ANTH 201 Artworks

Man in a Red Turban, Jan van Eyck

• northern renaissance, 1433

• small scale, impressive detail thanks to use of oil paint

• includes signature and exact date

Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife, Jan van Eyck

• Northern Renaissance, 1434, oil on wood

• symbols (dress, broom, figurine, dog)

• sacred over profane (resembles annunciation)

• mirror (depictions of Christ, reveals rest of room)

• signed above mirror

Ghent Altarpiece, Jan van Eyck

• Northern Renaissance, 1432, oil on wood

• infinite detail, enormous scale (12 major panels)

• started by brother who then died, finished by Eyck

• Holy interior

  • oldest surviving nudes in European art not idealized

  • angels fail to sing in harmony; represents disorder

  • Jesus/God combo, Mary left, John Baptist right

  • sacrificial lamb on altar

• ordinary exterior - Mary in regular room, praying patrons

Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin, Roiger van der Weyden

• northern renaissance, 1440, oil over tempera on wood

• spiritual topics in ordinary rooms

• self-referential artist

• realistic depiction of Mary & Luke

• baby is elongated & appears much older (Christ’s wisdom)

Portrait of a Lady, Roiger van der Weyden

• Northern Renaissance, 1460, oil on wood

• tightly clasped hands, bound waist, & averted gaze symbolize woman's restraint

• weird proportions, odd posture (new format, uncertainty)

Deposition, Roiger van der Weyden

• northern renaissance,

• huge altarpiece; central panel of triptych (other panels lost)

• skull is Adam since Christ was crucified at Adam's burial

  • also shows how humans are sinful & everything goes back to Adam & Eve (original sin)

• very realistic, extreme anguish; invokes compassion

Duomo, Florence Cathedral, Filippo Brunelleschi

• Italian Renaissance, 1436

• tall & lightweight

• octagonal base, shell structure

Gates of Paradise, Lorenzo Ghiberti

• Italian Renaissance,1452, gilded bronze (lost wax method)

• doors to Florence Cathedral Baptistry

• name given by Michelangelo

Saint Mark, Donatello

• Italian Renaissance, 1413, marble statue

• idealized, posed, clothes w/ movement

  • characteristic of late gothic period (elongated, stylized, stiff, intense drapery)

• placed in niche of church in Florence, patroned by church’s guild

David, Donatello

• Italian Renaissance, 1440, bronze

• lost wax technique (hollow, lightweight)

• earliest nude in Florence, departure from use of nudity as reminder of sin

• small (5’2”) & effeminate; emphasized David’s youth

Holy Trinity, Masaccio

• Italian Renaissance, 1428, fresco

• one-point-perspective, extends chapel, use of classical architecture

• God holding Jesus on cross, Mary left, John Evangelist right

• painted for church chapel, private patrons depicted praying outside

• skeleton atop coffin, memento mori inscription

Tribute Money, Masaccio

• Italian Renaissance, 1425, fresco

• story: Peter gets money from fish’s mouth bc Jesus says so (belief above all)

• continuous narrative, not chronological; christ commanding Peter in the middle (most important)

Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden, Masaccio

• Italian Renaissance, 1427, fresco

• NOT IDEAL; very unappealing, Adam & Eve look ugly

• blue area around Adam - part of fresco painted on a different day

Annunciation, Fra Angelico

• Italian Renaissance, 1443, fresco

• large mural in Monks’ quarters

• elegant, idealized, more old-fashioned & stylized

  • bc Monks are in a more private & conservative space

West facade of Santa Maria Novella church, Leon Battista Alberti

• Italian Renaissance, 1470

• reflects a want to return to classical antiquity (pediment, columns, repetition of ornaments, symmetry)

  • doesn’t copy antiquity & instead emulates it

Presumed self-portrait medallion (of Leon Battista Alberti)

• Italian Renaissance, c.1435; commissioned by Alberti

• profile view (thought to be most accurate view of someone in antiquity)

• includes little eye with wings

  • Alberti believed that of the senses, sight was most noble

Primavera, Sandro Botticelli

• Italian Renaissance, 1482

• tempera on wood (Italy didn’t have oil paint yet), massive scale (10’4”)

• sense of translucency with clothing (both flowing & form-fitting), very difficult w/ tempera & requires immense skill; light figures on dark bg

• allegory - series of motifs woven together to show a theme (love)

  • doesn’t copy antiquity, but creates an original image in the spirit of antiquity; idealized forms

• Mercury (far left) reaches up

• 3 Graces (left) signify uninterrupted cycle of love (give, receive, return); always shown dancing and holding each other

• Venus at center, celebration of spring (aka life), which is brought by love

  • round belly, pagan version of Mary

• Cupid above Venus blindly shoots arrows at everyone

  • idea that love is universal (Venus & Cupid akin to Mary & Jesus)

• right: wind god Zephyrs tries to kidnap (rape) nymph Chloris, who escapes by turning into Flora (goddess of spring & flowers)

