Art Section I - Academic Decathlon

Art history is related to which other disciplines?

Anthropology, history, and sociology

Aesthetics

Philosophical inquiry into the nature and expression of beauty

Art criticism

The explanation of current art events to the general public via the press

Definition of art

Visual material created by people and invested w/ special meaning or valued for aesthetic appeal

"How can the meaning of a work of art shift based on the viewer's perspective?"

Differences in social status, education, physical access, religion, race, gender, time period

Formal analysis

Focuses on VISUAL qualities of work of art, Meaning is INTRINSIC to work of art, Requires observation and description

Contextual analysis

Looking OUTSIDE work of art to determine meaning, Cultural, social, religion, and economic context, May examine patronage, viewer access, physical location, cost, relative subject matter

Comparative study of art allows us to...

Understand the unique features of two works, determine stylistic changes, and relate these changes to historical context

Direct examination of a work of art is ideal because...

Scale and 3D qualities of sculptures, Rich textures and colors of paintings, More vibrant photographs

What resources do art historians seek when analyzing a work of art, besides the work itself?

Reproductions, archival sources, written documentation, interviews with artists and art consumers, participant observation

Art history emerged as an artistic discipline in which century?

mid-18th century

Pliny the Elder

Roman historian who analyzed art in Natural History

Giorgio Vasari

"Renaissance author and artist who compiled Italian artists' biographies in The Lives of the Artists "

Johann Joachim Winckelmann

German scholar who shifted away from biographical emphasis to study of stylistic development and historical context

How has art history been recently revised?

By female historians who note traditional focus of art history on white men

Artifacts that remain from early cultures are made of which materials?

Stone, metal, fired clay

Perishable materials from early cultures include

Wood and fibers

The civilizations most studied in art history are those...

Whose art has been preserved and discovered, not necessarily the best art

Chauvet Cave paintings

30,000 BCE (Old Stone Age), Red ochre and black charcoal, Depict horses, rhinos, lions, buffalos, mammoths, Possibly created for hunting ceremonies or ritual behaviors

Venus (or Woman) of Willendorf

28,000-25,000 BCE, Small stone female figures with exaggerated bellies, breasts, and pubic areas, Possible fertility figures

Art of the Middle Stone Age

Cave dwellers began using rock shelters, Rock shelter paintings portrayed human beings (cave paintings did not) and the domination of animals

Art of the New Stone Age

Rings of rough-hewn stones (megaliths) in Western Europe

Stonehenge

Rock arrangement in England featuring concentric rings, Consists of sarsen stones and bluestones with lintel (crosspiece) on top, Heaviest stones are 50 tons, Heel-stone marks sunrise on midsummer solstice

Where does art tend to thrive?

Highly organized cultures w/ stable population centers and supportive ruling classes

Art that is largely inaccessible is likely to survive. T/F

True - artifacts from burial chambers, caves, and tombs

Mesopotamia arose between which two rivers?

Tigris and Euphrates

How did the surroundings of Mesopotamia compare to that of Egypt?

Mesopotamia formed in valley which lacked natural barriers of deserts and mountains of Egypt

Sumerians

Earliest civilization in Mesopotamia (4000 BCE), Religion was central aspect of life, Built massive temples and ziggurats (stepped pyramids)

Akkadians

2334 BCE, Loyalty to the king rather than to the city-state, Monarchy depicted in sculptures

What did ziggurats serve as?

Primarily temples, but also administrative and economic centers

Babylonians

United under King Hammurabi in 1792 BCE, Code of Hammurabi - oldest legal code

Assyrians

Dominant in northern Mesopotamia, Relief carvings of important events

Which two constructions are symbolic of the Neo-Babylonian period?

Hanging gardens of Babylon and Ishtar Gate (gateway to temple of Bel)

Persian Empire

Present-day Iran, Palace of Persepolis, Influence of Egyptian architecture

What are some recognizable works of ancient Egypt?

Sphinx, great pyramids at Giza, statues of pharaohs, head of Queen Nefertiti

Hierarchical scale

Uses status to determine relative sizes - more important = larger

Fractional representation

Shows each part of body as clearly as possible - think of Egyptian art with profile and frontal views

Why is ancient Egyptian art so well preserved?

Hot and dry climate, Mummification and other burial customs preserved furnishings and jewelry well

Nubia

South of Egypt, Ruled Egypt for a period

Cycladic culture

Earliest culture on Aegean islands, 3200-2000 BCE, Simplified, geometric nude female figures, Pottery, marble bowls and jars

Minoan culture

Second culture on Aegean islands, Centered around Knossos - home of Minotaur and maze (the royal palace), Art characterized by naturalistic pictorial style - frescoes and pottery designs, Built 4 major palaces

Mycenaean culture

Last culture on Aegean islands, Elaborate tombs, well preserved objects, master goldsmithers, Utilized relief sculpture

How did ancient Greek sculptures differ from their Egyptian counterparts?

More dynamic, emphasized realistic human features

Early Greek columns were built in which two styles?

Doric and Ionic

Vase painting in ancient Greece

Corinthian style - figures set against ornamented background, Athenian style - black figures, linear and larger in scale, Red-figure - red figures against black background

The sculpture of the Early Classical Period of Greece is characterized by...

Solemnity, strength, and simplicity

How did sculptural techniques in Greece shift from the Archaic Period to the Early Classical Period?

More complex, life-like figures and positions

Contrapposto

Counter positioning - figure has weight shifted on one leg, more relaxed and naturalistic

Middle Classical Period of Greek art

Temple architecture, e.g. Parthenon

Late Classical Period of Greek art

Decline due to defeat in Peloponnesian War, Rise of decorative Corinthian columns, Increasing influence of Eastern civilizations

Etruscan art

Arose in Italy in first millennium BCE, Transition from idealism of Greece to pragmatism of Rome, Tomb decoration and bronze work

The Romans made pioneering advancements in...

