blog #4: ch.20, 16th century art in Italy

The Last Supper by Tintoretto aka Jacopo Robusti, (1592-94) Oil on canvas pg. 701
was painted for the choir of the Church of San Giogio Maggiore. (building designed by Palladio) Two kinds of light were used, one real (the oil lamp) and one supernatural (the aura around Jesus)
When I first saw this, I though it looked so mysterious, dark.. erie..even secretive. The play between light and dark is so intense and dramatic, the characters seem to glow from within. The angle in which the viewer is looking is a very odd and unique one, making this painting stand out even more from the common, stable horizontal line paintings we so often see.
"Instead of Leonardo's closed and logical space, with massive figures reacting in individual ways to Jesus's statement, Tintoretto's view is from a corner, with the vanishing point on a high horizon line at the far right side. The table, coffered ceiling, and inlaid floor all seem to plunge dramatically into the distance."
But the thing that really stands out to me the most are the angels swirling out from the flame and smoke. It made me wonder what the significance of the angels were. Who were they? What are they doing there? What was Tintoretto's belief in angels/spirits?
Again...Harry Potter has come to my mind. :)
yes, Harry Potter is awesome & I make many references to him, but i'm actually not a HUGE fan, I haven't even read any of the book series, so.. i had to look up who the ghosts really were.
In Harry Potter, though not angels, there are ghosts floating about the vast dining room of Hogwarts castle.. also consisting of long, narrow tables. These transparent ghosts were once wizards and even conversate with the wizard students. The famous one we often see in the HP movies is Nearly Headless Nick, a former Gryffindor.
This painting made me think of ghosts/angels/spirits in general. On the topic of friendly ghosts, I thought of Mulan! & an awesome character she is..totally defies the whole disney princess stereotype & uses her intelligence to save China. Far below is a clip from the movie that shows Mulan's ancestor ghosts in a humorous way. The clip portrays the 'ancestor ghost' belief pretty well, espescially with the incense sticks. In many Asian cultures, past ancestors are a form of the supernatural. They are prayed upon for help, guidance, and protection, like how Christians may pray to God.
It made me reflect upon my own ancestors. In Vietnamese culture, grandparents are honored and very highly respected. I've never met any of mine for they all passed way before I was born. But each year on their death anniversary, (all different days-so there would be 4 total each year) my mom would cook certain meals, lay the food in a particular layout upon the table and light incense candles.
Now that my mom is in Texas, and my uncle (dad's older brother) has moved to Milpitas, we would go there for my paternal grandparents' death anniversary. The food is meant to be sacrificed for them, but I don't see how it's exactly 'sacrificed', I think of it as simply an offering. We would then take turns praying to the grandparent, wishing them peace & hope for health, wealth..that kind of thing. Then we would eat.
This ritual would sometimes be held just between the nuclear family or..if possible, between the larger family. It's a tradition to have the oldest sibling hold the death anniversary dinner at his/her place. So if I end up living near my older sister in the future, she would be the host. This ritual generally is a way to honor our ancestor spirits. Anyone could be of any religion and still practice it, it doesn't matter if one is Christian or Buddhist or even athiest, or their beliefs of heaven or reincarnation.
My mom is Christian, which makes me quite curious..her parents were Buddhist. Where are they now? Not heaven, not angels, but not exactly ghosts..spirits.
Some families are even hardcore honorers! A spiritual corner would be reserved in their house with vases and photo frames of their past ancestors placed upon a high shelf. & I'm so glad we don't have that, for honestly..I might be a little weirded out..and it's a small apartment anyhow.
In my Cultural Anthropology class, we learned about the Dobe-Ju Hoansi & Yanomamo tribes, with veryy different beliefs on ghosts and the reasons for sicknesses & death.
Without the technologies and vast knowledge of medical affairs, the Dobe-Ju Hoansi believed death was caused by past ancestors saying "I miss you" and inviting them to come join them. The Yanomamo on the other hand, believed their opposing, neighboring tribe has sent spells/curses to their tribe.
All cultures have different beliefs upon ghosts/spirits. Some people don't even believe in ghosts. But there are enough people in this world, past and present who do believe, to have ever created such a frenzy over this supernatural mystery. Tv shows, movies, Halloween, and even people suspecting ghosts in their room at night, have all been influenced..by this simple thought of lingering souls in the afterlife.
Saltcellar of King Francis I of France
made of gold and enamal, is basically a salt & pepper shaker from the 16th century. Ornamental, decadent, and intricate, it sharply contrasts with today's many salt & pepper shakers.

I just found these soo adorable I had to post them. i saw these at a tiny shop once & if cheaper, totally would have gotten one. Eskimo kiss with the nose- too cute, devil & angel, and princess kissing her frog prince. :) They are magnetic!

& yes..I know, this music video may not have anything to do with Ch. 20, but it's too great to pass out on. =P 98 derees & Stevie Wonder! the reflection song is also really lovely, both christina ag. & movie version
Hope you enjoyed this entry! :)
xox diana nguyen*