Etruscan Mirrors Vs. Cloud Gate
Modern versus Ancient, 2006 versus 300 B.C. and in some regards a culture versus a culture. The two pieces of art at face value are inconceivable to compare and seem distinctively different. Though, many differences there are a few similarities between the two pieces of art; The Etruscan Mirrors and The Cloud Gate that stem beyond the looks and into the symbolism and meaning for creation and the attempted message that the artists were trying to convey.
Starting with the Etruscan Mirrors which were created by the Etruscans. A “civilization which flourished between c. 1000 and 100 B.C” (Adams 181) These mirrors were a specific combination of tin and copper together creating a cast bronze. These Mirrors were …show more content…
I have seen it on quite a few occasions, walking the Lake Michigan boardwalk, or heading to Soldier Field, to watch the Chicago Bears play. Not only did the Cloud Gate take three years just to create, when it was shipped and constructed in Millennium Park, it was hidden underneath a large tarp for approximately 7-9 months. This is where I have a unique connection and one of the main reasons I chose to pick this work of art for this paper. A 24-person crew, in 2005 took to the task of polishing this beautiful sculpture to a mirror like finish (see figure 2). My Dad owned as business in Schaumburg, Illinois; a power tool repair company, he estimates that he had repaired approximately 100 polishers that were used in five different phases in the polishing of the Cloud Gate, how cool is that! A striking resemblance to how the reflective surfaces of the Etruscan Mirrors were created. “The reflecting disc was highly polished to give a sharp, detailed image. Most were slightly concave, so that held at arm’s length much of the upper body would be in view. The alloy was copper with about 7-11% tin and less than 1% lead, resulting in a yellowish metal and, consequently, a yellowish image.” (British Museum) Keppler also mentions that twice a year they drench the Cloud Gate in 40 gallons of tide and power wash to keep it shiny and
Modern versus Ancient, 2006 versus 300 B.C. and in some regards a culture versus a culture. The two pieces of art at face value are inconceivable to compare and seem distinctively different. Though, many differences there are a few similarities between the two pieces of art; The Etruscan Mirrors and The Cloud Gate that stem beyond the looks and into the symbolism and meaning for creation and the attempted message that the artists were trying to convey.
Starting with the Etruscan Mirrors which were created by the Etruscans. A “civilization which flourished between c. 1000 and 100 B.C” (Adams 181) These mirrors were a specific combination of tin and copper together creating a cast bronze. These Mirrors were …show more content…
I have seen it on quite a few occasions, walking the Lake Michigan boardwalk, or heading to Soldier Field, to watch the Chicago Bears play. Not only did the Cloud Gate take three years just to create, when it was shipped and constructed in Millennium Park, it was hidden underneath a large tarp for approximately 7-9 months. This is where I have a unique connection and one of the main reasons I chose to pick this work of art for this paper. A 24-person crew, in 2005 took to the task of polishing this beautiful sculpture to a mirror like finish (see figure 2). My Dad owned as business in Schaumburg, Illinois; a power tool repair company, he estimates that he had repaired approximately 100 polishers that were used in five different phases in the polishing of the Cloud Gate, how cool is that! A striking resemblance to how the reflective surfaces of the Etruscan Mirrors were created. “The reflecting disc was highly polished to give a sharp, detailed image. Most were slightly concave, so that held at arm’s length much of the upper body would be in view. The alloy was copper with about 7-11% tin and less than 1% lead, resulting in a yellowish metal and, consequently, a yellowish image.” (British Museum) Keppler also mentions that twice a year they drench the Cloud Gate in 40 gallons of tide and power wash to keep it shiny and