Today in class, we discussed the idea of making art for art’s sake. Previously, art had been primarily used to convey morals, political ambitions, and the will of the patron in general. However, this soon began to change. Giambologna’s masterwork, Rape of the Sabine Woman, was an excellent example of this shift. His work was primarily created to demonstrate his virtuosity in depicting human forms, rather than to convey a moral. Speaking to this is the fact that the work was named after it was completed. This demonstrates his primary goal: demonstration of talent. This tradition is continued even today, through artists such as Jackson Pollack and his splatter paint works.
Author: Lydia Burke (Page 1 of 3)
In this class, we focused on the region of city- sates that comprises modern- day Italy. We discussed how Italian cities were arranged, often drawing upon ancient Roman models. All of these cities had tow main roads that intersected, the Cardo and Decumanus. The town square was also vital, especially in places such as Florence. Typically, the Duomo, or the Cathedral, was the focal point of an Italian city, rising to prominence above the city with both its bell tower and dome.
At the beginning of class, we discussed the transition to artists selling their art on the open market. Now, art was not only made for a specific commissioner, but to be sold to anyone who wished to buy a work. This changed the subject matter and techniques in art considerably. Firstly, artists now had fewer constraints from their patrons, and could be more creative with their work. Because of this, artist’ names themselves became more important, as the artist was now more important than patron. This competitive art market led to virtuosity and specialization, as artists competed to sell their work.
We also dedicated a lot of class time to discussing the Dutch artist Peter Bruegel. One of his most notable works is the Netherlandish Proverbs. This painting embodies over a hundred proverbs. This allows it to serve as both a piece of art and a conversation piece. Bruegel’s landscapes and scenes of everyday people were truly a step away from traditional art of the time.
Today in class, we started by discussing the Intarsia technique. This was the practice of cutting and arranging wood in an almost mosaic- like pattern to create a scene without the use of any paint. Different types of wood were used for different shades. A notable example of this technique can be found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, called the Studiolo Palazzo ducale, from Urbino. The work creates three dimensional domestic interiors on a flat wall. This creates the illusion of a larger room, and adds depth to the walls.
Later on, we discussed Botticelli’s Primavera. In this painting, we see the goddess Venus. She is depicted as more of a goddess of love and marriage, rather than lust. She is dressed modestly, and is wearing a set of pearls around her neck. These are meant to represent purity, and the flames on her dress are meant to represent the flame of love. Her outfit signifies her divine meaning.
In today’s recorded lecture, Professor Plesch discussed women in Renaissance art, both as patrons and artists. We began the lecture by looking at some illuminated manuscripts. One that stood out to me was Jean Pucelle’s book of hours, commissioned for Jeanne D’Evrereux. What was so interesting about this particular manuscript was the way in which it was referred to. This was one of the first Books of Hours referred to by the authors name, as it was called the “Hours of Pucelle.” This is notable because it was one of the first times during the Renaissance where the artist was credited in the title of their work.
Another point I found to be interesting was the role that Lavinia Fontana’s self portraits played. They were done to establish herself as a cultured woman, but they also served to help find her a husband. By painting an easel in the back, she can reassure the family of her future husband that she will both be a cultured and dutiful wife, but will also help to contribute to the family’s income through her art.
Today in class, we discussed portraiture further. To start class off, we discussed the article that we read for homework about Trump’s Time Magazine cover. Upon first glance, one may question why such a controversial figure was chosen. However, when engaging at close looking, a more subversive message begins to emerge. First, the color palette utilized reflects the antiquated social values of the 40s and 50s that Trump ran his campaign on. Additionally, the position he is sitting in and the way he is turning his head makes him a shadowy and frightening figure.
We also discussed nude depictions of women in Renaissance art. Many of these images were made for male pleasure, including the Venus of Urbino. It is known for a fact that this portrait is not of the goddess Venus, but perhaps the Duke’s mistress or a prostitute. This is further reinforced by the dog sleeping at her feet, which reflects putting aside the value of fidelity.
A big theme in today’s lecture was portraiture as a form of manipulation. We discussed how portraiture was meant to project a calculated image of the sitter to the viewer of the work of art. First, we discussed the Mona Lisa. DaVinci highlights her forehead, chest, and hands in order to create a defined center line, drawing the viewer’s eyes in. Next, we discussed the portrait of Elizabeth the I. This painting is not entirely naturalistic, as she is depicted standing on top of a globe. This was meant to reflect her role as ruler, and emphasize that to the viewer as well, reinforcing her power. Lastly, we also talked about the portrait of Isabella D’Este by Titian. During the time the portrait was painted, she was actually in her sixties, but she looks much younger in this painting. This was done in order to reflect the idealization of rulers in Europe. This manipulation reflects her socio economic and political status. Portraiture was manipulated in order to project preferential messages about the sitters.
Today in class, we analyzed our classmates’ selfies. We started out with a selfie of Kim Kardashian holding up an “I voted” sticker. We talked about how the suggestive nature of her head tilt and cleavage was at odds with the supposedly serious political message she was trying to convey.
We also talked about how angles are used to capture items and scenery in the background. Noah was trying to show off the ski mountain in the back of his selfie, so he took it at a high angle, and Lily was trying to show off Miller library in the back of her photo. To capture such a wide scene, she placed her weight on her back leg so she could extend her arm.
In my selfie, I was trying to show off my new winter coat. You can see my mirror and closet in the back, which shows what I was doing right before I took the photo. I took the coat out of the closet and then looked at it in the mirror before snapping the picture.
Today, towards the end of class, we discussed the emergence of portraiture during the Renaissance. At first, during the 14th century, portraiture was done in profile view, reminiscent of how they would be drawn on ancient coins. The frontal view was reserved for God, so artists found this the best way to depict people. However, this style soon began to evolve. Next, artists began drawing people with their heads turned at a 3/4 view. I found this both innovative and strange. I can see the benefit of drawing subjects at this angle, as it shows off much more of their face than a profile view would. However, it is also very easy to make a face look very distorted and odd at this angle.
Today in class, we discussed The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. One concept thatI felt was particularly compelling was numerology. This is the study pf numbers and the meanings ascribed to them, in art specifically in this case. In this painting, we can see two numbers that appear as recurring themes. The first is three, which alludes to the Holy Trinity, as well as the three theological virtues. The number three is manifested in the painting as we see the apostles in groups of three. Additionally, there are three windows behind the group, the largest of which is placed behind Christ, acting as his halo. The number four is also a recurring theme in the painting. This number is meant to evoke the four gospels and the cardinal virtues. We see the number in the panels on the walls, of which there are four. There are four groups of apostles as well.