Download World Religions - IU Eskenazi Museum of Art

World Religions
This information is tailored to a seventh grade study of world religions.
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TO THE EDUCATOR:
This PowerPoint is the result of a special four-day
educator’s workshop which occurred June 2016 at the
Eskenazi Museum of Art.
Each day, twenty-one K-12 educators were introduced to a
wide range of museum resources in an effort to inform and
inspire the creation of teacher-driven resource materials
and accompanying plans for future gallery sessions.
This special workshop was generously supported by
the Brabson Library and Education Foundation.
TO THE EDUCATOR:
The Brabson grant funded bus transportation to and from the
museum to test the effectiveness of these materials.
Working closely with the museum’s education department,
IU students researched, wrote, and assembled PowerPoints
from the transcriptions of individual workshop presentations.
Please contact Patsy Rahn, the museum’s tour manager,
[email protected] to arrange additional presentations,
campus tours, and/or teachers’ in-services.
About the Museum:
The Eskenazi Museum of Art
(formerly known as the Indiana University Art Museum)
has a collection of over 45,000 artworks
on the Bloomington campus.
Today we will explore just a few examples
from this amazing collection.
What is “Religion?”
A system of beliefs about reality,
existence, the universe,
the supernatural and/or the Divine,
and the practices centered
around those beliefs.
The Big Questions
•Where do we come from?
•How are we to conduct our lives?
•What is the meaning of the universe?
•What is our place in the grand scheme?
•What happens to us after we die?
Religions differ in their answers to these questions.
De Clerk, The Finding of Moses
(Christian artist; Jewish subject)
•Do you recognize the story shown here?
•Do you notice the baby in the basket?
•Artists use composition, color, gesture, body position to
give the viewer focus.
•How does this artist focus our attention?
•Who are the main characters here?
•How has the artist organized these figures?
•Moses was a great leader of the ancient Hebrews.
•In the Torah (the sacred texts of Judaism), the Egyptian
pharaoh is said to have ordered all Hebrew male infants to
be put to death.
• Moses’s mother, in hopes of saving her infant, placed
him in a basket among the reeds along the river’s shore.
•Jewish people believe the adult, prophet Moses led them
out of slavery in Egypt and received The Ten
Commandments from their God on top of Mt. Sinai.
•Jewish people believe in one god, the God of their
patriarch Abraham.
•Judaism, like Christianity and Islam, is therefore a
monotheistic religion, meaning they believe in one god.
(mono = one; theus =god).
Key words:
Pharaoh: the highest political and religious leader in Ancient Egypt.
The Ten Commandments: a set of ten moral laws observed in Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam.
Patriarch: the male head of a family.
Monotheistic: a religion with one god.
Master of the Holy Kinship,
Adoration of the Shepherds
(Christian: Catholic)
•Describe what you see here.
•How does the artist focus our
attention in this painting?
•What are some of the ways the
artist has emphasized the
mother and child?
•What are some of the other
people doing?
•Who might these people be?
•This painting is part of an altarpiece, a work of art
with two or more panels located behind or on the front
altar of a Catholic church.
•Scenes from the life of Jesus are important subjects
for altarpieces.
•Here, in this left panel, we see the infant Jesus sitting
on his mother’s (Mary’s) lap. His father Joseph peaks
out of the door in the background while wise men,
dressed in fancy clothing, bring their gifts.
•Christians, the followers of Jesus Christ, believe he
was the Messiah, fulfilling the Jewish prophecies of
the Old Testament.
Key words:
Altarpiece: a work of art
located behind or on the
front altar of a Catholic
church.
Altar: usually a table-like
structure where the church
service is focused.
Messiah: “anointed one;”
here a prophesied King of
Israel that Christians
believe to be Jesus.
Master of the Holy Kinship,
Resurrection
(Christian: Catholic)
•How does the artist focus our
attention in this painting?
•Can anyone identify the figure
in the center?
•How did you identify this
figure?
•What are some of the other
people doing?
•Can you guess the identities of
some of these other people?
•Christians believe in the
Resurrection, when Christ
rose from the dead.
•Christ can also be seen in
the top-right of the
painting, seated on angels
and a cloud, with a bright
light surrounding him.
•In this panel from the
right side of the altarpiece,
we see Christ rise into the
air above a coffin while
guards look on
astonishingly.
De Ring, Still Life with Lobster (Christian: Protestant)
•How does the artist focus our attention here?
•What is the first thing you notice?
•Does this painting seem haphazard in its arrangement or
carefully controlled? Or perhaps both?
•How has the artist arranged these objects and these colors?
• What shapes are repeated throughout this painting?
•This is a Protestant painting.
•Protestantism is a Christian movement that began in the
early sixteenth century with Martin Luther’s ideas of
reforming Catholicism.
•The everyday objects found in this still life painting,
such as the fruit, animals, and dishes have sacred
meanings.
•The loaf of bread and the wine glass on the right refer to
the communion service where Christians eat the bread
and wine remembering the Last Supper of Christ with his
disciples (followers).
