Raphael’s Triumph of Galatea from 1512

Art is interesting because it is simultaneously distinct and contextual: great art stands on its own, but it also stands in the shadow of that which has come before, and serves as the guiding light to cast the shadows of that which will come after it. Two paintings which share a number of similarities and differences are Raphael’s Triumph of Galatea from 1512 and Bronzino’s Venus, Cupid, Folly, and Time from 1546. Each work concentrates on representing mythological characters and events, and concerns itself with notions of love.However, Raphel’s work represents love and beauty as archetypal, more abstract concepts, where Bronzino’s work has achieved both fame and infamy for its sexual overtones, emphasizing erotic love. Raphael’s painting is a fresco, and uses more washed-out colors to represent the dream-like aspect of the events: even as Galatea is on the cusp of divination, the world becomes less real to her, and more dream-like, which is what th e painting attempts to emphasize.Bronzino’s work emphasizes flesh-colors to bring out the striking nudity of its characters, as well as the barely-concealed sexual nature of the proceedings. Bronzino draws the eye to the sexual proceedings between Cupid and Venus by putting Venus in the foreground, which contrasts quite well with Raphael’s focus on the nymph: while she is centered and obviously the focus of the work (the eyes are inevitably drawn to her), but she is drawn to the same scale (relative to the viewer) as the other mythological figures of the work.Additionally, while each work uses mythological characters, each does so to a very different end: in focusing on ascension to divinity, Raphael concentrates on this event as the culmination of earthly beauty becoming transcendent†¦something to which even we mere mortals can aspire. By contrast, Bronzino’s work serves an allegorical function: the borderline incestuous events that are being enacted by Ve nus and Cupid are being overseen by Folly (looking pleased, as an unsubtle indicator that their action is a foolish one) and a horrified Father Time.Other characters are in similar â€Å"reaction shots† of shock and horror. While both Raphael and Bronzino were Italian, their works were products of very different cultural movements. The allegorical art of Bronzino is the textbook ideal of Mannerism: it is intellectual and thought-provoking while at the same time drawing attention to the artificial nature of what is being portrayed.Arguably, such works function more as spectacle than art, as part of the work’s power lies not within the work itself, but in the reaction it engenders from others. Raphael, of course, epitomized the use of the fresco: being painted to complement the opulence of a home, it focuses on the aspects that the rich commissioner wishes to see in himself (the intersection between earthly existence and spiritual divinity is, of course, featured in the home of someone who earnestly hopes their earthly wealth can be tempered by spiritual riches).Obviously, Raphael and Bronzino utilized different mediums in different time periods to represent different events. However, it is striking how, regarding subject matter, each one approached things so differently. Raphael treated the mythological characters with an almost historical focus, and chose to highlight the spirituality and divinity of a single mythological event.Bronzino’s work takes on the nature of a grotesque hypothetical, and serves to remind cultured art aficionados that the decadence of the mythological characters that they so love is nothing to be admired or emulated. Each artist, however, was concerned with what beauty was, whether that answer is spiritual or simple practical: whether it concerns transcendent godly love or simple earthly passion. In the debate between these two points of view, the substance of their art lives forever.