  • represents transformation from non-living to springtime & life

Birth of Venus, Sandro Botticelli

• Italian Renaissance, 1484-6, found in suburban villa in Florence

  • prime example of Renaissance (how antiquity was revived)\

• Idealized forms

• Venus resembles Venus Pudica (roman statue of Venus embarrassed abt her beauty & nudity) and is shown arriving to Cyprus on her shell

  • shows revival of the classical, marble —> flesh (via paint)

• left: Zephyrs holds Chloris & the both of them spit flowers

  • represents pollination; the wind blows seeds to create flowers

• revolutionary bc it doesn’t depict biblical scenes

Young Man Holding a Medal of Cosimo de’ Medici, Sandro Botticelli

• Italian Renaissance, 1474-5

• Cosimo was the first Medici to pay people to go to monasteries & collect ancient texts, created an academy to translate them (study of non-christian material during an intensely christian era)

• medal is a relief (3D element) made of plaster added on top of the tempera painting; painted with gilded gesso

  • medal is profile view, preserves the dead for the living

• early example of Italian portraiture, which only got to Florence in 1460s (northern renaissance was doing them earlier)

  • renaissance developed differently across Europe

Madonna of the Rocks, Leonardo da Vinci

• High Italian Renaissance, 1483-90, oil paint

• idealized forms; sense of relief (3-dimensionality) in painting (depth); sfumato

• extra deteriorated bc of 19th century conservation: originally on a wood panel that was mostly scraped off, rest of painting was glued onto canvas

• commissioned by monastery but was never given to them

• baby John the Baptist under Mary’s arm, baby Jesus is blessing him, an angel behind Jesus points

  • figures are intentionally hard to distinguish

• setting is a bunch of mysterious rocks & water, relates to medieval accounts of Mary giving (water) to the world; novel take on old iconography

  • maybe foreshadows Jesus’ death & the cave

• pyramid composition

The Last Supper, Leonardo da Vinci, oil & tempera on plaster

• High Italian Renaissance, 1495-8

  • strives for perfect balance in composition; composition feels contained, nothing is exaggerated

• da Vinci tried putting oil paint on plaster that was still wet, causing it to peel before it was even done being painted

• painted in church dining room; monks eat together, reliving the last supper; last supper paintings are always in the dining room bc it reminds monks of Judas’ betrayal

• background frames figures, linear perspective converges at Christ’s head, 3 windows symbolize holy trinity (father, son, holy spirit), atmospheric perspective

Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci

• High Italian Renaissance, 1503-4, oil on wood

• Woman & background resemble Madonna on the Rocks; idealized

• dressed very simply in dull colors and no jewelry

  • da Vinci believed face was more important; what carries the artwork

The Fetus and Lining of the Uterus, Leonardo da Vinci

• Italian Renaissance, 1511-3, anatomical drawings

• detailed, includes blood vessels, tries to illustrate evolution of the womb (like a growing flower)

• da Vinci for in contact w/ doctors and would dissect unclaimed corpses for study

• notes written backwards w/ the help of mirror so that knowledge isn’t stolen

Vitruvian Man, Leonardi da Vinci

• Italian Renaissance, 1485-90

• based on Vitruvius’ writings on the perfect body; it must touch, when laid out, both a circle and a square; da Vinci solved the puzzle

  • exemplifies how da Vinci read classic literature & was very inventive

Battista Sfarza and Federico da Montefeltro, Piero della Francesca

• Italian Renaissance, tempera on wood

• first double portrait in Italy, shown in profile (truest representation)

  • idea that proper women don’t face the painting (like Portrait of a Lady by van der Weyden)

Madonna in the Meadow, Raphael

• High Italian Renaissance, 1505-6, oil on board

• contained composition, bright color palette, triangular composition

• idealized Mary w/ baby Jesus and John the Baptist; John hands cross over to Jesus

• poppy flowers in background represent Christ’s (future) bloodshed

• signed name & date on the collar of Mary’s dress (like saying he made Mary)

Philosophy (School of Athens), Raphael

• High Italian Renaissance, 1509-1511, fresco

• Pope Julius II was a massive art patron, spent crazy money on Raphael & Michelangelo to paint Pope’s quarters & Sistine Chapel (“most pagan pope”)

• full of ancient philosophers; Plato & his student Aristotle argue at center

  • Plato points to sky bc he believes life is sub-version of God/what’s above (idealism) while Aristotle extends hand toward Earth (empiricism)

  • Diogenes lays in middle of the stairs, very eccentric & counterculture; believed humans should live fully with nature

  • Heraclitus leaning on block of stone; thought humanity was miserable; thought to be representation of Michelangelo, who was very melancholic & disliked by Raphael

  • Raphael painted himself in between Ptolemy (geographer) and Zoroaster (astronomer); painter of the world & the bridge between earth & heavens

  • bald man is his uncle Bramante

  • structure is not archaeologically accurate, but strongly uses greek & roman imagery

