Today we began our discussion of the Rococo period, starting with a look at the “Hôtel Particulier,” the place of living for the nobility in Paris. These rooms signified the change in focus by architects from facade to interior, which was a large change from the works of previous periods. Instead of focusing on the view of others, the architects started to focus on the decor for the owners, allowing them to have a more pleasant sight in each room. We looked at the works of several Rococo painters, which highlighted their interesting choices in color and elements, showing a focus on the subject of the painting, not the extra additions. The Rococo is an interesting period of art, and its deviation from the norm is striking in the choices of the artists.
Author: Spencer Cohen (Page 2 of 3)
In today’s class we focused on the Baroque in France, beginning with a primary focus on the entire Palace of Versailles and the works inside it. Having been to Versailles before, it is absolutely fascinating to see the scale that Versailles was built on, and the lengths that Louis went to show his absolute power over the nobility. The Hall of Mirrors is especially impressive due to the massive cost that was undertaken in order to import the expensive mirrors for the room. We then moved briefly to a discussion of some baroque painters, such as Poussin and Lorrain. The works of Poussin, especially The Abduction of the Sabine Women, struck me as strange, given that it portrays a chaotic scene yet seems to show little action regardless of that fact.
In today’s class we discussed the Baroque in the Netherlands, focusing primarily on the works of Peter Paul Rubens. We discussed Rubens’ Elevation of the Cross, which was clearly influenced by previous triptychs and the Sistine Chapel paintings by Michelangelo. We covered the Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns, which was an argument between the Poussinists and the Rubenists long after both were dead. It was interesting to see the massive influence of Caravaggio in the works of Rubens as well, as he lived such a short life and yet had a huge influence over many famous painters in the decades after his death. Rubens’ choice to show the brushwork in his painting was an interesting change from the normal, and it was cool to see that technique be prevalent in the works of other artists such as Hals and other Dutch artists.
In today’s class we took a trip outside of the classroom to visit the Colby Art Museum. We visited the museum to take a look at several woodcuts, etchings, and prints up close. This was an excellent opportunity to see firsthand some of the techniques we had discussed previously in class and allowed me to get a better understanding of the process of creating these works. These techniques, especially the use of an acid bath to create the works, were incredibly interesting to learn about. I was also fascinated by the print of Mucius Scaevola, a Roman hero whom I had previously learned about. His tale is fascinating, and I was surprised to see a print of him in the Colby collection. Overall it was a fascinating trip, and well worth the excursion from normal class.
In today’s class we continued our discussion of the Italian Baroque period, focusing on the works of Gianlorenzo Bernini. Bernini is renowned for his prowess as a sculptor, which was very clear in his David and The Ecstasy of St. Teresa. Bernini portrayed emotion excellently and carved stone into an incredibly lifelike portrayal of the scene he was representing. Not only is that impressive, but he was able to accomplish this lightning fast, making sculptures at an impressive speed.
We touched on Spanish art after we discussed Italy, looking at some Spanish still life and the work of Jusupe de Ribera and Diego Velasquez. We focused on Velasquez’ Las Meninas, which shows an interesting scene, one which has Velasquez himself in it. This work is impressive and certainly deserves the high regard it receives.
In today’s class we wrapped up our discussion of the Northern High Renaissance with a brief discussion of Bruegel, and then started our discussion of Baroque Art, focusing primarily on Italian Baroque works and Caravaggio. We explored the use of light and dark in his works The Calling of Matthew and Judith and her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes, two very intriguing paintings created by Caravaggio. We then closed with a discussion of Artemisia Gentileschi, a painter with a tragic background who constructed several very interesting paintings. Gentileschi did an excellent job of conveying her emotions in her work and was inspired greatly by the works of Caravaggio by using similar techniques as him in her works.
Today we continued our discussion of Mannerism and started talking about the Northern High Renaissance. Our first main work for discussion was Albrecht Durer’s The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, an incredibly well-done woodcut. Durer’s work was fascinating, as it was clear to see that he had immense skill in his craft, constructing the woodcut in ways that very few could replicate. We discussed his self-portrait, which amusingly showed his narcissistic tendencies, as he portrayed himself as looking very similar to Christ.
We discussed the Isenheim Altarpiece by Grunewald, which portrays a ghastly scene and gives references to a few works that we have previously discussed. Finally, we quickly looked at Jean de Dinteville and Georges de Selve by Holbein, which was a very interesting painting, mostly due to the way that the skull at the bottom was shown. Holbein made a very strange artistic choice by only making the skull look normal from an unnatural perspective, but it was interesting to see it done well.
In today’s class we wrapped up our discussion of the High Renaissance and began our discussion of Mannerism and the later works of Michelangelo. Since he was the main focus of class today, we spent a lot of time analyzing his works on the Sistine Chapel Ceiling. The amount of work Michelangelo put in to create this masterpiece is absolutely staggering. I found it interesting how we are still uncertain why he included certain aspects of the paintings, given that one would assume it would be fairly obvious why each part of the paintings was included.
We briefly touched on other Mannerist artists and works, such as Madonna of the Long Neck by Parmigianino. These works were very interesting, since there is a level of abstraction in each work that we haven’t really seen before. The shift that took place into Mannerist works is fascinating, as there really is a very noticeable difference between these works and the works that were made before the era began.
In today’s class we focused primarily on the High Renaissance in Italy. We first wrapped up our discussion of Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, before shifting gears to look at the works of Leonardo da Vinci. We covered Leonardo’s interest in a vast number of topics, focusing on the relationship between the macrocosm and the microcosm. Leonardo seemed to follow a funny trend of getting bored of a lot of the work he started, and moving on to projects he found more interesting.
We looked at a few of Leonardo’s paintings, such as Madonna on the Rocks and we took a while to study The Last Supper, where Leonardo unsurprisingly experimented, leading the painting to be in a lot of disrepair. We touched briefly on the Mona Lisa, and why it is so famous, then closed with a look at some of the architecture of the time. This class provided a fascinating insight into some of the most popular works of art ever, and it was incredibly interesting to learn more about the process behind Leonardo’s creations.
Today in class we continued with our study of 15th-century Italian art, shifting our focus towards Masaccio for most of the class. We learned a little about Masaccio, and how he died incredibly young, yet was still able to create several fantastic works of art. We focused closely on The Tribute Money, which Masaccio painted for the private chapel of the Brancacci family in Florence. The way he constructed the painting was incredibly impressive, as he did not depict the scene from left to right (as would normally be done), and yet he managed to draw your eyes in the right direction.
We touched on a few more Masaccio paintings, learning about his use of light and color, and then shifted focus toward Florentine architecture, which bore similarities to the Palazzo Vecchio from a century earlier. Everything was done to make a statement about the power of the owners of the palace, a common theme of the time. Finally, we studied the Battle of San Romano and looked at its strange depiction of a battle, which seemed neither gruesome nor horrific.