Activity 11: Peroids and Cultures

The period an artwork is categorized in depends on when the artwork was created. According to our textbook periods consist of at least over one hundred years (Getlein 421.) Different periods were inspired by the different times and places that the artist lived. The artist culture, a stage of civilization or society (powerpoint), also affects the qualities defined in different periods because the artist's everyday life will impact his artwork. Different time periods will inspire artist to create in particular styles. For instance, our book describes the Rococo period as an art movement in the eighteenth century that features "decorative motifs" , including rocks and shells, on furniture and architecture.
Horace Vernet's "Hunting in the Pontine Marshes", 1833, oil on canvas was painted in the eighteenth century. Although this painting was painted in Italy, Vernet was a French artist (National Gallery.). This particular painting could be considered in the Romantics period. Our textbook explains romantics created and explored the claims of emotions, intuition and most importantly imagination (Getlein 507.) Among many artist in this period, Vernet glorified "awe inspiring landscapes" (507.) Vernet explained this was an imaginary place where humans were too minuscule to disrupt nature (National Gallery.)
Martin Johnson Heade's "Cattleya Orchid and Three Brazilian Humming Birds", 1871, oil on wood, was also painted in the eighteenth century, it embodies a different period. Heade was an American artist who was inspired to paint this realistic painting after visiting South America and observing the hummingbirds (National Gallery.) This painting could be considered part of the Realist period. As our book defines, Realism depicted the everyday and ordinary life unlike the romantics(508) This painting shows with great detail an everyday view of an orchid in South America.
While both artist painted their artworks in relatively the same time period, their cultural backgrounds and inspired styles belong to two separate eras in art. While Vernet inspires imagination, Heade inspired nature's true beauty.

Works Cited
Getlein, Mark Living With Art, Eighth Edition, New York 2008.
Brew, Charlanne Periods and Cultures 101, sample essay, powerpoint presentation.
National Gallery of Art http://www.nga.gov./

Activity Ten: Mediums and Techniques

"Cattelaya Orchid and Three Brazilian Hummingbirds" Martin Johnson Heade, 1871, oil on wood

Martin Johnson Heade's "Cattelaya Orchid and Three Brazilian Hummingbirds", 1871, oil wood, is an oil painting . It was painted with nonaqueous paint, paint that is diluted with terpertine or minereal spirits not water, and applied to a wood base, area which the artist painted on(168.) The artist may have used a ground or primer, a preliminary coating that is applied to the wood(168), in order to prevent the wood from cracking which was common (173.) Since oil paint takes a long time to dry, Heade was able to blend the colors in the background together without worrying about the painting seperated or cracking (173.) This would also allow Heade to accent the details in the flower and hummingbirds because he would have been able to work on them until he had them just right (173.) The artist may have also used a technique called glazing, applying thin layers on top of thick layers of paint, in order to give the painting it's smooth, glossy appearance (175.) Becuase Heade used oil on wood, the viewer is able to see a long lasting beautiful layered painting.

"Hunting in the Pontine Marshes" Horace Vernet, 1833, oil canvas

Horace Vernet's "Hunting in the Pontine Marshes", 1833, oil canvas, is much like Heade's in respect with mediums and techniques. Vernet's painiting used nonaqueous paint, paint that is diluted with substances other than water such as terpetine or minereal spirits (168), like Heade. However, Vernet used a canvas base instead of wood. Since the canvas was streched over a wood frame, it was less unlikely to break or crack (173.) This gives Vernet a lot more time to paint and less time for him to worry about the surface cracking (173.) Just as Heade would have used, Vernet probably used a ground or primer, preliminary layer, to start his painting which would have also been an oil based paint usually white (173.) Vernet also had the advantage of taking his time perfecting his painting, layering the details on and blending the background of the forest together until it was perfect just as Heade did by using oil paints (173.) Like Heade's painting, it appears that Vernet may have also used the technique of glazing, applying thin layers of paint, in order to give his painting a smooth, glossy, glowing color appearance(175.) Vernet constructed a beautiful, vibrant, eye catching painting using a canvas medium and a glazing technique.

Art 101 Activity Nine: Photography

The invention of the camera changed the appearance of the visual arts in many ways. Although the development of the camera was a long process, the end product changed art forever. (210-212.) The invention of the camera allowed anyone to capture the events of daily life. Capturing an important event, memories or everyday life was as easy as pushing a button. Click, your done. Family portraits or photographs were no longer only available to wealthy families (212.) The camera also allowed many replicas of the same picture to be made much faster than painting which could take several weeks to produce one (121.) This also made photographs more convenient; even political figures, Abraham Lincoln, took advantage of the power of photographs (212.) Photographs also began to document events and show real life events (216.) Being able to reproduce an image without painting, artist had a new task in front of them. A new approach would have to be made. Still lifes, portraits and daily life paintings were available at the snap of a finger. Claude Monet, french painter, introduced the world to impressionism. (Video) This was a new approach to painting. This new wave of art led to post-impressionism and expressionism. Artist began painting more vibrantly, overlapping brushstrokes were used to create layers, mutiple perspectives and artist began painting thier feelings or emotions (Video.) Artist began painting with more creativity. Thanks to the camera, not only can we capture our own images but a new era of art was born.

