Good and Evil in Art

There are many famous and well known art works all around the world. Most of these art works are very ancient and have a story behind them, or a reason for its creation, mostly for the time period in which it was created, and what influences that time period had on the artist. There are many well known artists that have composed famous art works, one of the most world famous art works, was made by Leonardo Da Vinci, the Mona Lisa. Some other well known and successful paintings are     Adam and Eve by Lucas Cranach the Elder,  Pieta by Michelangelo, Christ of St John of the Cross by Salvador Dali, The Gates of Hell by Rodin, The Condemned in Hell by Luca Signorelli, Christ the King - Orthodox icon, The Temptation of Christ on the Mountain by Duccio and Jesus Trampling down the dead - Orthodox icon. All of these paintings have effects of good and evil and are influenced by either good or evil in ways that the artist painted it. Most of the paintings contain of both good and evil and tell a story. Even if the painting looks happy and bright, it could have the darkest story, and even tho a painting could be dark and gloomy, the story could be something happy. 

Each of the paintings are very different , which makes them so famous and unique. Pieta by Michelangelo is not a painting, but a sculpture. Michelangelo was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, poet, and engineer of the High Renaissance. This sculpture and many others were created in the time period of the renaissance, and influenced Michelangelo on the development of Western art. Michelangelo sculpted this artwork in  1498–1499 and called it Pieta. This famous work of art depicts the body of Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary, sitting on the rock of Golgotha after the Crucifixion. It is made of marble, and measures 174 cm by 195 cm and is the only work he ever signed. Michelangelo’s sculptor shows the “religious vision of abandonment and a serene face of the son”, as he didn't want his version of it to represent death. His painting represented the connection between man and god, through Christ. The connection between Jesus and Mary is evident in the artwork, it is representing death and life at the same time ( good and evil ) this artworks religion was made to be Christian. as this sculptor represents life and the reincarnation of Christ, it also relates to death, but in a good and bad way. He died but came back to life, he didn't go to heaven or hell, he was always meant by god to come back alive. The sculptures main focus is the connect between Mary and Jesus these two figures are carved so as to appear in a unified composition which forms the shape of a pyramid , In the sculpture  Mary’s body is larger than Christs body, so large that if she stood up she would tower over her son, If her body was made smaller it would be awkward as it would look like an adult on her lap, but Jesus was her son, and she holds him gracefully in the sculpture, just as a mother would.  Michelangelo did this because it represented the connection between Mary and her son, she was mothering him, and it was so she could support her son on her lap. Pieta the sculpture, balances the Renaissance ideals of classical beauty with naturalism, and is one of the most highly finished works of Michelangelo. At the time, Michelangelo’s sculpture of Mary with the dead Christ was a unique addition to Italian sculpture, though there were some painted depictions in Florentine art. In my opinion i think that the theme wasn't very well presented as it is meant to display a sweet tenderness despite the very tragic nature of this scene, the scene creates good and evil at the same time (happy and sad) the sad part of it is the moment when the Virgin is confronted with the reality of the death of her son. 

The gates of hell is a sculpture created by Auguste Rodin, the name of it describing the exact meaning  of the sculpture, "The gates of hell", Hell describing evil and the gates representing the welcoming of hell. The sculpture clearly represents evil, as hell is a sign of evil and is ruled by the devil. Evil is represented in this sculpture in many ways, representing the evilness of hell and the gates leading to it. Gates usually represent a welcoming into a place, which is tempting to go in, but it deceives you as hell is evil and a very bad place that no one wants to go. This theme is represented as there are several little sculptures of people sad and helping each other, the gates seem crowed, and full of people that have sinned. It looks as if they are trying to escape from hell, helping each other out and pushing each other up, to get out of hell. At the top of the sculpture there are three humans putting there hands together as if they are in a team. In the sculpture it contains of many little people, forming together as a team, looking like a crowded hell. In my opinion the theme represents both, good and evil. The gates of hell sounds as if it is meant to represent evil, but the people in the sculpture look like they are helping each other. The theme isn't necessarily representing all evil, as despite its name, it represents some good. 

