Week Eight, Baroque Art

     



Michalengos David.



      The story of David and Goliath is a common Biblical story and by the 17th century, several artists had created sculptural interpretations of David. Two artist in particular,  Michelangelo and Bernini were two of the four famous artists who created remarkable representations of David.   Though these two marble master pieces are from different eras and artist, there are several similarities and differences between the two.  First I would like to talk about Michalengos David.  This marble statue is of a nude male who represents the Biblical hero David.  During the early Renaissance, Humanism became apparent when artists first discovered contrapposto and the beauty of ancient Greek and Roman sculpture.  During the Reniassance contrapposto poses were a common, distinctive feature within art.  Michalengos verticle statue shows the majority of Davids weight resting on his back leg.  The contrapposto pose causes the figure’s hips and shoulders to rest at opposite angles, shifting the weight of the subject; thus giving the shape of the torso a slight “s” curve.  Renaissance artists consistently depicted subjects in calm, confidant positions, representing the time right before they took action. The space in which this statue uses is very confined, the verticle lines suggest immobility or stillness. I noticed that Davids head is turned to the left, with sling in hand his left left arm is raised up toward his left shoulder, which may suggest that he has been depicted as though he has already fought Golith. David is fully nude which exposes his uncircumcised penis, this is also consistent with Renaissance art.  This figure has an unusually large hands and head, most likely because it was initally suppose to be placed on the roof of the cathedral. Enlarging certain parts would have been necessary in order to see it better from the ground. Michelangelo’s David is one of the most recognized pieces of Renaissance sculpture, for it is a symbol of natural human beauty and strength. The idea of perfection is shown here as well, for during the Renaissance the idea that man is created in God's image was common.  During the height of Humanism in the High Renaissance, an association of perfection, beauty and harmony in mathematics and God was prevelant within art. Lastly, the statues of the Renaissance had been strictly frontal, dictating the spectator to view it from one side, and one side only.

           



Berninis David



Bernini, a relatively new artist in the 1600s decided to create his own stylistic version of David, which some say rivals and Michelangelo’s depiction. During the Baroque period art was created to intentionally evoke emotion from its viewers. According to the textbook the 17th Century had its own version of Classicism. This style of Classicism was, "a more moving and dramatic variant of Renaissance ideals and principles featuring idealization vased on observation of the material world; balanced (though often asymmetrical) compostitions; diagional movement in space; rich, harmonious color; and inclusion of visual references to ancient Greece and Rome". (p712)  Berninis piece utilized diagnol lines to depict the energy of movement, space and drama to engage viewers.  Unlike Michaleangos David, Berninis David is depicted as a partially nude man who is actively fighting Golith.  This statue is a three-dimensional piece of work that incoorporates the space around it.  Its use of space provokes the viewer to walk around it, encouraging the viewer to see it from all angles.  I feel that Bernini definitely captured a moment in time with his depiction of David.  Bernini’s piece portrays awesome tension and violence captured from a single moment in time. The twisting of David’s torso suggests that he is ready to release his lethal weapon at any moment.  There is so much movement within this piece, the space in which this sculpture consumes not only encourages, it forces the viewer to feel the inflicted energy through implied movement.  The lines on David’s face are soft but tense at the same time which show the mental contemplation, anguish, fight which he must have been feeling. Bernini use of beautiful lines makes the figure more lifelike. I appreciate the fine details such as the sculpted the tendrils of his hair, the tense facial expression which shows David biting his lip.  The relationship to God in the Baroque era is much more direct, more emotional evoked by the use of suggested interaction and movement. There is an amazing amount of rhythmic balance between movement and pose within Berninis piece.

Although these two pieces differ in style and time, the subject himself is depicted with realism as being a strong, fearless hero.

Impact of the Protestant Remformation on the visual arts in Northern Europe

     The Protestant Reformation had a huge impact on the visual arts in Northern European art. One of the major changes was that religious imagery was no longer the major feature in art. Iconoclasm took over as protestant reformers encouraged the removal of religious images. Many churches were no longer commissioning religious art for display because it was believed that religious imagery was distracting and could lead to idolatry.  The patrons of the north became more interested in secular concepts and ideas, and they also wanted their messages about morality to be portrayed in less religious ways.  The Reformation led artists to seek patrons outside of the church.  Several different types of subject matter were sought after during this time.  There became a high demand for small paintings which contained secular subject matter. Landscapes are an example of subject matter which was sought after, this type of artwork was considered appropriate enough to be placed on ones home. 

       Because of the Protestant Reformation many artists became specialized in a particular subject matter as well as with using certain media.  Aside from paintings some of the most sought after artwork included printmaking, wood and metal sculptures, textiles, ceramics and Flemish tapestries.

