. I have chosen sixteen of these to furthur analyze typographically and chronologically from a symbolic perspective. The forty paintings from the Nationalmuseum were created during four centuries, with the first being painted in the Sixteenth Century. I have studied the cats dimensional placement in the picture, if the cat is in an outdoor or indoor environment, with people and if the cat is active or passive. I have studied which color the cat has in the motive, if it is painted on the left or right side of the picture and if the cat as at symbol enhances the motives.

This dissertation explores interchanges and connections between Rome and Egypt that occurred during the four decades immediately following Egypt’s annexation into the Roman Empire in 30 B.C.E. The dissertation focuses on five temple precincts that were expanded under the first Roman emperor, Augustus (27 B.C.E.–14 C.E.), who as new ruler of Egypt, continued the venerable practice of building cult temples. In order to gauge the level of imperial support and analyze how local and imperial precedents were combined at temple sites, the dissertation compares the built space at sacred sites in three regions. The comparison reveals programmatic emphasis on areas where public worship occurred over inaccessible areas reserved for the gods, and that the combination of local and imperial elements strengthened cultic connections to each region’s center. Five chapters demonstrate temples in the Augustan period were created to encourage continued public use and worship by forming space where public veneration could be carried out, and by integrating pharaonic and imperial elements appropriate for the temple precincts’ transcultural local and visiting audience. This analysis indicates that temples in Augustan Egypt, like those in other areas of the Roman world, were tied to the existing traditions of the local community, engaged with new imperial elements, and were designed to encourage public involvement and continued use. Through encouragement by Augustus and his advisors, religion and culture mediated change as Egypt was annexed as a Roman province.

Art History
M.A.
Homoerotic images date back as early as 800 BCE in Persian art. Examples of homoeroticism in the arts continue in the works of the Greeks and Romans. A sharp decline in the subject coincided with the rise of Christianity and the demonization of homosexuality in Europe between 300-1000 CE. This notion of homosexuality as depraved and sinful behavior became embedded in European culture for over a millennium, and some parts of the world still believe this to be true. Criminalization of homosexuality forced most homosexual artists to hide any references to their own sexuality in their works, a practice known as “encoding,” which allowed for symbols to be hidden “in plain sight” and without context. Among the most prominent mainstream artists to utilize homosexual coding in his work was the modern American artist Marsden Hartley. Through the hidden symbols in the 1914-1915 “War Images” of his “Amerika” series, Hartley expressed his grief for his likely lover Karl van Freyberg, who had passed away following the outbreak of the Great War in 1914. Following in the footsteps of Hartley queer artists working in later generations utilized similar methods of encoding to express their sexuality in a guarded fashion. Operating in the 1950s and 60s, the artists Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns used varying methods of encoding to disguise references to their sexuality in their work. Such encoding would become a major theme of the “queer aesthetic,” where queer artists encoded symbols through semiotic methods such as floating or dual signifiers to convey their homosexuality in a covert way. In pioneering the concept of encoding, Marsden Hartley gave several generations of artists a means of expressing their sexuality in their works without being fully “out of the closet,” or revealing their sexual identity.
Temple University--Theses

La premiere partie de ces recherches porte sur l'etude de l'architecture des dernieres pyramides de l'ancien empire d'egypte, celles des rois ounas, teti, pepi 1er, merenre et pepi ii (fin de la cinquieme et sixieme dynastie, environ 2355-2160 av. J. C. ). La seconde partie analyse la construction interne de ces monuments pour tenter de mieux en saisir la fonction. On voit se stabiliser une architecture symbolique, qui, associee desormais aux "textes des pyramides" correspond a l'aboutissement des tentatives menees par les architectes-theologiens depuis le debut de la troisieme dynastie (environ 2640 av. J. C. ) pour assurer au tombeau royal le maximum d'efficacite spirituelle. Les nouvelles donnees archeologiques revelees par l'etude des enterrements royaux suggere une approche historique plus nuancee, notament sur la duree des regnes
THE FIRST PART OF THESE RESEARCH INDUCE AN ARCHITECTURAL STUDY OF THE LAST PYRAMIDS OF THE EGYPTIAN OLD KINGDOM, THOSE OF THE KINGS UNIS, TETI, PEPI THE IST, MERENRA AND PEPI THE IIND (END OF THE FITH AND SIXTH DYNASTY, CIRCA 2355-2160 B. C. ). THE SECOND PART ANALYSE THE INTERNAL BUILDING OF THE MONUMENTS IN ORDER TO TRY AN UNDERSTANDING OF ITS FONCTION. FROM NOW ON AND IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE "PYRAMID TEXTS", A MORE SYMBOLIC ARCHITECTURE BECOMES STABLE, AS A FULFILMENT OF THE ATTEMPS CARRIED BY THE ARCHITECTS THEOLOGISTS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE THIRD DYNASTY (CIRCA 2640 B. C. ), TO SECURE THE ROYAL TOMB WITH A MAXIMUM OF SPIRITUAL EFFICIENCY. THE NEW ARCHAEOLOGICAL DATA, REVELED BY THE STUDY OF THE ROYAL BURIALS, SUGGEST A DIFFERENT HISTORICAL APPROACH SPECIALY FOR THE length OF THE REIGNS

During the interwar period in Iran and Egypt, local and regional manifestation of tajadod/al-jidida (modernity) as a “cultural identity crisis” created the nationalist image and practice of zan-e emrouzi-e shahri/al-mar’a al-jidida al-madani (the urban/secular “New Woman”). The dynamics of the process involved performance art, including the covert medium of journalism and the overt world of the performing arts of music, play, and cinema. The image of the “New Woman” as asl/al-asala (cultural authenticity) connected sonnat/al-sunna (tradition) with the global trends of modernism, linking pre-nineteenth century popular forms of performing arts to new genres, forms, and social experiences of the space of the performing arts. The subversive transnational character of performance art operated across borders to promote both the discourse of modern womanhood in-the-making among intellectuals, and the public practice of women’s presence among the masses. However, the trans-border effects of the medium were limited by local cultural and political ideologies of nationalism. The spectacle of women on the screen addressed national independence and the creation of a national film industry to resist the financial dominance of Europeans. In Iran, zan-e emrouzi-e shahri served the project of founding a modern nation-state, elevating of a culture of the city and urban development, and institutionalizing performing arts, mirroring the upholding of “male-guardianship.” In Egypt, in the absence of an authoritarian modern state and long-term experience of foreign occupations, al-mar’a al-jidida al-madani accompanied the traditional figure of bint al-balad (the countryside girl) to present modern advancements in film production with a traditional accent, to oppose European cultural values, to provide a tangible space for women’s multifaceted anti-colonial maneuvering, and to connect Egypt’s past history to its future. Performance art helped women to convey their cultural nationalism and a sense of imagined identity by letting them see and be seen by each other, create interactions between the artist and the audience, and emphasize music as the heart of a society’s culture and art. A culture of body performance, a female visual public sphere, and a feminine (and feminist) interpretation of cultural authenticity in performance art led women to claim the profession as a legitimate career.

