Discussion of the Pictorial Techniques used by Sculptor of Hildesheim's Bronze Doors.

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The Bernward Doors at St. Mary's Cathedral, Hildesheim

 Discussion of the Pictorial Techniques used by Sculptor of Hildesheim's Bronze Doors.

The bronze doors were commissioned by Bernward. They are at Saint Michael’s, Hildersheim, and were completed in 1015. There are sixteen narrative panels. There are eight on the left that are devoted to Genesis, and there are eight on the right that are about the life of Christ. The left side starts with the creation of Adam, and ends with the murder of Able by his brother Cain. The right side begins with the Annunciation of Christ and ends with the resurrection. They were made by the lost wax method. They are 23 by 43 inches. In the scene of Adam and Eve being reproached by God, God is in human form, clothed and looking like a human father reproaching his children for their disobedience. He points directly at them. There punishment is that they will be mortal and not immortal as he is. He is taller than they are, and shows his superiority by the position of his body, and the fact he is clothed. Adam and Eve are bent forward trying to hide the fact they are naked. This was a dead giveaway, because until they had disobeyed God they had been completely comfortable with their nakedness. They were unaware that there was any shame in it. The tree is behind Adam, and it follows the contour of his back. It is possibly a representation of the cross. The back ground is very simple. There are two trees, and what looks like an animal of some kind, but it is to represent the serpent. It was a traditional animal style of that period.The serpent was condemned to crawl on its belly while God stands upright. Standing upright is a symbol of moral rightness.  There is a row of decorative plants on the left they are resemble ‘a Hyberno-Saxon interlaced motif’. Each picture is very simple, and uses only a few figures. Each figure expresses an emotion. The sculptor does this very effectively. Even the placement of the pictures is part of the story.  The left side tells the story of the fall of mankind, and the right side shows mankind’s redemption from the fall. Someone must take the blame, and so Adam points to Eve, and Eve to the serpent, and God points at all of them, and sets forth their punishment. They were the first works cast in one piece since antiquity. There was an emphasis on Typology which implied that the former prefigured the later. They read left to right, or Old Testament to New Testament.

Info on Sharks:

Hammerhead shark from National Geographic sight address is http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/photos/sharks/#/galapagos-shark_6449_600x450.jpg

 

On Sharks

     It is true that many people are terrified of sharks. Could anything be more terrifying than a Shark swimming towards you or someone else with mouth open and teeth exposed.  A shark will usually posture when preparing to attack. Anyone who goes to the movies sees a shark as an aggressor which many different types of them are. There sole purpose is to seek out and destroy. Scientifically this idea is flawed.

     There are many different kinds of sharks, and most of these are harmless to people. They share a lot of different characteristics. They are different sizes, live in different places, and have varied diets. A Whale Shark is a filter feeding shark, and its mouth is in the front instead of underneath. The size and type of their teeth has evolved to help them catch their prey.  Some sharks have long spiked teeth for catching small, fast fish. Others have serrated teeth for cutting chunks of flesh from larger prey. They can also have broad flat teeth for crushing shells. They have many rows of teeth, and if a tooth is lost another tooth moves forward to replace it. (Life in the Sea-pg 147-150) Sharks have paired fins, placoid scales, 5-7 exposed and lateral gill slits, and they are usually marine. There skeleton is cartilaginous, and they have teeth in jaws to capture prey or gill rakers to filter plankton. In reproduction they can be oviparous, ovoviviparous, or viviparous.

     The Great White Shark is considered the most dangerous to humans. The Tiger and Bull Sharks are also considered among the most dangerous to humans. Our book says there are 25 species of sharks that have been known to attack humans, and 12 more are suspected of it.

     Australia rates second in global shark attacks, and is the highest in fatal attacks. Western Australia has the highest rate. According to a chart in Wikipedia the United States has the most attacks with fewer fatalities. The size of the bite depends on the size of the shark. A shark bite is something to be avoided at all cost. They have very large mouths, and many rows of teeth with powerful jaws. They bite, and hang on; then they shake their head from side to side crushing bones and tearing flesh. Not a thing that anyone wants to experience.

     They usually feed at night when the fish are more active, so it is wise not to swim at night. One should do all that is possible to decrease the chance of a shark attack. Any place that has seals and sea lions will attract sharks, so wisdom would be to avoid these areas.  Our book suggests leaving the water if you see fish appear in large numbers, acting erratically. Don’t become fascinated by with the phenomenon just head for shore with as little splashing as possible.

     Humans are a greater threat to sharks than sharks are to humans. Senseless and cruel hunting is done. We need to be aware of the value of each specie to the environment, and do what we can to protect them.