Fauvism Expressed

Fauvism Expressed

Hellooo :) This blog post will entail a thorough report on an art movement called The Fauvism/ Fauves. It will also conclude the different artists that were protagonists of the movement for example; Matisse, Picasso and Andre Derain… Hence others areas that will surround the topic of discussion; such as style, history of the Fauves, reasons why it came about and how Fauvism developed onto a later date. In the main body of the dissertation I will gather and organise what exactly is meant by Fauvism and how it has developed on to artists to produce this style of art. I will then be discussing thoroughly my opinions as well as influences and comparisons between artists and most of all how it has impacted onto other movements.

Introduction to Fauvism:

Fauvism was explained as the first of the major avant-garde movements in European 20th century art, Fauvism was characterised by paintings that used intensely vivid, non-naturalistic and lavish colours.

Fauvism doesn't seem that radical, but at the time, it was a cutting edge movement; its very name, Fauvism, comes from the French word fauves meaning "wild beasts."

To truly understand Fauvism and its impact, you must understand its roots. Impressionism, made famous by painters like Monet, dominated paintings in the late 1800's. Impressionists used broken brush strokes and small dabs of colour to portray brief glimpses of their subjects; they showed how something looks when a certain light hits it. They painted modern life, the cities, people and landscapes around them. Fauvism took some of these ideas and exploded them, meanwhile ignoring others. Fauvists made bolder, vigorous and even violent brush strokes. Their work showed passion and enthusiasm, and they applied the same zest to colour. Fauvists used colour to express emotion about their subjects, not to show them realistically. In my opinion I would say that Fauvism acted as a rebellion towards other movements ‘Impressionism – Post’ to show another type of style within and how they could create something that had influenced them in the first place. 

The leading artists involved were Henri Matisse, Andre Derain, Raoul Dufy, George Braque, and Vlaminck. A signature trademark of Fauvism was contrasting colours, taken from opposite sides of the colour wheel. A good example is Henri Matisse's "Dance (II)" (1910), showing a ring of naked bodies in rich, earthy-rusty-orange (quite striking against a deep blue sky and vibrant green ground) rather than the softer, peachy skin tones he'd used in the original work, "Dance" in 1909.

Although Fauvism was short-lived (1905-08), it was extremely influential in the evolution of 20th century art.  

The Dance (II) 1910

Artists in Fauvism:

The Open Window- Collioure 1905

Henri Matisse was one of the Fauvist Artists during the movement in 1905. It was actually this artist that started the movement along with Andre Derain. 

At first glance, the apparent freedom of his style seems to deny any skill or technique, but when you begin to analyse his effective use of visual elements you start to realize that there is an instinctive sensibility at work. The key to his success in using such exaggerated colours was the realization that he had to simplify his drawing. I understand that if he intensified the quality of colour for expressive effect, it would then reduce the amount of detail used in drawing the shapes and forms of the image. 

By applying the same kind of simplification and spontaneity to his drawing and brushwork, Matisse was amplifying the sense of joy that he had achieved through colour.

He wrote, "We move towards serenity through the simplification of ideas and form.......Details lessen the purity of lines, they harm the emotional intensity, and we choose to reject them. It is a question of learning - and perhaps relearning the 'handwriting' of lines. The aim of painting is not to reflect history, because this can be found in books. We have a higher conception. Through it, the artist expresses his inner vision."  I think this quote actually impacted the way artists look at Fauvism today and in a way some parts of this quote resemble a teaching approach; as it says from lines 51 ‘The aim of the painting’… this line could actually teach those who want to try painting this movement or just to acknowledge them in how he expresses his style.

Rather than focusing on colour, Matisse aimed to create strikingly simple forms and figures, carefully balanced and with a distinct emphasis on movement and the expression contained within. This technique would be a major influence on Hans Hofmann and his development of the "push/pull" theory.  According to this theory, rather than representational forms, colour and form can create spacial depth and movement in a picture through traditional, linear perspective .

Andre Derain was the other artist in partnership in creating The Fauvism Art Movement.  Andre Derain was eventually recognized as the leader of Les Fauves, or "The Wild Beasts," and like the group, he emphasized the use of intense colour as a vehicle for describing light and space, as well as for communicating the artist's emotional state.

 In these regards, Fauvism proved to be an important precursor to Cubism and Expressionism, respectively, and an inspiration for future modes of abstraction.

In contrast to Henri Matisse, Andre Derain uses heavy brush strokes to create his expressive and descriptive qualities of colour in his work whereas Matisse uses colour at its maximum intensity, which explains why his painting looks slightly abstract with only one protagonist colour in this case red which is used frequently on the plant pots, and on the masts of the yachts. In my opinion I believe that he did this to complement the rest of the colours in the picture as well as to make a statement that these were the main objects that punctuate the painting. 

