Unit 5/6: Art History

Artworks

Portrait of Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz (18th c.)

Oil

Mexico

Woman depicted as a nun (posthumously) → feminist → she educated, painter preserves her intellect by depicting her in library

Differs from other depictions of nuns bc she’s not surrounded by religious works (bible)

Use of red to show high status

A Philosopher Giving a Lecture on the Orrery (18th c.)

Joseph Wright of Derby

Oil

Orrery: mechanical model of solar system, light source coming from sun (in CENTER)

Example of enlightenment and furthering scientific knowledge → women and children present and engaged

Tenebrism: intense chiaroscuro

Highlights high social status → morality determined by scientific knowledge, not religion

The Swing (18th c.)

Oil

Rococo

Fragonard

Ruffle dress → wealthy

Sexual undertones- shoe comes off, dress flies up, guy sitting beneath her, hushing cupid, voyeurism of man in back

Commissioned anonymously

Self Portrait (18th c.)

Le Brun (known for Marie Antoinette’s portrait)

Oil

Rococo

Red bow- wealth

Snapshot → baroque callback

Differs from typical self portraits bc she’s painting a portrait BUT she herself is still the main focus of the painting

La Grande Odalisque (19th c.)

Ingres

Oil

Neoclassical

Not idealized (like rococo normally is) → prostitute, Turkish, drugs, nudity → seen as immoral

Odalisque: low class

Prescence of opium (from Asia!) → connects her to eastern world (lesser)

Fetishization of the impoverished

Mannerism: elongated back and arm

Monticello (1800s)

Thomas Jefferson

Brick, glass, stone

Inspired by greco-roman past and enlightenment→ he believes architecture should comment on social change

Influenced by Hotel de Salm

Wooden balustrades

Portico (rows of columns)

George Washington (18th c.)

Houdon

Marble

Commissioned by Jefferson

Celebrated Washingtons accomplishments in rev. war

Washington refused to be idealized→ sculpture depicts him exactly as he his (not godlike)

Rests on column → representation of roman republican governance & 13 colonies

Standing contrapposto and looking forward