Mini Blog #1: Christ in the Wilderness, 1515-1520

  

Moretto da Brescia, Christ in the Wilderness, 1515-1520

After the Dark Ages in Europe the Renaissance, being french for "rebuilT" was a time in which people rediscovered Greek and Roman arts. This painting is the work of Moretto da Brescia also known as Alessandro Bonvinico. His painting portrays Jesus in the wilderness. This painting is estimated to be from 1515 to 1520, which is classified as an early Renaissance piece of art. The artist originates from Brescia, where he has done most of his work. His paintings mostly consisted of portraits but the rest were religious paintings done for churches in or around Brescia, such as the Entombment.This painting is part of a bigger canvas displaying the life of Jesus Christ. 

The meaning of this painting was to show Jesus being tempted by the devil in the wilderness where he fasted for 40 days with no food or water. The Renaissance and this painting have a sort of similarity. In religious purposes fasting is done to cleanse the body and to be reborn into a better version of yourself, which was also the motive of the Renaissance. In this painting you can see all of the animals with their heads down around Jesus, this shows their respect for him. This symbolized the spiritual awakening and the search for salvation during this time period. The birds in the sky even came down to simply sit and tilt their heads to face the floor. Every animal but the snake under Jesus's right foot did so. The snake in the bible is represented as the devil, he tempted Eve to eat the fruit, just like he is trying to tempt Jesus. Everything from the earth to the animals are painted in dark colors but Jesus is in earth tones. Jesus is dressed in colorful and Renaissance like clothing which was not what Jesus originally wore at his time, but the painter illustrated him in his own time period. Many other paintings by Moretto also show Jesus, the Virgin Mary, the apostles and other religious figures dressed in his time period. This spoke to the resurgence of spirituality and the importance of God during the Renaissance.

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                                  Sandro Botticelli, Birth of Venus, c. 1484-86,

      Sandro Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" is an iconic piece of art from the Renaissance time period that is based on Homer, a poet who wrote about Venus who is the Roman goddess of sex, desire, and beauty. The painting depicts Venus arriving to a shore on a shell completely nude. Three other figures appear in the piece as well one being Zephyrus who helped Venus find her way to the shore, Another figure appears to the right of Venus, and is known as the "Goddess of spring" who seems to be waiting for her on land. The painting represents the emergence of Venus to the world.

One being Zephyrus who helped Venus find her way to the shore using wind. 

     

     This painting also represents the beauty standards of the time. She is seen to have light skin and a smooth, unblemished skin which represents purity and innocence. She also has extremely long hair that is also slightly covering her naked body. Although, Venus was the Goddess of sex, she looks vulnerable because she covers her private areas. However, this painting is still extremely sexual and men would typically be the ones viewing this, also known as the "male gaze".  Venus is the ideal woman (beauty wise) and expresses how women were viewed at that time. It also shows that Renaissance art was not only religious but there were others themes as well in this case ancient Roman mythology and also sex. 

Mini Post #1 Leonardo Da Vinci's "The Last Supper" 15th Century

The Last Supper is a late 15th-century mural created by Leonardo Da Vinci. This staggering 15 feet by 29 feet mural was created inside the Convent of Santa Maria Delle Grazie in Milan, Italy. This renaissance art depicts a well recognizable scene in the story of Christ. Religion was very important during this renaissance time period. Da Vinci depicts the instant right after Jesus reveals to them that one of them will betray him after giving out what would be known as the body and blood of Christ.

In the dead center of the mural sits Christ. Jesus is in the middle because Da Vinci wants Jesus to be the main focus of this painting. This is the case because he is telling the story of the conception of Jesus’ betrayal by Judas. Also, the location of the painting is set in also reflects the location painting was painted. Since the painting was made in the refectory of Convent of Santa Maria Delle Grazie, the Last Supper was painted to be in a refectory itself.

    Leonardo Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” c. 1495

Mini Post #1 Artemisia Gentileschi "Saint Sebastian Tended by Irene" 17th century

Saint Sebastian Tended by Irene c.17th century

Artemisia Gentileschi

Artemisia Gentileschi was a Baroque painter during the 17th century. As a female artist it was difficult for her to be recognized, however her father was a famous painter and through his artist base he made his daughter known. She was an apprentice to her father, but he knew that her talent was far beyond his. Artemisia’s father Orazio hired a painter Agostino Tassi whom raped her and was found guilty and jailed for eight months. This incident made Artemisia’s reputation suffer and she “suffered a scholarly neglect that is unthinkable for an artist of her caliber.” She was a wonderful artist and her pro-feminine outlook on artwork set her apart from her male counterparts.

Painted in 1625, Saint Sebastian Tended by Irene is a baroque painting of Saint Sebastian’s wounds being tended to. This is an oil on canvas painted during the Renaissance by early baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi. The wonderful thing about this painting is that focuses both females as the subject of the painting. The saint is “overshadowed” by the women helping them making them the focus of the piece as opposed to a male centered subject. The piece is a depiction of the Roman Catholic Saint Sebastian and Saint Irene of Rome and her maid. After Roman authorities attacked him in attempts to make him a martyr because of his sainthood these two women rescued him and took him to safety to mend his wounds. This piece highlights women as the heroines, and applauds them saving whom would normally be depicted as the hero in most stories. 

