Images

Final paper

Anthony Wu

Prof. Gwendolyn Shaw

Art 1010

12-04-18

Gian Lorenzo Bernini was an Italian sculptor and was well known for his sculptures In Italy. Gian Lorenzo Bernini was born in Naples and his own type of technique. He created the Baroque technique on his sculptors and many sculptors would follow or use this technique during this time period. He created a well known sculpture, which is Apollo and Daphne. Apollo and Daphne had a story within the sculpture and made a lot of people think of what is going. The sculptures that Bernini has made gives it a moving feeling to it. It’s like the sculpture is moving when you are walking around it. The Faun Teased by Children sculpture has a interesting and mysterious story. The creation and technique was essential in creating “The Faun Teased by Children” to become a fascinating art work in today’s’ period.

The Bacchanal: A Faun Teased by Children sculpture displays a man and three babies. The babies looks like cupids and other angelic child descendant from the religious catholic church. The man seems to be holding on the top of the tree. The tree is similar to the Apollo and Daphne sculpture. At first glance, I thought this was a continuous of the Apollo and Daphne sculpture story but they are separate. It has a similar resemblances to Apollo and Daphne because I thought the man was Apollo and Daphne was the tree. Also thought the cupids were the ones protecting Daphne from Apollo after she became a tree and hide from Apollo. I thought the cupids were pushing Apollo away from Daphne being the tree. Daphne’s father probably told the Cupids to watch over Daphne after she became a tree. This was my observation at first until I read the description of the sculpture. The sculpture had a different story than Apollo and Daphne by the same sculptor. Benini seems to sculpt people from greek gods or religious beliefs. Most of the stories about his sculptures would display a story or an imagination for the people looking at his art to think about. His sculptures shows a little movement within the structure because you can look at all of the points of view from any standings. His sculptures wants you to walk around and look at the sculptures on its significance details.

The man in the sculpture shows a follower of Bacchus. Bacchus was a god of wine and it shows one of the follower reaching to the tree. The trees show grapes on them and the Cupids or angels stopping him. It makes sense that the man was trying to get the grapes because wine is made out of dry grapes. The man was possibly trying to harvest the grapes and make wine out of it. He would return to Bacchus with a fresh bunch of wine from the grapes he picked earlier. The cupids tries to push him back and prevents him from getting the grapes. The sculpture also shows the same cupid pushing the man but the cupid next it is trying to resist. This could depict that both cupids are in differents sides or playing around with the man. It might also resemble the other cupids being a fallen angel and the other one being a good angel and pushing the fallen drunken man to stop. The sculpture may also show that the cupids are trying to the save the man life by stopping him from picking grapes and making wine out of it. I think the cupids are trying to tell the man that wine or any source of alcohol is bad for you. As a human being, drinking is bad for your health and people drinking is always natural because they drink traditional and maybe after their shift from work to get a drink. At the bottom of the sculpture shows a cupid at the bottom of his feet with a scared face that could mean the power of wine can lead to that face or it makes the cupid feel horrid. The Baroque technique displays a lot of details from different sides of the sculpture. His sculpture has that amazing motion that produce the drama more effectively than the other sculptures during the time period like Michelangelo. The Baroque technique was mostly used in Catholic churches because its shows divine and enlightenment feeling to the art or sculpture. I remember during the trip to MET, the painting that shows Mary carrying Baby Jesus. The painting shows Baroque technique making it look more realistic and in front of you like Bacchanal: A Faun Teased by Children.

I believe that this sculpture is great piece of art for today’s society because drinking is really bad habit and a lot of us drink for our relief and happiness. Drinking is a natural thing for people to do cultural but you can overdose from drinking. Drinking a lot can give side effects and shorten life. Drinking wine or alcohol means you are drinking to your death. I remember Socrates, a philosopher who liked to drink wine and other alcohol substances was killed from drinking poison. This shows that he loved to drink and didn’t look at what he was going to drink. This led to his death and it means you should drink responsibly instead of frequently. The sculpture model look very inspiring to most sculptor because the man in Bernini’s sculpture shows what superior man would look. A superior man would have a six-pack and would give eye contact to what’s in front of them. The six-pack shows a healthy man and strong strength during the 1600’s. In today’s society a six-pack would mean that person is fit and shows strength. Giving eye contact in Italy would depict the person is focus on what is in front of them like a problem that needs a situation to be solved. Eye contact in today’s society would show the person is respecting you and giving you attention. Bernini’s sculpture is like an influence to today’s society with a unique position with his sculptures.

