Author: Noam Reinhorn (Page 2 of 3)

In today’s class, we returned from spring break by discussing the Rococo period. We discussed the shift from architectures focus on exteriors to more interiors and designs. I thought this was very interesting as when I think about modern architecture similar ideals are followed. The interior of a building or a room is equally as important as the exterior. This made me think of the new Gordon center here at Colby. From the outside the building is very nice, but not necessarily something that leaves a lasting impact. To the contrary the interior has sharp lines, variety of materials, a multitude of spaces, and additional variety of design features that make it significant.

I found the pastel and painterly elements of the Rococo paintings to be very compelling. They allow the subject matter to be prominent and not dominated by artistic elements. Rather, the style of the period amplifies the painter’s subject.

The final painting we looked at in this class was The Rakes Progress by William Hogarth. The subject is odd, but it is still interesting that Hogarth chose to depict this scene. I think it serves as a good example of the creative liberties and freedoms that artists felt in the period.

Today’s class focused on the Baroque period in France and England. I found today’s class particularly interesting, particularly the discussion of absolutism and King Louis XIV. I was not familiar with the concept of a king having gained their power from God himself and found that to be an interesting concept. King Louis played a major role in developing this ideology, likely due to his own insecurities. In his youth he had seen the power of the King challenged and sought to make sure that would not happen again. This then led to the expansion of the palace of Versailles which still stands today.

The sheer scale of Versailles stuck out to me. As a class, we were lucky to be able to look at Ariel and imagine how sprawling the whole complex was. It struck me that people in the period experienced the sheer size differently. Though some would argue that having boots on the ground is the best way to see the expanding complex, an aeriel view does a better job of capturing the scene.

In today’s class, the lecture focused on the Baroque in the Netherlands—much of the lecture centered around Peter Paul Rubens and his accomplishments. One of Rubens’s inspirations was the Italian painter Caravaggio. I am always impressed when artists from this period can draw direct inspiration from each other. As a product of modern technologies myself, I find it difficult to imagine how they were able to inspire each other without the ease of modern technologies that we are lucky enough to have today. After reading about Rubens’s paintings in the textbook before class, it was very interesting to take a closer look at them. His talent is incredibly impressive as well. When looking at the paintings on the larger screen in class, I was more able to appreciate the artistic elements and painterly style. Being able to see the brushwork in the painting adds depth and complexity that I think is very interesting. It is a nice way to acknowledge the process that goes into the impressive paintings, even if these highlight brush strokes are often added at the end. 

In today’s class, we had the opportunity to leave Bixler and spend some time in the museum. We were in the museum and could work very closely with a series of prints and etches. This was an incredible opportunity to use magnifying and get closer to the process than we typically would. Learning about the tools and techniques which the artists used to make the pieces in front of us was another impactful experience. I felt like I was able to get a greater understanding of the artists intentions and the meaning behind the cuts when I better knew the technique.

I found the etches to me the most intriguing. The process of dipping the metal plates in acid was very interesting. I am very curious how this process was discovered, wether it was intentional in improving an art form or if it was a fortunate accident. Additionally we talked a little bit about modern techniques, but this stuck out as something that could have evolved. I theorize that adding electricity to the added acid bath would add an additional chemical reaction that could add complexity to the etch. I am excited to keep learning about this art form as it has been new to me through this class.

In class today, we continued our discussion of Baroque art. One of the highlights of our discussion was learning about Gianlorenzo Bernini, regarded as one of the greatest sculptors ever. Of all of his talent, the speed at which he was able tp sculp was particually impressive. For example he completed his sculpture David In just 7 months. Creating such an impressive and well regarded sculpture while working at such speed makes the sculpture even more impressive. When you consider sculpture as an art form wotj essentially zero room for error, the feat continues to grow.

Another impressive feat of Bernini is Piazza before St. Peters. I enjoy looking at these public spaces that still exist today as it is much easier to imagine how they were used in history. I also enjoyed that he paid particular attention to the space and was able to hold enough people to witness the pope. This showed how dedicated he was to the pope and serving him.

Today we continued our discussion of high renaissance in the north and mannerism. The first artist that we discussed in class today was Albrecht Durer. The influence of his father who was a goldsmith led him to develop a unique style when he joined an art and print workshop. I found his wood cut to be far more interesting and engaging than his painting though those were also interesting. Woodcut prints are far more uncommon in contemporary art which is why I think I was drawn to it. I also really appreciate how much time and care goes into the process considering there is zero room for error.

