ART 100 Midterm Works Identification

Pisano, Pulpit, Pisa Baptistry, 1260

Carries on medieval traditions (like the three rung arches), along with classical elements (the arches are round rather than pointed like in gothic styles, the figures could derive from roman sarcophagi/relief sculptures)

Pisano, Annunciation, Nativity, and Adoration of the Shepherds, Pisa Baptistry, 1260

* Shows hierarchy of figures (Mary being huge compared to everyone else)
* Every other sculptures face looks relatively the same, not trying to create much individuality between the figures

Giovanni Pisano, Annunciation, Nativity, and Adoration of the Shepherds, Sant Andrea, 1301

* Figures are relatively similar in size compared to the previous piece
* Still shows hierarchy with Mary in the middle and everyone looking at her
* Much more space and not as compact compared to the previous piece
* Remnants of a contrapposto pose?

Giotto, Arena Chapel, Padua, 1305

* Panels depict stories of biblical figures lives along the wall (top row: Mary, middle: scenes from christ's early life, bottom: scenes of christ’s late life), large panel in back is the last judgment
* Typological relationship: time is cyclical, things that happen in the past also happen in the present/future, things from the old testament connect to the new testament
* Figures painted in grisaille to depict sculpted figures
* Overall beginning to center the viewer more, paintings become more personalized

Giotto, Lamentation, Arena Chapel, 1305

* A part of the bottom row of stories depicted on walls of the chapel
* Still shows jesus as the most important figure, but in ways that are different from Medieval techniques (not having him be large, but everyones looking at him, perspective of hill/wall leads to christs head which guides out eyes, everyone is very emotional towards him)
* Christs body seems heavy
* Creates ability for viewer to be put in the scene (by little space between the two guys by christs head or by having the people's backs be turned towards the person so they could imagine themselves as the figures)

Lorenzetti, The Effects of Good Government in the City and in the Country, Palazzo Pubblico Siena, 1339

Early example of secular art

* Allegories of Good government represented as human forms
* A lot of activity that represents an active population
* Varied experiences of people in the piece, but are peacefully coexisting
* Economic stability/prosperity through the clothing of the people pictured and the states of the buildings
* Harmony, moving through the city as you move through the painting

Campin, Merode Altarpiece, 1425

* Early oil painting, shows texture and detail of clothing/hair much more clearly, gives them almost a glowing look
* Seems to be more visually convincing/moving towards linear perspective but is still skewed (people in the spaces they make up look ginormous, the space itself seems strangely long, but there’s an effort to make it more naturalistic)
* Donors are depicted on far left hinge
* Many more seemingly unnecessary details in Northern European paintings compared to Southern European paintings, makes it more relatable and believable

Jan Van Eyck, Ghent Altarpiece, St. Bravo Cathedral, 1432

* Public altarpiece
* Outside: an emphasis on space between the figures, almost like it’s space for god/jesus? Even though they're not physically represented they're still there, donors depicted in corner, saints depicted as grisaille
* Inside: Example of hierarchical arrangement of figures common in art during this period, question of if the body and blood of Christ were actually being consumed when people ate the bread and drank the wine, or if it was just symbolic?, Dutch cities depicted in background ties back to Northern European interests in landscapes
* Oil paint helps with details

Rogier van der Weyden, Deposition, Notre Dame hors les murs, 1435

* Bodies are very squished/crammed within the frame
* Jesus’s body looks heavy and there’s more details/flaws with it like scarring, more accurate depictions of the human body and an example of Northern Europeans not depicting an idealized version of people
* Faces/expressions are all different, adding more individuality to paintings
* Skull in bottom = memento mori

Rogier van Der Weyden, Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin, 1435

* Compositional space in this piece emphasizing God (he’s always there even if you can't see him)
* Lateral movement on surface of the painting compared to axial background forms the shape of a cross
* Who are the people in the background facing out? Could it be a way for van der Wine to draw the viewer in and almost have themselves picture that they’re there within the scene?
* Our eye moves farther and farther back like it can just keep going, Northern European interest in landscapes

Jan Van Eyck, Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife, 1434

* Controversy surrounding what the painting actually means and why it was painted (originally thought of as a wedding certificate, but other interpretations have suggested it was commissioned in order by Giovanna Arnolfini’s father to secure her dowry)
* Mirror in the back seems to look like a seal? Jan Van Eyck also has painted himself in the mirror and signed his signature above it
* Hidden symbolism throughout painting (Oranges in background and shoes being a way to show domestic life, the dog in the front maybe signaling a certain type of loyalty)

