Our Farewell

For my final post this semester I will try and end things off right! As much as I would love to continue with this blog I just do not have the time unfortunately, although these lessons have been fun.   I hope you all have enjoyed learning about the art history world.  Even though this was just a small taste, there’s still so much out there to find out about.  If I get the chances I promise to bring you more but we will have to see!

Art is about ones creativity; it’s your freedom of expression you are able to do whatever you would like with it no matter what it is.  It is your individualism even if it is modern art.  That’s the beauty in it; the freedom to do whatever you feel like and you don’t have to use the conventional methods either.  Tattoos are a example of an unconventional form but so is graffiti or street art, fashion is even used as a form or art and expression its all up to you!  Just make sure it legal!

And well now thank you to you guys for the support and even interest.  Art and history are not the most popular subjects and I hope you find my delivery as entertaining as the subject content maybe even more.  Since I am new to blogging I hope it was up to par.  It did teach me though that I should always trust my writing, only I know what’s best for me.  And the same goes for you!  Blogging is not at all what I expected and I never expect to actually like it. 

I know, I know art history is not seen as particularly fun but I am hoping you learned a little about the world I love so dearly.  Now go out there and find out who your favorite artist is and then try to find out more about that world whether you like political art of the 1960’s or are a major Picasso fan.  Just go out and find out more.  Most artists do what they love and the admiration is just a side of it.  It’s all about doing what you love so make sure you do!

Find out more! Go to a museum and see all the beautiful works of art the world has to offer.  You don’t even have to go to a museum a lot of architecture is considered forms or art so pay more attention to those buildings you walk into they may be someone’s form of self expression and life. Like all the beautiful gothic cathedrals that populate Europe built in the Renaissance period.  Sorry one last piece of info!

Go find your form of expression!

Painting Part 2

Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.

~Edgar Degas

Dance Class- Degas

For part 2 of painting I’m going to talk about my second favorite period Impressionism.  I love impressionist paintings for the broad range of color and the different technique.  Moving away from the humanistic approach of the renaissance through baroque periods, impressionism was a fresh new approach involving beautiful landscapes and a different perspective. 

Impressionism seen as a realist period was at first condemned.  Started by a group of Paris artists who had a problem with the way art was being accepted in the city impressionism was born as a response to the harsh rules set in place by a intuition know as The Academy.  This academy was against the rising use of a realistic point of view in many of the paintings and refused to show the paintings in their shows.  Angry the group of artists held their own shows to showcase their controversial pieces.  While it was still made fun of having annual shows like this eventually won people over to the ways of impressionism.  Compared to the other paintings being sow around this time impressionism was a radical new change.  

Le Coucher Du Soleil La Seine- Monet

Characterize by its use of complementary colors, soft natural lights and less blending than previous; impressionism gained its popularity in the late 1800’s and had many well-known artists attributed to the movement.  There was an emphasis on natural light, not using the color black (although some still did), working in natural settings outside, and a need to capture the essence of a painting not the details.  Capturing the essence of what they were using as a model was the whole point of impressionist paintings.  They wanted to capture the feeling of landscape or the model, what they thought one should feel. 

Garden Argenteil- Monet

Waiting- Degas

I have two favorite painters in this movement and they would be Monet and Edgar Degas.  Monet was known for his colorful landscapes featuring many different places around France.  He was consider the essential impressionist painter who fully embodied what they wanted and stood for.  Edgar Degas is known for his many ballet paintings and sculptures showing different dancers in various forms even on stage.  Although he hated the term he is one of the most world-renowned impressionist painters.   Both artists were known for participating in the impressionist exhibits held once a year and actually had paintings in many years in a row.

Rehearsal on the Stage- Degas

I first discovered impressionism in my sophomore year art class.  After watching movies on the painters we were to create an oil pastel of anything we wanted and I, inspired by the impressionist paintings, choose to do a Monet painting I found on a postcard.  It was an interesting project and I liked it a lot so I did another one my senior year in my independent art class at first I wanted to a Degas but ended up going with another Monet.

Lilies - Monet

 Impressionism has always been a form of art I admired but I truly fell in love after that project.  The bright colors and use of brush stokes made every painting I came across very intriguing.  The landscapes used colors I originally had never thought of, the tones had a usually positive nature, and the way everything looked dotted makes it fun.  Impressionism implies that we can take away anything we want from the paintings in my opinion it means it makes a different impression on different people.  In my case it said give me a try and I decided that it was the form of art I could love and try and master. 

Ballet Rehearsal- Degas

Sunrise- Monet

What do you like about Impressionism??

Painting Part 1

“Known as the symbol of genius and insanity, He broke all rules risking his own life”

~ Alessio Boni

Supper at Emmaus

So this next one is going to be a two-part thing but both comparing and contrasting two styles of painting with the ones that occurred before them.  I promise it will make more sense once I start. 

The Entombment of Christ

And yes, I am finally going to talk about my favorite form of art and trust me I have a lot to say! Lets start off with the Baroque period.  Which happened to follow the Renaissance and mannerist periods.  This period is most related to the deep contrast of lighting and deep displays of emotions.  The dramatics of the lighting and content makes this my favorite period and contains my favorite artist Caravaggio.   

Judith Beheading Holofernes

Like the Renaissance the baroque period was full of amazing painters who mastered the art form making everything look very realistic and colorful.  But the baroque period developed into a time to show ones ability to master color, brightness, and shadow.  This was shown by all the beautiful paintings that came form this time period.  The Renaissance was a time period displaying the advances Europe had made intellectually, philosophically, and artistically.  It was the basis for all that followed including the Baroque time, which played on the basics of Renaissance paintings and then built upon it.  The paintings themselves still related to either religion or Greek antiquity but tells even more dramatic stories and the lighting just enhances that even more. 

Boy with a Basket of Fruit

Now the master of the this period to me is Caravaggio, whose personal life fell into the troubled artist stereotype but also made for some deeply emotional paintings showing the most expressive emotions.  Even with a troubled personal life involving many fights and a price on his head he still managed to create surprisingly realistic paintings with natural life like characters.  The dramatics of his life, which involved a warrant from the pope, helped to aid in the dramatics of his paintings showing the great emotion going on inside his head.  Influencing many different artists after his death he is considered a father of the baroque movement.  His paintings are distinct in the way that the shadows are drawn out and the subject is always in the light making the subject easy to find.  Another aspect is that there is always and opening, meaning that is several of his paintings it seems there is a place for the viewer in the painting.  Whether it be an open seat or at a table there is always an opening for the view to feel as if they are a part of the painting. 

The Calling of St. Matthew

I discovered Caravaggio rather late compared to my other favorite artists.  I discovered him in my high school art history class.  Where I completely fell in love with his use of light.  The shadows of the painting were almost black and the light showed off the subject.  They were almost always highly dramatic or theatrical and had a natural realistic take to them.  His use of lighting and dramatics influenced my love for the baroque and actually was the start of it.  He showed that it was ok for me to be dramatic my art sometimes and was a role model for how I should not live my life in the future even if it will give me an artistic edge. 

St. Jerome

How do you feel about the dramatics of the Baroque period? Is it something you find interesting like me?