In this picture, I am standing next to a print by Francesco Piranesi of the fireworks over Castel Sant'Angelo. I found the technique of this piece to be striking because the use of dark colors to create the foreground seemed to make the lights over the Castel seem that much brighter. Also the fact that the fireworks take up almost half the piece really contributes to the feeling of awe that most of the on-lookers in this must have felt. The fact that the only source of color in the print is fireworks contributed to the experience by making the lights above the town seem almost divine. I picked this piece because, next to all the other black and white prints in the hall, the vibrant lights coming from the sky of this really helped it to stand out and make an impact.

This photo was taken in the Asian Art Wing, which i enjoyed very much compared to the others. I prefer this wing because, unlike most of the others, the majority of art here was found in alternative forms of art (stonework, landscape) which allowed for the space to be presented in a completely new way. The art here also interested me because mixed between the modern art were ancient pieces that described the importance of these in prior civilizations which made things more interesting.

I picked this untitled piece by Carrie Mae Weems because art frequently acts as a vehicle for activism and this is a prime example. What first comes off as an empty scene is actually the basis of the message, completely diverging from the stereotypical of the girl and make-up set. Here, a mother and daughter share a moment as they both prepare for the day in a bleak room. The darkness looming over them coupled with the lack of material present creates a very powerful setting. In total, this piece was striking because it's presented in a much more subtle way compared to most other works, where the need for activism is up front and in your face.

One of the Good Life themes we have gone over is that of seeking. I believe this was reflected in the cityscape woodcuts by Yvonne Jacquette, which present a black and white take on the city at night. The lack of any real borders on the buildings make it easy to get lost in the grand detail of things. without realizing simple things like the beauty of the lights together or just the span of the scene. This is important to the search for the Good Life because it's always going to be easy to lose sight of the beauty in the presence of so much information , but the key is actually being able to step back once in a while and appreciate things on the grand scale.