Art Appreciation Study Set 1

Prehistoric reasons for art creation

Man wanted hunting powers or magic over the animals

Prehistoric

First evidence of images and symbol making

Prehistoric Cave Paintings

seem to have been used for some sort of hunting rituals as they were mostly painted deep in the caves, away from where the humans dwelled
The primary subjects are animals, painted naturalistically and appearing to be alive and in motion

Prehistoric cave paintings

Animals drawn in profile(viewed from side)*** using yellows, reds, browns, blacks, painted large and lifelike from floor to ceiling.
Archaeologist found artifacts which told of the artists methods
130 stone lamps burnt tallow and wicks
flat stones were used for palettes and mixing colors
earth colors were mixed with animal fat
their paint applicators or brushes were mats of hair and moss
lamp black- black paint
hollow bones for blow pipes
bulges in wall were used imaginatively
recesses were cut into the wall for scaffolding
handprints were signature of artist or visitors
paintings of man are rare
caves are now closed because moisture and CO2 exhaled by hundreds of visitors caused fungus to grow on the walls.
purpose of cave painting was hunting magic***

Cave Paintings of Lascaux, France

15,000 B.C. The best work discovered by children deep in the interior of the cave. Another cave inSpain was discovered by a child. Large paintings of very naturalistic animals had been preserved by the dry, undisturbed air of the caves for over 15,000 years.

Venus of Willendorf

25,000 B.C.- 1st human sculptures, not interested in realism. This Milhous figure represents a well-fed and pregnant woman. Food and fertility were necessary for survival. About 4" high of limestone , found in Austria. There are many different theories concerning Venus. 1. A modern theory believes they were created and carved by women. This is based on the idea that women generally have "issues" with their body. 2.Others think she represents the "perfect" or "ideal" primitive woman. 3.Some believe she is representative of fertility. She has large breasts, wide hips, and a protruding stomach(pregnant). 4. Another theory is that they were just little trinkets to carry with you and view while away on long hunting trips. Possibly a reminder to early man of his loved one back homesuch as pictures we carry in our wallets. Not much attention was given to her arms and facial features. Sometimes she appears to be wearing a hat or the carver has given her hair.

Ivory Horse

30,000 B.C.

Egyptian reasons for art creation

conveyed messages, it bridged a gap between the real world and the realm of the supernatural, it gave visual form to gods and goddesses, and it satisfied a timeless human need

Stonehenge

2,000B.C. Salisbury Plain England.
Man now lived in fixed abodes, farmed, herded domesticated animals, some lived in towns.
This structure is believed to have been a very accurate calendar based on sun and moon.
Stones arranged 17' . It is symmetrical, rhythmical, and had religious purposes.

Greek reasons for art creation

To create the ideal individual...Regarded humankind as the highest creation of nature. With this attitude came a new concept of the importance of the individual. The focus on human potential and achievement led to the development of democracy and to the perfection of naturalistic images of the human figure in art.

Rome

Many Greek artists flocked to Rome
Roman culture was modeled on that of the Greeks
A unique contribution of the Romans was the art of realistic portraiture
The Romans required realistic portraits of their ancestors for worship at family shrines in the home

Augustus

Roman realism combines with Greek idealization to create a convincing portrayal of a "real man" and an effective image of the perfect leader
He consciously attempted to identify himself with the ultimate authority of the state and the beginning of a new, Golden Age of Roman civilization

Roman reasons for art creation

For pleasure, as a form of visual expression and emotion, as a passion.

Renaissance Reasons for art creation

Harmony, grace, and proportion. For spiritual matters and expression of rebellion against spiritual matters

Important Greek Buildings

Athena Parthenos

Greek goddess of wisdom and prudent warfare, protector of the Athenian Navy

Roman Architecture

adopted the language of Greek architecture to which they added the use of the arch
The arch enabled them to construct enormous buildings

Roman Statues

Achieved a high degree of individuality. The warts-and-all style probably grew out of wax death masks of ancestors for the family shrine or alter

Egyptian Art

art idealized the pharaoh and presented him as divine
The stiff poses, symmetry and cubic shape express that the the king & his queen are powerful and immortal beings
Represent ideal male and female figures; muscular torso, flat abdomen, breasts covered with shear cloth, sexual characteristics are a symbol of fertlity

Roman Mosaics

created with tiny pieces of tiles of colored stone, ceramic, or glass all fitted together in an intricate puzzle to form a desired pattern or picture. Paintings as we know it came from these.

