This was my first time visiting museum in United States. In my country Iran I’d never liked visiting museum because they are located in a center of the city, Tehran. That place is so crowded and when you go inside the museum you can’t concentrate on anything!!! It is very bad that we have the greatest pieces in the world but we can’t really enjoy visiting the place.
I’ve never thought that I can enjoy visiting museum here. I was shocked how organized the place is. I visited both De Young and Legion of Honor museum, but I liked the Legion of Honor the best. I studied art for 5 years back in my hometown, and saw black and white pictures of great artists like Van Gogh or Picasso in my books. It was an indescribable feeling when I saw those works with my eyes.
I really need to thank Mrs. Reiss to put museum visit as our class homework :)


I put the picture above which shows me and my boyfriend together in front of De Young museum. I also chose the below picture, first, I liked the way the figures look, and also, they look so happy. I think both pictures can reflect happiness and being relaxed. They both seem to be enjoying that moment.


The picture below is my favorite :). I think this picture was one of the best paintings in the museum.

Frederic Edwin Church, artist
American, 1826 - 1900
Rainy Season in the Tropics, 1866
oil on canvas
56 1/4 x 84 1/4 (142.9 x 214 cm)
Mildred Anna Williams Collection 1970.9

Frederic Edwin Church (1826 – 1900) painted magnificently lit, panoramic landscapes expressing nature’s grandeur. An American artist from the Hudson River School, he was the first pupil of the renowned Thomas Cole. Scientifically approaching his art, Church sketched outdoors before painting the final canvas. Principally painting North America’s natural scenery, he also created dramatic images from his travels to South America and Europe. Church’s work emanated clarity and a brilliant rendering of light called Luminism. Olana, his house on the Hudson River, is now a museum. (allposters.com)
This high-quality art print is expertly produced to capture the vivid color and exceptional detail of the original.

Today I’m comparing two emperors, one in Rome and the other in Iran. When I saw Marcus Aurelius statue, I suddenly remembered one of Persian Kings, Nader Shah Afshar. Both of them had very strong kingdom, and were so famous. Nader shah is also called “Napoleon of Persia”. Even though they have some similarities, they have lots of differences. Marcus Aurelius was trying to bring peace to his region, but Nader shah was always trying to add more power to his kingdom by invading to more cities. However, both emperors are famous for their power and intelligence.


The Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius (Page 216, Chap. 6) is made of bronze and stands 11’ 6” tall. In the case Marcus pointing to something probably some people may also signify clemency that a fallen enemy may have been portrayed begging for mercy under the horse's raised hoof. Such an image was meant to portray the Emperor as an always victorious all-conquering lord of the earth. However, shown without weapons or armor, Marcus Aurelius seems to be a bringer of peace rather than a military hero, for this is how he saw himself and his reign.
According to the Greek philosopher Plato, "There will be no end to the troubles of states, or indeed of humanity itself, until philosophers become kings in this world, or until those we now call kings and rulers really and truly become philosophers." While Marcus Aurelius could indeed be considered Rome's first "philosopher King" (ww.unv.com)



Nader Shah the Son of Sword (1688– June 19, 1747) ruled as king of Iran, and was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty. His campaigns created a great Iranian Empire that briefly encompassed what are now Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, parts of the Caucasus region, and parts of Central Asia. However, his military’s spending had a ruinous effect on the Persian economy. Nader Shah has been described as "the last great Asian military conqueror". Nader reunited the Persian realm and removed the invaders. On the other hand, his invade to India & killing thousands of Indian made him infamous & a dark moment in History.

The bronze statue of Nader Shah Afshar and his entourage is located in the heart of the busy city of Mashhad, Khorasan Razavi province, in north east of Iran. The 21’33” tall statue was erected along Nader’s tomb in 1955. The statue is 39’ 37” high, including the axe which Nader has in his hand. Nader was sculpted as a brave warrior riding on a horse, with a bugler, a standard-bearer and nomadic soldiers behind him.
This structure with inspiration from Nader's aggressive manner and his gypsy way of life is constructed from rough and uneven rocks on a platform similar to a gypsy tent.

The statue known as Gudea is an ancient Eastern sculpture from 2090 BCE. The statue represents strong, peaceful, and virtuous leader who brought the manner named” God of Lagash”. He built temples with his statues in them which can be a symbol of an organization. This statue had messages about wisdom, ruler ship and belief. His rules brought peace to Lagash.

The first time I saw this statue I felt serenity and peace. He has a large stature, standing upright with his head looking toward the people and holding a pot. The pot in the Gudea’s hands can be a symbol of earth. The water which is falling from the pot is a symbol of peace. Water is something that can give life and hope to people. There are some fishes on the body of the statue that are moving toward the water. Fishes swimming in the water can be perceived as humans who are moving toward life and purity. Gudea is holding the pot or earth by his hands, protecting it from starvation, war, illness, and any difficulty. He is standing so powerful like a blessed person or a powerful organization. The Gudea’s statue shows the splendid standing of a person or organization which or who can help people.


In my opinion Gudea can be a good example of a modern day organization known as United Nations. The purpose of the United Nations is to bring all nations of the world together to work for peace and development, based on the principles of justice, human dignity and the well-being of all people. United Nations tries to bring peace, life and hope to the people on earth. United Nations organization is a representative of Gudea statue. United Nations was organized to bring peace to the nations and also give stability to the countries in need. I believe there are some similarities between Gudea and United Nations. The purpose of both is to bring peace and unity among all humans in the world.

I came from a land of authority, magnificence, and art, PERSIA. The picture above shows one of the scenes of Persepolis, the famous place in Persia (Iran). Astonishing, fascinating, and inconceivable are just a few words to describe this man made monument.

By growing up in that country with different aspects of art, I decided to put my life to study art. I chose this picture because the stability of the columns and the glory of the art can reflect my strong personality. The guardians in the picture are like a symbol to show that I always protect myself and my life from being controlled by the others. In addition, I want to be as stable as these symbols throughout my life. The orderly lining of the columns is a good example of me being organized. After all, this picture shows my rich culture and uniqueness of Persian art.

The other picture that I chose is a Persian Miniature which painted by the famous Persian artist Farshchian. The reason I liked this picture is that beside the tough personality, I also have a kind and calm side which you can feel in this smooth painting. The picture’s name is Heaven, and I chose it because my life is like a Heaven. I am very happy with my life especially when I want to spend my time to create a new painting or computer based art. I love the color blue since it can make me feel peaceful, so I try to use blue in my personal life. The girl sitting under the tree has a nice smile on her face which gives her more kindness and beauty; it reminds me of the fact that my friends tell me, I have a beautiful smile. The wings on her shoulders can show my dream of flying to see new places and meet different people. The grass around her indicates that she is full of energy and liveliness which can be the other side of my personality.