The painting "The Assumption of the Virgin" has a mannerism influence. Mannerism was a XVI century art style influenced by, and at the same time a reaction to, the harmonious ideals of the Italian High Renaissance. Mannerism is notable for its artificial ( as opposed to naturalistic ) qualities which favor compositional tension and instability rather than the balance and clarity of earlier Renaissance painting. El Greco's artistic formation in Rome and Venice, reflects the influence of roman mannerist designs (e.g Michaelangelo's masterfully polished drawings) and that of the Venetian school of painting with its emphasis in the richness and variety of colors, the use of pigments to achieve the impression of depth and brightness, represented by Tiziano. However, after his long stay in Toledo, Spain, El Greco's painting style transformed from one of marked Italian influence to another more personal and dramatic , in which the artificial and unreal elements were intensified. However, his painting were not just the product of spiritual visions or emotional reactions but of the intentional creation of an artificial and antinaturalistic art. To appreciate El Greco's original artistic style development is essential to understand the religious context in which it flowered. El Greco lived in a time of theological renewal and zealous spiritual reform. Toledo, the city in which the painting "The Assumption of the Virgin" was made, was the ecclesiastical capital of Spain in the XVI century and a place of intense religious activity. This activity occurred in the context of the spirit of the Catholic Counter-reformation which encouraged the spiritual reform of the individual and it gave authoritative support to the quest for th... ... middle of paper ... ... devotional images that inspired meditation, to series of "portraits" of the Apostles. Altarpieces were the main form of church decoration , which consisted on paintings and polychrome gilded wood carvings in a framework following a Renaissance architectural style. This is the case of the painting "The Assumption of the Virgin" which was part of a private commission for the decoration of the convent church of Santo Domingo el Antiguo in Toledo, Spain. The decoration centered on an altarpiece framing multiple images, of which "the Assumption" was the central painting in the lower level. The funds for the construction and decoration of the convent church were provided from the estate of a wealthy noblewoman, Maria de Silva. According to contemporary belief, it was implicitly assumed that the donor's own salvation was guaranteed by her good works and charity.
The Baroque era was born out of the Roman Catholic Church’s Counter Reformation, during which the church made considerable efforts to strengthen the relationship between the secular world and the religious order. In an effort to engage the common people and create piety, the Catholic Church wanted art to appeal to human emotions. Gentileschi successfully accomplishes this in her painting, Judith Slaying Holofernes. By infusing the Apocryphal tale of Judith with dramatic techniques such as chiaroscuro and foreshortening, she created a deeply moving and realistic piece of art that engages the viewer physically and emotionally, which is quintessential to the Baroque style.
In the essay “Naturalism and the Venetian ‘Poesia’: Grafting, Metaphor, and Embodiment in Giorgione, Titian, and the Campagnolas,” Campbell explains the role of poetic painting, poesia, in Venetian artwork during the 1500s. Titian personally used the term poesia when he “[referred] to paintings he was making for [King Philip II] with subject matter derived from the ancient poets.” Poesia now refers to a type of sixteenth century Venetian painting, which Giorgione and Titian initiated and used within their works. Campbell’s main argument is that poesia is not simply aesthetic or reflective of poetry, but rather “grounded in the process of making – and in making meaning – rather than in an aesthetics of self-sufficiency or self-referentiality.” Like poetry, it is not self-contained; meaning lies outside of the work, within the interpretations of the viewers. He discusses the idea of grafting in poetry and how the same grafting model is utilized in the visual arts. Different images, such as pagan figures and contemporary figures and settings, are juxtaposed to create visual discordance and give an intrinsic meaning to the viewer. Campbell then uses many examples of writing, poetry, engravings, and paintings to explore his argument and the connections between artists during the 1500s.
