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Introduction: What is Art History??
Art 109: Renaissance to Modern
Spring 2013
© Dr. Melissa Hall
What is Art History?
So what, exactly, will we learn in an
art history course?




                                        Image source: http://www.marshall.edu/cofa/art/arthistory/
What is Art History?
Will we learn what makes a work of
art a “masterpiece”?




                                     Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa, c. 1503-1505
Judgment
What makes one work of art
“better” than another is highly
subjective




                                  Michelangelo, David, 1501-1504
Judgment
Who is to say if something is a
masterpiece or not?




                                  In 1919 Marcel Duchamp questioned
                                  the idea of the “masterpiece” by drawing
                                  a mustache on a postcard of the Mona
                                  Lisa and calling it a work of art!




                                                  Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa, c. 1503-1505
Judgment
So art history is not involved with
judging “greatness,” or what
qualifies as a “masterpiece”

That is the job of art criticism, and
art connoisseurship




                                        Image source: http://www.marshall.edu/cofa/art/arthistory/
Judgment
In fact, it might be useful to define
art history by differentiating it from
related fields:

•Art Connoisseurship
•Art Criticism
•Art Appreciation




                                         Image source: http://www.marshall.edu/cofa/art/arthistory/
Connoisseurship
Estimating the market value of a
work of art is the job of the art
connoisseur




                                    Sotheby’s auction, May 3, 2006, where Picasso’s Dora Maar with Cat sold for $95.2 million
                                    Art Knowledge News
Art Criticism
 Art criticism also involves
 evaluation and judgment




Image source:
http://www.theinsider.com/news/857730_Simon_Cowell
_Back_In_Touch_With_His_First_Love




                                                     Mr. Art Critic, written and directed by Richard Brauer, 2008
Judgment
In this class you will be encouraged
to form your own opinion about
what you like and dislike




                                       Image source: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/gowhere-hip-hop/2009/12/
Art Appreciation
Do art historians help us appreciate
art?




                                       Norman Rockwell, The Connoisseur, 1962
Art Appreciation
Learning about works of art can
certainly help us “appreciate” them
more




                                      Artcphoto, Metropolitan Museum of Art - Fifth Avenue - Manhattan - NYC
                                      Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/artcphoto/2813520288/
Art Appreciation
But art appreciation is primarily
concerned with our personal
response to art




                                    Sharon Lipps, Art Appreciation,The Getty, LA, CA, 2009
                                    http://www.pbase.com/elips/image/73508927
Art History
Art history is more concerned with
the story behind the work




                                     Ben Shahn, The Passion of Sacco and Vanzetti, 1931-1932
Art History
Art History is the study of works of
art in historical context
Art History
It is concerned with what art meant
to the people who made and used it




                                      Francois Joseph Heim, Charles X Distributing Awards to Artists Exhibiting at the Salon of 1824 at
                                      the Louvre, 1827
                                      Metapedia
Personal Response
Does this mean your personal
response is not important?




                               David Choi, 9:48 a.m. Greek Galleries
                               Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8007731@N07/3407100463
Personal Response
Your personal response can be an
important component of
understanding




                                   Laura P. Russell, At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY,
                                   Flickr
Personal Response
But to qualify as “art historical,” it
must be informed by what you have
learned about the society and the
culture




                                         Merode Altarpiece with Viewers
                                         Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/82032880@N00/4014610392/
Biography
Do art historians study the lives of
artists?




                                       Vincent Van Gogh,Self-Portrait as an Artist, 1887-88. Oil on canvas, 65 x 50.5 cm.
                                       Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
                                       Artchive
Biography
Artistic biography is only one
component of art history, but it is
not always the most important




                                      Rembrandt van Rijn, Self Portrait, c. 1659-1660
Role of the Artist
Prior to the Renaissance, the artist
was was merely a craftsman




                                       NannidiBanco, Sculptors at Work, 1416. Orsanmichele, Florence
                                       lib-art.com
Role of the Artist
Artists were expected to be skilled,
not creative




                                       Image source: http://www.thekiesels.com/VA_2003vacPg2.html
Role of the Artist
Works of art were commissioned
by patrons who gave specific
instructions about what they
wanted
Role of the Artist
Art historians must therefore learn
about the patrons who
commissioned works of art




                                      Raphael, Pope Julius II, 1511
                                      London National Gallery
Role of the Artist
Often, the work is more about the
patron than it is about the artist who
made it