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Masaccio, The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise, 1427

Tommaso di Ser Giovanni di Mone Cassai, or better known as Masaccio, was a well-known artist despite his brief career. He passed away in 1428 and although his career lasted less than a decade Masaccio was able to construct a new perspective in Florentine paintings throughout his time period, which was taken place during the Renaissance period in Italy. The painting I provided above is one of Masaccio's well-known frescos titled, "The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise," which is displayed in the Brancacci Chapel located in Florence, alongside too many of his other paintings. 

The subjects found in Masaccio's paintings were mainly based upon the church and he accomplished to portray such a story in his artwork by using realism. The fresco above is based on the Book of Genesis where Adam and Eve are banished from their home due to eating the forbidden fruit, being the one rule given by God to follow in order to continue to live in such paradise. Due to such action they are now forced to face the consequences and are thrown into the world with nothing but the guilt they hold inside. Although, unlike other artists at the time, instead of drawing a two-dimensional painting, Masaccio chose to go about his art by creating frescos; to illustrate these illusions to allow the viewers to perceive the art almost as if being in a three- dimensional form (considered three- dimensional for their time period). He accomplishes this act by combining his studies of the human body and his knowledge of ancient sculptures. Based on this he used perspective, light, color, shadows, etc. to create this new style of art creating a greater realism during the time period because it is not based on precise lines/ outlines, but instead the mass and form of it all. 

Another key genre besides the realism aspect would be the expressionism Masaccio portrays in his artwork. He accomplishes this act by the drastic emotions planted on their faces. This allows the viewer to look at it in a more psychological view. With Adam covering his face and Eve having the agonizing look on her face while covering her body, you feel the embarrassment and agony they are feeling. This artwork allows the viewer to look past the actual painting and instead read into the emotions of these characters. 

The Sistine Chapel - Michelangelo

   

                                 
                           Sistine Chapel  - Apostolic Palace -Vatican - Rome - Italy
                                                             Michelangelo


     The painting or piece of work that i found most interesting is the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, Italy. I had the chance to see this work in person when I went on vacation there in the Summer of 2018. Despite all the walking and hot weather, you get to see some of the most gorgeous artwork in the world and just start to question life in a way. Walking into the Sistine Chapel, there is limited talking, photos, and especially no videos! You're surrounded by artwork drawn by one of the most famous painter in history, Michelangelo. It was surreal being there and seeing the creation of Adam right above my head. Michelangelo said that he was more of a sculptor instead of a painter. The pope wanted paintings and you can not say no to the pope. Michelangelo started his work in 1508. He complained allot because of the messiness and weird angles he was painting on. Michelangelo was so talented he was able to sculpt the statue of David out of a marble, then be so fine with a brush while creating a new style of Renaissance painting.

     Michelangelo was given orders of what he had to paint from Julius but he would later object his request. The pope told him to paint whatever he pleases but he still had to run it through the pope. On page 662 in the art history book it explains what paintings are what and where they are in the Chapel. Its really extraordinary to see how big these paintings are and to have heard these stories and see them drawn so beautifully, and how they saw what he pictured these gods looked like. His famous painting, the creation of Adam, where god has his arm stretched out and is touching Adams finger as "the spark of life". Adams body is a representation of mirroring how the gods looked and having his mate  Eve in the other arm of God. 

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                     Pietro Perugino, “Christ Handing the Keys of the Kingdom to Saint Peter”,1481-83

     
     Before Michelangelo's time, Perugino's painting was one of the most famous in the Sistine Chapel. Carrying on what Masaccio and others had been doing, Perugino was able to portray space in a new way. This paining is an Italian Renaissance painting that was part of a large decorative program ordered by Pope Sixtus IV in 1481 for the walls of the Sistine Chapel. It was then and still is today the pope's private chapel in the Vatican in Rome. The painting is two dimensional however it gives an appearance of having three dimensions. 
      The element of lines is the most eye catching, giving us another perspective. The painting takes place on what seems as a grid and these vanishing lines go all the way into the horizon meeting the mountains in the background. Right in front and what appears to be bigger than everyone else in the painting is Jesus Christ handing the keys to St. Peter, depicting apostolic succession. The key in the painting isn't coincidentally placed wherever, it is placed in the middle along the lines of the vanishing point which is an enormous biblical scene especially for the pope. 

Judith with the Head of Holofernes by Fede Galizia, Milan, 1596

Fede Galizia, better known as Galizia, was born in Milan in 1578. Galizia was a daughter of a painter, Nunzio Galizia, and became popular from portrait paintings and religious compositions. The painting I chose was made in 1596 and titled “Judith with the Head of Holofernes.” She painted Judith with the Head of Holofernes at age eighteen. It is an italian renaissance portrait painting, with a biblical meaning behind it. The story of Judith made an impression on Galizia at a young age and she over time used the subject of Judith in various ways. In this version we see her dressed up, wearing multiple pieces of jewelry and her head wearing a diadem. 