Both Jan van Eyck and Fra Angelico were revered artists for the advances in art that they created and displayed for the world to see. Their renditions of the Annunciation were both very different, however unique and perfect display of the typical styles used during the Renaissance. Jan van Eyck’s panel painting Annunciation held all the characteristics of the Northern Renaissance with its overwhelming symbolism and detail. Fra Angelico’s fresco Annunciation grasped the key elements used in the Italian Renaissance with usage of perspective as well as displaying the interest and knowledge of the classical arts.
This is displayed in Parmigianino’s painting, Madonna of the Long Neck. During this time the Catholic Church was in a transition period, moving from their recent reputation and becoming a well-respected organization. During this reform, an autobiography written by Layola about Saint Teresa of Avila set a new tone for Catholics to follow. This influenced people to have a more spiritual outlook on life.
Where High Renaissance art was natural, pleasingly graceful well matched, balanced; and stylish in appearance, the Mannerism
Even tough Carpaccio was greatly influenced by other artists of his time; he still had a style that was different than everyone else. He seemed to use the colors black, red and brown more than other colors. He also put exotic animals or objects from faraway lands in many of his paintings. He also was very good with architecture and knew how to paint buildings so they looked real.
The View of Toledo, painted by El Greco, is a landscape painting that was worked on from 1598-99. This piece of art work depicts the city of Toledo, located in Spain. The portrait has an ominous feel to it, with the basis of the portrait having been painted with dark colors. Half of the portrait is the dark sky looming in on the city, and the other half consists of the city on top of a hill. The sky takes over the painting, looking as if there was about to be a storm. Many buildings in the View of Toledo were moved around to El Greco’s liking. (Sedef Piker, 2012)
El Greco painted his “Assumption of the Virgin” in 1577 for the convent of Santo Domingo el Antiguo in Toledo, Spain. Born in Greece as Domenikos Theotocopoulos, (his nickname translates from Spanish into “The Greek”), El Greco was the top artist of the Spanish School, and was commissioned to paint “Assumption” to adorn the convent’s altar. The painting is a daunting size—over six feet wide and twice as tall—surrounded by a wooden frame tinted with a non-uniform metallic gold paint. The oil on canvas creates some, although not obvious texture, and brush strokes are visible only slightly in the garments of the human subjects. The Virgin Mary is the main figure in the painting, situated horizontally-centered in the upper-half of the canvas. She is wearing a blue flowing gown which begins below her bosom and reaches down to her feet, and a deep red fabric covers her chest and upper limbs. Her arms are outstretched and she is looking up into the heavens, flanked by female angels, adults and infants, who are praying and looking on. Below the clouds in the bottom-half of the canvas is a group of mortal men with mixed emotions and split into two groups leaving a part in the mass directly below Mary. All of the figures wear loose outfits similar to Mary’s, and many of the colors, bright but not full, are repeated throughout. One subtle detail particularly worth noting is a small piece of white paper in the bottom right-hand corner of the canvas. El Greco added the image to the paintings that he believed were his true masterpieces. Regardless of any analysis, it is certain that El Greco was extremely proud of “Assumption,” and believed it to be one of his best.
Titian’s style of art, and his masterful techniques with religious art, mythical compositions, and successive glazes have never been surpassed. They influence generations of artists to come, and will continue to do so as long as his work is studied. His place in the Italian High Renaissance will never be overlooked.
The tendencies of Baroque translated differently in parts of Europe. In Italy, it reflected the return of intense piety through dense church ornamentations, complex architecture, and dynamic painting. Calabrese’s work exhibits the combined artistic stimuli of the 17th century and culminates in the acquired Caravagesque style that alters how paintings were composed from then on. Executed at the height of Calabrese’s most creative phase, St. John the Baptist Preaching is indicates the monumentality of change in urbanization as well as the return of Catholic permanence in the 1600’s. Aside from the Baroque power of the artwork, Calabrese’s St. John is a piece worth gravitating to and stands as reminder of the grandiose excesses of Baroque art.
