End of the Quarter

This quarter I was mostly interested in Surrealism and Pop art.  There are many other movements this quarter that are visually striking; these two stand out the most. I think it is interesting how surrealist artists, particularly Dali, move away from order and welcomes images that are irrational and dream like.  I enjoy how pop artists like Warhol use bright colors that draw viewer’s attention. I feel that I am more drawn to visual detail of a piece of art rather than their historical contexts. I say this because art is all around us, and we see it all the time. In some cases the viewer may learn the history surrounding a piece but usually people don't know the history. Though the history can be interesting, and can be a huge part of why an art work is considered avant-garde.

            Surrealism opposes rational thought and takes interest in the subconscious mind. Salvador Dali is a well known surrealist artist; his artwork resembles something one would see in a dream. This kind of art is very striking because one does not usually see items represented in such a naturalistic way doing such odd things, for example the melting clocks in The Persistence of Memory. Dali’s paintings convey an interest in illusionism. The Persistence of Memory depicts a rather normal landscape. In the background there is a beach with a rock formation on the right, there is even a reflection of the sky in the water. Then as the viewer moves forward to the foreground of the painting, there are a few melting clocks. One of the clocks is melting over a branch which is on a wooden block with another melted clock. Also on the wooden block there is the back of a clock depicted with ants crawling all over. Then in the center there is part of a face with another melted clock, which is said to be a self portrait of Dali himself. None of which makes any rational sense, yet make perfect sense in a dream. Salvador Dali’s art is considered avant-garde because his use of radical techniques. Dali’s techniques are seen as radical because he is very representational, meaning his objects are easily recognized, like the clocks. Then he takes the ideas surrounding the subconscious developed by Sigmund Freud, a famous psychologist. Overall, Dali was noticed for his unusual interpretations of every day objects.

            Pop art was a way for artists to comment on popular culture during their time. Andy Warhol is a pop artist who utilized bright colors and commercial advertising to covey personal feelings. Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Diptych depicts the famous film star Marilyn Monroe. The image of Marilyn is repeated many times using silk screens, in a way references film. Warhol uses an image of Marilyn that conveys her film personality which made her famous. Andy Warhol is considered avant-garde because his art is politically radical. His work is political because he is referencing pop culture, how people like Marilyn are immortalized. Warhol references this through the use of a diptych which is used for churches to represent saints, “symbolically treating the famous actress as a saint.” Though his work can be considered radical through his use of techniques, he had a focus on art that could be easily reproduced in order to be a successful artist.

            Surrealism and Pop art are interesting movements. Surrealist artists were able to catch one’s attention through use of subconscious images, while pop arts used bright colors and popular culture. These movements are very visually intriguing, whether they are capturing melting clocks or famous actresses like Marilyn Monroe. 

Lichtenstein's Girl

            Roy Lichtenstein created many striking works of art, one of which was titled Girl created in 1963. This piece was created by using a lithograph on white paper. Lichtenstein used a style that is similar to comic strips and subject matter that reflected pop culture. Lichtenstein was an avant-garde artist who stepped out of the box.

Lichtenstein’s use of comic book style helps express his feelings toward early 20^th century culture. The Girl utilizes bright primary colors; shades of blue, red and yellow. Then he uses dark bold lines and Benday dots that together form rich tones, and an interesting texture. Even though Lichtenstein takes his inspiration from advertisements and comics created near the same time, he changes the image to focus on his message about pop culture, though his messages are not always obvious. The lithograph Girl seems to be emphasizing something that is not captured in the artwork itself. I say this because; she is pushed to the right of the piece creating an asymmetrical balance with the bright blue on the left. Her face is tilted to the side, with her bight blue eyes focused on something in the same direction. The girl’s hands even appear to be pointing off the page. The way that the girl’s mouth was depicted seems that maybe she was in the middle of a conversation, the piece almost seems to be lacking a speak bubble. Lichtenstein was said to have used a rotating easel in order to create art that was enthralling from all angles.

Roy Lichtenstein’s collection of art work is very different from abstract expressionism which was popular during the same time he was creating his art. Instead his work captures a different essence, Lichtenstein said his work is ''anti-contemplative, anti-nuance, anti-getting-away-from-the-tyranny-of-the-rectangle, anti-movement and anti-light, anti-mystery, anti-paint-quality, anti-Zen, and anti- all of those brilliant ideas of preceding movements which everyone understands so thoroughly.” In a way Lichtenstein is forcing viewers to stare in the eye of their pop culture, in the process of doing so his work could be considered avant-garde.

For an artist to be considered avant-garde they must be politically radical and/or technically radical. To be politically radical one must reference the current world and try to help move forward. I would say that Lichtenstein is politically radical because he used commercial advertisement in a way that showcases his thoughts and feelings about popular culture. He is even more political when he uses war imagery like his painting Torpedo…LOS!, which could be referencing use of nuclear weapons in warfare. Though his art does not suggest a particular way to fix or move forward with the current issues, it should still be considered politically radical and avant-garde. To be considered technically radical an artist must be able to create art that is different from work that is being made at the same time. I think that his work is extremely technically radical. He utilizes Benday dots that were at the time reserved for art in comics and in art created mechanically. Lichtenstein’s art mainly uses primary colors that create an overall artificial look which is very different from most work produce before his time. Lichtenstein was an avant-garde artist who was noticed for his bright interesting art that was focused on popular culture.

Resources:

http://www.lichtensteinfoundation.org/

http://www.theartstory.org/artist-lichtenstein-roy.htm

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/30/arts/roy-lichtenstein-pop-master-dies-at-73.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/arts/design/11roy.html?_r=1

Dada, Surrealism and Dali

During the 20^th century new art styles began emerging, Dada and Surrealism. Dada begins around the time of World War I, later Surrealism develops after the war. These new art styles challenge the definition of art and artist. Dada and Surrealism differ in form, content and the concept of art.

            Dada was a way for artists to respond to the fall of Bourgeois culture.