Art History
Ph.D.
In Painting in Paris: Vincent Van Gogh, 1886-1888, Christa DiMarco explores the two-year period Van Gogh lived and worked in Paris. The paintings the artist made in The Netherlands, where he lived prior to Paris, and those he produced in Arles, where he moved afterward, usually receive scholarly attention. The imagery from the artist’s time in the capital is generally marginalized. DiMarco considers how and why the artist used a brighter palette and energetic brushwork while painting in Paris. Considering that his artistic practice spanned only a decade from 1880 to 1890, the artist’s time in the capital represents a significant period of growth in terms of his engagement with the art market, his exposure to avant-garde imagery, and his understanding of Symbolist theory in the visual arts. Van Gogh accomplished significant goals in Paris, though some of his well-developed imagery does not necessarily figure into discussions regarding the canonical paintings of the artist’s body of work. Attention to the Paris-period not only locates Van Gogh’s pictorial development within the context of the Impressionists and Neo-Impressionists, but also establishes the ways in which the artist diverged from the artistic aims of the Parisian avant-garde, such as Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro, as he developed his Symbolic approach.
Temple University--Theses

The aim of this thesis is to approach Ptolemaic and Imperial royal sculpture in Egypt dating between 300 BC and AD 220 (the reigns of Ptolemy I and Caracalla) from a contextual point of view. To collect together the statuary items (recognised as statues, statue heads and fragments, and inscribed bases and plinths) that are identifiably royal and have a secure archaeological context, that is a secure find spot or a recoverable provenance, within Egypt. I then used this material, alongside other types of evidence such as textual sources and numismatic material, to consider the distribution, style, placement, and functions of the royal statues, and to answer the primary questions of where were these statues located? what was the relationship between statue, especially statue style, and placement? And what changes can be identified between Ptolemaic and Imperial royal sculpture? From analysis of the sculptural evidence, this thesis was able to create a catalogue of 103 entries composed of 157 statuary items, and use this to identify the different styles of royal statues that existed in Ptolemaic and Imperial Egypt and the primary spaces for the placement of such imagery, namely religious and urban space. The results of this thesis, based on the available evidence, was the identification of a division between sculptural style and context regarding the royal statues, with Egyptian-style material being placed in Egyptian contexts, Greek-style material in Greek, and Imperial-style statues associated with classical contexts. The functions of the statues appear to have also typically been closely related to statue style and placement. Many of the statues were often directly associated with their location, meaning they were an intrinsic part of the function and appearance of the context they occupied, as well as acting as representations of the monarchs. Primarily, the royal statues acted as a way to establish and maintain communication between different groups in Egypt.

Thesis (MA (Ancient Studies)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study deals with the ancient Egyptian family. Cultural anthropology is used as a point of departure to reconstruct the daily lives of the ancient Egyptians. Cultural anthropology usually applies to living communities but most of the principles it uses are just as relevant in the study of a dead culture. The emphasis of this study is on the different cultural domains, which include education, religion, family livelihoods, family recreation, entertaimnent and travel and social organization and how these are interrelated. Most of our ancient Egyptian knowledge comes from the tombs of wealthy individuals, and thus incomplete since we have no record of how peasants perceived the world, as they could not afford a good burial. Other sources are the ancient documents and artefacts from town sites all associated with wealthy individuals. While peasants were too poor to send their children to school, wealthier Egyptians did send their children to school especially boys. Agriculture was central in ancient Egyptian life. The nobility and other higher classes depended on the toil of the peasant for basic commodities and food. The peasant families in the rural areas were unable to attend the lavish festivals in the cities. Their basic focus was centred on their homes, families and on the success of the harvest. The peasant had his own private god or gods to whom he could tum for aid or comfort in times of trouble. Surplus items of food, clothing, oil and such like could be used for barter for purchasing essential items for everyday living. During their spare time the Egyptian families entertained friends, engaged in the various pastimes and travel. The peasant, as providers of food, formed an important social base for the Egyptian state.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie handel oor die Egiptiese familie. Kulturele antropologie word gebruik as metode om die daaglikse lewe van die antieke Egiptenare te rekonstrueer. Kulturele antropologie word gewoonlik op "lewende" gemeenskappe toegepas, maar die beginsels daarvan is net so relevant vir die bestudering van "dooie" kulture. Die fokus van hierdie studie is op die verskillende kulturele domeine wat insluit onderrig, religie, familie aktiwiteite, familie ontspanning, vermaak, reis en sosiale organisasie en hoe hierdie domeine op mekaar inwerk. Meeste van die kennis oor antieke Egipte word verkry uit die grafte van ryk individue en is daarom gebrekkig ten opsigte van kleinboere en hul siening van die wêreld, omdat hulle nie behoorlike grafte kon bekostig nie. Ander bronne is die antieke tekste en artefakte wat gevind word in dorpe, wat ook meestal behoort het aan ryk persone. Die kleinboere kon nie bekostig om hul kinders na 'n skool te stuur nie, maar ryk Egiptenare kon wel - veral dan seuns. Landbou was baie belangrik tot Egiptiese lewe. Die aristokrasie en ander klasse was afhanklik van die sukkelbestaan van kleinboere om hulle te voorsien van die basiese goedere en voedsel. Kleinboer families, wat in die platteland gebly het kon nie die groot feeste in die stede bywoon nie. Hul persoonlike oortuigings het daarom gefokus op die huishouding, familie en suksesvolle oeste. Kleinboere het 'n persoonlike god of gode gehad wat tot hul hulp kon kom, of troos kon bied in tye van krisis. Surplus goedere soos, onder andere, voedsel, klere en olie kon as ruilmiddel gebruik word om ander items wat benodig word, te bekom. In vrye tyd het families vriende onthaal, verskillende stokperdjies beoefen en rondgereis. Die kleinboere, as verskaffers van voedsel, het 'n belangrike sosiale basis van die Egiptiese staat gevorm.

Scholarship on Archaic and Classical Greek lamps has traditionally been in the form of typological studies and catalogues. This dissertation represents an alternative to such works, offering a fuller picture of the function of lamps in Greek life. Incorporating archaeological, iconographic, and literary evidence, the study takes a gendered approach to lamp use, examines the objects’ social and symbolic functions, and explores their conceptual place in Greek society. The core of the dissertation consists of three main chapters. Chapter two looks at women and lamps. It begins with an examination of the opening lines of Aristophanes’ Ekklesiazousai, and then assesses women’s lamp use in the home, where the objects helped women perform tasks ranging from early-morning baking to genital depilation. Their use by women at Athens during funeral processions is also considered. Indeed, women and lamps were closely linked during these periods. The objects came to symbolize domesticity and, by association, femininity. They also helped to create and perpetuate female stereotypes, and could be instrumental in controlling women’s behaviors. Women’s conceptions of their lamps grew from use: they saw them as quiet companions and perhaps emblems of burden. Chapter three investigates male lamp use. Lamps and their stands played a role in civic and private dining. They functioned on many levels within red-figure representations of the symposium, and these images offer clues about lamp use at actual symposia. When carried by individuals for street lighting, lamps facilitated travel in the dark while marking the social status of their users. Many literary references suggest that men connected the objects with the concept of exposure, of matters private as well as political, an idea connected to the objects’ use and symbolism in the female arena. Chapter four explores the significance of lamps in the contexts of burial and religion. To a certain extent, the association between women and lamps observed in the home obtained in these spheres, especially in graves on Sicily and in cults of female deities. The study and its findings expand our understanding of uses and perceptions of an often overlooked class of objects, and of gender and social dynamics in Archaic and Classical Greece.
The Classics

Art History
Ph.D.
This dissertation reframes the Danish artist Anna Ancher (1859-1935) by expanding the context in which the artist has been considered, to position her as a Symbolist, modernist and independent artist. A revered and familiar artist in Denmark, most scholars discuss her paintings in association with the development of the art colony in Skagen, an important site of Denmark's Modern Breakthrough in the 1880s. The represented image of Ancher in paintings by male colonists during this period indicated her centrality within the group, depicted her as a fashionable bourgeois wife and respectable mother, but simultaneously neglected to reference the development of her professional practice. By 1889, Ancher had sold major paintings and gained national and international recognition. Michael Ancher's portrait of his wife in reform dress in Coming Home from Market (1902) signifies her freedom from conventional gender roles. Despite her affiliation with the Skagen colony, Ancher matured as a painter during the 1890s after its heyday. At this time Danish Symbolism and Vitalism came to eclipse the Naturalist orientation of the prior decade. The painter's study in Paris in 1889 and her contacts in cosmopolitan Copenhagen forged an avant-garde network that in many ways referenced, but also resisted, movements from the urban French center. An aesthetic that draws from the ostensibly contradictory and divergent ideas of Charles Baudelaire, Hans Christian Andersen and Friedrich Nietzsche can be found in Ancher's painting, positioning her alongside other Danish Symbolists. Ancher was also a native of the Jutland peninsula, which experienced the growth of pietist movements and major shifts impacting agricultural labor. Ancher's paintings of religion and harvest at the beginning of the twentieth century challenged contemporary French primitivist images of Breton peasants, especially those of Paul Gauguin. After 1900, Ancher's increasingly abstract paintings of unoccupied interiors reflect the complex modernist shift in valuation of the dwelling and a new emphasis on minimal decoration and strong planar surfaces in the home as conducive to physical and psychological health. In her paintings of her own studio, Ancher challenged normative gendered divisions in the organization of the home and asserted her identity as an autonomous artist.
Temple University--Theses

This thesis argues that literary theory applied to political cartoons shows that cartoons are reasoned arguments. The rhetorical devices used in the cartoons mimic verbal devices used by essayists. These devices, in turn, make cartoons influential in that they have the power to persuade readers while making them laugh or smile. It also gives examples of literary theorists whose works can be applied to political cartooning, including Frederick Saussure, Mikhail Bakhtin, and Wolfgang Iser. Not only do those theorists' arguments apply to text, they also apply to pictorial representations. This thesis also discusses changes in the cartoon art form over the 250 years that American political cartoons have existed. Changes have occurred in both the way text and pictorial depictions have been presented by artists. This thesis makes some attempt to explain why the changes occurred and whether they have been for the better.