Vietnam War vs Iraq War

With a husband in the Army and currently on his third deployment to Iraq, I am often asked how I think this war is different from past wars. In order to answer this question properly, I found that I needed to do a little bit of research and acquaint myself with some war history. As I learned about previous wars that Americans have been involved in, I learned that only two wars have had a great deal of controversy.The Vietnam War and the Iraq War, while almost identical are vastly different in their own right. In this paper, I will discuss the similarities and differences between two of our most recent wars. Even though there is a twenty eight year difference, there are many similarities between the wars in Vietnam and Iraq. Both Vietnam and Iraq are called wars, even though neither had a formal declaration of war. The â€Å"actions† claimed legitimacy per a Congressional vote authorizing the Presidents to send troops.The Vietnam War was packaged as a crucial front in the Cold War; and Iraq was packaged as a crucial front in the War on Terrorism. Vietnam is seen as Texan President Lyndon Johnson’s war, although he saw it as carrying out military commitments made by his predecessors Eisenhower and Kennedy. Iraq is seen as Texan President George W. Bush’s war, although he saw himself fulfilling the stated goal (Iraq Regime Change) of his predecessors George H. W. Bush and Clinton. The excuse for major combat operations in Vietnam was a perceived attack on the Gulf of Tonkin.The excuse for major combat operations in Iraq was a perceived attack on the Persian Gulf. Elected on a promise to end the war in Vietnam, Nixon expanded it into Laos and Cambodia. During the midterm election, Bush learned that the voters wanted to end the War in Iraq, but instead, he sent more troops. President Johnson left Vietnam unresolved for his successor, Nixon, who had no connection to his administration; President Bush left Iraq unresolved for his successor, Obama, who also had no connection to his administration.The escalation into Vietnam and the invasion of Iraq are often seen as consequences because of events that happened in America less than two years earlier; the assassination of JFK and the September 11 attacks. Prior to the Vietnam War, the United States had military advisors in South Vietnam for about twelve years. After the Gulf War, the United States had combat troops in Iraq for about twelve years and kept them close by in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Both Vietnam and Iraq involved the United States accusing a powerful neighbor, Russia, China, and Iran, of aiding its enemies.Vietnam and Iraq were largely supported by the public until the Tet Offensive and Abu Gharib put gruesome images of hard-won victories on American’s televisions. Soldiers of both Vietnam and Iraq found themselves being criticized for what had been happening, although they were just following orders given to them by the higher-ups. Opponents of both Vietnam and Iraq found themselves being branded as traitors for simply exercising their right to free speech.With all the similarities of Vietnam and Iraq, there are vast amounts of differences too. When the villain in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh, was captured at Saigon, his name was put on the city and it became Ho Chi Minh City in 1975. When Saddam Hussein, the villain in Iraq, was captured, he was executed after having his name removed from just about everything in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. The United States got into Vietnam to keep the south from falling to communist dictators, though in the process they cancelled or rigged democratic elections.The United States went into Iraq with the intentions to stop terrorism, but in the process provided fodder for new terrorist groups. The loss of Vietnam was supposed to cause a â€Å"domino effect† of nations falling to Communism. The victory in Iraq was supposed to cause something of a reverse domino effect of other Islamic states yearning for democracy. The Vietnam War ended with the unification of a country formerly divided, while the end of the Iraq War brought with it the partitioning of a country formerly unified.American involvement in Vietnam began after the French stopped fighting; while American involvement in Iraq began after the French refused to fight. When the generals told President Johnson that they needed more troops to win in Vietnam, he refused to provide them and moved to end the war. When the generals told President Bush that they needed more troops to win in Iraq, he refused to provide them and moved to start the war. Vietnam’s fighting force was four times the size of Iraq’s.Vietnam had a draft that was eventually abolished, while Iraq had an all-volunteer military that eventually led to talk of reinstating the draft. The War in Vietnam was a long fight to expel an invading army. The War in Iraq was a short fight by an invading army to expel Saddam, followed by a long fight to expel local militias. If a soldier joined the National Guard in the Vietnam era, they would have avoided getting shipped out, but if a soldier joined the National Guard during the Iraq era, they probably would not have avoided being shipped out.Some people say that America gets involved in wars just for the revenue created, while other people say that without unification of the world, there will never be true peace. As a military wife in a time of war, I find myself often torn between my feelings. There is no doubt that given the choice, I would choose to have my husband home and safe, however, without being needed by the Army, my husband probably would not have a job or be able to support our family. As I did research for this paper, I found myself very grateful that I was not a wife during the War in Vietnam.With the lack of communication, ammunition and support from other countries during the Vietnam War, I would most likely be a widow. Being a military wife during the Iraq War is not easy, but there have not been near as many casualties and while my husband still is not entirely safe, I am able to communicate with him almost every day and have no doubt that he is provided with everything that he needs. There are a great number of similarities between the Vietnam War and the Iraq War, but there are also a great number of differences.