Schongauer, Temptation of St. Anthony, 1480

* Variety of tones through shading techniques like cross hatching
* Made during time of political tournament in Burgundy regarding the line of succession and the Hapsburgs, could be based on those feelings of uncertainty

Hugo van der Goes, Portinari Altarpiece, Florence, 1476

* Architecture and Northern European landscape tie all three panels together
* Donors represented on side panels with a swedish retelling of the adoration of the shepherds portrayed in the main panel (instead of holding baby jesus, mary prays along with the shepherds)
* Hidden symbolism (flowers representing the virgin, harp signifying the ancestry of christ
* Background also tells story of the journey of mary and joseph to bethlehem all the way to the arrival of the magi

Ghiberti, Isaac and His Sons, Gates of Paradise, 1425

* Created after sculptural casting competition between him and brunelleschi
* Clear example of linear perspective: helps us understand different moments spacialy in relation to one another
* Panels are contained, the stories don’t move from one panel to another like in Giotto's Arena chapel

Brunelleschi. Santo Spirito, Florence, 1446

* Greek/Roman columns, not a Gothic compound
* Flat roof compared to arched gothic roofs of cathedrals
* Rounded arches (more greek/roman) compared to pointed arches of gothic style
* Laid out mathematically in squares/ bay (uses darker stone to show basic unit so you can literally see the proportions of the squares)

Leon Battista Alberti, Sant' Andrea, Mantua, 1472

* Greek/Roman columns, not a Gothic compound
* Flat roof compared to arched gothic roofs of cathedrals
* Rounded arches (more greek/roman) compared to pointed arches of gothic style
* Laid out mathematically in squares/ bay (uses darker stone to show basic unit so you can literally see the proportions of the squares)

Masaccio, Tribute Money, Brancacci Chapel, 1425

* Using linear perspective to better tell the story of tribute money, everyone has their own place within the narrative and look naturalistic/believable, which helps us believe the story
* Linear perspective still showing importance of Jesus by making his head the vanishing point
* Structures in the back look stagelike, almost too small to fit into

Donatello, David, 1440

* Meant for a private audience
* An example of nude sculptures beginning to become more popular for artists to create because of resurgence in interest of classical arts
* A sense of sensuality/sexuality, engagement with erotic potential of the body and how that’s represented in art

Boticelli, Primavera, 1482

* Worked with philosopher on the piece on how to best represent the piece neoplatonistically (the distinction between the ideal and the reality)
* Not based on a story entirely, only bits from classical mythology, seems to be somewhat experimental
* Connecting sacred/holy ideas with mythology

Botticelli, Birth of Venus, 1485

* Story taken from ancient mythology
* Naked Venus shows the experimentation of sexuality in art at this time, and how artists were harkening back to classical techniques
* Made for private context which encourages experimentation

Michelangelo, St. Peters, Vatican City, 1545

* Old St. Peter’s was a Latin cross plan, changed the way the church was arranged to diminish hierarchy and emphasize the worldly nature of the church (clergy and people attending church were on the same physical level)
* Clear entrance that was more rounded to fit with renaissance architecture styles
* Sculptural wall effect: Makes it seem like a single surface is curved/moving in and out

DaVinci, Last Supper, Santa Maria delle Grazie, 1495

* Mixed oil paint and fresco to paint it (experimental but did not hold up well after hundreds of years)
* Linear perspective working with narrative and the gestures/gazes of figures (vanishing point in Christ’s head)
* Grouping of 3 throughout the painting (the windows, walls, groups of apostles) could be reference to many things (holy trinity)

Michelangelo, David, Piazza della Signoria, 1500

* Very tall compared to other David’s
* Was made as a civic monument for Florence; height and musculature show the capabilities and resiliency of Florentines
* No visible weapon, able to perform damage based on physicality alone
* Looking out and away, almost like he’s scanning the terrain looking for enemies

Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, 1515

* Very detailed and complicated arrangement when you first look at it, but is divided in terms of story lines
* Typological narratives: as we get closer to the end wall the people depicted become ‘more’ sacred/closer to Christ and God and leading us away from sin
* Ceiling depicts events from the book of genesis, which leads us to the last judgment on the far wall
* A circular conception of time and salvation, gives us a position on the model of time

Michelangelo, Creation of Adam, Vatican City, 1515

* Both Adam and God look incredibly heavy and have very defined muscles, almost mannerist like (which is seen in other pieces like the last judgment and medici’s tomb): demonstrates power but also the appreciation of the human form
* Communication between God and Man: similar to Greek mythological stories, shows mythology and the church coexisting

