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Art As Expression
Art 1 art as expression essay
Art 1 art as expression essay
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“But what absolute beauty is I know not. Nobody knows it but God,” said Albrecht Durer, before creating his engraving (29 Finkelstein). Melencolia I, created in 1514, conveys this statement visually in the engraving about not being able to obtain divine knowledge. Part of a supposed series of large prints, Melencolia I belongs to the three virtues of medieval scholasticism, which are morality, theology, and intellectuality. Though linked to insanity, Renaissance studies indicate that melancholy, a depressive state, was linked to creative genius, praising it more as a gift than a curse. This change in definition could only be applied to Dürer, as he had mastered his craft, yet could not achieve divine beauty (Met Museum). To understand the meaning behind this highly detailed piece of art, it must be broken down into different areas of focus; to fully understand the theme of the piece: knowledge is divine. To understand the theme, we must first look at the artist’s biographical makeup to understand why he chose to make such an elaborate print. The piece itself must be analyzed to gain understanding of the theme of divine knowledge, as well as make crucial connections between the piece and the artist.
Albrecht Dürer took printmaking to a new level, to a form of fine art all its own. Melencolia I, along with other prints proved to be far more superior to prints made in the past. Though Dürer grew up in Germany, visits to Italy heavily influenced his artistic style and thirst for artistic expression (Met Museum). Not only did he strive for artistic perfection, he also excelled in other forms of math and science, which carried over into his theories of geometry and perspective in his art. His methods made him an iconic figure on the...
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... other artists, the piece inspired poetry, prose, and sculpture, which derive from high praise to frustration. An excerpt from a poem written by Peg Boyers as part of Dürer’s Melencolia I: New Looks, expresses the emotions she felt while studying Melencolia I. She writes, “Geometry, that god you worship, has betrayed yon. It clutters your surface with angles and shapes, tempting you to ponderous speculation, placing clumsy obstacles in your path.” Perhaps this was the reaction Dürer intended, to confuse and befuddle the viewers, letting them see the same world as him. Though there were many objects bearing a symbol in the piece, the ones chosen were just a handful that helps reinforce the theme of divine knowledge. Dürer truly created a map of puzzles meant to be questioned and analyzed, to stray the viewer off the right path, yet all paths lead back to the theme.
The Renaissance Period is widely known for the abundance of amazing portraiture that circulated around Europe. During the Renaissance, Albrecht Dürer, a German artist painted a self-portrait in 1500 that had qualities that differed from the usual style of artist in that time (Chauhan). Jean Clouet also painted a portrait for the King of France and became the official court painter. Both artists had a talent for portraiture, while their styles were quite different. King Francis I wanted to be seen as a powerful man, and appointed Clouet to paint him in a classically renaissance way that highlights his wealth and authority. Dürer, described as a cocky, self-centered man, painted himself in a light that is unique and puts him on a ‘holy’ pedestal (Stokstad 356). In this essay I will show how although both paintings have clear differences with their style, both men in the compositions are conveyed in a great and very powerful sense.
I found The Raising of Lazarus and Annunciation to be interesting pieces on their own as well as to be compared. At face value, these paintings do not appear to contain many contrasting features. However, by examining these paintings closely, one can conclude that paintings with similar themes, mediums, and time periods can still differ in countless ways. Light, medium, subject, color, space, and viewpoint are just a few of the characteristics that can be considered when analyzing Wtewael and Caliari’s works. It is imperative that observers of art take a deeper look into the different features of artwork in attempt to uncover the intentions of the artist.
... 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.
Arnold Schoenberg’s celebrated monodrama of 1912, Pierrot lunaire, op. 21, offers a compellingly personal perspective on Pierrot’s allegorical relationship to the artists of fin-di-siécle Europe. So too, in his fusion of music and poetry, does Schoenberg provide what may be the most powerfully illustrative example of the character Pierrot’s appeal to artists of the era.
Art was viewed in a different sense in the fourteenth century. It had a more active role and was not just decoration, but a vital component of worship and pr...
What is beauty? Seemingly a continually evolving and infinitely elusive ideal - mankind has been obsessed with the concept of beauty throughout the ages. Portraiture, as an essential channel of visual communication, has traditionally been the medium through which definitions of beauty are graphically expressed. Particularly in the Renaissance where portraiture often served celebratory or commemorative purposes, it was crucial that portraits were accepted as aesthetically pleasing reflections of the social ideals of the time. Hence by comparing and contrasting a range of different portraits of depicting men and women of the Renaissance such as Titian’s La Bella, Bronzino’s Eleonora de Medici, Sofonisba Anguissola’s Self Portrait, Vasari’s Alessandro de Medici, Bronzino’s Cosimo de Medici as Orpheus and Pedro Berruguete’s Portrait of Federico da Mentelfeltro, viewers can gain an understanding of the conceptual differences in definitions of masculine and feminine beauty during this period.
