Impressionism and Post Impressionism Art - Assignment 04

Impressionism and Post Impressionism are major moments in the art history.  In 1874, group of artists began to oppose academic doctrines and Romantic ideals and turn to paint representation of everyday life. This period is called impressionism. Impressionist painters took their canvases outdoor and tried to paint what their eyes catch rather than what minds know or interprets of a scene.  They made their paintings the way traditional painters would have made sketches of paintings; by painting quickly as possible. It’s called immediate perception technique. Landscapes and scenes from everyday life in different conditions are the main subjects of these paintings. This period is named after Claude Monet’s panting; impression, sunrise. Impressionist painters painted their paintings without personal or religious interprets. One can see naturalistic depiction of light and color, visible separate stroke and dabs of paints, and applied pure diverse colors placed next to each other among impressionism paintings.  

Post Impressionism period starts in about 1885 following the impressionism period. Post-impressionist artists believed in free interpretation of nature and, oppose the acts of impressionist’s artists. Post impressionism artist went in two different ways. Some went for clear formal organization and other toward personal expression. Post impressionism artists used strong lines in colors, flat color areas, unnatural hues, flattening out depth of space and strange composition in their paintings.

This painting is called Garden at Sainte-Adresse. It painted by Claude Monet in 1867 using oil on canvas. The subject of this painting is the view of the garden terrace at Sainte-Adresse, a seaside resort, over the sea. This painting is structured in three horizontal bands which are the garden terrace, the sea, and the sky. The gray beard person seated in the foreground is his father and other models consider as his relatives. This painting has a look of a sketchy. Shapes and forms don’t have sharp details. One can see separate strokes and unmixed paints all over the painting. He used different shades of blue to paint sky and sea. Pale blue colors and white in the sky give its natural atmospheric look. He used dark shades of blue paint moving waves in the sea. Monet used hot colors, bright red and yellow hues, on the foreground to make sense of contrast. He executed his techniques successfully to show sunlit and shadowy areas. The vanishing point of this painting is placed in the center of the horizon.

This post-impressionist painting is called Wheat Field with Cypresses. This 28 7/8 × 36 3/4 in size oil on canvas painting was done by Vincent Van Gogh in 1889. This is a portrayal of his perception and intensity feeling of nature. He used strong color lines all over the painting which gives a sense of motion. The tall dark green cypress tree provides a powerful contrast to the horizontal wheat field and sky. The oppositions of warm and cool colors provide the depth of space. The depth of space is flattening out in this post-impressionist painting. Warm foreground indicates that it’s painted during a bright summer day. One can see yellow hues among curvy clouds in the blue sky.

Renaissance & Baroque Art - Assignment 03

      Renaissance time period, 14 to the 16th century, consider as the golden age of art and science. In other words, it was the first step to the modern age. The word Renaissance means “rebirth” or “reawakening.” It started as a cultural moment in Italy then spread around the world. Their new philosophy based on humanism, inventions, new techniques, and rediscovering of old age’s literature and artwork helped to create brilliant artworks. Linear perspective, depth of space, correct proportion and scale, and brilliant colors are the characteristics of renaissance period. After the Renaissance period, the Baroque period began with the influence of Renaissance artists. The Baroque period which ran from about 1600 to about 1700 has more variety of styles than Renaissance period. Baroque arts recognize for its uniqueness state of extreme drama and emotions. High contrast, intense light and dark are the popular characteristic of baroque art.

      This painting, “The Birth of the Virgin,” by Fra Carnevale is painted in 1467. Carnevale used Tempera, oil and wood to make this beautiful painting. This painting is a one part of an original altarpiece of the church of Santa Maria della Bella at Urbino; and the companion part of this painting, “Presentation of the Virgin,” is in the museum of fine art, Boston. The dimension, 57 x 37 7/8 in. of this painting is a religion based art. The artist recreates the birth of the virgin, Madonna, with his own style. Canevale place the main subject matter, the virgin and the newborn baby, in the focal center of the painting. St. Anne, the mother of the child, lying on the bed nude partially dressed, surrounding four women. It’s seem that mother is ready for visitation. The infant baby is standing on the washbasin while midwives were bathing her.  The foreground is occupied by idealized women who were caught in the action. One women lead her child by her hand and two other women greeting each other by hand shake or a handclap. The slow, gentle moments of these figures creates a unified and realistic balance to the whole scene.   Background and the middle ground on the left of the painting have various human and an animal figure with market place landscape indicates it is a middle of a regular day. Human and animal figures were painted in a correct scale and proportion. Details of clothing and jewelries are very delicate. The huge, smooth gray stoned architectural structure is decorated with geometric patterns and Roman/Greek relief sculpture. Carnevale has executed the one point linear perspective brilliantly in this painting. However, open entry way and church interior caused a bit of puzzled perspective. He also used overlapping plane to show the depth of space. The artist used deep blue sky to balance the whole painting with the huge gray colored building.  Shadows of the human figures and architectural structures suggested that the light source is in the left to the center. Overall this panting has a soft but sharp look with a complex setting of composition.

       This is a painting by George de la Tour called “Penitent Magdalene.” This beautiful 52 1/2 x 40 1/4 in size painting created around the year 1640 with oil on canvas. This is a one version of the same subject done by George de la tour, and also known as the “Magdalen with Two Flames.” Subject of this painting is Mary Magdalene; a biblical figure who witness crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. La Tour’s well executed chiaroscuro technique brings dramatic emotional and realistic look to the painting. He also used symbolism to represent the subject and her story. The skull on her lap represents the mortality. Her spiritual enlightenment is shown by the candle. Mirror represents the vanity. Magdalene’s clothes, pearl earrings, jewelries and frame of the mirror indicates that she’s a women of means. Mary Magdalene sits by the small desk facing the mirror, but gazing far beyond it. Her posture shows that she’s in a chain of deep thoughts. Viewer cannot clearly see her face to understand the expressions and mood. Which is leaving the viewer to imagine Mart Magdalene’s expression and feelings. Primary light source, the candle, casts the geometrically correct shadows on background and foreground. One can almost see the movement of the candle light and can feel the texture of the fabric, the metal mirror frame, the skull and her jewelry. His composition skills shown by this natural and photo like big painting. This painting has the most of baroque style characteristics such as high contrast, intense light and shadow, and, extreme emotions.