  • the large number of philosophers shows new age of thought/debate & value of multiple perspectives (debate is healthy for truth)

Marriage of the Virgin, Raphael

• High Italian Renaissance, 1504

• scene isn’t actually from the Bible, comes from Golden Legend (medieval compilation of religious stories)

  • none of Mary’s suitor’s rods grew a flower except Joseph

• linear perspective

• revival of antiquity; temple in background looks old & resembles his uncle Bramante’s church design

Baldassarre Castiglione, Raphael

• High Italian Renaissance, 1514

• portrait of one of Raphael’s friends that was the author of “The Book of the Courtier” which became a Renaissance bestseller; resulting in the portrait became very popular

  • taught renaissance people how to act/dress/think/behave (ex. men must be calm and dress nicely w/o being flashy)

• exemplified what Baldassarre described as the perfect man

• spezzatura / artful artlessness - made the painting look easy

Pietà, Michelangelo

• High Italian Renaissance, 1498-1500

• intense drapery, idealized forms (neoplatonism), insanely good anatomy, triangular/pyramidal structure

• Michelangelo snuck back and carved his name onto the band that goes along Mary’s chest so that everyone would know who made it and where

  • “Michelangelo Buonarroti, the Florentine, made this”

• idealistic > realistic depiction of Mary

David, Michelangelo

• High Italian Renaissance, 1501-1504

• nude body w/o shame

• largest sculpture carved in marble since antiquity

• inherited another artist’s block of marble

• represents ideas of high renaissance (anatomical knowledge, idealism)

• head is slightly big because Michelangelo knew it would be on a pedestal, took into account observer’s point of view

• sculpture engages the surrounding space; gazes off into the distance, feels bigger than the material space it occupies

Moses, Michelangelo

• High Italian Renaissance, 1513-15

• made for tomb of Pope Julius II

  • Pope has authority over church, Moses holds authority (10 Commandments)

• engages space, looks into distance

• depicted with horns bc of a mistranslation of medieval text (run rays emerging from his head mistranslated as horns)

Sistine Chapel (as a whole), Michelangelo

• High Italian Renaissance ceiling (1508-1512) & late Italian Renaissance/Mannerist altar wall (1536-1541); frescos

• really did NOT want to paint it, lowk forced to by Pope

• scenes based on Genesis (origin of the world)

• very bright colors (made to be visible in just candlelight)

• incredible anatomical knowledge & idealism

• masculine women

• lower walls painted before Michelangelo & depict Jesus’ life

INCLUDES: Creation of Adam, Fall of Man, Libyan Sibyl, Last Judgement

Creation of Adam, Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo

• High Italian Renaissance, 1508-1512, ceiling fresco

• shows moment God infused Adam with humanity

Fall of Man, Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo

• High Italian Renaissance, 1508-1512, ceiling fresco

• temptation & expulsion of Adam and Eve, they immediately age and get ugly

• lowk continuous narrative: snake w/ female form around tree turns into angel that throws them out of heaven

  • resembles Masaccio’s expulsion of Adam & Eve, which Michelangelo studied

Libyan Sibyl, Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo

• High Italian Renaissance, 1508-1512, ceiling fresco

• sibyls = female pagan prophets

• platonic idealization; very muscular, man-like woman bc of how women came from men (and later grew more feminine features, per Michelangelo)

• sibyls & prophets appear all over ceiling’s sides; connect genesis to Exodus (new testament)

Last Judgement, Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo

• Late Italian Renaissance —> mannerism, 1536-1541, altar wall fresco

• last judgement doesn’t typically appear on altar wall, emphasizes pope’s power of judgement

• good souls brought up, sinful ones condemned & dragged to hell by demons

• Christ at center resembles Apollo (like how Venus was made into the pagan version of Mary by Botticelli)

• criticized by church official for having too many naked figures, so Michelangelo painted the official in hell surrounded by snakes

  • nudes were covered up in the later fig leaf movement

• shows transition into new era: Mannerism

  • bodies are contorted & many are non-idealized

Tempietto, Bramante

• Italian Renaissance, 1502-1509

• small church/temple; extremely round; very classical

• foundation of design for St. Peter’s cathedral

• inspiration for temple in Raphael’s Marriage of the Virgin

Money-Changer and His Wife, Quentin Matsys

• Northern Renaissance, 1514, oil on wood panel

• man counts coins, woman reads bible; woman looks over at money in interest but still turns bible page

• morality: money is being prioritized over religion; dilemma

• circular mirror shows reflection of man in red turban by window

  • reminds viewers to reflect

Isenheim Altarpiece, Matthias Grünewald

• Northern Renaissance, 1512-15 (same as Sistine Chapel ceiling frescos)

• at St. Anthony’s hospital; meant to be seen by people who were dying of diseases that caused disfigurement

• interior: wood carving, gilded; old fashioned, strong medieval influence

  • St. Anthony at center

• exterior: oil paint; horrifically gory depiction of crucifixion; intense detail

