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)

Durer's Self Portrait

Albrecht Durer created his Self Portrait in 1500. It was created during the High Renaissance in Northern Europe; he used oil on wood to create the painting. What I liked about this painting is how majestic Durer portrait himself to be. He appears to be confident, self assured, and knowledgeable. This painting is known to be similar to medieval Christ-like portraits (as can be seen with his shoulder length hair, for example). The writing on the painting shows that he was 28 at the time. 

Hans Holbein the Younger's The French Ambassadors

This unique painting is by Hans Holbein the Younger and was made in 1533. It was created during the High Renaissance period; Holbein used oil and tempera on wood to create this painting. It shows two ambassadors with items that reference to knowledge and humanism. One reason why this painting struck out to me was because of the distorted skull image. It only appears when the viewer looks at in at an angle, or using a cylindrical mirror. In a majestic portrait of two humanists, the skull seemed a bit out of place. However, it is said to symbolize death. The skull gives a unique appearance to the overall painting. 

Michelangelo's Moses

Michelangelo's Moses was created between 1513-1515. It is made of marble, and is massive (over 7 ft tall!) This sculpture is extremely life like (a very naturalist characteristic); Michelangelo paid great attention to detail. We can see this through the folds of his robe, the expression on his face, the contour of his muscles, and the ways his body is synonymous with what he is doing. It seems as if Moses is about to get out of his seat. This sculpture was created during the High Renaissance period in Italy.

Sofonisba Anguissola's Portrait of the Artist's Sisters and Brother

Sofonisba Anguissola's Portrait of the Artist's Sisters and Brother really stuck out to me in this chapter. Unlike the other works, this painting is set in a simple, green backdrop. There is no fancy landscape; it shows the siblings in all the naivety. It was made in 1555 using oil on wood. This painting was created during the Mannerism era. The expressions on the children's faces are solemn and simple. She detailed each of their expressions very well; it almost looks like a photograph would at a family photo shoot at Olan Mills.

Lorenzo Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise

Lorenzo Ghiberti created Gates of Paradise on the east doors of the Florence Baptistery from 1425-1452. This was made during the Renaissance period. It is interesting to note here that Ghiberti was actually Brunelleschi's rival during that time. The piece is made out of gilded bronze material. It is extremely tall and heavy! On the door, multiple scenes of a story are shown (as was common during that time; due to the low literacy rate, people would rely on artwork like this to show them biblical events). 

Primavera by Sandro Botticelli

Primavera by Sandro Botticelli was made in 1482. It is a Renaissance painting that is made on tempera on wood. It is located in Florence, Italy. This painting encompasses a scene including Venus, Cupid, a nymph, and other mythological creatures. The stance of Venus is striking, as it shows a move to a more sensual depiction of mythological creatures. Venus has a Halo around her, as seen through the landscape background. Also, it is interesting to note that the orange fruits are symbolic of the Medicci Family, that held its strong presence in Italy. 

Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin - September 19, 2012

Rogier van der Weyden made this striking painting, Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin, somewhere between 1435 and 1440. This was made during the Late Medieval to Early Renaissance art period.  Like Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife, this was created during a time when portraits were widely used as an art form. Detail to color, expression, stature, and dimensions were greatly looked after. An interesting aspect to this painting, that was included in many Flemish paintings during its time, was the large window that panned out to the town in the background. The attention to detail of the town is amazing-the viewer can truly get a feel for the scene. The other aspect of the painting is that the portrait artist is pictured in the painting itself. Usually, this was not very common as portrait art just focused on who the portrait was being made of. It is shown that the artist is painting the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child; for him to be in the same area with those two is something that would not be heard of making today. However, during that time, it was not uncommon for people to be painted along with the Virgin Mary and Christ Child. 

Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife- September 19, 2012

This piece of artwork is called Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife and was created by Jan Van Eyck in 1434. It was created in Flemish art form and portrays a middle class couple in their home. It is largely assumed that a wedding is taking place, due to the one candle in the chandelier, the puppy at their feet, the fancy clothing, and other characteristics. This was created during the Late Medieval and Early Renaissance Period, when portraiture was established as an important art form. Jan Van Eyck created an oil painting on wood. During this time, there was great amount of emphasis on detail, expression, color, and the natural world as a whole. We can see this through each of their expressions, clothes, and house ornaments. One of the reasons why I love this painting, is because I have actually seen this painting in real life in the National Gallery in London. It is even more beautiful in person. Another reason is the mirror in the background; it shows the reflection of the painter in the background (also a Flemish characteristic). This gave the painting a lot of character and alluded to the fact that Van Eyck was actually present during whatever transaction was going on. It is also interesting to note that the painter added his signature stating that "Jan Van Eyck was present here" instead of a simple signature at the corner of the painting. 

Birth of the Virgin - September 12, 2012

Another one of my favorite paintings from Chapter 14 of Gardener's Art Through The Ages is Pietro Lorenzetti's Birth of the Virgin. The scene is of Virgin Mary and The Christ Child. Made around 1342, this piece of artwork is from the Saint Savinus altar in Siena, Italy. It was made during the Renaissance Art Era, as seen through the pictorial realism of the painting. Within the painting, there was great ancient Roman mural influence (this was true for most of the paintings during this time period). The painting is showing a scene where the people on the left are waiting to hear the news of what is happening in the room on the right. My favorite parts of the painting are the depth and illusion created through the layered rooms and the triptych used. They both evoked a sense of realism. It is also interesting to see such great detail used in the layered room in the back, as well as on the column arches.  During this era, there was an emphasis on the natural world. We can see this through the vast use of colors, folds on the clothes, and the expressions on everyone's faces. 

-Alisha Arora 

Madonna Enthroned - September 10, 2012

Madonna Enthroned by Giotto Di Bondone is a beautiful painting of Virgin Mary with The Christ Child sitting on her lap, and saints surrounding the two. It was made circa 1310 and is from the Church of Ognissanti, Florence, Italy. This painting is said to be the first painting of the Renaissance. Giotto Di Bondone essentially revived classic naturalism by creating Madonna Enthroned. Personally, I was fond of the distinct border outline of the painting, the great attention to detail (especially with the clothing), and the scene portrayed of Virgin Mary and The Child Christ. The striking colors and dimensional angles (including the shadows) of Virgin Mary, The Christ Child, and the saints make this painting look as if it is real life. 

-Alisha Arora 

Welcome to my Fall of 2012 Art blog!

-Alisha