Esoterismens förekomst i konst- och kulturlivet i Sverige är särskilt utmärkande under sekelskiftet. Fenomenet har tidigare funnits i samhället men genom lagstiftningar marginaliserats till det övre samhällsskiktet och därmed förbjöds allmänheten från sådana praktiker. Esoteriska praktiker och idéer om verkligheten kan däremot spåras i modernismens konstnärliga rörelser som symbolism och abstrakt konst. Hilma af Klint var en av de konstnärerna som praktiserade esoterism och förmedlade dess ideologier i sina verk. Uppsatsens syfte är att lyfta fram fenomenet i konst under sekelskiftet och studera hur det etablerades, samt vilken effekt hade det i konst-och kulturlivet? Hur kom de esoteriska influenserna till uttryck i konst? Hur kan dess effekter spåras i ett konstnärskap? Uppsatsen utgörs av två huvudkapitel, som undersöker den esoteriska kontexten, budskapsförmedlingen i konstverk samt dess effekt i af Klints konstnärskap. Undersökningen visar att esoterism spreds till följd av modernitetens innovationer. De skapade de rätta förutsättningarna för esoterismens etablering och influerande i konst-och kulturlivet under tiden. Kultursfärens transnationella resor bidrog också till approprierande av esoteriska idéer i andra europeiska länder, som inte begränsades av lagstiftningar. Sådana idéer togs med hem till Sverige och spreds. Det abstraherade bildspråket i konstverken är sprungen ur esoteriska praktiker som seanser och automatism, samt dess verklighetsföreställningar. Därför kan bildspråket anses vara symbolladdat och refererande. Sådan konst kräver en betraktare initierad i de esoteriska visdomarna för uttolkningen av det symboliska meddelandet. Den insikten resulterade i slutsatsen att marginaliseringen av esoterismen till övresamhällsskiktet var med syftet att bevara den visdomen bland invigda i de esoteriska kunskaperna. Konstnärer som af Klint etablerade inom den kontexten, bör således omvärderas från enbart abstrakta, till möjligen missionerande spirituella sådana, som sökte återge och etablera esoteriska ideologier.

In this study I propose that transgressive interpretations of Christian iconography provide a valuable strategy for contemporary artists to engage with perceived social inequalities in postapartheid South Africa. Working in light of Michel Foucault’s idea of an “ontology of the present”, I investigate the ways in which religious iconography has been implicated in the regulation of society. Parodic reworking of Christian imagery in the selected examples is investigated as a strategy to expose these controls and offer a critique of mechanisms which produce normative ‘truths’. I also consider how such imagery has been received and the factors accounting for that reception. The study is contextualized by a brief, literary based, historical overview of Christian religious imagery to explain the strength of feeling evinced by religious images. This includes a review of the conflation of religion and state control of the masses, an analysis of the sovereign controls and disciplinary powers that they wield, and an explication of their illustration in religious iconography. I also identify reasons why such imagery may have seemed compelling to artists working in a post-apartheid context. By locating recent works in terms of those made elsewhere or South African examples prior to the period that is my focus, the works discussed are explored in terms of broader orientations in post-apartheid South African art. Artworks that respond to specific Christian iconography are discussed, including Adam and Eve, The Virgin Mary, Christ, and various saints and sinners. The selected artists whose works form the focus of this study are Diane Victor, Christine Dixie, Majak Bredell, Tracey Rose, Wim Botha, Conrad Botes, Johannes Phokela and Lawrence Lemaoana. Through transgressive depictions of Christian icons these artists address current inequalities in society. The content of their works analysed here includes (among others): the construction of both female and male identities; sexual roles, social roles, and racial identity; the social expectations of contemporary motherhood; repressive role models; Afrikaner heritage; political and social change and its effects; colonial power; sacrifice; murder, rape, and violence in South Africa; abuses of power by role models and politicians; rugby; heroism; and patricide. Christian iconography is a useful communicative tool because it has permeated many cultures over centuries, and the meanings it carries are thus accessible to large numbers of people. Religious imagery is often held sacred or is regarded with a degree of reverence, thus ensuring an emotive response when iconoclasm or transgression of any sort is identified. This study argues that by parodying sacred imagery these artists are able to disturb complacent viewing and encourage viewers to engage critically with some of its underlying implications.

Cette recherche porte sur la vie et l’œuvre de Mahmûd Mukhtâr, gloire de l’art égyptien, dont le travail prit naissance à une époque où les débats autour de l’identité nationale constituaient un enjeu crucial pour la construction de la nation moderne. En Égypte, l’idée de mettre en place un art figuratif se développa parallèlement au déploiement du pharaonisme - un courant historiciste proche du nationalisme territorial, dans lequel l’idée centrale était que la géographie était le facteur déterminant de l’histoire de l’Égypte. Dans l’historiographie de l’art égyptien, l’on a d’abord considéré l’art figuratif arabe comme en « décalage chronologique ». Si cette idée s’étendit aussi fortement, c’est parce qu’au début du XXe siècle, la modernité trouve l’une de ses expressions les plus importantes dans l’art des « avant-gardes » européennes. Mais, en réalité, au lendemain de la Grande Guerre, il émerge un mouvement de réaction favorable au retour à l’ordre classique. On qualifia dès lors de « modernistes », les œuvres d’art qui se trouvaient à mi-chemin entre ces deux tendances : le retour à l’ordre et les « avant-gardes ». C’est précisément dans ce contexte que se situe l’œuvre de Mukhtâr. De ce fait, l’objectif principal de cette thèse sera de replacer la production artistique de Mukhtâr dans les débats de son temps et de la comparer avec celle de ses collèges européens, pour remettre en question l’idée selon laquelle, l’art égyptien de l’entre-deux-guerres aurait eu un certain « retard » sur l’art européen
This thesis is about the life and works of Mahmûd Mukhtâr, glory of Egyptian art, at a time where the debates around national identity are crucial for the construction of the modern nation. In Egypt, the idea of creating figurative art was linked to the development of Pharaonism – a historicist trend close to territorial nationalism, in which the central idea was that geography was the determining factor in Egyptian history.Egyptian historiography, starts considering that Arab figurative art was in “delay” compared with that of Europe. The reason for the development of this idea was that at the beginning of the XXth Century, modernity found one of its most important expressions in European “avant-gardes”.But, in reality, after the Great War, a reactionary movement emerged. This trend favored the return to classical order, which was an art closer to Academism and figuration. We qualify as modernists, those works of art that are between these two tendencies: the return to classical order and the “avant-gardes”. It is precisely in this context where we can place Mukhtâr’s work. In this sense, the main objective of this dissertation is to compare Mukhtâr’s artistic production, with that of his European colleagues, in order to reconsider the idea of “delay” of Egyptian art created during the interwar period

This thesis will examine the iconography of late-thirteenth- through fifteenth-century images of St. Veronica's veil, also known as vernicles. In the late Middle Ages, vernicle iconography changed from iconic representations of Christ's face toward graphic imagery of Christ's suffering during his Passion. These passionate transformations, as I have called them, were affected by the Roman Sudarium relic, popular devotion to Christ's suffering and humanity during his Passion, and the Catholic ritual of Mass. This thesis will consider how the function of vernicle images during Mass was reflected in their iconography throughout Europe between 1250 and 1500.