  EnricoScrovegni giving the gift of his
  chapel to angels, Last Judgment, Arena
  Chapel, Padua, c. 1305




                                           Jacques Louis David, Napoleon Crossing the St. Bernard Pass, 1801
Methodology
How do art historians study works
of art?
Methodology
1.   Subject Matter (iconographic
     analysis)
2.   Style (formal analysis)
3.   Context (cultural analysis)




                                    Image source: www.thinkandthrive.com
Identification
Artist
Title
Period/Region
Date
Medium
Dimensions
Collection




                 Georgia O’Keefe, Jack-in-the-Pulpit No. 4, 1930
                 Oil on canvas, 3’ 4” X 2’ 6”
                 National Gallery of Art
                 http://www.nga.gov/fcgi-bin/tinfo_f?object=70179
Identification
Note: titles of works of art are
treated like book titles

“Georgia O’Keefe painted Jack-in-
the-Pulpit in 1930.”

“The Mona Lisa is a painting by
Leonardo da Vinci.”
Subject Matter
What is the subject matter?




                              Georgia O’Keefe, Jack-in-the-Pulpit No. 4, 1930
                              Oil on canvas, 3’ 4” X 2’ 6”
                              National Gallery of Art
Subject Matter
Who or what is represented
Visual Literacy
How do we know who this
person is?




                          Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796
                          Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
Visual Literacy
Sometimes we will need to learn
the story behind the picture




                                  Jacques Louis David, Death of Socrates, 1787
                                  Metropolitan Museum
Subject Matter
Recognizing subject matter in
modern art can be more
challenging because the work is
abstract




                                  Pablo Picasso, Bottle of Suze, 1912
Abstraction
Simplification of form into simple
shapes




                                     Theo Van Doesburg, Cows, 1917
Subject Matter
This collage represents an oval
table top with a glass and a bottle
of Suze




                                      Pablo Picasso, Bottle of Suze, 1912
Non-Objective Art
Some works of art have no
recognizable subject matter at all

This is called non-objective art




                                     "Jackson Pollock painting "One: Number 31, 1950" at the Museum of Modern Art", 2007
                                     Image source: http://www.imaginify.org/post/index.php?catid=&name=News&topic=8
OK, so the
Subject Matter   subject matter
                 of this painting
                    is George
                  Washington.
                  Am I done?




                               Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796
                               Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
Subject Matter
Who was George Washington, and
why is he significant?




                                 Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796
                                 Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
OK, George
                 Washington
Subject Matter
                 was the first
                 President of
                  the United
                 States. Am I
                    done?




                           Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796
                           Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
Description
Analysis of subject matter also
involves description:

How does he appear

How is he standing (pose)

What is he wearing?

What else is in the room?




                                  Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796
                                  Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
Narration

What is happening?

What is he doing?




                      Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796
                      Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
Interpretation
Analysis of subject matter also
involves interpretation:

Why is he posed that way?

Why were those particular objects
chosen?

What purpose was this portrait
meant to serve?

What was the message?




                                     Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796
                                     Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
Subject Matter
Subject Matter:
     The “what” of the work
     (who, what, where)


Content:
     The “why” of the work
     (meaning, purpose, message)




                                   Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796
                                   Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
Iconography
To get from subject matter to
content involves iconography

Iconography: the interpretation of
signs and symbols




                                     Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796
                                     Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
Subject Matter
How do we know these two people
are “tourists”?

What are the visual clues?




                                  Duane Hanson, Tourists, 1970
                                  National Galleries of Scotland
Iconography
Pose (the way they are standing
and gesturing)

Attributes (clothing and
accessories)




                                   Duane Hanson, Tourists, 1970
                                   National Galleries of Scotland
Subject Matter
Painted portraits of political leaders
were the “media” of their day

They were supposed to
communicate a message about the
person represented




                                         Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796
                                         Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
Subject Matter
What message was Stuart’s portrait
intended to convey?

What are the visual clues?




                                     Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796
                                     Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
The Clothing




Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait),   Allan Ramsay, King George III (in coronation robes), 1761-1762
1796. Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery                   National Portrait Gallery
The Clothing




Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait),
1796. Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
The Clothing




Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait),
1796. Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
The Clothing
                                                                           “Stuart painted Washington from life,
                                                                           showing him standing up, dressed in a
                                                                           black velvet suit with an outstretched hand
                                                                           held up in an oratorical manner (which
                                                                           could be characterized as "commanding
                                                                           and stern yet open and inclusive"). In the
                                                                           background behind Washington is a row of
                                                                           two Doric columns, with another row to the
                                                                           left. Wrapped around and between the
                                                                           columns are red tasseled drapes.”




Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait),
1796. Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
The Clothing

                                                                           “Washington's suit is plain and simple, and
                                                                           the sword that he holds on his left side is a
                                                                           dress sword and not a battle sword
                                                                           (symbolizing a democratic form of
                                                                           government, rather than a monarchy or
                                                                           military dictatorship). In the sky, storm clouds
                                                                           appear on the left while a rainbow appears on
                                                                           the right, signifying the American
                                                                           Revolutionary War giving way to the peace
                                                                           and prosperity of the new United States after
                                                                           the 1783 Treaty of Paris. The medallion at the
                                                                           top of the chair shows the red, white, and blue
                                                                           colors of the American flag.”




Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait),
1796. Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
The Clothing


                                                                           “On and under the tablecloth-draped table to
                                                                           the left are two books: Federalist—probably
                                                                           a reference to the Federalist Papers—and
                                                                           Journal of Congress—the Congressional
                                                                           Record). Another five books are under the
                                                                           table . . . . The pen and paper on the table
                                                                           signify the rule of law . . . .”
                                                                           http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lansdowne_portrait




Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait),
1796. Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
Subject Matter
A detailed description helps us see
the work more clearly




                                      Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796
                                      Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
Style
What is style?
Style
Style refers to the visual
characteristics of a work of art




                                   Pablo Picasso, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, 1907
                                   Museum of Modern Art
Style
Period Style
A style that is typical of a particular
time period




                                          Jacopo daPontormo, Entombment of Christ,   Parmigianino, Madonna with the Long Neck,
                                          1525-1528                                  1534-1540
Regional Style
A style that is typical of a particular
region




                                          Jean Hey? or the Master of Moulins, Portrait    AlessoBaldovinetti, Portrait of a Lady, tempera and
                                          of
Margaret of Austria, oil on panel, c. 1490   on wood, c. 1465 (National Gallery, London)
Personal Style
An individual artist’s unique
“personal” style




                                Vincent Van Gogh, Starry Night, 1888
Evolution of Style
How style changes over time




  Unknown Master, Virgin and Child Enthroned with
  St Dominic, St Martin and Two Angels, c. 1290
  Web Gallery of Art
                                                    Giotto diBondone, Ognissante Madonna, c. 1310
Evolution of Style
     Changing attitudes towards the body




Expulsion of Adam and Eve, Hunterian Psalter, c. 1170




                                                        Albrecht Dürer, Fall of Man (Adam and Eve), 1504
Evolution of Style
 Composition and lighting




Jan Vermeer, Young Woman with a Water Pitcher,
c. 1662




                                                 Caravaggio, Deposition, c. 1600-1604
Evolution of Style
  Concepts of “realism”




                                              Gustave Courbet, the Stone Breakers, 1849




Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, Princesse de
Broglie, 1851-1853
Evolution of Style
  Capturing effects of atmosphere and light




Jacob Van Ruisdael, View of Haarlem from the Dunes at
Overveen, c. 1670




                                                        Claude Monet, Boulevard des Capucines, 1873
Evolution of Style
Rejection of realism




 Ernst Kirchner, Head of a Woman, 1913



                                         Paul Gauguin, The Yellow Christ, 1889
Evolution of Style
Evolution towards abstraction




Marcel Duchamp, Nude Descending a Staircase, 1912



                                                    Georges Braque, The Portuguese, 1911
Evolution of Style
Elimination of subject matter




                                                 Wassily Kandinsky, Improvisation 28, 1912




      Constantin Brancusi, Bird in Space, 1924
Art and Context
Art does not mean in a vacuum!

The cultural context of art is an
integral part of its meaning or
content




                                    Jeff Koons, New Hoover Convertibles, Green, Red, Brown, New Shelton Wet/Dry 10 Gallon
                                    Displaced Doubledecker1981-87
Renaissance
Humanism
Humanist scholarship and the
secularization of learning
Shift in patronage




                                Andrea del Castagno, Giovanni Boccaccio, c. 1450
The Reformation




                                           St. Peters Basilica, Rome




Workshop of Lucas Cranach, Martin Luther
Metropolitan Museum
Absolutism




             Hyacinth Rigaud, Louis XIV, 1701
The Enlightenment




                    Jacques Louis David, Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier and his Wife, 1788
                    Metropolitan Museum
The Age of Democracy




                                                    Eugene Delacroix, Liberty Leading the People, 1830



Jean-Antoine Houdon, George Washington, 1788-1792
The Industrial
Revolution




                 Jean-François Millet, The Gleaners, 1857
The Rise of Cities




                                              GustaveCaillebotte, Rue de Paris, Temps de Pluie, 1877




Claude Monet, Boulevard des Capucines, 1873
The Machine Age




                  Fernand Léger, the City, 1919
War




      Pablo Picasso, Guernica, 1937
Atomic Age




             Hans Namuth, Jackson Pollock, 1950
Consumerism




              Andy Warhol, 32 Campbells Soups, 1962

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Introduction: What is Art History?

