The Renaissance Paintings of Fra Angelico
It seems fitting that for more than a century, the popular image of an angel has been that of an angel by Angelico. As historian Pope-Hennessy tells us - "the idiom he evolved has come to be regarded as the natural language of religious painting". (1) The impetus to research Fra Angelico's life comes from a deep respect for religious art . However, having grown up in the Catholic Church, stained glass windows and sculptures of religious figures were more familiar to me than religious paintings. An in-depth look at the life of one of the most familiar Italian artists was very appealing . Angelico's work was very well known in his own day, and throughout the entire Renaissance period it lost none of its luster and none of its influence over artists and art lovers. (2)
Little is known about the details of this humble man's life. The sparse biographical data which has come down through the centuries offers only some landmarks. The following pieces of information provide only a basis for inference: entries in ledgers regarding the payment of sums owed for commissions; the dates at which the edificies for which they were intended such as churches or chapels are known to have been built and the dates at which those who commisioned works took office or died. It would be interesting to have details of his early family life or some of his own writings as are available for many contemporary artists. Some of Vasari's writings about Angelico are somewhat romantic and often quoted by other historians such as one who states that the saints painted by Fra Angelico seemed more saintly than other painters (3). As well, Vasari tells us that Fra Angelico was a simple man, most holy in his habits, most...
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...s own, and with a total committment to his spiritual vision, he gave expression to the new movement -- the rinascimento -- of his time." (11)
(1) John Pope-Hennessy, Fra Angelico (Phaidon Publishers Inc. London 1952) 1
(2) Jacqueline and Maurice Guillard, Fra Angelico The Light of the Soul (Crown Publishers Inc. 1986) 5
(3) Steffi Roettgen, Italian Frescoes The Early Renaissance (Abbeville Press Publishers NY 1996) 208
(4) Pope-Hennessy, Fra Angelico, 1
(5) Guillard, Fra Angelico The Light of the Soul, 33
(6) Roettgen, Italian Frescoes The Early Renaissance, 208
(7) Roettgen, Italian Frescoes The Early Renaissance, 208-9
(8) Roettgen, Italian Frescoes The Early Renaissance, 208
(9)Guillard, Fra Angelico The Light of the Soul, 6
(10) Guillard ,Fra Angelico The Light of the Soul, 19
(11) Guillard, Fra Angelico The Light of the Soul, 36
The Holy Trinity by Masaccio was a painting done in approximately 1428. It is a
By most accounts, the year 1500 was in the midst of the height of the Italian Renaissance. In that year, Flemmish artist Jean Hey, known as the “Master of Moulins,” painted “The Annunciation” to adorn a section of an alter piece for his royal French patrons. The painting tells the story of the angel Gabriel’s visit to the Virgin Mary to deliver the news that she will give birth to the son of God. As the story goes, Mary, an unwed woman, was initially terrified about the prospects of pregnancy, but eventually accepts her fate as God’s servant. “The Annunciation” is an oil painting on a modest canvas, three feet tall and half as wide. The setting of the painting is a study, Mary sitting at a desk in the bottom right hand corner reading, and the angel Gabriel behind her holding a golden scepter, perhaps floating and slightly off the canvas’s center to the left. Both figures are making distinct hand gestures, and a single white dove, in a glowing sphere of gold, floats directly above Mary’s head. The rest of the study is artistic but uncluttered: a tiled floor, a bed with red sheets, and Italian-style architecture. “The Annunciation” was painted at a momentous time, at what is now considered the end of the Early Renaissance (the majority of the 15th Century) and the beginning of the High Renaissance (roughly, 1495 – 1520). Because of its appropriate placement in the Renaissance’s timeline and its distinctly High Renaissance characteristics, Jean Hey’s “Annunciation” represents the culmination of the transition from the trial-and-error process of the Early Renaissance, to the technical perfection that embodied the High Renaissance. Specifically, “Annunciation” demonstrates technical advancements in the portrayal of the huma...
