Greek Mythology and Nicolas Poussin Essay Example for Free

Greek Mythology and Nicolas Poussin Essay On April 26 2013 I visited the Detroit Art Institute. In there I have seen plenty of interesting art sculptures, artifacts, and paintings. The one that really enjoyed the most is â€Å"Selene and Endymion† by Nicolas Poussin, a French artist. He made this painting back in 1630. Currently, the painting is in the European paintings exhibit section in the DIA. The painting itself uses oil on canvas for its medium, and the dimensions are: 48 x 66 1/2 inches. The painting is about Selene and Endymion. Selene is a Greek goddess who happens to fall in love with farmer named Endymion. Selene knows Endymion will age and pass away eventually due to him being a mortal, so she asked Zeus to make him immortal to prevent her lover from aging and dying. Zeus accepted the request on the condition that he is put in eternal sleep instead. Endymion loved Selene so much that he was willing to do it in order to be with her forever. Thus the couples wish was granted and Endymion was with Selene, in a slumber forever. The art shows forms by using contours and dynamic elements. The contour of the characters and the background shows surfaces giving it some mass. The picture also shows Helios and Eos moving towards the left side and Endymion kneeling towards Selene, these dynamics gives the picture mass and dimensions. The painting uses a great deal of values as well. On the right side of the painting, it uses a darker value compared to the left side of the painting. This is to show and represent day, dawn, and night on the art picture. Another use of values is used to show the distances in the background. As we can see the deities Eos and Helios are in a darker shade compared to Endymion and Selene, this is to show the distances between them. Lastly, the painting use values to show shadows and mass, giving the picture forms and dimensions. Time itself is used as another visual element. The art uses time as a way to capture a moment in time. As mentioned before, we see Helios and Eos moving towards the left side of the picture and Endymion kneeling to Selene. These movements show a moment captured, using time as a concept. The artist shows a good symmetrical balance. It has a good distribution of visual weight. The left side of picture, it shows Endymion, Selene, Eos and Eros and on the right side it shows Helios and three unknown characters. The emphasis of the art is on Endymion and Selene as they are the subject of the art. Both of the subjects have a larger size compared to the other characters; they are also heavily colored in value and in texture compared to the others. Nicolas also put in more details on the subject’s faces and body than the rest of the art subjects. The characters all have parts that are pleasing proportions to each other. They have the same proportions as regular real life humans. The heads, the arms, and legs are in all relation to the rest of their bodies. The picture has a lot of content and meaning. Helios, the sun god is painted has a gold like aura, which seems to represents the sun. Selene, the moon goddess is on the left side which represents the night. Eos, the goddess of dawn is right between them. The movement of these deities also represent the day going forward. As Helios is moving forward, a curtain is following him, showing that night is coming forward. Eros, the god of love is hovering around Selene while she is talking to Endymion. This is to show their affection for one another. Lastly, the unknown sleeping people are representation of what is about to come, Endymion is about to have an eternal slumber to be with Selene. I have always liked Greek mythology ever since I was young boy. After learning how to see art and see its visual elements and organizing principles, it made me appreciate â€Å"Selene and Endymion† by Nicolas Poussin even more. My interest in art and in Greek mythology is combined together in this subject. Citation: â€Å"Selene and Endymion† by Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665) Date: c. 1630 Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 48 x 66 1/2 in. (121. 9 x 168. 9 cm) with frame: 59 x 77 1/4 x 3 1/2 in. 149. 9 x 196. 2 x 8. 9 cm Department: European Painting.

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Civil War Essay Before 1861, no one in the USA ever imagined that their country would be torn apart by a savage civil war that would cost over 620,000 lives and shake the foundations of our government to the roots. The American Civil War had many causes, famous battles, influential figures, and outcomes. As of the 1850s the Mason-Dixon Line separated the North from the South, even as Lincoln and the rest of the government tried to keep the country together. Their best efforts failed, and America was thrust into a bloody civil war. The Civil War really began, though, in peoples' minds, as the most important causes all began...with a debate. Slavery was one of the factors that played a key role in the causes of the Civil War. The Missouri Compromise was a debate began as to whether Maine and Missouri would enter the Union as free or slave states. To be fair to the rule of the Mason-Dixon Line, Maine was admitted as a free state, and Missouri, even though it was also in the north, would enter as a slave state. The Compromise of 1850 dealt with whether California, Utah, and New Mexico would be slave or free. California was admitted as a free state, but since it made the ratio of slave to free states unequal, " it also stated that the territories of New Mexico and Utah would determine for themselves whether to become slave or free states."(Wise) The Kansas-Nebraska Act decided that any territory that became a state would have the right to vote on whether it would be slave or free, which made Northerners angry because it changed the terms of the Missouri Compromise. The constant flux of the issue of slavery grew during the years leading up to the war, as the Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1859, and the Kansas-Nebraska act con... ...t a few days after the end of the war, and Lee's surrender marked the end of the Civil War and slavery. Each of these outcomes had a significant effect over the years to come in American history. The American Civil war's causes, influential figures, bloody battles, and outcomes will and have left a mark on history forever. It shaped America's future and redefined the phrase "all men are created equal" as well as being a precursor for the Civil Rights Movement a century later. The Civil War made all people consider their Nation's stability and woke them up to the reality of civil war that would repeat in other countries again and again. America came out of it a battered and bruised yet stronger still country, and to this day it strives to maintain this caliber of honor and strength. It seems the saying,"no pain, no gain," has been made manifest in American history.