  • 1. Introduction: What is Art History?? Art 109: Renaissance to Modern Spring 2013 © Dr. Melissa Hall
  • 2. What is Art History? So what, exactly, will we learn in an art history course? Image source: http://www.marshall.edu/cofa/art/arthistory/
  • 3. What is Art History? Will we learn what makes a work of art a “masterpiece”? Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa, c. 1503-1505
  • 4. Judgment What makes one work of art “better” than another is highly subjective Michelangelo, David, 1501-1504
  • 5. Judgment Who is to say if something is a masterpiece or not? In 1919 Marcel Duchamp questioned the idea of the “masterpiece” by drawing a mustache on a postcard of the Mona Lisa and calling it a work of art! Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa, c. 1503-1505
  • 6. Judgment So art history is not involved with judging “greatness,” or what qualifies as a “masterpiece” That is the job of art criticism, and art connoisseurship Image source: http://www.marshall.edu/cofa/art/arthistory/
  • 7. Judgment In fact, it might be useful to define art history by differentiating it from related fields: •Art Connoisseurship •Art Criticism •Art Appreciation Image source: http://www.marshall.edu/cofa/art/arthistory/
  • 8. Connoisseurship Estimating the market value of a work of art is the job of the art connoisseur Sotheby’s auction, May 3, 2006, where Picasso’s Dora Maar with Cat sold for $95.2 million Art Knowledge News
  • 9. Art Criticism Art criticism also involves evaluation and judgment Image source: http://www.theinsider.com/news/857730_Simon_Cowell _Back_In_Touch_With_His_First_Love Mr. Art Critic, written and directed by Richard Brauer, 2008
  • 10. Judgment In this class you will be encouraged to form your own opinion about what you like and dislike Image source: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/gowhere-hip-hop/2009/12/
  • 11. Art Appreciation Do art historians help us appreciate art? Norman Rockwell, The Connoisseur, 1962
  • 12. Art Appreciation Learning about works of art can certainly help us “appreciate” them more Artcphoto, Metropolitan Museum of Art - Fifth Avenue - Manhattan - NYC Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/artcphoto/2813520288/
  • 13. Art Appreciation But art appreciation is primarily concerned with our personal response to art Sharon Lipps, Art Appreciation,The Getty, LA, CA, 2009 http://www.pbase.com/elips/image/73508927
  • 14. Art History Art history is more concerned with the story behind the work Ben Shahn, The Passion of Sacco and Vanzetti, 1931-1932
  • 15. Art History Art History is the study of works of art in historical context
  • 16. Art History It is concerned with what art meant to the people who made and used it Francois Joseph Heim, Charles X Distributing Awards to Artists Exhibiting at the Salon of 1824 at the Louvre, 1827 Metapedia
  • 17. Personal Response Does this mean your personal response is not important? David Choi, 9:48 a.m. Greek Galleries Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8007731@N07/3407100463
  • 18. Personal Response Your personal response can be an important component of understanding Laura P. Russell, At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, Flickr
  • 19. Personal Response But to qualify as “art historical,” it must be informed by what you have learned about the society and the culture Merode Altarpiece with Viewers Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/82032880@N00/4014610392/
  • 20. Biography Do art historians study the lives of artists? Vincent Van Gogh,Self-Portrait as an Artist, 1887-88. Oil on canvas, 65 x 50.5 cm. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam Artchive
  • 21. Biography Artistic biography is only one component of art history, but it is not always the most important Rembrandt van Rijn, Self Portrait, c. 1659-1660
  • 22. Role of the Artist Prior to the Renaissance, the artist was was merely a craftsman NannidiBanco, Sculptors at Work, 1416. Orsanmichele, Florence lib-art.com
  • 23. Role of the Artist Artists were expected to be skilled, not creative Image source: http://www.thekiesels.com/VA_2003vacPg2.html
  • 24. Role of the Artist Works of art were commissioned by patrons who gave specific instructions about what they wanted
  • 25. Role of the Artist Art historians must therefore learn about the patrons who commissioned works of art Raphael, Pope Julius II, 1511 London National Gallery
  • 26. Role of the Artist Often, the work is more about the patron than it is about the artist who made it EnricoScrovegni giving the gift of his chapel to angels, Last Judgment, Arena Chapel, Padua, c. 1305 Jacques Louis David, Napoleon Crossing the St. Bernard Pass, 1801
  • 27. Methodology How do art historians study works of art?
  • 28. Methodology 1. Subject Matter (iconographic analysis) 2. Style (formal analysis) 3. Context (cultural analysis) Image source: www.thinkandthrive.com
