Category: AR257 (Page 6 of 33)

During class we discussed technical aspects of portraits and the way different lighting, position of the figures and what the figures are wearing all effect the way the viewer views the portrait. Portraits that want to convey power and a high status can be conveyed by an upward view of the perspective of the viewer or by having the figure look directly at the viewer. We also discussed the modern day Time Magazine cover of Trump, and the way he is positioned with the chair and his facial expression and how they all influence the way the viewer perceives him.

We then transitioned into the condition of women in the Renaissance. Women did not have power unless they were widowed and inherited their husbands earnings. In art, women were often sexualized, as seen in Venus of Urbino by Titian. The sleeping dog can be interpreted as the lack of fidelity and it is believed the women was a mistress.

During the recorded lecture we discussed many iconic works by Van Eyck, Leonardo da Vinci and Holbein. Initially we talked about the Mona Lisa and how it represents the technicality of Leonardo’s portrait and his interest geometry and mathematics. I found it interesting how the Mona Lisa herself and the background of the portrait is the same color scheme, which adds a sense of unity and makes it look like she is a part of her environment. The light hits the central axis and her body follows the thirds rule, giving a balance to the portrait.

We also discussed Van Eyck’s Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife work and the many disguised symbols that represents the scene depicted in the piece-the joining of hands in marriage. There is a dog, representing fidelity and the peaches represent fertility. It is interesting how the man is on the side of the window, alluding to where he does his work and business while the women is on the side of the bed representing her domestic realm where she stays. There is also a candle burning on the chandelier representing the stage of marriage the two people are in the middle of. The candle goes out when the marriage is finalized, showing that the two are still in the process of marriage.

This lecture was especially interesting because of our conversation of gender portrayal in which we learned about the importance of jewelry as a means of showing status. This was exemplified in Titian, Eleonora Gonzaga. 1536-38. Oil on canvas, 44.8 x 40.5 in. (114 x 103 cm). Florence: Uffizi with her own jewelry and expensive clothing/lace. We also talked a lot about Mona Lisa and Leonardo’s choice in following a trend in which the sitter is placed at 3/4. Lots of conscious decisions went into this work including the placement of object and the sitter to present a centered scene. As a result, a relationship between the sitter and the environment is created.

In this class, we talked about many different portraits. I learned that silver point portraits which don’t last as long from Jan Van Eyck, Cardinal Niccolo Albergati (?), 1431(?), silverpoint, Dresden: Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden . We learned that these prints can be shown for 3 months and then they have to rest for a few years. Additionally, we talked about facial structure and the way that a sitter can hold their jaw in order to create a certain appearance of wealth and status.

One main difference I noticed between a privately commissioned Book of Hours and one produced more generally was the difference in detail and subject of the detail. The Grandes Heures of Anne of Brittany is heavily illuminated with idealized images. However, we can tell this prayer book is specific to Anne of Brittany because the borders contain images of plants that are identified by name. These details were included because Anne of Brittany was heavily invested in her garden. In contrast, schools such as the Ghent-Bruge School of Illumination also produced heavily ornated manuscripts for sale. These books contain the same level of detail but are more general with their designs. Common designs seem to be seashells and other more picturesque florals.

Furthermore, I was fascinated by the baby Jesus Christ dolls because they seem to be an early form of toy dolls. This was interesting to me because it seems to parallel the usage of prayer figures where there’s the belief that how you treat the figure is correlated to your own life.

This recorded class continued our discussion of the role of women in Rennaisance art by examining manuscripts. Jean Pucelle’s Hours of Jeanne d’Evreux, created for the Queen of France, represents a shift from previous books of hours. I found it interesting how the artist was able to influence many other works and the manuscript was considered important enough to be included in the succession of the kingdom. The use of grisaille and a little color allows the material to show through and makes images feel borderless. The juxtaposition of events from different parts of theological stories prompts deeper thought from the viewer and helps clarify the importance or relevance of the prayer on each page. Similarly, scenes in the bas-de-page support and add context to the main scenes. It was interesting how this work differed from but also seemed reflected in the Grandes Heures of Anne of Britanny, which emphasizes luxury through gold paint and adds frames within images that appear realistic. The artist utilized both extremely real-looking depictions for plants and insects and highly idealized imagery for religious scenes. The different styles between the two types of image reflected the interests of the patron and a difference in intent by the artist when depicting each subject.

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 Tuesday’s recorded lecture, we continued discussing the women of the Renaissance. I was most fascinated by Jean Pucelle’s work because it was so different from previous books of hours, and it became an extremely influential work for other artists. It is incredible that this was done using mostly all grisaille—especially because each page is so impactful even without color (for the most part). The structure of the book is designed to make the reader compare and contrast the early moments of Christ’s life with the later ones, which I thought was a really interesting and inspired idea on the part of Pucelle. That style of reflection is not one that is traditionally encouraged in the Catholic Church, but finding new ways to engage with the gospel is important for remaining engaged in prayer, and this reflects Pucelle’s genius in putting the manuscript together the way that he did. The addition of the social commentary in the bas-de-page was also fascinating and provides a small window into the way the stories from the Bible were being received by the public at the time that this manuscript was published.

In this class we continued our analysis of portraits. We began with Time’s Trump cover. The connections between the chair used in the image and the metonymy of the throne and ruler interested me. The flaws in the chair invoke issues of leadership, and Trump’s position in shadowy 3/4 view makes him seem slightly menacing. Discussion then moved to the roles of women in art and society. Lotto’s Portrait of a Woman displays a clear effort by Lucretia Vallier to present herself as a modern reflection of the values embodied by the ancient Lucretia. She appears dignified and honorable, which supports the painting’s possible purpose as a commemoration of the sitter’s wedding. A similar goal is seen in Gheeraerts the Younger’s Queen Elizabeth, which depicts the ruler as significantly younger and standing over a globe, symbolizing and exagerating the extensive reach of the nation she ruled. The power and status of the figure is made clear. Finally, works such as Titian’s Venus of Urbino conveyed a very different message, depicting more sexualized figures and emphasizing that aspect instead of power.

In this lecture, we talked about the women in Renaissance appearing as painting objects, patrons, and artists. The images of women in the Renaissance are often depicted as totally or partially naked and thus contain erotic meaning to please patrons and customers, who were mostly men in the Renaissance. Some examples include Lucas Cranach the Elder and Titian’s Venus of Urbino. In the latter one, it is interesting to notice the dog that falls asleep. Because the dog is always characterized as a symbol of fidelity, its sleeping status reveals a “turn off” of the woman’s fidelity in the image, as she is naked and enticing. The room in the background is in contemporary adoration, so as the way the woman’s hair is done. These details indicate that the image may be the patron’s wife or mistress instead of Venus. In Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger’s Queen Elizabeth I, the queen looks young and huge and is standing on the map with sun and moon behind her figure. Such a design interestingly expresses the message that she is the ruler of anything (space of world) and anytime (day and night).