Category: Uncategorized (Page 33 of 48)

To begin today’s class, we looked at the “Allegory with Venus and Cupid” by Agnolo Bronzino. Bronzino was known for his mannerism painting, one of the characteristics specifically being a confusing composition and characters. This specific painting was commissioned by one of the Medici’s as a gift to the King of France. Some of the characters believed to be in this painting are Father Time, who can be seen holding a clock, while unveiling the scene through a curtain we see. The goddess Venus and her son Cupid are presented in the center of the scene. The figure in the background is holding honey in one hand and a scorpion in the other. Honey represents happiness and love whereas the scorpion represents danger and death. The hands of this figure are reversed, signifying mannerism art which was known for its unusual and puzzling elements. On the one hand, time is revealing love and the amazing things that come with love, but on the other side, we see the dangers of love at times and jealousy that can stem from it.

We then transitioned to the High Renaissance in Northern Europe. The Protestant Reformation played an enormous role in Northern Europe during this era. We then spoke about Albrecht Durer, one of the most famous and important artists from this period. He is referred to as the “German Leonardo” as he had lots of different artistic talents like printmaking and painting, like Leonardo was so multi-talented. Both of their works are extremely well known to this day. One of Durer’s most famous pieces we discussed is “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” part of a larger series of woodcuts made in 1498. Printmaking allowed Durer’s work to be mass produced more easily transferable across villages, which helped to expand his popularity. The four horsemen consist of death, famine, war, and conquest, who all kill creatures as they ride away. We also discussed some of his other pieces, how he signed them all, and his potentially narcissistic personality.

I thought today was really awesome, the Northern Renaissance is one of my favorite periods of art history. First, however, we finished up the Late Renaissance by discussing some of Branzino’s works as a way of discussing the important features of Late Renaissance allegory and portraiture. After that we jumped right into the Northern Renaissance, starting off with Dürer. I didn’t realize that his father was a goldsmith and that at least in a poetic sense, engraving and woodcutting were in Dürer’s blood. His prints and sketches are spectacular, and his ability to bring what is essentially chiaroscuro to his prints through deep and shallow hatching shows his understanding of both woodcarving and the Italic artistic vocabulary.

It was cool to discuss how Dürer also capitalized on fears of the Last Judgement coming in the year 1500 through his Apocalypse prints, perhaps he was the first artist-capitalist. His paintings don’t do it for me, they seem somehow blander than those of the Italian Renaissance. It was cool to learn, however, that the idea that artists should be members of the elite intelligentsia (as depicted by Dürer’s humanist pursuits and his Salvador Mundi self-portrait) made its way to Northern Europe alongside, of course, Renaissance pictorial ideals.

It was interesting to learn, however, that the Northern Renaissance saw both the influx of the Italian artistic vocabulary alongside the resurgence of local artistic traditions. We mentioned this briefly in class as it related to naturalism; specifically how the Northern artists we more concerned with faithfully depicting details of a natural scene while Italian artists were interested in how the systems of nature interacted with each other. The Isenheim Altarpiece is a perfect example of an artist sticking to a traditional, almost Medieval, artistic style. The center panel depicts a grotesque and contorted Christ bleeding out on the cross in a bleak landscape. The suffering of Christ is at the forefront of the image, an important moral message for the intended audience of the altarpiece (i.e. those afflicted by ergotism). The gloomy and gut-wrenching scenes of the closed altarpiece are contrasted nicely with the joyous scenes of the open altarpiece, particularly the ethereal Resurrection. The many colors that emanate from Christ’s body cast him (in his resurrected form) as a wholly heavenly being. Considering that ergotism typically causes hallucinations, I wonder what it might have been like for the patients to see such a uniquely colorful and textured altarpiece. In any case, the panel suggests a hopeful message, a reminder of the pure and holy forms the patients could assume after death.

