Constable: Weymouth Bay: Difficulty with Landscapes
John Constable was born into a wealthy family in the English countryside. It was originally suspected that he would take over his father’s buisness because his older brother was mentally handicapped. However as his interest in painting grew his mother realized that this was a course he was choosing and he was good enough to pursue. Ironically when Constable turned to landscapes, his mother worried about his finances and urged him to turn to portraiture. In his lifetime Constable rarely sold any paintings despite being inducted into the Royal Academy of Art.
Constable has talent, yes, absolutely. I could never capture his landscapes and ‘Weymouth Bay’ is a gorgeous recreation of what Constable saw. It is not an idealized version it is exactly as he saw it. This is where my problem with landscapes begins. I cannot find myself excited by them. It has taken me weeks of procrastination about how to write this paper.
‘Weymouth Bay’ was painted by Constable during his honeymoon in 1816. The scene is Dorset. There is another version of this painting in the Louvre. I think that the painting is easy on the eye. It would have been simpler to write about a Turner because his work in my opinion contains pieces of originality that Constable fails to achieve. His work is straight forward, an almost perfect recreation of exactly what Constable saw. Experts believe that the view in ‘Weymouth Bay’ is from an angle towards the west; west of Redcliff Point. It is a barren picture, the land is empty, cold. If landscape instills feeling of environment, Constable achieves that. When the painting was exhibited at the British Institution in 1819 the New Monthly Magazine wrote that the painting was, “a clear, well-colored picture.”
To this description, yay. I do not aspire to be a critic of art and even now as I type this paper, I find myself increasingly nervous to the hail of criticism I’m opening myself up to. However, as I wandered through the halls of the National Gallery the urge to challenge myself and write about something that caught my eye because of the simplicity of it not because it was thought provoking was too much. Simple is not a bad thing. However if all art was simple it would in my opinion cease to be relevant. But would Constable be a relevant painter today?
Frederick Varley and all the other members of the Group of Seven were working towards creating a new Canadian Style of painting in a time where Canada was desperate to show how independent and different from Britain they were. Varley’s Stormy Weather Georgian Bay is a perfect example of art mirroring society. With this piece we can see the use of new, vibrant colours and loose flowing brush strokes to symbolize the new role that Canada was pushing to play as an independent nation on the world
Mental illness is a serious societal problem today, and has been for a long time. People who have a mental illness often end up hurting other people mentally and physically. When someone has a mental illness, they might also end up hurting themselves or cause suffering for themselves. Also, it is sometimes difficult for them to understand things clearly, and they might be unsure of things in their life. All of these problems are shown in a person who is mentally ill. Macbeth hears his prophecy from three witches which starts his mental illness, along with Lady Macbeth pressuring him to kill the king. After Macbeth kills the king, things start to get out of hand; Macbeth gets over ambitious and wants to kill more people, whatever it takes. Lady Macbeth asks for her womanhood to be taken so that she will not feel guilty, but ends up feeling more guilty than ever. Subsequently, she kills herself to escape the guilt, and causes her husband great pain. These tragic examples and many others show that mental illness is a societal issue, and it is shown throughout the story of Macbeth.
ABSTRACT: British Avant-Garde art, poses a challenge to traditional aesthetic analysis. This paper will argue that such art is best understood in terms of Wittgenstein¡¦s concept of "seeing-as," and will point out that the artists often use this concept in describing their work. This is significant in that if we are to understand art in terms of cultural practice, then we must actually look at the practice. We will discuss initiatives such as the work of Damien Hirst, most famous for his animals in formaldehyde series, and that of Simon Patterson, who warps diagrams, e.g., replacing the names of stops on London Underground maps with those of philosophers. Cornelia Parker¡¦s idea that visual appeal is not the most important thing, but rather that the questions that are set up in an attempt to create an "almost invisible" art are what are central, will also be discussed. Also, if we concur with Danto¡¦s claims that "contemporary art no longer allows itself to be represented by master narratives," that Nothing is ruled out.", then it is indeed fruitful to understand art in terms of seeing-as. For application of this concept to art explains what occurs conceptually when the viewer shifts from identifying a work, as an art object, and then as not an art object, and explains why nothing is ruled out.
Though criticism has taken on a negative connotation in the English language, and artists can fear or reject it, criticism is not inherently bad. In fact, both Wharton and Carrol claim that positive and negative (constructive) criticisms are beneficial to the artist and their audience. According to Wharton, artists use professional criticism to see how others may perceive their work. By obtaining that secondary viewpoint, the artist can use the critic’s educated analysis to improve a specific work or their art in general (Wharton, 42). In addition, a critic’s interpretation of a work of art is perfect for determining how off-centered their intended outcome for the work is, and what to refine in order to convey their message clearer in the next iteration or masterpiece. Regarding the audience, Carrol supports by asserting that, “The common reader expects guidance from the critic concerning what is worthy in an artwork” (Carrol 14). As oftentimes the audien...
