Richard Parkes Bonington's The Grand Canal, Venice, Looking Toward the Rialto, is a oil on millboard painting that sits in a horizontal position on display at the Kimbell Art Museum. The piece is a landscape painting that shows The Grand Canal in Venice at a time in 1826 before it had become as popular, or iconic, to painters or to other Europeans. Bonington expresses this idea by making the buildings, and features of The Grand Canal, as well as the environment, more dominant than the few people that are represented in the painting. There are only a few figures present in the painting, and yet they still sit far off into the background and have no detail but merely looks as if a colored shadow barely to be made out by the viewer. By depriving …show more content…
Along with the towering buildings, the sky, which consumes about fifty percent of the painting, further adds to the mood and beauty of the environment in this landscape portrait. The calm blue sky, gives a sense of calmness to the portrait and adds a relaxed demeanor to a subtle day along The Grand Canal. This feeling of a relaxed and calm environment, are further reflected in the calm water of the canal. Bonington depicts the canal lacking waves or ripples to show it as ease and allow the viewers gaze to flow smoothly down the canal to the center of the painting. The building alongside the canal are large and pierce the sky with their height and vertical dominance, and are positioned in a narrowing, three-dimensional way so as to also move the viewer down to the center of the painting. As the viewer is pulled into this painting, their view rests down the canal and on the bridge at the center of the painting. The bridge lies at the end of the canal right before it seems to bank off and to the left. It allows both clusters of the buildings, the East and West, to finally converge as one and add depth and volume to the city of Venice. BY doing so, Bonington allows the viewer to be pulled into the city …show more content…
The combination and use of formal elements in the painting illuminate the canal and the buildings that surround it, and create a certain atmosphere that pull the viewer into city. Not only that, the texture and depth of the painting that Bonington displays allow the viewer to continuously flow their vision along the canal, providing the three-dimensional aspect. Altogether, Bonington's The Grand Canal allows the viewer to get an idea of the atmosphere that encapsulated Venice at this time. The lack of figures, reinforces the idea that the beauty of Venice at this time was not the popularity, but the beauty of the environment. An environment that is best seen during the day while the sun is out, the water is calm, and the sky is blue with few clouds overhead. From left to right, top to bottom, The Grand Canal by Richard Parkes Bonington, is a piece that is calm and relaxing to the eyes and allow the viewer to feel at ease, even a sense of bliss, as they look along The Grand Canal towards the Rialto in
During this time he was living in Lavender bay with a clear view of the Opera House. I see it as a fun, bright picture of the Opera House on a clear evening. The Opera house was a focus of National and International pride and interest and the painting celebrated its elegance. The opera house is special to me because I remember sitting and drawing it on a trip to Sydney when I was about 6 or 7. When we go to Sydney we always visit the Opera House and I sang there in Year 5 as part of a school choir. It has fond memories for me. It appears to me as if the building is made from sails. The only menacing element in the painting for me is the black shark fin which cuts through the white waters. It was an oil painting on a canvas 203x244cm (not a small painting) which Whiteley traded it with QANTAS for a period of free
The sunrise in this painting is considered the vanishing point; there is no reference to clouds, sky or land. Even though there isn't any man made objects the giant rocks or mountains have parallel lines that exceed to the sunrise. There is also two focal points in this work of art. To emphasize the focal points Bartolo uses elements of design. One of the focal points is the horse which is located in the center of the picture plane. The horse does not gasp all the attention it also permits the viewers to focus on the second focal point, which is the man in red kneeling down in front of St. Dominic. The color red attracts our attention to this man. There are also line of sight directed to him by St.
The film El Contrato showcases the conditions of workers trying to support families back at home. The men all live under one roof, on a contract for a duration of eight months to work in Ontario at a tomato greenhouse. The workers band together and treat each other as a family would, learning to survive.