The Increasingly Complex World of air Travel

In the increasingly complex world of air travel, the work of the air traffic controller is becoming increasingly vital. It is the task of these professionals to ensure the safety of all air passengers and personnel by coordinating the system of aircraft leaving and arriving at the airport. With increasing amounts of aircraft and narrower margins between arrival and departure times, it is becoming increasingly important to carefully coordinate and control air traffic. Generally, air traffic controllers serve under the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This agency is part of the Federal Government. The nature of the job, as mentioned above, is complex and requires precise cooperation of a team. The radar associate controller for example organizes flight plans to ensure that more than one aircraft does not schedule arrival and/or departure times for the same period. When a particular team's airspace is left, responsibility for its flight path and safe arrival is delegated to the following control team. Other elements that need to be taken into account in terms of continued flight safety include weather conditions and other aircraft in the vicinity. Coordination therefore needs to meticulous not only within each control team, but also between different airport teams and the pilots themselves. Being involved in air traffic control requires a particular set of skills in employees. The ability to make quick decisions needs to be complimented with clear thinking and memory skills. Furthermore, air traffic controllers need to be highly skilled in electronic communications equipment, along with the necessary articulate skills to communicate necessary information quickly and clearly to pilots (U.S. Dept. of Labor, 2006). The entire system is overseen by the Air Traffic Control Systems Command Center, located in Herndon, VA. Several air traffic controllers work here in coordinating the management of the entire air traffic control system. The Center is burdened with the task of identifying any problems such as bottlenecks or time table problems in the system. These problems are then solved with an appropriate management plan. This overall managing body provides the air traffic controllers under them with the necessary management strategies to facilitate their complex task (U.S. Dept. of Labor, 2006). In order to further simplify the complexity of air traffic control by means of management, the National Airspace System (NAS) Architecture is an automated system implemented by the FAA. This long-term strategic plan is aimed at increased efficiency in air traffic control by helping employees in their work with increased air traffic. Through NAS Architecture, the FAA and the aviation community are enabled to continue plans and discussions relating to modernization in the system. It is clear that very complex management systems are needed to create a safe and secure travel experience for all passengers and personnel using air traffic. Managerial accounting is a vitally important part of this process. If adequate accounting systems are not in place, air traffic control cannot possibly function either efficiently or adequately. Efficient accounting systems are therefore a very important part of management in air traffic control systems. Several systems are in place to facilitate cost accounting in the profession. The Cost and Performance Management Charter (C/PM) is one of these systems. Its vision includes strategies to increase the efficiency of operations through measurement and information for easier decision making. On an executive level, accountability for the success of the organization is shared by all leaders within each section of the air traffic control system. In terms of improvement, employees are encouraged to identify possibilities for improvement within the workplace and the system as a whole. Such encouragement occurs through rewards for identifying such improvement opportunities. This includes areas where funds can be more efficiently applied to improve the process of air traffic control. The working conditions of employees are furthermore made as pleasant as possible by informing individuals of their particular contribution to the general goals of the organization within which they function. This ensures that employees provide their workplace with more value through an understanding of how such value occurs through their work. The understanding of value also provides employees with a higher level of satisfaction and pride in their work, and the number of valuable employees leaving their work for reasons other than retirement is reduced. This helps to reduce the cost of hiring new employees and the concomitant training costs. Performance improvements like those mentioned above entail certain costs and resource allocations in order to optimize such improvements. The role of C/PM entails a framework for the integration of goals, planning and budgeting in the initial phases, while outputs, results and activities for achieving the planned outcomes are monitored on a continuous basis. C/PM therefore plays the dual role of planning and implementing strategies while also monitoring the results of the initial planning setups. In short, money is related to the results achieved. Resources are to be used effectively and efficiently in accomplishing the mission of air traffic control. What this means specifically for air traffic controllers, is that each individual is to be made aware of his or her particular role in ensuring the safety of all air traffic users. In terms of cost accounting, the work situation and abilities of each employee should be taken into account when planning resources use issues. Overtime pay incentives and personnel shortages should for example not take precedence over the general health of employees making use of overtime opportunities. The health of air traffic controllers is of vital concern for the mission of air traffic safety. If a personnel member is not healthy, he or she is a safety risk, and no cost-cutting strategy should be used at the risk of safety. Labor is therefore one of the most important aspects of cost accounting for the FAA. Air traffic control is a fairly well-compensated job. Benefits include overtime pay, and the working conditions are pleasant. At approximately 78% of the FAA's operations costs, labor makes up around 45% of the Agency's total costs. It is therefore important to ensure that these funds are applied in an effective and efficient manner that ensures the optimal safety of all air traffic users. In ensuring one of the primary objectives of the FAA, namely air safety, air traffic controllers are the Agency's most important business asset. Nevertheless, it is also true that there has been limited specific visibility regarding key projects within the industry. This means that little monitoring has taken place on the actual time spent on these projects, the labor hours provided, and the quality of the outcomes. If an efficient cost accounting system (CAS) is to be implemented, it is certainly necessary to improve cost and performance management and incentives within the air traffic control industry. A newly implement labor distribution reporting system will improve visibility by obliging all involved, from executives to employees, to report on the actual time spent on projects and tasks. This will give a clearer account of actual costs, performance and outcomes, providing managers with opportunities to make improvements where necessary. In the process however it is also important to keep in mind a non-threatening management system. Employees, as seen above, should be specifically informed of the necessity and benefits of any newly implemented system to facilitate the transition and change necessary. Strengthening the CAS will result in a better understanding and management of overall costs, thus providing better control of cost growth. This is sound business, as cost growth control will also mean price control and an increase in the customer base. Existing customers will also be more likely to return if they experience a continuous effort by management to maintain the lowest possible air travel costs while ensuring optimal safety standards. The ABA is the corporate leader that monitors and reviews the performance of the FAA. Performance information is then used to identify possible areas of improvement. A two-way system of communication is therefore provided from the topmost level of management through to the most basic of employees. The system of reward rather than punishment for identifying areas of possible improvement is also a great incentive for employees to remain open in their communication to management. A non-threatening system of communication regarding labor performance reporting and other such implementations will also help to maintain visibility on the true costs and outcomes of certain projects. While it is important to maintain open communication channels in almost all organizational setups, it is seldom as vitally important as in the air traffic control industry. It should always be at the forefront of attention of all involved that lives are at stake. A single mistake can result in great tragedy. All employers and employees in the industry should therefore constantly be acutely aware of the fact that communication and improvement are continuously required. Communication is the most important key aspect in the air traffic control industry. It is vitally important that employees in this profession use their communication skills efficiently and accurately (U.S. Dept. of Labor, 2006). In terms of cost and management, these skills are valuable assets in optimizing the performance of the industry. When communication is accurately used, costs and outcomes can be managed in such a way as to optimize the experience not only of air traffic users, but also of all employees and managers in the industry.