In the mid 1800’s realism was developed as a style of painting to replicate the world as it was seen in a traditional artistic style. This allowed for a new style of art to be created that was based of a real moment or scene but to forget the traditional artistic laws such as distinct lines and forms. Approaching art from this impressionistic view Monet’s painted “Impression, Sunrise” bringing to life a natural scene of a hazy harbor using quick, short brush strokes and defining uses of color and natural light. Van Gough’s “Starry Night” uses similar impressionistic styles to paint a natural scene using vibrant contrasting colors, yet he embellishes the scene to create art that in not merely a landscape but a piece of self expression and shifted
Schizophrenia is mental disorder that inhibits the abilities “to think clearly, to distinguish reality from fantasy, to manage emotions, make decisions, and relate to others” (Duckworth). One defining symptom of schizophrenia lies in recurring delusions of grandeur. The afflicted patient’s “beliefs are not based in reality and usually involve misinterpretation of perception or experience” (Mayo Clinic Staff). It could be argued that Macbeth suffers from delusions that he rightful king of Scotland. Unlike Banquo, Macbeth, in his fantasy-like state, takes the witches prophecy too strongly to heart and thus acts upon it. Additionally, when the witches foretell that “none of woman born/ Shall harm Macbeth” (4.1. 91-92), Macbeth succumbs to an unrealistic delusion of invincibility, which inevitably proves to be fatal. As with Macbeth, Lady Macbeth also appears to suffer these delusions with her husband as king of Scotland. She is the ...
Mr. Vickers created this work by using oil paint on a canvas. His strokes follow the luminist style of hidden strokes with mixed hues. The subject is stated obviously in the title as the work is about the serene and beautiful view of the River Severn as it continues towards a mountainous backdrop and eventually disappears.
Being a visual artist required talent, but, for the African-American artists, talent was not enough. This was nineteenth century America and race determined who could be trained in the arts. There were no special schools or places where African-Americans could freely exhibit their talents for art. These talented artists were excluded from the academies, associations, and teaching institutions available to white artists. In rare cases, beneficent white families broke the rules and provided knowledge, direction, and resources to budding African-American talents in the visual arts. Many of these white patrons were among the abolitionists of this pe...
Ironically, this causes the king to gouge out his eyes, which have been blind to the truth for so long. He screams, You, you'll see no more the pain I suffered, all the pain I caused! Too long you looked on the ones you never should have seen, blind to the ones you longed to see, to know! Blind from this hour on! Blind in the darkness—blind! Oedipus furthers Sophocles' sight metaphor when he defends his decision to humble himself through blindness: "What good were eyes to me?
Painted by Vincent Van Gogh during a final burst of activity in Auvers before his suicide in July, Houses at Auvers features many of the characteristic elements typical of Van Gogh; the experimentation with color, texture, and thick brush strokes. This painting depicts the view and landscape in early summer, highlighting the patchwork of houses and the rolling greenery. Van Gogh’s unique, thick brush strokes lead the eyes through the painting, create texture and patterns and also highlight and shadow objects in the early summer sun, while his experimentation with color creates contrast and a bright, vibrant image.
Critical thinking is a very important aspect to understanding art. As David Perkins put it in “The Intelligent Eye”, we must avoid “experimental thinking”, a rash, quick way of thinking based on observations and use “reflective intelligence”, a way of thinking in which a viewer takes their time and dissects details and nuances to fully understand a work of art. A majority of viewers will look at a piece of art and come to a quick analysis of it, without much thought. But, according to Perkins, “The more attentive the observation is, the better the opportunity is for deeper learning” (Perkins 14). As Banksy said in Exit Through the Gift Shop, “the reaction to the work of art is the most important thing about it.” Without a reaction or an opinion, the work of art has no meaning. Therefore, in order to trul...
“John Constable, The Haywain, 1821” as per the John Constable and book point of view freshly perceived landscapes
Ancient Greeks cared deeply about the pursuit of knowledge. Although the truth was often a terrifying concept, they still saw it as a critical virtue. One of the main underlying themes in Oedipus the King is the struggle of sight vs. blindness. Oedipus’ blindness is not just physical blindness, but intellectual blindness as well. Sophocles has broken blindness into two distinct components. The first component, Oedipus's ability to "see" (ignorance or lack thereof), is a physical characteristic. The second component is Oedipus's willingness to "see", his ability to accept and understand his fate. Throughout the play, Sophocles demonstrates to us how these components.
It is also possible to sense some dissolution in the Moonlight. The portrait indicates a nocturnal landscape that somehow completes a part of the chronicle from his personal life and struggle. It is also easy to relate the portrait to the artist’s personal struggle with the coherence of the landscape, with main focus being the artist’s sense of crisis that subjectively attempted to explain his disenchanted history.
Rembrandt van Rijn, a prolific painter and etcher, is noted as the greatest Dutch artist of the Golden Age. Pasadena’s Norton Simon museum is home to some of his achievements, including one of his many self portraits titled Self Portrait painted in 1636-1638. Throughout his lifetime, Rembrandt documented his life in paintings. This autobiography of self portraits was very uncommon for the seventeenth century and helped establish his reputation as an artist. These portraits created a timeline of Rembrandt’s life, as well as document the evolution of his artistic style and expression. He was an exceptional inspiration to the following generation of artists.