Seeing Spirituality in Art Creative Writing

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Greek sculptures, 'Veiled and Masked Dancer' and 'Hermes and the Infant Dionysos' dating back to the art periods, and their connection to the realm of spirituality.

Is art linked to spirituality in any special way? One might find a number of reasons to answer in the affirmative; there, indeed, appears to be some sort of profuse series of links among the two. Art has always occupied a central position in religion. In religious rituals and houses of worship, one can witness sacred dances, sacred symbols, hymns, sacred pictures, tunes, and chants; these art forms have also been utilized as meditation and prayer aids by all religions. The above examples of art in religion alone make the former discipline appear to be intrinsic to connecting with or expressing the divine (Art and Spirituality 1). Religious art represents a superior art form in both Western medieval Christianity and Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Buddhists and Hindus also view art in the same light. Even religions that regard any imagery of God as idolatrous (such as Islam and Judaism) also make use of decorative designs for embellishing their sacred texts and houses of worship. Apart from the formal context of religion, customarily, religion has played an equally integral role in both arts and the overall culture. Within traditional cultures, arts have contributed to transmitting the core cultural values and beliefs; also, these values and beliefs possess a strong spiritual or religious element. Two such art works that integrate spiritual elements into them have been taken up for this study; they are: Veiled and Masked Dancer and Hermes and the Infant Dionysos.

Hermes and the Infant Dionysos

The statue of Hermes carrying the Infant Dionysos was created by Athenian artist, Praxiteles (c. 390-332 BC), who was the most venerated antiquity sculptor. Labeled a "sensual" sculptor, Praxiteles is believed to have sophisticatedly represented the female body, as well as that of the slightly effete young man (ephebe). He cannot be described as an artist who sculpted heroes and gods, as his art echoes the worldly, secular style of the latter Classical age. In spite of this sculpture of his being placed at Olympia, along with proof of it being specially made for that city, the concept and impression is undoubtedly worldly (Hermes with the Infant Dionysus - University of Saskatchewan 1). An undulant body carved in a distinct S-curve that goes against equilibrium replaces the Classical grace and restraint. The work depicts Hermes bearing the god, Dionysus, in infant form, to the Nine Muses (goddesses), to be raised. In the statue, Hermes was originally portrayed to be raising his right forearm and dangling a bunch of grapes before Dionysus; however, over the years, Hermes has lost his right forearm. An element of humor in the form of the baby Dionysus reaching out greedily towards the cluster has also been added by Praxiteles; this is an allusion to his fate of becoming the Greek god of wine (Praxiteles - Ancient Greek Sculptor 1).

Even though Praxiteles' proportions of Dionysus as an infant were not quite realistic, the presence of children and babies in the statues of the Late Classical era is suggestive of transformations in the society, to the dominant social sentimentalism and secularism hereafter. Classical Greek art initiated a shift in the direction of a more realistic portrayal of our world (even during its initial idealistic stage), thereby signaling a change in philosophers' focus from the supernatural and conceptual to more pressing worldly concerns. Artists ceased the mere "allusion" to human form, beginning to "describe" it accurately (.History of Greece: Classical Greece 1). The focus became mankind, the ultimate source of value in everyday life, in cultural depictions and Democratic politics. Logic and rational thinking played the role of drivers underlying this cultural shift at the cost of impulse and emotion. The most prominent example of this shift in society's approach from emotions to logic can be seen in the expressions of the sculptures found in the west pediment of Olympia's temple of Zeus. One can, clearly differentiate in the intricate array of statues in the temple, the 'civilized Hellene' from the 'Barbarian', via their facial expressions. Barbarian Centaurs display heightened emotion, whereas Apollo and Lapithae women are shown to be imminent even in the face of grimmest of conditions (History of Greece: Classical Greece 1).

