The painting by Gros, a neoclassical artist, called Napoleon visiting the Plague House of Jaffa reminded me of the war in Iraq and the alleged "weapons of mass destruction". Although they are not directly related, the paintings context seemed to be similar to the lies that surrounded the alleged weapons. The paiting depicts Napoleon visting troops in the Middle East who have become very sick. As a transitional piece between Neoclassism and Romanticism, Gros' painting does not idealized the bodies and we see the sickness that has overwhelmed them. Although Napoleon is shown as somewhat Christ-like in his illumination and body position (glove free hand, touching the sick soldier), in reality he was anything but that. He, in fact, lied and instead of saving the soldiers as it seems he was doing, he ordered that they be killed. This painting deceived Napoleon's people into thinking he was a savior when he had actually ordered the killing of some of their brothers, fathers, and sons.

Napoleon's lies to his soldiers reminded me of the President Bush administration's fervent claim of "weapons of mass destruction". After invasion, no weapons were ever found. Instead of finding and destroying the weapons and freeing the Iraqi people, our soldiers went in with a false objective because of the lies that the government told the American people. President Bush misled the American people and soldiers just as Napoleon did his soldiers.

Propaganda

One of the artists we talked about in class was Jacques-Louis David, a French Neoclassical painter. One of his paintings was Napoleon Crossing the Alps. Created in 1800, it was a picture of Napoleon on his horse looking confident and in control. The combination of the horse and Napoleon dominate the painting, making Napoleon seem larger than his small stature. The horse looks crazed with fear which contrasts with Napoleon's calm expression. Riding the animal, David portrays Napoleon as a strong leader, only holding on by one hand, the other up in the air as a sign of confidence.

Obviously, Napoleon understood the potential art could have in creating a positive view of himself in the eyes of his people. He used this portrait by David as propaganda to make people believe he was a strong and powerful leader with no fear. In reality, Napoleon was short, riding a sturdy but ordinary mule up the mountains. That picture, David realized, would have been less than inspirational. Instead he used his skill as a painter to create an alternate image that displayed Napoleon's journey in a more positive light.

Propaganda like this has been used throughout history by the government, politicians, and many others who have wanted to make their audience believe or feel a certain way. Aritists often partake in propaganda during times of war when national support is most important and in politics. This image of a Time magazine cover with President Bush giving a "thumbs up" sign with the caption "Bush Resigns: The Nightmare is Over" is an example of political propaganda. The message is obviously trying to get viewers to see Bush as someone stupid (the "thumbs up" sign even as the cover hails his resignation) and monstrous (use of the word "nightmare").

Both images, one from the beginning of the nineteenth century and the other from the twenty-first, although different in medium and subject, both serve the same purpose: to make viewers believe the message they put forth as true.

Art: Then and Now

In Academicism, only art that had come from those that had been through school was important. This idea reminded me of a television program So You Think You Can Dance?, a show that gives everyone from every kind of background a chance to show their artistic ability to the world. People often think that one must go to school in order to be a good dancer, just as the idea of Academicism believed only. However, the judges on the show frequently choose dancers that have also not had any classical training at all. These often turn out to be some of the best dancers because they have such a strong natural talent. In fact, the finalists of the last season were both untrained dancers. It is sad to me that Academicism was such a powerful idea in the 1700s because there were probably many wonderfully talented artists who were not appreciated or even given a change to express their creativity because they did not go to school.

Also on the show, dancers have certain genres in which they are particularly inclined to dance in. Just recently, they have had such styles as Crumping and Popping on the show which are relatively new and very different than classical styles such as Jazz and Lyrical.


Many people did not (and some still don't) consider the former styles of dance as sophisticated as latter ones. This prejudice reminded me of the disagreement between the Poussinistes and the Rubenistes, two groups that had opposing views in what made a great painting: drawing or color.

The Poussinistes, named after Nicolas Poussin, believed that drawing was more important because it "appealed to the mind" where color "appealed to the senses". ------------------------>

Rubenistes, named after Peter Ruben, however, believed that color, because it was able to "deceive the eye" better than drawing could, was more important.
(below)


Only the Poussinistes' style was acceptable by the French Academy, much like how the "classical" styles of dance are more accepted in the dance world today.

Me in Pictures

I chose the Apple logo for a couple reasons. The first and most obvious is that I work for Apple! I work at the retail store in Valley Fair mall as a Concierge. Thus, I have a lot invested, figuratively and literally, in the company. But, beyond that, I really love and believe in their values. My job and my superiors are always trying to inspire us to work harder for customers, express our ideas, and enrich our lives as well as our customers. I've also met some really great and unique people from different backgrounds and different places around the world working at the store and many have become really good friends of mine. Overall, Apple is a big part of my life!





I chose this mainly because I love comedy and I love to laugh. One of my friends and my favorite places to go is the Comedy Sportz club in downtown San Jose because it's not too expensive (12 bucks for students) and it's a pretty exciting show. I laugh easily and often but it's great to have a place where they compete for your laugh! A sense of humor is one of the most important things to me in a person, maybe even the most important. Without it, life is boring!


I chose the San Jose Sharks logo because I love them (and I am still somewhat partial to the old logo; adding orange seems strange to me)! I love watching hockey and going to games, although I don't get to go anywhere close to as often as I'd like. In my opinion, hockey is one of the most exciting games to watch, on t.v. and in person. Some people like the time between plays in football or between at bats in baseball. I love the constant action (and occasional fights) of hockey. My dad was a Sharks fan mainly because it's a bay area team but I'm the only big hockey fan in my family. A couple of my friends play hockey as well so it's fun to enjoy it with them. Go Sharks!



I chose this because I just started getting into snowboarding and found that it's really fun. I've only been to the mountains about 3 times or so but every time I have a blast. I'm no where near as good as the man depicted in the image I chose but nonetheless I manage to have a great time! My next goal is to save enough to buy my own board and bindings. I'm really excited for this upcoming snow season! I love trying new things whether it's an extreme sport like snowboarding or a new food. I try not to let my fears get in the way!









I chose this picture of Baby Girl Cookies for several reasons! First, I just became an aunt in April and I love my niece more than I can describe! I love being an aunt. Even though her cries can be frustrating when I'm with her at home, every time I have to leave for work or some other obligation, I can't wait to get back to her. Another reason I chose it is because I love food! My friends and I joke about how we bonded because of our mutual love of food. We seem to always congregate around it and these cookies are an example of something we'd love! Thirdly, I am a biology major and one the career paths I am considering is to be a pediatrician. It is kind of a stretch with this picture but it was still a reason why the image describes who I am or who I will be!