Today we began class by discussing the mother of all ceiling frescoes, Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Ceiling. Having seen the ceiling in person, I can speak to its utter magnificence and structural grandeur. I had no idea, however, that the scenes Michelangelo depicted correspond to different Christian epochs. That is to say, I didn’t know much about the order of the ceiling which I think adds a whole lot of significance to the work overall. Starting at the top with the Ante Legem period, and then moving into the period during/after the life of Christ allows us as viewers to move from the far biblical past to where we stand in the present. I think the brolic figures of Michelangelo’s frescoes speak to his refined understanding of human musculature, and his ability to faithfully contort the forms (particularly those of the sibyls) speaks to his magnificent skills as a painter.

We used this discussion of the contortion of Michelangelo’s figures as a jumping-off point into Mannerism. I think the shift from the serene and balanced compositions of the High Renaissance to the fluid (and perhaps, turbulent) compositions of Mannerism is closely tied to the Sack of Rome in 1527, and perhaps the wider political and social instability of the Italian peninsula at this time, but we didn’t really touch on this in class. Anyway, I’m quite ambivalent towards Mannerist art. I think Pontormo’s Pietà is really beautiful and an emotionally charged and expressively colorful image that uses the serpentine form to its compositional benefit, while Parmigianino’s Madonna of the Long Neck is just straight-up weird to me. Long Neck is a bit abstract, which I don’t necessarily think is a bad thing (in fact, I think it is cool that the painting continues the tradition of the Nativity being paralleled with the Lamentation), but the exaggeration and intense lengthening of the figures’ limbs (particularly Jesus’) just seems to me like a poor understanding of proportions on behalf of Parmigianino.

To begin today’s class, we studied the “Allegory with Venus and Cupid” painting by Agnolo Bronzino. Bronzino was known for his mannerist style of painting and no one really know what is going on in this painting, which was typical for art at the time. The subject matter of this artwork is important, as it was commissioned by one of the Medici’s as a gift to the King of France. Toward the top of the painting, Father Time can be seen holding a clock, while unveiling the scene we see. The goddess Venus and her son Cupid are presented in the center of the scene. The figure in the background is holding honey in one hand and a scorpion in the other. Honey represents happiness and love whereas the scorpion represents danger and death. The hands of this figure are reversed, signifying mannerism art which was known for its unusual and puzzling elements. This figure represents a hybrid character. On the one hand, time is revealing love and the amazing things that come with love, but on the other side, we see the dangers of love at times and jealousy that can stem from it.

We then transitioned to the High Renaissance in Northern Europe. The Protestant Reformation played an enormous role in Northern Europe during this era. Martin Luther criticizes the church, writing his 95 Theses criticizing the papacy. The most famous artist in this era was Albrecht Durer. He is referred to as the “German Leonardo” because he has lots of different talents similar to Leonardo and his work is extremely well known in the region to this day. One of Durer’s most famous paintings is his “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” which was made in 1498. Durer used woodcut to create this painting and it is part of a larger series of prints on the “Book of Revelations.” Durer used print making to mass produce his paintings and more easily transfer them across villages, which expanded his popularity massively. The four horsemen consist of death, famine, war, and conquest, who all kill creatures as they ride away. The artwork portrayed the fear in the turn of the millennial in 1500.

This class saw us finishing up Mannerism art in Italy, and began to venture northward into the Protestant reformation. The Allegory of Venus by Agnolo Bronzino particularly embodied the decorative and symbolic weirdness of the Mannerist style. At this juncture, art is becoming increasingly subjective and available for viewer analysis. More often than in the past, artists are discarding traditional depictions of things, and leaning into a personal style or a specific motif. Although the north was dealing with much different pressures than Italy, there is a common theme of artists becoming more prominent through their own works–as opposed to only being employed by a ruler.

