Saturday, April 11, 2020

The Holy Trinity By Masaccio Essays - Visual Arts, Christian Art

The Holy Trinity by Masaccio The Holy Trinity by Masaccio was done approximately 1428. It is a superb example of Masaccio's use of space and perspective. It consists of two levels of unequal height. Christ is represented on the top half, in a coffered, barrel-vaulted chapel. On one side of him is the Virgin Mary, and on the other, St. John. Christ himself is supported by God the Father, and the Dove of the Holy Spirit rests on Christ's halo. In front of the pilasters that enframe the chapel kneel the donors (husband and wife). Underneath the altar (a masonry insert in the painted composition) is a tomb. Inside the tomb is a skeleton, which may represent Adam. The vanishing point is at the center of the masonry altar, because this is the eye level of the spectator, who looks up at the Trinity and down at the tomb. The vanishing point, five feet above the floor level, pulls both views together. By doing this, an illusion of an actual structure is created. The interior volume of this 'structure' is an tension of the space that the person looking at the work is standing in. The adjustment of the spectator to the pictured space is one of the first steps in the development of illusionistic painting. Illusionistic painting fascinated many artists of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The proportions in this painting are so numerically exact that one can actually calculate the numerical dimensions of the chapel in the background. The span of the painted vault is seven feet, and the depth is nine feet. "Thus, he achieves not only successful illusion, but a rational, metrical coherence that, by maintaining the mathematical proportions of the surface design, is responsible for the unity and harmony of this monumental composition." Two principal interests are summed up by The Holy Trinity: Realism based on observation, and the application of mathematics to pictorial organization. All of the figures are fully clothed, except for that of Christ himself. He is, however, wearing a robe around his waist. The figure is "real"; it is a good example of a human body. The rest of the figures, who are clothed, are wearing robes. The drapery contains heavy folds and creases, which increases the effect of shadows. The human form in its entirety is not seen under the drapery; only a vague representation of it is seen. It is not at all like the 'wet-drapery' of Classical antiquity. Massacio places the forms symmetrically in the composition. Each has its own weight and mass, unlike earlier Renaissance works. The fresco is calm, and creates a sad mood. The mood is furthered by the darkness of the work, and the heavy shadows cast. Grunewald's The Isenheim Altarpiece is an oil painting on wood, completed in 1515. The altar is composed of a carved wooden shrine with two pairs of movable panels, one directly in back of the other. The outermost scene is the Crucifixion; on the inside there are two others. On the two sides, two saints are represented (St. Sebastian on the left, and St. Anthony on the right). Together, these saints established the theme of disease and healing that is reinforced by the inner paintings. On the bottom of the panel, when opened, it appears that Christ's legs were amputated; possibly an allusion to ergotism, a disease treated in the hospital where the altarpiece was kept. An image of the terrible suffering of Christ is in the middle. The suffering body hangs against the dark background, which falls all the way to the earth. The flesh is discolored by decomposition and is studded with the thorns of the lash. His blackening feet twist in agony, as do his arms. His head is to one side, and his fingers appear as crooked spikes. The shuddering tautness of Christ's nerves is expressed through the positions of his fingers. Up to this point, no other artist has ever produced such an image of pain. The sharp, angular shapes of anguish appear in the figures of the swooning Virgin and St. John, and in the shrill delirium of the Magdalene. On the other side, John the Baptist, a gaunt form, points a finger at the body of the dead Christ. Even though death and suffering are dominant in the altarpiece, there are symbols of hope: The river behind St. John, which represents baptism, and the wine-red sky which symbolizes the blood of Christ. Through these bols, a hope of salvation is offered to the viewer. The use of space is ambiguous

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Why Google is Looking for These 5 Key Traits in Employees