Artists were responding to ignorance and the destruction caused by WWI. This was the first time people were exposed to this extent of destruction, during WWI new weapons of mass destruction are introduced; machine guns, fighter planes, tanks and worse. Dada’s form was much different than any art that had ever been created thus far in history. Art was being created from “readymades,” massed produced objects that were either found or bought from a store. The content of Dada art is humorous, meaningless, and useless much like the name Dada, which was said to have been picked out randomly from a dictionary. Dada has a wide range of definitions, in a sense Dada means everything and nothing at all. Dada embraced the concept of art being nonsense; it was more about the thought behind the artwork. Artists were pushing the boundaries on what could be considered art. The art work embraced irrationality to be critical of Europe and rational thought.  Art is even left to chance. In some cases people question the artist-genius in relation with Dada, asking does it really take an art to create art from chance, and random found objects. I would argue yes, because there is still an interest in the thought behind the work.

            Soon after Dada was establish as an art style, surrealism developed. Surrealism was a way to move forward from bourgeois values and order. Artists used forms that were biomorphic, organic and sometimes even disturbing. Surrealism art also consist of real life objects in unreal situations. The content of this work has influences from Marxism, creating a social revolution. Surrealism is also influenced by Sigmund Freud, a physiologist, who was interested in society, sexuality, cultural values and the subconscious. The main concept for surrealism was the subconscious, artists were very interested in the dream like state; they would use automatism which was a way to release subconscious images. Artists were so focused on creating dream like images that some would use drugs to access their subconscious.

            Salvador Dali was a Surrealist artist; in 1934 he painted Metamorphosis of Narcissus. At first glance, this painting appears very dream like and it does not seem to make any coherent sense. In the foreground there is a rock sculpture that appears to a hand holding an egg that is hatching a flower. Then the left there is another sculpture that resembles the other rock sculpture, nearly a mirror image. It is coming out the water, the egg seems more seed like, and there is hair flowing from the crack. Between the sculptures in the background there is a group of nude women posing, this could be a reference to Sigmund Freud’s study of sexuality.  On the right side of the painting there is what could be a dog eating something. Above the dog, there is a figure standing on a pedestal. Even though the painting is confusing, nothing appears to go together in any way, there is still a lot of talent behind this piece. Without all of the strange imagery, the painting could be a landscape. Just the landscape of this painting is done very well; there is atmospheric perspective to help describe depth. Overall, Surrealist art is very interesting to look at, or even to think about because of all the possibilities of one’s subconscious.

            Dada and Surrealism are very interesting art styles from the 20th century. The art produced makes the viewer think a lot more about the art itself. These styles were a way to push through the past, to seek irrationality, humor and nonsense. 

Paul Gauguin Avant-garde?

            Since the beginning of avant-gardism, there have been many different definitions to qualify a work of art as being avant-garde. Saint-Simon thought that if the piece helps move society forward by capturing current issues it should be classified as Avant-garde. This new style encouraged artists to be radical with their techniques. While others like Greenburg thought that avant-garde art should just be aesthetic, through the use of new radical techniques. While others considered artists avant-garde if they challenged the ideals of the Academy; which was smooth brushstrokes, historical or mythological subject matter with an interest in perspective and illusionism.  Griselda Pollock, a feminist art historian, thought that a work of art must reference, deference and difference to be regarded as avant-garde. In 1889, Gauguin painted The Yellow Christ which may comply with Pollock’s idea of avant-gardism.

The first part of Pollock’s requirement for avant-garde art is reference. To reference an artist needs to show an awareness of current happenings in the art world. At the time of Gauguin’s painting male artists were far more revered, than female artists, and deemed superior. If one compares Gauguin’s Self-Portrait of 1889 to The Yellow Christ, one could make the connection that Gauguin incorporated his self-portrait in Christ. He is able to reference male superiority in connection with Christ’s religious authority. Gauguin further references the idea by emphasizing Christ who is nearly in the center of the piece, and takes up more of the canvas than the other figures. In my option, when I look at the painting I feel as though my eyes are almost trapped looking at Christ, because of the way that Gauguin cropped the cross at the top, and covered a section of the bottom with a figure. Even though the background landscape has the same yellow color as Christ, the juxtaposition of the cross also helps make him more prominent.

            The second part of Pollock’s ideal Avant-garde painting would utilize deference. To defer, an artist would need to give reverence to the latest radical developments which may refer to radical techniques. Gauguin’s painting of The Yellow Christ defers some Impressionistic styles. The painting is of an outdoor scene, this shows an interest in light and color which is typical of Impressionistic art. Gauguin also uses loose painterly brushstrokes and bright colors.

            The last and most important part to Pollock’s ideal to become truly Avant-garde is difference. An artist can establish difference by showing that they are moving forward on current issues. Gauguin’s painting of The Yellow Christ differentiates itself well from the aesthetics of Impressionistic art. Though he painting does defer some styles, he rejects most Impressionistic characteristics. His painting is of the outdoors yet does not show the urbanization of Paris. Impressionism utilizes extreme realism while Gauguin does not, he has dark outlines. Gauguin moves away from naturalism and realism to abstracted forms. There is evidence of primitivism through the use of nature without industrialization. The Yellow Christ depicts a simple way of living with women figures to represent fertility and life. Gauguin is able to move forward with aesthetics. I do not think that he moves forward on issue of male superiority. I feel as though he only refers to it and maybe even solidifies male superiority through the use of Christ, it could be that Gauguin does not want to change his superiority in the art world.

Griselda Pollock finds that if a work of art is able to reference, deference and difference it should be deemed Avant-garde. After analyzing whether or not Paul Gauguin’s painting The Yellow Christ should be considered Avant-garde, I find that Pollock would be satisfied by Gauguin painting because he was able to refer to an art world issue, defer Impressionistic styles, and then he differentiates himself with his own style.

Caillebotte and Impressionism

            During the 19^th century Impressionism developed in art, this kind of art was very different than the standard set by the Academics. Claude Monet was an Impressionist artist, he found interest in the observation of light and color which was reflected in his art. Gustave Caillbotte was an artist that some would argue fits into the Impressionistic style. When one compares Monet’s Rowen Cathedral: The Portal (in sun) to Caillbotte’s Pont de I’Europe, it will become obvious whether or not Callibotte work fits into Impressionism.