 

Themed Museum Tour- Final Project

Rachel Swed

Art 1010

Professor Shaw

Evolution of Art

Art has been the center of many great civilizations. We see this all the way from the Egyptian art till today. Art has changed greatly over time but its ability to portray emotion or tell a story has remained. Art has become the center of human creativity and has existed for thousands of years. But what impacted artist from civilization to civilization and how did art evolve into what it is today?

In ancient Egypt, art was used to teach or portray a story, mainly for religious teachings and common rituals. Examples of this can be the numerous painting, sculptures, and pieces of gods, pharaohs, and death masks. One example from the Brooklyn Museum is The Head of a Queen, which is dated back to 1400 BCE. As we discussed in class, ancient civilizations loved making art pieces that depicted their rulers to demonstrate their power and reverence. This artwork was chosen because it’s a great example to show how prominent the kingdom was in Egypt. Religion has played a major key in the arts successes from music to paintings particularly in this civilization.

Contrarily, when looking at Greek and Roman art it incorporates humanism. Humanism’s main focus is on mankind, rather than divine or godlike matters. When looking at Greek and Roman art, we see large human sculptures like Kouros seen at the MET. This is a great example because the face, stomach, and legs of this sculpture are polished, glowing, and realistic, making it almost human. The sculpture also has robbed curls on its head, characteristic of Greek/Roman culture. The sculpture is standing on an angle, as if in motion making the figure seem alive. The nudity in this sculpture is a very common characteristic in Greek/Roman sculptures and painting which dates from the ancient time, continued during the whole timeline of art, was the presentation of their culture in everyday life. This shows how their cultures and confrontation with everyday life was shown in their artworks.

As we move out of ancient world arts and into a closer century, during the 19th century we see a slight shift to a different style of painting- landscape paintings which were very popular. Landscape paintings depicted the intense beauty of nature through the eyes of the artist. One famous artist Vincent van Gogh and his most prized work Starry Night seen at the MOMA is a great example of landscape art which is why I choose to use it. One major movement during this time was the Romantic movement which greatly popularized the interest of landscape art. Different art techniques were used and referred to as Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. Impressions strayed away from story-telling in their artworks and instead focused on drawing everyday life. Light and color were very important aspects in impressionist paintings.

In the 20th century, we still see movements affecting painting- one powerful one to begin with-  the rights of colored people. This shows how art can be about what’s going on in society. The exhibit, soul of the nation has many artworks expressing the oppression faced by people of color. The artwork, Did The Bear Sit Under a Tree, by Benny Andrews, is a great example of the movement affecting blacks which is why I chose it. The painting caught my attention because of its honesty and rawness are seen by the aggressiveness of the lines and oil paint used. Furthermore, the rough texture symbolized the place he came from. From where he came, everything was rough – from the fabrics people used to the clothes they wore. That is why he chose to use a rough texture. The man in the painting looks like he is rolling away the American flag. His firmly straight face and fisted hand give him an angry appearance. The caption next to the picture states that this painting is a representation of a colored man during the civil rights movement “shaking his fist” at the flag which was supposed to protect him. In conclusion, I think that the painting successfully conveys the painter’s message. It clearly illustrates that the man is not happy with how the United States is treating colored people. This shows how art was used to portray what is affecting the people in the civilization.