Raphael, School of Athens, Stanza della Segnatura, 1500

* Classical figures being a part of God's plan, shows artists incorporating the sacred with mythology
* Philosophers reaching toward a  higher truth by moving towards the wall of theology, space their in looks like a church (long hallway = nave, high rounded arches and apses)
* Stanza della Segnatura acting almost as a conversation with the viewer, interaction with the pieces make the meaning
* Representing different Renaissance artists as classical thinkers and pagans

Giorgione da Castelfranco, The Tempest, 1510

* Regarded as a “poetic” painting and ambiguity regarding the meaning of the piece
* Dozens of possible meanings: Eve nursing Cain viewed by Adam, the Virgin Mary nursing Jesus seen by one of the shepherds, possibly related to greek mythology because of thunder in background and the fact that a person is depicted as nude, which was common in Greek art?

Titian, Venus of Urbino, 1538

* An example of sexuality and sensuality being represented in art, seems inviting and 
* Hidden symbolism (flowers =  sexuality, sleeping dog = less loyalty to a single sexual partner? At least compared to Giovanni Arnolfini and his wife by Van Eyck)
* Titled Venus of Urbino, who’s a greek figure, but possibly representing her as a human because of servants in back looking through a cassoni for clothes

Michelangelo, Last Judgement, Sistine chapel, 1535

* Demonstrates hierarchy, but in a way that is more stern than Medieval styles because of God's mannerist expression and body
* While fresco impresses Christs wrath on the viewer, it also provides hope by depicting the saved souls
* Ties the whole cyclical depiction of the old and new testament together, the final thing that the viewer sees as they walk to the back wall

Michelangelo, Tomb of Giuliano de Medici, Medici Chapel, 1520

* Very heavy and mannerist depictions of bodies (looks contorted and unnatural, especially the woman's chest): showing power?

Bronzino, Venus, Cupid, Folly, and Time, 1546

* Mannerist both in style (ie the twisting body on the left, the man in the background stiff hands and tendons) and content (such extreme sexuality, possibly incest)
* Dislocation of both bodies and morals

Romano, Palazzo de Te, Mantua, 1525

* Deliberately is off, doesn’t follow a consistent Doric or Ionic style (frieze seems to be jettisoning out? Overall seems lumpy)
* Need to have prior knowledge in architecture to understand why it’s not right, ties back into different ways of engaging with the viewer and what type of people were understanding and appreciating art at this time

Durer, Four Apostles, 1526

* Shows importance of physically reading the bible, a development made because of the printing press and is a key part of Protestantism
* Older apostles in the back compared to younger apostles in the front, diminished hierarchy of the Catholic church that Protestants were trying to avoid

Grunewald, Crucifixion, Isenheim Altarpiece, 1515

* Was hung up in a hospital, prayers as a way to get treatment
* Jesus’s arms look incredibly unnatural and painful on the cross, body is almost sickly green on the bottom portion of the piece: an interest in the depiction of pain and the imperfect 
* This portion of the altarpiece was on the outside of the hinges, could relate to suffering on the outside leading to salvation on the inside?
* Showing individuality through poses
* Less compact compared to other altarpieces with similar arrangements (like Rogier van der Wines deposition)

Holbein, The Ambassadors, 1533

* Somewhat of a still life piece between the two figures with all the worldly objects; depicts worldly achievement and Humanist values
* Warped skull is an example of an anamorphic image and an example of memento mori, ties into protestant ideals to correct overly individualistic and worldly actions (something that the Catholic Church was being criticized for during the reformation)

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Netherlandish Proverbs, 1559

* Many different depictions of phrases or sayings (“banging your head against the wall”, “don’t cry over spilled milk”, etc.)
* These things aren’t quite sins (like in Hieronymous Bosch’s seven deadly sins), but still speaks to the human condition through comical everyday action: a loose example of genre painting?