            Before Impressionism began, artists were painting for the Academy. The Academy only accepted works that had a smooth finish and interest in perspective. They also required that the painting’s subject matter should be historical, mythological or biblical. Impressionism was a way for artists to revolt against the Academy. Artists started painting plein air, outdoors, which was made possible with the invention of oil paints in metal collapsible tubes. Monet’s painting of the Rowen Cathedral is a perfect example of Impressionism. His painting incorporates the idea of impasto which is a very thick application of paint which leaves the surface rough when finished. Monet utilizes impasto in a way that helps depict the architectural elements of the Cathedral. The painting is done plein air, and shows the urbanization of Paris. Impressionist artist were interested in conveying realism through observation of time of day at different locations in Paris. Monet was known for painting the same location many times to truly capture how sunlight or the lack of sun affects color. His painting depicts the Cathedral in sunlight, his colors are pale as they would be if the sun was shining on the building, and the shadows help convey this too. Monet’s piece appears sketch like, spontaneous and alla prima, meaning he was painting all at once from the beginning. One can see Monet’s loose brush strokes, which is an impressionistic style. Impressionist art usually does not have a narrative behind the subject matter, which is true in Monet’s painting. His subject matter is a moment in time of the Rowen Cathedral. Impressionist artist treat their canvas as a flat object, they do not use perspective to create a sense of depth. In Monet’s painting there is some atmospheric perspective in the depiction of the sky, besides that the canvas is relatively flat.

            Caillebotte’s painting Pont de I’Europe, represent some Impressionistic styles. Pont de I’Europe was painted plein air and depicts the urbanization of Paris. Caillebotte does not utilize impasto; instead he has a smooth finish which the Academy would favor, though there are some loose strokes evident. Caillebotte is also interested in realism and observing the effects of light and color. In his painting there are signs of sunlight coming through the structural wall. The color in his painting helps convey a nice day in Paris. Similar to Monet’s painting, Pont de I’Europe depicts a moment in time. Different from Monet’s piece there is more to the subject matter. The dog in the foreground is, in a way Caillebotte’s commentary on Modern life. At the time, the bourgeois was very fearful of rabies because many poor were dying from owning pets with rabies. There seems to be even more subject matter in the case of the woman and the man that seems to be listening or looking at the woman. Caillebotte creates a sense of depth in his painting. The way the structural wall is depicted at an angle increases the visual depth.

            After comparing Rowen Cathedral: The Portal (in sun) and Pont de I’Europe, I came to the conclusion that Impressionism is evident in Caillebotte’s painting yet there is almost an equal amount of Academic style seen as well. Gustave Caillebotte’s style is between the two different styles, utilizing the elements he likes from both styles. I think that Caillebotte took the truly aesthetic beauty of the Academic while using plein air and realism of Impressionism.

Monet vs Manet

Manet, The Rue Mosnier with Flags

              During the 19^th century France went through trails and tribulations. The French Empire collapses in 1870; Napoleon III is defeated by Otto von Bismarck, Prussian leader. Then as a reaction to a new government the people of France start the largest urban uprising of the 19^th century, this is called the Paris Commune of 1871. The uprising lasts 72 days, from March to May. Many lost their lives during the Franco-Prussian war and the Commune as well as destruction of Haussmannized, remodeled, Paris that began in 1851. After the devastation of war, France begins to rebuild and is mostly recuperated by 1878.  Later as a way to remember and celebrate France creates a national festival on June 30^th, 1878. Claude Monet and Edouard Manet capture their own plein air interpretations of the festival. During the festival Monet creates The Rue Monotorguil, and Manet creates The Rue Mosnier with Flags, when compared the paintings share many similarities and differences.
             Both paintings convey very different moods. Monet’s painting expresses the joy and happiness the French may have been feeling during the festival in 1878. The brushstrokes utilized for the tricolor flags emphasize a joyous feeling. The people are mostly abstracted lines but the way they fill the street brings out liveliness in Monet’s painting. Manet’s painting on the other hand appears less energetic, and there is far less people on this street. Manet is known for painting white and black juxtapositions. In this particular painting the dark carriage and the Veteran’s blue jacket are juxtaposed 

Monet, The Rue Monotorguil

to the stark white sunny street. The starkness of the street lacks happiness and conveys loneliness.  Both paintings have similar but generally different compositions. Monet’s composition depicts the festival from a high window looking down, where as Manet’s appears to be raised and slightly angled down. The paintings share technical radicalism; the brushstrokes are loose and spontaneous, with overlapping applications and paint appears thick in areas. The festival paintings were painted outdoors, and appear to be a short moment of time. In both paintings subject matter is mainly influenced by what the artist is witnessing, which is the Festival of June 30^th, 1878. At this time many artist stopped producing works that had political reference, and started painting French utopia.  Monet’s subject matter reflects a utopia of happy celebration yet still being haunted by past misery. Manet’s subject matter with an emphasis on the Veteran could be influenced by his first hand experience of the Prussian war. Perhaps there is an emphasis on the amputated Veteran to remind society of the sacrifices that were made for their revolution and the reason for celebration.

     The definition of “avant-garde” during this time has been affected by war. Artists shifted away from Saint-Simon ideals of “avant-garde.” Saint-Simon believed that art should motivate society to move forward and change for the better.  This also means that art should reference political issues. Monet’s painting of the festival does not incorporate political radicalism yet it does involve artistic radicalism. In Monet’s painting there are loose brushstrokes, thick paint application, and his painting is spontaneous plein air. Artistic radicalism is when an artist chooses to use techniques that would not necessarily be accepted by Academic standards. The canvas would appear flattened, and usually would have thick application of rough paint. Manet’s painting is artistically radical and politically radical.  The subject matter in Manet’s painting incorporates the ideal of bettering society, reminding viewers of the country’s past tribulations by emphasizing the disabled Veteran.

      The festival on June 30^th, 1878 was captured by 19^th century artists Claude Monet and Edouard Manet. Each painting has its own vibe, style and message. Overall both paintings remember yet hide the tribulations of war.

Monet, The Gare Saint-Lazare Train Station

           During the 19^th century Impressionism began. Many artists are no longer interested in mythological subject matter. Artists are painting the things they see around them. Impressionist artists have a focus on the effects of light and color. At this time artists were spending lots of time outside painting, which they were finally able to do since the invention of collapsible metal paint tubes in 1841.  Another reason impressionists artist were painting outdoor is that they were inspired by the urbanization of Paris starting in 1852. Claude Monet is an impressionist artist. He painted The Gare Saint-Lazare Train Station, Arrival of a Train in 1877.  My overall reaction of this painting is that it effectively expresses the aims of Impressionism.