Key Terms:
Still life painting: a painting of an arrangement of objects.
Communion: a ritual reenactment of the Last Supper.
Last Supper: the last meal Jesus shared with his Disciples.
ISLAM
Horuye Avci, Islamic Prayer Rug
•Do you think this rug is for
everyday use or for special
occasions? Why?
•Can you find any recognizable
images on this rug?
•Where do you see patterns?
•The religion of Islam was founded by Muhammad in the 7th century.
•Muslims, followers of Islam, believe Muhammad is the last prophet in a
line of prophets.
•Muslims believe that the Angel Gabriel revealed the Koran, the sacred
book of Islam, to Muhammad over a 23-year span.
•The Koran is the sacred book of Islam and the primary source of Islamic
doctrine.
•Islam, like Christianity and Judaism, is monotheistic, believing in one God.
•Muslims call this one god “Allah,” the Arabic word for “God.”
•According to the Koran, Allah is the same god, the God of Abraham, as
proclaimed by Moses and Jesus prior to Muhammad.
•The designs in Islamic art are often geometric and/or floral, and may refer
to Islamic landmarks. Here we see two branches of the Tree of Life. The
blossoms at the top refer to Paradise. The house-like structure indicates a
a mihrab, a niche in the wall of a mosque that specifies the direction of
Mecca, a most holy city in Islam.
Key words:
•Mihrab: a niche in the wall of a mosque
that indicates the proper direction for a
Muslim to pray. (towards the holy city of
Mecca)
Muhammad: 7th Century prophet,
founder of Islam.
Islam: an Arabic word, “submission”
Muslim: a practitioner of Islam.
Koran: the name of the central Islamic
holy book, meaning “the recitation”
because of its dictation by the Angel
Gabriel over a period of 23 years.
Allah: an Arabic word for God.
Yusaf Sezer,
Islamic calligraphy,
Sura of Light
•The Koran, the sacred book of Islam, is divided into suras, or
chapter-like sections.
•As in other religions, a high importance is placed on “the sacred
word.”
•It is for this reason that Muslims regard calligraphy, or the art of
writing, as the highest art form.
•Arabic script is very decorative, creating an almost playful,
abstract design.
Key words:
Sura: chapter-like
sections of the
Koran.
Calligraphy: the art
of writing.
India, Shiva Nataraja
(Hinduism)
•What is unique about this
figure? His Arms? Clothing?
Activity?
•What is this material?
•Does anyone have any ideas
about how an object like this
might be made?
•How many people can you find
here?
•Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion with about 650 million followers.
•Hinduism is the religion of the majority in India, although all of the other
major religions are practiced as well.
•Hinduism is difficult to define since it has no founder, no single set of
beliefs, and no scriptures that are held in common by all of its followers.
•Different Hindus worship different gods as the Supreme Being.
•On the surface Hinduism appears polytheistic (poly = many; thei = gods)
with some “three hundred million gods.”
• It is worth noting that many Hindus believe each of these gods is an
expression of the Supreme Being.
•This is an image of the God Shiva dancing. He stands on a demon-dwarf
that represents ignorance, and on his right shoulder is a small figure
who represents the sacred River Ganges.
India, Shiva Nataraja
(Hinduism)
•Polytheistic: a religion with more
than one god.
This is a symbolic niche/portal from the
exterior of a temple.
In the center top we see the Hindu god
Vishnu, seated.
The five figures to his left and to his right
are known as the Ten Avatars of Vishnu.
Avatar means “descent.” Hindus believe
Vishnu descended to Earth 10
or more times to restore order and save
humanity.
From left to right we see his avatars or
bodily manifestations:
#7 – Rama
#8 – Krishna
#9 – The Buddha
#10 – Kalki (yet to appear)
Hindus consider Krishna and Buddha as
avatars of the principle god Vishnu.
Thailand, Footprint of the Buddha
• What is the main focus here?
• Can you identify this large central
image?
• What else do you see beside and
below this central image?
• What seems unusual about this
Footprint?
•Buddhism is centered upon the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who
came to be known as The Buddha. He lived around 500 B.C. in the area of
Nepal.
•Buddhism is not concerned with the worship of any single figure.
•At the heart of the religion is a set of laws known as The Dharma.
Buddhists’ belief is centered on “The Four Noble Truths” and following
“The Eightfold Path,” which leads to a life of moderation.
•The Buddhists’ goal is Nirvana or true insight – the idea of liberating
oneself from the continuous cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. There are
different beliefs about how one achieves Nirvana.
•The wheel imprinted on the bottom of this footprint represents The
Dharma, the teachings of the Buddha. The 108 small images around the
wheel represent the various parts of the universe. The bell-shaped forms
along the bottom of the painting are stupas, or reliquaries, which contain
relics, or important sacred objects.
Thailand, Footprint of the Buddha
Key words:
Siddhartha Gautama: the Buddha.
Dharma: a set of rules and guidelines,
including the Four Noble Truths and
the Eightfold Path, which suggest
moderation and consciousness.
