How Does Art Mirror Society?

The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp by Rembrandt Van Rijn is a 1632 oil painting. When Rembrandt was only 25 he painted this painting, therefore he was still experimenting with all the different art techniques and methods. This piece of art was a reflection of what was happening during the Renaissance because, at that time people were experimenting with new ideas and were searching for ideas by themselves along with observing their surroundings. Rembrandt shows this in his painting by the Doctor who looks to be teaching a room of observers about the anatomy of the human arm and the observers themselves who look to be questioning the physics and built of the arm. Both of these things relate to the Renaissance because by questioning ideas and thoughts, they were forced to dig deeper and actually get a full understanding of the idea/knowledge that they have. This tells me that the people in the Renaissance were interested in learning new things and exploring themselves and the objects around them, as well as having quite a lot of knowledge about the human body. Just like how to rediscover ancient Roman and Greek ideas, people had to look for answers themselves and observe their surroundings. With that knowledge they were able to expand their boundaries with art and architecture and teach others about their new findings. Overall, all these art works have revealed to us the truth about the renaissance that we would have never found out if we didn't look deeper and question what is surrounding us.

Picture: http://justinecooper.com/tulp/images/remb_tulp.jpg

Driving Forces of the Renaissance

I think the church was the most crucial driving force during the Renaissance because, during the middle ages the church was the strongest ruler; Though once the church started to loose power during the Renaissance, people took the opportunity to learn new things and explore and experiment with previous knowledge. As a result, people were able to rediscover previous knowledge and expand each city-state with the knowledge that was passed on from the Roman's which the church prevented them from learning. Due to this knowledge Italy was able to become richer with power, wealth, and knowledge.


Picture: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intdept/pnp/images/cath45.jpg

This I Believe

I believe that life isn’t fair. I know it seems weird for an 11 year old to say that, since I haven’t ‘lived my life to the fullest’ yet, but I’m smart enough to know that life isn’t fair.

When I was younger, I visited a toyshop and I always wanted new toys. I would want everything! As my parents grew aggravated they constantly told me, “Do you need this?” This stunned me completely, “Do I need this?” well no but I do want to play with something. Now, looking back on this I understand what my parents meant.

Children are begging their parents for iPads or iPhones when some children are on the streets begging for even just a dollar, and not even from their parents, begging to strangers.

Did you know that there is actually enough food and water for everyone in this world? It just isn’t shared properly. So actually, People in Kenya who don’t have any food and are starving ‘till death do have a chance to live. It’s just that we are too greedy to share what everyone on this planet needs to survive.

Believing life isn’t fair is just my opinion. You don’t have to believe it or you can, it’s totally up to you. Though not everyone realizes how lucky we are and how people in LEDC (Low Economically Developed Country) countries are struggling for survival while we are just sitting back and watching.

Picture: http://www.artmajeur.com/0/images/images/alexandermoreira_3777079_Alexander-JusticaJul08.jpg

Battle of Hastings Game

The Battle of Hastings game is basically just a strategic game. In the game you can play as either William or Harold. In the game, you have to pick your next movement and if you pick all the right ones, you win the game. This game is really easy, if you know the events that happened during 1066 because this game is basically the same thing. The thing I enjoy about this game is that I know what to do because we studied this, so I end up with the victory. While playing this game, I learned that strategy is very important. Without a strategy your army could crumble to bits. During the battle of Hastings, the Saxons made a 'shield wall' to block off the Normans. Though eventually the Normans broke the wall but then retreated because they thought their king (King William) had died. The Saxons chased them only to find out it was a fake and King William was indeed still alive. Therefore the Normans turned back and killed the Saxons. The Normans finally had victory when King Harold died. I think this type of game is a valuable learning experience because whilst playing, you learn what happened during the Battle of Hastings and you also learn to use the right strategic plan.
The Game: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/normans/launch_gms_battle_hastings.shtml

All Locked Up

The historical fiction novel, “Catherine Called Birdy” by Karen Cushman explores a journey through a girls life during the middle ages. Cushman shows us that the medieval times were tough especially for girls which caused powerlessness within the family, inequality, and freedom of the church. In this book, lots of people got frustrated for having absolutely no power. Catherine could only obey her parents and doesn't have a say in anything. Like when she got forced to marry Shaggy Beard because her father liked his money and power. But only Catherine's father made the rules around the house, which leads to inequality. Men back then had all the power, and they never really did anything. Whilst Catherine was sewing, spinning and locked up in her chamber, her father was only sleeping, getting drunk, and eating. Even Catherine's mother didn't have as much power as him. But something else did have more power than everyone, the Church. The Church celebrated all the saint's days, so everyone had to celebrate it too. They all have to do lent, have feasts and go to church. Back then life was extremely frustrating. Women were like chattel and never really ‘loved’. Most of the girls like Catherine had no freedom and were forced to marry at a young age. As long as there was someone there to 'control' them, they would never be free.

(picture - http://library.fayschool.org/Pages/images/catherine_called.jpg)

Does The Boy In the Striped Pyjamas deal with the sensitive subject of the Holocaust in an appropriate way?

Yes, I do think that The Boy In the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne does deal with the sensitive subject of the Holocaust appropriately, because The Boy In the Striped Pyjamas really represented the Jews and how it was like in a camp.
Shmuel was skinny, tiny and you can see that there are young, old, and sick people here. Towards the end it shows that there it was very horrific in the camps and that the Jews get hurt, bullied, and killed for no reason. Also the author told the truth, he didn't make it all up.
Another reason why it delt with this subject in an appropriate way is because John Boyne used child's eye view to tell the story. John Boyne showed us how the children during the Holocaust got 'brainwashed' and how they didn't know what the camps were like and who the people were inside. For example, Gretel got rid of all her dolls and changed them for maps and pictures of Hitler and Germany, as she was indoctrinated.