Judith with the Head of Holofernes by Fede Galizia, Milan, 1596

The story of Judith with the Head of Holofernes comes from the Book of Judith in the Apocrypha and was a popular subject with private collectors and painters at that time. Women identified with Judith as a heroine and men viewed the story as a warning not to lose your head over a woman. Judith was a wealthy Jewish widow whose village was being attacked by the Assyrian Army led by General Holofernes. As seen depicted in this painting, Judith with her maid pretends to defect to the enemy camp, and she makes sure he consumes too much alcohol until he falls asleep. Judith then severs his head with a sword and her maid hides his head in a basket. In the morning the Assyrians discover their general was murdered and leave, sparing Judith's village. 

During this time period there were various successful female painters, some who painted their own depictions of this scene of Judith. She was often commissioned to paint religious and secular themes. Several of her paintings based on the story of Judith and Holofernes, a popular theme in art of this time period, survive in private collections. The style of her portraits derived from the naturalistic traditions of the Renaissance in Italy with a sharply realistic approach to details. Most of her surviving works are still lives, which was a new genre for this time period. One of her signed still lifes made in 1602 is said to be the first dated still life by an Italian artist, and proves her involvement in this new style of painting. She was focus on art since childhood and was able to inspire other female artists during this time. People have said that this painting is actually a self-portrait of Galizia, placing herself in such a powerful scene tells me she could have had great confidence during this time period like Judith does. Galizia never got married and passed away when she was 52 possibly from the plague.

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                                              Leonardo Da Vinci, Mona Lisa, 1503-1517

The picture above is an oil painting by one of the most iconic artists of the Renaissance period, Leonardo Da Vinci, as it was believed to be painted between the year 1503-1517. Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned by the husband of Lisa Gherardini.It was initially meant to be just a simple home portrait of a home’s matriarch, but the artwork became Da Vinci’s most known piece of work.This piece was later named “Mona Lisa”, Mona meaning Madam and Lisa being the subject of the painting. People were captivated by this work mainly due to the mysterious facial expression that was painted and how it blended well with the landscape as the background.
This painting express humanism during the Renaissance as it showed realism of the human face and expression.The painting also displays a sense of harmony and tranquility. The eyes and mouth of the Mona Lisa captivate people because they could not fully interpret the true emotions that was being put on display and thus became well known as an enigmatic painting. This painting became distinctive due the simplicity and realism in the work. Other portrait artworks from this time period were very decorative and the subjects were always stiff and did not express any emotions in the portraits. The Mona Lisa is one of the very first portraits where people could sense human emotions being emitted from the painting although they could not determine which emotion it was. This artwork shows that people from that time could express themselves and have it be realistic and conveying to others.

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The School of Athens

Raphael 1509-1511

 "The School of Athens" was painted in some time between 1509 and 1511 by Renaissance artist Raphael. The young artist was personally invited by Pope Julius II to paint in the Vatican along with Michaelangelo.  It is one of the four frescoes on the walls of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. Each wall represents a different meaning with this one being "philosophy." This painting is significant because it incorporates the High Renaissance fresco technique. The work is a visual embodiment of the Renaissance adoption of humanism. 

This painting is a depiction of famous greek philosophers, scholars, and artists. Raphael uses perspective when painting this price to draw the viewers gaze to the center. The two figures in the center are Plato(left) and Aristotle(right). Surrounding Plato and Aristotle are clusters of other scholars discussing important matters. Even though this painting is not symmetric; Raphael does a good job of making it balanced on both sides. Raphael also included the statue of Apollo and Minerva in the painting. Apollo was the Greek god for music, art, and healing and Minerva was the goddess of wisdom and justice. This painting embodies the Renaissance as a whole because you see scholars writing and reading books. This was the time of enlightenment where philosophy and education was highly valued. 

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 The Holy Family (Doni Tondo), Michelangelo, Circa 1503 – 1507

Michelangelo’s “Doni Tondo” is an early sixteenth century Renaissance painting of the Holy Family and is revered as Michelangelo’s sole completed panel painting that has survived in its original frame. The artwork includes an interior comprised of oil and tempera, and an exterior frame that has been carved through Michelangelo’s influence. Currently, the “Doni Tondo” is on display at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. The foreground of the painting depicts Jesus as a baby being held and passed between Joseph and Mary. The central positioning, and emphasized muscles and bones, of Mary create the feeling of strength and importance surrounding her. Contrastingly, Joseph is shown as protective and cautious as his eyes are focused on successfully passing the baby to Mary, while his body position symbolizes supporting and stabilizing Mary. Michelangelo places five naked people in the background of the painting, who are seemingly interacting with each other and separated from the focus of the painting by a thick, horizontal line. On the frame of the painting, 5 3-D heads are shown as protruding above the painting with each face being depicted with a different emotion (Left – Intrigued, Bottom – Shocked, Top – Satisfied). Despite different emotions depicted on the heads, the appearance of viewing the subject from a far distance is consistent in all of them. The painting reflects the theme of power, as the Holy Family is separated from the background figures while being elevated on a higher floor. Furthermore, the choice to clothe only the Holy Family and leave the background figures naked signifies the wealth and status associated with the focus of the painting.