The purpose of this work is to explore the interactions between occultism and scholarly Egyptology from 1875 to 1930. Within this timeframe, numerous esoteric groups formed that centered their ideologies on conceptions of ancient Egyptian knowledge. In order to legitimize their belief systems based on ancient Egyptian wisdom, esotericists attempted to become authoritative figures on Egypt. This process heavily impacted Western intellectualism not only because occult conceptions of Egypt became increasingly popular, but also because esotericists intruded into academia or attempted to overshadow it. In turn, esotericists and Egyptologists both utilized the influx of new information from Egyptological studies to shape their identities, consolidate their ideologies, and maintain authority on the value of ancient Egyptian knowledge. This thesis follows the Egypt-centered developments of the Freemasons, the Golden Dawn, Aleister Crowley's A∴A∴, the Theosophical Society, the Anthroposophical Society, and the Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis to demonstrate that esotericism evolved simultaneously with academia as a body of knowledge. By examining these fraternal occult groups' interactions with Egyptology, it can be better understood how esotericism has affected Western intellectualism, how ideologies form in response to new information, and the effects of becoming an authority on bodies of knowledge (in particular Egyptological knowledge). In turn, embedded in this work is a challenge to those who have downplayed or overlooked the agency of esotericists in shaping the Western intellectual tradition and preserving the legacy of ancient Egypt.

This study explores how the use of complex decorative geometric patterns in Islamic architecture spatially relates to advances in the fields of science and philosophy in the Islamic world between the ninth and fourteenth centuries. This project examines hypotheses developed by vario~s scholars on the forces that shaped the use of these patterns (known as the geometric mode) in Islamic architecture. The prevailing assumption that advances in mathematics contributed to the use of the geometric mode is used as a starting point for subsequent analysis. For this study, two spatial databases were created. One contains over two hundred and twenty monuments of Islamic architecture exhibiting the geometric mode, while the other contains over one hundred records of activity in the sciences and philosophy. From these databases, decorative geometric pattern types were classified and ranked, and scholarly activities were classified. Density maps were developed from these classes and ranks for each century, and were compared in a series of analytical overlay maps. Each map depicts the spatial relationships of the activities in question over a span of three centuries, enabling a spatio-temporal analysis of the connections between disciplines within the context of the broader cultural elements at work. These maps allow for examination of these disciplines in a new way; there has never been a spatial analysis testing the existing hypotheses until now. The density overlay maps show that some of the prevailing hypotheses are partially supported by the data, but the primary hypothesized relationship-that activity in mathematics prompted use of the geometric mode-is not applicable to all regions of the Islamic world during this time period. The spatial analysis exposes the previously overlooked possibility that the geometric mode could have influenced activity in the sciences and philosophy. This study provides tools to better understand the complex relationships among art, science, and philosophy: two spatial databases, a geographic information systems (GIS) model, and resulting analytical overlay maps. The maps produced in this project reveal examples where the quality of contact among disciplines in these very specific times and places is worth examining in greater detail.

This essay examines the performance artworks Action Pants: Genital Panic (1969), Interior Scroll (1975) and S.O.S Starification Object Series (1974-82) by artists VALIE EXPORT, Carolee Schneemann and Hannah Wilke. The objective is to analyse the expressions of these artworks, from a theoretical viewpoint of feminist art-theoreticians and their critique regarding the female body in representation. Performance- and body-art have been the subject of discussion with respect to the female nude in the history of art, and the patriarchal structures that surround it. These eminent theories about the female body in art differ from one another, leaving this study to investigate given works and the explicit body-language that unites them, with the aim to identify a favourable representation of the female body in 1960sand 70s performance art with the vantage point of these artworks. The present essay has demonstrated that vaginal iconology exists in all works and can be presented in various ways. It becomes clear that the work of VALIE EXPORT provides a framework most suitable as a feminist, critical strategy to counteract the notion of the male gaze, framing, and representation of the body as commodity in capitalist-society. However, the works of Schneemann and Wilke, with more essentialist themes, can through ambiguity contribute to a positive representation of woman in representation. There is no simple answer to which way 2 of using the body is the most beneficial for feminism, however, a critical representation of the female body in performance and body art, in relation to the artists’ own intentions, creates positive ambiguity, thus these artworks do not only reinforce patriarchal conventions regarding the female body.

This thesis will explore and compare two artists who at first meeting seem to have very littlein common more than being two modernist artists. The Swedish artist Nils Dardel and theMexican artist Frida Kahlo, even though the obvious differences — sex and nationality —came to have quite similar fates. Both artists were bisexual, came across death at an early age and as a consequencewould die rather young too, and in life would both struggle with pain and anxiety. The twoartist never met in life even though their similarities, and still after life their fates wouldcontinue on a similar path as they both after death would receive greater recognition. Nils Dardels and Frida Kahlos art is filled with emotions and portray themes that stilltouches people who comes across them today. What is it in their art that touches so manypeople, and do they have similar themes just as the similar aspects in their lives. These themes and two artists will be studied and analysed in this thesis. This thesispresents biographical background and will through a semiotic and comparative methodanalysis a total of six artworks made by the artists. This thesis by these methods will alsoexamine the two artists later receptions and try to explain how they came to be.