Architecture and engineering

How did concrete contribute to Roman architecture?

Stronger material led to huge domed buildings and arches, e.g. Colosseum and Pantheon

Roman sculpture

Portrayed Roman emperors and military victories, Reliefs for funerary purposes, Varying sizes of sculpted portraits

Roman sculpture favored a naturalistic/idealistic style.

Idealistic

What is the Eastern Roman Empire also known as?

Byzantium

Byzantine art

Mosaics - ceramic tiles, stones, and glass set into ground material, Hagia Sophia

How were valuable books and manuscripts in the medieval period preserved?

Copied by monks in monasteries, facilitated exchange of ideas between northern and southern Europe

Nomadic Germanic art

Metalwork - jewelry and ornaments

What was the most important medium in Viking art?

Wood - ships, sculptures, carvings

Characteristics of the Romanesque style

Stone vaulted churches formed of a barrel vault (tunnel of arches), Massive walls, small window and door openings, Saint-Sernin

What is a vault?

Arch-shaped structure used as a ceiling or to support a roof

Characteristics of the Gothic style

Pointed arches - upward, soaring sense, Ribbed vaults - thin stone ribs/arches built under ceiling, Flying buttresses - bracing and arches placed on exterior to counter interior pressure, Stained glass and higher ceilings, Chartres Cathedral

What artist is associated with the transition between the Gothic and Renaissance periods?

Giotto di Bondone - known for frescoes painted in simple perspective

How did art become more important in the Renaissance?

Use of paper money to rise of wealthy families, Greek and Roman art became available in Italy

How did the perception of artists change during the Renaissance?

Before: artists viewed as lesser status, After: artists recognized as intellectual figures

Who were the winners of the famous art competition held in Florence in 1401?

First place - Lorenzo Ghiberti, second place - Filippo Brunelleschi

Who developed the concept of linear perspective?

Linear perspective

Donatello

Renaissance artist considered the founder of modern sculpture, Created David (bronze statue)

Botticelli

Established image of female beauty via his painting The Birth of Venus

Leonardo da Vinci

Renaissance Man - many occupations and hobbies, Painted The Last Supper Mona Lisa, Developed sfumato

What is sfumato?

Means smoke, use of mellowed colors and blurred outlines

Michelangelo di Buonarotti

"Created David (marble sculpture), Worked on Pope Julius II's tomb, Painted ceiling of Sistine Chapel"

Raphael Sanzio

Most influential painter of the Madonna

Giorgione

Venetian painter, Emphasized landscape, not figures, as subject of painting, e.g. The Tempest

Titian Vecelli

Venetian regarded as greatest Renaissance colorist, Used settings such as columns or curtains as portrait backdrops

Tintoretto

Venetian painter linked with Mannerism, Presented figures from dramatic angles, Used chiaroscuro to heighten emotional impact

Characteristics of Mannerism

Distortion of perspective or scale, Use of acidic colors, Twisted positioning of subjects

Chiaroscuro

Dramatic contrasts of light and dark

Reformation

Protestants criticized opulence and corruption of Catholic Church, called for purification, Move away from rich decoration and religious imagery

Counter-Reformation

"Church's response to Counter-Reformation, Emphasized lavish church decoration, emotional and dramatic art"

El Greco

Mannerist painter associated with Counter-Reformation, Captured religious fervor using elongated figures

During the 15th century, artworks in northern Europe were larger/smaller than those in the south.

Smaller, but more detailed due to use of new oil paints

How did northern European art differ stylistically from southern European art?

Gothic in style, Influenced less by classical antiquity, Harder to access ancient Roman works

Which two artists are considered the greatest artists of the Renaissance in northern Europe?

Matthias Grunewald and Albrecht Durer

Matthias Grunewald

Known for religious scenes and depictions of crucifixion, Masterpiece is Isenheim Altarpiece

Albrecht Durer

Most famous artist of Reformation Germany, Combined naturalistic detail of northern artists with theoretical ideas of Italian artists

Hans Holbein the Younger

Considered a great Renaissance portraitist, Court painter to King Henry VIII, Established standard for English painting

Baroque art refers to artwork in what time period?

Late 16th century to mid-18th century

How does the Baroque era differ from the Renaissance?

Baroque - less static, more movement and energy, conflicts between empires, appealed to emotions, Renaissance - conflicts between cities

How were European societies structured in the Baroque era?

Sovereigns believed in divine right of kings, Concentration of power and health into a few, Majority of people led difficult lives, gave rise to Enlightenment thought

Characteristics of Baroque vs. Renaissance art

Baroque art - richness of color and ornamentation, dramatic and dynamic imagery, chiaroscuro, caravaggesque art, Renaissance art - simplicity and calm

Caravaggio

Italian Baroque painter who used dramatic contrasts of light and dark, Provocative naturalism - depicted biblical figures in poor and simple garments

Gianlorenzo Bernini

Most important Baroque artist, Theatrical background, Magnum opus is Ecstasy of Saint Teresa (marble sculpture)

Peter Paul Rubens

Belgian artist, Established workshop

Rembrandt van Rijn

Dutch painter, printmaker, and draftsman, Most famous work is The Night Watch

"How did Rembrandt's The Night Watch break with tradition?"

It gave some members of the painting more attention than others, although each member paid the same sum

In which country did the Baroque period reach its peak?

France

Versailles

"Palace built by Louis XIV (the ""sun king""), Stable, orangerie (greenhouse), zoo, water features"

What are the Salon and Academy

Salon - chooses and supports artists through exhibitations, Academy - imposes aesthetic standards and principles of taste