            The Arrival of a Train was painted plein air, meaning it was painted outdoors. The painting conveys extreme realism being that it is a split second of time when the train arrives and the puff of smoke is let out from the stack. The composition is visually interesting; there seem to be many lines that cause the viewer’s eyes to move throughout the piece.  For example the railroad tracks in the foreground that goes off the bottom of the canvas and then lead into the background of the painting. The painting is asymmetrically balanced with one train leaving and another entering the scene.  One can see that the arriving train is more emphasized because of the smoke cloud around it. Cropping is utilized in the piece as well, which help convey realism. In the foreground there appears to be a train attendant awaiting the train’s arrival who has his legs cropped.

            Another key part of Impressionism is the scientific observation of light and color. Many Impressionist artists would spend time outside observing how sunlight affects the landscape depending on the time of day. Monet would return to locations over and over to observing the light. This is seen in many of his works especially Haystack, Sun in the Mist and in Haystack, Snow Effect. The Arrival of a Train utilizes interesting color combinations; Monet mixes colors one would not usually see next to each other to create colors that the eye blends together. This idea can be seen throughout the painting, especially in the ground and the ceiling of the station. If one looks at the ceiling it appears to be a mossy green color but with a closer look on can see that there are reds, browns and blues to create the overall color. One other way the viewer can tell the train on the right is emphasized is through color, there are hints of red which the viewer would be attracted to. Since this painting was done outside at the station you can see the effect of sunlight, or lack of sunlight. Monet uses many blues and grays in this piece that suggests it might have been a cloudy overcast day.

Impressionists are not concerned in having a smooth surface when finished painting like the Academy painters. In the painting the Arrival of a train, Monet utilizes an impasto technique that is a thick application of paint which leaves the surface very rough. Since the painting is plein air and alla prima, painted “at once” or “from the first” there is a sketch like quality to the painting. It is not as visible in Arrival of a Train as Monet’s Impression: Sunrise, which appears to be an unfinished sketch of a painting. The Arrival of a Train could appear sketch like because there is not a lot of detail in the background of the painting, and some of the figures appear unfinished. There is a level spontaneity in of the Arrival of a Train because Monet is a realist meaning he is painting exactly what appears around him at that time.

Overall I find The Gare Saint-Lazare Train Station to be an interesting Impressionist painting. I enjoy the ways it incorporates impressionist characteristics of light and color observation. I thing it is fun that Monet was outside paintings this piece in the middle of a train station is inspiring. The use of unusual colors keeps viewers enthralled. I think the true reason I enjoy this piece is that many years later we are able to see exactly what the artist was seeing without photographs.

Gustave Courbet

            During the 19^th century it was difficult for artist not to be affected by the revolution taking place in 1848. Gustave Courbet was affected by the revolution and it is seen in his realist paintings. To certain viewers, mostly the bourgeoisie, his paintings, The Stonebreakers and A Burial at Ornans, were offensive.

            Courbet painted The Stonebreakers in 1849 and it offended many bourgeoisies when the painting was shown at the salon. The painting would have been offensive to the bourgeoisie because this large scale painting is of two working class men. The painting was fairly large and typically large scale paintings were of historical or biblical events. Instead, Courbet filled the space with lower class.  Seeing the lower class at such a large scale was offensive to the bourgeoisie because their lifestyles caused the lower class to be extremely poor and oppressed.  The Stonebreakers is a good example of Saint-Simonian avant-gardism. Saint-Simon believed that art should encourage society to push forward and to better them. This painting is an example of this because Courbet glorifies the working class and in a way is forcing the higher classes to look at these poor men to perhaps cause empathy. The painting is artistically radical too. The paint appears rough, almost unfinished, which is very different from the traditionally perfect smooth Academy paintings. The figures fill most of the foreground yet their faces are turned away from the viewer. Even though most elements of the painting are not traditional, Courbet utilizes perspective and illusionism.

            Another Courbet painting is A Burial at Ornans which was painted the same year as The Stonebreakers. The painting A Burial at Ornans is even bigger than stonebreakers. The Ornans painting has slightly higher class depicted yet untraditionally shows a funeral which would not be considered a historical or biblical event. Even though there are many figures depicted, the subject matter is unclear, there are not any single person more emphasized more than another. The only thing that appears to be emphasized is the dog in the foreground that is white juxtaposed to the figure’s dark clothing. During the 19^th century it would have been offensive to have a dog emphasized. Others would have been opposed to the painting because there is a very large hole in the foreground which makes no sense to include. Courbet may have been inspired to paint this sense because his father had recently passed. It is also said that Courbet possibly created a link between the revolution presently taking place and a revolution during his father’s lifetime. This is said because there are figures in the foreground that are wearing clothing that was popular during his father’s lifetime. Many men and women at the salon found the painting to be very offensive and were even more offended that people from the lower class were going to the salon to see the painting.

            Even though Courbet’s paintings were not liked by very many people, he was still able to send radical messages through his art that were affected by the on going revolution in France. 

"Avant-garde"

            In the early 1800’s Modern art began to develop. Artists like Manet helped produce Modernist traditions which utilize a canvas as a flat surface rather than creating an illusion of depth within the canvas. In some cases “avant-gardism” is seen in Manet’s paintings, one of which was Luncheon on the Grass. This is interesting because there have been many different positive and negative connotations for the term “avant-garde” over the years.

Originally the term “avant-garde” meant to move society forward, Saint-Simon thought that art should help change the world. In early “avant-garde” paintings there are characteristics of referencing the art world to express awareness, and was distinctly different than anyone had ever seen at that time. To some, “avant-garde” means challenging conventions striving forward, and creating something different than traditions of the Academy. Sometimes “avant-garde” was used to describe art in a negative way because these paintings could not be read, lacked a story and in many ways appeared odd. Modernist artists began to apply thick layers of paint with many visible brushstrokes in areas of emphasis, traditionally artist at that time were applying little paint with nearly invisible brushstrokes for a smooth finish. Gautier felt that art should be useless, in other words “art for art’s sake.” Later in the 1960’s Greenberg agrees with Gautier in a way that Modern art should be aesthetically pleasing to the viewer and that art should not have any references to the world.