‘La huella de Cesare Ripa en la pintura alegórica española del siglo XVIII’ tiene como objetivo principal analizar el lenguaje alegórico en la pintura española del siglo XVIII y evaluar si procede o no de la obra de Ripa. Queremos comprobar si, como dice E. Mâle, “Se le tiene siempre presente; se le nombra raramente, pero se le conoce de memoria”. En el plan de investigación llevado a cabo, nos hemos aproximado el personaje y su obra, así como al grado de penetración e impacto que la obra ‘Iconología’ tuvo como fuente iconográfica en los siglos XVII y XVIII. Hemos constatado, la existencia no solo de un número elevado de ediciones en la lengua italiana y las numerosas traducciones al francés, holandés, alemán o inglés. La fortuna crítica del libro contribuyó a que las propuestas de Ripa fueran una herramienta y una fuente literaria y visual de gran ayuda para los pintores a la hora de crear los programas iconográficos, y que se difundieron por toda Europa. Como han demostrado E., Mâle, Art religieux après le Concile de Trente, (1932): “en la biblioteca del colegio romano, es allí donde encontré un libro italiano, antiguamente celebre, pero hoy profundamente olvidado: la Iconología del caballero Cesare Ripa. […]”no tarde en apercibirme que, con el Ripa en la mano, podía explicar la mayor parte de las alegorías que adornan los palacios y las iglesias de Roma”. Llegando a decir: “que en el siglo XVII italiano resplandece de la gloria de Ripa”. O la investigadora Erna Mandoswsky, Ricerche intorno all’Iconologia di Cesare Ripa (1939). En la actualidad, su estudio ha seguido despertado gran interés en los investigadores de historia del arte en Italia y Francia. España no podía quedar al margen, y hemos visto como los tratadistas del siglo de oro español Francisco Pacheco y V. Carducho o pintores como Velázquez tuvieron en sus bibliotecas ediciones de Ripa. Sobre estas bases nos hemos planteado investigar lo que sucedió en la pintura española del siglo XVIII, y si a pesar de no existir una edición propia en español, el lenguaje alegórico procedía o no de la obra de Ripa, como en el resto de Europa. Partiendo de la propia obra de Ripa y su concepto de alegoría. Hemos buscado el origen de la implantación de la obra de Ripa, que nos ha conducido al seno de la Academia romana de San Lucas, fundada por Federico Zuccaro al que siguieron G. P. Bellori Le Vite de Pittori (Roma, 1672) y el príncipe de la Academia romana Carlo Maratta, que nos ha permitido sustentar que la obra de Ripa formaba parte de la cultura visual romana y detentaba toda su vigencia en la Europa del siglo XVII. Sin embargo, a mediados del s. XVIII, J. J. Winckelmann Versuch einer Allegorie (Dresde, 1766), introduce un debate sobre la nueva concepción de la alegoría, criticando a Ripa de obsoleto y oscuro. El alemán describe características en completa oposición a Ripa. Nuestro interés se ha centrado en analizar, cual fue el impacto teórico y visual que estas dos posiciones tuvieron sobre los pintores españoles teniendo en cuanta la movilidad y circulación constante de ideas y de los pintores que hace que se internacionalicen los modelos. En España, tiene especial relevancia el hecho de que, a lo largo del siglo XVIII, llegaron a la corte española entre otros L. Giordano, C. Giaquinto, GB. Tiepolo o A.R. Mengs, quienes trasladaron modelos visuales compositivos e iconográficos donde la obra de Ripa está presente, con las particularidades específicas de cada uno de ellos. En suma, esta doble vía, literaria y visual, ha sido la utilizada en nuestra exposición. La abundante información recabada la hemos organizado en bloques temáticos, que han cristalizado, el primero a las Academias como focos de creación del lenguaje alegórico al tiempo que, de formación; y por otro, un segundo y tercer bloque dedicados al análisis de su proyección en el campo religiosos como en el civil. El primero bloque ha requerido una inmersión en las Academias de Bellas artes españolas de Madrid, Valencia, Zaragoza y Barcelona y en sus museos, para rescatar toda la información documental, así como de las obras que cumplan criterios de alegoría. Lo hemos articulado en dos capítulos, uno al análisis de las Alegorías fundacionales de las academias españolas y otra a la formación académica de los alumnos. La búsqueda de Ripa en las imágenes alegorías fundacionales nos ha permitido desvelar aspectos destacados de la identidad de cada una de estas instituciones respecto a la diversidad geográfica y en función de sus promotores. En un segundo capítulo, hemos analizado el peso que el lenguaje alegórico tuvo en la formación de los alumnos. Un plan de estudios de tres o cuatro años en las Academia era ampliable a seis de pensionados en Roma. Este último periodo lo hemos estudiado a través de sus cuadernos de dibujo o taccuini, incluyendo el estudio alegórico de uno de los taccuino inédito hasta el momento de Domingo Álvarez Enciso. En el último año se contemplaba la posibilidad de crear sus propias obras. Sin embargo, no hemos encontrado ninguna obra propia de carácter alegórico. Esto implicaba una franca contradicción con el concepto que propugnaban pintores, como: Antonio Palomino, revindicando la Idea de la pintura. Antonio Rafael Mengs, donde la invención “ennoblece el arte de la pintura”, o Goya, “crear obras de su propia invención”, para los cuales la creación artística era el objetivo último de la pintura. Aunque resulte paradójico, nuestra investigación demuestra que el lenguaje alegórico quedaba fuera del alcance de los alumnos en las Academias, y resultaba privativo de los profesores que estaban en posesión de los ‘secretos’ del mismo. En el segundo bloque, dedicado a estudiar las alegorías en la pintura religiosa, destacando dos focos de mayor impacto: Valencia y Zaragoza. En la ciudad del Turia, la huella de Palomino no solo la hemos constatado en su discípulo D. Vidal, sino que ha persistido durante todo el siglo a través de la Escuela de Bellas Artes de San Carlos bajo la dirección de J. Vergara y por sus discípulos J. Llacer, J. Parreu, J. Pérez o L. A. Planes. Este último fue el autor de las alegorías de la Cartuja de Porta Coeli, cuyas imágenes, hasta ahora inéditas, nos las ha facilitado la comunidad cartuja. Respecto a Zaragoza, la figura de Francisco Bayeu se cierne sobre toda la producción alegórica de la Basílica del Pilar. Hemos de destacar el análisis de las alegorías que decoran la Cartuja de las Fuentes, en Seriñena (Huesca), que también hasta ahora habían permanecido inéditas, son otro ejemplo de literalidad a los modelos ‘ripianos’ y como en la valenciana, todas las figuras alegóricas portan filacterias. En todos los casos la pintura alegórica está al servicio de la Iglesia en su vertiente de adoctrinamiento. Por último, el tercer bloque temático, ha consistido en analizar la pintura alegórica civil. En este caso, la pintura alegórica se ha concentrado en Madrid y Barcelona. Madrid epicentro de la pintura cortesana. Hemos observado la imbricación entre la institución monárquica y la académica, ambas instituciones actuaban como vasos comunicantes bajo la tutela real. Los pintores europeos al servicio de la monarquía española: L. Giordano, G. Amigoni, C. Giaquinto, GB Tiepolo o A.R. Mengs, actuaron como fuentes visuales de aplicación de los códigos alegóricos de Ripa en sus decoraciones. En nuestro estudio la formulación de Winckelmann: claridad, simplicidad y legibilidad, no trasciende el campo alegórico de la practica pictórica en la figura de A. R. Mengs quien no se aleja de los códigos de Ripa. La diferencia radica en los conceptos de la antigüedad y de la belleza de la nueva estética neoclasicista. Esta mirada tuvo gran influencia en los pintores españoles como F. Bayeu o M.S. Maella, que formaban parte del tejido artístico y académico en torno a la monarquía, y continuaron manteniendo las temáticas introducidas por ellos y usando como referente la misma fuente. Los contenidos alegóricos en las grandes composiciones pictóricas que decoran los Palacios responden a la exaltación de la monarquía como vehículos propagandísticos de sus “virtudes”. Frente a la visualización del poder de la monarquía, el contrapunto lo encontramos en Barcelona que sigue la misma dinámica, en este caso homenajeando a sus comitentes: la nueva aristocracia y la burguesía emergente. Como sucedía con el resto de las Academias, fueron los profesores de la Escuela de Nobles Artes de Barcelona: Pedro Pablo Montaña, Mariano Illa y Tomás Solanes, quienes recibieron numerosos encargos, tanto de las instituciones como privados. Todos ellos tienen en común que usaron como fuente la ‘Iconología’ y en particular llama la atención el gusto en sus decoraciones alegóricas por los temas alegórico-mitológicos. Finalmente, en cuanto al uso de la fuente, hemos constatado el dialogo que se establece entre los textos y la pintura alegórica. Se abre un abanico de posibilidades, dada la versatilidad del texto de Ripa, que incorpora varias acepciones para un mismo concepto. A partir solo del texto el pintor construye el lenguaje pictórico, de forma que la plasticidad de las descripciones de Ripa se trasladada al lenguaje artístico; o el pintor tiene mayor margen de interpretación y de creación, al tiempo de poder incorporar otras fuentes visuales, una lectura conjunta de referentes visuales y de Ripa son complementarias y se enriquecen entre sí. Si nos referimos a las estampas que incorporan las distintas ediciones de Ripa, en general el artista hace un uso bastante literal e imita la ilustración. También queremos subrayar la complejidad de interpretación que a veces supone la identificación de una alegoría, sobre todo si solo contamos con un atributo, que suman dificultad a decodificar los contenidos. Asimismo hemos verificado que el grado de implantación del lenguaje alegórica de Ripa, en el ámbito religioso y cortesano, se ha materializado en un altísimo porcentaje de las representaciones pictóricas de carácter alegórico, llegando prácticamente a confundirse pintura alegórica y con alegoría de Ripa, pues esta fuente representó el manual de uso común en las pinturas murales llevadas a cabo por los pintores académicos del siglo XVIII al tiempo que mostraban su erudición como pintores ilustrados. Por último, creemos haber contribuido a poner en valor la obra Iconología como fuente iconográfica en el ámbito de la pintura académico de este periodo. En conclusión, aunque nuestra lectura es estrictamente iconográfica, hemos pretendido no caer en la simplificación, sino de aplicar una mirada en profundidad, microscópica, sobre la huella de Ripa en el contexto cultural y visual de la época y contribuir con nuestra investigación a enriquecer al complejo mundo de la creación artística en el ámbito de la pintura española del siglo XVIII que ha sido el motor de nuestra investigación.

