Paris: A Rainy Day by Caillebotte

A depiction of the city's great modernization, Paris: A Rainy Day by Caillebotte was created in 1877 during the Impressionism Art Era. It almost looks like a photograph, because of the human gestures and attention to detail. There are a great amount of pedestrians walking around; Caillebotte depicted this extremely realistically. This painting struck out to me immediately because of the triangular shape building in the background. I visited London last year, and noticed that there were many of the buildings were shaped triangularly, especially around metropolitan areas such as Westminster Abbey. It was quite the sight! The painting has the same feeling to it as I had when I visited London as can be seen through the cobbled roads, multitude of working people, the dreary weather, and architecture. 

Claude Monet in His Studio Boat, by Edouard Manet

Manet created Claude Monet in His Studio Boat in 1874, during the Impressionism Art Era. Manet used oil on canvas to create this fascinating painting. Interestingly, Manet was influenced by the younger generation, including Monet. During this time, artists would usually just paint in their studios. However, Monet defied the norm and went outside and painted in his boat. They are able to accurately depict nature, it is transient. Manet captured the abstract patterns of the water (as can subsequently see the colors), and a scene of Monet painting the landscape. This is the first time we are seeing an artist painting the landscape, while being outside (on a boat at that), so this painting is extremely interesting. 

Among the Sierra Nevada Mountains, California by Albert Bierstadt

Out of all the paintings we have studied this semester, Bierstadt's Among the Sierra Nevada Mountains, California has been one of my favorites. Created in 1868 during the Romantic Era, this painting depicts the awe-inspiring view of the American West. It is a large painting: around 6 feet by 10 feet. Personally, I am a huge fan of landscape photography, so this painting is of special interest to me. The use of detail, the sunlight hitting the water, and the nature backdrop is mesmerizing. In fact, the painting looks so realistic, that some may mistake it as a photograph. Around this time, landscape painting started to become very popular during the Romanticism era in America. 

The Nightmare by Henry Fuseli

Henry Fuseli created The Nightmare in 1781, using oil paint on canvas. The painting itself is not very large: it is about 4 feet by 4 feet. During this period in Art History, Romanticism started to become very popular. Romanticism focused on freedom, and the ability to be free in all aspects of life, including places of worship and individual thought. It is easily to note that this painting marks the beginning of Romanticism, as the artist fully expresses his thoughts. Fuseli was actually famous for his dark themes, and he was very intrigued by the night (and many time the nightmares that accompany it). The story line is very interesting; it depicts a sleeping woman, with a demon who notoriously preys on women during the night. I really found the dark theme and use of eerie colors very interesting. The viewer can clearly see (and almost feel) the demon's ominous presence, as well as the delicate lady sleeping away. 

Breakfast Scene by William Hogarth

William Hogarth's Breakfast Scene from Marriage a la Mode was created in 1745. It was painted during the "Natural Art" period which took a break from the Rococo style during the Enlightenment. This painting is the first of it's kind that I've seen so far: a humorous painting dealing with the wealthy class. A lady is dancing in her seat, a man is yawning away in the back, the man toward to front has a hysterical expression on his face, and the man sitting down looks glum, unlike the rest. Hogarth actually created a satire to signify the dark side of prominent English families. He did not intend for it to be a completely comedic painting. However, the expressions may speak otherwise. 

Fragonard's The Swing

Jean-Honore Fragonard's The Swing is a beautiful, light, elegant, and soft painting created during the Rococo Era in 1766. I have seen this painting before, and it reminds me of a similar Rococo painting hanging on my living room wall. The pastel colors with the subtle attention to detail is exquisite. I am very fond of the scene itself: a very graceful girl is swinging timidly, but she has another flirtatious side to her. She is throwing her shoe at Cupid to signify her love for her lover. A very delicate theme, that has a very aristocratic taste to it. 

Feast of Nicholas by Jan Steen

Jan Steen shows a scene within a family, a very likely scene to happen in a modern family, in Feast of Saint Nicholas. It was created during 1660-1665 during the Baroque period in Northern Europe (Amsterdam). One of the things I most liked about this painting was how the artist portrayed the family and how realistic it was. For example, there is a crying boy, naughty children, gentle mothers, and a big mess on Christmas Day. It is very possible to see this happening in a modern day family. Also, the use of soft colors, lighting variety, and attention to detail (like for expression) makes this painting realistic. 

Rembrandt's Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp

Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulip was made in 1632, by the world famous artist Rembrandt. It was created during the Baroque art period in Northern Europe. Since I am a student who is interested in pursuing medicine one day, this painting was of particular interest to me. It showed how medicine evolved into what it is today. Rembrandt showed a physician with his students, in a group portraiture. All of the students are immensely focused (they are in Medical School after all) as Dr. Tulp shows them the carcass. Rembrandt used triangular diagonals and attention to detail (they are incredibly focused), which created a full effect for the painting. 

Artemisia Gentileschi's Judith Slaying Holofernes

Judith Slaying Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi was created between 1614 to 1620. Gentileschi painted this during the 17th Century Baroque period in Spain. This is one of my favorite paintings I have encountered so far due to many reasons. The first, is the use of lighting to show a dark mood to the painting. Another reason is the incredible use of detail (the sheets, the blood pouring down, the facial expressions, use of shadowing) is striking. The  way the painter shows Judith killing a general named Holofernes is interesting, because it shows a very intense scene. Lastly, the fact that a female artist gained such great prominence during a time where women were not appreciated for their artistic abilities, is commendable. 

Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor) by Diego Velazquez

In 1656, Diego Velazquez created the famous Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor). This painting was created during the 17th century Baroque period in Spain. I first saw this painting in my high school Spanish class, and immediately was intrigued. The artist portrayed himself in a scene showing a scene in the newly built studio. The young girl, Princess Margarita, is the focus of the painting, and for me personally, sticks out the most in the painting. It shows the grandeur of the royal family, as well as the rising nobility of Velazquez. The painter's use of perspective is also noteworthy (the mirror and open doorway in the background)