In relation to the works of art, man has tried to express his beliefs in several ways with the use of different themes. The use of art and architecture is a vital tool through which human beings expressed their spiritual or religious views with respect with the day to activities in their environment. Different works of art have therefore been used to depict the religious views and beliefs of people concerned depending on the way they perceive their supreme beings. This involved the use of paintings, drawings as well as monuments indicating the aspects of religion by the people in different societies all over the world (Roth, 1993). The works of arts of both the Greek and Roman are therefore classified based on their purpose. The works of art and architecture are meant to reflect the holiness of the temples and shrines in different societies as well as across cultures. The monuments are designed in a manner to demonstrate the sacred nature of the religious places. The themes used to express the beliefs of people varied from one culture to another.
One of the themes is clearly brought out by the development of cathedral architecture which saw many years of growth and development. The changes in the cathedral architecture are accounted by the aesthetics as well spiritual variations. It is clearly seen that the cathedrals are embracing time changes enabling them to conform to the current styles or trends in the society. This is clearly indicated by the places of worship which were as a result of Roman and Greek civilization which were first seen in the classical era. The first work of art in cathedral architecture was the Parthenon which was structured from447 B.C to 438 B.C in the ancient Greece. This was in the works of art of the Acropolis which still stands to the present day. Though the initial works of art do not conform strictly to the current purpose of cathedrals, they still indicated the basics underlying the world renowned cathedrals in Europe. The greet architecture is therefore clearly demonstrated by the proportions of the design of a Doric temple. This temple is well columned with the slender shafts and conical structures (David, 2003).
The Parthenon refers to the outer structure of a temple in the recognition of Athena where the golden statue was placed pat the center of the temple symbolize the gods. This temple represented an example of permanence and perfect proportions since they considered their god is permanent and long-lasting as well as a precious being as signified by the use of gold structures. This is among the most crucial structures or buildings in the classical Greece. The Parthenon was considered to be among the high levels of art and architecture in Greek. This is also considered or perceived as an enduring and significant symbol of Athenian democracy and Greece. They also reflect the greatest cultural monuments in the world. This work of art is currently being renovated and restored by the ministry of Culture in Greek in order to maintain and boost this monument for historical and cultural purposes.
The Parthenon was used as a treasury in the Delian League but later converted to a Christian church in Athena. This structure was thereafter destroyed by the bombs after it was converted to a mosque. The Parthenon and the sculptures were severely destroyed by the explosion while the remnants were transferred to the museum in London(Roth, 1993.
On the other hand, the Pantheon was considered an original as well as a symbolic monument made up of cement and marble. This structure raised many questions whether it was a representation of Christianity or pagan religion; this therefore gave more concern in relation to architecture and religion. This monument combined ancient elements of religion, art and architecture due to the uniqueness attached (David, 2003).This structure created in Rome was meant to act as an enclosure to the courtyard. This structure was closely examined and found to be more related and attached to Etruscan since it had one entrance while the Greek structures had four entrances. This structure was made using stones from Egypt thereby showing some cultural aspects of Egypt. This structure was also designed in a manner to bring out a sense of regeneration and space which is a distinct characteristic of religious monuments and structures. This was a religious structure because the translation of the pantheon of Greek gives a meaning of all gods thereby leading to a conclusion that this structure was meant for religious purposes in Greek. The main motive of the building was purely religious. This building was later turned into a Catholic church; the works of art relating to the Roman gods were replaced by the works of art representing Christian gods.
The other work of art and architecture is the Maison Carree which is an item found in Vitruvian architecture. This structure was long and rectangular in shape. This structure was mainly created to act as a temple serving as a religious ground in Rome (Roth, 1993). The structure was deep where the religious items made of bronze were affixed to the walls of the structure. This temple was rededicated to be used as a church therefore even after a massive destruction of temples, this one was not destroyed but was used as a church. This has therefore led to its preservation. This temple was used as the official religious place in Rome. This structure was later turned into a museum after the French revolution. This structure is currently a tourist attraction site while the ornamental items and decorations are affixed to the walls. This building has undergone restoration and restructuring over the years and centuries through the adoption of Roman style.
Different cultures choose to express their religious beliefs in their own unique ways because people have different perspectives towards their gods. People view their gods differently such that the god is expressed in relation to the role of that god. In some cultures, gods are considered to be providers of valuable items like gold thereby the worship places are decorated with the precious metals like gold. The use of the golden structures may also indicate the pure nature of god. This may also indicate some sense of permanence since the gods are perceived to be omnipresent thereby last forever time in relation to their gods. This value of permanence is also expressed by building structures which are durable by the use of the strong materials (Giroire2007).
Different cultures have specific foundations, values and virtues which influence the way the people express their religious beliefs in order to suit their cultural aspects and basis. The cultural values and practices thereby influence how people express their religious beliefs. The religious beliefs are therefore expressed in a manner to reflect the culture of the people as well their values and beliefs.
In conclusion, art and architecture have used structures and monuments to express the beliefs and religious aspects of people in a unique manner depending on their cultures and lifestyles.The art and architectural studies plays a critical role in presentation of the religious themes in the society as shown by the monuments,drawings as well as paintings.
Works Cited
David, A R. Handbook to Life in Ancient Egypt. New York: Facts On File, 2003. Print.
Giroire, Cécile, and Daniel Roger. Roman Art from the Louvre. New York, NY: American Federation of Arts in association with Hudson Hills Press, 2007. Print.
Roth, LelM. Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning. New York, NY: Icon Editions, 1993. Print.