Lastly, when moving into the 20th century we see what is prominent in this century- consumer culture and mass media. This was seen through the new art movement- pop art. Andy Warhol “Campbell’s Soup Cans” is a prime example of this because it shows the mass produced product and it was advertised everywhere- so much so that Warhol used to drink it every day for 20 years! This thirty-two canvas painting represents the thirty-two soup flavors which were displayed on shelves together to look like grocery aisles at first. The bases of this kind of modern art is taking something which is not initially seen as art and makes us think about it in a different way. This art shows what was important then and now-mass production- and how it affected artworks of the 20th century.

Art has transformed over time to become even more complex, and its interpretations have changed as well. Today, good artworks give a different meaning to each individual person. Art can tell a story, depict a beautiful scene of nature, or convey humor. Art does not have to be specific or follow certain guidelines compared to art in the middle ages. If it weren’t to the inspiring individuals who shaped the development of art today, the diversity of artworks we have today wouldn’t exist. From movies to marketing and advertising, modern art is becoming more involved digitally while maintaining the physical beauty of what art is. Art shapes identities and impacts our society as a whole. Art helps creativity thrive and with the constant negativity in our continuing fast developing society, we need to embrace and support art now more than ever. Overall, we see how art changed from civilization to civilization based on what was prominent or important at that time. From ancient Egyptian which religion primed them to make their pieces to modern art where movements and mass media was a huge part of civilizations and impacted what was seen in the art at that time. 

Work Cited Page:

Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker, “Marble statue of a kouros (New York  Kouros),” in Smarthistory, December 20, 2015, accessed December 9, 2018, https://smarthistory.org/marble-statue-of-a-kouros-new-york-kouros/.

Dr. Noelle Paulson “Vincent Van Gogh, The Starry Night.” Smarthistory, accessed December 14, 2018, smarthistory.org/van-gogh-the-starry-night/.

Gisela M. A. Richter. “The Greek Kouros in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.” The Journal of Hellenic Studies, vol. 53, 1933, pp. 51–53. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/627245.

“MoMA Learning.” Lee Bontecou. Campbell’s Soup Cans. 1959 | MoMA, www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/andy-warhol-campbells-soup-cans-1962/.

“The Fascinating Story behind Andy Warhol’s Soup Cans | Art | Agenda.” Phaidon, www.phaidon.com/agenda/art/articles/2013/february/22/the-fascinating-story-behind-andy-warhols-soup-cans

MET Visit

My experience at the Metropolitan Museum of Art was different from the Brooklyn Museum. Just by walking up to the large building was an eye-opener. The inside was widely spaced and was very busy indicating it is a popular museum. The Museum is split up based on Geographically designated collections which I thought was easier to look at the art. When looking at the art on display you can see that Renaissance and the Baroque are vastly different. Although from the two painting I choose to use look identical for a few reasons: women are the main focus of the painting and it looks like a common domestic scene. If you look closely you can spot the differences. For starters, if you look at the painting of “Woman with a Water Jug” by Johannes Vermeer you see the subtlety of the light coming from the window on her headdress and under her arm which is one characteristic of Baroque art. Another characteristic is that the painting is “unstable,” it is a specific moment in time. The lady is picking up a pitcher, putting it down, and opening a window. She is caught in between the two movements. Also notice how she is ruining the balance and stability of the environment because everything is rectangular: the window, the map behind her, and the table and she is in between all of these objects. Now when looking at a renaissance painting, “The Rest on the Flight into Egypt” by a follower of Massys is more stable and looks serene. There are horizontal and verticals like the tree and the baby which are straight unlike the squares. The painting looks calm. It does not look like a transition or a specific moment of time. So even though at first glance these paintings seem similar they are actually from different time periods and areas and are seen to be vastly different based on that.

Final Outline of Project

In my final project, I will be discussing the highlights of Renaissance and Baroque art and also discussing the similarities and differences between the two artistic styles. I picked this topic because both of these styles are very unique and display a vast amount of fine details. In addition to talking about the different art styles, I will also discuss the differences architectural styles because their differences also parallel to those between artworks. In my project, I will be utilizing the following 5 artworks:

Thesis Statement: Both Renaissance and Baroque paintings pay attention to fine details, expression, scenery, color, and theme. Although both styles share a vast amount of similarities, there are also differences between both styles. Baroque art in 1500-1600 Europe focuses on dramatic expressions, non-idealism, dynamism, and physical movement. Renaissance paintings resemble serenity, stillness, calmness, and are idealized.