... the way that the artwork is resembled in the religious background of the gospel but reconstructed in to a celebrating impression. Throughout the fresco painting it depicts the myth of the Christ’s three fold temptations relating back to the article that “distinction between fresco and panel painting is sharp, and that painters are seen as competitors amongst themselves discriminating also, between the difference in genuine attempts in being better then the other.” Baxandall, “Conditions of Trade,” 26. in relation, the painting concerns the painter’s conscious response to picture trade, and the non-isolation in pictorial interests.
The artists of the Baroque had a remarkably different style than artists of the Renaissance due to their different approach to form, space, and composition. This extreme differentiation in style resulted in a very different treatment of narrative. Perhaps this drastic stylistic difference between the Renaissance and Baroque in their treatment of form, space, and composition and how these characteristics effect the narrative of a painting cannot be seen more than in comparing Perugino’s Christ Delivering the Keys of the Kingdom to St. Peter from the Early Renaissance to Caravaggio’s Conversion of St. Paul from the Baroque.Perugino was one of the greatest masters of the Early Renaissance whose style ischaracterized by the Renaissance ideals of purity, simplicity, and exceptional symmetry of composition. His approach to form in Christ Delivering the Keys of the Kingdom to St.Peter was very linear. He outlined all the figures with a black line giving them a sense of stability, permanence, and power in their environment, but restricting the figures’ sense of movement. In fact, the figures seem to not move at all, but rather are merely locked at a specific moment in time by their rigid outline. Perugino’s approach to the figures’themselves is extremely humanistic and classical. He shines light on the figures in a clear, even way, keeping with the rational and uncluttered meaning of the work. His figures are all locked in a contrapposto pose engaging in intellectual conversation with their neighbor, giving a strong sense of classical rationality. The figures are repeated over and over such as this to convey a rational response and to show the viewer clarity. Perugino’s approach to space was also very rational and simple. He organizes space along three simple planes: foreground, middle ground, and background. Christ and Saint Peter occupy the center foreground and solemn choruses of saints and citizens occupy the rest of the foreground. The middle distance is filled with miscellaneous figures, which complement the front group, emphasizing its density and order, by their scattered arrangement. Buildings from the Renaissance and triumphal arches from Roman antiquity occupy the background, reinforcing the overall classical message to the
El Greco was a spanish renaissance artist with a style that no other artist could obtain . EL greco had a passionate feelings for art. As years went by he would work on his paintings or sculptures. Many artist tried to copy his work but many could not succeed on it. Still up to this day even after thousand of years and although many artist never liked him because of his attitude ,still have tried to figure out his ways. Growing up El Greco had always had an enthusiasm and great talent toward art as a child. In the month of June of the year 1566 El Greco art took a twist since instead of sticking with the original trends in Italy he decided to try his uncommon art skills. The way his techniques worked were that they held strange mannerism and
many fellow artists never attempted this style. El Greco's art style shows the strong, deep Catholic faith of Spain, which can be see...
While in Venice, he studied under the well-known painter Titian. From Titian, he learned the fundamentals of Renaissance art. Around 1576 he decided to move to Toledo, Spain where he lived and worked for the rest of his life. Here is where he painted View of Toledo, which is considered the first landscape in Spanish art. I think this ominous representation of the city of Toledo displays the power of nature. It is as the sky could open up at any moment and destroy the ghost like city below. It is suggested that El Greco might have painted this landscape as part of a propaganda campaign to encourage Philip II to reinstate the court in Toledo after he abandoned it in 1561 (Piker). Mannerism style stepped away from the traditional aspects of Renaissance art. “Mannerist art represents tension and angst, opposed to the peacefulness of Renaissance art” (Cowie). Some also say this painting is meant to show an apocalyptic vision. “This is a landscape of heavenly apocalyptic power: a conversation between heaven and earth next to the cathedral spire. The scene of the town takes place at the moment before a storm. The heavens are literally at war with the setting sun against the thunderstorm that is about to happen” (El Greco).