The Renaissance in Western Europe brought a “rebirth” to the arts. No longer was the church the only accredited patron for the arts. Instead, a wealthy middle class arose as patrons and were able to purchase artist’s works. Although many pieces still had religious themes, the styles, freedom of creativity, and less reserved pieces were created. The Renaissance was not only confined to Italy, although it is often mistaken as the birthplace of the movement. All over Western Europe artwork flourished. Artists from the north came to Italy to study the classical arts and the renowned Italian Renaissance artists. Many of the same themes and subject matters were depicted throughout Western Europe. One such subject matter, the Annunciation, was portrayed by Jan van Eyck, a Flemish panel painter, as well as, Fra Angelico, an Italian fresco painter. In short, the Annunciation occurred when God sends the angel, Gabriel to deliver the message to Mary that she will give birth to his only son. Although both artists had the same understanding of the biblical account, their styles varied to agree with the concerns and interests of the people of the time as well as where they lived. They were able to establish their individuality through their artwork, even with the same subject matter. The Annunciation by Jan van Eyck is a perfect reflection of Northern Renaissance panel painting while Annunciation by Fra Angelico is the essence of Italian Renaissance fresco painting.
Mark Twain wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to expose the hypocrisy of racism and religion in society. He clearly displayed how blacks were stereotyped, devalued, and considered to be inferior to whites. He showed how people associated themselves with certain religious beliefs, but only practiced those beliefs at their own convenience. Unfortunately, the issues Twain wrote about still exist in today’s world. Society has made some progress; however, overall, not much has changed since Twain wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Despite all the criticism, of racism and other questionable material for young readers, Mark Twain’s The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn is a superbly written novel, which in the opinion of this reviewer should not be remove the literary cannon. Twain’s novel is a coming of age story that teaches young people many valuable lessons and to some extend makes students reexamine their own lives and morals. The most common argument for its removal from the literary canon is that the novel is too racist; it offends black readers, perpetuates cheap slave-era stereotypes, and deserves no place on today’s bookshelves. However one must ask if Twain is encouraging traditional southern racism or is Twain disputing these idea.
The definition of a utopia is an imagined place or state in which everything is perfect. In book four of Gulliver’s travels Gulliver discovers a group of people called the Houyhnhnms and the group displays qualities of a possible utopia. The Houyhnhnms are very rational in their thinking, and try their best to stay away from entertainment and vanity. However the Houyhnhnms could not be considered creators of a utopia because they emphasized unrealistic rules and because of their treatment of the Yahoo people within their society. Instead it is the Lilliputians people who display the most signs of a potential utopia in Gulliver’s Travels.
It is without a doubt that the Lebanon was a once a under Hellenistic influence and that its citizens adopted the Hellenic lifestyle either by choice or by force; probably both ! This cultural shift is shown in most artifacts that were found in the country. Phoenicia was greatly altered with its intake in Greek culture and the merge of both cultures ended up with an exploding final result. Whether Alexander meant for the Greek culture to be spread or simply just wanted to control his new subjects , he helped shape the foundations of the Phoenician country of Lebanon. Knowing that and knowing Lebanon today, one can't help but ask, if this mixing of cultures had not occurred, would Lebanon today be the same, a better, much more advanced version of the Cedars Nation or would things have gone off to a terrible path ?!
A race issue that occurs within the rap and hip-hop musical genre is the racial stereotypes associated with the musical form. According to Brandt, and Viki rap music and hip- hop music are known for fomenting crime violence, and the continuing formation of negative perceptions revolving around the African-American race (p.362). Many individuals believe that rap and hip-hop music and the culture that forms it is the particular reason for the degradation of the African-American community and the stereotypes that surround that specific ethnic group. An example is a two thousand and seven song produced by artist Nas entitled the N-word. The particular title of the song sparked major debates within not only the African-American community thus the Caucasian communities as well. Debates included topics such as the significance and worth of freedom of speech compared with the need to take a stand against messages that denigrate African-Americans. This specific label turned into an outrage and came to the point where conservative white individuals stood in front of the record label expressing their feelings. These individuals made a point that it is because artists like Nas that there is an increase in gang and street violence within communities. Rap and hip-hop music only depicts a simple-minded image of black men as sex crazed, criminals, or “gangsters”. As said above, community concerns have arisen over time over the use of the N-word, or the fact that many rappers vocalize about white superiority and privilege. Of course rap music did not develop these specific stereotypes, however these stereotypes are being used; and quite successfully in rap and hip-hop which spreads them and keeps the idea that people of color are lazy, all crimin...
