When evaluating works of art, the form of the work, the subject matter, and the content should be considered. When looking at the form of the work, determine whether it is two or three-dimensional, what materials and technique are used, and describe line, shape value color, and balance.
When determining content, decide if the artist is trying to send a message, the function of the artwork, and what is the religious or historical significance.After evaluating each of these topics, it will be easier to compare and contrast two or more works of art. Compare and Contrast The Temple of Athena and The Colosseum To compare and contrast The Temple of Athena and The Colosseum, I will answer three questions. First, what is the form of the work? This includes the dimensionality, materials and techniques used, colors used, and line, shape, and texture of the work. Second, does the work have subject matter? Is the subject matter literally depicted and is the work representational, abstract, or nonobjective?Last, what is the content of the work of art? What does this mean or represent? What is the artist’s message? When I answer these questions I am able to evaluate a work of art. After the work of art has been evaluated, I am then able to compare and contrast two or more pieces.
What Are the Forms of the Works? The Temple of Athena In about 420 B. C. , masons constructed a three-dimensional temple out of cut stone. A technique called bearing masonry was used to hold the large pieces of cut stone in place rather than mortar.It is of Ancient Greek Iconic design which is evident in the four columns on the front and back porches of the temple.
The structure was left unpainted. The Colosseum Inaugurated in 80 A. D. , the Colisseum is constructed of cut stone. Like the Temple of Athena, masons used the bearing masonry technique to hold the pieces of stone in place. However, other materials were used as well.
A concrete foundation, travertine for the piers and arcades, tufa infill between the piers for the walls of the lower two levels and brick faced concrete used for the upper levels and most of the vaults.The Colisseum was constructed in Ancient Roman style using classical, doric, iconic, and Corinthian columns and Corinthian pilasters. This structure was also left unpainted. What is the Subject of the Works? The Temple of Athena The frieze that is carved in the stone of the temple depicts the Gods and battle scenes. The scene represents the Battle of Plateau that was fought against the Persians in 479.
The Colisseum The subject matter of the Colisseum is not obvious in the structure to me.Rather, the subject matter is what happens on the arena floor where the gladiators would fight wild animals and each other to the death for the entertainment of nearly 50,000 viewers. What is the Content of the Works? The Temple of Athena The Temple of Athena was built as a place of worship for deities associated with wars. There is evidence that Bronze Age Greeks used to pour libations and to deposit primitive figurinesof the deities worshiped (Matthews, 2001).
The Colisseum It is thought that the Colosseum was built as a political move.It was meant for entertaining, and also possibly to distract Rome’s population from serious issues at the time, such as corruption in the senate. It was also used for funeral games where at the end sacrifices were made to appease the Gods (Ruhl, n. d. ). Similarities and Differences The Temple of Athena and The Colosseum were both built of cut stone, and both show evidence of the use of bearing masonry in their construction.
The Colosseum was built for purposes of entertainment while the Temple of Athena was not. Perhaps the most important similarity for the reason these structures were built is for worship.The Colosseum ended up being used as a place of worship indirectly during the celebration of funeral games. But the worship of the Gods was so important to both the Greeks and the Romans that most of the buildings erected had something to do with worship.