I also found the idea that the print was for mass production interesting. It is obvious that artists need to make money in some way but this is the first I remember hearing about a Renaissance artist with this type of entrepreneurial spirit. Durer’s self-portrait is also hard to ignore. Though Professor Plesch described him as someone self-obsessed I wonder if this is just part of his marketing strategy. Though this could be entirely wrong, maybe he thought if he was a more polarizing figure he would be able to sell more art.

Today we spent much of the class discussing Michelangelo. We particularly looked at his painting of the ceiling of the Sistene Chapel. I found this incredibly impressive considering the sheer scale of the operation. Beginning at age 33 he spent 4 years completing the painting. I also did some looking online and he the support of assistants for simple tasks like mixing paint, but they also likely supported him in smaller more unimportant details. I was a little bit surprised when I saw this since I had always heard that he did it entirely himself. Regardless of support it is incredibly impressive.

I also was drawn to the idea that because his painting of the ceiling is so impressive, people forget about the other fantastic paintings throughout the chapel. This almost reminds me of a museum where you cant just walk through and only look at the things that immediately catch your eye. To fully experience the chapel it seems you need to treat it like an art museum and slowly walk through paying close attention to all aspects.

I accidentally posted this in our word press from last semester so that is why it is so late.

In today’s class, we continued our discussion of 15th-century Italy. We focused on the artist Masaccio and his works, which were very significant to the period. What was particularly impressive was how much of an impact and success he had in the short life of only 27 years. The Tribute Money painting is one of his most famous paintings and it has alot to be studied. Like much of artwork at the time the painting is heavily connected to the Bible. He depicted a scene from the Gospel of Mathew, which was not a common scene to be depicted. Since this was an uncommon scene that meant that he had to very closely read and interpret the bible. I found this interesting as alot of biblical art is not particularly unique, since it has been done many times. In this case Masaccio seems to be taking an artistic risk to depict his own interpretation.

I also really enjoyed his style throughout this painting. His understanding of color theory and how to best use color to strengthen elements of the painting was very impressive. We also discussed his use of perspective and the vanishing point. I have found the vanishing point to be a relatively complicated topic, so how well he has mastered it is very impressive.

Today’s class focus was on High Renaissance in Italy. We spent a large part of the class discussing Leonardo da Vinci and all that he accomplished throughout his career. I found his interest and dedication to the human anatomy and how he could best understand it to be very interesting. It is clear that his interest did not only come as artist, but as a scientist and a life long learner. I was particularly surprised that he became certified to perform autopsy, to even further his exploration of the anatomy. This quest for understanding led to some of his veyr famous sketches and discoveries. This in particularly makes you have a greater appreciation for the time, effort, and attention to detail that he puts into the Vitruvian man for example.

Another highlight of our class was the discussion the Last Supper mural. This painting is incredibly famous so I was excited to formally learn about it. I do not think I quite realized the poor condition that the painting was in, or exactly how it was protected during WW2. I always find how wars affect art to be very interesting so it was cool to see the foresight that people had to build up sandbags and protect the painting so that it was able to survive the war.

Today’s class, we began studying 15th-century Italy, a period of the early Renaissance. A major focus of the class was spent discussing the competition for creating a panel on the door of the Baptistry of Saint John which was next to the church. The baptistery and the competition were organized and managed by the guild of wool merchants. The competition used a very small panel made out of bronze, and mounted on wood. The finalists where Brunelleschi and Ghiberti with Ghiberti eventually winning. Though the vistor, his reward of spending twenty years on the baptisty doors may not be as appealling reward to all people. motivated by this failure, Brunelleschi transitioned to a career in architecture, hughlighted by the Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore.

Our analysis of Brunelleschi and Ghiberti was very interesting. It showed how different artists can take the same prompts and then allow their own interpretations and creativity to take them in different directions. The similarities were clear, but there were also glaring differences.

Our discussion of Brunelleschi’s Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore led to Professor Plesch mentioning the Pantheon in Rome. I had heard of the Pantheon, but her declaration that it may be the best building ever made me look into it more. I really enjoyed reading more about the building, its architecture, and how well it has been preserved throughout all of history.