Jonathon Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels takes place in four parts, each of which describe Gulliver’s adventures with fantastical species of foreign nations. The search for Swift’s meaning has been a controversial one; the novel has been interpreted along a wide spectrum ranging from children’s story to a satire of human nature. The greatest debate lies within the realm of satire, and Part Four of Gulliver’s Travels, “A Voyage to the Country of the Houyhnhnms,” is just one area in which critics argue for a variety of satirical meanings. Critics traditionally argue for the “hard” interpretation which posits the strictly rational nature of the Houyhnhnms as a positive ideal to be strived for, and the Yahoos’ passionate nature as innately gruesome and to be avoided. I argue however, that Swift uses the Houyhnhnms and Yahoos to represent the virtues of rationality and passion taken to the extreme, as ultimately crippling. Although the Houyhnhnms and Yahoos are innately good and embody admirable characteristics, their inability to incorporate the opposing motives of passion or reason causes them to display undesirable characteristics. Pedro de Mendez is introduced to portray the ideal man as one who balances passion and rationality, while Gulliver represents the dysfunctional state of a man in denial of the complexities of his own human nature.
This massacre forever changed security in schools. In schools we now have police officers patrolling around school. School can no longer be called a safe haven for kids. School was a place to learn and to get away from home life. Now we don’t know if we might get shot at any moment at school. ”-In the Connecticut shooting 26 people were killed 6 staff and 20 kids” (CNN 1 ). Kids become cautious at school because, they don't know if while they’re
The development of Italian painting in the years around the 1300 or the proto-renaissance is in some sense the rebirth of art and culture. The painters of Renaissance Italy usually attached to particular courts and with loyalties to certain cities, still explored the extensive span of Italy. Many of the Italian painters grew artistically during this time, which is noticeable in Duccio’s painting compared to Giotto’s. In the renaissance period it was highly popularized to mainly draw depictions of religious figures, which is what the concentration of Duccio’s artwork mainly was. Before the painting of the Betrayal of Christ, Duccio’s paintings were highly composed and reliant upon the ancient tradition of icon painting. In the time around 1300 Duccio took steps toward depicting images in a more naturalistic form; Whereas, Giotto, in the 1300’s, was already established as painting more three-dimensional and naturalistic forms.
The most popular new music to emerge from the ‘80’s was rap music. It first developed in the mid ‘70’s in New York City, and soon in other urban areas, primarily amongst African-American teen-agers. It became very popular with the urban public that it soon began to spread throughout the United States and much of the world. It replaced rock music as the creative force in music of the ‘80’s and ‘90’s. However, as popular as it was then and it is now, the lyrics of many rap songs have caused controversy. Many believe and have charged that these lyrics promote racism and violence and show contempt for women.
Although it will be very hard to determine when and if a school shooting will occur, therefore, many schools and districts have begun using techniques to help deter the violence and lessen death rates. Today there are many deterrents to stopping or reducing school shootings as schools have a responsibility to protect the physical and psychologically well-being of their students and staff (Guidance From the National Association of School Psychologists, 2010) Despite the widely spread recognition and fear that comes from violence in schools, evidence indicates that schools are among the safest place for children, compared to their homes and neighborhood environments. According to a 2006 national survey by the
Schools should implement more security training and more officers.Over the years, a handful of massacres that have come to define school shootings in this country are almost always remembered for the students and educators who have been kill in cold-blooded. Aforementioned created Death tolls that transpire so frequently that the numbers and places become permanently linked to the area that it occurred. What the media fail to capture, though, is the collateral damage of this uniquely American dilemma. The first incident of a school shooting was in Columbine in 1999, more than 187,000 students attending at least 193 elementary or middle schools have experienced a shooting on campus during school hours. Even if School shootings remain very rare, this represents a tiny fraction of the gun violence epidemic that has plagued the United States. On average, this leaves a child bleeding or in harsh conditions every hour in the United States. While few of those incidents happen on campuses, the ones that do have spread fear across the country, changing the culture of education and how kids grow up. Every day, threats sent classrooms into lockdowns that can frighten students, even when they turn out to be false
In Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, Gulliver learns that experiencing different cultures and ways of life changes a person’s views when he experiences: outside opinions of his homeland, different everyday customs, and different societal priorities. These three things fundamentally change Gulliver as they change anyone with an open mind. From the king of Brobdingang’s harsh criticism of the British Empire to Lilliput’s seemingly bizarre way of life to the Houyhnhnms’ nearly flawless formula for successful society, Gulliver experiences things that change his outlook on life. In other words the outside opinions of England, different everyday customs, and different societal priorities of the lands Gulliver journeys to change the intelligent and curious Gulliver forever.