            If someone asked me to define “avant-garde,” I might have defined it as art that takes it to the next level and challenges the norm. I think I would have connected “avant-garde” to artwork produced during the Modern art of the 1960’s. Personally, I feel that “avant-garde” or Modern art can move society forward, express awareness, be useful or art can be nothing and something at the same time. Art should flow from the artist as they see fit.

Perhaps Manet created Luncheon on the Grass in 1863 to present change in art, to move forward in the art world and a reaction to the Academy. Manet submitted the painting to the Academy in 1863 and was rejected. The Academy probably rejected this painting because the surface is not smooth and appears unfinished. The background is splotchy, flat and stage like with very visible brushstrokes. The painting lacks illusion of depth. The woman in the background is too large for how far away she appears. There is no story that explains way the painting is the way it is. Objects in the painting do not make sense together; some fruit are in season while others are not. Later the painting was included in a salon for the rejected paintings. The rejection salon was one of the largest events. Most people likely went to laugh at the art, maybe they laughed because they did not know what else to do, and it was a surprise to see something so different.

            Manet’s painting Luncheon on the Grass could be considered “avant-garde.” This painting was very different than art the Academy was accepting at the time, which consisted of flawless idealized nude women. The Luncheon provides a nude woman, yet she is not provocative, staring at the viewer in a way bringing awareness to how art had gotten increasingly provocative. The painting is “avant-garde” in a sense that the thick layers of paint Manet created are a beginning of creating “art for art’s sake.” Manet creates his painting to be flat like the canvas he began with, rather than a window into a virtual world. One characteristic of “avant-garde” art is it at times makes no sense, as does Monet’s where the subject matter is unclear.

            The term “avant-garde” can mean many different things, positive and negative, it can be a reference to Modern art. “Avant-garde” can be applied to art from the 1800’s to art that is being produced today. Manet’s Painting of Luncheon on the Grass can be considered the beginning of Modern art.

End of the Quarter

During this quarter I enjoyed studying Early Northern Renaissance art and High Italian Renaissance art. When viewing art I am naturally first intrigued by visual details of a piece, and the harmony within. In the 15^th century, artistes were rendering extremely detailed paintings that focus on naturalism and humanism which appear picturesque. High Italian Renaissance art incorporates classical ideals, such as idealism, perfection and anatomy. Overall my two favorite artists from this quarter are Jan Van Eyck from Early Northern European Renaissance art and Michelangelo from the High Renaissance art.

I really enjoyed learning about Jan Van Eyck, his paintings are very harmonious. Eyck’s paintings seem well thought out, he considers every element, and each color complements the others. He painted a self portrait in 1433, Man in a Red Turban; this shows his rich color choice. The painting also conveys that Eyck could capture a presence when painting portraits. In 1434 he painted The Arnolfini Portrait that suggests a presence of a woman whom Eyck never encountered. The Arnolfini Painting expresses every tiny detail, from the fur of their dog to the miniature details on the frame of the mirror. Again Eyck surprises views, the Ghent Altarpiece show how the artist was able to turn wood panels into a portal to another world. Religious characters like Adam seem to be coming out of the painting with naturalism, truly utilizing lighting effects. As the centuries go on Early Renaissance art develops into High Renaissance art.

As time went on, Renaissance ideals of naturalism, idealism, illusionism and anatomy are refined in High Renaissance art. Michelangelo is not only an amazing painter he also created many beautiful sculptures. One of which was Pietà, this sculpture captures a youthful, idealized Christ. Naturalism is still a key element in High Italian Renaissance art. One of Michelangelo’s life achievements was painting Sistine Chapel ceiling, 1508-1512. The ceiling portrayed hundreds of figures that have near perfect anatomy. Each scene has a religious message, with natural scenery. He utilizes illusionism with foreshorten limbs, especially seen in the Creation of Adam. I thought it was extremely interesting that in a May 2010 article said Michelangelo depicts a section of the brain in the Separation of light and darkness; it could be a way to advertise and prove his education. I think it is visually appealing that Renaissance artists incorporated Classical ideals of perfection and idealism. Renaissance figures are modeled naturally, utilizing contrapposto in some cases. Figures are idealized with perfect anatomy. Michelangelo’s David sculpture has the anatomy of a young god, with lots of attention in musculature. Renaissance art uses Classical elements to enhance visual appeal.

Throughout the quarter I found it interesting to see the transition of art from the Early Renaissance period to19th century art. It is also intriguing how art has been affected by patronages, the Catholic Counter reform, and change in ideals like the Enlightenment.  Jan Van Eyck’s paintings stood out to me because visually they are balanced, and he uses complimenting colors. Michelangelo’s work was so interesting to me because he starts from such a young age and over to years he becomes an extremely talented artist. 

Cythera

Pilgrimage to Cythera

           In the 18^th century Jean-Antonie Watteau was unappreciated for his talent, painting fete galante scenes. This kind of painting was different from the average mythological or history painting that many artists were creating at this time.  Fete galante paintings were of scenes that depict aristocrats enjoying the great outdoors. One of his paintings that caught my eye was the Pilgrimage to Cythera.

Embarkation for Cythera

            The painting of the Pilgrimage to Cythera captures the essence of fete galante. Though usually this kind of painting has ambiguous subject matter since facial expression are hard to interpret. The painting of the Pilgrimage to Cythera is a romantic and idealized scene of men and women in fancy costumes; Watteau was inspired by theatre which showed in his art. The Pilgrimage to Cythera caught my attention because it is very similar to the Embarkation to Cythera, the painting Watteau submitted to Academy which resulted in the creation of fete galante category of painting.

            Cythera is an island off the coast of Greece, and is said to be the birthplace of Venus, the goddess of love. Pilgrims would travel to the island to seek love. Due to ambiguous subject matter it is uncertain whether the pilgrimages in either paintings have just arrived to Cythera or if they are leaving. After viewing each of the paintings, I realized that many of the couples in the Pilgrimage are the same couples in the Embarkation, there are only slight differences. Most of the differences are within the landscape. In the first painting, the landscape appears very close; there is not a lot of atmospheric perspective giving illusion to depth within the painting that is seen in the Embarkation painting. In the Pilgrimage painting there is part of a ship visible, which is not present in the other version. Also there are many more putti, cupid, flying around in the painting of the Pilgrimage to Cythera. In each painting there is a statue of Venus on the right, each of them are very different. The first painting shows the entire statue of Venus with cupid holding onto her leg. In the painting that Watteau submitted to the Academy has a much smaller statue which only depicts Venus’ bust; the rest of the statue is covered with flowers. The colors used in each painting are very different, in the first painting the colors are vibrant, and cheerful which gives the painting a completely different feeling from the other painting. In the second painting the colors are more subdued, and dark. Though there are about the same number of people in each painting there seems to be more going on in the painting of the Pilgrimage.

