Judith Slaying Holofernes was painted in 1614, and was completed in 1620 which is from the late Renaissance period. This is such a dramatic painting with a powerful meaning behind it. As you can see in the painting, one of the girls, who goes by the name, Judith, is the one who is beheading the man who is Holofernes, while the other girl is helping Judith by pinning him down on the bed as she beheads him with a sword. The artwork is now in the National Museum of Capodimonte, Naples.
Religious Value: This work shows women over powering men, which comes from the “Apocryphal Book of Judith” in the Old Testament of the bible, which Gentileschi mainly based her painting on. The story behind is that Judith, who is known as a beautiful wealthy widow, and then there was Holofernes who was sent to the town of Bethulia because the King had ordered him to punish people in all states to whom those that
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He has used a human skull that was from the 18th century, that consists a platinum cast over top. He has also covered the skull with diamonds, and has the same teeth that belong to the original skull that has been inserted. This is one of the recognised works, by Damien Hirst. This artwork is now located in White Cube, in London.
Material Value: The skull Damien Hirst has use, is from a European man from the 1800’s. He put a platinum cast over top and then covered the skull with 8,601 diamonds, and sprinkled diamond dust, which weighs to the amount of 1,108.16 carats. With that many diamonds, it was quite expensive to make, making this sculpture very valuable as it was $23.6 million to make this artwork. But it also valuable, from a material point of view because Damien Hirst has actually used someone’s skull, and his teeth. Someone who were alive from the 18th century, whose skull is now covered in diamonds, and up in display in a
I had never heard of the artist Artemisia Gentileschi before this introductory Art course. Of all the paintings and sculptures found within the book, it was her work that stood out and spoke to me. "Judith and Maidservant with the head of Holofernes" is a particularly rich oil painting by the Italian Gentileschi, painted circa 1625 Europe. Her large canvas measures 72 and 1/2 inches by 55 and 3/4 inches and began as a biblical story telling inspiration come to life within the oil. Located at the Detroit Institute of Arts, the painting was a gift to the institute from Art collector Mr. Leslie H. Green in 1952. Artemisia was the daughter of a painter (and caravaggio influenced) Orazio Gentileschi, she was also the wife of little known artist Pierantonio Stiattesi. Artemisia had four sons and one daughter during her marriage. A student of the Chiaroscuro technique and during a time when women were not believed capable of painting competitively and intelligently as the men of the day. Artemisia proved them wrong with stunning work and artistry over her artistic career.
Contextual Theory: This painting depicts a portrait of life during the late 1800’s. The women’s clothing and hair style represent that era. Gorgeous landscape and a leisurely moment are captured by the artist in this work of
It can be seen that the anatomy was handled quite ruggedly. There is much damage done on the knees, hands and forearms. Only these areas of the sculpture seem to be damaged most severely. The edges of her headdress and throne are also broken off. There are so many scars and broken areas all around. The parts of the face such as the nose and the side of her left eyebrow are chipped off. Her headdress is damaged especially on the top and along the side edges. Additionally, a huge chunk on the front left side of the throne has broken off as well. Despite the amount of damage on this piece, there is only one restoration made on her left eye by the Museum conservators (Hayter). Everything is left, as it is, remaining untouched and damaged. There are also hieroglyphics on the front and some on the sides of the throne Hatshepsut is seated on.
The work depicts a family in plain clothing enclosed in a simple solitary room with a fading fire amidst the dark shadows of the background and another light source that extends from beyond the scope of the canvas. At first glance the influences of Caravaggio and Rembrandt are apparent. Their faces are neither, sad, sullen, angry, or joyful, but rather their emotional expression is plain and uncomplicated, adding a sense of timelessness to the painting. As in the description (20-34) of the piece which states; “It reflects 17th Century social theory, which celebrated the natural virtue of those that worked the soil”, (p. 609). The idea of portraying a classic simple lifestyle is a refreshing one and a concept which will reoccur in other works of the Baroque period.
Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1654?) was one of the most important women artists before the modern period and certainly one of the most famous female painters from the seventeenth century. Gentileschi’s paintings regularly featured women as the protagonists acting in a manner equal to men. In fact, forty nine of her paintings fall into this category. She was raped at the age of 18 and the subsequent events lent her a certain amount of notoriety. These factors have led many to interpret her artwork as an expression of her role as a female victim looking for revenge through her art. Instead, a closer examination of Gentileschi’s life and her artwork exposes the artist as an individual with personal strength and incredible talent who painted subjects similar to or the same as those of her male counterparts, instead of staying within the guiding principles of what was acceptable “feminine” art.
The subject of Gentileschi's Judith and Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes uses tenebrism that makes use for the large areas of dark contrasting with the smaller bright areas of the painting. This painting is very dramatic considering multiple areas of darkness, such as the deep shadows. Judith could be holding out her hand to cover the light from her face to take a glimpse to see if anyone’s approaching them. She seems to be vigilant and she could also be stopping someone from
Throughout history there have been many horrifying genocides, the most famous of which is the Holocaust. However, there have been many other genocides, some dating centuries prior to the Holocaust, or even during the Holocaust, such as the Asian Holocaust. One of these genocides predating the Holocaust is known as the Holodomor, A man-made famine lasting from 1932 to 1933, and, in more broader terms, the deportation and execution in Ukraine and other areas where the Ukrainian nationality is dominant.
