Portrait of Pompey the Great

I chose to write about this piece simply because I am very impressed with the detail the artist was able to carve into the marble. From the individual strands of hair to the warts on his face. It looks very realistic and looks like it could be a soft wax as opposed to hard marble stone. One thing I have noticed, not just with this particular sculpture, but with many others, is that even though they put a great amount of effort into small detail, they are never any pupils in the eyes. I'm not sure why this is. The statue looks so real except for this missing part. It always gives the statues almost a blank dead look, as if it is just a mask as opposed to a statue of a once living person.

The pyramids at Giza

Seeing pictures of the pyramids in Egypt never ceases to amaze me. Whether it's just the shear size of them, or how they were constructed I'm always in awe. I found it interesting when the book talked about how the triangular shape and slanting angles had to do with the worship of the sun. I also find it interesting that most religion has something to do with the sky. I think this is because it is still so unknown and a mystery to us. I thought the way they buried the king inside showed how seriously devoted and what loyal followers they were to authority figures. To protect him and make sure no one could disturb him even though he had passed away shows great devotion. I think the pyramids will survive for a much longer time because they were built with such strength and care.