Vermeer’s Painting Technique inWoman Holding a Balance Essay Example for Free

Vermeer’s Painting Technique inWoman Holding a Balance Essay Johanna’s Vermeer’s paintings, although masterpiece creations of great precision and detail, were hardly recognized until after his death. After his death, many observations and analysis were conducted. Much of his painting styles became noticeable by investigating his unfinished works. His lifelike paintings used very special techniques invented exclusively by him. The camera obscurer technique is his claim to fame. Constant reinventions of his painting techniques come around today in several different forms and style. The camera obscurer technique is widely used for theatre, film and stage designing. One of his most famous astounding paintings are A Woman Holding a Balance. The painting, A Woman Holding a Balance, is a portrait emphasizing riches, material wealth, luxury, femininity daintiness and delicacy. Upon looking at the picture, delicate feminine items symbolizing material luxury jumps out and touches the viewer. A woman wears a designer dark blue jacket with white fur trimmings. Such elegant jackets were worn by upper class wealthy women while doing their domestic duties. The exquisite jacket is lined with fur throughout the inside of the jacket, indicating this is an intricate designer original. At this time, the only heating resources available were a fireplace usually in the living room. The three boxes laying on the luxurious wooden table, containing intricate detailed luxurious designs are another outstanding symbology of wealth and riches. Red velveteen lines the largest box. Several glowing, shinning pearl necklaces lay over the top of delicately carved jewelry box. To the far left, in front of the painting is a blue velveteen blanket or cloth. The images sold and viewed today in art museums are restored. In the original paintings, the blanket resembled a greenish tone. The greenish tone was a side effect of the heavy yellowish varnish Vermeer used to shade or set his entire paintings. Blue colorings are known to discolor varnish in paintings. On the wall, directly across from the woman, is an elegant ebony mirror. The mirror may indicate pride and vanity. Many arguments and research looked into finding out what was the woman holding in the balance. Earlier sources concluded the balance was holding gold coins. However, microscopic research showed there was nothing in the balance. The message the balance contains may be interpreted infinitely. Perhaps the woman was involved in a peaceful solitary prayer or meditation ritual. The balance could stand for mental or emotional peacefulness, much like crystals used in prayer ceremonies. One of the most beautiful highlights of this painting is natural sunlight furnishing the light in the room. The photograph bears incredibly noticeable brightness. The sunlight brings a hint of notoriety to the golden curtains. The painting contains a picture inside a picture. In the background, on the wall is a mysterious picture containing many subliminal shapes and designs. It may be considered abstract art work. In the upper center appears to be a man, perhaps an angel in human form, descending down from the heavens surrounded in glowing light. To either side appears to be what may be interpreted as animals, but not definitely so. At the bottom of the photo are designs appearing to be lots of people. The photograph was apparently another famous painting named The Last Judgment. The woman may also be very pregnant, in her eight or ninth month.

The Relationship Between Pressure Groups and the News Media :: The Mass Media and Environmental Issues

Nowadays, it is comprehensible to hear that crowded citizens flourished on the street or gathered in front of the official government in order to advocacy their appeals towards government or pressing the ‘sluggish’ government. These phenomenons could be identified by social activities lead by pressure group and as the forms of expressing public opinion ( Grant, 1999:4). However, news media also reveals similar functions with pressure groups by attracting public attention and raising public awareness on certain issues, even influencing government’s decision on a great extent. This essay will mainly focus on analysising how pressure groups successfully utilize and affect news media in terms of enhancing the public attention to their campaigns which accompany with a few negative examples of pressure groups about misues news media. Besides, this essay will critically argue about the relationship between pressure groups and news media; some techniques exerted by pressure groups in media area and how news media reacted to pressure groups. There are several types of pressure groups existing in current society which they possess different values and aims. In details, causes groups may eager to set up certain debates in political agenda and expected to receive effectual political action (Grant, 2000, P126); sectional groups might need to attract public attention to their problems but sometimes they prevent public attention in order to conducted via au fait consultative channels (Grant, 2000, P126); interest groups which easily to understand in its literal meanings used to upgrade their interest in political agenda by utilizing media (Grant, 2000, P127). Therefore, certain pressure groups require higher level of media assistance compared with others. Furthermore, despite of pressure groups relate to political agenda, environmental groups have established long-history relationship with news media that could be identified by large amount of environmental articles in media coverage (Hansen, 1993, P5). In details, mo st well-known environmental groups employed rich experience staff; those workers involved in making environmental news before or providing environmental information to journalists that will guarantee their campaign issues are similar or familiar with favourable news coverage (Hansen, 1993, P5). However, environmental groups are taken significant advantages in news coverage compared with other pressure groups due to the environmental news are more mediagenic and equivalent to news criteria (Hansen, 1993, P5). Despite of the pressure groups require news media at a variety level, different form of news media might present diverse effects depends on its functions and targeted audiences.