As Bruno said in the novel, "What are they all doing there?" This makes a lot of sense. Why did the Jews have to go into the concentration camps? They never did anything wrong.

Questions About the Holocaust

In class we are reading the book 'Boy in the Striped Pajamas' by John Boyne. It is all about the Holocaust and so, to get a deeper understanding about it we visited a holocaust website (http://www.ushmm.org/)and each of us wrote 10 questions...

1. While the Jews were in Concentration Camps, what did they do in there to work? Besides being slaved? ~ (Click Holocaust Encyclopedia, after that click 'Gassing Operations')

2. Germans and their collaborators killed nearly two out of every three European Jews as part of the "Final Solution," What was the "Fianl Solution"? ~ (Click Holocaust Encyclopedia, after that click 'The Holocaust')

3. Look at the picture, what message do you think the people are trying to say and why? And also write 5 questions about the picture ~ (Click Holocaust Encyclopedia, after that click 'Antisemitism')

4. Look at this map, Why do you think there were so many major camps in europe? And remember these are only major... Why do you think they need so many camps? ~ (Click Holocaust Encyclopedia, after that click 'The Holocaust' then click the 1st image of the map, scroll down to 'Major Nazi Camps in Europe-January 1944')

5. Even though all the prisoners were suffering from starvation and disease, how do you think some managed to survive the camps? ~ (Click Holocaust Encyclopedia, after that click 'Liberation of Nazi Camps')

6. Children were especially vulnerable in the era of the Holocaust. Why do you think so many children and women had to die during the era of the Holocaust? ~ (Click Holocaust Encyclopedia, after that click 'Children during the Holocaust')

7. Why do you think the Nazis only pick on the Jews, Gypsies, the disabled, and some of the Slavic peoples; Why not anyone else? Did Hitler have something he didn't like about them? ~ (Click Holocaust Encyclopedia, after that click 'The Holocaust')

8. The gas van, a mobile gas chamber surmounted on the chassis of a cargo truck which employed carbon monoxide from the truck's exhaust to kill its victims. Who came up with all of these new ideas of ways to kill people? ~ (Click Holocaust Encyclopedia, after that click 'Einsatzgruppen_mobile killing units')

9. Why do you think Hitler did so many good things to people and their families? Do you think some people beleived/trusted him? ~ (Click Education for students, after that click, 'Nazi rise to Power'... Then click on the 'Election Poster')

10. When was Adolf Hitler appointed chancellor? What year and why do you think he was appointed chancellor? ~ (Click Education for students, after that click, 'Nazi rise to Power'

“The moment of Serendipity”

Steve McCurry, born in Philadelphia, is a famous photographer who is known worldwide for his captivating photo of the Afghan girl. In most of his photos, he captures not only the pain within the environment but also contains a powerful message. McCurry’s journey really began when he crossed the Pakistan border into Afghanistan with rolls of tape sewed into his clothes to take the brutal pictures of the war and all the victims who got injured. McCurry was an exceptionally amazing photographer with a lot of courage and this is what won him the Capa Gold Medal for Best Photographic Reporting from abroad and also many other numerous awards. Once these heart-melting pictures were shown around the world (ex. The Afghan girl) people began to realized and have an insight of the struggle and suffering within the conflicts of a war. McCurry also captures the loneliness and occasionally the joy of a situation and that is what makes his photos so interesting.
“If you wait, people would forget the camera and the soul would drift up into view.”-Steve McCurry; And hes truly done this in his photography


(http://img.amazon.ca/images/I/51IqWCq9LXL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)

In this photo, the 1st thing that captures the eye is all the red hand prints on the wall.Normally McCurry’s pictures are classical balanced but here you can really see movement, background, and position. For movement you can see the little boy somewhat running away from the camera or just running home, it is really interesting how McCurry got this picture because maybe the little boy did one or two hand prints on the wall and is embarrassed or maybe he is scared of the camera. The hand prints could be symbolizing the people who died during the war or just for fun/decoration they decided to put hand prints there. Another thing that catches the eye is the blue building in the background; The red hand prints and the blue wall are really contrasting and that makes an ‘intense’ feeling (A feeling of shock, excitement) and it also it doesn’t make the place seem very gloomy it really emphasizes the little boy as well as the red hand prints, in this photo the hand prints are like 1st thing that captures the eye.
If you compare this scenery with the scenery of the people in war, anyone would pick this; its calm, and there is no guns of any sort here. Its like here you forget all about your worries and you’re just carefree. This is one of the few pictures i feel really makes you think "I'll really remember that!" And also, this picture always reminds you the need to live everyday to the fullest, because you never know which day is your last.

I think the thing that makes McCurry's photos really great is that he doesn't only capture the person, but he captures their soul, feelings, and emotion; His photos all have a meaning and it tells me that photos can truly be more meaningful than words. I learned that photos are more that what meets the eye, their not just some decoration you hang up on the wall but its also a story of someones life. Photography can tell truth, and feelings. Every little detail on the image, every little line on the person's face, every bird in the sky, they all have a story/meaning; if you look between the lines, the true image and emotion captured will slowly appear and you would be amazed by how meaningful it really is. Photography tells the truth, it never lies; The emotion on the people's faces shows what they are going through - lines on the person's face can tell stories years back, the landscaping can't be changed after war even if people say it does, and it gives us memories truthful memories. The thing that makes a photo last, is if it has a strong meaning, if it has strong emotion the photo will be remembered for lots and lots of years to come. Just like the Afghan girl, who has touched many hearts around the world.