During the 16th 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.
I'm glad that you mentioned the balanced composition. Remember Polykleitos' "Doryphoros" from the classical Greek period? That statue has a similar criss-cross "X" composition, with the straight arm opposite a bent leg, and a straight leg opposite a bent arm. We can argue, then, that Durer was influenced by such balanced, classical compositions (either directly or indirectly).
ReplyDelete-Prof. Bowen
You did a good job relating Durer’s piece to Italian art characteristics. Such as the weight barring leg and the bent knee creating an angle in the hip. I found it interesting that you noticed the linear perspective was eyeballed as apposed to being mathematically thought out. I think this creates more originality in the piece myself.
ReplyDeleteI found it rather interesting that you brought up the fact that this piece expresses asymmetrical components, I never really saw it until you mentioned it. This is a great analysis, the Italian artistic characteristics are very well illustrated and gives a great sense of balance through the focal point(s) of the audience.
ReplyDeleteI really liked reading your post. I agree that the Suicide of Lurcezia has a lot of Italian features that other works of Durer didn't have. I think by him traveling made him a more rounded artist with all different characteristics that made him what he was known for a modern artist.
ReplyDeleteJennifer Groce