  • 29. Identification Artist Title Period/Region Date Medium Dimensions Collection Georgia O’Keefe, Jack-in-the-Pulpit No. 4, 1930 Oil on canvas, 3’ 4” X 2’ 6” National Gallery of Art http://www.nga.gov/fcgi-bin/tinfo_f?object=70179
  • 30. Identification Note: titles of works of art are treated like book titles “Georgia O’Keefe painted Jack-in- the-Pulpit in 1930.” “The Mona Lisa is a painting by Leonardo da Vinci.”
  • 31. Subject Matter What is the subject matter? Georgia O’Keefe, Jack-in-the-Pulpit No. 4, 1930 Oil on canvas, 3’ 4” X 2’ 6” National Gallery of Art
  • 32. Subject Matter Who or what is represented
  • 33. Visual Literacy How do we know who this person is? Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796 Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
  • 34. Visual Literacy Sometimes we will need to learn the story behind the picture Jacques Louis David, Death of Socrates, 1787 Metropolitan Museum
  • 35. Subject Matter Recognizing subject matter in modern art can be more challenging because the work is abstract Pablo Picasso, Bottle of Suze, 1912
  • 36. Abstraction Simplification of form into simple shapes Theo Van Doesburg, Cows, 1917
  • 37. Subject Matter This collage represents an oval table top with a glass and a bottle of Suze Pablo Picasso, Bottle of Suze, 1912
  • 38. Non-Objective Art Some works of art have no recognizable subject matter at all This is called non-objective art "Jackson Pollock painting "One: Number 31, 1950" at the Museum of Modern Art", 2007 Image source: http://www.imaginify.org/post/index.php?catid=&name=News&topic=8
  • 39. OK, so the Subject Matter subject matter of this painting is George Washington. Am I done? Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796 Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
  • 40. Subject Matter Who was George Washington, and why is he significant? Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796 Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
  • 41. OK, George Washington Subject Matter was the first President of the United States. Am I done? Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796 Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
  • 42. Description Analysis of subject matter also involves description: How does he appear How is he standing (pose) What is he wearing? What else is in the room? Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796 Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
  • 43. Narration What is happening? What is he doing? Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796 Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
  • 44. Interpretation Analysis of subject matter also involves interpretation: Why is he posed that way? Why were those particular objects chosen? What purpose was this portrait meant to serve? What was the message? Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796 Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
  • 45. Subject Matter Subject Matter: The “what” of the work (who, what, where) Content: The “why” of the work (meaning, purpose, message) Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796 Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
  • 46. Iconography To get from subject matter to content involves iconography Iconography: the interpretation of signs and symbols Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796 Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
  • 47. Subject Matter How do we know these two people are “tourists”? What are the visual clues? Duane Hanson, Tourists, 1970 National Galleries of Scotland
  • 48. Iconography Pose (the way they are standing and gesturing) Attributes (clothing and accessories) Duane Hanson, Tourists, 1970 National Galleries of Scotland
  • 49. Subject Matter Painted portraits of political leaders were the “media” of their day They were supposed to communicate a message about the person represented Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796 Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
  • 50. Subject Matter What message was Stuart’s portrait intended to convey? What are the visual clues? Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796 Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
  • 51. The Clothing Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), Allan Ramsay, King George III (in coronation robes), 1761-1762 1796. Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery
  • 52. The Clothing Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796. Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
  • 53. The Clothing Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796. Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
