Art has had different themes related to various historical periods hence reaming relevant with ideologies existing during such era. Salvation and Damnation, for example, is a they, which transited during medieval period between 5th to 15th centuries. During this period, there was significant conflict between the Roman Catholic Church and Protestant church. Most forms of art such as music, dance, and painting had an orientation of addressing religious subjects and sought to draw people’s attention to their relationship with God or gods as perceived in the Middle East countries. The medieval art during this period had had significant movements, which also transformed the artists. Artists had to become innovative, learn to capture people’s attention through remaining relevant and produce challenging works to attract sponsors and affluent buyers. With much focus on Christianity and another religious perspective over the world, some artist focus on winning the faithful attention through presenting artwork that revealed salvation through the way of worship and damnation for those who disobey. The theme was relevant to the Western church, for example, to which in the year 1300 was a Jubilee year marked with Pope Boniface VIII free offer to remission of guilt and punishment. Some of the artwork, which carried these themes, include Shiva Nataraja and Frescoes which this paper examines.
Shiva Nataraja
Shiva Nataraja is an example of artwork that reflects on Salvation and Damnation theme. The wand from India depicts on Hindu god Shiva who the followers of its faith proclaim to be the Lord of Dance. Back in the medieval period, the Hindu religion had the characteristic of dances from Voodoo, which was a set of drums Stomer 33). The sacred ordination of this form of worship came through the allocation of a divine creature to have a close association with dance. Shiva engaged in the victorious and dynamic dance bliss that he performed every time he defeated the arrogant sages believed to be in the Chidambaram forest. The artwork had a representation of deity with every part artistically made to meet specific purposes and carrying a revelation of essential details. The beats wordings of the drum in the artwork’s hand represented the rhythm to the dancing feet and the sound of the image. According to the Hindu culture, Shiva’s representation was aimed not to entertain in dancing but to perform cosmic work. Through the sculptor, people so salvation and believed in the voodoo drumbeats. Those who doubted his powers had direct damnation for disrespect to the deity.
Although Hindus had other divinities, the style used to represent the icon of Shiva gave implications of a significant destroyer and different paradoxical interpretations. The artist presented the sculptor with the consequence of erotic to the ascetic, the human to cosmic and the dreadful to the sublime. Through the message send by the artwork, there was significant worship of this god during the medieval period. Scholars describe the god as crushing ignorance as presented by the image as evil under his who look up voluntarily at the god (Srinivasan 437). Therefore, the image accosted its respect and although people associated it with salvation through destroying the enemies, those who provoked the god’s powers had to read the implication of destruction from the artwork. In the art history, Shiva remains one of the most significant and visually appealing forms of the Hindu god Shiva through the design and the body expression given by the author. An artist in this Tamil region in medieval period had other artistic work reflecting on the same subject. What they depicted in this artwork is the same as the one represented in Fresco painting. The painting work was done on church walls and despite the different religion; the message carried to followers was the same.
The fresco painting
The fresco painting in Byzantine walls of the church reflects back on the period through which artistic techniques and styles like mobility encroached into the art industry in the 14th century. The period has significant landmarks such as decoration and restoration of the Chora Monastery that conveyed a great versatility and skill for the artist of Byzantine. Initially, the church contained teachings of a high cycle that involved the life of the Virgin Mary and the ministry of Jesus Christ since his infancy period (Labatt 1). The artist brought about westernization in the church through the introduction of such exciting designs, which contributed to a resplendent mixture of mosaic and painting. The representation of such deities brings the perspective of salvation to the believers through illustrating the teachings they had from their pontiffs for they had no access to their bibles. The decorations on walls had a great revelation of interest in the treatment of space and movement ads people could attain knowledge from one permanent place. It was also a revelation of damnation to the Christians when they rejected the way of the cross and salvation provided by Christ through incarnation in Virgin Mary.
The two artworks carry the message to religious followers although the two groups had different beliefs. While Shiva had a representation of Hindu gods who only addressed the issue dance and destruction of enemies literally, the deities on Byzantine walls sought to explain spiritual issues through the Savior Jesus Christ. The only difference in the artworks was majorly on the beliefs, Shiva belonging to Hinduism and the Fresco painting, which belonged to Christians. The Nataraja god who was part of the Hindu deity had to reveal his actions through expressive appearance hence explain how he had the capability of playing drums and dancing to the rhythm through the sculptor’s design. The purposes were divine and outstanding therefore easy for its conception by the followers (Groeneveld 90). However, for the Fresco painting, the plan was sophisticated since it was to convince people of the salvation through the Savior who assumed human form and waited until He died on the cross. Despite the difference, the message by the two artwork remains the same that the followers need to believe the deities and live through salvation process. Misbelief in any of the teaching would lead to damnation and destruction through painful ways.
Conclusion
In conclusion, cultures shaped the artistic designs during the Medieval period as the case for Christian and Hinduism culture which dictated the form of artwork to have in their professed religion. The two works carried the same message despite the difference in ways of representation and delivery of the themes which were affected by the cultural settings. However, the period, which had religion ruling the other subjects, had artist focus on religious themes to attract their clients. People have shared interests in religious perspectives such as salvation which dictates the form of teaching and artistic presentation delivered to them.
Works cited
Groeneveld, Leanne. "Salvation, Damnation, and the Wounded (Corporate) Body of Christ in Late Medieval Culture." Florilegium 22 (2005): 81-104.
Labatt, Annie. "Frescoes and Wall Painting in Late Byzantine Art." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History.
Srinivasan, Sharada. "Shiva as' cosmic dancer': On Pallava origins for the Nataraja bronze." World Archaeology 36.3 (2004): 432-450.
Stromer, Richard. "Shiva Nataraja: A Study in Myth, Iconography, and the Meaning of a Sacred Symbol." (2014).