Why Google is Looking for These 5 Key Traits in Employees Google did a two-year study of its workers and discovered (surprise!) that fancy degrees and super-genius IQs don’t make great team players. Recent research out of the University of Notre Dame confirms this: what matters most is that coworkers trust each other and believe in what they’re doing. Forget self-interest and pedigree. Forget top-name colleges and the SATs. Google is now shifting course to recruit people who are hardworking and resilient instead- and finally working to diversify their workforce (which is a shocking 70% male and 60% white). Say goodbye to the old elitism of the lone wolf superstar, and say hello to an appreciation of candidates who can overcome adversity.The most important thing companies want to do is building better teams, and here’s what they’ll be looking for:1. Psychological safetyTeam members need to trust each other to take risks. Superegos only get in the way. Team members need to be comfortable being vulnerable together t o do their best work.2. DependabilityThe best teams get it done on time and set the bar consistently high.3. Structure ClarityThe best teams work together with clear roles and goals and strategies.4. MeaningIt’s important to believe in the work you’re doing together and to make it matter.5. ImpactThe best stuff comes out of teams working to make something meaningful and affect change.As a Harvard HR rep wrote in a blog post, â€Å"Who  is on a team matters less than how the team members interact, structure their work, and view their contributions.† The dream team of the future is a powerhouse of people with a wide variety of strengths and talents, people who can trust each other enough to take risks and create a more dynamic future. It doesn’t matter where you went to college. What matters is what you bring to the table and how well you contribute to the group.

Saturday, February 22, 2020

The Native Americans in the 18th and 19th Centuries Essay - 1

The Native Americans in the 18th and 19th Centuries - Essay Example This paper illustrates that although there is a common belief that the Native Americans came from Asia, few if any came from India. Mistakenly believing that he had landed in the Indies, Christopher Columbus gave them the name ‘Indian’. Other names accorded to them include Indigenous Peoples of America, Aboriginal Americans, American Indians, Amerindians, and First Peoples First Nations among others. For many years, these people had peacefully lived in America until the invasion of the European colonialists and explorers who brought endless problems to them. Since the European colonists landed in America in the 16th and 17th century, the Native Americans welcomed them enthusiastically. They admired their â€Å"outlandish clothes, ships as well as their superb technology including brass and copper kettles, mirrors, earrings, the fire-belching cannon and arquebus, hawk bells, steel swords and knives† among others. However, there eventually arose conflicts as the Nat ive Americans discovered their materialistic view of the land coupled with their â€Å"cultural arrogance†. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the European colonists invaded the state and colonies frontiers inexorably displacing Native Americans from the most favorable land. Largely displaced were the Native Americans in the central and eastern North Carolina portions. Often times, â€Å"the Natives resisted this process violently†. Armed conflicts such as the Tuscarora (1711–1715) and Yemassee (1715–1717) wars involved â€Å"forcefully† removing native populations onto a small number of small reservations.

Thursday, February 6, 2020

Financial services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Financial services - Essay Example For a Chinese financial service organization to establish its roots in UK’s financial service sector could be quite troublesome. However with appropriate strategies particularly marketing strategies along with accurate market entrance strategy, the organization could reach the height of success it has desired. Even though, the organization would have to face high competition in the financial service sector of UK, but still the prospects for growth are relatively high for financial organization if the organization focuses on cost reduction rather than differentiation. With the right proportion of marketing mix strategies (i.e. product, price, place and distribution) the organization can have the opportunity to win the heart of potential customers and customers in the market. INTRODUCTION Purpose Financial services are the roots to economic growth and development as such institutions help private citizens to protect their money from uncertainty and economic depressions, while en abling several businesses to start up, grow, expand and compete in local and international markets after increasing their overall efficiency. Financial services provided through banks and other financial institutions help in reducing the vulnerability and allow the people to manage their assets in positive ways i.e. generation of income. The purpose of this feasibility analysis is to take into consideration all the necessary dimensions of the business to evaluate new markets outside China. In order to setup business in a new market, it is essential to evaluate the environment in the host country along with the regulatory framework. This would significantly help in the identification of the critical factors that could help the business to setup accordingly in the new market. In addition, this feasibility study also provides the institution with several strategies to enter the new market along with the implications of marketing mix strategies. Similarly, the STP (i.e. Segmentation, Ta rgeting and Positioning) would also be indentified and evaluated to provide the financial institution with opportunities to be successful in the new market. Finally, the strategies for sustaining the corporate reputation and the brand in new territory would also be defined and explained in the feasibility study. To further enhance the growth of the business in the new market and its territories, several recommendations have been provided to the financial institution. Scope The financial service sector is the largest sector in the world in terms of earnings and this sector plays an essential role in the economic development and growth for any country. The scope of this feasibility study would be to identify the marketing strategies in order to introduce the Financial Service organization in new market outside China. In addition, the feasibility study would also provide analysis of the external environment in the host country along with the regulatory framework. Similarly, the consume r economics and segmentation would also be indentified in the context. FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS For a financial organization to incorporate its operations in new market outside China it would be essential for the organization to understand the market and the regulatory framework associated with it. In order to successfully infiltrate the banking sector in UK, the business should take following elements under consideration.