Derain’s style consists of using a conflict between warm and cool colours as well as using a heavy hand when perceiving the brush strokes he creates. It is said that this organized arrangement of tones in a landscape is called Aerial Perspective. This refers to a technique that was introduced in 1725, it is explained that this technique is used to create a perspective of depth in a painting by modifying the tone, hue or distinctness of objects identified from the picture.

Conclusion:

In conclusion I believe art movements are like a row of dominoes, each one impacting another as it moves, and Fauvism is no exception. The ‘Wild Beasts’ sprang from impressionist and post-impressionist influences, like Cezanne and Van Gogh and subsequently influenced other movements such as Abstract Impressionism and Surrealism.

Fauvism had an impact on other movements such as expressionism meaning that in time it had also influenced a mass number of single artists that were fascinated by the bold colorization that had begun to trend after the movement had taken place.

Contemporary Art: Barry Guppy

Ceramic tree bowls by Barry Guppy

I've just noticed this on The National Art Society's page and couldn't help but share it. Although I don't agree with some contemporary art, I found these just amazing! As most of you probably know from following my previous blog I am in love with any form of art with nature and trees.

http://www.studiopottery.co.uk/images/Barry/Guppy_(1937-2013)

Take a look at his collections above some beautiful ceramic pieces. His work styles included Porcelain, Paper Clay, and Sculptural installations.

2010. Grube Dish

Representation of the Figure during Renaissance Times

Fra Angelico- 'Deposition of Christ'

Helloo everyone!!

So the past couple of weeks I have been doing my own research on a couple of Renaissance paintings to start developing my picture and research analysis. Let me know what your input is on this! :)

As you can see the image on the left: Fra Angelico is an early Italian renaissance painter, his work reveals both conservatively Gothic and progressively renaissance. In the altarpiece ‘Deposition of Christ’ it shows Christ being carried, with Mary Magdalene kneeling at his feet this represents human preservation.

Giorgio Vasari defined it to have been “painted by a saint or an angel”.The human figure relations in this painting make it seem like a community because the way the figures are looking down with sincere may confirm an acquaintance or relationship with Christ. Also there are only few figures who have gold circular symbols on their heads, I think this is to separate the disciples from the persecutors. In the distance at the top left lies Jerusalem, shown by Angelico as a sparkling Tuscan hill town. The city fortifications appear as a series of cubes, pillars, and walls massed together in a sharply defining light. Buildings of widely varying sizes, shapes and colours are arranged together within the city walls.

Fra Angelico's Deposition demonstrates not only his skillful treatment of landscapes, but also figures, to which he often gave specific and presumably identifiable features. The man in the turban is likely a portrait of a person known to the artist. In this detail the towered buildings confirm the landscape as Italian. The hills stretch out into the distance, softened and smoothed by the light, peppered with gleaming villages and farmhouses. The foreground rocks are insufficiently distant to be mellowed, and are shown with all their facets and angularity. A row of trees again screens the landscape, emphasizing its distance.

Michelanglo- 'The dying slave'

Michelangelo was another Renaissance artist that expresses religion and symbolism within his work. “Michelangelo was a painter, sculptor, architect and poet and one of the great artists of the Italian Renaissance.” Michelangelo is widely regarded as the most famous artist of the Italian Renaissance. Among his works are the "David" and "Pieta" statues and the Sistine Chapel frescoes. 

From what I have sourced through research I have become to dislike Michelangelo’s work because mainly it is based upon the human figure and religion and with that I find boring unlike Botticelli he used the human figure to reflect upon beauty, love and mythological creatures. I also find that the use of sculptural work is really detailed compared to Dürer’s Adam and Eve but in this case his is an actual sculpture so the detail had to be fitting compared to on a canvas.

Michelangelo’s sculpture ‘The Dying Slave’ was created between 1513 and 1516. It was meant for the tomb of Julius II but was not included because of lack of space in the smaller version dedicated in 1545. The position of the slave seems uncomfortable with most of the weight converted to the right leg and the left arm out stretched to the back to the head makes it look like an awkward position to die. The stone entombing the back of the figure is a really interesting aspect of Michelangelo’s sculpture as it makes you think that the slave died in imprisoned in stone.

Sandro Botticelli- Birth of Venus

 In my opinion Sandro Botticelli was one of the greatest and most popular Italian masters of the late 15^th century, not only can I admire the style and project the sense of spirituality in his work but by reviving the elements of Gothic art…A delicacy of sentiment, expresses in an ornament style that he entwined with freshness and beauty. Mainly his painted portraits have targeted many genres including religious, political, and mythological works full of allegory as well as symbolism.