Michelangelo employs multiple techniques in this painting to create the three – dimensional effect across different levels in the painting. The bodies of the members in the Holy Family are deliberately blended and cover each other to emphasize their position in relation to 3-D space. Additionally, this facilitates the feeling of movement and allows for the interpretation of the baby being passed between Joseph and Mary to be viewed as an active action, rather than a past occurrence. Michelangelo uses the foreshortening technique to create the effect of Mary’s elbow protruding forward, which draws attention to the action of reaching for Jesus. The 3-D nature of the painting is also emphasized through color shading that creates the casting of a shadow, that is uniform throughout the painting. The light is projected as coming from in front of Mary, as her clothes are visibly brighter in the front and left, compared to the space diagonally right of her, that has a much darker shading. The frame of the picture is also used to add an element of 3-D, as the 5 heads are all sculpted to give the effect of popping off the painting and looking downward. The significance of the 3-D effect in this painting is to make the event in the foreground more current and dramatic, as well as providing multiple perspectives based on the different directions the figures are shown looking in.

Based on the paintings title, “Doni Tondo”, it is believed that Michelangelo was commissioned to work on this by Agnolo Doni, to celebrate his marriage with Maddalena Strozzi in 1503. The marriage represented the broader occurrence of wealthy and powerful families marrying each other to maintain and grow their status in society. This depicted the trend of composite monarchies of the time, as powerful heirs to thrones would marry to consolidate power. Michelangelo’s painting challenges the patriarchy as Mary is depicted as the central, strong figure and is representative of increasingly powerful queens and women leaders (Ex. Queen Isabella in Spain). This is consistent with the parties involved in the marriage, as Maddalena Strozzi came from an influential Tuscan family. Leonardo Da Vinci’s “The Virgin and Child with St. Anne” influenced the style Michelangelo uses to paint the Holy Family, as Da Vinci’s painting only came a few years earlier. While both paintings use a triangular display in the foreground, Michelangelo emphasizes Mary as powerful and includes background figures to exemplify her significance. Finally, Michelangelo’s painting has elements of traditional artwork as the painting was commissioned by a wealthy, powerful family with the focus of the painting involving religious figures. 

Leonardo da Vinci: St. John the Baptist, 1513-1516

 

St. John the Baptist was an oil painting on walnut wood by Leonardo Da Vinci somewhere from 1513 to 1516. Painted during the High Renaissance this is believed to be Da Vinci's last painting. It shows St.John the Baptist pointing upwards to heaven representing the importance of salvation through baptism which is what he usually symbolizes. The pointing gesture seen in the painting has been used by Da Vinci before to represent the coming of Christ. Alongside the pointing to the heavens St. John the Baptist was painted with a dark background with just enough light to illuminate the cross in his hands. This further emphasizes the importance of God which was key in the spiritual awakening of the time. In this painting Da Vinci tried to capture the spirit of John the Baptist as he was described in the Bible. He lived in the desert preaching the Gospel to all those who would listen but ended up dying for his message. This story is one of suffering but can also represent hope for all those who listened to his message. The painting was criticized for portraying the saint with “womanlike” features. In Da Vinci's paintings he did not emphasize male or female which made the primary focus a more spiritual one.

Mini Post #1: Winmari Paulino

Giovanni di Paolo: The Creation and the Expulsion from Paradise - 1445

The Creation of the World and the Expulsion from Paradise by Giovanni di Paolo was made during the Renaissance, in 1445 to be exact. Giovanni di Paolo was an Italian painter who was believed to be a deviant in the 15th century. Although during this period most painters in Tuscany were shifting towards classical humanism; however, this was not the case with Giovanni. He continued to create Gothic decorative paintings, as is the piece shown above.

The painting depicts two images. The left side shows us God the Father and an illustration of the universe as a globe. Earth is positioned in the center, with rings surrounding it which represent the four elements: earth, wind, fire, and water. In addition to the elements, the rings also represent the planets that were known at the time (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn), as well as the constellations of the zodiac. Of course, God is highlighted by a glowing light, to further emphasize his position as a seraphic being.

The right side shows us the Garden of Eden. The greenery and liveliness of the Garden represent the innocent nature of man prior to the Fall. The two outermost figures are meant to be Adam and Eve, with the third figure (on the left) being an angel that is escorting them off the Garden. Since the angel is pictured in such a human-like manner, it is assumed that this might symbolize the pity felt by the angel due to the perverted state of humanity. Even though the painting is nowhere near recent, the sentiment that Adam and Eve were to be shamed is still very much alive regardless of how progressive society has become as a collective.

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Giovanni Bellini "San Giobbe Altarpiece" 1487

The photo is a painting created by Giovanni Bellini in 1487 depicting a sacred conversation. Bellini painted this artwork for the church of St. Giobbe in Venice. In the painting is illustrates the common theme of religion during the Renaissance time period.  It depicts the Virgin Mary and Jesus with a group of saints. In the center of the photo sit three angels with instruments looking up at the Virgin Mary and Jesus to show power. This painting was the first example of the Virgin Mary and other religious figures not in a heaven setting, but rather they are depicted on Earth.

Bellini demonstrates his use of oil in this particular painting by coating it with thin layers on top of each other. By doing this, Bellini is bringing more depth to the light within the frame. He is still displaying his skill of making his paintings more realistic. He also purposely adds a golden setting within the painting because he was inspired by St. Marks church. This church has an abundance of gold on its walls. This altarpiece is an example a single paneled altar which was not so popular at the time. This technique was first introduced to Venice by Bellini and was heavily influenced by Antonello da Messina. This painting was important during the time because earlier examples of altarpieces required at least two or more wooden panels to be created, but Bellini used only one. Research suggests this painting was in honor of plague victims during the time  period. 