·    Christ of St John of the Cross by Salvador Dali is a painting that creates a very sad and grief mood. This painting is of Jesus dieing on the cross. Jesus is now known as one of the most powerful men to ever walk the earth, and is worshiped by Christians, although, back when Jesus was alive everyone thought he was crazy and didn't believe he was the son of god despite the miracles he performed. There were people who believed in him but there were much more that thought he was an impostor and wanted him dead. The town beat him up, stripped him naked and nailed him to the cross, to die a slow and painful death, but god wanted this to happen in order to show them that he is the real son of god and days after, he came back to life. This event is definitely evil, but the people at the time considered it the right thing. The artist of this painting, painted with feelings and showed the loneliness and sadness of Jesus. The paintings main focus is Jesus, it is painting to make it as if Jesus was floating into heaven, to then be resurrected. The people beside the boat are derived from a picture by Le Nain and from a drawing by Velazquex for The Surrender of Breda. This painting depicts the crucifixion of Christ, and is painted in a unique angle, almost as if it is the angle of gods view. I think the theme has been presented clearly, it shows gods view on the world and on Jesus, raising his son from the dead. It shows sorrow and sadness, but can also relate to something happy as it depicts the new life of Christ.

dOne theme that is mainly influenced by artists is evilness. A lot of these paintings have the purpose the represent evil. This one painting displays a symbol of good (Jesus) and Evil (black angel), it is like they are versing each other, but in a peaceful way, because it is called , The Temptation of Christ on the Mountain, because he is tempted to fight the evil, but he knows that, that would be wrong. 

Case study, World War 1

Who	There were many countries that fought in WW1; Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Brazil, British Empire, Bulgaria, China, France and Colonies , German Empire ,Greece ,Italy , Japan ,Liberia , Montenegro , Ottoman Empire , Portugal ,Romania ,Russia ,Serbia ,United States of America
What	World war one, was a global war, involving many different countries, with huge losses of life and little ground lost or won. It was originally known as the great war, as they didn’t expect another one, Many hoped that World War I would be "the war to end all wars," but soon to come was world war 2.
When	WW1 went for 5 years and WW2 went for 6 years, both of them leaving an enormous effect on the world today. World war one started in 1914 July 28, and ended in 1919, November 11.  It has been estimated that there were 10 million military deaths and another 20 million wounded. In world war 2 it is estimated to be 40-50 million deaths! Showing that world war one was definitely not the war the end all wars.
Where	It is called a world war because it is fought by many countries, some of these countries teamed up to fight against their opponents. World war one was mostly fought on the continent of Europe, explaining why the poem “Flanders fields” was written, as it is located in France. This poem describes the horrific memories of the war and how the poppies grown there, represents each soldiers death.
Why	The first spark that started world war one was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie. But this definitely isn’t the only reason for the start of world war 1, there are many. The murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, formed an attack between Austria-Hungary and Siberia, yet they had many countries as there treaties. Many other countries started to join as other countries treaties, and created an enormous war. Australia also fought in this as they were federated!

 

All up there were 2 great wars, they both changed the world and affected it hugely. World war 1 was known to be the war that ends all wars, as at the time the people were shocked and thought there couldn't ever be another war as big. For Australia, as for many nations, the First World War remains the most costly conflict in terms of deaths and casualties, and is still known as one of the biggest wars, and is remembered by many people as we take time to remember those who fought for our country on the 24th of April. All these countries involved were treaties of the original countries that started the war, Australia fought because they finally felt like a country, being federated thirteen years before. Flanders fields is a very sad poem that was written by John McCrae, he wrote this poem after his best friend died in the war, the poem has alot of feeling to it and sad gloomy emotions, displaying how brave the soldiers that fought in the war were, and that we will never forget them, in Flanders Fields is where the countries fought. 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields. 

 

There were endless deaths resulting in heart broken families and destroyed countries, the number of people that died in the war is an enormous number of people, if you really think about it, it is like killing half of Australia, now that is way to many people. We will always remember them and how brave they really were.

There were numerous reasons for world war one, many people could see it coming, but they didn't expect world war two. Britain owned a quarter of the world which gave them many countries to team up with, another issue that caused much friction between Britain and Germany was Germany's desire to increase the size of its navy. Britain concluded that Germany's desire to increase the size of her navy was to threaten Britain's naval might in the North Sea. The British government concluded that as an island we needed a large navy and they could not accept any challenges from Germany. This great war had many affects, one of them was the right of women. This war had important social consequences. There was progress in the sphere of women.When all the men were at war the women were at home doing the work the men would normally do, as the war went on it was discovered that women were just as powerful as men, and got the right to vote later on. The main reason for the conflict between Austria-Hungary and Siberia was because of the assassination of Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, although there were many other reasons and arguments going on at the time, this murder really sparked the start of the war. After the Great War, the prices of articles went up. Starvation stalked the world. The government restricted the price of the commodities. Huge taxes were imposed on people. Many mills and factories were established. The workers launched movements for the recognition of their rights. The countries that fought in the war were so horrified and helpless after the war ended, there was no hope for there path of progress.

 France and Germany are so close together on the map, and might have made a few boundaries to makes sure each country stays away from each other. France actually gained part of the German African territories, Germany fought on the french grounds, they suffered a high loss of life, and destroyed industrial region and economic devastation. Germany weakened due to loss of world war one, it lost its overseas territories, and some owned by France.     