A narration of St Marys miracles

A narration of St Mary's miracles Religious storytelling was one form of popular religion used to teach commoners. Simple stories connected religious ideas to ordinary people, events, and objects that were relatable and also taught moral lessons in a way that commoners could understand, much like a Biblical parable. The content and intended purpose of the stories and lessons depended upon the intended audience as well as the teacher reaching out to that audience. Jacques de Vitry’s religious purpose of writing The Virgin Mary Saves a Monk and His Lover differs from King Alfonso X’s political purpose of including Song 159 in The Cantigas de Santa Maria, but they are both able to accomplish their intended purposes by telling stories of miracles performed by Saint Mary and using the characters, their actions, and story outcomes to teach a moral lesson. Jacques de Vitry, a Christian priest and scholar, wrote The Virgin Mary Saves a Monk and His Lover to teach lay people about moral living.[1] Because of the high cost of producing Bibles and high levels of illiteracy among commoners, many commoners â€Å"had a simple understanding of their faith† and religion.[2] Commoners depended on priests for biblical knowledge and instruction.[3] As a priest, de Vitry’s duty was to teach his parishioners, but he was also a scholar. He was challenged to the teach the people at a basic level that they could understand, a level of understanding more basic than his own. Stories about â€Å"saints’ lives reached a wide audience†, and clergy â€Å"encouraged the writing of vernacular poetry on biblical themes which could be recited publicly†.[4] Commoners were interested in listening to these stories, and the stories were memorable, easy to understand, and easily spread. De Vitry’s writing was able to fulfill his purpose by effectively reaching and teaching commoners. King Alfonso X of Castile and Leon compiled The Cantigas de Santa Maria, which contains Song 159, to praise the Virgin Mary and to unite his subjects. He was a Christian king and â€Å"a great patron of law, science, and the arts†.[5] Lyric poetry from Song 159 incorporated his value of art as well as Christian values— praise to the Virgin Mary. Popular saints like Saint Mary â€Å"could unite a country, bolstering its political order†.[6] King Alfonso could unite religious and political communities throughout his kingdom in their common belief and praise of the Saint Mary. Additionally, he could gain political support as king. Alfonso’s purpose for compiling these songs may have been personal but was more likely to promote himself politically. In The Virgin Mary Saves a Monk and His Lover, pious (moral) attitudes and actions were encouraged through praise of approval and reward. The â€Å"pious matron came frequently to the church frequently and served God most devoutly, day and night†, and the monk was the â€Å"guardian and treasurer of the monastery, had a great reputation for piety, and truly he was devout†.[7] Through repeated acts of service, which demonstrated devotion and humility, the monk and matron both had positive reputations for being pious. Even after the scandal, their pious actions were rewarded. When they confessed their sins and prayed to the Virgin Mary, she was â€Å"overcome by their prayers [and] summoned the demons who had caused the deed† to â€Å"bring the infamy to an end†.[8] They were rewarded with the forgiveness of sins and a miracle from Mary, which saved their reputations as well as the reputation of all religious people. The people were taught that if they follo wed the examples of the pious matron and monk that they too would be looked on favorably, praised, and rewarded. Through disapproval and punishment, immoral attitudes and actions were discouraged. The devil temped the monk and matron with carnal love and caused them to steal possessions from other before abandoning their positions of treasurer and wife.[9] Their acts of service became acts of lust and selfishness. When the people they had wronged brought them back, they â€Å"threw them into prison. Moreover so great was the scandal throughout the whole country and so much were all religious persons reviled that the damage from the infamy and scandal was far greater than from the sin itself†.[10] In addition to the punishment of being thrown into jail, the monk and matron has to suffer the shame and guilt of tarnishing their reputation as well as the reputations of other religious people. The people were taught that if they followed the immoral examples of the scandalous matron and monk they too would be frowned upon, shunned, and punished. In Song 159, the pious actions and attitudes of the pilgrims are, like the monk and matron, recognized and rewarded as encouragement. The nine pilgrims â€Å"were going to Rocamador to pray simply and humbly as good Christians†.[11] By praying simple prayers in a humble manner and going on a pilgrimage, which is beyond essential practice, they are credited with the reputation of being â€Å"good Christians†.[12] When they again pray to the Virgin Mary to find the missing steak, she makes the steak miraculously hop inside the trunk where it had been hidden.[13] They find the steak in answer to their prayer and are rewarded with a spectacular miracle. The pilgrims were examples for the people to follow if they wanted favorable outcomes. The immoral actions and attitudes of the pilgrims were privately recognized, and although unpunished, they were still discouraged because they had the chance of being discovered by someone else. The narrator stated that the pilgrims asked Mary for their pious prayers to be heard, and as soon as they had finished their prayers, they hurried â€Å"back to the inn where they waited for dinner impatiently†.[14] The narrator discretely mocked the pilgrims by highlighting the irony of offering prayers of self â€Å"piety† to the pious Saint Mary and by noting their ability to be impatient in prayer and in waiting for their dinner. The pilgrims’ impatience was far from piousness. The idea of the narrator being able to see the pilgrims’ secret actions and attitudes, with or without them even knowing, was similar to the Christian belief of being unable to hide secrets from an all-knowing. The potential for a secret action or attitude to be discovered was almost as dangerous as if it had been discovered, and the risk would deter some people from immoral behavior. Jacques and Alfonso were both Christians in positions of authority, and they both used popular stories about the Virgin Mary to teach a moral lesson. They both encouraged behaviors that convey attitudes of obedience, servitude, and humility and discouraged behaviors that convey attitudes of disobedience, selfishness, and greed, but their motivations for teaching these lessons were different. Jacques was teaching people how to live as â€Å"good Christians† while encouraging praise for the Virgin Mary, but Alfonso was teaching people how to live as â€Å"good citizens† while encouraging praise for the Virgin Mary and ultimately himself. They teach morals lessons to their audiences, and they also demonstrate their personal morals through their purposes and motivations.