            It is unclear who the patron was for the Pilgrimage to Cythera. I did read that Watteau recreated the painting to produce the Embarkation to Cythera which he submitted to the Academy. Unfortunately, Jean-Antonie Watteau suffered from tuberculosis which leads to his death on July 18^th, 1721; he was only 37 when he died.

            The Pilgrimage to Cythera is an interesting painting of elegantly dressed men and women searching for love on the island of Cythera. These paintings could be viewed as a rejection of Enlightenment ideals. The Cythera paintings are of “impossible dreams, the revenge of madness on reason and of freedom on moral rules.”

My resources were:

WebMuseum

Silver and Exact Blog

MetMuseum

David

            Naturalism is a key part of Renaissance art during the 15^th century.  Naturalism is capturing objects as it appears in nature. Artists would strive for extreme detail and idealized perfection while attaining balance and harmony. Renaissance artists were influenced by humanism, the appreciation of human achievement. Baroque art of the 17^th century integrates some ideals from the Renaissance while moving forward with change. Michelangelo created David in 1501-1504 this sculpture embodies Renaissance ideals. Bernini created a David sculpture in 1623, comparing the two David sculptures shows how Baroque art has evolved from Renaissance art.

Michelangelo’s David conveys Renaissance styles; naturalism, idealism, humanism and harmony. This David sculpture is naturalistic yet idealized because he has anatomy, and very perfect musculature. David appears to be perfectly proportionate except his hands that are huge. It is said that his hands are large because David was going to be placed very high. From far away David’s hands would have appeared proportionate. His hair is idealized with flawless curls. Harmony is captured by creating him to be the perfect height, and by utilizing contrapposto pose. The contrapposto pose is when the figure has one weight bearing leg and one bent leg, which causes a shift in the hips. There is added balance in the arms, one arm is bent and the other is straight, similar to his legs. Humanism is achieved in this sculpture through appreciation of the nude human body.

Bernini’s David shows how Baroque art has developed from Renaissance art. This sculpture of David is more naturalistic than Michelanglo’s, the anatomy seems very natural. Bernini’s David is not as idealized as Michelanglo’s perfectly muscular David. Baroque art moves away from idealism, instead artists show the dirt of life. Bernini captured David as an average man with messy hair, who does not have perfect curls. Bernini’s David suggests emotion, it seems that he is biting his lip and scrunching his brow. Michelangelo’s David appears emotion less. This shows how Baroque art blurs the boundaries of reality and art. Michelangelo’s David looks like stone, where Bernini’s David looks like a real man doing real things. I think that Bernini’s sculpture shows humanism because this David is mostly nude, and only has a small section of cloth covering him. During the 17^th century the Catholic Counter-Reform caused censorship in art, through specifically placed fabric. Baroque art also moves away from visual harmony, instead of using contrapposto pose, David is twisted and utilizes visual diagonals which is more visually interesting. Art during the Baroque period portrays motion and moments of heightened drama which is unusual for Renaissance art.

            Art during the 17^th century has many stylistic similarities to Renaissance art yet is very different. Baroque art rejects Renaissance ideals of perfection through idealism. Baroque art is visually dynamic, includes emotion and drama. This art period conveys true naturalism by showing even the dirt under fingernails. I think that it is interesting to compare the David sculptures by Michelangelo and Bernini. Comparing sculptures like this demonstrate the evolution of art from Renaissance to Baroque.

Albrect Durer

            During the 16^th century there was a famous German artist named Albrect Durer. This artist created many paintings during his time. The Suicide of Lucrezia oil painting by Durer was painted in 1516. The painting of Lucrezia is influenced by Italian art styles. This painting also has early northern European traditions.

            Italian art during this time embodies humanism, the celebration of human achievement. Italian art conveys Greek ideals. The Suicide of Lurcezia painting has many Italian characteristics. Lurcezia is captured nude; this is a way to celebrate the human body. The figure is standing in a contrapposto pose, meaning there is a weight bearing leg and a bent leg which causes a tilt on the figures hips. In this painting the tilt of the hips is slightly covered by drapery. There is some foreshortening with the arm that is grasping what looks to be a sword. The sword is foreshortened as well. Part of Italian art is that there is harmony and balance through out the work of art.  I feel that there is a good sense of balance and harmony in this piece because the figure is centered in the painting; her arms are asymmetrically balanced with one arm showing and holding the sword which is balanced by her other arm that is behind her. Many Italian works of art utilize linear perspective and in some pieces orthogonal lines are present. Perugino’s painting The Delivery of the Keys to St. Peter uses linear perspective and orthogonal lines to convey depth. In the painting of The Suicide of Lucrezia does not utilize this technique.

            Early northern European art conveys naturalism, representing objects the way they appear in the natural world. The Suicide of Lucrenzia departs from some early northern European traditions. Many early northern works of art have extreme detail. This painting however does not have the same amount of detail that Jan van Eyck’s painting of The Arnolfini Portrait, where the artist captured all the details in each of the objects he portrayed. There are details in the painting of Lucrenzia, the drapery especially, yet there could be more detail throughout the painting, for instance the sword has very little detail.  I feel that Durer was able to capture Lucrenzia’s figure very naturally, the body seems very proportionate. The painting seems to have an intuitive perspective rather then the Italian linear perspective, meaning the perspective is eyeballed instead of mathematical. I say this because there is a bed behind the figure rather then architecture which would appear more linear to the viewer.

            Overall The Suicide of Lucrezina created by Ablrect Durer has a balance between early northern European style and Italian style. Though the painting seems more Italian inspired because of the humanism attributes; the figure is nude, the way the figure is posed and the illusion of foreshortening. The painting has some early northern styles of naturalism and intuitive perspective. If Durer wanted to follow early northern traditions the painting would need more attention to detail. Durer’s painting appears on the edge of departing from the early northern European traditions. 