  • John the Evangelist holding Mary, dead Jesus on the cross, John the Baptist next to lamb of god

  • left panel: St. Sebastian, pierced by arrows (associated with protection from illness, suffered bodily damage/disfigurement)

  • right panel: St. Anthony

  • lower panel: Lamentation (Jesus & Mary)

Self-Portrait, Albrecht Dürer

• Northern Renaissance, 1500, oil on wood panel

• Italian influence, feels more real & idealized (how he wants to be remembered)

• depicted himself like Jesus; hand posed as Christ’s blessing

• idea in 1500 that it would be the second coming of Jesus, portrays himself as that second coming

• signed w/ explanation that he is the painter & he painted it at 29

The Fall of Man (Adam and Eve) Albrecht Dürer

• Northern Renaissance, 1500, black and white print engraving

• Eve resembles Venus Pudica & Adam is very muscular (Italian influence; incorporation of antiquity)

• tons of animals, symbols of 4 humors

  • elk (black bile; melancholy, unhappiness)

  • ox (phlegm; indifference)

  • rabbit (sanguine; optimism, happiness)

  • cat (yellow bile; ill temper)

  • parrot signifies paradise (comes from warm, exotic climate)

  • goat on the edge of the cliff represents sexuality

• Adam traps mouse’s tail with his foot, cat looks ready to pounce

  • they’ve yet to eat the apple, represents the evil that is about to be unleashed

• sign hangs from tree (signature, specifies that a northerner made it)

  • Adam hold onto branch so that it’s more noticeable

Melencolia I, Albrecht Dürer

• Northern Renaissance, 1514, black and white print engraving

• represents creative block; condition of the melancholic genius (artist); sin of sloth

  • angel (unclear gender) sits unable to do anything

  • cupid sits down, sad

  • craft tools on floor; not being used

  • skinny stray dog lays down, asleep

  • scale hangs in perfect balance (no movement)

  • ladder blocked by large stone (stopped from being able to go up / move forward)

• demon bat in distance holds up “melencolia” sign

• use of art to convey philosophical messages

Great Piece of Turf, Albrecht Dürer

• Northern Renaissance, 1503, watercolor

• literally just a wet patch of grass & dirt

• idea that God (his great design) can be seen in even the smallest & most humble/ordinary things

The French Ambassadors, Hans Holbein the Younger

• Northern Renaissance, 1533, oil & tempera on wood

• double portrait of 2 French ambassadors; monument of their friendship & shared time in England (when Henry 8th left Catholic Church)

  • represent secular (left) and religious (right) authority

• top shelf: navigation tools on top of an oriental rug

• bottom shelf: represents disarray in Europe due to issues w/ the church

  • fallen globe w/ an upside-down Europe

  • lute that normally represents harmony has a loose/missing string

  • math book open to page on division (not addition)

• skull in center is only visible from side angle (memento mori)

  • some things are invisible until you take on the proper perspective

• tiny hanging figure of Jesus on the cross pokes out on the edge of the bright green curtain

  • most people just focus on the “interesting” part and never see what’s actually important

Madonna and Child with Saints, Giovanni Bellini

• Venetian Renaissance, 1505, oil on wood transferred to canvas

• more subtle, naturalistic color palette compared to Michelangelo (same time); still rich, jewel-like colors

• triangular composition

• sensitivity to light & shadow; soft contours, otherworldly appearance

• one-point-perspective; painted columns mimic actual columns of altar, 3D effect, viewer feels physically brought into space

• large scale altarpiece in San Zaccaria (father of John the Baptist) church

  • surrounded by other paintings; Venice kept painting & repainting

• Mary sits on throne holding baby Jesus, surrounded by other figures

  • symbol of God the father on top of chair

  • St. Peter wearing yellow, holding keys

  • St. Jerome wearing red, white beard

  • St. Catherine of Alexandra holds broken wheel (how she was martyred) & St. Lucy holds vessel w/ eyes - “brides of Christ”

Feast of the Gods, Giovanni Bellini & Titian

• Venetian Renaissance, Bellini started in 1514 but died, finished by Titian in 1529

• chaotic scene of gods from classical mythology

• painted for palace of Duke of Ferrera (secular, in private residence, NOT for general public, reserved for patrons, reg people only get religious paintings)

  • gods represent Duke’s wealth & happiness

• during a festival, a demigod tries to lift a nymph’s skirt but a donkey starts making noise, which alerts everyone of what the demigod is trying to do so they all start making fun of him

• little child (Dionysus/Bacchus) fills cup w/ wine

• gods hold Chinese vessels (shows trade & desire for exotic goods)

The Tempest, Giorgione da Castelfranco

• Venetian Renaissance, 1509-1510

• prime example of poesia

  • not a conventional story; poetic exploration of theme without (clearly) depicting an actual story from Bible or classical myth; meant to be unclear and have multiple interpretations

    • shows how liberal Venice was (for the time)