LEB1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

LEB1 - Essay Example Breyer stated that â€Å"a judges job is to figure out how the Founding Fathers values apply to modern issues.† (CBS News 2011). In the United States our courtrooms operate under the adversary system. The finder of fact (the person or persons who decide which facts are the true facts) can be a judge or a jury. When the fact finder is a jury, the individual members of the jury, known as jurors, collectively decide the true facts. (Find Law 2011). The standard of proof is different in criminal and civil cases. In a civil case the jury assesses the facts according to what they believe is â€Å"more probably true than not.† This has been compared to just going over the 50 yard line in football. In criminal cases jurors must be convinced that the facts are true â€Å"beyond a reasonable doubt.† The jurors must be representative of the community in which the trial is being conducted. (Find Law 2011). â€Å"At the beginning of the trial, the judge may order that more jurors be seated than are required for the verdict. These extra jurors are known as alternate jurors, and they are selected to guard against the possibility that some of the jurors will become ill or otherwise be unable to complete the trial. An alternate would attend the trial along with the regular jurors, but would not be called to participate in reaching a verdict unless one of the regular jurors was unable to continue. †¦ it is important for alternate jurors to always pay attention to testimony because they may be required to participate in the verdict should another juror be unable to complete his or her service.† (Find Law 2011). Lawyers are the link between our legal system and the society that legal system affects. The legal system affects society in almost everything the people in our society may do. For this reason lawyers are held to the highest

