Art History Exam 2 Artwork

Identify this Piece

Leonardo da Vinci
The Virgin of the Rocks
16th Century
Oil on wood Panel
Italy

What is the Importance of this piece?

This painting hold a balance composition with the four figures he did a triangle composition. He uses heavy contrast and sfumato or a “smokey” like technique this enhances the three dimensional form. Mary, Jesus and John the Baptist, legend where the Holy family meets the Baptist.

What is the importance of this piece?

Raphael’s Madonna of the Goldfinch worked on a very strong balanced composition (pyramid composition). He had a delicate twist on the head and a pervasive sense of serenity. The artwork shows the love of a mother and presages the death on her son's cross, the goldfinch - with his head stained red- precisely the symbol of the passion of Christ. The third figure is John the Baptist.

Identify this piece?

Raphael
The School of Athens
16th century
fresco
Italy (Rome)

What is the significance of this piece?

The Schools of Athens summarizes the ideals of the Renaissance papacy in a grand. Linear perspective and a realistic portrayal of human figures. Influenced by Ancient Greek ideas. Embodiment of Classical influence in the Renaissance.

Identify this piece?

Michelangelo
Pieta
16th century
Marble
Italy

What is the significance of this piece?

Unusual theme in Italy because this theme was common in Northern Europe. Michelangelo depicts Mary in a heroic in a heroic stance holding her grown son, who is smaller than Mary. The pose is structural strong as it’s in this pyramid structure.

What is the significance?

Originally made to be on top of the cathedral but they liked it so much they wanted to display it. The muscular nudity embodies the antique ideal. Unlike other sculptures of David Michelangelo chooses to depict before the battle slingshot in hand.

Identify this piece?

Titian
“Venus” of Urbino
16th century
Oil on Canvas
Italy

What is the significance of this piece?

Classical mythology became popular where men could appreciate the “Venus” The chest, flowers, and details depict the image of marriage while Venus is seductively on the bed. She is seen as a bride depicting marriage.

What is the significance of this piece?

Palladio Villa Rotunda, Vicenza was inspired by Ancient Roman architecture. The Villa was a “Party House” using mathematical ideal proportions to create the home.

What is the Significance of this piece?

Tintoretto’s The Last Supper is quite different from Michelangelo, Tintoretto views the scene from the corner with a vanishing point on a high horizontal line on the right. He used a few light sources to depict the heaviness of the scene. Tintoretto also picks different scene from the story, instead of uses the most dramatic scene he chooses one where they seem calm uses the surrounding to add tensions and dramaticize the piece.

What is the significance of this piece?

Assimilated to a distinctive Mannerist style. Mary has unnatural proportions and the composition itself wasn’t strong (the baby looks like it’s about to fall off and she looks to be seated and there’s no seat. This is a departure from Renaissance ideals of Naturalism and proportion. Parimigiando Madonna of the Long Neck.

Identify this piece?

Matthias Grunewald
Isenheim Altarpiece
16th century
Oil on wood panel
Then Germany now France

What is the significance of this piece?

The Isenheim Altarpiece depicts Christ’s suffering and hope of salvation, offering solace and a sense of connection to suffering of the sick, particularly those with ergot poisoning.

Identify this piece?

Albrecht Durer
The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse
16th century
Woodcut
Germany (Northern Europe)

What is the significance of this piece?

The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse depicts the biblical from the Book of Revelation, visually representing the four harbingers of destruction: Conquest War, Famine, and Death. Durer began producing prints and publishing then which began bolstering her income.

What is the significance of this piece?

Albrecht Durer’s Adam and Eve use of intaglio, cuts into a metal plate. He uses ideal human proportions based on Greek and Roman Art. Symbolic to the story of Adam & Eve.

What is significant about the piece?

El Greco’s Burial of Count Orgaz is a masterpiece of late Mannerism, a testament to El Greco’s artistic Style. It depicts a local legend where Saints Stephen and Augustine descend from heaven to bury Don Gonzalo Ruíz de Toledo, the Count of Orgaz, blending earthly and divine realms and serves as a visual metaphor for the connection between the mortal world and the afterlife.

Identify this piece

Hieronymus Bosch
Garden of Earthly Delights
16th century
oil on wood panel
Spain

What is the significance of this piece?

The Garden of Earthly delights is a surreal and imaginative depiction of creation sin, and punishment depicts the early paradise with the creation of women, the first temptation and the fall.

Identify this piece

Pieter Bruegel the elder
Return of the Hunters
16th century
Oil on wood panel
the Netherlands

What is the significance of this piece?

