Art History - Quiz 2

High Renaissance

The period between 1490-1527 in Italian art; characterized by an intense focus on humanism, naturalism, idealized figures, balance, and harmony

Idealized

A figure that is depicted as a culture’s idea of “perfection”; better than it appears in reality

Leonardo da Vinci, The Mona Lisa - High Renaissance (1502-07)

• Portrait of real person - commissioned by Lisa’s husband (Francesco) who never paid DaVinci so he never got the portrait

• Use of sfumato - see it in Mona Lisa’ face and background (atmospheric perspective created using sfumato)

Sfumato

“To evaporate like smoke”; a painting technique that softens and blurs a subject’s edges

Leonardo da Vinci, Vitruvian Man - High Renaissance (1490)

• Reference to Vitruvius - 1st century B.C. Roman architect and engineer; wanted to create manuals for architectures to build structures as orderly/rational as possible

• Da Vinci used it for a harmonious, idealized man - drew on Vitruvius to create most rational, orderly man

  • Segmented body out for proportions

Pietà

A motif that features the Virgin Mary cradling the body of the dead Christ

Michelangelo, David - High Renaissance (1501-04)

• Originally made for the top of Duomo - Florence commissioned but changed mind before completion

• Instead placed in front of Palazzo della Signoria

• Placing statue of David here was potent symbol - Florence reclaimed David from Medici and placed him facing towards Rome (keeping eye on Medici in Rome)

• Realistic but idealized man (contrapppsto)

• The location of the sculpture changed its significance - meant to be religious but became a political work

Michelangelo, The Creation of Man from the Sistine Chapel - High Renaissance (1490-1500)

• Built for pope - the whole Sistine Chapel ceiling depicts Old Testament scenes

• This work in particular depicts fall of man (almost touching fingertips with God)

• Using diagonal line; eyes drawn to the hands - Michelangelo’s attempt to visualize relationship between human and divine

• Humanism, naturalism

Raphael, The School of Athens - High Renaissance (1590-1611)

• Commissioned by Catholic Church

• Depicts classical philosophers - each figure is from Ancient Greece/Rome (Plato, Aristotle)

  • Classical antiquity

• Using cast of characters from present to revive Greek and Rome as modern Italy

Contrapposto

Placing one’s weight on one foot, allowing opposite hip to rise; creates a relaxed curve to the body

Baroque

The dominant style in art and architecture of the 17th century; characterized by theatricality, emotion, dynamism, and realism

Counter-Reformation

“Catholic Revival”; the resurgence of the Catholic Church in the 16th and 17th centuries against the growing influence of Protestantism

Tenebrism

Darkened or obscured; a painting technique in which figures are spotlit within predominantly dark settings

Caravaggio, Crucifixion of St. Peter - Baroque (1601)

• Scene where St. Peter is crucified and elevated on cross upside down

• Diagonal lines (almost like an X) opposite of pyramid in High Renaissance creates instability and movement

• Using light to draw attention to St. Peters face (tenebrism)

• Not idealized figures (characteristic of Caravaggios work)

• Caravaggio was first major Baroque artist in Italy

Gentileschi, Judith Slaying Holofernes - Baroque (1614-20)

• Grabbing Holofernes by beard and taking his head off - less timid - maid is helping out so it is more realistic

• Attacker of Gentileschi was exiled after he sexually assaulted her - explains rage and intention in this image

• Gender + sexuality

Bernini, The Ecstasy of St. Teresa - Baroque (1647-52)

• Incorporates multiple art forms: sculpture, light, painting, Church aspects

• Depicts St. Teresa - known for visions of angels

• Meant to be understood as sexual

  • Angel pierces St. Teresa - orgasmic ecstasy (filled w/Gods love)

• Included skylight to illuminate gold, gilded details - create tenebrism and sense of drama

Genre painting

A type of painting that depicts ordinary objects or normal people in everyday situations

Group painting

A portrait of several people, usually from a single organization or association

Rembrandt, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp - Baroque (1632)

• Dr. Tulp was famous for public dissections once a year - science taking place over religion

• Dr. Tulp’s living hands pulling up on dead muscles of cadaver - juxtaposition

• Reinvented group portraiture - cohesive whole group but each individual is own man

Velázquez, Las Meninas - Baroque (1656)

• Depicts only surviving child of Royal Couple - surrounded by ladies in waiting

• See King + Queen of Spain through reflection in mirror - very realistic

• Ambiguity - what portrait is Velazquez painting? (King + Queen, Child) There is no clear answer

• Velazquez also painted many pictures of individuals w/dwarfism realistically - gives them dignity

Rococo

An 18th-c. style characterized by lightness, opulence, sensuality, and the extensive use of curvilinear ornamentation.

hôtel

A grand city mansion or townhome.