Coca cola company report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Coca cola company report - Essay Example During this long time of its business Coca Cola has done many mergers and acquisitions with various companies. The company has also diversified its business in health drinks, bottled water, fruit juice etc. Coca Cola has created a huge customer base and maintains a strong connection with its targeted customers. Coca Cola is one of the recognizable brands in the world. It is a 16 billion dollar brand. Coca Cola produces the top five soft drinks like Diet coke, Fanta, Coca cola, and Sprite etc. It is also involved in manufacturing other products like vitamin water, Minute maid, powerade etc. The company has the license to market more than 500 beverage brands including water, sparkling drinks, juice, sports & energy drinks, ready to drink coffee or tea etc. Coca Cola has the world’s largest distribution system (Isdell and Beasley, 2011). It has many bottling partners throughout the world for selling its beverage. Its present employee strength is 130,600. In 2013 the company has earned revenue of US$ 46.854 billion. In 2013 Coca Cola has its total assets of US$ 90.055 billion. The company has many subsidiary companies. In 1920 Coca Cola became a publicly trading company. Coca Cola was innovated in 1886. From that time it has become the catalyst for inspired innovation and social interaction. This non alcoholic beverage created a global brand which provides refreshment to its customers throughout the world. This product was invented by John Stith Pemberton in 1886. In this year the first newspaper ad of Coca Cola appeared describing it as refreshing and delicious beverage. The Coca Cola syrup and extract was labeled as copyright under John Pemberton. In 1889 the formula of Coca Cola and the brand was bought by Asa Griggs Candler. He started the company Coca Cola in 1892. The company’s Spencerian script and its trademark were registered in 1892 with the Patent office of U.S. In the company’s second annual meeting the

OLAUDAH EQUIANOS INTERESTING NARRATIVE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

OLAUDAH EQUIANOS INTERESTING NARRATIVE - Essay Example Who likes to remember those days of despicable inhumanity; but your words are a reminder of the days when humanity was non-existent. At best the two legged creatures may be called homo sapiens but not humans, because they were totally devoid of humaneness—the slaves because of the misery, self pity and contemptuous life they led; the masters because of the insolence, avarice and brutality they bore. Your pardoning mind astonishes me when you absolve those brutal masters, attributing all their unimaginable brutality to the customary ways of slave-trade. I just cannot afford to forget and forgive those afflictions; but when you say that, I too feel like agreeing with you: â€Å"had the pursuits of those men been different, they might have been as generous, as tender-hearted and just, as they are unfeeling, rapacious and cruel†. Those benumbed hearts perpetrated the pestilence of slavery, tainting God’s original designs for equality and independence. Yes it was the avarice of the planters and the slave traders that debauched them to the indescribable cruelties and inhumanity they practiced. It is true as you said, they were NOT ‘born worse than other men—No; it is the fatality of this mistaken avarice, that it corrupts the milk of human kindness and turns it into gall’. How many times have we reproached our fate, and wished we had never been born, and we called on death to relieve us from the dreaded horrors! How much we wished to be born in a place ‘Where slaves are free, and men oppress no more’. Times when we were being sold from lord to lord; from misery to greater misery; bound with chains, mangled and torn! How often have we called out to our old Pagan gods to send thunder and lightning and destroy those cruel masters who meted out contempt and cruelty to us, as if we were lesser than animals? Who taught us that trials and tribulations were God’s ways of imparting wisdom, resignation and strength to our minds? Who

Dignity of work and rights of workers Assignment

Dignity of work and rights of workers - Assignment Example The Pope puts an emphasis on the role of the church in upholding rights of workers, condemning those who violate these rights and providing a guide in matters regarding work and workers dignity. In the article, The Pope acknowledges work as the basis of man’s existence and survival in the world. He emphasizes on the spiritual aspect of work; through labor, man participates in God’s creation works 3. Missionaries of the Sacred Heart USA Province (2009) Catholic Social Teaching Dignity of the Worker. Retrieved from [Accessed 12th January 2015] The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart emphasize on dignity in work. They assert that human beings partake in God’s work of creation by working. The workers apply their God-given gifts and talents in the work they do and should, therefore, be accorded their rights and privileges. They further urge employers to put up structures that grant the workers their rights and dignity workers at work. They advocate favorable working conditions, fair hiring and placement practices, just wages and an end to discrimination as a way of upholding the dignity of the workers Charity â€Å"is the principle not only of micro-relationships (with friends, with family members or within small groups) but also of macro-relationships (social, economic and political ones)† (Pope Francis,2013, pg.205). This quote in Pope Francis’s Evangelii Gaudium caught my attention, and I took time to give thought to it. I always have, for a long time associated charity with the phrase charity begins at home, and I have never visualized the bigger picture out of the phrase. It is indeed true that charity extends beyond family or small groups to larger circumstances involving socio-economic and political relations. The literal works of Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis on work