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Mona Lisa, also called Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo, Italian Lo Giancondo, or French La Joconde, oil painting on a poplar wood panel by Leonardo da Vinci probably. It was painted sometime between 1503 and 1519.



The painting represents a mysterious woman from the waist up, with a distant landscape of what appears to be a river and trees as the backdrop. Her hands rest at her waist while her smile captivates the audience. No one is quite sure what emotion the woman is feeling, making viewer even more curious about the lady portrayed. 

I believe the genre of the oil painting of the Mona Lisa is expressionism. I say this because the work does not appear to have a clear objective in mind. Instead, Leonardo uses the woman's body language and facial expressions to give off a subjective tone for the viewer to interpret on their own. A person  is the perfect subject for this genre of art, due to our complex emotionally capacity and aura that we give off merely by standing a certain way, or our hands being in a certain position in front of our body.

This painting was created during the time of the Renaissance, which was a period in European history where cultural and artistic thought began to flourish. Prior to the Mona Lisa, the three-quarter view, in which the subject is turned towards the viewer, broke the mold of the standard profile view that was commonly used in Italian art. It was so revolutionary that it eventually became the standard that most portraits would follow. This new way of creating artwork was the epitome of the Renaissance. Leonardo expanded our knowledge of what art and expression could be by doing things different from everyone else. 

The Mona Lisa give one a sense of peace and harmony. The woman's calm, relaxed face and slight smile, along with the still waters and beautiful valleys in the backdrop further this feeling of serenity. With the expansion of human thought and understanding, it is possible that Leonardo was trying to make the connection of humanity and nature. A cosmic link that the two share with one another. 

Michelangelo: Creation of Adam

Michelangelo: Creation of Adam(1508-12)

      The Creation of Adam was made during a part of the renaissance called the high Renaissance, artists in the era are Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo. During the high Renaissance era, there was a marriage between Catholicism and Greek Mythology in the art. Michelangelo spent much of his life studying the human body and he shows great knowledge in this subject through his representation of the nude human body. Michelangelo was greatly inspired by religion in this work of art, and many other pieces he did(Sistine Chapel,etc.). The subjects in this painting are figure and fantasy. Adam, God, and the angels, all three of them are used to represent the relationship between God and humanity. This painting has intense emotion and complexity when it comes to the human body, its movement, and religion.

      We can see the complexity of movement represented in the painting, where God's face is profiled but his torso is out straight. It looks as if God's body is traveling with great velocity. Although he has his hand reaching out to Adam his other arm is wrapped around the angels, almost as if to say the angels are hiding behind God. The faces of some of those angels look as if they fear or have a sort of disdain for humanity. Contrapposto is used heavily in both figures to enhance the fluidity in the body movement. Adam's face is profiled and his body is also out straight, similar to God's and his shoulders are also twisted in different directions. Adam's body has a herculean physique to emphasis the human obsession with perfection. The distance between God and Adam speak to the fact that although humans were a creation of God, they are so close yet so far from him.

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This gold-plated bronze Shakyamuni statue was made during the Yongle reign of the Ming dynasty (1403-1424) in China. The royal craftsmen at that time made the statue. Which craftsman made it could not be verified because the crafts made to the emperor.

Shakyamuni Buddha is dressed in a round collar, and shoulder-style robe, with his legs, erects on a rosette. His face is solemn and kindly. The bow arm of the right hand is bound upward with the seal of fearlessness, and the bow arm of the left side is attached downward with the seal of vows. Two large and powerful hands are highlighted to convey the praise and reverence for the Buddha spirit. The style of the Buddha statues of the Indian Gupta dynasty in the 4th and 5th centuries is faintly discernible.

The emperor of Yongle reign, Zhu Di, took over the throne that did not belong to him by waging a civil war and killing his nephew. Although he worked hard and governed the country well after he became emperor, his heart was still filled with fear and suspicion. He had been afraid that his nephew's men would assassinate him or start another civil war. The lama from Tibet eased the uneasiness and fear of the emperor by teaching the emperor the Buddhism that advocated peace and forgiveness. The emperor himself gradually became a Buddhist. Therefore, to curry favor with the emperor, royal artisans created many religious works of art with the theme of Buddhism for the emperor. It's hard to imagine that China was still making these statues when the Renaissance began in Europe. This point in time was the rise of western civilization and the decline of eastern culture. From the Renaissance to the enlightenment to the industrial revolution, Europe finally established a world order centered on European civilization. The so-called eastern countries with thousands of years of civilization, such as China and India, were easily defeated by European colonists. While European artists pondered the meaning of human and gradually constructed the early form of the modern science, China's top artists were still trying to please the tyrannical emperor. I feel sorry and angry about my ancestors.

