Art and Humanity Essay Example for Free

Art and Humanity Essay I will give version of the way I saw and researched the history on these topics. Leonardo Di Vinci’s work is very admirable and is a very interesting person to research as is all artists. As a society we would be where we are if it were not for all artist in the past and future. Art has long been around for millions and millions of years for example it has been around since the Prehistoric times. Paleolithic which is Old Stone Age is a term used to define the oldest period in the human history. The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic lit. Old stone from the Greek paleos=old and lithos=stone. It began about 2 million years ago, from the use of first stone tools and ended of the Pleistocene epoch, with the close of the last ice age about 13,000 BC. After Prehistoric Art there came Ancient Art which portrayed for example Egyptian art. Egypt during this time is important because of the religion and the respect for death ruled their art. They built mostly temples, graves and adopted strict canons controlled by the priests. Our knowledge of Egyptian civilization rests almost entirely on them and their contents since they were built to endure forever. Conventions of ancient Egyptian believes and culture strongly affected the art. The Pharaoh (King) considered divine. They built great tombs for their Pharaohs (kings), who were not only the supreme rulers but gods. Tombs contained everything the deceased might want or need in the afterlife and much of our knowledge of the culture comes from tomb paintings. After Ancient art came Middle Age art which portrayed for example Early Christian art. Christian art was restricted to the decoration of the hidden places of worship. Most early religious artists worked in manner that was derived from Roman art, appropriately stylized to suit the spirituality of the religion. These artists chose to reject the ideals of perfection in form and technique. After Middle ages came Renaissance which portrayed Late Gothic, Early Renaissance, and Mannerism. Then came 17th, 19th, and 20th Century. A map of decorated caves in Western Europe with the names of a few notable or outlying sites. The broken line encloses caves decorated in the distinctive Mediterranean Style which seems to have been little influenced by the master artists of France and Spain. It often features simple, stark animal representations together with quite elaborate geometrical designs. There are important caves decorated in the Mediterranean style in southeast Spain and France.

Shakespeare and the Wedding Ring Tradition :: William Shakespeare

The Wedding Ring Tradition Significance of Rings To Shakespeare During Shakespeare's time, the wedding and engagement rings indicated commitment. The rings Portia and Nerissa gave to Bassanio and Gratiano, that they were never to remove, were just that. "I give them with this ring, Which when you part from, lose, or give away, Let it presage the ruin of your love And be my vantage to exclaim on you" (3.2.171-4). The rings stood for the man's commitment to his wife just as rings Bassanio and Gratiano would give to Portia and Nerissa at their weddings would stand for the wives' commitment. Rings were common mainly among the richer parts of society, who could afford such a token. Mary Queen of Scots sent a diamond ring to Thomas Duke of Norfolk to indicate her willingness to marry him. However, peasants would give smaller tokens or none at all. It was usually the case that everyone in a village knew who was married, so no symbol was necessary. In the case that a man wishes to break a wedding contract, he must give back double all of the tokens he has received, usually a collection of small items. This made it even less practical for the poorer people in society to give rings. The fact that Portia and Nerissa gave rings to Bassanio and Gratiano is mainly an indication of their wealth. The commitment could have been symbolized by any token given to the men, but using a ring also shows that they are wealthy. Elizabethans would know that the ring itself was of no consequence to the marriage, but rather what it stood for was important. Origin Of The Tradition Engagement rings initially served a double purpose. In the days when brides were purchased, these rings were partial payment for the bride in addition to symbolizing the groom's intentions and woman's agreement. Diamonds were first found in Medieval Italy and due to their hardness symbolized enduring love. Shakespeare and the Wedding Ring Tradition :: William Shakespeare The Wedding Ring Tradition Significance of Rings To Shakespeare During Shakespeare's time, the wedding and engagement rings indicated commitment. The rings Portia and Nerissa gave to Bassanio and Gratiano, that they were never to remove, were just that. "I give them with this ring, Which when you part from, lose, or give away, Let it presage the ruin of your love And be my vantage to exclaim on you" (3.2.171-4). The rings stood for the man's commitment to his wife just as rings Bassanio and Gratiano would give to Portia and Nerissa at their weddings would stand for the wives' commitment. Rings were common mainly among the richer parts of society, who could afford such a token. Mary Queen of Scots sent a diamond ring to Thomas Duke of Norfolk to indicate her willingness to marry him. However, peasants would give smaller tokens or none at all. It was usually the case that everyone in a village knew who was married, so no symbol was necessary. In the case that a man wishes to break a wedding contract, he must give back double all of the tokens he has received, usually a collection of small items. This made it even less practical for the poorer people in society to give rings. The fact that Portia and Nerissa gave rings to Bassanio and Gratiano is mainly an indication of their wealth. The commitment could have been symbolized by any token given to the men, but using a ring also shows that they are wealthy. Elizabethans would know that the ring itself was of no consequence to the marriage, but rather what it stood for was important. Origin Of The Tradition Engagement rings initially served a double purpose. In the days when brides were purchased, these rings were partial payment for the bride in addition to symbolizing the groom's intentions and woman's agreement. Diamonds were first found in Medieval Italy and due to their hardness symbolized enduring love.

