Both the Arch of Titus and the Vietnam Memorial by Maya Lins serve as public spaces for their respective cultures. Their use of artistic elements such as size, shape and placement serves to identify and promote emotional realities, such as sacrifice, sobriety and pride/accomplishment. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The Vietnam War, like the Jewish-Roman Wars, were wars that put both civilizations to the test. The Arch of Titus and the Vietnam Memorial use their size to represent some of the deep emotions present in both pieces. The Arch of Titus is more than forty feet high while the Memorial, at its deepest point, is more than 30 feet deep. The Arch seems to maintain an aura of pride/success and a desire to remember the deeds of Rome, while the Memorial is more of a cut, represented as something that burned America. The Arch of Titus was also centrally located in the heart of Rome, a testament to its importance, while the Memorial exists in a space that points to the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, seemingly pointing to brighter spots in American history. The materials used in the construction of these pieces also indicate the emotional meanings they are intended to convey. The Arch of Titus is built using a form of white marble called Pentelic marble, in contrast to this, the Vietnam Memorial is made of polished black granite. The text dictates that the polished stone be used to evoke emotional feelings in the viewer, particularly those that identify the audience with the sensation of being there. However, the artistic pieces wish to honor the experience and remember the events. Form and content also play an important role in the emotional feelings these spaces portray. As I stated before, the Arch of Titus extends from the ground and seems to evoke feelings of pride and accomplishment, while the Vietnam Memorial sinks into the ground and leaves the public with darker feelings. The content of these spaces also solidifies these feelings. On the Arch of Titus, Titus is shown victorious in the Jewish-Roman campaign, reaching the climax where Titus is shown sacking the city of Jerusalem. The Arch was built to commemorate the feat of the late (now god) Emperor Titus and maintain Roman pride in the Jewish-Roman wars. The Vietnam Memorial is in direct contrast to this. The Vietnam Memorial contains thousands of names of people who died or were missing during the war. Therefore the work cannot evoke the same sensations evoked by the Arch of Titus due to the context of the Memorial itself. The Memorial was created to somberly reflect on the events and sacrifices that occurred during the Vietnam War and the simplicity of the names/contents found on that wall make the emotional themes of sobriety easy to understand. Although the Vietnam War Memorial shows somber feelings, it also shows feelings of hope through the public. When the audience sees the work of art, they also see themselves reflected in the work. This not only helps the audience associate with the people who sacrificed themselves during the Vietnam War, but also indicates the future and hope represented by the audience. Therefore the Vietnam Memorial also contains uplifting themes and deepens the viewing experience for the public. Overall, both pieces use artistic elements to deepen the viewing experience for their respective audiences. Specifically, they show emotions of pride/accomplishment (Arch of Titus) and emotions of sobriety but hope (Vietnam Memorial). Please note: this is just one.