American Revolution- Revolution or Civil War? Essay

There is a lot of debate and disagreement on whether the American Revolution was an actual revolution, but rather a civil war. A revolution implies that there was a total change in government and rule of a country, and a civil war is a war that occurs in a country between groups of people from the country. There may have been a vast amount of tension between the colonies and the British, but the occurrences during the American Revolution had little to do with the changing of the government. There were many things that the colonies were expected to do and pay for. These were called colonial grievances. The colonies were expected to pay a lot of money for tea, sugar and stamps. The money would go to the British. The area they were allowed to live and stay in was also very restricted as they were not allowed or able to move westwards. This is because the British wanted to control the colonies and this is easier to do if the people are restrained to a smaller area. The colonies also had no one voicing their opinions and needs in the British Parliament, so all the decisions concerning the colonies were made by the British. The soldiers had power over, and controlled the colonies. The colonies began to feel anger towards the British because of their lack of rights, freedom and say in the way they were governed. Resentment grew and these made the colonies more aware and open to the idea for fighting against the British. The colonies wanted to be able to govern and rule themselves. The tension in the colonies was not enough to cause a revolution, but rather a civil war. The Boston Tea Party was when the Americans dressed up as Mohawk Indians and threw all the English tea into the harbour. They dressed up as Indians to symbolise how they were more American than British, and as a disguise. The throwing of the tea into the sea symbolised how they were not willing to pay taxes and were not willing to be ruled and overpowered by the British. The Americans were fighting against the British because of the tension that the colonial grievances had caused. The tension would affect any group of people and therefore, it makes it a civil war rather than revolution. As the tension grew, the colonies got tired of trying to fight the government without any change occurring. The colonies the thought that by using armed conflict, they would be able to get their point across better. They used Lexington to secretly store weapons until they would have enough to stand against the British. The British found out about the storehouse at Lexington and began to march to Lexington so that they could end the gathering of weapons because the British didn’t want the Americans to rise up against them. The colonies were not aware of the British moving towards Lexington, so Paul Revere rode through the night on horseback to warn the colonies. The face-off between the colonies and the British increased the already intense tension, and made the Americans want to govern themselves even more than before. The Boston Massacre was a real depiction of how much tension had been building up amongst the colonies and the British. A guard was standing outside the Customs House and the colonies began throwing snowballs at him. The colonies then started throwing rocks at the guard, rather than snowballs. The British guard then called for backup and more British soldier’s arrived at the customs house. The guards then opened fire on the colonists and killed 5 people. After all the events had occurred, people from the colonies joined up and drafted the Declaration of Independence. This document stated how they wanted to be a free country and be able to govern themselves. The declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal, but all women were not given the right to vote, and neither could slaves. Only men who owned land had the right to vote. This shows that they war the Americas were governed did not totally change, hence it is not a revolution, but rather a civil war. So even though there is a lot of debate and disagreement on whether the American Revolution was a revolution or a civil war, there are many points that show that it is not a revolution, but a civil war.

The Crusades During The 21st Century - 1973 Words

Beginning in the 11th century, Christians across Europe fought a series of wars and campaigns called the Crusades1. For many, a Crusade means any war embarked upon for the sake of a promise, vow, or religion2. After some time, it came to mean any religious war against non-Christians3. The Crusades were fought in order that Muslims would be removed from lands that had previously been Christian. These campaigns were most prevalent in the time from the 11th century through the 13th century, with some minor battles being fought through the 16th century4. Fourteen years later, the emperor Charlemagne died, and Christianity came under fire from Magyars, Vikings, and other nations who were considered to be pagan8. Throughout the tenth century,†¦show more content†¦The emperors of Constantinople had not been in communication with the Roman church since 1054, but they asked the popes for help with the issues with the Turks. At this time, Gregory VII was the pope. After exchanging let ters with Michael VII, one of the emperors of Constantinople, in 1073, Pope Gregory VII debated on leading an army to take back the land of Jerusalem, the Holy Sepulcher, and the Christendom. However, his time was occupied with the Investiture Contriversy12. The Investiture Controversy arose after claims that Pope Gregory VII had not been officially elected into office – that is, by the emperor – and was not legitimately a pope13. This caused the Pope to be unable to further his plans for the persecuted Christians. At this same time, Europe was divided into states that were bickering over territory14. During this time of war, in the year 1081, Alexius Comnenus, a general, took the Byzantine throne, becoming known as Emperor Alexius I15. However, at this time, it was the position of pope that had the most power, even enough to start a worldwide war such as the Crusades. However, no matter how much power he had, the pope could not have provoked the Crusades had there not already been conditions set in place which allowed it to happen. One of these ways was the ancient relationship between Syria and the West. At this time, Europeans believed that they were entitled to access to the Holy Sepulcher and, in