Bernini, Piazza of St. Peters, 1656

* A way to reassert authority of the church, this addition to the St. Peters courtyard follows goals of counter reformation art
* Imposing corinthian colonnade, makes it seem like the church is literally reaching out to grab people and lead them in
* Asserting power and hierarchy of the church, making it clear and really involving the viewer in their work

Bernini, Baldacchino, St. Peters, 1625

* Marks resting place of St. Peter
* Black and gold in the columns suggest movement, almost change as the viewer walks towards them and the light reflects off of them
* Example of how counter reformation catholic art created a kind of spectacle and had theatricality

Bernini, Ecstasy of St. Theresa, Cornaro Chapel, 1645

* Shows goals of Counter Reformation Catholic art: reestablishing hierarchy, creating a sense of implied movement and theatricality (bel composto)
* Combining sculpture, painting, and architecture with billow clouds coming out of the frame, the heavy ornamentation surrounding the sculptures of St. Theresa, etc
* Patrons sculpted on side of walls in theater boxes: speaks to how art at this time was trying to really involve the viewer and being a part of art

Borromini, San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, Rome, 1665

* Creating rhythm and movement through convex and concave semicircles, almost like building should fall over
* Bel composto effects using the viewers movement (as they walk towards the building the movement becomes more pronounced)
* Less stable, seems to visibly distort (manneristic?)

Gaulli, Triumph of the Name of Jesus, Rome, 1680

* Eye is drawn to the wall of light surrounding Jesus
* Even though it’s a painting, the figures seem to be crawling out of the frame and spreading all over the ceiling
* Materials change (bottom figures are stucco compared to other figures being fresco)

Caravaggio, Entombment, Pietro Vittrice Chapel, 1600

* Example of tenebrism, Caravaggio’s technique of creating stark contrasts between light and dark (almost a spotlight effect on the figures)
* Creates a tense feeling along with the expressions and poses of the figures
* Interacting with the viewer: almost like the figures are waiting for us to help them/we caught them getting Jesus’ body out of the tomb
* Painting alla prima = “from life”, people became angry that Caravaggio was basing depictions of powerful holy figures off of regular humans even though it adds to the naturalism of the painting

Gentileschi, Judith Slaying Holofernes, 1620

* Example of Caravaggio's effect on art with the tenebrism used in the painting
* Very gruesome, shows a real struggle and intention in cutting off the head (compared to Caravaggios where Judith seems more dainty and almost shocked she's commit g this act)
* Story depicted speaks to Gentileschi’s experience (although she should be remembered for more than just the tragedy that struck her/her father)
* The title speaks to the intention (slaying rather than killing, truly shows anger) and well as the angered expression of Judith

Velazquez, Las Meninas, 1656

* Trying to place himself within the spanish royal family and the fact that they’re comfortable with him, shows his influence and how he's trying to elevate the status of an artist
* Because of the mirror in the background the viewer is taking the  perspective of the king and queen (is this flattery or mocking the viewer?)
* Complicated narrative when it comes to addressing the viewer

Rubens, Elevation of the Cross, St. Wallburga, 1610

* Painter from low country who became an elevated artist (even engages as a diplomat for royal families across Europe)
* Very aware of classical mythology and bible stories, able to represent allegorical themes through figures
* Shows hierarchy of Jesus, putting Christ up on the cross compared to many depictions of Christ being taken down from the cross
* High contrast lighting accentuating musculature of figures (plays into a type of softened tenebrism and mannerism), shows a straining sense of effort

Hals, Archers of St. Hadrian, 1630

* Showing egalitarianism through portraiture while keeping individuality
* Everyone is on the same physical level, no one is blocking each other, they all have similar outfits on
* Outfits have slight differences (colors of sashes, hats/no hats), faces have clear differences so you can distinguish individual features from the group, body language is different among them, not all standing stiff but some sitting, standing, relaxing, etc.
* Addressing the viewer in a more calm way? Almost like we stumbled upon them and they’re asking us to join them (speaks to the fact that its a portrait of a volunteer cavalry during the 30 years war)

Rembrandt, Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp, 1632

* A softened tenebrism leaning more towards Da Vinci’s sfumato
* Darkness with low light creates a still, calming feeling
* Poses seem much more staged compared to Hal’s group portrait of the Archers of St. Hadrian, there's a clear hierarchy between the teacher and the students (different clothes, standing on different sides, everyone looking at either the cadaver or the doctor) 


* Book in corner: speaking to the Protestant value of physically reading the bible? All the while continuing to be interested in human science

Rembrandt, Christ with the Sick around Him, 1649

* Plate gets covered with a type of acid lacquer, artist takes a stylus and starts to draw on the lacquer creating the design
* Plate gets put in acid, the acid eats away at the copper that’s exposed
* Ink gets put on a plate, then wiped and ink stays in grooves. Finally, it’s run through a printer with a piece of paper to get the final print

Vermeer, The Painter and his Model, 1666

* Compare to Las Meninas with how the artist is being rendered
* Trying less to show the important place of the artist, maybe just being an artist for the sake of being an artist
* Able to know the artist supports the new Dutch Republic because of the map in the background
* Argued that some type of camera was used to make the piece?