August 2010 | CulturePotion

August 20, 2010

Witches: Depiction through Art History

One of the most often depicted subjects in art, witches & witchcraft hold a spell over history. Since their roots in ancient paganism, witches have gone through a very interesting journey. They have been popularized, hated, romanticized, and even depicted as horrible and repulsive beings.

This is their evolution through art history.

Exploring the Art of Eskimo Cultures

Out of all the indigenous cultures of the Americas the Eskimos are perhaps least explored; they can't live up to the grandness of the neighboring empires of the south, such as the Aztecs and the Mayas. It's because of this that I first took interest in this group of people. Growing up in Peru I learned about Pre-Colombian cultures and the Inca Empire at a early age, and am very familiarized with their art. I wanted to know how it differentiates from the other side of the world, so I took the task of exploring these fascinating nations. Sadly not a lot of art/archeological material is known to exist from these past civilizations, but what we do have is worth surveying.

Chavin: Inspiration for Picasso

We All know Pablo Picasso, the Spanish painter, draughtsman, and sculptor, who changed the art world by co-founding the avant-garde art movement known as Cubism. Picasso found inspiration in everything, from artist such as Paul Cézanne, to something as obscure as an illustration inside a Mozarabic Bible of the 10th century (though this example's still debatable). He was quoted saying “Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working”. What few people know is that Picasso was also generally influenced by ancient cultures, but one culture in particular takes the gold.

"Of all of the ancient cultures I admire, that of Chavin amazes me the most. Actually, it has been the inspiration behind most of my art". - Picasso

Chavin? What is Chavin? Let’s be honest, unless you’re a history major or you High School took the time to cover every single Pre-Colombian culture in its World History Class, most people don’t know what Chavin is. Heck they barely know about the Incas were.

The Chavin were a civilization developed in the northern Andean highlands of Peru from 900 BC to 200 BC. They succeeded in Architecture, metallurgy, and art. But what exactly is it about their art that inspired Picasso? And how did this happen?