Roman Fresco Paintings

painting directly on wet plaster wall

Colosseum

was the Flavian Amphitheater. could seat 50,000 spectators and was 13 stories tall
Uses all 3 of the Greek column styles, but not to support the structure

Column of Trajan

Famous victory symbol of Imperial Rome...commemorates two of the Emperor Trajan's military campaigns in the region that is still known as Romania

At the base a surprised river god observes the Roman army crossing his river on a bridge they constructed
There is an emphasis on the engineering skill and organization of the Romans in the more than 150 scenes that spiral up the column

Pantheon

Roman...was the largest and most famous domed building in the ancient world.
Behind a rectangular porch it is a completely round building or rotunda, topped by a half sphere with an oculus, or eye

Rotunda

Completely round building

Oculus

Eye

Pompeii

buried by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius

Greek Vases

Roman Vases

Portico

columned porch

Coffers

recessed squares in Pantheon's dome that lighten and give strength to the structure

Capitals

Decorations at the top of columns

Krater

A Greek vase, refers to the handles shape, traditionally used for mixing ceremonial beverages

Kore

Greek word for female youth

Kouros

Greek word for male youth

iconoclast

in Byzantine art, one who opposes the creation of images of holy persons, believing that they promote idolatry

Basilica

a Roman town hall, with 3 aisles and an apse at one or both ends; Christians appropriated this for for their churches

Gothic

primarily an architectural style that prevailed in Wester Europe from the twelfth through the fifteenth centuries; characterized by pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses

Ziggurat

a rectangular or square stepped pyramid, often with a temple at its top

Petroglyph

an image or a symbol carved in shallow relief on a rock surface, usually ancient

Paleolithic Art

a very ancient period of art coincednt with the Old Stone Age, before the discovery of agriculture and animal herding

Neolithic Art

a period of ancient art after the introduction of agriculture but before the invention of bronze

Hierarchic Scale

use of natural proportions or scale to show the relative importance of figures; most commonly in ancient Near Eastern or Egyptian art.

Contrapposto

Counterpoised, bears most weight on one leg in a pose. Greeks and Romans used this to give a life-like quality to figures at rest.

Classical Art

Emphasizes rational simplicity, order, and restrained emotion

Color

A human experience generated collectively by the eye and the brain. In the concepts of both light and substance, the art and science of color are completely interconnected.

Line

The path of a moving point. This is made by a tool or instrument as it is drawn across a surface. It is usually made visible by the fact that it contrasts in value with the surface on which it is drawn.

Applied Art

Work of art created by an artist that serves a purpose or has a use/function as well as to provide visual delight.

Architecture
Car design
Book illustration
Wallpaper

Baroque Period

the 17th century period in Europe characterized in the visual arts by dynamic light and shade, turbulent composition, and pronounced emotional expression

an exceptionally dynamic time in Western history, artists expanded the means of producing art and their subject matter

Renaissance

generally considered to mark the beginning of the modern world. The term, meaning "rebirth" was coined by the people in 15th century Italy.
Ambitious artists combined technical advances with profound subject matter to create works that still resonate today. They focused on the laws of proportion for architecture, the human body, and space. Artists first began to experiment with oil-based paints, mixing powdered pigments with linseed oil. The only historical period known primarily for its artists

Renaissance Art

Perspective and attention to light became important to artists, as well as architectural accuracy in backgrounds. Popular subject matter included Biblical characters and subjects from Greek and Roman mythology. Renaissance art placed a large emphasis on the importance of the Madonna in art. Taking inspiration from classical Roman and Greek art, artists of the Renaissance were also interested in the human body, especially the nude. They attempted to idealized the human form and were shown in physical perfection and purity with expression and unique personality. During this period, the gap betweeen other creative thinkers such as poets, philosophers, and scientists from artists began to decrease. All these people were viewed as visionaries and began sharing ideas and learning from each other.

Medici Family

ruled Florence and supported the arts and sciences. These aristocrats would pay people to learn and create for them. This helped spread knowledge into the lower classes. With this rebirth of intellect came a stronger interest in Ancient Greek and Roman culture that inspired the revival of Classicism.

Early Renaissance

was lead by sculptor Donatello, architect Flippo Brunelleschi, and painter Masaccio. They began the movement on the foundations that development and progress was integral to the evolution and survival of the arts. They found their inspiration from antiquity, creating realistic figures that portrayed personality and behavior. They focused on the laws of proportion for architecture, the human body, and space. Most 15th Century art.

Giotto

Initiating a return to visual realism, he almost single-handedly created the Renaissance style of painting
In the Lamentation he shows us how the scene may have really looked
The figures have mass, they are weighted to the ground, they are in proportion to each other, and in a natural setting
They express real human emotion

The Holy Trinity

the first painting based on a systematic use of linear perspective. Artist Filippo Brunelleschi rediscovered and developed in Florence early in the 15th cent.