La thèse a pour objet d’établir le catalogue critique de l’œuvre d’Albrecht Bouts (1451-55 / 1549). Fils de Dirk Bouts (1410-1420 / 1475), peintre officiel de la ville de Louvain, Albrecht et son frère aîné, Dirk le Jeune (1448 / 1491), héritent de l’atelier de peinture à la mort de leur père. L’œuvre de l’aîné reste très controversée, aucun tableau ne pouvant lui être attribué avec conviction. Il en est autrement du puîné, Albrecht, à qui la paternité du Triptyque de l’Assomption de la Vierge des Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique peut être donnée avec beaucoup de vraisemblance. Le corpus de son œuvre, établi, en 1925, par Max J. Friedländer et, en 1938, Wolfgang Schöne, autour de ce retable autographe, comprend un nombre important de peintures. Ce catalogue n’a, toutefois, jamais fait l’objet d’une révision par les historiens de l’art. Seules quelques peintures ont été publiées de manière ponctuelle. Devant l’abondance des tableaux attribués au peintre, il convenait donc de réaliser une étude fondamentale afin de distinguer ses propres créations de celles de ses collaborateurs.

La thèse se compose de cinq chapitres. Le premier établit une biographie complète, sélective et chronologique, se basant sur les sources livrées par les archives de la ville de Louvain. Leur interprétation critique renouvelée et enrichie livre ainsi de nombreux arguments pour mieux définir l’individualité d’Albrecht Bouts et justifier le développement de sa carrière.

Le second chapitre concerne l’étude de l’œuvre d’Albrecht Bouts et débute par un examen approfondi de la seule peinture au caractère autographe reconnu, le Triptyque de l’Assomption de la Vierge. L’examen combiné du style et de la technique d’exécution de cette œuvre de maturité du maître permet de mettre en exergue les influences de Dirk Bouts et d’Hugo van der Goes et de définir la personnalité artistique singulière d’Albrecht Bouts. Suite à cette analyse, le catalogue de son œuvre est reconstitué de façon linéaire, depuis sa genèse jusqu’à son terme. Chacune des peintures qui lui sont attribuées est ensuite étudiée de façon chronologique et détaillée, précédée d’une notice technique préliminaire reprenant les données matérielles et bibliographiques, dans le cinquième chapitre consacré au catalogue raisonné.

La révision du corpus de l’œuvre d’Albrecht Bouts est fondée sur un travail d’attribution reposant à la fois sur l’approche stylistique traditionnelle et sur les résultats fournis par les documents de laboratoire. Une importante documentation photographique et technologique des œuvres, dont certaines inédites, a ainsi été rassemblée et sa confrontation constitue un support essentiel à la démonstration.

Le troisième chapitre propose, à partir des hypothèses émises à propos de la biographie et du catalogue des œuvres d’Albrecht Bouts, une analyse de la production de son atelier, particulièrement intense à partir de la première décennie du XVIe siècle. Dans cette partie, l’objectif n’est pas d’établir un exposé circonstancié et complet de chaque peinture abordée, mais plutôt de rassembler des groupes cohérents d’œuvres, également fondés sur une approche combinée du style et de la technique d’exécution. Un même principe de renvoi aux notices dans le catalogue raisonné est adopté.

Enfin, le quatrième chapitre est consacré à la réalisation en série d’œuvres de dévotion privée dans l’atelier du maître. De nombreuses généralités et quelques études ponctuelles ont préparé le terrain, annonçant l’importance de ce phénomène sans, toutefois, en mesurer l’ampleur. C’est pourquoi, nous lui accorderons une investigation la plus exhaustive tant sur les pratiques en vigueur dans l’atelier, que sur l’iconographique et le contexte socio-économique de la création de prototypes par Albrecht, dans la foulée de l’héritage des modèles paternels.

Ainsi, ce travail permettra de mieux cerner la personnalité d’Albrecht Bouts, de retracer son individualité artistique, mais aussi de réévaluer la participation de son atelier, afin de rétablir chacun de ces éléments à leur juste place au sein de la peinture flamande de la fin du XVe siècle et du début du XVIe siècle

The subject of the thesis is to establish a critical catalogue of Albrecht Bouts’ (1451-55/1549) work. Son of Dirk Bouts (1410-1420/1475), official painter to the city of Leuven, Albrecht and his elder brother, Dirk the Younger (1448-1491), inherited their father’s workshop after his death. The work of the elder son, Dirk the Younger, is still a discussed topic since no painting could be attributed to him with certainty. It is quite different for Albrecht who is the likely author of the Tryptich of the Assumption of the Virgin from the Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts of Belgium. The corpus of his work, established in 1925 by Max J. Friedländer and in 1938 by Wolfgang Schöne based on this autograph altarpiece, includes an important number of paintings. This catalogue has however never been revised by art historians since then. Only some paintings have occasionally been published.

Considering the high number of paintings attributed to the master, there was a need to undertake a deeper study in order to distinguish Albrecht Bouts’ own creations from those of his workshop.

The thesis is divided into five chapters. The first one includes a complete, selective and chronological biography of the master, based on the data found in the archives of the city of Leuven. A newly enriched critical interpretation of these documents has allowed a better definition of Albrecht Bouts’s personality and a clearer understanding of the development of his career.

The second chapter is devoted to the study of the master’s work and starts with an in-depth examination of the Tryptich of the Assumption of the Virgin, the only painting recognized as an autograph work. The combined examination of the style and the technical execution of this altarpiece, painted during the mature period of his career, underlines both the influences of Dirk Bouts and Hugo van der Goes and helps to display his original artistic personality.

From there, the catalogue of his work is re-established, in the last chapter, from the very beginning to the end of his working life. In the last chapter devoted to the catalogue, each painting attributed to the master is carefully studied, on a chronological basis and in details, with an introductive technical note giving material as well as bibliographical information.

The review of the corpus of Albrecht Bouts’ work is based on a traditional stylistic approach and on the results given by laboratory documents. An important photographical and technological documentation of his works – some of them unpublished until now- has been gathered. Their comparison brought forward essential arguments on which our demonstration is based.

The third chapter, which builds on the two first ones, consists of an analysis of Albrecht Bouts’ workshop production, which was particularly active at the beginning of the XVIth century. The purpose was not to study thoroughly each painting but to extract coherent groups of works thanks to the same combined examination of style and technique. Like the master’s autograph work, each painting is subject to a careful study in the critical catalogue.

Finally, the fourth chapter is dedicated to the serial production of private devotional works carried out in the master’s workshop. There were already many general writings and some occasional studies on the subject, but none of them really measured the importance of the mass production. We therefore undertook a deep and thorough research on the workshop practices ,on the iconography and on the social-economical context of the realisation of works by Albrecht following the prototypes created by his father.

The thesis contributes to a better knowledge and understanding of the life, the personality and the work of Albrecht Bouts and re-evaluates the participation of his workshop. This will give to each of these elements its proper place in the Flemish Masters Painting of the end of the XVth and the beginning of the XVIth centuries.

Doctorat en Histoire, art et archéologie
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En 1888, une communauté de peintres s’associe sous l’appellation « Nabis ». Ce terme, issu de l’hébreu, signifie à la fois les « prophètes » et les « initiés ». Paul Sérusier qui vécut sa rencontre avec Paul Gauguin comme une révélation est à l’origine de la formation du groupe. Une année auparavant, le symbolisme littéraire triomphe en France et suscite l’émulation parmi une nouvelle génération d’écrivains qui se cristallise autour de /La Revue Blanche/ et le /Mercure de France/. Entre les Nabis et les symbolistes s’établit dès lors un intense réseau de collaborations. Tant dans l’élaboration des décors et programmes du Théâtre de l’œuvre de Lugné-Poe que dans l’illustration d’ouvrages d’André Gide, d’Alfred Jarry ou encore de Jules Renard, les Nabis participent activement à la vie littéraire de leur temps tout en s’incarnant volontairement comme une avant-garde picturale. Les échanges nombreux entre peintres et écrivains sont alors loin de se limiter à de simples commandes. Ils aboutissent souvent à des amitiés durables comme celles qui unirent Gide à Maurice Denis et Jarry à Pierre Bonnard. La recherche s’interroge sur la motivation de cette nouvelle génération d’écrivains qui sollicita le groupe nabi, ainsi que sur la nature des projets qui les unirent. Les revues littéraires occupent une place importante dans le rassemblement entre les écrivains et ce groupe de peintres. La volonté d'identifier une aile picturale qui fasse écho dans le champ artistique au désir d'innover dans le champ littéraire stimule les sollicitations des écrivains de la seconde génération symboliste. Les Nabis, qui se méfient toutefois d'une soumission trop grande au fait littéraire, induisent par leurs développements artistiques et leurs théories les paramètres d'une nouvelle relation entre peintres et écrivains dans laquelle ces derniers ne recherchent plus la domination stratégique de l'art littéraire sur la peinture.

