Today, we began by discussing Peter Bruegel the Elder’s The Blind Leading the Blind. I particularly enjoyed this work because I feel it is a great philosophy or saying to have in life. It is based on the bible from Matthew 15: 12-19. This work is set in a contemporary setting in the countryside. We see very elongated forms and a swooping diagonal into the scene. The church is also a dominant building in the background. It is important to note that ambiguity is part of mannerism. We then began to discuss Bruegel’s Harvesters/ Return of the Hunters. The scenes take place in expansive landscapes and have no story. We see scenes of the peasant life and some harmonious interactions of humans with nature. There is great attention to detail and it is cleverly put together. These were painted for the open market.
We then began our discussion on Italian Baroque Art. This consisted of a counter-reformation and the company of Jesus and the Jesuit’s order. We then dove into the drawings of Carraci and noted he focuses on people and does not base them on nature. Annibale Carracci’s, Love of the Gods, Ceiling Fresco is extraordinary. Overall, they are paintings that pretend or make the illusion that they are framed. They are within a gigantic barrel vault, so to obtain this illusion, you must have a certain perspective in which you look at it. This is called trome-l’aeil or trick of the eye. Another work we discussed that I found interesting was Caravaggio’s The Calling of Matthew. This was the first public commission and involved a scene in the gospels with Matthew and Luke. It is interesting that they are all dressed in all’antica or “stage clothes”. The setting is also contemporary, and we observe the same gesture of Christ to the Creation of Adam. Christ is the new “Adam” and reverses the original sin.