Mannerism In The Seattle Art Museum

         During the Late Renaissance, 16^th century, ideals shifted which resulted in Mannerism. The styles of the High Renaissance where figures are perfected are no longer perfect in Mannerism. Most art created during this time is often viewed as unsettling due to the new styles. Two paintings in the permanent collection of the Seattle Art Museum fit within Mannerism. The Origin of the Cornucopia created by Abraham Janssens and Vincent Sellaer’s painting Leda and the Swan and Her Children fit Mannerism because of their stylistic qualities.

            The Origin of Cornucopia, 1619, embraces in many ways Mannerism. Unrealistic body proportions are a mannerism style. This painting has slight elongation; this may be from the way the bodies are positioned in such exaggerated poses where the figures are twisted in ways that appear rather uncomfortable. The figure’s gestures create a movement throughout the painting. Each character is moving in direction or another. Some limbs appear elongated to create emphasis on their movement. Pontormo’s Descent from the Cross, 1525-1528, has figures that create movement in the same gestured way as Janssens’ painting. The Origin of Cornucopia has what some people would call erotic imagery because there are shirtless nymphs being portrayed. Mannerism paintings frequently have unusual colors, the Descent from the Cross has unusual colors when bright pink is utilized for a figure’s back juxtaposed to it is a vivid blue for his stomach. Janssens’ painting does not have any unusual colors or juxtapositions. The Origin of Cornucopia has beautiful colors much like paintings of the High Renaissance. There is a good balance of light and dark contrast. This painting is not as visually unsettling as Leda and the Swan and her Children.

            The painting of Leda and the Swan and her Children, 1540, conveys Mannerism more so than The Origins of Cornucopia. The figures portrayed have unrealistic body proportions. The figure’s bodies are elongated for example Leda’s torso and hands. Unlike Janssens’ and Pontormo’s none of the figures emphasize movement in this painting of Leda and the Swan and Her Children. The figures appear rather still except the child that is hanging on Leda’s shoulder who seems like he’s attempting to get Leda’s attention. There appears to be a lack of balance, the figures seem packed into the painting. I say this because Leda is resting her right arm on the swan’s neck, which is rather unsetting. The emotions seen in this painting are kind of disturbing. Leda appears withdrawn from her children. The three children convey almost scary with their weird faces. The contrast of light and dark contribute to the weird vibe, Leda’s face and chest are too light. There is some erotic imagery in this painting. Leda is half naked and is not being very modest.

The painting of Leda and the Sawn and her Children appears more unsettling than the Origins of Cornucopia painting. This may be because the painting of Leda and the Sawn and her Children painted by Vincent Sellaer in 1540, which is more towards the beginning of the shift in ideals. Janssens painted the Origins of Cornucopia in 1619, which is early 17^th century perhaps when ideals start the shift again.

Renaissance Venuses

           In the beginning of the Early Renaissance different ideals start developing that directly affect how art is made. During the High Renaissance these ideals are perfected and can be seen within the art work. The Birth of Venus painted by Sandro Botticelli from the Early Renaissance illustrates the development of naturalism. Titian’s painting of the Venus of Urbino from the High Renaissance conveys naturalism at its best. The Renaissance ideas were focused around humanism. There were developing ideas in naturalism, idealism, and illusionism.

            Painted in 1484-86 The Birth of Venus conveys Early Renaissance ideals. Color is used to bring a youthful and majestic feeling to the paint of the Birth of Venus. The colors are very bright and vibrant. The Venus’ hair is brightly painted to emphasis her modesty. Botticelli utilizes many colors throughout the painting. The garment which the devotee brought for the Venus is pink. The cloth covering Zephyr is a light blue color. Using many colors in a painting can convey naturalism because the natural world is full of color. There is use of line that in a way detracts from the naturalism of the painting. The way that the waves are depicted is far from how they appear in nature, which can clue the viewer that this painting was created during the Early Renaissance when paintings were picturesque. The Birth of Venus painting utilizes light and dark contrast. The Venus is illuminated and is very light due to her fair complexion. The areas around the Venus are darker, which helps emphasize the Venus. In the background of The Birth of Venus painting expresses illusionism. This is done by creating atmospheric perspective which means that the further into the background the more objects appear blue. The painting does this in a way that conveys the birth to be majestic. The texture of this painting suggests naturalism. The texture of the drapery in the clothing seems almost natural and conveys movement due to the wind from the ocean. There is movement from Zephyr swooping down causes his garments to be flowing. Zephyr’s and the nymph’s, Chloris, hair is being blown back from the force of him swooping. Venus’ and the devotee’s hair and clothing are also being blown from the ocean winds. The painting is well balance with Venus being the center, and the figures on her sides are asymmetrically balanced. Unity in this painting provides a harmony that is need. The Venus is born and the figures are coming together for her birth which conveys unity and harmony throughout the painting.

            Titian painted Venus of Urbino in 1538 during the High Renaissance. This painting conveys developed ideas of naturalism, idealism and illusionism. Although Titian utilizes only a few colors, red, yellow and touches of green his painting feels very natural. The way that color is used in the painting of Urbino draws emphasis and guides the viewer. First one would see the red of the sheets that the Venus is laying upon then the viewer would see the red of the servant’s dress. The drapery behind the Venus is the only area of green, which gives a main emphasis on the Venus. The richness of the colors is overall visually pleasing. Unlike The Birth of Venus, there is not any unnecessary use of line. There is contrast within the painting that is with rich bold colors which contrast the light colors; this is different from The Birth of Venus that contrasts light and dark values. The bed Urbino lays shows a small area of red then contrasts it with the cream sheet. The same idea is applied with the red dress of the servant which contrasts the white dress the other servant is wearing. Texture within this painting is very natural with the way that the sheets are wrinkled from the Venus laying on them. The Venus’ hair is idealized yet appears very natural how it is laying over her shoulder. In the painting there appears to be minimal movement compared to The Birth of Venus. The Venus of Urbino suggests stillness; however there is movement in the background the servants are shuffling around putting the Venus’ clothes away. There is an illusion of perspective; the overall scene is inside the room yet there is an illusion of space by including a window where the viewer can see the sky and foliage. Unity in this painting is achieved by color. I feel that Titian used color carefully and precisely to tie everything together. There is not a true reason for why the servants are included yet Titian included them and unified the painting by using colors that were already present.