• nude woman breastfeeds a child, surrounded by nature, looks toward viewer

• man in soldier uniform looks longingly at woman, water flows as gap between them

• background shows ruined buildings & an oncoming storm

Assumption of the Virgin, Titian

• Venetian Renaissance, 1515-1518, HUGE scale (22×11’) altarpiece

• Mary assumed into heaven following her death/sleep to be crowned queen of Heaven (not in Bible); apostles look up in disbelief

• 3 levels: apostles, Mary, & God; surrounded by angels

• eyes drawn up to God

  • apostles point to Mary, Mary looks up to god

  • colors get brighter & warmer closer to God

• many many many angels

  • Titian wanted to show his ability to create harmony with many figures & ability to depict both the material and non-material

    • clouds shift into angels’ faces

• emphasis on light & shadow, no firm outlines (like sfumato) yet still feels real & flesh-like

Venus of Urbino, Titian

• Venetian Renaissance, 1536-1538, oil on canvas

• commissioned by Duke of Urbino, displayed in his bedroom

• nude woman (“Venus”) lays provocatively on bed

• maids reach in background reach into chest & hold her dress; unclear if Venus has just been undressed or is about to be dressed

• symbolism: Venus holds flowers (virginity), dog lays on bed (loyalty)

• exemplifies how Venetian Renaissance came up with new types of subject matter & didn’t follow strict storytelling

The Last Supper, Tintoretto

• Venetian Renaissance, 1594, oil on canvas, huge scale

  • large-scale canvas, not fresco, bc humidity in Venice is so high that frescos can’t hold up

• side/diagonal view of the table; shows full scene (what’s on the other side of the table)

• depicts non-material along material; spirits/ghosts/angels form the atmosphere

• dark with concentrated areas of light (ceiling light flame & Jesus’ halo)

• mannerism - bodies twist & turn; more value placed on manner of painting than the actual content itself/the story being told

Christ in the House of the Levi, Paolo Veronese

• Venetian Renaissance, 1573, oil on canvas

• originally meant to be The Last Supper; Veronese was called into trial for religious heresy bc he painted so many extra people (incl German soldiers)

  • sentenced to fix the painting but instead just changed the name so that it was about a different dinner Jesus attended

• depicted w/ contemporary Venice buildings & clothes

Entombment of Christ / Deposition From the Cross, Jacopo da Pontormo

• Mannerism (Italy), 1525-28

• In church chapel for Capponi family

  • images in chapels often deal with death since that’s where the patron family is buried; this depicts when Jesus is taken off of the cross and put in his tomb

• yet neither the cross nor the tomb are visible

• figures blend into each other, unusual proportions, weird poses

  • figures seem to float in an undefined space

• vibrantly-colored clothes that aren’t primary (pink, green, light blue) - typical of mannerism; light colors despite the dark, morbid theme

  • feels disconnected from the religious significance (Pontormo not concerned if ppl will be actually moved by it)

• faces of figures all look nearly identical

• small self portrait peeks out in the background

Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror, Parmigianino

• Mannerism (Italy), 1524, small scale, oil on wood

• mimics actual mirror: size, slightly curved wood mimics how mirrors were convex, round, large frame

• proportions are twisted in “mirror”; interesting perspective

• idealized; how artist wants to be remembered

  • dressed in nice clothes (silk & fur)

  • hand at the forefront, with a gold ring - not just craftsmanship, but elegance & intellect

    • like Dürer’s self-portrait

• demonstrate’s artist’s ability to play with forms; “look how clever I am”

Garden of Earthly Delights, Hieronymus Bosch

• Mannerism (Northern Europe), 1505-1510, large wooden panel

• shaped like altarpiece set so bizarre that it feels insulting to Christianity

  • accepted & kept w/ Spanish kings (biggest catholics in Europe) bc it was treated as a satire on the stupidity of humanity

    • teaches how to be good christians via bad examples (what not to do/how not to be)

• CLOSED: black & white representation of Earth; very weird but fit w/ contemporary knowledge (both flat & round)

• LEFT: Garden of Eden

  • owl hidden in fountain of life (odd pink sculpture); knows what’s actually going on but no one pays any attention to it

• CENTER: humans on earth

  • everyone is getting crazy freaky in ALL types of ways (humans w/ animals, same-sex, different races)

    • shows how world (humanity) is wrong & upside down

  • berries are the delights; everyone is trying to eat berries

    • only source of smth sweet/sugary at the time

  • singular nude man holds onto owl (the only one who understands)

• RIGHT: hell (the only possible afterlife; no heaven)

  • everyone is punished by different musical instruments

  • satan eats people and poops them out

  • pig nun harasses man w/ indulgences

  • we are all egg man (fragile, meant for/stuck in hell)

  • message: current church is corrupt (ties into Protestant Reformation); all humans do is be gluttonous & frivolous (eat & play music)