Brunelleschi

became the most famous architect of his day when he solved the problem of how to create a dome for the Florence Cathedral
By studying the ancient buildings of Rome along with medieval building techniques (and inventing a few new ones along the way), he accomplished a major engineering feat
He also created a focal point for the city of Florence

Sandro Botticelli

creates paintings which express a sense of grace or grazia
He paints mythical figures with a graceful line and rhythm

Donatello's David

the 1st free-standing, life-sized bronze figure since ancient times
Nudity was no longer shameful, as in the medieval period, but beautiful, and capable of representing humanity's highest ideals
He shows David as a boy, almost effeminate

Rococo Period

a style used in interior decoration and painting in France and southern Germany in the 18th century, characterized by small-scale and ornate decoration, pastel colors, and asymmetrical arrangement or curves

a more decorative and playful elaboration of the Baroque style

Still life

A painting of inanimate objects, such as flowers, fruit, other food items, and domestic utensils

Humanism

a cultural and intellectual movement during the Renaissance, following the rediscovery of the art and literature of Ancient Greece and Rome

Genre Painting

a type of art that takes as its subject every day life, rather than civic leaders, religious figures, and mythological heros

Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel

Pope Julius II commissioned to paint the ceiling of the ____ in Rome
He decided to represent the history of the world before Moses, from the beginning of Genesis to the story of Noah
Seated within realistically painted architectural elements are prophets (who predicted the coming of Christ) and nude figures, who react to the scenes they frame
High Ren

The High Renaissance

The smooth transitions between light and dark are made possible by the new medium of oil paint

sought to create a generalized style of art that focused on drama, physical presence, and balance. The major artists of this period were Leonardo Da Vinci, Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Titian. The period lasted from 1495 to 1520

The Virgin of the Rocks

shows the perfect ease

The figure triangle

a new structural innovation

Leonardo's The Last Supper

The apostles react in different ways, according to their character
There is a masterful use of perspective and symmetry
Christ's head becomes the vanishing point

Michelangelo's David

before killing the giant
His eyes stare intensely, choosing the right moment

Raphael

Madonna della Sedia
Contemporary of Michelangelo and Da Vinci
Painted cherubs, madonnas, Virgin Mary, angels
Triangular composition
Venetian High Ren

Raphael's The School of Athens

depicts a heavenly world of knowledge, the "Elysian" or delightful fields spoken of by the Greek poets
The greatest philosophers of the classical period are seen in discussion

Titian

developed new painting techniques

Impasto

where thick layers of paint are built up , for added richness

Post-Impressionism

Impressionism reasons for creating art

In 1874, a group of painters who had been denied the right to show at the Salon of 1873 organized an independent expedition of their work. These artisits, opposing academic doctrines and Romantic ideals, turned instead to the portrayal of contemporary life. They took their canvases outdoors and sought to pain impressions of what the eye actually sees, rather than what the mind knows or interprets from a scene.

Impressionism

Capturing the nuance of light

Impressionist

Truly against painting a picture of any moral message. Had a very firm understanding of color, theory, optics, the nature of light, and the invention of photography freed these painters to become more abstract with their art. Had better and more sophisticated pigments at their disposal.

Post-Impressionists

Took the techniques of impressionism and took the style to a whole new level. Used color to communicate what they felt about the world in which they lived. More passion, more emotion, more expression incorporated into their paintings.

Egyptian Artists

Worked in large studion and factories
Were anonymous craftsmen
Produced standard images
Creativity was limited
Inherited these roles
Reflected total devotion and servitude to pharaoh

optical mixing

juxtaposing colors on a canvas without mixing or blending, your eye mixes the paint on the canvas

Roman Artists

Egyptian Art

Pyramids as tombs for pharaoh
Paintings on tomb walls
Statues of rulers and families
Treasures, decorations and useful objects for afterlife
Hieroglyphs

Egypt

art idealized the pharaoh and presented him as divine
The stiff poses, symmetry and cubic shape express that the the king & his queen are powerful and immortal beings
Represent ideal male and female figures; muscular torso, flat abdomen, breasts covered with shear cloth, sexual characteristics are a symbol of fertlity

androgynous

being both male & female

monotheism

Worshiping only one God. In Egypt, revolutionary pharaoh named Akhenaton introduced

pharaoh Ramses

demanded an even more powerful, formal style of sculpture
These colossal 60-high images of the pharaoh are intended to overwhelm the viewer with their scale and majesty
Greatest builder of ancient Egypt

Pharaoh Akhenaton

androgynous images of him are now interpreted as symbolizing the ruler-god's melding of male and female traits
An emphasis on elegance and naturalism is evident in the image of Akhenaton's Queen
Used as model for all statues
Carved from limestone, painted to look like flesh

King Tutankhamun

Ruled as a young child for 9 yrs.
Tomb discovered by Howard Carter in 1922
Mummy case-sarcohphagi was made of solid gold
Tomb full of beautiful and useful treasures and objects to be used in afterlife

Pyramids

Tombs for Pharaoh, royalty, most important people

Venus of Willendorf

reflects a different use of art than we are familiar with, Exaggeration of the parts of the body related to childbearing suggests the idea of a fertility goddess
The small size of the work suggests a magic charm held in the hand to promote fertility and survival in the harsh ice age environment

Classical

characteristic of Greek and Roman antiquity

Parthenon

Greek...represents an ideal of classical style
A sense of logic and clarity can be seen in the simple plan and in the way that the forms exhibit a clear expression of their function

Perfect example of Harmony & Proportion

Colonnade

a row of columns that surround the outside of building

Classical Greek Sculpture

shows a concern with balance, harmony and proportion
They represent ideal beauty and youth, but are more lifelike (or naturalistic) than the statues of the Egyptians

Canon

measure or model