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Western Architecture of the 19th century

Essay Instructions:
You should complete three papers around five pages in length( 2 sources each paper). Each paper should discuss some artworks (painting, architecture, music, literature, or dance) from either Western or Middle-Eastern civilizations. These three topics should be from different time periods. For example, you could talk about the art of rug making in 16th century, important literature of the 19th century, and some music of the 20th century. The papers should be double-spaced with a proper essay format.
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Western Architecture of the 19th century
Introduction
The earlier architectural movements and foreign influences affected highly the 19th century architecture works. Exotic styles which were as a result of the high innovative attitudes of the modern age influenced also the outcomes of the 19th century architecture. According to Gardner and Kleiner the ancient works; Greek, renaissance and Gothic were revived and combined with the modern ways of engineering and materials. In the western world, national nostalgia was stimulated by the historicism which was celebrated in the past cultures and empires. The main style of architectural style were Greek revival, neo-renaissance, gothic revival, Richardson Romanesque, Exoticism, second empire, skyscraper architecture, and industrial architecture (Gardner and Kleiner, 30).
History and their characteristics
There are two main characteristics that distinguish the 19th century architecture and the other period’s architecture: the innovation of new materials and structural methods and the utilization of the previous historical styles Gardner and Kleiner continue to state. The utilization of the historical styles was as result of the need in the society to ensure continuity of their forefather’s traditional styles. Some of the elements of the previous styles were employed in bringing some authority in many towns in the western world (Gardner and Kleiner, 39). Some of these towns include: Birmingham used the traditional designs to give authority in most of its halls, in London they were utilized in the railway stations and its legislative houses and in Paris the Opera houses used this previous designs. The combination of the 18th century designs and the modern ones gave a variety of styles which could be regarded as bombastic or quaint to the modern eyes.
On the other hand, it is their view that the development of new materials as a result of new industrial need of the century led to second characteristic: the innovation of new materials and structural methods. New building to cater for expanding need of factories, office buildings, railway stations, hospitals, administrative centers were in high demand. Cast iron was mainly used in making the structures of big halls that accommodated the factory machines and warehouses (Gardner and Kleiner, 47). Joseph Paxton is known for his innovative design work during the international exhibition in London in 1851 which provided the basis of incorporating iron and glass in architectural works. Again, other new building materials were made to capture the tastes for classical, medieval, and other exotic styles (Gardner and Kleiner, 50). For instance, the glass and iron mausoleum for Paddington station utilized Gothic columns. Again, the use of the new material, steel, in the designs of Gustav Eiffel which he drew for his exhibition tower of Paris bearing his name was outstanding.
In reference to the United States of America, their architectural works during this period were characterized by the roman or Greek architecture which was referred to as federal style. In the words of Gardner and Kleiner the key men in this industry included; Thomas Jefferson, James Hoban, William Thorton, Charles Bulfinch, and benjamain latrope. Other designers who come later to revive the gothic architecture were led by people like Richard Upjohn, Andrew Jackson Downing, and James Renwick. Henry Hobson Richardson represented the revival of Romanesque designs while Richard Morris hunt and Charles Follen Mckim represented renaissance and other different designs respectively (Gardner and Kleiner, 57).
The struggle of the styles
The 19th century architects were face by many challenges because they were serving a rapidly changing society. According to Shvidkovskii the 19th century society had no particular taste just like their 18th century people who were high moved by classical designs thus giving the architectural professionals easy time in their work (Shvidkovskii, 76). They, architects of the 19th century, were faced by strong propagandists who highly supported the old classical styles of the Greek art or the medieval Christian styles. Strong critics were led by prominent people like John Ruskin who lived from 1819 to 1900. For instance, referring the words of Shvidkovskii Augustus Welby Pugin was to the view that medieval works were the last moral styles and architecture which could neither be regarded as bad or good. This stand meant him to concentrate his works on the “Gothic” forms only. Classical view was that the only true forms for a modern society were the worldly and civilized Classical columns and pediments (Shvidkovskii, 77). The struggle for the new styles to survive stayed for more than half a century. However, this did not limit the determined men and women in the industry. In Europe for instance, new ways of designing scored high: in Great Britain the houses of parliament meant Pugin to score high, Viollet le Duc of france restored and wrote with great medievalist dynamism and the foreign office in London designed by George Gilbert Scott was motivating. He continues to say this battle never ended and still continues to date in some parts of the world (Shvidkovskii, 80).
Engineering Architecture
Regardless of the opposition great changes were happening in the industry as many productions for steel, glass and iron become possible. This resulted to the erection of big houses which were safe to the people to work and stay in. New buildings in the manufacturing industry, in the railway stations, and parts of the cities come into being. Clients needed only to explain to the architects on the taste of their design and the architects could come up with one. The Marshall Fields warehouse in Chicago which was designed by Richardson and the London rail termini designed by Phillip Hardwick are some of good examples of new designs that the architects responded to the demands of their clients (Shvidkovskii, 89). On the same, an exhibition occurred in Paris in 1889 where Eiffel build his tower two prominent engineers come up and designed the Galleries des Machines. This is regarded as the biggest free span ever attempted in the time. The design rested on rocker pads which give the manifestation of lightness to the large and heavy structure; a purely engineering solution. With the same new materials, iron and glass, the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele was renovated to increase the height of the cathedral’s nave (Shvidkovskii, 102). Towards the end of the century a wonderful structure was born in Amsterdam (the Amsterdam Bourse) which was built with glass, iron and bricks. This structure which could be regarded as undecorated bare functional style influenced highly the next generation of architectural works of the 20th century more than any other styles.