Ornament

Decorative elements that are purely decorative, not functional.

Fête galante

“Courtship party”; a genre of painting depicting fashionable couples engaged in conversation and flirtation in idealized wooded landscapes.

Pastoral

An idealized portrayal of rural or country life.

Trophies

Wall ornaments of bundled objects that symbolically speak to the function of a space.

Germaine Boffrand, Salon de la Princesse - Rococo (1730s)

• Grand architecture, large chandelier, light reflecting off mirros

• Compared to Baroque - no dark background, light used sparingly in Baroque, Rococo uses light to fill a space

• Removable wall panels, ceiling has symmetry (feature of early Rococo)

• At end of Rococo people were interested in changing mood of space with color

Jean-Antoine Watteau, The Embarkation for Cythera - Rococo (1717)

• Entry for art academy

• Cypher is land of Venus (birthplace)

• People are paired off - went to Cythera for love

• Use of fête galante

• Watteau focused more on color than clarity (form)

François Boucher, The Setting of the Sun - Rococo (1752)

• Studies sent off to tapestry maker for Kings bed; Louis IV was “Sun King”

• Depicts Apollo falling into arms of water nymph (classical allegories represents King Louis IV)

  • Louis falls into arms of mistress madame Dupompedour (?) - shows her status

Jean-Honoré Fragonard, The Swing - Rococo (1767-68)

• Most famous Rococo artwork

• Depicting French mans mistress on swing and French man is looking up skirt

• Classical statues - Cupid making shhh motion

• Beautiful hazy landscape (dense wooded landscape)

• Shoe kicked off foot for flirtation

Neoclassicism

A movement that began around 1750 as a reaction against Rococo; inspired by classical antiquity and Enlightenment ideals of order and rationality

Enlightenment

An 18th century intellectual movement emphasizing reason and knowledge of the world as a way to improve humanity

History painting

A type of painting that tells stories of “important” scenes from history, mythology, or religion.

Monumental painting

Paintings that are exceptionally large in size

French Revolution

A revolt occurring between 17879-1799 against the monarchy and Catholic Church; emphasized liberty, equality, and fraternity

Angellica Kauffmann, Design - Neoclassicism (1780)

• Not permitted to draw from nude body - women artists only depict human form by observing classical sculptures

• Looking at live models not allowed - critics said her male figures were inaccurate and not anatomically correct

• Exclusion - women didn’t have same opportunities

David, The Oath of the Horatii - Neoclassicism (1784)

• Subject is Roman legend of 3 brothers sent to fight on Rome’s behalf - father sends them off to battle - they are sacrificing themselves for the good of their country

• Showing patriotism, equality, liberty

  • David is suggesting this is what French Revolutionists should be doing

• Differences in gender - women are sorrowful and soft (passive) men are stern and powerful (active)

• Emphasis on masculinity - David going against Rococo - women bring France down (they are too emotional)

Anne-Louis Girodet, Portrait of Citizen Belley - Neoclassicism (1797)

• One of few black portraits of this period

• Slave rebellion wanted to abolish slavery - Belley campaigned for end of slavery in French Empire

• Head in background looking away depicts Raynal (white abolitionist) - implies Belley’s accomplishments are because of Raynal

• Belley not depicted in Paris

• Bulge in pants shows racial differences (hyper-sexualize Belley in comparison to white men

  • Black people not seen as citizens of France

Romanticism

A movement that arose around 1800 as a reaction against Neoclassicism; varied subject matter, but united by an interest in the emotional, unusual, dramatic, and sensual.

Qualities: emotion, drama, bold color, loose facture, diagonal lines, intense atmosphere

Ingres, The Grand Odalisque - Romanticism (1819)

• Anatomy doesn’t look right (arms long, legs look weird, back is long)

  • Inaccurate nude female

• Non-religious subject

• Example of orientalism

Orientalism

The European convention of portraying “The East” as exotic, sensual, feminine, dangerous, irrational, and undeveloped. Usually linked to colonialism.

Théodore Géricault, The Raft of the Medusa - Romanticism (1819)

• French ship sailing to Senegal to get Senegal as a colony

  • Shipwreck - 150 people piled onto raft for 13 days and only 15 people survived

  • Raft rescued by ship which you can see in horizon

• Contemporary political commentary - French swept this under the rug because they didn’t look for people on the raft (French government failure)

• Gericault memorializing this was a big deal