Timeline Of World War One: 

 

1914
	June 28th	Francis Ferdinand assassinated at Sarajevo
	July 5th	Kaiser William II promised German support for Austria against Serbia
	July 28th	Austria declared war on Serbia
	August 1st	Germany declared war on Russia
	August 3rd	Germany declared war on France and invaded Belgium. Germany had to implement the Schlieffen Plan.
	August 4th	Britain declared war on Germany
	August 23rd	The BEF started its retreat from Mons. Germany invaded France.
	August 26th	Russian army defeated at Tannenburg and MasurianLakes.
	September 6th	Battle of the Marne started
	October 18th	First Battle of Ypres
	October 29th	Turkey entered the war on Germany’s side. Trenchwarfare started to dominate the Western Front.
1915
	January 19th	The first Zeppelin raid on Britain took place
	February 19th	Britain bombarded Turkish forts in the Dardanelles
	April 25th	Allied troops landed in Gallipoli
	May 7th	The “Lusitania” was sunk by a German U-boat
	May 23rd	Italy declared war on Germany and Austria
	August 5th	The Germans captured Warsaw from the Russians
	September 25th	Start of the Battle of Loos
	December 19th	The Allies started the evacuation of Gallipoli
1916
	January 27th	Conscription introduced in Britain
	February 21st	Start of the Battle of Verdun
	April 29th	British forces surrendered to Turkish forces at Kut in Mesopotamia
	May 31st	Battle of Jutland
	June 4th	Start of the Brusilov Offensive
	July 1st	Start of the Battle of the Somme
	August 10th	End of the Brusilov Offensive
	September 15th	First use en masse of tanks at the Somme
	December 7th	Lloyd George becomes British Prime Minister
1917
	February 1st	Germany’s unrestricted submarine warfare campaign started
	April 6th	USA declared war on Germany
	April 16th	France launched an unsuccessful offensive on the Western Front
	July 31st	Start of the Third Battle at Ypres
	October 24th	Battle of Caporetto – the Italian Army was heavily defeated
	November 6th	Britain launched a major offensive on the Western Front
	November 20th	British tanks won a victory at Cambrai
	December 5th	Armistice between Germany and Russia signed
	December 9th	Britain captured Jerusalem from the Turks
1918
	March 3rd	The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed between Russia and Germany.
	March 21st	Germany broke through on the Somme
	March 29th	Marshall Foch was appointed Allied Commander on the Western Front
	April 9th	Germany started an offensive in Flanders
	July 15th	Second Battle of the Marne started. The start of the collapse of the German army
	August 8th	The advance of the Allies was successful
	September 19th	Turkish forces collapsed at Megiddo
	October 4th	Germany asked the Allies for an armistice
	October 29th	Germany’s navy mutinied
	October 30th	Turkey made peace
	November 3rd	Austria made peace
	November 9th	Kaiser William II abdicated
	November  11th	Germany signed an armistice with the Allies – the official date of the end of World War One.
	Post-war – 1919
	January 4th	Peace conference met at Paris
	June 21st	The surrendered German naval fleet at Scapa Flow was scuttled.
	June 28th	The Treaty of Versailles was signed by the Germans.

Through out World War One, it was a tough time, many innocent soldiers died sacrificing there lives for our benefit. The bravery and courage of the young men was tremendous, they helped each other, cared for other not only themselves, they fought for us, and helped benefit our lives today, making sure we live in a good place. Not only did these young soldiers fight for 4 years straight, they had to live with the horrific memories throughout there life, many of there good friends died, and they watched some of the worst things. Many of these men had talents and some lived and fulfilled them and some died. For example Wilfred Owen, he was a very talented poet, and dreamed to write poetry since he was little. During the war he recorded the events that happened and made a few poems, that explain the war in a very bad, monstrous way. Sadly he died during the war, but after wards, got very famous for his amazing poetry! This is one of his poems called doomed youth, basically the title says it all, the young men that fought in this war were doomed, they had a future to look forward to and the war doomed it, they will always live with the memories of the war. Wilfred Owen was definitely not happy about these doomed futures, he was not happy about the deaths that didn't get recognized. This poem strongly describes his hate for the war: 

ANTHEM₁ FOR DOOMED YOUTH

A

What passing-bells² for these who die as cattle? 

Only the monstrous anger of the guns. 

Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle 

Can patter out³ their hasty orisons.⁴

No mockeries⁵ now for them; no prayers nor bells; 

Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs, –

The shrill, demented⁶ choirs of wailing shells; 

And bugles⁷ calling for them from sad shires.⁸

What candles⁹ may be held to speed them all? 

Not in the hands of boys but in their eyes 

Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes. 

The pallor¹⁰ of girls' brows shall be their pall; 

Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds, 

And each slow dusk¹¹ a drawing-down of blinds.¹²