Discuss two items from each museum and respond to the questions Research Paper

Discuss two items from each museum and respond to the questions - Research Paper Example So, it can be seen that this communication is a complex process, through the medium of the art work itself. Earlier, the term art was used to refer any sort of skill or mastery. But the Romantic spirit which transformed the scenario of art helped it to relate itself to any object, concrete or abstract, capable to stimulate thoughts and emotions. The power of Art to attract human minds is irrevocably proven and it is clear that the discussion of art pieces from different museums will shed much light to the foretold subject. The museums selected for the discussion are: National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, and the items selected are: 1. Fine arts- the portrait of Abraham Lincoln namely-‘The Penny Image of Abraham Lincoln’ (see appendix-1) by William Willard. 2. Natural history (Archaeology) – ‘Mummied Ibis’ (see appendix-2) i.e., mummified form of an animal excavated from Egypt. The painting-‘The Penny Image of Abraham Lincoln’, was painted by William Willard in 1864. The medium of the work is oil on canvas and the owner is the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. The object-‘Mummied Ibis’ is an animal mummy excavated from Abydos, an important site of Ancient Egyptian culture. The portrait is based on a photograph of Lincoln, captured by Anthony Berger at a famous studio, namely Mathew Brady’s studio, Washington D.C., in 1864. At the same time, the second object selected for discussion, i.e. ‘Mummied Ibis’ symbolize the cultural aspects of ancient Egypt. The process of mummifying or embalming was a complex process related to the belief of ancient Egyptians in life after death. Barry J. Kemp reflects that: â€Å"The nature of the ancient Egyptian state and its wealth of devices-myth, symbol and institution to manipulate minds and to direct the lives