Gary Kelly Essay

For this paper, and from the options provided, I have selected Gary Kelly, of Southwest Airlines. He is the current CEO at Southwest, and during his 23 year long venture at southwest he has been able to do many great things for the company, making it a place where people wanted to come to work, even on their days off. He started out as a controller in 1984 and then moving on to become Southwest’s CFO in 1989, but it wasn’t until 2004 that Gary Kelley was made the CEO. During his many years at with the company he has worked very close with the co-founder Herbert Kelleher, during that time you could say that Herbert was Gary’s mentor, and as it turns out both of them have a few things in common. Both of these men were born on May 12th, both came from middle class families, and both were pretty good athletes when they attended school. Gary has some great ways he treats his employees and runs his company, and he seems to care very much for his employees I’d say to the point in which he would view them as family, and he takes care of his family. Throughout the past couple weeks in class we have used southwest as a discussion topic, and in doing this we have seen just how great these southwest employees seem to have it. days where employees are more than happy to come in even if they are off that day, and give their fellow employees a break, hiding out and surprising the crews of planes, and offering them snacks and a break while they in turn clean their plane. In one of the videos we watched a video in which Gary Kelly was at a picnic and the employees just came up to him to take pictures with him and just give him a hug, it seems that he has truly made this company a family. Gary Kelley was even named ‘Texas Public School’s Friend of the Year’, for his strong commitment to public education, and his ability to â€Å"†¦clearly see beyond the sensational headlines, and often negative politics, and understand that the success of Texas public education is everyone’s business. †(Pediatrics Week 2008). He has had a commitment to the public schools in Texas, supporting both educational organizations and employee volunteer programs. But lets not get away from the great business man he is, one article I read had this to say about him, â€Å"†¦Kelly has been as aggressive as Kelleher was in his youth – and perhaps even more confrontational, combining the instinct of a cockpit killer with the disarming, â€Å"aw-shucks† demeanor of the nice guy next door. † (Fitzpatrick, 2005) His quick thinking and out bidding his competitors, he was able to secure Chicago’s Midway Airport for around 117 million dollar bid for the assets and gates of the bankrupt ATA airlines company. As well as taking steps to open up flights to both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, in an effort to show that he’s more than happy to take on Pennsylvania’s main airline US Airways. One of the things I really like about Gary Kelly is his level of respect, in this article from Fitzpatrick, it says, â€Å"Kelly also was not willing to take credit for the airline’s recent moves, saying it is â€Å"foolish† to think that â€Å"one person deserves credit for everything. † (Fitzpatrick 2005) But my favorite part of this article was the final sentences in which Mr. Kelly says, â€Å"I’d much rather talk about Herb than me. He’s a legend and he’s earned that. I’ve been in the job for eight or nine months. I haven’t earned anything. I’m just another Southwest employee, who just happens to be the CEO. â€Å"(Fitzpat rick 2005) Through all of this that I have read about Mr. Gary Kelly, I have learned that he truly cares for those who work for him, and while he could use his position as the CEO to try and instill fear into his employees, he would rather treat them all with respect and kindness, kind of reminds me of an old saying my grandmother use to say, you can get more flies with a few drops of honey than a whole cup of vinegar, basically she just said to be kind and that will get you farther than had you behaved in a disrespectful way. So far it has worked for Mr. Kelly; I am truly impressed with Southwest Airlines and all they have done to ensure the happiness of their customers and employees, he truly is a great man.