Albrecht Durer is a fantastic example of an artist finding a niche and becoming successful, both as a talented artist, and as a commonly known print producer. Growing up under the tutelage of this father, a goldsmith, Albrecht was able to later use goldsmith techniques in the creation of engravings that later made him famous. His woodcuts too, were stepping away from the tradition of art serving another purpose, and began to embrace the idea of art existing to be admired and talked about. Through his monogram, and catering to the fears of the day, he became known commonly as an artist who pushed the medium of prints. That idea, of conversation pieces, and pushing the envelope of what art should be is true of the Mannerists as well.

In today’s class, we finished discussing Mannerist art and how it can be perceived as “weird.” We looked into Agnolo, Bronzino, and his Allegory with Venus and Cupid Piece. As Professor Plesch said, this artwork was created to be a “conversation piece.” People could sit down and discuss the many scenes occurring and why they might be added to this painting. Another portrait from Angnolo is the portrait of Eleonora and her son. We talked about the many things that stood out to us when looking at this piece, including her exquisite and expensive dress with pearls covering it and the vibrant blue background symbolizing the virgin.

We then moved into the High Renaissance in Northern Europe. Albrecht Bürer, a famous artist of this time, was born in Germany. He monogrammed every piece of art he created and had many influential pieces. We looked into his Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse woodcut piece made in 1498, which was meticulously carved out and detailed. Bürer also did a lot of sketches. His sketch and watercolor of the rabbit was one of my favorites since a lot of time and precision must have gone into his creating it.

Our discussion of the Mannerist style was continued with Bronzino. His painting Allegory with Venus and Cupid exhibits this style well with the organized chaos and confusing scene. There are multiple figures who are difficult to identify, with ideas including from Fraud, Folly, Jealousy, Envy, Syphilis, and Pleasure. Erotic themes are present with Venus appearing to kiss her son Cupid and simply weird elements like a snake body with lions feet, Pleasure holding a honeycomb in one hand and scorpion in another, and the right and left hands switched. Another painting by Bronzino, a portrait of Eleonora member of the Medici family, is more refined. Meant to exhibit wealth, status, and the family’s male heir, Eleonora is displayed similarly to the Virgin. The rich blue background and height in the portrait, giving viewers the impression of Eleonora looking down on them, are attributed to this idea.

The second part of class was spent on the High Renaissance in Northern Europe. Albrecht Dürer is one of the most famous German artists during this time. His wooden prints like The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse exhibit intense detail that required patience and skill to carve out. Inspired by the millennial fear of the upcoming year 1500, Dürer represented death, famine, war, and conquest as vicious horsemen taking over. As a print, his images could be mass produced and as a result were widespread. A second impression of him as an artist is his self portrait. Painted in a full frontal view, his appearance imitates that of paintings of Christ. He gives off a self-confident and narcissistic air, and is clearly impressed with his own artistic ability.

Last Wednesday we wrapped up the High Renaissance period, beginning class with Michelangelo’s, Awakening Prisoners and his Dying Slave. Michelangelo believed sculpting with stone was the most ideal form of art. Moving on, our class studied a marble sculpture by Michelangelo, Pieta. The sculpture depicts Christ’s body removed from the cross and laid across the Virgin Mary’s lap. The sculpture is gentle as Mary’s face looks down on Christ with a calm demeanor. As a class we spoke about the work’s symbolic meaning of Mary’s young features, perhaps referencing Christ as a baby in her arms. This sculpture displays many of the goals of the High Renaissance period: harmony (through the draped clothes), ideal forms, balance (through Christ’s body laying evenly across Mary), and pyramidal form.