Mini Post #1: Hajer Samir

Assumption of the Virgin, Titian 1516-18

The image depicted above is an altarpiece panel oil painting by Titian during the Italian Renaissance. It was produced for the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari located in Venice and was recognized as the biggest altarpiece in the entire city. The previously shocking work of art soon came to be termed a paragon which established Titian's place as the leading artist among the Venetians and an important one throughout Italy wholly. This work of art expressed Titian's adaptability to the newfound changes in High Renaissance paintings in the southern region. The altarpiece is a work inspired by religion; a huge inspiration to many works of art during the Italian Renaissance period. In the painting, the Virgin Mary can be seen ascending towards saints and God the Father while rising above the group of apostles. The scene reflects the belief that Mary’s body was physically moved into Heaven after her earthly life; that most Catholics believe happened after her death. However, others believed that Mary was still alive during the “assumption," something which remained unsettled amongst the Catholic people. In his work, Titian insinuates his belief of Mary having been assumed after death by unobtrusively painting a stone coffin at the base of his work. This seemingly went unnoticed, however, and was praised in unison by all. As mentioned, the state in which the Virgin Mary ascended to heaven remained unsettled amongst the Catholics of Venice. With Titian being one of the most influential of artists during the period of the Italian Renaissance, the position he reflected in his work of art could lead the Catholics of today to believe that the Virgin Mary was indeed deceased during the time of assumption. Additionally, the placement of the Assumption of the Virgin as an altarpiece in one of the most famous churches in the city also confirms the approval of the respected church authorities. This is an added confirmation that the belief of Mary’s assumption after death may have been the most accurate of the two accounts. As such, the validation may lead to the belief being instilled in the faith of Catholics today.

Mini Pose #1

Jan Van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait, 1434

The Arnolfini Portrait  (Arnolfini Marriage) is an oil painting on the oak panel, depicting the Italian merchant Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife Giovanna Cenami, daughter of an Italian banker, holding hands in the bedroom of their home in Bruges, which is the most important trading center in Duchy at that time. The Arnolfini Portrait showcases the contribution of Jan Van Eyck to the naturalism of the Northern Renaissance School. 

Jan Van Eyck uses geometric orthogonal perspective skillfully shows the details of the chamber, and the highlight of the convex mirror on the rear wall reveals more details of the room and expands the space of the room. 

While the woman’s robe trimmed with ermine fur give them a sense of luxury, the arrangement of the room and the austere furniture in the restricted-sized chamber indicate their bourgeois rater than noble status. Also, the placement of the two figures suggests the conventional fifteenth-century views of marriage and gender roles. The woman stands next to the bad, suggesting her in a domestic role. However, the man stands near the open window symbolic of his role in the outside world. In the center of the picture, we can see his vertically raised hand, and the man holds his wife’s limp hand in his palm. Those poses give him a sense of commanding and authority, whilst his wife has her hand in a lower horizontal, more submissive pose. 

"The Tempest" c. 1506 Giorgione da Castelfranco

              The above image is an Oil on canvas painted by Giorgione who was one of Venice's major painters of the sixteenth century during the Italian Renaissance. It was the Venetians who were the first to use oils both on wood panel and canvas, but the inspiration of idealized style and oil-painting technique came from the Bellini family in the late fifteenth century. From then, they started to cover their walls with large canvas paintings instead of Frescos and oil on canvas became the preferred medium. This worked in the favor of artists such as Giorgione and Titan who's style suited the rich color and lighting effects that it gave.
              Giorgione's work is very important to Venetian painting because he introduced "Painted poems" (known as poesie) which was inspired by the contemporary literary revival of ancient pastoral verse but eludes specific narrative and symbolic interpretation. This work shows his love for nature and landscape painting, and gives an enigmatic feel especially because of use of all of the classical elements such as the lightning bolt, billowing clouds and mysterious look on the man's face. It piques an interest as to what was going on and what relation does the two subjects have to each other vs what the surrounding environment has to do with it. Is it a reflection of the relationship or perhaps it was just used to add to the mystery. 

              On the right is a woman who looks to be nursing her child with a protective embrace and on the left stands a man (variously interpreted as a German mercenary soldier) who seems to be looking in her direction but not directly at her. The sensuality and glow of the woman painted shows nudity as soft, delicate and innocent and her embrace is rooted in love and care for her child. The undirected gaze of the man exhibits feelings of protection and reverie. The idyllic landscape and connection of the subjects and surroundings tell a story which was a goal of the artist's work. This work, in my opinion, relates contemporarily but in the sense that things are the total opposite. The story that is being told today is not one of precious, innocence but seems as though everything is rooted in eroticism.

Mini Post #1

Madonna of The Goldfinch(Madonna Del Cardellino)- Raphael



  

The work above was done by a man named Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, known as Raphael. The painting was made in the year 1506. He was a painter and architect of the Renaissance. Something unique about this painting and paintings around its time is what they emphasized. To a regular person, they may not be able to recognize the composition of the art. Raphael arranged the Madonna and boys in this work in a triangle. The clouds in the painting help put her in the center of the work. By the boys being on her sides, this centers the piece and gives the painting equal distance from the left and right side. This is referred to as bilateral symmetry. 

The colors capture the viewers eye. The vibrancy of the colors compliments the bilateral symmetry of the painting. Raphael's timing of the painting couldn't have been any better. This came during the Renaissance. As we know, the Renaissance was a time of rebirth and enlightenment. I get a harmonious and soothing feeling when observing this painting. Also, the belt of the Madonna's dress is aligned within the painting. This adds a sense of stability, order, and balance to the picture. Such subtleties can go unnoticed, but they add elements of brilliance. Color can have profound impact on someone's viewing of the painting. It can be muted or intensified. Raphael would draw to plan out his compositions. 

