Albrecht Dürer (1471 – 1528): Adam and Eve Artwork in 1504

Art History: Assignment 8
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Part A
1 Adam and Eve, Albrecht Dürer, 1504. Engraving. Located on page 357 of the textbook.
Albrecht Dürer (1471 – 1528) created the Adam and Eve artwork in 1504. He was a sensational German nationalist who observed the world and represented his observation in drawings and paintings. During his time, Dürer published several manuals and theoretical writings discussing issues with renaissance art, painting techniques, and ideal human proportions. The Adam and Eve art represent the first human beings to be created according to the Bible. It contains images of four senses of humor that show the results of the conviction of Adam and Eve after defying God. Their descendants became powerless and lost control of the body liquids that controlled human nature. Excess dark bile from the liver resulted in misery, covetousness, and hopelessness, while yellow bile caused arrogance, eagerness, and outrage. The mucus found in the lungs resulted in lack of engagement, absence of feelings, and tiredness, while excess blood made a person enthusiastically keen on delights of the flesh and abnormally idealistic. The peevish cat, the despairing elk, the sensory rabbit, and the impassive ox symbolized the above four demeanors. The parrot symbolizes false intelligence, and the rushing mouse symbolizes Satan. Dürer was enthusiastic about his art, and he left his name on a branch that hangs alongside Adam.
2 The Founding of Tenochtitlan page from the Codex Mendoza, Aztec, 1545 CE. Located on page 411 of the textbook
The Codex Mendoza is an Aztec codex created 20 years after 1521 Spanish conquered Mexico. The plan was to send it to Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain. The Codex Mendoza contains information about the past of Aztec rulers and the victories they won, a collection of tributes vanquished paid, besides depicting the everyday life of the Aztec people. Among the information in the Codex is the data about the establishment of Tenochtitlan, Aztec's capital. Tenochtitlan was constructed in 1325 in the middle of Lake Texcoco. It was made of several trenches, divided into four quarters as shown in the picture, with waterways in the divisions. The four divisions are linked to the Aztec people's perception that the universe is divided into east, west, north, and south. The diagram has an eagle in the center representing the logic behind the city's establishment, and the tree represents the name of the city, Tenochtitlan. A shield is located near the cactus in the art symbolizing the struggle people went through before settling in Mexico. The art ...