Moving along in class, we began discussing and learning about Mannerism. A drastic change from High Renaissance to Mannerism brought forward a few necessary changes between religious and political shifts that are necessary to be spoken about. The Medici family thus returns to power in 1530 and the protestants break apart. Through art, we began to see a departure from primary colors, contorted body positions, and an overall shift from simplicity to complexity. To finish class, we looked at two Parmigiano works: Self Portrait in a Convex Mirror and Madonna of the Long Neck. Madonna of the Long Neck draws a bridge from the High Renaissance period, given it holds many changes in style. This work caught my attention, specifically the detail of the work’s unfinished elements, her long and large baby in her arms, elongated neck, an imbalance of figures (almost all figures are crammed on the left side of the work), and refined, rich beauty held by the Virgin.

class eight-4-march

Today in class we discussed how paintings were often seen as a conversation piece especially when held by a person higher up on society like a king or other royalty. Mannerism paintings with confusing combinations of people and actions provide a combination of deep meanings that are still up for debate today serve as these conversation piece painting. Dürer was known as the German Leonardo for his renaissance man qualities. He was particularly skilled with engravings (He was skilled as a engraver because his father ws a goldsmith and he learned that trade as a young person… similar skills are needed to be an engraver)

which he printed with a signed monogram to stamp his identity on the prints. The prints were sold throughout Europe giving Dürer wide spread fame. He was an extremely skilled engraver, weaving all kinds of balance in composition extreme detail and complex meaning into his master engravings. With the 15th century just starting, Dürer sold apocalyptic themed engravings printed from silver sheets. The apocalyptic themed prints sold well at the turn of the century, playing into Popeyes fear and interest. Dürer also does detailed drawings and watercolors, (bunny, weeds extreme detail and natural beauty) observing the natural world like Leonardo, but instead of focused on the details and how everything looks and not the broad patterns spanning multiple focuses zoomed out on earth. He also pints a self portrait with his monogram and a signature. He ends up depicting himself looking like christ, possibly signifying he sees himself as a

We opened class today by concluding our discussion about Mannerism by analyzing two works by Agnolo Bronzino: Allegory with Venus and Cupid and Portrait of Eleonora da Toleda and Her Son Giovanni de Medici.

The Portrait of Eleonora particularly stood out to me. Her stoic expression and upwards location on the canvas felt as though she was looking down at the viewer. This oil painting was definitely one of the more impersonal portraits that I have seen in this class, functioning solely as a display of wealth and status, as well as the presentation of a male heir.

We then transitioned to talking about the High Renaissance in Northern Europe through the analyses of various works by Albrecht Durer: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Self-Portrait, Watercolors, Four Books on Human Proportions, and Adam and Eve.

I found interesting the amount of progress seen in just a couple of decades with woodcuts. We compared The Four Horsemen to Buxheim St. Christopher and the difference was immense. Whereas St. Christopher’s purpose was clearly solely as a devotional image, Durer’s woodcut felt more like a work of art and expression.

Durer’s Self Portrait, in my opinion, is quite narcissistic, although Prof. Plesch did make a fascinating point about comparing an artist to a creator and the ideal of christlike features in Christianity.

We compared Durer’s Great Piece of Turf watercolor to Leonardo da Vinci’s Star of Bethlehem, and recognized that da Vinci was more of a detail oriented artist, studying the way that systems work as a whole, whereas Durer was moreso big-picture. However, we continued to compare Durer’s study of Vitruvian anatomy with da Vinci’s — in my opinion, the artists are not so different, especially compared to other Northern European artists of the time, which seem to retain a more traditional Germanic style.

I particularly appreciated the representation of the humors via the animals in Adam and Eve… the engraving is full to the brim of scenes of tension and drama. Durer perfectly encapsulated a moment in which the temperments are completely balanced, and yet about to break as the original sin is committed.

We continued by analyzing Matthias Grunewald’s Isenheim Altarpiece, which is a good example of a northern European High Renaissance artist maintaining a more traditional, medieval style. The crucifixion panel was absolutely brutal and expressionistic — I felt uncomfortable…in a good way.

We concluded class by looking at Hans Holbein the Younger’s Jean de Dinteville and Georges de Selve (The Ambassadors), which might be my favorite piece we’ve covered this year. The anamorphosis blows my mind each time, and the message of looming death despite human achievement (religious and secular) is absolutely haunting.