The Art of Etruscan Civilization Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Art of Etruscan Civilization - Case Study Example It looks like the idea of afterlife is present in the majority of Etruscan art form. From this viewpoint it is clear that the majority of their art form is primarily based upon the art of tombs. It was their belief that a kind of magical survival was needed for the final resting place or in the shadowy world of Hades. This funerary cult was scrutinized with every major and minor detail and it seems as if Etruscan art had nothing else to look forward to or no other world end in view. (Bonfante, 1986) The Etruscan art also relied heavily on portraits. The portraits commemorate a dead man’s facets so as to make him credible enough to fight against the power of darkness. There is a valid reason for this creation and its continuing popularity, especially the Tuscan portrait which in turn inspired the Roman portrait. On a burial pot from Chiusi it is clearly seen that in the earlier period a trustworthy copy of a deceased face, in the form of a mask most likely made from bronze, was affixed to the vessel. Later the head was carved and placed on the pot’s lid. This ultimately led to the creation of the statue. Similarly, the wall paintings, that covered the clammy walls of the Tuscan Hypogea (subterranean burial chambers), were seen as imperative to their religious and cultural symbols. The show funeral feasts also portray the livelihood and contentment of his earthly life, and according to their belief it would shape their life in the afterworld. This repeals the apparent incongruity of sepulchral art infused with a passionate and enthusiastic feeling of life. To the spiritualist soul of Etruria, the life of this world is merely a test and is foreshadowed by the more significant and permanent afterlife that is waiting for them. Their culture was more about decorating tombs rather than towns, which were built using a single type of stone and hollowed out of the same material – places of abode were proposed to revolt against the blitz of time. In t he necropolises at Tarquinia and Cerveteri, virtual cities of the dead were formed and the locale and very rhythm and Etruscan life were clearly exhibited in those virtual cities. For Etruscans money, people and art became a feature of everyday life. Etruscan villa in Murlo, which was reconstructed recently, revealed big, painted terracotta panels decorating the foyer and also included a number of fresco wall-paintings. Etruscan painting and frescos often tried to influence a sense of Joie de vivre in the form of human figures looking strong and hearty and full of life, often in the form of dancing couples. Looking at Etruscan art from this perspective it seems clear that it was much more developed in capturing human emotion than the stylized Greek art. (Bonfante, 1986) During the 7th century BC the Etruscan art gained a new level of prosperity and popularity based upon their export of metal ore. Since Greek art got a great deal of inspiration and influence from the high cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean. Greek goods made its way to Etruria together in Orientalizing style with exotic objects and reached the Phoenician cities, Egypt, Cyprus and Asia Minor. During the entire existence of Etruscan empire, it was largely inspired from Hellenic styles which had profound impact on its independent artistic development.

The effectiveness of the various corporate governance policies and Essay

The effectiveness of the various corporate governance policies and approaches in the USA and United Kingdom - Essay Example The paper tells that during the last two decades, the business world witnessed a number of corporate scandals like the bankruptcy of Allegheny, Enron, Tyco, Global Crossing, WorldCom, and others. The bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers fuelled up the global financial crisis of 2008-09. All these corporate scandals and bankruptcies have raised the importance of corporate governance. The ultimate victim of all these scandals and crisis are the stakeholders who lose a large sum of money invested in the companies involved in these scandals. The investors take their investment decisions based on the information disclosed by the companies. Therefore, any type of wrongdoing or incomplete disclosure can cost a lot to the investors. Thus with every financial crisis and corporate scandals the relevance of corporate has increased largely. Governance refers to governing someone with the help of some specified system, policies and principles. Thus, corporate governance is the principles, specified proc esses, policies, and systems used to govern a company. The principles of corporate governance acts as the guidelines used to control the activities of the company so that it can it can achieve its objectives and at the same time add value to the organisation in such a way so that the stakeholders can be benefited in long run. Thus, corporate governance helps the management to operate in such a way so that not only the shareholders but also the other investors, employees, customer and the society as a whole benefit from the actions of the company. (Centre for International Private Enterprise, 2002, p. 3-4). The basic premise behind the principles of corporate governance is to enable the organisation to conduct its activities with fairness, maintain transparency in its operations and transactions, disclose all the relevant information, comply with all the rules, regulations and laws, be responsible and accountable to all its stakeholders, and maintain the code of ethics while conducti ng its activities. Practice of ethical activities is an important part of the corporate governance. Good corporate governance enables the company to achieve investors’ confidence and achieve goodwill in the industry. Thus, corporate governance is not only important for the stakeholders but also for the company too (Thomson, 2009). The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) describes corporate governance as a system through which companies and other business organisations can be controlled as well as directed. Corporate governance helps to setup a structure through specifying the responsibilities and the rights of the various members of the companies like the board of directors, employees, and shareholders. Corporate governance sets the rules, regulations and the processes of decision making regarding the activities of the company. The corporate governance helps the company in setting up the companies objectives and goals, as well as enabling the company assess its performance and helps in achieving them.