This is an extremely high relief sculpture made of limestone. It is to be viewed from a frontal standpoint. It however does have a potential for movement. There seems to be a great deal going on in such a close space. It is very crowded, but dramatic. The figures are intertwining with each other all at once even though there are different things happening. It reminds me of a play with scenes. You can actually step in to it and feel as though you are a part of what is happening because of all the different directions each individual is facing.
Similar Lamassu sculptures, often found in pairs, can also be seen at the British Museum in London or the Louvre in Paris. The sculptures, though resembling each other, have subtle variation. This particular set of Lamassu sculptures on display at the Met is constructed from Alabaster (gypsum). Alabaster is a soft mineral, which was used and continues to be used for making sculptures. This soft mineral allowed for artists to carve small details into their works, which is made apparent by the minute details in the Lamassu sculptures. The intricate features consist of detailed carvings in the hair and the wings, of each
The name is called Cluster Fuck by Claire Morgan. This piece of artwork is 30¾ by 24¼ by 24¼ inches and has unique mediums, which is Carrion Crow (which is Morgan’s own taxidermy), nylon, glass, flies, and also fragments of polyethylene. This insulation was created in 2015 in the providence of Paris St. Moritz at the Gallery of Karsten Greve. This piece did not have much information by it so one cannot tell if it was a typical piece of art for that general area. This piece is now Located at the Frist Museum of Visual Arts. One can view this from three sides but not the backside. Since the artwork is with objects it is three dimensional. The art might make one feel demented or feel odd due to the taxidermy and the dead flies. This piece is approximately the size of a watermelon and is encased in a clear box so it does not get ruined by
It is a little hard to explain what the artist was thinking when she colored this picture, but it could have no meaning and she could have just wanted to draw a mule deer buck skull. I thin...
Any examination of women in Livy’s writing demands not only a literal interpretation of their character development and values, but also must account for their symbolic importance—thus creating a much more complex representation. Livy, an ancient historian, authored The Early History of Rome to be an exploration of Rome from its foundation, focusing on historical events and societal organization. In it, he examines the patriarchal society that stabilized Rome throughout its dominance. However, as a result of this explicitly defined hierarchy in Rome, women were seen as secondary figures in society. Most were viewed as submissive and passive, and it was well within the rights of men to assert their dominance—many women even agreed with these values. This can be seen in Livy’s portrayals of such women as the Sabine women, Horatia, and Lucretia. Yet Lucretia provides an interesting complexity to the exempla of women. On a symbolic level, Lucretia is an important catalyst in affecting the political organization of Rome. This representation is furthered with Livy’s descriptions of Lavinia, Rhea Silvia, and Verginia. Despite the work of Livy to create an accurate portrayal of women in ancient Rome, other authors showed women to actively defy this patriarchal society he describes. However, Livy’s effort to create the most accurate explanation of early Rome through a historical representation drives this discrepancy in characterization through genre. Therefore, Livy’s work serves as both an accurate and complex examination of the role of women in ancient Rome. According to Livy, a woman’s role was defined by her sacrifice; culturally, women were to be subordinate to men in the patriarchal structure of society, but also served as important...
The above painting is titled “Baluster and Skull,” and is a Cubism piece painted by Georges Braque. Like most of Braque’s work, it is painted with oil on canvas. The painting was created in 1938 just before the start of the Second World War. The overall painting appears to be a table, with obviously a “Baluster and Skull,” a glass, and a decorative wall. The baluster represents support, but what he is supporting is unclear to me. The skull could represent death, in which he could be influenced by the current events happening in Europe during 1938. The fact that the skull in one solid piece intrigues me the most. Everything else in the piece of artwork is put together by multiple shapes and piece, with the exception of the skull, in which it
The painting depicts two figures, the one of a woman and of a man. The dominating central figure is the one of the woman. We see her profile as she looks to the left. Her hands are crossed in a graceful manner. She has blonde hair and her figure is lit by what seems to be natur...
Rossetti shows us the woman being painted as many different things. Although she is just a painting, the woman symbolizes how the artist views women in real life: as objects. Irony is used when the woman is painted as “a queen”(5). She is put on a pedestal in a position of power, yet she is only described as being “in [an] opal or ruby dress”(5), cementing her role as an ornament. The ruby symbolizes passion and perhaps promiscuity. Opal is a white stone that reflects many colors. White symbolizes purity; while the different colors reflected symbolize how her meaning can change, and how the artist controls her identity and can make her fit any persona he desires. The woman is also depicted as a “nameless girl”(6), indicating her identity is not important to the artist. It also shows that he does not personally know the women he’s painting, but only their looks, affirming that he bases their value off of their appearances. Lastly, the artist portrays a woman as “a saint [and] an angel”(7) and compares her to the “moon”(11), an allusion to Artemis, the goddess of virginity. In this painting, she is established as a pure virgin, which was a requirement of the time period Rossetti lived in. However, because it is one of the fantasies the artist creates, and the poem antagonizes him, this line also expresses the idea that a woman’s purity should not define her. He makes the innocent virgin and the licentious queen the only ways women can be viewed. Yet, they are the same to him. Lacking depth, their physical description is the only thing giving them any meaning. Rossetti describing the portraits conveys the idea that no matter the position in society; or what their actual personalities are like, women are just blank canvases for men to project their fantasies onto. Uninterested in a real person, the artist worships the idea of a