Discussion: Icons and Iconoclasm

Transcript

1. Icons  and  Iconoclasm  
   David  Freedberg,  from  “Idolatry  and  
   Iconoclasm”  from  The  Power  of  
   Images,  pp.  66-­‐78.  
   

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2. Scenes  from  the  1956  Revolt  in  Budapest,  Hungary.  
   Freedberg  asks:  “Could  it  be  that  by  assailing  the  dead  
   images,  geKng  rid  of  them,  one  was  assailing  the  very  
   men  and  women  they  represented?”  
   How  is  this  similar  to  Brilliant’s  noOon  of  “transference”  in  
   his  discussion  of  “likeness”?  
   

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3. Man  
   Man  scolds  the  “head”  of  Stalin,  Budapest,  Hungary,  1956.  
   

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4. Man  scolds  the  “head”  of  Lenin,  Russia,  1989/1990.  
   

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5. Moscow  school  children  rest  on  a  toppled  
   statue  of  Stalin,  1991.    
   

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6. Statue  of  Saddam  Hussein  being  toppled  by  U.S.  
   Marine,  Bagdad,  Wednesday  April  9,  2003.  
   What  implicaOons  does  this  have  for  
   religious  imagery?  
   Virgin  of  Vladimir,  Russia,  c.  11th  –  
   12th  century.  
   

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7. Freedberg  states  that  theologians  and  scholars  
   are  “embarrassed”  by  the  “power  of  images,”  
   causing  them  to  ignore  it.    Why  do  you  think  that  
   is?  
   

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14. What  reservaOons  did  ByzanOne  iconoclasts  have  
    toward  “beauty”?  
    How  is  this  similar  to  Plato’s  thoughts  
    on  images?  
    

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16. The  Soul  According  to  Plato  
    

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18. Forms  of  
    Cogni,on    
    Degree  of  
    Reality  
    Examples  
    Knowledge/
    Understanding  
    A
    Intelligible  
    Forms  (ex.  Form  of  
    the  Good)  
    Thought   B MathemaOcal/
    TheoreOcal  
    Belief   C
    Visible  
    Physical  Objects  
    Conjecture/
    ImaginaOon  
    D Shadows  and  Images  
    Towards  a  hirer  form  cogniOon  
    Towards    more  “real”  objects  
    Hierarchy  of  Thought  
    

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21. Freedberg  calls  for  the  need  for  universality  
    when  studying  the  phenomenon  of  
    iconoclasm.    What  universal  features  do  you  
    see  in  the  destrucOon  of  images?  
    

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27. Loveland,  Colorado,  2010  
    Enrique  Chagoya,  “The  Misadventures  of  the  RomanOc  Cannibals,  2010.  
    Protesters  
    There  are  many  ways  to  express  disagreement  with  the  ideas  
    expressed  in  an  artwork  that  do  not  entail  going  against  the  
    founding  principles  of  this  country:  the  separaOon  of  church  
    and  state  and  the  right  to  free  speech.    
    -­‐-­‐NaOonal  CoaliOon  Against  Censorship  
    “The  protesters  want  the  exhibit  removed.    They  
    believe  that  taxpayers’  dollars  should  not  be  going  
    to  pornography.”    
    -­‐-­‐Jeaneie  De  Melo,  Archdiocese  of  Loveland  
    

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28. Mark  Rothko,  Black  on  Maroon,  1959.  
    

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29. Vladimir  Umants  ‘12  A  PotenOal  Piece  of  Yellowism  
    

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30. How  are  the  aKtudes  and  moOvaOons  of  
    modern  and  ByzanOne  iconoclasts  similar?  
    What  do  they  say  about  our  relaOonship  with  
    images?  
    

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