Aristotle with a Bust of Homer, 1653, Rembrandt van Rijn In this painting, Rembrandt depicts the great Greek philosopher, Aristotle, as he ponders the importance in life of material success, fame, and power compared with being true to art. Rembrandt does so by confronting Aristotle and the archaic Greek poet, Homer. He makes us feel that time has collapsed and that we are communing with Aristotle as he communes with Homer. This is an oil painting, created during the Dutch Baroque movement and it presents the three greatest men of Greek antiquity. Rembrandt conveys the meaning of the painting with a dramatic use of tenebrism but in a softer more atmospheric manner. The play of light and shadow suggest motions of Aristotle’s mind as he rests his hand reflectively on a bust of Homer. Aristotle’s face is clearly defined, and is the focal point of the picture as he emerges, gold-licked from the darkness. He seems to be a real man before us, really thinking. His black eyes look wanly, weighted with emotion, as if he knows too much. He wears a heavy chain that holds a medallion of his most prestigious pupil, Alexander the Great. When Alexander the Great died, he left Aristotle an enormous fortune, but the philosopher felt that he failed to influence him spiritually. Therefor, the medallion represents his …show more content…
Through the simplicity of the bust, we can see that Homer was a poor man. Homer was blind, and Rembrandt paints his eyes as brown voids, that lead the viewer’s eye into an inner darkness. The sightless eyes of Homer’s bust are innocent but profound. The touch of Aristotle’s hand on Homer’s head, highlighted with an ambiguous light, feel as if the touch of his hand is helping the philosopher acquire Homer’s knowledge. There is the perception of a musty, glowing, pitch-black interior room, with a terrible knowledge of
Henri Regnault's Automedon with the Horses of Achilles looms large in the East wing of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts. The painting is over ten feet by ten feet in area and is truly spectacular. It is impossible to miss this massive work of art when walking through the hall. The painting is encased by a beautiful wooden frame and hangs in between many other outstanding paintings. This paper will cover a description of the painting, the meaning of the painting, and the background of how the painting was brought to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
this, for once the suitors are gone Odysseus is free to reclaim is post in
The artists Jean-Honore Fragonard and Jaques-Louis David both successfully embody their respective stylistic differences. Fragonard’s style of painting is Rococo, which is characterized by its softness, asymmetry and curviness. Contrasting these ideals is David’s style of painting, Neo-Classicism. Neo-Classicism is synonymous with strong gestures, symmetry, and solidness. Two works that best exemplify the ideals of each style of painting are Fragonard’s The Swing, 1767 and David’s The Death of Socrates, 1787. Although at first glance, it is easier to focus on how each work is different to the other, one can argue that they are similar in theme. Both The Swing and The Death of Socrates are works that deal with the theme of decision making. However, they differ in how each work portrays the theme of deciding. While The Swing focuses on infidelity and the process of deciding, The Death of Socrates makes it clear that loyalty to government is stronger than the ties of friendship or acquaintance. By examining use of light, form, subject matter as well as other artistic elements, one can see how each artist conveys a message by utilizing their style of art.
... the Durer landscapes seen in Giulio Campagnola’s Saturn. Campbell’s analysis of poesia is a strong illustration of the examination of works in the field of Art History. Art historians obviously study the physical marks and meanings of a piece of work, but also need to critically analyze the influences and historical context of the time period to get a stronger understanding of the artist and his intentions. As a good art historian, Campbell has taken apart the elements of different images and tied in extrinsic factors, like contemporary events and works, to create a bigger picture.
Homer’s The Odyssey, a magnificent story of lust, deceit, greed, and heroism, still fascinates scholars and casual readers alike today in the same way it fascinated its audience at the time it was written. The Odyssey, a journey of determination, patience, and virtue, tells the tail of Odysseus, the main character, on his voyage home to Ithaka after the end of the Trojan War. Odysseus goes through many unforeseen trials and tribulations, which exemplify his character. During these different happenings, Odysseus makes decisions that do not correspond to his character.
