1100 Ch 5.1

Chapter 5: Meaning in Art

Understanding the Context

• Contextual questions to consider when analyzing art:

  • What is happening around the artist?

  • What motivated the choice of subject, composition, and style?

  • Insights into context aid in answering these questions.

Historical Art Examples

• Monet, Boulevard de Capucines (1873-4)

  • Accompanied by a Japanese woodblock print and a c. 1870 NYC photo.

• Jan Davidszoon de Heem, Vase of Flowers (c. 1660)

  • Representing the Dutch Golden Age.

  • Historical context involved.

Key Time Periods and Movements

• Protestant Reformation (1517-1648)

  • Resulted in division within the Christian church and societal shifts in Europe.

• Dutch Golden Age (1600s)

  • Marked by trade, scientific discovery, and educational advancements.

Art Categories

• Genre Painting

  • Depicts everyday life scenes, popular in Protestant homes avoiding religious embellishments.

  • De Heem, Vase of Flowers (c. 1660) and Greuze, The Father’s Curse (1777) as examples.

• Still Life

  • Arrangement of objects (manmade/natural).

Symbolism in Art

• Tulips: Represent trade and economic success in Dutch art.

Concepts of Mortality in Art

• Memento Mori: Reminders of death and mortality.

• Vanitas: Still life emphasizing life's transience, exemplified in de Heem's work.

Important Works

• Willem Claeszoon Heda, Still Life with Gilt Goblet (1635)

• Lilly Martin Spencer, Conversation Piece (1852): Example of social context.

Political Context in Art

• Francisco de Goya, The Third of May (1814): Response to the Peninsular War.

• Pablo Picasso, Guernica (1937): Reflection of the Spanish Civil War.

Scientific Context in Art

• The Golden Ratio: Mathematical ratio influencing art and architecture.

• Examples include the Parthenon and Leonardo da Vinci's anatomical studies.

  • Studied human anatomy through dissection despite legal/health risks.

Evolution of Motion in Art

• Edward Muybridge, Horse in Motion (1878): Pioneering photography illustrating motion.

Art Techniques

• Pointillism: Technique using small dots to form an image, as seen in Georges Seurat's work.

Symbols and Their Meanings

• Symbolism: Images/signs understood collectively among a group.

• Variants of the Christian cross and their cultural significance.

Cultural and Historical Symbols

• The Swastika: An ancient symbol of divinity, now associated with various meanings across cultures, particularly affected by Nazi appropriation.

Iconography in Art

• The study of symbols and themes in art, considering implied meanings and narrative through visual signs.

• Historical examples include the sarcophagus lid from the tomb of Pakal, representing the Mayan World Tree.