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Philip Randolph in civil right movement Essay Example for Free

Philip Randolph in civil right movement Essay Asa Philip Randolph is well known for organizing labor power as well as for leading civil rights movement. 1889 born Randolph was an ardent spokesperson of non violent activism against the American racism which led the improvement of the position of blacks in 20th centaury. He firmly believed that the black progress could be achieved through black working class. He always raised the voice for social justice which paved the way to his political activism. From the college days, he began his mission. When he was in college, he started an employment agency with fellow student Chandler Owen, for those blacks who arrived in New York from South. After graduation, with the influence of W. E. B. Du Bois The Souls of Black Folk, Randolph joined the socialist party and started addressing the crowd about socialism and importance of militant class consciousness. In 1917 he published the first issue of the magazine â€Å"messenger’ which was later termed as one of the most brilliantly edited magazines in the history of American Negro journalism. In 1925, he formed an organization of Brotherhood of sleeping car porters in the wake of refusal of membership of blacks by American Federation Labor . The organization was consisting of those black porters worked for Pullman Company. The Pullman an employer of blacks denied the organization of the blacks in earlier period. There was a case of firing the employees who marched for wage increase and improve working conditions. Randolph as the president of Brotherhood of sleeping car porters laid down a unrelenting and dignified negotiation meetings with Pullman authorities which led the sanction of the first union of black, Brotherhood of sleeping car porters and subsequent wage increase of $2 miilion. Moreover Randolph could achieve a contract of railroad with this particular company in 1937. Randolph moved forward with the motto of complete equality and economic opportunity for blacks’ . He explained his activities as the idea of separatism is harkening to the past and it is undesirable even if it could be realized, because the progess of mankind has been based upon contact and association, upon social, intellectual and cultural contact. (Ebony magazine, 1970)(1) A year after the successful negation with Pullman co. Randolph initiated an action to end the employment discrimination against blacks in the federal government . He put pressure on the President Franklin D. Roosewelt in this matter. Moreover he analyzed the recruitment process of US military for World War II to put an end to racial discrimination. Since all the efforts regarding federal and military hiring turned in vain, he carried out the famous 1941 march to Washington with 50thousand blacks. Consequently Roosevelt issued an order banning discrimination in the defense ministry. Even though the committee established for improving the condition of the blacks, it could not meet the effective means of enacting it. The racial equality had continuously been violated. This pulled Randolph to move ahead with his civil right movement. He founded the League for Nonviolent Civil Disobedience against Military Segregation. He warned the Congressional committee that the black and white youth would be insisted to boycott the military if the condition of racial inequality mitigated. . The march on Washington went on. In 1942, at Detroit conference he called for the strategy and tactics of the people of India with mass civil disobedience and non-cooperation. In 1943, he insisted the delegates to adopt the policy of non-violent good-will direct action. He challenged President Harry Truman to take an effective action in this regard. Finally Truman issued another order to desegregate the military. In 1950’s and 1960’s also Randolph was actively participated in civil rights movement against the racial discrimination. Through march on Washington movement and the civil disobedience movement to end the segregation in military ,Randolph insisted the new generation of civil right activists that the violent protests are no longer a suitable way to attain the goal. It never mobilizes the public pressure. The movement recognized him by referring the chair of the March on Washington in which Martin Luther King Jr. rendered his famous I Have a Dream speech. In 1955, Randolph was elected as a vice president of the AFL-CIO. Asa Philip Randolph was a notable reformer. His vision and commitment is always inspiration for the young generation. Nobody can deny the fact that Randolph’s firm and peaceful strategic ideas are the major factor which ultimately led success of his mission.