Outre ces considérations historiques, le rapprochement souhaité entre les deux groupes fut tel que la production littéraire ne put qu’être influencée par les théories des Nabis. La tendance "formaliste" représentée par ce groupe pictural a souvent conduit les chercheurs à prendre acte de l'autonomie tant du littéraire que du pictural dans les échanges entre Nabis et écrivains. Les influences sont cependant nombreuses de la peinture vers la littérature. Il est toutefois nécessaire de prendre en compte des écrivains oubliés par l'histoire littéraire, tels Romain Coolus, Gabriel Trarieux ou Louis Lormel, pour percevoir les effets de cette influence picturale. La reprise d'un dispositif de couleurs, exaltées ou déformées, le jeu poétique sur le thème de la ligne ou de l'arabesque fondent une recherche d'effet visuel dans l'écriture qui entend renouveler les images poétiques. Ce constat entre en résonance avec la rénovation picturale revendiquée par les Nabis. Des esthétiques communes entre peintres et écrivains, tournant autour des notions de synthèse, simplicité, de la référence à l'enfance ou à la fantaisie humoristique rassemblent Nabis et poètes qui les soutiennent dans une communauté d'initiés à l'art nouveau.
Doctorat en Langues et lettres
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Esta tesis expone la historia del yacimiento de Abydos y su relevancia como cen-tro religioso y místico hasta la época romana. Al mismo tiempo, presenta la cró-nica de todos aquellos personajes que visitaron el templo de Sethy I, ubicado en este enclave, desde la antigüedad y hasta finales del siglo xix, dejando constancia de su paso en distintas publicaciones llenas de comentarios y apreciaciones. La información se complementa con la exposición de todas las actuaciones arqueo-lógicas y demás intervenciones realizadas en el santuario a partir del siglo xx hasta la actualidad. A continuación, se lleva a cabo una descripción del recinto templario de Sethy I haciendo hincapié en sus aspectos arquitectónicos, simbó-licos e iconográficos adscritos a los cultos representados en los diferentes sectores que componen este edificio sagrado. A partir de los elementos constitutivos del mismo y de la gran relevancia mística del lugar con Osiris, se establecen toda una serie de hipótesis focalizadas en el singular aspecto que presenta el templo, así como en la finalidad última de su construcción asociada al Osireion. De este modo, el primer capítulo se centra en la presentación del yacimiento de Abydos en su conjunto, así como en el desarrollo del enclave, a nivel religioso, durante toda la historia del antiguo Egipto hasta la presencia del mundo romano. Un segundo capítulo versa acerca de Osiris y su estrecha vinculación con Abydos, destacando en los ritos mistéricos. El tercer capítulo presenta, de modo sucinto, al artífice del templo, así como su época, además de destacar la importancia que Sethy I otorgó a su templo abydiense. El cuarto capítulo expone la historia de las investigaciones del santuario de Sethy I en Abydos y su redescubrimiento. Una vez establecida la historia del templo, así como las actuaciones realizadas para su recuperación, los capítulos quinto y sexto se centran en la exposición e interpretación de los aspectos arquitectónicos, simbólicos e iconográficos que ofrece el recinto templario. Un último capítulo, el séptimo, recoge las conclusio-nes generales focalizadas en la finalidad última de este espacio sagrado, además de aportar toda una serie de premisas sobre la envergadura del rito osiriaco aso-ciado al soberano, así como sus implicaciones.
This thesis presents the history of the site of Abydos and its relevance as a religious and mystical center until Roman times. At the same time, it presents the chronicle of those personages who visited the temple of Seti I, located in this enclave, from ancient times until the end of the nineteenth century, leaving evidence of their presence in various publications full of comments and insights. The information is supplemented by the exposure of the all archaeological actions and other interventions carried out in the sanctuary from the twentieth century to the present. Then it carried out a description of the Templar enclosure of Sethy I emphasizing its architectural, symbolic and iconographic aspects attached to the cults represented in the various sectors that make up this sacred building. From the constituent elements of the temple and the great mystical significance of the place with the god Osiris, a number of hypotheses focused on the singular aspects presented by the temple and with the ultimate purpose of its construction associated with the Osireion. Thus, the first chapter focuses on the presentation of the site of Abydos as a whole as well as in the development of the enclave, a religious level, throughout the history of ancient Egypt to the presence of the Roman world. A second chapter is about Osiris and his close ties with Abydos, highlighting the mystery rites. The third chapter presents succinctly, the architect of the temple, as well as his time, in addition to highlighting the importance of Seti I for his Abydos’s temple. The fourth chapter presents the history of investigations of the sanctuary of Seti I at Abydos and its rediscovery. Once established the history of the temple and the action taken for his recovery, the fifth and sixth chapters focus on the presenting and interpretation of architectural, symbolic and iconographic aspects offered in the temple. A last chapter, the seventh, sets out the general conclusions focused on the ultimate objective of this sacred space, in addition to providing a range of assumptions about the importance of the Osirian rite associated with the sovereign, and its implications.

The goal of this study is to generate a more holistic picture of the diffusion and assimilation of universal human rights norms in diverse cultural and political settings such as the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The overarching question to be investigated in this thesis is the relationship between the evolving international human rights regime and the emerging human rights normative and legal culture in the Middle East. This question will be investigated in detail with reference to regional human rights schemes such as the Arab Charter of Human Rights, as well as local human rights developments in three Middle Eastern states, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Having gauged the take-up of human rights norms on the ground at the local and regional levels, the thesis examines in full the extent of socialisation and internalisation of human rights norms across the Middle East region at large.

Text in English
Ancient Egyptian distinctive headdresses made from precious or semi-precious materials date to prehistoric times, indicating a growing sense of individuality and hierarchy. Women’s headdresses were indicators of rulership, divinity, social status, cultic affiliation and wealth. Visual evidence indicates that female identity was emphasised by external and outward appearance and headdresses in the form of diadems followed recognised stylistic dictates throughout the Dynastic Period. The floral and faunal motifs used in the embellishment were believed to have protective amuletic and magical powers. Although a considerable amount of investigation has been undertaken into the use of materials and techniques used in the manufacture of diadems, the incorporation of symbolism and iconography of these gendered artefacts as a means of interpreting visual messages and self-expression has largely been unexplored. The study has been limited to well-provenanced, extant Old, Middle and New Kingdom diadems housed in various museums worldwide.
Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
M.A. (Ancient Near Eastern Studies)