The book “Letters from Rifka” is a collection of letters Rifka sent to Tovah a cousin to Rifka. These letters were never intended to be sent to Tovah but I assume that she wrote them to talk to the person in the world that she was missing all about her treacherous journey. Have you ever heard that it’s the journey that matters, instead of the destination or other forms of this saying? The book “Letters from Rifka” featured that saying by highlighting Rifka’s journey to america rather than her conditions in her destination. During Rifka’s journey she faces many obstacles like ringworm, disease, inspection, separation, and murderous storms but she doesn't lose hope thanks to her Pushkin (a volume of poetry by Alexander Pushkin). The composition
Joseph Mallord William Turner. “The Campo Santo, Venice.” The Toledo Museum of Art Masterwork. The Andrew W. Mellow Foundation: Toledo OH. 2009.
The Res Gestae was written by Augustus shortly before his death in 14 AD. It gives details about his life and many achievements as the first Roman emperor. The main purpose of the Res Gestae was for Augustus to preserve the memory of himself as a great emperor whose achievements transformed Rome into a great empire. The original was transcribed onto a pair of bronze pillars in Rome following his death but it didn’t survive. There is a copy that exists in Ankara, Turkey in front of a temple for Augustus.
While the Flemish were proficient in oil painting, Italian Renaissance artists continued their predecessor’s use of tempera. Furthermore, the paintings were ultimately created for different purposes and separate viewers. Although both works are centered on the defining moment of the annunciation, The Merode Altarpiece incorporates this scene into a secular setting, therefore differing from Fra Angelico’s The Annunciation which was painted for a monastery. Finally, Flemish and Italian Renaissance paintings differ in levels of realism. Although the Flemish painters were skilled in portraying realism of physical forms, they lacked a full understanding of linear perspective. In contrast, the Italian Renaissance artists were well versed in linear perspective but lacked a complete grasp of the natural
Giorgio Vasari’s book The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors and Architects was written as a second edition in 1568. It is a collection of written accounts that Vasari thought were the best and most esteemed artists in the Renaissance, which specifically focuses on North Italian cities such as Florence and Milan. This primary source is a tool that gives the reader an understanding of the ways in which Italian Renaissance artists lived their lives. The Lives is also important because it is considered the first book to focus on art history. Barolsky states that Vasari’s Lives is “a foundational text in the history of art history” (Barolsky 33). Vasari, in many ways paved the way as an art historian for others in the future by writing
The first painting I am choosing to write about is Jean-Baptiste-Camille-Corot’s painting that was created in 1827 called, Trinita dei Monti. This painting has an old rustic/vintage look to it. This looks like an old Roman city on the coast. The colors in this painting are faded which I think make this painting more appealing and brings this painting to life. The old white building stands out right away which is in the center of this painting which looks like a church. You can see a bunch of other buildings around the harbor near the church and those buildings get smaller the further you go, as they would in pictures taken with cameras or in person. There is also what appears to be a little trail or a courtyard with a bunch of trees lined up
Twain's detailed images of the "gold," (1) "tinted... opal," (1) and "silver" (1) river, paint the beauty he finds in the surroundings. The "graceful curves, reflected images, woody heights, soft distances; and... marvels of coloring" (1) depict the opinion Twain has of the river. This beauty has been learned and appreciated through the years of living along the river and is revealed through his images.