The Protestant Reformation not only influenced artists, but also influenced many patrons. As I metnioned before, Northern European patrons desired art which contained secular subjects more so than religious subject matter. Paintings that depicted everyday life were now more popular, as were paintings which depicted moral messages to teach/tell a story. An example of a moralizing painting is Hieronymus Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights.

The left panel depicts God presenting Eve to Adam, the central panel is a broad panorama of sexually engaged nude figures, animals, oversized fruit and stone formations. The right panel is a hellscape and portrays the torments of damnation.  This painting is "hands down" one of my favorites, I love the detail within all three panels. 

     Another well-known landscape painter was Peter Bruegel the Elder. His art, such as Return of the Hunters.  This particular painting is one in a series of six works, five of which still survive, that depict different times of the year.  This painting was one of six large paintings, each of them was over five feet wide.

 Printmaking also became very popular in northern Europe during the Protestant Reformation. Because printmaking was quite inexpensive, images were able to be mass produced and made available to the general public. Both the Protestant and Catholic churches were able to utilize the print as a way to spread their message. Not only were the Catholics and Protestants using prints to further their cause but prints became a way of spreading propaganda for both sides. Because there were less religious paintings and even a decline in paintings of mythology, printmaking paved the way for a new trend.

The Madonna with the Long Neck vs. Allegory with Venus and Cupid

Late Renaissance / Mannerism

            Although each individual artist had their own stylistic characteristics and techniques, Mannerism was a specific style which many artists favored and adopted during the 1520’s.  This style of art was developed in Florence and Rome, during the Late Renaissance.  During this time artists gained a lot of technical knowledge such as perspective as well as the use of oil paints. The fundamental basics about archeology were being developed during this time period as well, which allowed artists the use and study actual artifacts.  High Renaissance art was natural, graceful, balanced and harmonious; the art of Mannerism on the other hand was quite different.  Typical mannerist compositions were full of conflicting colors, misconstrued environments, and figures with distorted proportions.   These paintings often had emotionally driven strange and sometimes bizarre themes that combined Classicism, mythology and Christianity.  The evolution of Mannerism is quite interesting; generally speaking, this style of art presents an impression of tension or anxiety that distinguishes it from the serenity of the Renaissance period. As an artist, I personally like to think of it as the time period when the “artist’s license” was initially issued.

            I would like to compare Parmigianino’s Madonna with the Long Neck (p.662) to Bronzino’s  Allegory with Venus and Cupid (p.663).  These two paintings both contain depictions of elongation and disproportion.  Within the Madonna with the Long Neck painting Mannerism is depicted in the highly stylized poses, elongated proportions, and lack of clear perspective. The painting depicts a rather large Mary who is wearing a beautiful layered robe while sitting on a pedestal and holding baby on her lap. Mary is almost twice the size of the angels to her right, and does not have normal human proportions; her head is small in comparison to the rest of her body.  Her neck, shoulders, legs and fingers have all been elongated to make her appear more elegant and graceful. The child which she holds does not have porportions of an infant, but rather that of a toddler.  The length of his body is long, the head and feet seem to be too small for the torso and legs.  There are six angels to the right of Mary, one of which appears to have an elongated right leg and short torso.  Instead of an equal distribution of figures in equal pairs on both sides of the Madonna, there are angels crowded into a narrow corner on the left, behind them the wall is draped with fabric. The other side is a wide open space, which shows the small figure of the prophet and marble columns which are not supporting anything.  

            The main characteristics of mannerism which are presented in The Madonna with the Long Neck are the layering of fabrics, elongated body parts and disproportions.  These style characteristics are also shown in the Allegory with Venus and Cupid.  However, there are also exaggerated poses within this piece.  There is a lot of awkwardness seen in this painting.  Cupid has the body of a young teenage boy, and a head the size of a toddler.  The adolescent facial features of Cupid conflict with his body type.  The way in which he is standing looks very unnatural not to mention uncomfortable. The fact that he is pinching Venus’ nipple is very disturbing to me.  Also the way in which Venus sits looks awkward.  It is hard to tell if she is sitting or is partly raised up on something.  The way in which her legs are bent looks as she is sitting, however her left thigh appears to be elevated off the ground in an unusual way.  Similar to the Madonna with the Long Neck painting there are depictions of fabric within this composition. This painting has several things in it which I find bazaar; the serpent child who has the legs and paws of a lion doesn’t seem to belong within this composition. The man in the shadows to the left is also disturbing. The way he is grabbing his hair with such a look of anguish on his face makes me wonder who he is.  The older man to the right in the background seems to have an elongated, muscular right arm, and he is clenching his fist while pulling back the fabric with anger. There seems to be multiple meanings and/ or interpretations within this piece.  Cupid and Venus are looking at each other in a sensual way; therefore I think it has to do with incest.

