One of the things that I found very interesting about The Oath of the Horatti is how Jaques-Louis David used lighting and lines to continually bring the viewers eyes back to one central focal point. If you begin looking at the painting on the right the lighting brings your eyes across the painting to the swords raised in the air by the father. If you start at the left the lines of the sons bodies again bring your eyes back to the swords. The vertical columns in the center of the painting act as a frame for the swords, again bring attention that particular section of the painting.
Another interesting aspect is the differences in the way the men and women are painted. The men are painted strong with very straight lines; their arms and feet are
stretched out ending in pointed perfectly straight fingers and toes. They are standing up, looking powerful and brave in bright colors. The women, on the other hand, are painted sitting down and slumped over with curved bodies and hands. The colors used for them are muted, causing them almost blend in to the background. This is more than likely done due to the way women were viewed during that period. Women were seen as weak and emotional and David has painted them in a way that makes them appear weak and easy to overlook. David was actually a leader in the Neoclassic movement which rejected the Rococo style, believing that art should have a political or social message. The artists in the movement attempted to mimic or revive the classical Roman and Greek style of art. Most of the art uses Roman subject matter, like The Oath of Haratii.
First, the portrait of Menkaure and a Queen was made in the Old Kingdom Egypt. The two figures are locked in place together in the frontal poses. They can be viewed from the front and the sides, but the back is flat and has no carved details. Although they do not stand in composite pose, their proportions are following the Egyptian canon. Thus, they have athletic bodies which are idealized from the shoulders to the waist to the hips. They were made to be the perfect symbol of human beings at that time to Egyptians’ belief. For this sculpture portray a royal family in a formal state, the two figures do not have face
Times of religious upheaval and need for urbanization following the Renaissance gave rise to the production of lavish artworks during the Baroque era in Italy. Characterized by intense emotion and dynamism, Baroque art reflected the power of Roman antiquity but typified the renewed piety of Roman Catholics. The opulent urbanization projects patronized by the church culminated in the verisimilitude of Baroque paintings. One painting that reflects such change is Saint John the Baptist Preaching by Mattia Preti, also known as Il Calabrese. Preti was born in 1613 in Taverna, Calabria to a modest family with ecclesiastical connections. Preti was well traveled around Italy and was exposed to artworks from the likes of Correggio, Mantegna, and Raphael. As with other artists during the Baroque era, his oil painting of St. John the Baptist Preaching executed in 1665 has a distinct Caravagesque style. It exemplifies Italian Baroque art through his dramatic, lively presentation of his subject, extreme attention to naturalism, and monumental composition.
Male artists were the only people who were producing art at that time, with women being their preferred subject matter. Because of this, it was easy to identify that the portrayal of women in these works was actually how men perceived women to be in reality. The art produced reflects the dominant patriarchal values formed in Europe in this era. The binary opposition evident in the artwork was a reflection of the male
I learned about many significant artwork and artists in this class. This class provided me with a better understanding of the history of the world of art, but also helped me understand the development of art styles. However, among all of these precious pieces of artwork, there are two special ones that caught my attention: The Chinese Qin Terracotta Warriors and The Haniwa. Each of them represents the artist’s stylistic characteristics and cultural context. Although they represented different art of rulers, historical values, and scenes, there were visible similarities.
David was born to a wealthy family in France and became passionate about art. After many attempts to win the Prix de Rome, David was awarded the scholarship in 1774 and moved to Rome to study art at the academy. The time spent here in Rome was a major influence on the subject matter of many David paintings. After returning home to France David was inspired by Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Social Contract where Rousseau appealed for a new form of governmental structure. The Oath of the Horatii, completed in 1784, became an inspiring painting for the Revolution as its narrative was a commitment for change. In this painting the Horatii brothers were willing to die for their country and raise their hand in an oath for Rome while their father uplifts their swords they will go and fight with. The women know this may be necessary but they display sadness at the thought of losing their loved ones. The painting displays a simplicity and stateliness that is a calling card for the Neoclassical period.
In Yasumasa Morimura painting, Portrait (Futago) the viewer is faced with two people who are of different skin colors. However, instead of painting a woman in the reclining position, Morimura has put himself in this posi...