  • 54. The Clothing “Stuart painted Washington from life, showing him standing up, dressed in a black velvet suit with an outstretched hand held up in an oratorical manner (which could be characterized as "commanding and stern yet open and inclusive"). In the background behind Washington is a row of two Doric columns, with another row to the left. Wrapped around and between the columns are red tasseled drapes.” Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796. Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
  • 55. The Clothing “Washington's suit is plain and simple, and the sword that he holds on his left side is a dress sword and not a battle sword (symbolizing a democratic form of government, rather than a monarchy or military dictatorship). In the sky, storm clouds appear on the left while a rainbow appears on the right, signifying the American Revolutionary War giving way to the peace and prosperity of the new United States after the 1783 Treaty of Paris. The medallion at the top of the chair shows the red, white, and blue colors of the American flag.” Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796. Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
  • 56. The Clothing “On and under the tablecloth-draped table to the left are two books: Federalist—probably a reference to the Federalist Papers—and Journal of Congress—the Congressional Record). Another five books are under the table . . . . The pen and paper on the table signify the rule of law . . . .” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lansdowne_portrait Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796. Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
  • 57. Subject Matter A detailed description helps us see the work more clearly Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796 Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
  • 59. Style Style refers to the visual characteristics of a work of art Pablo Picasso, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, 1907 Museum of Modern Art
  • 60. Style
  • 61. Period Style A style that is typical of a particular time period Jacopo daPontormo, Entombment of Christ, Parmigianino, Madonna with the Long Neck, 1525-1528 1534-1540
  • 62. Regional Style A style that is typical of a particular region Jean Hey? or the Master of Moulins, Portrait AlessoBaldovinetti, Portrait of a Lady, tempera and of
Margaret of Austria, oil on panel, c. 1490 on wood, c. 1465 (National Gallery, London)
  • 63. Personal Style An individual artist’s unique “personal” style Vincent Van Gogh, Starry Night, 1888
  • 64. Evolution of Style How style changes over time Unknown Master, Virgin and Child Enthroned with St Dominic, St Martin and Two Angels, c. 1290 Web Gallery of Art Giotto diBondone, Ognissante Madonna, c. 1310
  • 65. Evolution of Style Changing attitudes towards the body Expulsion of Adam and Eve, Hunterian Psalter, c. 1170 Albrecht Dürer, Fall of Man (Adam and Eve), 1504
  • 66. Evolution of Style Composition and lighting Jan Vermeer, Young Woman with a Water Pitcher, c. 1662 Caravaggio, Deposition, c. 1600-1604
  • 67. Evolution of Style Concepts of “realism” Gustave Courbet, the Stone Breakers, 1849 Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, Princesse de Broglie, 1851-1853
  • 68. Evolution of Style Capturing effects of atmosphere and light Jacob Van Ruisdael, View of Haarlem from the Dunes at Overveen, c. 1670 Claude Monet, Boulevard des Capucines, 1873
  • 69. Evolution of Style Rejection of realism Ernst Kirchner, Head of a Woman, 1913 Paul Gauguin, The Yellow Christ, 1889
  • 70. Evolution of Style Evolution towards abstraction Marcel Duchamp, Nude Descending a Staircase, 1912 Georges Braque, The Portuguese, 1911
  • 71. Evolution of Style Elimination of subject matter Wassily Kandinsky, Improvisation 28, 1912 Constantin Brancusi, Bird in Space, 1924
  • 72. Art and Context Art does not mean in a vacuum! The cultural context of art is an integral part of its meaning or content Jeff Koons, New Hoover Convertibles, Green, Red, Brown, New Shelton Wet/Dry 10 Gallon Displaced Doubledecker1981-87
  • 73. Renaissance Humanism Humanist scholarship and the secularization of learning Shift in patronage Andrea del Castagno, Giovanni Boccaccio, c. 1450
  • 74. The Reformation St. Peters Basilica, Rome Workshop of Lucas Cranach, Martin Luther Metropolitan Museum
  • 75. Absolutism Hyacinth Rigaud, Louis XIV, 1701
  • 76. The Enlightenment Jacques Louis David, Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier and his Wife, 1788 Metropolitan Museum
  • 77. The Age of Democracy Eugene Delacroix, Liberty Leading the People, 1830 Jean-Antoine Houdon, George Washington, 1788-1792
  • 78. The Industrial Revolution Jean-François Millet, The Gleaners, 1857
  • 79. The Rise of Cities GustaveCaillebotte, Rue de Paris, Temps de Pluie, 1877 Claude Monet, Boulevard des Capucines, 1873
  • 80. The Machine Age Fernand Léger, the City, 1919
  • 81. War Pablo Picasso, Guernica, 1937
  • 82. Atomic Age Hans Namuth, Jackson Pollock, 1950
  • 83. Consumerism Andy Warhol, 32 Campbells Soups, 1962