Venus, Cupid, Folly, and Time, Bronzino

• Mannerism (Italy), circa 1546

• like a puzzle; very odd scene, still unknown what the story is

  • name is just the one given by art historians

• meant for a sophisticated audience that wanted something new & diff from high renaissance; NOT for regular people

  • patrons like to feel intelligent & superior

• allegory, veiled meanings; visual puzzle w/ complicated narrative (a LOT going on)

• main figures are smooth & refined, they look like porcelain dolls (artificial & decorative)

• Venus (holding golden apple) & winged Cupid (her son) kiss incestuously

• non-winged cupid holds flowers that he throws at Venus

  • idea of 2 cupids: good & bad love

• woman behind flower cupid is weirdly posed and her bottom half morphs into weird monster amalgamation creature

• Father Time (old man) holds up bright blue drapes w/ help from unknown figure; various interpretations abt relationship w/ time & truth

  • time removes veils, revealing truth

  • deception; something is not as it seems

• Envy - man hideous with envy screams behind the drapery

• allegory - meaning is diff than what’s directly shown

Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, Pieter Bruegel the Elder

• Mannerism (Northern Europe), 1558

• highly philosophical; only intellectuals can decipher the meaning

• Icarus is drowning but no one notices/looks at him

  • not at the center, instead hidden in the water; viewer must search for him & be attentive to understand what’s actually going on

• most of the world won’t care or even notice what happens to you, even if your world feels like its ending

• highly detailed landscape - introduces idea of Northern landscape depiction

Netherlandish Proverbs, Pieter Bruegel the Elder

• Mannerism (Northern Europe), 1559

• series of moralizing images meant to teach people how to be (via bad example), based on many many many proverbs

  • some shear sheep, some shear pigs; throwing pearls to the pigs; closing the well after the calf has drowned; pissing at the moon

• shows world/humanity’s chaos & backward-ness

St. Peter’s, Bernini (& many others but he finished it)

• Italian Baroque, completed in 1660

• HUGE scale, piazza is even bigger than the church (brings everyone in)

• piazza lined with saints to affirm catholic doctrine

• interior meant to inspire awe and make you feel like it’s the best (and therefore most powerful)

• interior contains Baldacchino

Baldacchino, Bernini

• Italian Baroque, within St. Peter’s

• placed precisely over where St. Peter is thought to have been buried

• bronze & gilded; highly decorated

• spiral columns meant to emulate oldest temple (Solomon)

  • show continuity & constance of church and that it is evolving

• can look directly through to see St. Peter’s chair at the altar

David, Bernini

• Italian Baroque, 1623

• in-motion; depicts moment where David is about to throw the stone

  • more difficult to portray than static pose, wanted to show he was better than Michelangelo

• life-size, make’s Michelangelo’s seem like the new Goliath

• thought to be a self-portrait

• commissioned by Cardinal, sits in same room that it was created in

Apollo and Daphne, Bernini

• Italian Baroque, 1623-4

• two figures in motion, 8’ marble sculpture

• same room as David statue, part of Cardinal’s collection

• immense detail that can be seen from all angles, marble is very thin in certain areas; delicate

• STORY: Apollo was taunting Eros, who got back at him by shooting him with a gold arrow, causing Apollo to fall in love with the nymph Daphne; she was hit by a lead arrow (hate) and prayed for help to escape him, gods turned her into a Laurel tree

  • poets given Laurel bc art is compensation for failure in love

  • statue depicts exact moment of Daphne’s transformation as Apollo grabs onto her

Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, Bernini

• Italian Baroque, 1647-52, large marble statue in a chapel

• looks extremely real, very expressive

• extremely elaborately decorated; highly impressive

• STORY: depicts one of St. Teresa’s spiritual visions where an angel pierced her heart with an arrow, causing her to die but also showing/giving her the path to Heaven

  • Teresa was a real woman that had “visions”, was brought up to sainthood after her death; part of counter-reformation efforts

• sculpture depicts crucial moment right before her heart is pierced; tension

• real light comes in through window above & combines with artificial golden rays; blurring of line between reality and art; transformative

San Carlo alle Quattro Fontaine, Borromini

• Italian Baroque, 1646

• highly dramatic; classical elements but with movement

• FACADE: concave, flowing shapes, undulating shapes

• interior: oval, not symmetrical

Glorification of St. Ignatius, Fra Andrea Pozzo

• Italian Baroque (counter-reformation), 1691-4, ceiling fresco

• depicts St. Ignatius being brought up to heaven

• unclear distinction between wall and ceiling; illusion of room extending upwards into heaven

• includes known continents at the time (America, Asia, Europe, Africa)

  • jesuits travelled everywhere to convert people; shows widespread reach & universal-ness of church

Calling of Saint Matthew, Caravaggio

• Italian Baroque, 1597-1601, oil painting

• tenebrism (high contrast, dramatic illumination), chiaroscuro

• painted for church chapel (private commission)