Mini Post Mocking Of Christ

Mocking Of Christ

The photo above is a work made by the artist Fra Angelico. It is a renaissance art piece. The painting was completed in 1441. Jesus is the subject of this art. In the piece Jesus sits on a throne in the Center, holding a staff in his left hand and a orb in his right hand. On top of his head is a crown on thorns, behind his head is a halo, and to the left of his face is what appears to be a man spitting on him. There are four hands floating around him possibly a symbol of his divinity. Yet he is blindfolded not completely his eyes are visible which means he can see but not see clearly. To the bottom left we see what seems to be saint Mary his mother, and to the bottom right saint Dominick. 

Some cultural issues from the time that Fra made his work which can help us understand the meaning of this art piece is that Fra was around during a period of enlightenment.  A time where ideas that were normally not acceptable to hear were heard. What should be taken from this painting is the fact that Jesus is portrayed as a blind king.  

Mini Post 1

Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper, 1495-1498

“The Last Supper” is a late fifteenth century Renaissance masterpiece by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci which depicts consecutive moments rather than a frozen moment in time. Commissioned by Duke Ludovico Sforza for the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy, Leonardo spent three years creating the painting due to his long pauses between sessions and slow work process. Renaissance paintings primarily depicted the Roman Catholic church, prompting “The Last Supper” to become an integral part of the Christian religion as it symbolizes the establishment of the Holy Communion rite. Contrary to twentieth century culture, majority of people during the Renaissance were the same religion (Roman Catholic), which is why this painting related to the majority during this time period. Religion was very powerful and told people during the Renaissance who they were and how to live. 

Leonardo uses one-point linear perspective in which the vanishing point is at Christ’s right temple. The scene is dimly back-lit by the window behind Him which brings forth the detail in every object from the plates to the decorations, creating an extraordinary still life shot. The rectangular room presents coffered ceilings and tapestries on the walls, drawing the focus to Christ and the beautiful Milan landscape through the three windows at the end of the wall. The scene features Jesus Christ in a triangle- like shape in the center, surrounded by the twelve apostles. There are four sets of three apostles beside Christ at the table which is symbolic for the four Gospels in the Bible and the three parts of the Holy Trinity. This piece is set on the night before Christ’s Passion and Death, where he reveals “one of you is about to betray me” (Matthew 26:21). Today, it is known that he was referring to Judas, but at the time Christ’s great revelation caused drama and commotion among the apostles as they wondered who the betrayer was.

The emotions in the painting range from protest (Philip), sadness (John), to acceptance (Christ), while Judas, the betrayer, fades into a shadow as he clutches a money bag containing silver. Previously in Last Supper depictions, Judas was across from the other apostles at the table, but here he is shown in the same group as John and Peter because Judas betrays Christ, Peter denies Him, and John remains with Christ at the cross. Leonardo’s Last Supper painting parallels the early Renaissance traditions in regards to composition and perspective, yet it is innovative in terms of emotion and psychology in a type of naturalism, which was previously unknown in Italian painting. Each one of the twelve apostles react in a manner that Leonardo considered the components of a man’s personality. The result is a complex scene of varied human emotion, represented in a seemingly simple composition.

Mini Post #1 - Rizwan Chowdhury

Michelangelo, Creation of Adam c. 1508-1512

Michelangelo was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the Italian Renaissance. He was born in the Republic of Florence. This painting was painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and took about four years to complete during the 15th century. The Creation of Adam is one of Michelangelo’s simple paintings to decipher. It shows God giving birth to Adam, the first man. This painting was created during the Italian renaissance and represents religious art, which would be Christianity. 

In the Creation of Adam, God is portrayed as an old white-unshaven man enveloped by a whirling shroud while Adam, on the lower left, is totally nude. God's right arm is outstretched to confer the flash of life from his own finger into that of Adam, whose left arm is reached out in a posture reflecting God's, a sign that man is made in the picture and similarity of God. Another point is that Adam's finger and God's finger are not contacting. It gives the feeling that God, the provider of life, is connecting with Adam who still can't seem to get it; they are not on "a similar level" as would be two people shaking hands or hugging, for example. 

The renaissance was a time of revival in art, literature, and philosophy. The creation of Adam features god reaching out to give a spark of life to Adam, which can signify humanity's introduction to an era of renewed culture as they depart from the middle ages into an era of modernity. By depicting both God and Adam in idealized human forms that mirror each other, this art reflects the idea that God created mankind in his own image, and alludes to the progression of human culture as an indication of becoming more divine beings.

Mini Post #1

Return of the Hunters - Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Pieter Bruegel's “Return of the Hunters" is a Northern Renaissance piece. This 1565 oil on wood panel is one of the most famous landscape paintings of the Era. Peter Bruegel began his career (1525-1569) by imitating the work Hieronymus Bosch. He enjoyed painting detailed landscapes with many objects while also having ironic subjects. Bruegel's work was interesting because he painted landscapes, while most Renaissance artists traveling through Italy recorded the ruins of ancient Rome.  

Bruegel's painting is one of a series of landscape paintings that portray the life in the early winter months during this era. At first glance, this painting seems like a typical landscape painting, but after observing for a while, there are many details that someone would not notice. For instance, the hunters return home walking over the hillside that overlooks the town. When you look closer, it is evident that the hunters did not have a successful day hunting, both the dogs and hunters’ heads are down as if they are disappointed with their gatherings. 

