How does the Mosaic Floor of the Beth Alpha synagogue correspond to the style and iconography of early Jewish art?
What will be an ideal response?
The ideal Answer should include:
1. Like the wall paintings in the house-synagogue at Dura-Europos, the mosaic depicts human figures in frontal poses with strong outlines and with flat colors.
2. The animals and figures in the mosaic are symbolic. For example, the upper portion of the composition symbolizes the metaphysical realm by depicting a shrine that holds the Torah and Jewish ritual objects, including two menorahs.
3. In the middle of the mosaic, the signs of zodiac and the winged personifications of the four seasons represent the celestial realm.
4. In the lower register, the terrestrial realm is symbolized by the story of Abraham preparing to sacrifice Isaac from the book of Genesis; here, the peaceful coexistence of the lion and ox may represent a golden age or peaceable kingdom described in Isaiah 11:6-9; 65:25), and the ram symbolizes how sacrificial offerings took the place Isaac.
You might also like to view...
The Ballet Russe's production of Parade
A. marked a high point of modernism. B. featured set and costumes by Pablo Picasso. C. inspired artists to apply concepts from movements in the fine arts to theatrical design. D. all of the above.
The context of performance refers to
a. the style of a production. b. your expectations when you go to a particular type of theatre.. c. the artistic intent of the playwright. d. the theme of the play.
Besides astronomical research, Galileo also contributed to the
A. science of anatomy. B. overturning of Aristotle's theory of earthly motion. C. modern explanation for the circulation of the blood. D. modern view that the body is composed of tiny cells.
In the early 1960s, Pop Art was designed to represent reality in terms of
a. subjective experience. b. the media. c. a series of traditional conventions. d. literary formulas.