Works Cited
Online Video
Getlein, Mark Living With Art, Eight Edition. New York, 2005

Art 101 Activity Eight: Personal Ad

S.W.F. 23 available. 2 children. Wild women with lots of curves. College student. Likes to think green & recycle. Enjoys nature and the mountains. Also loves sports. I am one fine American Craft. Looking for something new, fun and funny to celebrate summer. Prefers fat boys. If I fit all your needs, imagine the possbilities, woo hoo! Only serious inqueries please.

(My scanner cut off the edges of the pages.)

Art 101 Midterm Exhibition Intro

The Sacred Real

The Sacred Realm is an art theme that allows artist to explore a world beyond our visible sight (52.) It is a way for artist to depict the many things that can not be explained; for instance, faith, afterlife, love and creation (52.) The artwork in this collection captures many different visions of unanswered questions. All of these artworks uses different visual elements and design principles. We start with Girolamo da Treviso's "The Madonna and Child with Angels, Saints and a Donor" which features the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus. The painting is symmetrically balanced, having both sides of the painting visually balanced (125.) Treviso uses mostly primary colors, red, blue and yellow(95.) By using emphasis, bring attention to, the artist paints a yellow ring around Mary's head to make her the focal point (134.) The artist also incorporates hierarchical scale, indicates relative importance, by having everyone below Mary besides the saints (138.) Our next painting, David Teniers the Younger's "The Rich Man being led to Hell", focuses on the afterlife, where we may go when we die. Unlike Treviso, this artist uses subordination, dull background, in order to pull the viewer's attention to the focal point, the man (134.) He also uses negative shapes, the outline of viewer's in the left hand corner so you can focus on the positive shapes, the men leading the rich man to hell (88.) The third painting in this collection, Francois Lemoyne’s "Hercules and Omphale" depicts a Greek God. Lemoyne uses directional lines to draw his focus (85.) The diagonal lines of the women's leg and the child's back draws your eyes upward while the sphere draws your eyes down to the main focus, Hercules (88.) Lemoyne also balances this painting asymmetrically by having the woman hang over his left shoulder and the child hang on his right leg (129.) Just as Treviso, Giovanni Battista Pittoni's "The Nativity with God the Father and the Holy Ghost" focuses on the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus like. Giovanni emphasizes mother and child by using blue, red and pure white to grab our attention against the subordinated tints of earth tones (134-136.) Unlike the previous paintings, Gerard Francois' "Cupid and Psyche" display Francois’ vision of love. Francois chose cool colors, blue and green to give this painting a peaceful, loving feel (95.) Like Lemoyne, Francois balances his painting asymmetrically; he balances cupid's wings in the right upper corner with the pink sheet in the lower left corner (125.) Francois also uses the diagonal direction of the legs to draw your eyes to the center of the painting (85.) Like Francois, M.C. Escher's "The Second Day of Creation" displays a different aspect of the Sacred Realm, our creation. As the title explains, Escher depicts what he thinks the second day of creation must have looked like. As Lemoyne and Francois, Escher uses directional lines to coast your eyes around his image. The diagonal lines in the waves keep your eyes moving from one wave to the next (85.) While the vertical lines in the peaking waves make them appear superior to the waves below (85.) Unlike any of the previous pictures, Escher uses values, black and white, to unify his image (122) and the waves give it rhythm, a repeating element (141.) Our last artwork, Daniel Chester French's "The Angel of Death and the Sculptor from the Milmore Memorial" depicts what may happen when you die, just as Tenier the Younger did. Unlike the other artworks this is a sculptor. The mass, three-dimensional object (87), gives actual texture; You could actually feel the Angels wings or the legs of the man being taken (103.) French uses the diagonal lines of the two arms reaching out for each other to bring your attention to the focal point, the two holding hands. All of these artworks display the same theme: The Sacred Realm. However, every artist used different techniques to depict their image.



Works Cited
Getlein, Mark "Living With Art, Eighth Edition" New York. 2008

Art 101 Midterm Exhibition

Girolamo da Treviso "The Madonna and Child with Angels, Saints and a Donor", about 1529-31, oil on wood, The National Gallery, London

David Teniers the Younger "The Rich Man being led to Hell" about 1647, oil on wood, The National Gallery, London

Francois Lemoyne "Hercules and Omphale", 1724, oil on canvas, Lourve, Paris

Giovanni Battista Pittoni "The Nativity with God the Father and the Holy Ghost" about 1740, oil on canvas, The National Gallery, London

Gerard Francois "Cupid and Psyche", 1798, oil on canvas, Lourve, Paris

M.C. Escher "The Second Day of Creation", 1925, woodcut image, The National Gallery, Washington D.C.

Daniel Chester French "The Angel of Death and the Sculptor from the Milmore", 1926, marble, The Metropolitan Muesum of Art