Although the hunters seem to be the subject of this painting, the landscape of the alpine background is the main focus. The mountains in this painting were based on Bruegel's travels through the Alps, but he added people into the landscape as well to draw the attention away from the hunters. By taking a closer look, most of the details are in the landscape portion of the painting. For example, people skating on the pond, snow covered rooftops, thin bare trees in the distance, and even a person carrying sticks across a bridge. Bruegel included these minute details into his painting to show how people during the Northern Renaissance era lived from day to day.

https://cdn.kastatic.org/ka-perseus-images/3c39081bfc32cf38cb87ae62117540994526b12f.jpg

Mini Post #1: Gengshuo Ge

 The Lady with the Xiao, Yin Tang, 1520, silk

    
    The Lady with the Xiao, translated from the title in Chinese, 吹箫仕女图, was painted by Yin Tang in Ming Dynasty in 1520. From the title and the work, we can know that this work is a typical painting of the beautiful person picture, and there was a gorgeous lady who was playing the xiao, which is a Chinese version of the flute. From the emotion of the lady, it is obvious to find that she was so focused on the playing, but when we have a closer look at the painting, we will find that the lady did not feel happy at all, and she was thinking about something else. The lady is the only person in the painting, so people can feel that she is lonely and helpless, and the voice from the xiao is melancholy, which can enhance the atmosphere of grief. 

    Let us take back our focus on the painter, Yin Tang, who was born in a wealthy merchant in Ming Dynasty, and he was so brilliant and lucky that he was the number one in all his imperial examinations until the final and the most crucial one, and unfortunately, he was prisoned by cheating with other people. The fraud meant that his official career ended, which was a huge strike on Yin, so most of Yin’s artworks in his old age are about the hope of an official career and the grief of himself. Also, there was another reason that made that situation, which was his wife and his son died before him. Thus, Yin kept his style in the beautiful person picture, though that style was not popular as before, and he wanted to use the glamorous of the clothing and people to make a contrast on his upset and pity. Yin’s personality was complex because he not only wanted to work for the empire, but also he wanted to be a drunk and celebrity to travel all over the empire. Thus, Yin often used beauties and ladies with fantastic clothing as the subject of his works, but he also would use other things or emotions to embody the sadness of himself. In conclusion, Yin had a big dream in his life, but unfortunately, they could only achieve these dreams in his paintings.

link:
www.hihey.com/artwork-22935.html
baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%98%8E%E5%94%90%E5%AF%85%E5%90%B9%E8%90%A7%E4%BB%95%E5%A5%B3%E5%9B%BE

Mini Post #1: Jingsong Feng

Jingsong Feng

Intro to art history II

Mini post #1

   

   

Axis of The Ink Grapes, painted by Xu Wei in Ming dynasty, on paper, with ink brush, 165.4 cm vertical and 64.5 cm horizontal   

    The painting named “The Ink Grapes”, which was finished by Xu Wei, a well-known Ming dynasty Chinese painter. He is the creator of “Splash ink freehand brushwork genre”. With the painter's freehand brushwork and ink using, the old vines hang at random, the leaves are made of large ink dots, and the grapes are glittering and translucent in the ink. About the lines he used, the painting had cursive brushwork painting, which is bold and unrestrained, leaves and fruit showed in light ink and plastic alum spray, with ink gas dripping wet. The whole painting produced an excellent effect of ink brushwork, pure ink to write grapes, with full of water splash ink brushwork drawing grape branches and leaves. Now this painting is exhibited in the Palace Museum, Beijing.

    

    This painting was finished in 1580s, and at this time Xu was just in old age. From Ming dynasty era to nowadays, Xu was one of the most sophisticated and talented artists in history, not only be good at painting, but also works well on drama. However, at this time Xu was treated unfairly by his colleagues when they seek their official career. Struggled with survival and promotion in such frustrating time, Xu gave vent to anger, expressed emotion in sustenance. Therefore, he regarded himself as grapes struggled with incorrectly climate and frustrated time and “The Ink Grapes” was created below such circumstance.

    

    There is a small background story about how the painting was born--One day in early autumn, Xu was in his old house in Shanyin (now Shaoxing, Zhejiang), drinking and watching a bunch of purple and black grapes hanging in front of him, when he was imagining how difficultly the grapes come here, a sense of creating desire occurred in his mind. At the same time, the county official Gao required Xu’s painting and calligraphy many times as a “parent official”,  Xu was so tired of Gao’s harass that he wrote a piece of paper named “blue sky a foot high banner”(it means Xu pretended to flatter Gao), and signed as “green vine Xu Wei booked”, then let the old servant send this piece of paper back to official Gao. Xu turned back to the painting case again, thought about Gao’s promotion and his frustrations, he couldn’t stand the unfairness but only could vent grief, anger and resentment. Then the “The Ink Grapes” was finished.

    

    Nowadays, just the method of brushwork, each art style can influence our thoughts, and different audience can have thousands of insights. Not only Xu’s painting, but also other outstanding artists—teaching us how to express exclusive emotions to their own artistic works.

Link: https://www.dpm.org.cn/collection/paint/231318.html