            Even though the Mannerist style has different and somewhat unusual characteristics, I still find the quality of the paintings to be elegant.  The highlights and shadows are very nice and create depth within both paintings. Both of these paintings seem to have a sense of calmness and adoration within them. I find it peaceful that the baby is fast asleep in the Madonna with the Long Neck;  As well as the way Venus is delicately holding the arrow in one hand and the golden apple in the other which is resting on her leg.

            Both pieces are interesting and have a lot of details which are big and outright as well as small and almost hidden.

(Week 4 -option 2)

            The Influence and Impact of Humanism on Renaissance Art

The Renaissance marks the victory of individualism and the uncompromising prominence of the individual.  People no longer concentrated all of their thoughts and efforts upon the blessed existence that awaited them in heaven. The style of painting began to change and the standard of beauty was being measured by fundamental and uncompromising representation of individual qualities. 

During the 15^th Century patronage shifted from the church to the merchant class and wealthy patrons of the patrician class.  Humanism was emerging and religious devotion, though still an important part of people’s lives, was being restructured to accommodate the belief that man can be the master to his own fate   Artists were elevated in social standing and their art was looked upon not as simple hobby crafts, but as divinely inspired creations. Classical humanism was a key dynamic of the Italian Renaissance. This philosophical movement was based on the idea that every person’s life had value and dignity. Humanism also stressed man’s position in the natural world.  The Humanists believed modern man should look to the classical writings and art of the ancient Greeks and Romans as a tool or guide for ethical living and scholarship.  New modern innovations and knowledge provoked this particular era into a new way of seeing, doing and living. Paintings of the High Renaissance are extremely radiant and vivid. In contrast to the former preference for beauty of an angelic type, the focus shifted to depicting powerful, energetic, secular beings.  A highly valued synthesis of science, geometry and art, along with the natural world were the core inspirations of this new style of art.  The techniques used by painters of the High Renaissance were quite innovative in themselves. Their use of newly developed oil mediums and incandescent colors created a unique vividness to their paintings.  Italian High Renaissance artists achieved an ideal of harmony and balance comparable with the works of ancient Greece or Rome. Renaissance Classicism was a form of art that showed the world as it was. Forms, colors and proportions, light and shade effects, spatial harmony, composition, perspective, and anatomy were all are handled with total control and a level of accomplishment for which there are no real precedents.

The Mona Lisa was painted between 1503 and 1506 and is Leonardo's most famous piece of work.  It is just as well known for its amazing use of technical innovations as it is for the enigmatic smiling subject.  Da Vinci used a pyramid design by placing the woman in a simple calm space for the painting. Her folded hands form the front corner of the pyramid. Her breast, neck and face and hands all glow in the same light. This light source gives the surfaces an underlying geometry of spheres and circles.   He modified this pyramid formula in order to create the visual impression of distance between the sitter and the observer. The armrest of the chair functions as the element which divides Mona Lisa and the viewer. The woman sits ridigidly upright with her arms folded, which is also a sign of her possible serious and reserved nature.  Her gaze is fixed on the observer which she seems to silently invite to this intimate communication. Due to the brightly lit face being framed with various darker elements (her hair, veil and shadows), the woman appears very alive.  Da Vinci achieved this by using a  new method of not drawing outlines, in the corners of her mouth and eyes for example.  Although I feel that her expression is somewhat androgenous, I can feel her smiling with the gaze of her eyes alone in a flirtatious manner. This style of painting is a perfect example of two techniques, sfumato and chiaroscuro both of which Leonardo became a great master at. The Mona Lisa is simple yet exquisite with details that bring it to life.

           

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Baptism of Christ

Baptism of Christ

(1450)

             I believe that the color(s) within a composition can have a profound affect on a person’s mood.  Due to the cool pastel colors and earth tones I feel that this particular piece is very calming and peaceful.  Balance is also something that I find relaxing, this piece is very well balanced and depicts movement with a sense of being grounded. 

             Piero della Francesca was an Italian artist who was one of the greatest artists of the Early Renaissance period. His paintings are characterized by serene humanism and use of geometric forms, particularly in relation to perspective. Francesca had many things that inspired him however the rounded figures were inspired from Masaccio, and from Domenico he was inspired to use delicate cool colors and scenes drenched in crisp, clear daylight. To these influences he added an innate sense of order and clarity. Within his work there are always large areas light or that of white in his works; the skies are big, light and sunny.

            The Baptism of Christ is an egg tempera painting which was painted upon a piece of poplar wood.  This painting dates to the 1450’s, it was Francesca’s first important commission during this period; originally it was painted for the Chapel of San Giovanni.  Most of Piero's works include altarpieces and church frescoes which were religious in nature.  He always presented scenes of amazing beauty, serene figures fixed in clear, finely detailed space.     