  1. The Lamentation

Domenichino (1603)

Metropolitan Museum of Art

2. Departure of the Amazons

Claude Déruet

1620s

Metropolitan Museum of Art

3. Merry Company on a Terrace 

Jan Steen

1670

Metropolitan Museum of Art

4. Everhard Jabach

Charles Le Brun

1660

Metropolitan Museum of Art

5. Boy with a Greyhound 

Paulo Veronese

1570s

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Unit 2 Summary

Ancient cultures created many works of art over many centuries. Many ancient civilizations used art to illustrate their religions and cultures. By observing their Art we can see how these civilizations lived, who they respected, and the ideals on which their societies are built. All of these important facts, of ancient civilizations, can be seen through many mediums for example: paintings, sculptures, and palettes. Some of the ancient civilizations that I looked at were: Egyptian, Greek, and Roman. Each of these civilizations has their own unique flair in which they depicted their societal values through their art.

 

The first civilization that we will look at is Egyptian. Egyptian art, shows that their primary focus is on the afterlife and on divine and royal beings. Egypt’s art showcases the worship and praise of the Egyptian gods and kings. This idea can be seen from the work, The Palette of Narmer, which was produced in 3000 BCE. In this work, King Narmer is carved unproportionally large as compared to the other figures in the piece. This fact makes the king almost larger than life. Furthermore, King Narmer is adorned with a large spectacular crown and with a large Sceptre in his hand. To complete his god like depiction he is made to be standing with a royal posture. All these elements make him look truly powerful and godlike. We can see from here how in  Egyptian culture the subjects see their kings and queens as gods. Egyptian art allows us to see into Egyptian society and how they built their society on the fact that their royalty is like gods. Other forms of Egyptian art, pyramids, mummies, and death masks to name a few. These art pieces portray the Egyptian society’s obsession with the afterlife. One of the myriad of reasons as to why many pyramids were built was to be a burial place for the Egyptian elites, their gods, their pharaohs and queens. Once again we see how much effort was put into these art pieces so that their gods can be comfortable because of how much they worship their gods. Another interesting tidbit is that much of the surviving Egyptian art comes from inside the tombs and monuments of Egyptian royalty which illustrates Egyptian emphasis on life after death and the preservation of knowledge of the past.

However, when looking at Greek and Roman art we see many similarities. Greek and Roman societies had very different values from those of Egyptian societies and therefore their art is on a different spectrum than Egyptian art. Greek/Roman art focuses on human figures and humanity as a species, this is called, humanism. In other words humanism centers around mankind, rather than gods. This is what separates Egyptian and Greek and Roman art. This can be illustrated by looking at Greek and Roman art. In one of their artforms, sculptures, we see many human figures. Greek humanism portrays the natural world around us. As Austin Cline says  “it placed human beings at the center of moral and social concerns ” (“Humanism in Ancient Greece”).  This is very different from the ancient Egyptian world, where the art we are looking at is usually different paintings or sculptures of gods and leaders. Rather, This art puts humans in the center, not a spiritual presence. We see this by the many human-like sculptures that were made in the Greek and Roman civilizations. To further the humanist aspect, Greek and Roman art made sculptures look as if they are ‘moving.’ This is a major difference from Egypt’s stillness and stiffness in their sculptures. The movement in the pieces makes the figure seem alive. Another point in their sculptures that made them more realistic was their bodies. The front of the piece shows indents and curves of the stomach, legs, and arms (if there were arms). Greek and Roman cultures are seen in the faces of the sculpture as well as the curly short hair that frames the face. Overall, we see the major difference in ancient cultures by their art pieces.