Though most works of art have some underlying, deeper meaning attached to them, our first impression of their significance comes through our initial visual interpretation. When we first view a painting or a statue or other piece of art, we notice first the visual details – its size, its medium, its color, and its condition, for example – before we begin to ponder its greater significance. Indeed, these visual clues are just as important as any other interpretation or meaning of a work, for they allow us to understand just what that deeper meaning is. The expression on a statue’s face tells us the emotion and message that the artist is trying to convey. Its color, too, can provide clues: darker or lighter colors can play a role in how we judge a piece of art. The type of lines used in a piece can send different messages. A sculpture, for example, may have been carved with hard, rough lines or it may have been carved with smoother, more flowing lines that portray a kind of gentleness.
Peter Paul Rubens’ masterpiece, Venus and Adonis, is not only a significant artwork of the baroque-period in Europe during the 17th century, but it also tells the mythological story that begins with love, and ends in tragedy. Displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this painting is admired for representing the unique baroque-style of this era, as well as Rubens’ particular use of the medium and how it reaches those who are viewing it. His attention to detail and crafty use of symbolism within the painting assist viewers in deciphering the story, along with the values of the time period in which Rubens was living. In studying the composition of the work and noting the historical context from which it came, one can ultimately understand Rubens’ point-of-view and thus, connect to the painting in a way he or she has never imagined.
It appears to me that pictures have been over-valued; held up by a blind admiration as ideal things, and almost as standards by which nature is to be judged rather than the reverse; and this false estimate has been sanctioned by the extravagant epithets that have been applied to painters, and "the divine," "the inspired," and so forth. Yet in reality, what are the most sublime productions of the pencil but selections of some of the forms of nature, and copies of a few of her evanescent effects, and this is the result, not of inspiration, but of long and patient study, under the instruction of much good sense…
Artist and Humanist, Albrecht Durer is one of the most significant figures in the history f European art outside Italy during the Renaissance (Gowing 195). Portraying the questioning spirit of the Renaissance, Durer's conviction that he must examine and explore his own situation through capturing the very essence of his role as artist and creator, is reflected in the Self-portrait in a Fur Collared Robe (Strieder 10).
In fact, some of the works presented depict mythological paintings that resemble the transcending Metaphysical matter of nature. Take for instance, the general aspect of the artworks presented in this chapter. They depict different social levels through the use of objects, emotions and various conditions. The lower status contradicts, the slaves to the wealthy and royalty, all delineate the role of the people present in the society and their everyday life. In the images, the poor and the slaves depicted with little to no possessions, looking tired and over-worked. Through their everyday labor, they must survive as a less fortunate person. In contrast to the images of the po...
I once knew a madman who thought the end of the world had come. He was a painter—and engraver. I had a great fondness for him. I used to go and see him, in the asylum. I'd ...
In spite of religion being the ruling subject matter of art for many centuries, magic and mysticism have long been interwoven in a dark curtain that hangs over a large segment of the art world. The whole world is alive and filled with soul, whether light or dark. “Each material form may be thought of as attracting an appropriate soul, as firewood treated with sulphur draws flame.” While there is no historical or scientific evidence for the legitimacy of séances, magic or communication with the deceased, in D.H. Rawcliffe’s book Occult and Supernatural Phenomena, he reminds us of the importance of hallucinations and other fantastical experiences of the subconscious. These often provide strange and impressive experiences, interpreted as supernatural in origin. As we study art, we can only begin to wonder what spirits might have visited the great masters, any hallucinations they might have experienced, and how their paintings were influenced by the dark corridors of their subconscious.
Art and literature in the Renaissance out from under the absolute power of the Church, its dogmas and censorship, and begin to reflect on the "eternal themes of life": over the riddles of life and death.
In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Stephen Dedalus defines beauty and the artist's comprehension of his/her own art. Stephen uses his esthetic theory with theories borrowed from St. Thomas Aquinas and Plato. The discourse can be broken down into three main sections: 1) A definitions of beauty and art. 2) The apprehension and qualifications of beauty. 3) The artist's view of his/her own work. I will explain how the first two sections of his esthetic theory relate to Stephen. Furthermore, I will argue that in the last section, Joyce is speaking of Stephen Dedalus and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man as his art.