• critical moment: Jesus and St. Peter (dressed humbly & barefoot) have just walked into room, interrupting group of men (dressed in fancy contemporary Italian clothing) that are counting money

  • among the men is Matthew, a tax collector that would become one of the four gospel writers; hasn't quite realized what’s going on, points to himself in confusion

  • Jesus points at Matthew that intentionally mimics gesture in Adam & Eve in Sistine chapel (audience in Rome would understand reference; challenges Michelangelo)

  • contemporary clothing made it more relatable to the audience, makes them think about being in that situation/what they would do

• light comes in through window above/behind Jesus & Peter, “enlightening” Matthew

  • window on visible wall is blocked (Matthew isn’t quite aware yet), frame on window resembles cross

Conversion of Saint Paul, Caravaggio

• Italian Baroque, 1601, oil painting

• scene comes book of apostles, NOT bible; treated as fact

• critical moment: Paul had been persecuting Christians and now, on his travels, was temporarily blinded by a vision of Jesus that caused him to fall of his horse and he is now about to be trampled (maybe)

  • Paul is instead saved by the grace of God and is converted (transformation scene)

• viewer feels involved in scene, invokes concern and empathy

• highly realistic & naturalist; chiaroscuro adds drama

Judith Slaying Holofernes, Artemisia Gentileschi

• Italian Baroque, 1614-20, oil painting

• STORY: from Old Testament, Judith goes into Holofernes’ tent (enemy general) to “seduce” him; gets him drunk and kills him (heroic woman, symbol of female virtue)

  • symbolizes Gentileschi’s revenge against her rapist

• very graphic & dramatic, chiaroscuro; more intense to show women’s ability to push extremes (like how Bernini went further than Michelangelo to show he was better/more skilled)

Martyrdom of Saint Philip, José de Ribera

• Spanish Baroque, 1639, oil painting

  • baroque bc themes of crucial moment, seeking faith, & transformation

  • spanish bc of emphasis on martyrdom (influence of Reconquista & fighting/sacrificing for faith)

• critical moment: St. Peter is about to be crucified by Romans for his Christian beliefs (being pulled up onto the cross)

  • agonized & emaciated yet seems accepting of fate; looks up to heavens

    • connection to St. Teresa where moment of martyrdom=moment of salvation that brings you closer to God/heaven bc like Jesus, you have sacrificed yourself for your faith

Saint Serapion, Francisco de Zurbarán

• Spanish Baroque, 1628, oil painting

• Serapion died 3 centuries earlier by Muslims (merging of past & present; connects to contemporary struggle for faith)

  • idea that sacrifice/martyrdom=salvation

• pose resembles Jesus/crucifixion

• stark contrast between dark background and light drapery/clothes

Water Carrier of Seville, Diego Velázquez

• Spanish Baroque, 1619 (early work), oil painting

• realistic, naturalistic, use of chiaroscuro

• appears to be a scene of ordinary daily life—humble man in tattered clothes brings jug of water to boy

  • water is crucial in hot Seville —> humble man offers something precious (like idea that you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover; sophistication in even the most humble of things)

King Philip IV of Spain, Diego Velázquez

• Spanish Baroque, 1644, oil painting

• portrait of King Phillip IV of Spain, who Velázquez was on friendly terms with

• royal attire, aristocratic, feels regal yet still shows sense of humanity (king has taken off his hat and holds it casually)

• exemplifies how he always want to show humanity in his subjects, even/especially if those subjects are the royal court

Surrender of Breda, Diego Velázquez

• Spanish Baroque, 1634-5, oil painting

• unusual depiction of military success because it emphasizes humanity

• Dutch on left (chaotic formation), Spanish on right (orderly) in foreground; background depicts battle scene (burning fields & ruined buildings)

• STORY: Spanish won against Dutch for control of Breda; Spanish threaten to pillage the town if they aren’t given the city; Dutch mayor gives keys to the city to Spanish general

  • humility: general has gotten off of his horse (pictured backwards in front of the Spanish soldiers) and has taken off his hat to meet the Dutch mayor at his level; almost embraces him as he accepts the key

    • spanish aren’t just victorious, but humane as well

• viewer involvement- various people in the crowd look at viewer

  • some people have their backs turned, creates more real & 3D effect

• figure peeks out from behind horse on far right, self-insert of Velázquez

Las Meninas, Diego Velázquez

• Spanish Baroque, 1656, HUGE oil painting (10’×9’)

• very atypical royal portrait, highly conceptual; depicts scene at painting studio

  • more so a painting about painting than an actual portrait

  • interpretation: painting about how everything passes through a space, including the viewer who will move on to look at something else

• self-portrait of himself painting a large canvas that’s the same size as Las Meninas

  • paradoxical - painting the painting that we are seeing

• more servants than royals pictured; shown on equal level

• King and queen portrait in background, puts viewer in same position as them

  • influenced by Arnolfini Portrait, which was under Spanish possession at the time