Monday, January 20, 2020

The American Airline Industry Essay -- Business Management Studies Air

The American Airline Industry The Airline Industry is a highly competitive industry with companies operating in domestic and/or international markets. Many airlines are stilled owned by their respective countries and have treaties between countries to allow airlines to land there. The industry has been taking a relatively shaky course as costs are rising and profits have been decreasing. This was further intensified with the recent terrorist attacks on US soil, which lead to higher costs as the need for more security arose. Recent financial statements of major airlines showing major losses reflect the problems that the industry is having. Yet amidst the storm, some regional airlines such as Jet Blue Airlines have managed to focus on specific markets and maintained or increased their profits. It is no doubt that Porter’s 5 forces of competition are at play in this industry. These forces are the Threat of Substitutes, Threat of New Entrants, Competitive Rivalry, Bargaining Power of Buyers and Bargaining Power of Suppliers. Threat of Substitutes The airline industry has been plagued by rising costs resulting in poor profits. The recession adversely affected the industry during the first half of 2001. This was intensified by the September 11th attacks, when two airlines were crashed into the Twin Towers in New York City by terrorists killing everyone on board and demolishing the buildings. This lead to an immediate reduction in air travel as customers did not feel safe about flying and an increase in the use of other forms of transportation. Amtrak, a railway company, reported an increase in passenger volume in the days following the attacks. Though this has leveled off as things returned to normal, rail travel is a substitute for air travel that will be utilized by customers if they are looking for cheaper travel and if they are looking for a leisure trip that would not be too time consuming. Automobiles are also a form of travel that is a substitute for air travel. This is especially the case when a family is traveling as the costs are minimized and schedules coordinated on the travelers’ timetable. Threat of New Entrants Historically, entry into the market has been relatively easy for airline companies. When the economy was booming, people traveled more for leisure and companies used this opportunity to enter th... ...aken from Hoovers Online) Revenues (in Millions) Sept 2002 Sept 2001 US Airways 1903.0 2493.0 American 4494.0 4816.0 Southwest 1391.2 1335.1 Net Income (in Millions) Sept 2002 Sept 2001 US Airways (248.0) (24.0) American (924.0) (414.0) Southwest 74.9 151.0 Total Assets (in Millions) Sept 2002 Sept 2001 US Airways 7705.0 9564.0 American 31502.0 31840.0 Southwest 8954.3 7994.9 Total Debt (in Millions) Sept 2002 Sept 2001 US Airways 10808.0 10106.0 American 28991.0 25609.0 Southwest 4631.6 4045.3 EPS (in dollars) Sept 2002 Sept 2001 US Airways (3.64) (.36) American (5.93) (2.68) Southwest .09 .19 Revenue Passenger Miles Oct 2002 Oct 2001 US Airways 2,965,753 2,802,967 American 3,048,000 2,851,000 Southwest 3,258,017 2,590,610 Load Factor (%) Oct 2002 Oct 2001 US Airways 66.9 61.7 American 63.2 57.8 Southwest 56.8 53.4

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Importance of Sex Education Essay

As younger generations mature into teens, they will be exposed to all sorts of materials in their daily lives. Sex education is of great importance when it comes to teenagers. This is because as individuals grow into teenagers, they observe changes to their bodies particularly in their sex organs and also their hormones. With the raging hormones present in their bodies and unnecessary exposure to materials from the TV and now the internet, teenagers will be curious and would definitely want to experiment on the new things that they discover. This is why sexual education is important. Most teens are immature and curious individuals who lack self-control. This explains the high number of teenage pregnancies. When it comes to teen pregnancy, most teenagers are not ready to have a child. In many cases, teenage girls who decide to raise the baby end up being single mothers as their partners are not committed enough to raise the child as both of them are too young and not equipped well enough to raise a child. Thanks to the introduction of sex education in the recent years, the numbers of teen pregnancies have been decreasing gradually. Another importance of sex education is to lower the rate of abortion. Pregnant teens are one of the main causes of abortion. This happens when teens get pregnant and they do not want to conceive their babies. There are many factors that contribute to this final decision to abort the pregnancy. Usually, the main factor that causes abortion in teen parents is the fact that they are not ready to make the big commitment to have a baby. Aside to that, another factor that contributes to abortion is teenagers getting raped. Furthermore, by educating teens on sex, rape cases can be prevented. There are certain male individuals that are aroused by how an individual of the opposite sex dresses. With the psychological aspects of sex education, teenagers can be taught to manage their sexual stimulation and control their raging hormones when they are faced with situations like this. In sex education, teens will be educated on how to suppress their hormones by doing physical activities like exercising. In females, this inhibits the production of sex steroid hormones like estrogen. As for males, testosterone levels are reduced. Hence, the urge to satisfy one’s sexual needs is greatly reduced. Besides that, sex education is also important to encourage and educate teens on the use of contraceptive methods to further prevent any unwanted pregnancies. For example, using a condom during sexual intercourse not only prevents unwanted pregnancy, it can also prevent sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV. Another good contraceptive method that can be exposed to teens during sex education is the birth control pill. This pill, which has to be taken regularly, contains two female hormones which prevents ovulation.