American Genre Painting essays

American Genre Painting essays American genre painting can invariably be equated with prominent names such as John Singleton Copley, Washington Allston, and William Sydney Mount. Throughout our history genre painting has been a male-dominated scene. This notion not only applies to the artist, but also to the context of many famous genre paintings. However, as time progressed, women began to play a larger role in genre painting; both as artists and subjects. In an article entitled "Full of Home, Love and Simplicity," Elizabeth Johns discusses women's role in genre painting both as artist and subject. Regarding the subject, Johns addresses several patterns in the female role. The first being that women are absent in many historically important genre paintings. Likewise, when women are present, they play a "subsidiary" role, as in the painting "Bargaining for a Horse" by William Sydney Mount. Mount's painting depicts two men conversing next to a horse in the foreground while the only woman in the painting is placed in the far background, barely noticeable. Furthermore, Johns feels that in some cases images of women in genre paintings are even critical. Using a second Mount painting titled "Cider Making," Johns argues that the female in line for cider is seemingly "forced to wait her turn." In addition to these patterns, Johns noted the idea of "separate spheres" proposed by Harriet Martineau, a famous 19th-century writer. These spheres represent ideologies of masculinity and femininity. Johns feels that women are "undifferentiated" in many genre paintings. These include two works by William Sydney Mount entitled "Rustic Dance After a Sleigh Ride" and "The Sportsman's Last Visit." In both paintings, Johns claims that the women are painted plainly and without character, while the men are distinctly portrayed. Although these patterns were evident in many famous works, they began to subside by the late 1840's. It was around this time that painters such as Tomp...

Hipparchus the Astronomer, Geographer, Mathematician

Hipparchus the Astronomer, Geographer, Mathematician If youve studied math at a high school level, you probably have experience with trigonometry. Its a fascinating branch of mathematics, and it all came about through the genius of Hipparchus of Rhodes. Hipparchus was a Greek scholar considered the greatest astronomical observer in early human history. He made many advances in geography and mathematics, specifically in trigonometry, which he used to construct models to predict solar eclipses. Because math is  the language of science, his contributions are particularly important.   Early Life Hipparchus was born around 190 BCE in Nicaea, Bithynia (now known as now Iznik, Turkey). His early life is mostly a mystery, but what we do know about him comes from Ptolemys Almagest. He  is mentioned in other writings as well. Strabo, a Greek geographer and historian who lived around 64 BCE to 24 AD called Hipparchus one of the famous men of Bithynia. His image, usually depicted sitting and looking at a globe, has been found on many coins minted between 138 AD and 253 AD. In ancient terms, thats a pretty important acknowledgment of importance. Hipparchus apparently traveled and wrote extensively. There are records of observations he made in his native Bithynia as well as from the  island of Rhodes and the Egyptian city of Alexandria. The only example of his writing that  still exists is his Commentary on Aratus and Eudoxus. Its  not one of his major writings, but its still important because it gives us an insight into his work. Life Achievements Hipparchuss major love was mathematics and he pioneered a number of ideas we take for granted today: the division of a circle into 360 degrees and the creation of one of the first trigonometric tables for solving triangles. In fact, he very likely invented the precepts of trigonometry. As an astronomer, Hipparchus was curious about using his knowledge of the Sun and stars to calculate important values. For example, he derived the length of the year to within 6.5 minutes. He also discovered the precession of the equinoxes, with a value of 46 degrees, which is fairly close to our modern number of 50.26 degrees. Three hundred years later, Ptolemy only came up with a figure of 36. The precession of the equinoxes refers to the gradual shift in Earths rotation axis. Our planet wobbles like a top as it spins, and over time, this means that the poles of our planet slowly shift the direction in which they point in space. Its why our north star changes throughout a 26,000-year cycle. Right now the north pole of our planet points to Polaris, but in the past, it has pointed to Thuban and Beta Ursae Majoris. Gamma Cepheii will become our pole star in a few thousand years. In 10,000 years, it will be Deneb, in Cygnus, all due to the precession of the equinoxes. Hipparchuss calculations were the first scientific effort to explain the phenomenon. Hipparchus also charted the stars in the sky seen with the naked eye. While his star catalog does not survive today, it is believed that his charts included around 850 stars. He also made a careful study of the motions of the Moon. Its unfortunate that more of his writings do not survive. It seems clear that the work of many who followed was developed using the groundwork laid by Hipparchus. Although little else is known about him, it is probable that he died around 120 BC most likely in Rhodes, Greece. Recognition In honor of Hipparchuss efforts to measure the sky and his work in mathematics and geography, the European Space Agency named their HIPPARCOS satellite in reference to his accomplishments. It was the first mission to focus exclusively on astrometry, which is the accurate measurement of stars and other celestial objects in the sky. It was launched in 1989 and spent four years on orbit. Data from the mission have been used in many areas of astronomy and cosmology (the study of the origin and evolution of the universe).   Edited and updated by Carolyn Collins Petersen.