More specifically, Apollonian art forms tells stories through images and are rooted in dreaming. Much like dreams, apollonian art encourages one to continue living. While contemplating apollonian images, an individual is temporarily detached from her normal sense of self and daily struggle. Here, Nietzsche once again references ancient Greece. The Iliad and the Odyssey illustrate idealized illusions of war with great heroes. The language used is able to idealize a bloody war scene and turn it into something more desireable. Similarly, when one gets a tattoo to cover up a scar, they are transfiguring the reality to create something ideal. But the scar and the world do not disappear by these transfigurations and the objective harshness remains. However, our attitude towards the real thing is changed. We see the world in a more hopeful and positive light. As beautiful art is placed in front of the terrors of everyday life, reality may seem less awful and thus art makes life worth living. But Nietzsche realized the limitations of apollonian art. For once we see reality again, the illusion art created breaks and reality seems worse than it appeared
The professor himself may be the most brilliant and captivating aspect of the painting. His gaze is piercing and the details of his features are very pronounced and picturesque. Upon looking at his face, one can see that his intellect is unquestionable, for his brow bends in a very discerning manner. The curls of his hair have the perfect amount of detail and his suit the perfect mount of folds. He is arguably the centerpiece of the painting with his respectable stature which conveys control and wisdom (with perhaps a hint of well-deserved
won) fighting a war against the city of Troy and has been held captive by
The Greek’s images also possessed two important ideas that brought the soul of the artist and subject to the surface while still capturing the passion and action of the movement and story: noble simplicity and quiet grandeur. Greek images contained faces that were full of expression but were also balanced because they were not overcome by pain or passion because they still had nobility of soul which creates a sense of tranquility even in the midst of rage, fervor, or desire.
...Although the artist took some liberty to add certain parts and relocate certain elements in the paintings, viewers can still recognize the Odyssey Landscapes as visual to Homer’s epic, as the remaining of the paintings match the storyline. Through comparison and contrast, the viewers can find that certain details of the paintings deviate from the text. Furthermore, scholars believe that the Esquiline paintings were prototypes of an original masterpiece. The evidence helps viewers to see that the artist perhaps borrowed heavily from other prototypes as the Odyssey Landscapes were popular during that period. This evidence could explain why certain elements of the paintings differ from Homer’s epic.
Since the beginning of human civilization, women have often occupied inferior roles in society while the dominant role has been played by men. In Homer’s The Odyssey gender roles in Greek society are emphasized showing how men controlled society while women were undervalued and constantly disrespected. Although it may be argued that Homer poses some rather feminist views, it is evident by several elements that The Odyssey is a misogynistic text. First, women in the Odyssey were continually oppressed by men never having true free will. In addition, Women were depicted as symbols of lust, seduction, and evil who bring destruction to men, undermining the true values of women. Furthermore, Women were expected to remain loyal to men while men have no expectation for themselves which promoted gender inequality. Exemplified by these three elements, it is evident that The Odyssey is a misogynistic text depicting a society where women occupy subservient and inferior positions.
Homer. “The Odyssey”. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puncher. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012. 475. Print.
In book eight of Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus is on the island of the Phaeacians and is waiting to return home to Ithaca. Meanwhile, Alcinous, the Phaeacian king, has arranged for a feast and celebration of games in honor of Odysseus, who has not yet revealed his true identity. During the feast, a blind bard named Demodocus sings about the quarrel between Odysseus and Achilles at Troy. The song causes Odysseus to start weeping, so Alcinous ends the feast and orders the games to begin. During dinner after the games, Odysseus asks Demodocus to sing about the Trojan horse and the sack of Troy. This song too causes Odysseus to break down and cry. Homer uses a dramatic simile to describe the pain and sorrow that Odysseus feels as he recalls the story of Troy.
This painting has deviated from the standard Renaissance model in that it goes beyond depicting subjects and scene, and employs exaggerated form, color emphasis, abnormal planar depiction, and visual directionality. The aspects of this painting have become the embodiment of the story told and the characters there held. The artist has used various techniques of color, line, and juxtaposition in order to portray an idea which supersedes the sum of its parts, and thereby leads the viewer through a thought.
The Symbolism of Homer's Odyssey Throughout Homer's The Odyssey, many tangible symbols are used to represent abstract ideas. Each symbol that Homer uses has two meanings. The double meanings of these symbols are used to represent Odysseus and Telemachus as they strive to meet each other. While each symbol has a meaning that represents the growth of Telemachus, each one also represents, by another meaning, the growth and development of Odysseus. When they meet for the first time, the symbols, and the character traits that they represent confluence, and the resemblance between Odysseus and Telemachus becomes complete.