One of the first winder landscapes part of a collection depicting season portrayal of peasant life and the harness of winter.

Identify this piece?

Gianlorenzo Bernini
St. Teresa of avila
17th century
Marble
Rome

Identify this piece ?

Hans Holbein the Younger
The French Ambassador
16th century
Oil on wood panel
The Netherlands

What is the Importance of this piece?

This piece meticulous realism, symbolic objects, and its depiction of the political and religious climate of 1533, including the two French courtiers visit to Henry VIII’s court and subtle reminder of morality. Celebrates human achievement while subtly reminding viewers of mortality and the transience of life.

What is the importance of this piece?

Representation of the emotional, theatrical style perfected by Bernini in response to the religious a political climate in Rome during the period of spiritual renewal known as the counter- reformation.

Identify this piece?

Gianlorenzo Bernini
David
17th Century
Italy

What is the importance of this piece?

It introduced a new type of three-dimensional composition that intrudes forcefully into the viewer’s space. Bernini’s most mature David, with his sinewy body, tight clenched mouth, and straining muscles, is all tension, action, and determination. Bernini incorporates the surrounding space within his composition, implying the presence of an unseen adversary somewhere behind the viewer. Thus, the viewer becomes past of the action, rather than its displaced and dispassionate observer.

What is the importance of this piece.

Carvaggio’’s Bacchus made in 17th century Italy used realistic detail in his work. In this one in particular he naturally accentuated the nature reproducing the “farmer’s tan”, he put dirt under the fingernails. It was a provocative image with the encounter outfitted as Bacchus, the god of Wine. He focuses on the extreme realism for his style.

Identify this piece?

Caravaggio
The Conversion of St. Paul
17th Century
Oil on canvas
Italy

What’s the importance of this piece?

Caravaggio having emotional power and theatrical approach to the sacred narrative. First one was rejected. He places darkness all around placing attention onto St. Paul.

What is the importance of this piece?

Artemisia Gentileschi’s Judith Beheading Holofernes was made in 17th century Italy. It was inspired by Caravaggio’s tenebrism and naturalism. The subject is drawn from the biblical book of Judith. She risked her life to protect that of her people. Using her charm to gain Holofernes’s trust Judith enters the tent and beheads him with his word. Throughout her life Gentileschi painted many such images of heroic biblical women, art historians have interpreted in relation to her own struggle to claim her rightful place in an art world dominated by men.

What is the importance of this piece?

Diego Velaquez’s Las Meninas was made in 17th century Spain. It is a complex group portrait that captures a moment in the Spanish Royal Court, raising questions about reality and illusion, and the relationship between artist never and the depicted figures. One of the interpretations of this painting is that it’s a reference to Jan van Eyck the image could be a reference to Jan van Eyck’s Double Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his wife. But the focus isn’t on the 5 year old girl instead of the family.

Identify this piece?

Peter Paul Rubens
The Raising of the Cross
17th century
Oil on panel
Flanders

What is the importance of this piece?

It served as a powerful religion statement written of the Counter Reformation, showcasing the crucifixion of Christ with dramatic energy and emotional intensity, reflecting the artistic style of the time. The heroic nude figures, dramatic lighting effects, dynamic composition and intense emotions show his debt to the nation the rich colors and careful descriptions of surface texture is reflection of his native Flanders Ancestry.

Identify this piece?

Rembrant van Rijn
The Company of Captain Frans Canning Cocq (The Night Watch)
17th century
Oil on Canvas
Dutch

What is important about this piece?

Carries the idea of a group portrait as a dramatic even further. The painting was believed to be a nocturnal scene but was cleaned although the painting was dark at the time it was just a favor. The complex interactions of the figures and the vivid, individualized likeness of the militiamen make this are if the greatest group portraits in Dutch traditions.

What is the importance of this piece?

Johannes Vermeer’s Woman holding a balance made in 17th century Duch. It studied equilibrium creates a monumental composition and a moment of supreme stillness. There’s a painting in the lack is The Last Judgement while the woman is weighing her jewelry. The woman’s moment of quiet introspection in front the gold and pearls displayed or the talk before her, shimmering with reflecting light from the window, also evokes the theme of earthly life.

What is the importance of this piece?

Nicolas Poussin’s Landscape with St. Matthew and the Angel was made in 17th century France. They had their studies in Italy but worked in for French Patrons and were French. It depicts the saint writing the gospel, guided by an angel a carefully composed classical landscape.