Although we usually clump Roman and Greek culture together they still have many differences in culture and religion which is seen in their handiwork- specifically in their temples. Greek temples are typically very large. This is so they keep their godly figures and perform rituals inside the temple. Sculptures were usually painted (i.e. like skin tone colored or lipsticked). This differs from Roman culture where the temples were small and rituals were done in front not inside. This is one of the ways in which Roman and Greek art which are usually bunched together in their artwork differ based on religion and culture.

In Summation, we see major differences in ancient art based on what the society believed was important. Egypt put importance in gods and leaders while Greek/Roman went to a more humanistic approach. This, therefore, shows us difference in culture between Egypt and Greek/Rome. Contrastingly, Greek and Roman showed many similarities of commonalities between cultures based on how they portrayed individuals as a symbol of power for the rest of civilization.

 

 

Brooklyn Museum Assignment

While visiting the Brooklyn Museum, there were many exhibits that struck me as interesting. There were many ancient world pieces from many different time periods as well as beautiful cultures being represented with history. One piece that stood out from me was a relief gallery of King Ashur-nasir-pal II’s palace from the Neo-Assyrian time period. When you walk around, you spot about 12 giant wall panels that once used to reside in his palace. I have attached the image of the one that caught my eye. Titled “Winged Genie Wearing Fancy Bracelets,” it exhibits exactly that. With first glance, you can determine many details of this grand piece of art. It is essentially a large piece of carved out alabaster that gives it it’s 3D shapes and edges. They were all once brightly painted but now exist no colors except a dusty beige tone of the material it’s made out of. The subject is a genie wearing bracelets containing rosettes. With these panels, he intended to show legitimacy to his kingdom and verify his power. These symbols proved that he was in accordance with the gods and these genies are protectors, depicting his great divine power. You can see the three rosettes on the subject’s headband and two wristbands. They show worship to the goddess Ishtar. This panel includes straight alignment and many straight lines of small details such as the curls in the beard and feathers in the wings. It is repetitive and in-line. Furthermore, realistic details are carved out of the genie such as his muscles and even his palm lines. I would estimate the panel to stand about seven feet tall so it seems that the subject is scaled to real life sizing.

Across the center of the piece, you can see scripture embedded into the alabaster. Upon deeper reading, it becomes evident that the scripture is written in cuneiform and the language is in Akkadian. It tells stories about the king’s military victories, rules of his empire and historical context of Kalhu and his palace.

I chose this piece because it seemed surreal that I was standing among such sturdy and lasting pieces of a palace. It had historical context and tells a story among them. I could only imagine what they had looked like in their time with appropriate paint.

A second exhibit that was really interesting was Soul of A Nation. The piece I chose to write about is titled “Shade cord and window”, 1961 by Roy DeCarava. It is a gelatin silver print. What you see in this picture is a single “shade cord” through what looks like a window, and a background of one gray building. The photo is contrasted into two halves, the bottom half being completely black.

With a critical lens and context to the exhibit, I can predict that the image is supposed to reflect Black history. A second meaning behind the shade cord can be that it resembles that of a noose, in the city. Although it can be considered more modern in 1961 (represented through a city building), the noose can symbolize racial division that has been and still is occurring. The window can represent people looking through their window from far away and speculating as it happens, many things.

Through formal analysis, you can determine this is supposed to be a simple, straight forward message. There are 3 colors; black, white and gray and possible mixed in different tones. About half of the image is cut in black so you focus on just the upper half of the photo. The artist could have made whatever you see the whole image but focusing on a smaller zoned in area can be more effective. The single building is in a blurry gray in attempt to show the building is lingering in the far background, more so in the distance while the subject of the piece, the only other thing in black: the shade cord. We exhibit straight lines and an image in gray scale here.

I chose this because it caught my eye as soon as I glanced over. It seemed very simple but the message was empowering as I understood it to be. While recognizing the correct historical significance and context, many vague and simplistic works of art can expand to something greater to the eye.

Blog 4 : Formal Analysis

Formal analysis is basically explaining a form of art from your personal interpretation, or the creators point of view, it can be analyzing a piece of art for a different meaning than it was intending to be. It can either be different features of the art or the significance of the art piece in correlation to the time period it was made. From the size, shapes, colors and lines, you can analyze an art by looking at what makes it special and what meanings does it have.

