Chiaroscuro

After visiting the Minneapolis Institute of Art I chose to write a visual analysis of Lucretia of 1666 by the artist Rembrandt van Rijn. After reading the placard I learned that Rembrandt van Rijn painted Lucretia to consist of two paintings, the first consisting of Lucretia (1664) before she takes her life which is held at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC and the second consisting of after Lucretia stabbed herself (1666) which is held at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The…

Women in History: Artemisia Gentileschi’s Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting Surrounded by portraits of and by male artists, Artemisia Gentileschi’s (1593-1652) oil on canvas Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting (La Pittura) 1638-39 stands out in the midst of Vancouver Art Gallery’s “The Royal Collections: Portrait of the Artist” exhibition. As one of the only woman artist portraits, it pronounces itself in entirety to symbolise the prominence she has given females in history as she…

1. How did Masaccio impact 15th century Florence? ANSWER: Masaccio became known as the best painter of his time. He was known for his ability to depicting nature in a realistic manner and recreating lifelike figures. He was also able to depict movement in his art as seen in his piece, The Tribute Money. Masaccio was also well known for his ability to create three dimensional figures by casting shadows and other various art techniques that reflected three dimensionality. Masaccio was also…

Introduction After the reformation of religious and scientific revolution, European started emphasizing science and rationality, always holding a skeptical attitude to doubt everything and challenge the authority. The most influential German philosopher, Leibniz Voltaire, broke through the past conservative, repressive pattern of the society, highlighting individuality and freedom of speech. Baroque was breed under such convergence of conservative and freedom. Baroque period refers to 17th…

The life they had known was a suffrage for the deities and that the life to come was almost like a reward and completely different from the lives they had already known (Connor, 167). Egyptians emphasized on geometric shapes, outlining, color and chiaroscuro, they built many pyramids and tombs for the dead in order to experience an afterlife in comfort and to have their possessions with them. A famous piece of work was the “Funerary Mask of Tutankhamun” it’s beautifully done with much detail,…

strong color, complex composition, contrast of light and dark, expressive poses and gestures. For example, Henry Fuseli (1741-1825) art created pictures that explored the darker side of the human psyche. His style included dramatic figures, strong chiaroscuro, excessive gestures and distortions of scale. His work highlighted the demonic side of human nature that was an influence from literature, Shakespeare, Milton and Dante. His method was intentionally exaggerated figures and throwing them…

Artist and writer Giorgio Vasari once wrote, “Domenico di Tommaso del Ghirlandaio, who can be called one of the principal artists and one of the most excellent masters of his age because of the merits, grandeur, and multitude of his works, was created by nature herself to become a painter” (Wiesner-Hanks 117-120). Vasari’s quotation provides powerful insight into the life of one of the most beloved painters from Florence in the fifteenth century. In Old Man and Young, Domenico Ghirlandaio…

seventeen years of his fascination of science he only completed six paintings. A well-known painting that copies are still being sold in today’s culture. In 1483 he painted “Virgin of the Rocks”. This painting depict the beginning of his use of chiaroscuro. This technique use a stark contrast between darkness and light. Also, a three-dimensionality of his figures. During 1495 the painting of “The Last Supper” was commissioned. Still one of the most admired paintings of his. It was place on the…

Artists in Italy started the rebirth of the art movement in the late 13th century. The name renaissance was specified for paintings, sculptures and decorative arts that were created during the European history. The renaissance movement was active through 1300-1600. During this time, artist such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were known for popular art. These artists inspired the renaissance. Humanism was one of the important themes during this movement. It was created to revitalize the…

The Proto-Renaissance period began in the early 13th century in Northern Italy, where artists started to move away from the rigid Medieval style towards a more realistic Renaissance style. Proto-Renaissance has more natural light and modelling, leading to paintings that look more realistic. Figures now look heavy and fill out their clothing, rather than just looking like paper cut outs. Paintings are simple, uncluttered and have a spiritual and physical gravity. (Ruf Rice, 2015) Paintings like…