Nirvana: Enlightenment, true insight.
Stupas: reliquaries, vessels for relics,
which are important sacred objects.
Indigenous Religion of Oceania
Polynesia, Pacific Ocean,
Drum from the Austral Islands
•How would you describe this drum?
•Was this a drum for special occasions?
•What can you tell about the surface of the
drum?
•From looking, how could one change the
tone of this drum?
• This drum is from the area of the South Pacific Ocean known as Polynesia.
• Carved from a single tree, the trunk was hollowed out and the surface was
smoothed and tapered.
• The entire surface was intricately carved with rows of wave-like designs
and hundreds of upright people with their arms outstretched (see next
slide). This repeated gesture suggests a ritual of some type.
• A shark’s skin was stretched across the top to make the head of the drum;
braided ropes were lashed onto the sides of the drum to hold the shark’s
skin in place.
• The precise carving of this particular drum suggests the artist probably
used metal tools. However, before the 18th Century, most drums were carved
with metal such as iron nails from shipwrecks, or sharp-edged shells, or
animal bones.
Detail of
Austral Drum
Polynesian Drum from the Austral Islands
Key words:
Polynesia: a vast triangular area of the
southern Pacific Ocean encompassing over a
thousand islands. The corners of this triangle
are Hawaii, Fiji, and Easter Island.
Oceania, Melanesia, Gope Boards
• From looking at the photograph in the background, how
might these people use these boards?
• What is similar about these boards? How are they different?
•These elliptical wooden objects are known as gope boards from
Papua New Guinea.
•The images represent a variety of things - the spirits of ancestors
who are believed to protect people from sickness, evil spirits, or
death or the spirits of enemies who have died in battle.
•Gope boards vary in size, but have a consistent elliptical shape.
•Most often, they are carved in relief in wood and painted with
white, red, brown, or black natural pigments.
•Most gope boards have a similar style, depicting the stylized face
and sometimes the body of a deceased person.
Key Terms
•Elliptical: almond-shape.
•Ancestor: a person from whom one is descended.
Throughout Oceania, deceased ancestors maintain an active
role in the lives of their descendents.
Yoruba Peoples, Nigeria, Eshu
•From looking, can you name the
materials that were used to make
this sculpture?
•Look closely. Can you tell what this
figure is doing?
•How would you describe Eshu’s
facial features? Hair? His
headdress?
•What characteristics of this
sculpture make Eshu seem
important?
•Eshu is one of the most important deities of the Yoruba peoples in West
Africa.
•Like the Hindu deity Shiva, Eshu makes his followers aware of life’s
paradoxes and limitations.
•Eshu has a wide range of responsibilities - protecting travelers and
crossroads; ruling over fortune and misfortune, and representing death.
•Every religious ceremony of the Yoruba begins with an offering to Eshu.
Failure to do so guarantees failure in the intent of the ceremony.
•Eshu is seen as both a messenger and a trickster.
•As a trickster, Eshu enjoys creating conflict and challenges to teach
people the important lessons they need to learn in order to mature.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC)
Nail Figure
•What do you notice about this figure?
•What parts of the body have the most
nails?
•How many different types of nails can
you find?
•What might be the reasons for
hammering nails into a wooden
sculpture?
•In some communities in the DRC, Nail Figures served metaphorically as:
“doctors” (people used it for healing); “judges” (people used it to make a
ruling or determine an outcome); and “priests” (people used it to address
spiritual matters).
•Nail figures were carved to capture the power of spirits in order to heal
and settle arguments.
•Nail figures were “supervised” by priests who kept them in shrines and
made the spiritual powers available to individuals and the community.
•A large cavity near the abdomen held strong medicines that imbued the
sculpture with power.
•When an agreement was reached, both sides would swear an oath before
the figure and drive nails into it to seal the oath. In this way, the figure's
supernatural powers could be called upon to punish those who broke their
oaths.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this presentation.
This presentation was created by the
Education Department
of the Eskenazi Museum of Art
List of Artwork for the Seventh Grade Religion Unit
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Hendrick de Clerck, The Finding of Moses, 1629 (66.24)
Master of the Holy Kinship, Adoration of the Magi and Resurrection, 1475-1520 (78.62.1 and
78.62.2)
De Ring, Still Life with Lobster 1650 (73.22)
Horuye Avci, Islamic Prayer Rug (93.33)
Yusaf Sezer, Islamic Calligraphy Sura of Light (93.37)
India, Chola Dynasty, Shiva Nataraja 11th century (Lent by Thomas Solley)
Thailand, Footprint of the Buddha (77.7)
Polynesia, Austral Island Drum (80.5.3)
Melanesia, Papua New Guinea, Gope Boards (63.33, 63.61, 83.52.5, 80.72.4, and 83.52.3)
Nigeria, Yoruba Peoples, Eshu (87.24.2)
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nail Figure, (77.29)
Please consult the Eskenazi Museum of Art Guide for further information.
Please contact Patsy Rahn, the museum’s tour manager,
[email protected] for more information regarding tours
and other educational resources.