Several things within this particular piece stood out to me; however the most striking is that of the light source.  The light cast from above creates amazing soft colors and shadows, both of which enhance the dimensionality of this piece. Other things that stood out to me were the placement of Christ and the baptism bowl.  They are both placed near center of the painting which suggests their great importance. In the distance, between the tree and Christ, Piero's home town of Sansopolcro can be seen.  Foreshortening is also present within this piece; the dove is a great example of this. I like how the dove is painted to be flying over and looking down at Christ. I also enjoyed how part of the dove is overlapping in front of the foliage on the tree, and then partly in front of the sky.  The overlapping brings the dove up front into the foreground, this gives the illusion that it is hovering over Christ’s head. The horizontal pattern of the clouds integrates the dove nicely into the skyline. The dove is placed within this piece to symbolize the Holy Spirit.  This piece has a sense of great depth, from the rolling hills, to the gradual decrease in size of the trees which fade into the background.   This piece seems to open up as you look at it, from up close and personal to wide open spaces. 

There are several different lines which all point to the center of the piece which is occupied by Christ; for example two of the three angels are looking at Christ. There are several different lines within this piece which depict upright, strong forms. An example of this is Christ’s torso and legs and the tree which he stands next to.  They are the same color and posed in an upright forward position.  Johns left leg is bent toward Christ, and the person standing to the right, just behind John is bent over towards Christ as well.  While standing in a very shallow creek Christ is baptized by John. I really like how the images of the sky and the tree are depicted in the smooth glass like reflection of the creek.

Although this is suppose to be a specific religious event which took place in time, there is something about it that intrigues me in a non religious way. Everything seems to be frozen in time, yet there is movement, because my eye continues to move around the page picking up details it missed from the first glance.  The framing of the painting might have something to do with this; the intentional circular top with the square shaped bottom is quite interesting.  There is so much to take in and look at, yet this piece is very simplistic in the way it presents this historical event.

“Northern Renaissance: The Supreme Art” (week 2)

           

        According to the documentary many ideas were valued in the Northern Renaissance period.  Religious themes were the most prevalent in all Renaissance art, as were the mediums of oil paint and sculpture.   Northern Renaissance seemed to adopt a version of the Roman style verism since they preferred highly realistic, individualistic depictions of human faces and figures. Surface realism was highly remarkable within the textures of human flesh and jewels. The depiction of light, shadow and reflection within an art piece were commonly used during this time period as well. Examples of these wonderful techniques can be seen within the Ghent altarpiece, which was done by the famous Jan Van Eyck. When looking at this piece one might find themselves feeling as though they were gazing through a window into another world, a spiritual world at that. I agree with the documentary narrator that it was within pieces like this that the dead seems to live again.

 

      The portrait of Adam within the alter piece really stood out to me. Being a painter myself I know how hard it is to make a portrait actually look life like.  Jan Van Eyck had an amazing gift; the way he made and used pigments was quite revolutionary.  I found it incredibly interesting how he created and used different glazes to create depth and texture, especially within the jewels. I would consider him to be a genius, not only for the time period which he lived and devised such a unique style of art, but because the way that he was able to transfer his imagination and ideas onto canvas with incredible accuracy.  I found it astonishing how with the use of paint the reflection of light within Adams eyes, and the lack there of within Eves eyes in the Ghent altarpiece is something tedious that helps bring dimension and life to the subjects. Jan Van Eyck must have been a very patient artist.  It takes time to be able to layer oil paint in order to masterfully depict reality within paintings.

 During the Renaissance era paintings were extremely expensive, therefore only the wealthy were able to afford such luxurious pieces of art.  Portraiture and the three-quarter view became popular during this time. Portraits were done not only to remember a person but to honor their legacy. Wealthy people were usually the ones who had their portraits done, however as it became more popular; occasionally the common man was able to afford to have it done, depending on the artist who painted it. 

Another thing I found interesting was that gold and jewels were often painted within pieces to make the owner of the piece feel wealthier. A painting which included such luxurious items was the next best thing to actually owning the real gems.

As the culture changed so did the faces and characteristic style of the depicted subjects.  All in all the exquisite attention to detail within Northern Renaissance art is what made it incredible during this time period. The art which was shown in the documentary was simply amazing and very impressive.

*ART 236* Blog #1

   

      The Renaissance period is held in high regard by our culture because it was a time of advancement and change within Europe.  Exploration, travel and trade became important for it expanded peoples knowledge and wealth. New city states emerged during this time, in turn providing a new middle class which had enough money to spend on extravagant art.  Many great writers and artists lived during this time period; Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci are two artists that come to mind. During this era many artists and architects used mathematics when producing their art, the Golden Mean is an example of this. Realism was used more often by painters during this time as well. Precise attention to detail was more prominent within art and architecture in regards to proportion, symmetry and perspective. Compared to previous eras the Renaissance period produced extremely talented artists who produced well known masterpieces.  Leonardo da Vinci painted the world famous Mona Lisa and Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican both of which are examples of timeless art.