White Supremacy And The Civil War - 1342 Words

The Dictionary of American History, defines White Supremacy as â€Å"the belief that members of the Caucasian or white race are superior in all ways to other groups or races in the world† The ideology supports the position that, intellectually whites are superior and by virtue of that superiority must form the Government and lead other races, who were thought of as less than humans and existed only to serve the whites. White Supremacy is the foundation upon which the United States was built. It is manifested in all the important areas throughout the country’s history. For instance, â€Å"the United States Government has a total of 55 members; all white and 15 of the 55 are owners of African slaves† . â€Å"No blacks, or other minority races were included in the formation of the Government. Only one person of color has ever been elected to the US Government† . The Civil War acted as the catalyst for change for African Americans. The war was fought between the Northern States (Union) and Southern States (Confederates) of the United States. The war was fought on many fronts, one of which was how to deal with slavery. The North advocated for total eradication and the South wanted to retain their slave ownership. The North prevailed and â€Å"President Abraham Lincoln offered his conciliatory plan for reunification of the United States with his Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction.† This victory held special significance for the African Americans as it signaled the start of a new era.Show MoreRelatedRelationship Between The Cold War And Global White Supremacy853 Words   |  4 PagesThe relationship between the Cold War and global white supremacy is clear from Borstelmann’s writing. He demonstrates how the improvement of race relations both domestic and foreign were a necessity. 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