Week 3 Discussion - Dionysiac mystery frieze, Second Style

Week 3 dis Hum

This week, we studied cultures that recognized a pantheon of gods and goddesses, such as Ancient Greece and Rome. We also explored the early artistic objects of the Jewish and Christian faiths.

Carefully examine the following works of art and read about each one in your textbook, course lectures, and other reliable academic resources:

· Dionysiac mystery frieze, Second Style wall paintings in room 5 of the Villa of the Mysteries, Pompeii, Italy, ca. 60–50 BCE

· Samuel anoints David, detail of the main interior wall of the synagogue, Dura-Europos, Syria, ca. 245–256

· The Transfiguration of Christ, Church of Sant’ Apollinare in Classe, 533-549 CE

Choose your favorite. Then, in a minimum of 3 well-developed paragraphs, address the following questions:

a. What is the subject matter shown in the work?

b. What is the belief system or faith represented in the work?

c. What religious symbols do you observe in the work?

d. How would the setting of the work have influenced how the contemporary viewer interpreted or understood its meaning? How do you interpret its meaning in a contemporary context?