Throughout history art has played a major role in society. It started out with paintings and went to photography and eventually to films. Artistic interpretation depended on whom the artist was and what he or she wanted to present to the audience. When it came to portraiture, whether it was paintings or photography, the idea of mimesis was very important. However important this may have been, the portraits were mostly products of the media and fashions during that time period. Whatever was popular during the time was used such as columns or curtains in the background. The face was the main focus in the painting and there was little focus on the body. Later on during photography the body was focused on more. Even though photography was used much later after paintings were used, it allowed the artist even more artistic interpretation because of the ability to play a different role and not having to be ones self. The artists that will be focused on are Frida Kahlo and Cindy Sherman. They lived during different periods and their artistic intentions varied because of that. They also had similarities in that they thought outside of the conventional roles. These women were both self-portraiture artists and although they were considered that their interpretations did not always make their portraits self-portraits. Traditionally the artist was an outsider, but when it came to self-portraiture they became the subject and the audience became the outsider. The similarities and differences of Frida Kahlo and Cindy Sherman’s art were tied into the strength and also vulnerability they had because of their roles as women. They wanted the audience to see a background story to the portraits and not just an image of a beautiful face.
The first painting analyzed was North Country Idyll by Arthur Bowen Davis. The focal point was the white naked woman. The white was used to bring her out and focus on the four actual colored males surrounding her. The woman appears to be blowing a kiss. There is use of stumato along with atmospheric perspective. There is excellent use of color for the setting. It is almost a life like painting. This painting has smooth brush strokes. The sailing ship is the focal point because of the bright blue with extravagant large sails. The painting is a dry textured flat paint. The painting is evenly balanced. When I look at this painting, it reminds me of settlers coming to a new world that is be founded by its beauty. It seems as if they swam from the ship.
Rachel Ruysch and Georgia O’Keeffe were two great women artists working over two centuries apart but despite that they painted the similar subjects, they couldn’t have been more different in the ways they painted them and their reasons for doing so. Rachel Ruysch used still life and flowers to become a prominent painter in a time where women couldn’t study anatomy or have models which was a much more prominent subject during her time. Georgia O’Keeffe, on the other hand, denies all connection of her gender and her paintings.
Art allows us to communicate more than just mere logic; it allows us to move people emotionally, and influence change throughout the world. Jacques-Louis David was a 19th century painter who is considered to be the father of neoclassicism, the movement of art away from the old rococo style. David was a strong supporter of the French Revolution, and a close friend to Maximilien Robespierre, the leader of the Jacobins, a revolutionary group, of which he too was a member. The French Revolution was the overthrowing of the absolute monarchy led by King Louis XVI from the years 1789 to 1799. The revolution came to an end in late 1799, when Napoleon Bonaparte took power. Jacques-Louis David used his artwork as political propaganda, to reflect the
This kind of painting described the figure of man. It was corresponded with Painting Court Lady.
The Oath of the Horatii by Jacques-Louis David (1748, oil on canvas) is a painting in the Neo-Classical style. It is hailed as tribute to ancient Classic ideals. David believed that subject matter in a work of art should have a moral (p.635). Indeed, in this piece he provides an image that is essence of pre-republican Rome. The Oath of the Horatii represents David's individuality, an individuality that would lead him to contradict the French Academy in order to pursue his own understanding of the art of painting, an understanding that was based on past and modern ideologies (classic Greek and Roman) and which represented a synthesis that would be soon adopted by supporters of the French Revolution.
Robert Grilley effectively utilizes gender stereotypes to create a visually pleasing painting, while also challenging gender norms of the time to create an emotionally rich piece. The figures are not meant to be seen by just a male audience, but for everyone. The painting, rather than exhibiting the people on display, invites the viewer to consider their lives, encounter the story, and dive into the scene. Through the gender lens the story of the painting can be interpreted in a much deeper way and show the emotional way women and men can be portrayed
Body painting is not new to the industry of art but it draws heads to turn when displayed. Body painting and adornment is an art form, which may be even older. The function of body adornment is to symbolize social identity, social roles, and possibly a sexual signal (Unknown, 1999). This kind of art form is a combination of the ideology of India and Greek because it captures the perfect form of the body while at the same time capture the very essence of using various colors making the masterpiece quite
He uses not only thick and thin lines, but also ones that are curving. That adds interest value to the painting. You have the lines that make her hair to appear to be flowing, and the lines he places on the face are able to capture the exact emotion of the woman in a uniquely abstract way. Something else that fascinates me about his line work, are the hands. When you first look at the painting they seem to blend into her face, but as you go deeper you see them.