Titian achieved a more picturesque painting by utilizing ideals that have developed since the Early Renaissance that High Renaissance artists have perfected. Although both Venus paintings are beautiful works of art, Renaissance art is about naturalism, idealism and illusionism. Each painting can be identified to when they were creating during the Renaissance by how these ideals are refined.

Mary Magdalen

              Sometime between 1430s and 1450s Donato di Niccolo de Betto Di Bardi, also know as Donatello created a Mary Magdalen sculpture.  Mary is made from polychromy and gold on wood. This Mary Magdalen sculpture stands about six feet tall. I chose this work of art because I have not yet seen Mary Magdalen portrayed this way before; usually she is very beautiful and appears like a doll. My first reaction to this sculpture was that it is very emotional and it evokes a lot of feeling and curiosity on the viewer.

           

            Donatello captures Mary Magdalen in an fascinating way through use of texture. Mary Magdalen is clothed in her own hair. The utilization of texture conveys hair, and the texture creates contrasting values which increase visual interest. Although I am unsure why she is dressed in her own hair, it adds a twist to the way Mary Magdalen is perceived. Her clothing is droopy, cheerless and depressing. Through the use of texture and line in her clothing you feel that she is being pulled down and emulates her gloomy facial expression. There is a great amount of texture in her face. Donatello expresses her naturally by including wrinkles in her face. Her facial appearance looks as if she has been suffering and is being tormented; she looks extremely depressed and miserable. Donatello captured her emotion in a way that viewers are able to feel what she may have felt. There are shadows being cast upon her eyes due to her dramatic brow. She is looking downward conveying a physic line to the unknown. Mary’s mouth is slightly open, almost appearing to be saying something. Her hands are held up and are about to be pressed together as if she is going to pray. The idea that she could be praying communicates to me that she might actually be tortured and could be asking god for help in some way.

             

This sculpture of Mary Magdalen created in the round suggests movement. There is anticipated movement because she is lifting her hands and is about to press them together to pray. The anticipated movement captures the viewer’s interest. Perhaps the artist did this in order for the viewer’s eyes to be moved from her hands to her face which is truly being emphasized. There is emphasis through placement; her hair is placed on her face in a way that emphasizes her facial expression. Mary Magdalen is posed with the contrapposto weight shift. This weight shift goes almost unnoticed due to her frumpy clothes made of hair. I believe Donatello created what more or less looks to be a belt above her hips. Usually, when contrapposto is utilized it is immediately noticed in the hip area. In Mary’s case the contrapposto is more so noticed in her legs, which are not being covered by the dress of hair. Mary Magdalen has one weight bearing leg and the other leg is slightly bent. I find the way Mary is standing on the pedestal to be rather enthralling. She is standing on a rock pedestal with one foot on the pedestal and the other foot looks as if she might take a step of the pedestal, this appears very engaging to the viewer. One could say there is stylization in the fact that she is dress in her own hair, yet there is also naturalism. Mary Magdalen has toned muscle in her arms and legs give her a naturalized appearance.

All together this Mary Magdalen sculpture created by Donatello during the Southern Renaissance in Italy is out of the ordinary, and puzzling. I think part of why this sculpture stood out to me is that the sculpture is not conforming to the classical ideas that some sculpture during this time were returning to. For example Donatello’s David appears to be influenced by classical ideals. One could stare at this sculpture for hours considering why she would be dressed in her own hair. Or why does she have such an discontent facial expression, what happened in order for her to feel this way. One could also wonder why Donatello chose to create a sculpture of Mary Magdalen in a way that is so abnormal for her. 

Northern Renaissance

          During the Northern Renaissance several values can be seen in the art created at this time. Many works of art created have focus on religion and religious events. The Ghent Altarpiece painted by Jan van Eyck, the so called prince of painting, captures religious art at its best. When this piece was created many people were in awe due to intense naturalism and by the amount of skill that went into producing this work of art. This naturalism is best seen in the painting of Adam, Jan van Eyck painted him with tanned hands and face as if he was a real man. He was able to create such naturalism by painting the underside of Adam’s foot which makes viewers feel as if he could walk out of the painting. Jan van Eyck considered how the light in the Church would reflect onto the painting. He created reflections on shiny surfaces the way it would have been if they had light cast upon them and by doing this it helps convey naturalism.

            At this time, I think that artistic style began to focus on creating images that were very close to how the appear in the natural world. Claus Sluter, the creator of the Well of Moses, was able to achieve naturalism through carved stone. He was able to do this by creating the figures to more then part of the architecture; the figures are in the round and nearly free standing. Each figure is very detailed showing even little details such as wrinkles, and movement in their clothing. Sluter was even able to create a book which Jeremiah holds that appears so naturally with its open pages. Sculpture was the supreme art during the Northern Renaissance while painting was used to enhance sculptures. Altarpieces would have had painted wings then when opened there would be religious sculptures.

            Northern Renaissance artist revamped Manuscript illuminations to be more then just pictures. Manuscript illuminators created worlds within a small area of prayer books that unfolded with each turn of the page. Some Illuminators were master artists, and were able to capture nearly anything they choose, from religious events, and landscapes, to every day life. These illuminations could be windows into seemingly natural worlds.

            Not only was the Northern Renaissance artistic style focused on naturalism, I feel that part of these artistic styles was using many colors throughout the artwork. Oil paint was layered to produce rich natural colors. This can be seen in many Northern Renaissance art. Jan van Eyck’s painting The Arnolfini Portrait conveys his use of color in a naturalistic way. From the woman’s elegant green dress which appears like real fabric to the fur of the dog. Jan van Eyck truly revolutionized the art of oil painting. He was able to create surfaces that would be challenging to convey such as the mirror behind the couple.

            The Northern Renaissance was the beginning of arts rebirth. During this rebirth values shifted and are apparent in the art created at this time. There was a large focus on naturalism, for objects to appear like they would in the natural world.

Cultural focus on Renaissance art

I think that our culture focuses on Renaissance art because the art produced in the 15^th and 16^th centuries have good balance of naturalism and stylization that is visually appealing. Some people might feel that Renaissance art is “better” then other art for the same reasons that Greek art can be seen as ”better.” I feel that both Greek and Renaissance artists were able to capture a sense of beauty in all of their works of art. There is more focus on Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael possibly because the quality and quantity of their work. I look forward to learning more about Renaissance art and why our culture focuses on this type of art.