An outstanding array of scientific and cultural achievements was produced during the Classical era. Athenians introduced the world to a system of direct Democracy that was unparalleled in superiority and merit; no similar governance form had been seen until then, or even immediately afterwards; The Western governments of the modern era (such as France, the UK, and the U.S.) only emulated this governmental model a millennium later.

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The logical method of investigating and describing the world, which is mirrored in Classical Literature, Art, and Philosophy, turned into the well-established base that was utilized by western culture for leaping forward, starting with the subsequent Hellenistic Period. The Greek philosophers belonging to the Classical Period have remained relevant over several thousand years. The ideas of Socrates, Aristotle, Plato and other Classical thinkers have, either directly, as a modification, or in opposition, been the reference points for numerous thinkers of the West in the past two millennia (History of Greece: Classical Greece 1). Greek physician, Hippocrates of Kos is regarded as the "Father of Western medicine"; the historic Hippocratic Oath continues to be used even now. Aristophanes' comedies, and the plays composed by tragedians Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides are counted among Western culture's masterworks. It was, thus, an age in which the people of Greece were urged to adopt a logical way of thinking and have a rational view of things. This fostered a kind of spirituality wherein individuals were free to think progressive and seek knowledge.

Veiled and Masked Dancer

This ancient statue dates back to 300-100 BC. The Hellenistic Age is characterized by a flood of novel, unique art forms, such as architecture, sculptures, ceramics, and landscapes. There was, however, a minor shift in approach during this time -- there was greater manifestation of "classicism" and "baroque" in art works. Though a majority of the art of the period was not restricted to any particular orientation or any limitation (Garcia), a majority of art works of the Hellenistic Age centered on worship of the Gods. Sculpture of the age was characterized by increased motion, and was meant to be appreciated from different angles. This justifies the drapery depicted in the sculpture in question. The bronze statuette portrays a dancing woman, and the most likely belief is that she was probably a professional artiste.

An artist may have created this sculpture since, in the Hellenistic Era, the city of Alexandria was famous and similar to a modern-day cosmopolitan city. Style and appearance were of utmost importance during the period (Garcia 1). Also, rich individuals had begun a trend of placing sculptures in their homes as decorative items. This fact is significant as it reveals to us that the routine life in Greece had started revolving around beauty and leisure. While people still used much of the art for worship, this statuette reveals that Greek life had more to it than mere religious artifacts.

Like goods, individuals also had flexibility of movement around different Hellenistic Greek kingdoms. Nearly every citizen of the past Alexandrian empire read and spoke the very same tongue: a sort of informal Greek called koine (Greek for "common tongue"). This signified a uniting cultural force: Irrespective of an individual's background and nationality, he could effectively interact with anybody in the cosmopolitan Hellenistic age. Concurrently, a large number of individuals felt isolated in the novel cultural and political setting (Hellenistic Greece - Ancient History 1). Citizens had once been closely involved with democratic city-states' operations; but now, they had to live in impersonal kingdoms under the rule of professional bureaucrats. This isolation in Hellenistic literature and art manifested through a focus on individuals and a dismissal of collectivism. For instance, paintings and statues depicted real people instead of idealized beings or Gods. Also, concurrently, several individuals began affiliating themselves with "mystery religions" (e.g., cults of Fortune and Isis) that guaranteed their followers individual wealth and immortality.

There is great diversity in Hellenistic art with regard to stylistic growth and content. It was developed in a period that was typified by a powerful sense of history. Grand libraries and museums had newly emerged (e.g. the libraries of Pergamum and Alexandria). Artists of the age imitated and improved on earlier styles, in addition to innovating significantly (Art of the Hellenistic Age and the Hellenistic Tradition 1). Greek gods' representations assumed novel forms. For instance, the popular representation of a naked Aphrodite signifies growing secularization in traditional religion. Hellenistic art also prominently features the figures of the fabled captor of the East and god of fertility and wine, Dionysos, and the patron of commerce and communication, Hermes. In markedly tender representations, the Greek god of love, Eros is depicted as a little….....

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