Christopher Columbus Hero or Villain

On the second Monday of October each year, millions of Americans celebrate Columbus Day, one of just two federal holidays named for specific men.  The tale of Christopher Columbus, the legendary Genoese explorer and navigator, ​has been retold and rewritten many times. To some, he was an intrepid explorer, following his instincts to a New World. To others, he was a monster, a slave trader who unleashed the horrors of the conquest on unsuspecting natives. What are the facts about Christopher Columbus?​ The Myth of Christopher Columbus Schoolchildren are taught that Christopher Columbus wanted to find America, or in some cases that he wanted to prove that the world was round. He convinced Queen Isabela of Spain to finance the journey, and she sold her personal jewelry to do so. He bravely headed west and found the Americas and the Caribbean, making friends with natives along the way. He returned to Spain in glory, having discovered the New World. Whats wrong with this story? Quite a bit, actually. Myth #1: Columbus Wanted to Prove the World Was Not Flat The theory that the earth was flat and that it was possible to sail off the edge of it was common in the Middle Ages, but it had been discredited by Columbus time. His first New World journey did help fix one common mistake, however. It proved that the earth was much larger than people had previously thought. Columbus, basing his calculations on incorrect assumptions about the size of the earth, assumed it would be possible to reach the rich markets of eastern Asia by sailing west. Had he succeeded in finding a new trade route, it would have made him a very wealthy man. Instead, he found the Caribbean, then inhabited by cultures with little in the way of gold, silver, or trade goods. Unwilling to completely abandon his calculations, Columbus made a laughingstock of himself back in Europe by claiming that the Earth was not round but shaped like a pear. He had not found Asia, he said, because of the bulging part of the pear near the stalk. Myth #2: Columbus Persuaded Queen Isabela to Sell Her Jewels to Finance the Trip He didnt need to. Isabella and her husband Ferdinand, fresh from the conquest of Moorish kingdoms in the south of Spain, had more than enough money to send someone like Columbus sailing off to the west in three second-rate ships. He had tried to get financing from other kingdoms like England and Portugal, with no success. Strung along on vague promises, Columbus hung around the Spanish court for years. In fact, he had just given up and was headed to France to try his luck there when word reached him that the Spanish king and queen had decided to finance his 1492 voyage. Myth #3: He Made Friends With the Natives He Met The Europeans, with ships, guns, fancy clothes, and shiny trinkets, made quite an impression on the tribes of the Caribbean, whose technology was far behind that of Europe. Columbus made a good impression when he wanted to. For example, he made friends with a local chieftain on the Island of Hispaniola named Guacanagari because he needed to leave some of his men behind. But Columbus also captured other natives for use as slaves. The practice of slavery was common and legal in Europe at the time, and the slave trade was very lucrative. Columbus never forgot that his voyage was not one of exploration, but of economics. His financing came from the hope that he would find a lucrative new trade route. He did nothing of the sort: the people he met had little to trade. An opportunist, he captured some natives to show that they would make good slaves. Years later, he would be devastated to learn that Queen Isabela had decided to declare the New World off-limits to slavers. Myth #4: He Returned to Spain in Glory, Having Discovered the Americas Again, this one is half-true. At first, most observers in Spain considered his first voyage a total fiasco. He had not found a new trade route and the most valuable of his three ships, the Santa Maria, had sunk. Later, when people began to realize that the lands he had found were previously unknown, his stature grew and he was able to get funding for a  second, much larger voyage  of exploration and colonization. As for discovering the Americas, many people have pointed out over the years that for something to be discovered it must first be â€Å"lost,† and the millions of people already living in the New World certainly didn’t need to be â€Å"discovered.