  • could be a mirror, reflecting what is being painted on the large canvas

• humanizes the environment, breaking conventions of royal portraiture

  • unique piece; only royal portrait like it; nothing looks similar neither before or after it

• man in the background stands in doorway; shows how there’s more going on; both entry & exit

Elevation of the Cross, Peter Paul Rubens

• Northern Baroque (Flemish), 1610, massive scale oil painting, 3 panels

  • baroque elements: strong diagonal movement, dramatized portrayal, massive scale, in the middle of a moment

• unusual depiction of crucification: portrays moment Christ is being lifted on the cross

  • many muscular men struggle to raise Jesus on the cross; symbolizes weight of sins

• Jesus’ arms are raised in an almost triumphant-looking manner (show his heroism & catholic focus on self-sacrifice)

• Left: various women cry; child tries to grasp mother’s breast; Mary (blue) appears calm next to John the Evangelist (stoicism)

• Right: two other men are about to crucified as well

• influence from Michelangelo (muscle), Caravaggio (light/shadow, realism), & Titian (color)

Consequences of War, Peter Paul Rubens

• Northern Baroque (Flemish), 1638-9, massive scale oil on canvas painting

• anti-war painting; created during 30 Years’ War

  • war causes suffering to art & innocent people

• painted for Duke Medici, Rubens wrote a letter that was sent alongside the painting explaining the allegory in the painting

  • wanted to make sure others understood his symbolism/message

• Venus grabs at Mars, but he continues powering forward with his bloody sword toward group of women & children

  • beauty/peace try but fail to hold back war

• Old woman with torch (a fury) leads Ares forward/toward war

• woman in black represents Europe, stands in front of a temple w/ a symbol of Janus above some open doors

  • open doors to Janus’ (god of boundaries) temple represents war

• little cupids try to help their mother; emphasize drama & sadness

Garden of Love, Peter Paul Rubens

• Northern Baroque (Flemish), 1630-2

• painted for himself; hung in Ruben’s house

  • at a point where he was so rich/famous that he could just paint for himself/pleasure

• personalized allegory

  • idealized image of Rubens bringing his new wife Helena to the Garden of Love (poetic construct; around since Middle Ages)

  • doesn’t use regular symbols; demonstrates artist as intellectual

• overlap of sacred & profane

• fountain of Venus squeezes water out of her own breasts

  • Rubens saw Venus as the mother of everyone (bc love creates children)

Archers of Saint Hadrian, France Hals

• Northern Baroque (Netherlands), 1633

• group portrait of civic guards, complicated scene

  • each person pictured paid to be included

    • sense of clarity; everyone’s face is visible

• painted during 30 Years’ War; Holland was no longer fighting w/ Spain but soldiers that fought previously liked to demonstrate their heroism by continuing to dress up

• figures seem to be reacting to viewers; invite viewer in/makes one feel like they’re there in the room (very baroque)

Night Watch, Rembrandt

• Northern Baroque (Netherlands), 1642

• captain talks to lieutenant, surrounded by other people

  • unlike Hals, figures are less defined

• little girl in yellow has a chicken tied onto her waist

  • inside joke; painting depicts General Cocq (cocq—>chicken)

• little eye, presumably Rembrandt, peeks out behind figures (self-insertion)

Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, Rembrandt

• Northern Baroque (Netherlands), 1632

• depicts Dr. Tulp giving an anatomy lesson to a group of men, using a corpse

  • Anatomy Theater - as medicine began to rlly develop during 1600s, doctors would hold classes that anyone (even women) could attend to learn about anatomy

• commissioned by Dr. Tulp (famous dr), who wanted an image of himself and his students

• innovative portraiture: combines group portrait with an event

• invites viewer into painting, space for viewer to join group

• anatomy lesson is started on arm, not chest

  • left arm is considered sinister, corpse used was likely criminal; can extrapolate some meaning about bad things can still lead to goodness/knowledge

Self-Portrait (1658), Rembrandt

• Northern Baroque (Netherlands), 1658

• one of many, often painted himself; dressed in various fancy costumes

• not idealized; depicted himself realistically w/ his age

• sits on a throne w/ fancy clothes

  • ironic bc he was bankrupt at that time

Self-Portrait (1659-60), Rembrandt

• Northern Baroque (Netherlands), 1659-60

• realistic depiction of himself/his age; doesn’t beautify himself

• shows himself as a painter; dressed simply in studio clothes, holds brushes & palette

• 2 large circles on wall behind him

  • empty maps of the two hemispheres? —> is so busy he doesn’t have time to finish map/what he’s started; consideration of morality?

Christ with the Sick around Him (Hundred-Guilder Print), Rembrandt

• Northern Baroque (Netherlands), 1649, etching/engraving

• strong contrast between dark and light

• sold for a hundred guilder, which was a massive amount to money for a print (typically that much was only paid for actual paintings)

• allowed w/ Protestants despite being imagery from the Bible bc the scene is presented as historical/informational instead of in a way that idealizes/iconizes figures