War and Rulers in Art

1. Rulers and War
Chapter 10
Power, Politics and Glory

2. The Glory of the Ruler
• Idealized Image
– without flaw
– Youthful
– wise or dignified
• Symbols: authority,
divine, power
• Compositional
devices: center, focal
point

3. Royal Portraits
• Menkaure and His
Wife, Queen
Khamerernebty, Gizeh,
Egypt, 4th Dynasty, c. 2600 BCE
slate, height 4 feet 6inches
• Egyptian ideal of beauty
and maturity

4. The Power of the State
• Places and Spaces of
Power:
– Grand size
– Lavish ornamentation
– Height
– Symbolic art featured
Hall of Supreme Harmony, Forbidden City, Beijing, China.

5. Signs of power…

6. Warriors, Weapons & Fortifications
• Fierceness shown
in emphasis of
armor, weapons,
or regalia of power
Plaque: Warrior and Attendants, 16th–
17th century
Nigeria; Edo peoples, Court of Benin
Brass H. 18 3/4 in. (47.6 cm)

7. WAR SCENES
• Memorable,
glorious,
action-filled
event
• Document
battles from
different points
of view

8. Detail of Mural by Diego
Rivera.
Scenes of war between
the native peoples of the
area of what is now
Mexico and the Spanish
conquistadors.

10. Guernica, Pablo Picasso

11. Contemporary Artists on War
Gerda Meyer Bernstein
Exercise in Futility, 2008
walk-in installation, mixed media

12. Glorious vs. Realistic Images of
War
Napoleon Crossing the Alps, Jacques-Louis David, 1800, France.

13. And they are like wild beasts, Disasters of War Series, Francisco Goya.

14. Conclusion
• In what ways can art be used in the service of
the state and rulers?
• How do politics influence art?
• How has art documented war?