The skyscraper Architecture
Toward the end of the 19th century things had changed extensively in the United States of America. It was quite possible to erect multi sorely buildings using cast iron and steel. After Otis’s installation of safely elevator tall building, skyscrapers started steaming up rapidly. This innovation was brought about by great architects of the Chicago school of architecture (William Le Baron Jenney, Daniel Hudson Burnham, Dankmar Adler, Louis Sullivan, and Cass Gilbert. The first town in United States to have these kinds of buildings was the New York City. The Richard Upjohn’s Trinity church which was completed in 1846 is regarded as one of the pioneer building of this kind in the city of New York (Gardner and Kleiner, 680). Today one can hardly see it because it is dwarfed by the other tall buildings in the city which dominates the culture of America’s urban centers. According to the Emporis standards committee a skyscraper refers to those buildings that are 330 feet and above (Gardner and Kleiner, 681). William Jenney is regarded as the first designer of skyscraper according to the above description. The frame the Chicago’s Home insurance building has a height of 138 feet while on the other hand the New York’s Equitable Life insurance buildings scored high in its innovative use of emaciated frame. Other skyscrapers in United States at that time include: Burnham and Roots Rand McNally Building which was completed in 1889 and Louis Sullivan’s Carson Pirrie Scott Store of 1899 (Gardner and Kleiner, 778).
Due to high demands of buildings in the cities of Chicago and New Yolk as a result the growing population, the designers had a lot to do. The engineers and the architects provided the means of expanding the city upwards as the people provided the resourced needed. As the know-how was been exploited bigger and better scrappers were coming into being (Gardner and Kleiner, 779). The later scrapers such as Woolworth Building (1934) showed the way to go. Sullivan’s vertical emphasis through the load-bearing columns became the later theme rather than the attempt to extend vertically a historically based design - for example a vertical Italian palazzo. This new innovators come up with big building like the American surety building which was completed in 1896 give New York the privilege to host the tallest building in the world for many years (Gardner and Kleiner, 800).
Housing Design
The architectural improvements did not impact life hood in the cities only but also did great to the ordinary people through changing their kinds of houses they lived in. previously worker were living in cottage type houses that were made by the local masons and carpenters without any consultations from the professionals in the industry. The middle class was growing rapidly due to modernization and growth of the economy hence the needed amounts of resources required to copy and envy the new trends was available (Gardner and Kleiner, 811). Before the end of the century architects like Philip Webb, Norman Shaw and W. Voysey come up with the first domestic architectural design in England. America was not left behind and an architect by the name Richardson introduced these kinds of designs which acted as the bases of development of the domestic architectural designs for the ordinary citizen (Gardner and Kleiner, 812). Richardson innovations were further advanced by Frank Lloyd Wright. Since then live was never the same again.
Gardner, Helen and Kleiner, Fred. Gardner’s art through the ages: the Western perspective. Boston, Mass: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2010. Print
Shvidkovskii, Oliver. Russian architecture and the West. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007. Print.
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Music of the 20th century
Introduction
In the words of Huang there is truly no clear definition that can honor the word music so far. Many scholars have tried to explain what music is and have come have with different meanings depending on the background of the scholar. He defines the word music as the science and art of tones or musical instruments (Huang, 3). He continues to say many cultures have the expression of sounds and rhythms that conclude into what we can refer to as music today. However, there are other many languages that do not have a word like we have for such activity, music. For instance some African and northern American languages do not have a word that can describe what music is all about. Some of these languages are Inuit in North America.
20th century Music
This age is described as an age of musical diversity as the musician had the freedom in creativity over and above the other ages. The composers of this period were willing to experiment any form of music that they invented and thought to be relevant to them. Over and above the freedom, they had they were highly boosted by the changing and advancing technological innovations not to mention the availability of other resources unto them. Listening to the music of this century one is able to identify the use of these innovative changes (Huang, 5). For instance, the advancement in the use of the musical instruments is evidently noticeable and vice versa. For example, Edgard Varese’s “Ionisation” was written for percussion, piano, and two sirens. In addition, new methods of bringing together musical tones were used (Huang, 6). For example, Arnold Schoenberg’s Piano Suite, Opus 25 used a 12-tone series. Above all the melody, rhythm, and the meter could not be predicted. For instance, in Elliott Carter’s “Fantasy,” he utilized metric modulation which is also referred to as tempo modulation. This method is known for its seamlessly changing tempos (Huang, 7). The truth of the matter is that the music that was sung in 20th century is quite different from the other previous periods.
Huang is of the view that he can not delay the influence of the previous composers of music on the 20th century musicians however the 20th century composers did innovate their own ways like having their own unique sound. This unique sound is characterized by different layers as a result of the combination of different instruments, shifts of dynamics, noise makers, pitch, meter and so on (Huang, 9). He continues to say this is so different from the previous music that was composed in the past. For instance, during the middle ages music was known to be monoph...
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