Ce mémoire porte sur le triptyque de l’Adoration des Bergers (1510-1530) de Jan de Beer (1475-1538) présent dans les collections du Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal (MBAM) depuis 1975. Cet ouvrage se divise principalement en deux sphères primordiales de la discipline de l’histoire de l’art. Dans un premier temps, une recherche sur l’historique de l’œuvre a été réalisée et a permis de lever le voile sur des archives majeures qui renseignent sur le parcours de l’œuvre. Nos recherches permettent maintenant d’affirmer avec certitude le passage de l’œuvre en 1934 au château Galgoz des Erdődy, une famille aristocratique influente en Hongrie, en Slovaquie et en Croatie. De plus, l’inestimable contribution d’outremer d’Orsolya Bubryák a permis de découvrir le contrat de vente signé entre Vilmos Erdődy (1887-1959) et Theodor Fischer le 5 décembre 1934 à Vienne. À ceci s’ajoute la récupération du catalogue de vente de la « Grosse Auktion in Zürich » qui s’est déroulée du 2 au 5 juin 1937. Un intérêt est de ce fait porté au contexte historique, politique et économique dans lequel évolue la famille Erdődy avant la date charnière de 1934. Une lecture approfondie des lois et des recommandations du groupe spécial SAP (SAP Panel) nous éclaire sur les conditions et les possibilités d’une vente forcée. Dans un second temps, nous nous intéressons à l’iconographie et à l’iconologie du triptyque, un cadre théorique développé par Erwin Panofsky que nous utilisons tout au long de notre analyse. Nous avons pu constater comment les Révélations de Sainte Brigitte de Suède ont foncièrement influencé l’imagerie de l’Adoration des Bergers. Toutefois, Jan de Beer imprègne son retable d’un second discours, celui de l’aveuglement de l’humanité face à la lumière divine. Le déploiement d’un discours autre que celui relatif à l’Adoration des Bergers s’est glissé dans le symbolisme caché, et en s’introduisant, il témoigne d’une part du désir intime d’une relation directe avec Dieu, telle que prônée par les protestants quelques années avant le Concile de Trente, mais aussi, d’autre part, des idées de la culture humaniste, qui est une réflexion spirituelle sur le salut des âmes.
This M.A. thesis treats the triptych of the Adoration of the Shepherds (1510-1530) by Jan de Beer (1475-1538), in the collections of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MBAM) since 1975. The project is twofold, and engages on one hand provenance studies, and secondly iconography. First the provenance of the triptych is examined, and brings to light significant documents detailing of the artwork’s journey in the tumultuous twentieth century. While this Antwerp-mannerist triptych appears on page nine on the list of objects “whose history is incomplete between 1933 and 1945,” recently published by the MBAM, our research now confirms the passage of the work, in 1934, in the Galgoz castle of the Erdődys, an aristocratic family known throughout Hungary, Slovakia, and Croatia. A new document regarding the sales contract signed by Vilmos Erdődy (1887-1959) and Theodor Fischer on December 5th, 1934 in Vienna has also come been found, as well as the 1937 auction catalogue documenting its sale. Attention is therefore paid to the historical, political and economic contexts experienced by the Erdődy family before the turning point in 1934. A thorough review of the SAP Panel’s legislation and recommendations will enlighten us regarding the conditions and possibilities of a forced sale. Secondly, the triptych’s iconography is examined in great detail, following a theoretical framework developed by Erwin Panofsky. Amidst several other popular texts of the time, the Revelations of Saint Bridget of Sweden can be shown to have fundamentally influenced the imagery of the Adoration of the Shepherds. However, Jan de Beer infuses his altarpiece with a second layer of meaning, what Panofsky would call its iconology, that of the blindness of humanity in the face of divine light. The deployment of this secondary discourse is by means of hidden symbolism, which, by introducing itself stealthily, testifies on the one hand to the intimate desire for a direct relationship with God some years before the Council of Trent, but also of the ideas central to a humanist culture: a spiritual reflection on one’s own salvation.

This investigation accepts that art is a term of western culture and that advertising is a creation of an historical and social process firmly linked to the economies of western industrialised nations. A cultural niche theory of the visual arts is employed to define the various visual art forms and it is in this context that the development of the notion of fine art, which had its origins during the Renaissance, is investigated with a view to how this led to the commodification of art. The phenomenon of art as a commodity accelerated throughout the nineteenth century and was moulded by the same political, cultural, social, economic and technological forces that gave rise to advertising when, during the second half of the century, the capitalist system of production became geared towards mass production of products for consumption. This was also the period of significant European colonial expansion in southern Afiica and consequently the development of both art and advertising in the region was cast in a colonial, European mould, the effects of which are investigated throughout this research project. This body of research also seeks to explain how the meaning and the value of the art object and its reproduced image, changed and became exchangeable as technology developed. Significantly this occurred at a time when the needs of advertising shifted from a simple system of proclamation and announcement on the periphery of the national economy during the nineteenth century to become a sophisticated system of communication which acts as an influential social institution at the end of this millennium. That this appears to have occurred at a time when the influence of fine art began to decline as a cultural force is significant as it is in this context that advertising has become a primary carrier of meaning in society. This research project works within this paradigm to investigate the history and motives of business support for the arts, particularly the visual arts, in the form of sponsorship with particular reference to a culturally diverse and politically dynamic South Africa. In addition, specific rhetorical devices that advertising employs, as a strategic tool of marketing, to appropriate and (ex)change meaning from the value laden visual art object is investigated with reference to contemporary advertising in South Africa.
Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal,1998.

This thesis in two volumes is a study of the paintings of David ill Ryckaert (1612- 1661 ). Ryckaert grew up in a family of artists, and painted within a close community of fellow artists. According to several twentieth-century critics, Ryckaert was no more than a minor imitator of other Flemish painters. Underlying such relegation of Ryckaert is an uncritical and distinctly Modernist glorification of originality, or merely novelty. The chief argument of this thesis is that a careful reconstruction of the socio-cultural circumstances ofRyckaert's work calls into question the destructive employment of originality as a criterion of artistic greatness. Much of the vocabulary of Flemish art of the time was established. Artists thus proved their excellence both to fellow painters and a public fully conversant with the artistic traditions of subject and style, if such pictorial conventions were notably refmed or treated with a remarkable grace. Embracing the criteria of personal style and the beauty of the work, this environment is clearly averse to the blank veneration of new or original art. I argue that the term originality is itself dangerous therefore and that to neglect Ryckaert's work as that of a minor imitator is invalid and unhelpful. A careful examination of Ryckaert's known oeuvre reveals that his work is distinguished by a fine modelling, harmonious composition and a warm palette with colourful highlights. Although he relied on an established iconographic repertory, he maintained creative variation, thereby ensuring a steady demand. Ryckaert's imitation of other artists' work requires us to adjust twentieth-century criteria which tend to be pejorative of those who borrow from fellow artists. In fact Ryckaert could be said to have refmed his individuality as a painter through the testing creative encounter with and imitation of other artists.
Art
D.Litt. et Phil. (History of Art)

The medieval period (approximately 800 to 1300 AD) in Western Europe is noted for its rich tradition in religious Roman Catholic iconography. Frequently the only art works to be produced in the period, or to have survived, are religious icons of the period reflecting the dominant nature of the feudal structure of society and the oppressive circumstances that led to their execution. The works can be seen as a means of escape, although in an afterlife, or they might also be interpreted as a protest against the oppressive nature of the condition of the artist. The "rigidity" of a medieval existence and the utilisation of religious art as a means of expressing unhappiness with that existence may, as it is argued here, be interpreted as a means of protest. Rigid and oppressive political structures are not isolated to any particular historical period. South Africa too was an oppressive society where the material and political advancement of the majority of the population was stifled through discriminatory legislation and similar means making meaningful protest difficult, if not dangerous. This dissertation argues that religious art too became a means of protest in a manner intended to reflect the religious viewpoints of the artist but with political intentions and subtext. Similar themes in modern South African iconography (from approximately 1850 to 1994) and medieval prototypes are therefore discernible.
History
M.A. (History)

The popularity of religious art in late seventeenth century Protestant England stands in apparent contradiction to the profound anti-Catholic sentiment that many current scholars argue characterizes the period. A close analysis of London auction catalogs from 1690 reveals that a significant number of all pictures listed for sale featured typically Catholic subject matter. Consulting both seventeenth century literature and current scholarship provides a rationale for this apparent contradiction. Factional conflict within Protestantism itself was often focused on the issue of religious imagery. Accordingly, it functioned as a means of articulating religious difference. While the radical Puritan mission may have involved abolishing all English "monuments of superstition," Anglicanism held biblical and hagiographic imagery to be an essential aspect of Christian worship. This thesis argues that Anglicans embraced religious imagery as a means of rejecting the Puritan cause and, in doing so, forged a unique Anglican identity.

As art historians uncover the many sources and catalysts that have contributed to the emergence of black contemporary art in South Africa, one of the principal influences is that derived from the Christian mission churches and breakaway separatist groups - the African Independent Churches (AICs). Histories of African art have failed adequately to consider the art that emerged from these contexts, regarding it perhaps as too coerced and distinctive – merely religious art subject to the rigours of liturgical or proselytizing function. The purpose of this dissertation is to foreground this art and its position in the development of both pioneer and contemporary South African art and to identify the many features, both stylistic and thematic, which distinguish this work.
Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.