The artists of the Baroque had a remarkably different style than artists of the Renaissance due to their different approach to form, space, and composition. This extreme differentiation in style resulted in a very different treatment of narrative. Perhaps this drastic stylistic difference between the Renaissance and Baroque in their treatment of form, space, and composition and how these characteristics effect the narrative of a painting cannot be seen more than in comparing Perugino’s Christ Delivering the Keys of the Kingdom to St. Peter from the Early Renaissance to Caravaggio’s Conversion of St. Paul from the Baroque.Perugino was one of the greatest masters of the Early Renaissance whose style ischaracterized by the Renaissance ideals of purity, simplicity, and exceptional symmetry of composition. His approach to form in Christ Delivering the Keys of the Kingdom to St.Peter was very linear. He outlined all the figures with a black line giving them a sense of stability, permanence, and power in their environment, but restricting the figures’ sense of movement. In fact, the figures seem to not move at all, but rather are merely locked at a specific moment in time by their rigid outline. Perugino’s approach to the figures’themselves is extremely humanistic and classical. He shines light on the figures in a clear, even way, keeping with the rational and uncluttered meaning of the work. His figures are all locked in a contrapposto pose engaging in intellectual conversation with their neighbor, giving a strong sense of classical rationality. The figures are repeated over and over such as this to convey a rational response and to show the viewer clarity. Perugino’s approach to space was also very rational and simple. He organizes space along three simple planes: foreground, middle ground, and background. Christ and Saint Peter occupy the center foreground and solemn choruses of saints and citizens occupy the rest of the foreground. The middle distance is filled with miscellaneous figures, which complement the front group, emphasizing its density and order, by their scattered arrangement. Buildings from the Renaissance and triumphal arches from Roman antiquity occupy the background, reinforcing the overall classical message to the
The composition concentrates mainly on the foreground .It has three main points of interest, the small rowing boats, the artificial island and the floating barge .It also has a stretch of trees and foliage in the background painted in a much lighter fashion. Monet?s painting has a very different composition from Renoir?s painting of Grenouillere, which was done at the same time; Renoir?s painting is focussed much more on the artificial island and the people on it. Monet uses a combination of thick bold brushstrokes and small short soft brushstrokes; this creates a nice varied look and helps give a good impression of perspective. The tone is also very varied as it is Very light in some areas, but it is also quite dark in others, such as the shades on the barge. The use of dark shades in the foreground makes the boat look so realistic and quite 3D. Although the middle ground is flatter this helps add to the perspective. The water ho...
The plinth is made of steel, but made to look like wood, which is cultured, not natural. Through this, the idea of man-made versus nature is conveyed, as the plinth is angular, not irregular such as natural timber. This comments on the environment as being changed and transformed into fit the needs of man. Furthermore, the structure is most likely made of steel, which is another modification to nature by processing the natural metal. This modified, re-presented nature shows the idea that we are making processed materials look natural. In other words, making copies of nature but using man-made materials. The lighting also plays an important role in the interpretation of the photograph. On the far side of the light source (highly unusual for a gallery) it is mid or drab grey and other dark colours. This creates a pessimistic, sombre and austere mood to the sculpture, possibly indicating a negative message. However, in the light source, there is the little cottage house. It is more detailed, domestic-looking, idealised and realistic compared to the other buildings. Being in the light source, it gives the little house hope in the austere presence of the other buildings, which are much bigger than it is. The bigger buildings have less detail and look more oppressing. The white building is the central focus point. It can be interpreted as a church or religious building because white represents faith, purity and innocence. The main buildings in the sculpture are austere and are positioned in a huddle, indicating a possible town or congested city. They are most likely to be functional buildings, such as offices, churches or even barns, just not houses, as they are on the outskirts of the city, so therefore on the edges of the sculpture. An example of the classic family home would be the brown building at the top right. It is
Located north of Italy, Venice is a city built upon 118 tiny islands famous for its numerous waterway canals that are joined by bridges. It is also known for its beauty, architecture, and art, (unesco.org). Although no historical records are known that record the founding of Venice, historians agree that the original population of Venice were refugees from Roman cities who were fleeing Germanic and Hun invasions. Originally established on a swamp, from the 5th to the 8th century A.D. settlers established the island using wood pylons driven into 100 feet of silt, and by A.D. 726 the people of Venice elected their first doge, (www.lonelyplanet.com).
Piazza Navona: It is one of the best masterpieces of Baroque architecture. It is like an open a restaurant which surrounds the historic place. It attracts a lot of visitors as it is populated by too many street cafes, open-air performance, and a vibrant festive atmosphere. Have a sip of the best coffee of your life along with enjoying a melodious performance in the background. It is a great place to relax and spend a quality time with your partner. It comes in one of the most romantic places in the world.