† But more than that, Columbus stubbornly stuck to his guns for the rest of his life. He always believed that the lands he found were the easternmost fringe of Asia and that the rich markets of Japan and India were just a little farther away. He even put forth his absurd pear-shaped Earth theory in order to make the facts fit his assumptions. It wasn’t long before everyone around him figured out that the New World was something previously unseen by Europeans, but Columbus himself went to the grave without admitting that they were right. Christopher Columbus: Hero or Villain? Since his death in 1506, Columbus’ life story has undergone many revisions. He is vilified by indigenous rights groups, yet was once seriously considered for sainthood. What’s the real scoop? Columbus was neither a monster nor a saint. He had some admirable qualities and some very negative ones. On the positive side, Columbus was a very talented sailor, navigator and ship captain. He bravely went west without a map, trusting his instincts and calculations. He was very loyal to his patrons, the king and queen of Spain, and they rewarded him by sending him to the New World a total of four times. While he took slaves from those tribes that fought him and his men, he seems to have dealt relatively fairly with those tribes that he befriended, such as that of Chief Guacanagari. But there are many stains on his legacy as well. Ironically, the Columbus-bashers blame him for some things that were not under his control and ignore some of his most glaring actual defects. He and his crew brought awful diseases, such as smallpox, to which the men and women of the New World had no defenses, and millions died. This is undeniable, but it was also unintentional and would have happened eventually anyway. His discovery opened the doors to  the conquistadors  who looted the mighty Aztec and Inca Empires and slaughtered natives by the thousands, but this, too, would likely have happened when someone else inevitably discovered the New World. If one must hate Columbus, it is far more reasonable to do so for other reasons. He was a slave trader who heartlessly took men and women away from their families in order to lessen his failure to find a new trade route. His contemporaries despised him. As governor of  Santo Domingo  on Hispaniola, he was a despot who kept all profits for himself and his  brothers and was loathed by the colonists whose lives he controlled. Attempts were made on his life and he was actually sent back to Spain in chains at one point after  his third voyage. During  his fourth voyage, he and his men were stranded on Jamaica for a year when his ships rotted. No one wanted to travel there from Hispaniola to save him. He was also a cheapskate. After promising a reward to  whoever  spotted land first on his 1492 voyage, he refused to pay up when sailor Rodrigo de Triana did so, giving the reward to himself instead because he had seen a â€Å"glow† the night before. Previously, the elevation of Columbus to a hero caused people to name cities (and a country, Colombia) after him and many places still celebrate Columbus Day. But nowadays, people tend to see Columbus for what he really was: an influential man with a mixed legacy. Sources Carle, Robert. Remembering Columbus: Blinded by Politics. Academic Questions 32.1 (2019): 105–13. Print.Cook, Noble David. Sickness, Starvation, and Death in Early Hispaniola. The Journal of Interdisciplinary History 32.3 (2002): 349–86. Print.Herring, Hubert.  A History of Latin America From the Beginnings to the  Present.  New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1962.Kelsey, Harry. Finding the Way Home: Spanish Exploration of the Round-Trip Route across the Pacific Ocean. Science, Empire and the European Exploration of the Pacific. Ed. Ballantyne, Tony. The Pacific World: Lands, Peoples, and History of the Pacific, 1500–1900. New York: Routledge, 2018. Print.Thomas, Hugh. Rivers of Gold: The Rise of the Spanish Empire, from Columbus to Magellan. New York: Random House, 2005.