Blog 4-Formal Analysis

The definition of formal analysis is describing was is seen not by simply looking at a structure or painting but by interpreting and evaluating it. Interpreting a piece of art can mean looking at the color, line, and scale of the picture. This can be done by asking questions about the piece. What particular colors were used? How was the quality of the brush/pencil work? Is this piece to scale? Why or Why not? Through formal analysis, you can get the true meaning of the piece and really appreciate it.

There are also a few components of formal analysis. One of them is formal properties. Formal Properties as discussed above are the physical aspect if the work. This includes the color, line, scale, material, illusions, and mimesis. A second component is a subject matter which is the prime focus of the work. But we should also consider how every item contributes to the whole story of the piece. A third component of formal analysis is historical context. When interpreting work, it is critical to consider the time period it was created in. The time period may have influenced the artist.

In the small excerpt we were given, the authors used formal analysis to dissect an ad for Dior handbags. It is shown that a well-dressed, pretty, and young woman is holding the handbag. The background shows many large buildings. The colors are whites, grays, and blacks. The bag is just a simple leather rectangle. However, the fact that they used a famous, gorgeous young woman over an area that looks quite rich, the bag is quite appealing.

Image result for dior handbag and gwyneth paltrow
*The Dior ad.

Students, Teachers, and The Banking Model

 

Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire was a book that criticizes the conventional education system. The banking model Freire proposed is that students only receive, file, and deposit what the teacher provides. The only thing students are learning to do is memorizing information that the teacher “deposits” in the students’ brains. The job of teachers is not so the students can memorize as much information as possible but to teach and get the students to think and analyze the work that is given. Therefore, instead of strengthening the students’ knowledge they are only strengthening the oppression the teachers have on them. This causes the students to be disempowered while the teachers are highly empowered, at the students’ expense.

My encounter that was similar to the banking model happened in high school. In tenth grade, one of my teachers wanted us to read a book. To make sure we were reading it, she would give us quizzes. However, these were not ordinary quizzes. She would not ask what was the setting or main theme of the book. She would write a quote from the book and we would have to fill in missing words from the quote. This requires students to memorize the whole book, in case she would ask for a word from a specific page. Quizzes were a decent amount of our grade, so I started memorizing the book. The positive side of this was that I learned how to memorize a lot of pages in a short amount of time. The negative side of it was, I was not actually learning. I was memorizing because I wanted to do well in the class. We were not actually analyzing the book and learning the deeper meaning of it, so I gained nothing. The overall reason I was doing it was because she was my teacher and I had to do it. This is what the school system has turned to, students memorizing texts because the teacher asked them to.

Blog Post 4: Formal Analysis

Formal Analysis is when you visually describe the element in a work of art. When writing a formal analysis for a piece of work it is best to decipher the piece of art. Having background information such as the time of place the piece was made in can a give a historical insight. While analyzing the painting try to ask yourself who is the center of the piece? Is the artist trying to focus on one person/object or is it a bunch of things that the artist wants you to focus on? This is called the CENTRAL FOCUS. Although you may not have answers asking a bunch of questions that will help you understand the piece of art and will help your imagination run wild. Evaluate the art work. What is this art work? While analyzing the work of art always keep in mind to SHOW not tell. Show the class where exactly are there soft lines or where in the art there are structured lines. By doing this your formal analysis will consist of depth.

In order to understand truly whats occurring in the piece of work we first have to find out what is the central focus of the art work. Once that is figured out we then look at formal properties. Formal properties consist of contrast, size/scale, composition (is it chalk work? oil painting? water colors?) position, material, and illusionism (how “realistic” (mimesis) does an art work look, line, and color). The second part of a formal analysis is finding the answers to the questions you have asked earlier. Where does this take place? Who was the painting made for? Was it a commissioned painting?  What is the message of the painting? Answering and including all of this in your formal analysis will help you understand the elements of the art work and how the art work came to be.