Botticelli was influenced by a couple of Renaissance artists during the time of the period; strongly influenced by the precise anatomy draftsman ship of the brothers Pollaiuolo. Antonio Pollaiuolo (1432-1496) and Piero Pollaiuolo (1441-1496), both Florentine painters were famed for their innovation in painting the anatomy of figures. The Birth of Venus shows the Roman goddess of love and beauty rising from the sea on a sculpted sea shell or being pushed in by the zephyrs, personified on the left. In this painting Botticelli shows weight on his characters shows the probability that his art was committed to naturalism. But realistically given that her pose and weight is slanted onto the right leg you would know that the shell would tip. Also the only shadows or dark areas are the ones on the foreground of the painting and of the plants in the background which could only mean that the figures show no realism.

I think as well the painting shows unusual skeletal structure because the zephyrs are intertwined with each other which make the painting look twisted almost not realistic. Which will make me wonder if Botticelli was really committed to naturalism at all? Or maybe it was just a starting point to get the figures right. Although I really like this painting it points out a number of topics within; that make me sort of wonder whether this was actually based on the goddess of love or something entirely different. It makes me feel like you’re on a different plane because as you can see from the reflection of the waves, the flowing of the drapery, the exotic trees up ahead and the flowers flowing down form the zephyrs. It concludes an idyllic paradise like heaven or nature that is influenced by the floating characters proving this.

The Birth of Venus, focused on mythological subjects and populated figures of pagan gods, like Venus, Flora, Cupid, and Zephyr. In "The Birth of Venus," the figure of Venus represents the Virgin Mary as well, joining the religion of the day to mythology. Botticelli accepted paganism as a religion, and his religious paintings frequently manifest this by converging all truths into one.

Adam and Eve- Durer

Northern Renaissance art is commonly viewed as secondary to that of Renaissance Italy, with the notable exception of German artist Albrecht Dürer. Not also was he a skilled painter but he was also known in the field of engravings and woodcuts which shown increasingly popular at that time. His main influences started simply by following a technique introduced by Leonardo da Vinci by placing a body part at the front of the painting to intensify the illusion that the viewer is included in the painting.

 However, he does not use this technique in his ‘Eve’ painting which makes his work look differentiated in my opinion. The use of biblical reference is used heavily in this piece as he connects the story of ‘Adam and Eve’ to the other meanings of the fruit and snake in the picture. You can also recognize that eve is main protagonist of this painting as she is more illuminated than he. Dürer's fascination with ideal form is manifest in Adam and Eve. 

The first man and woman are shown in nearly symmetrical idealized poses: each with the weight on one leg, the other leg bent, and each with one arm angled slightly upward from the elbow and somewhat away from the body. The branch Adam holds is of the mountain ash, the Tree of Life, while the fig, of which Eve has broken off a branch, is the forbidden Tree of Knowledge. Four of the animals represent the medieval idea of the four temperaments: the cat is choleric, the rabbit sanguine, the ox phlegmatic, and the elk melancholic. Before the fall, these happenings were held in check, controlled by the innocence of man; once Adam and Eve ate from the apple of knowledge, all four were activated, all innocence lost.

I prefer this piece to Van Eyck’s because not only does it give the viewer something to think about but it’s also a famous piece for its biblical reference of creation. I especially like the monochrome effect and the detail of the engravings as it shows that Durer wanted the story to look realistic and it could also be used as a good example for teaching others the story too.

Jan Van Eyck was a Flemish painter that was responsible for the spread of the International Gothic Style and “is generally considered one of the most significant Northern European painters of the 15th century” Some believed he invented oil painting because his advanced use of the medium. In fact, this technique had been known since antiquity, but Van Eyck used it as never before to portray sensational lighting effects of clarity and realism.

His skillful development of oil’s translucent properties is explored on a variety of textures in his painting Dresden Triptych; the five individual panel paintings each show the biblical references of the assumption of Mary. The view of the inner wings of the triptych show the Archangel Gabriel present by a kneeling donor and on the right shows St Catherine of Alexandria reading a prayer book. These two outer wings contain an Annunciation scene in Grisaille which sums up the main scene in the middle which defines the Virgin Mary sitting while holding Christ on her lap. The center panel reminded me of how similar the woman looks to one of Van Eyck’s other paintings of ‘The Lucca Madonna’. It is said that The Lucca Madonna was thought to be a portrait of the artists’ wife, Margaret; which relates back to how Humanism was used in Renaissance times and the symbolism of a loved one. Given the scale of the piece “Dresden 33.1cm × 13.6cm; 33.1cm × 27.5cm; 33.1cm × 13.6cm" the triptych probably was a portable piece since members of the upper class acquired these through papal digression, which could only mean that the this was what the painting was for or Van Eyck was inspired to produce one. 

The colors and oil techniques used reminds me of the similars used on Dutch still life like the way they used bright colors to charm the human eye towards materialism and life (fruit) and color contrast the opposition to darker objects such as death (skulls) books etc. Although in Van Eyck’s work you can see that they use a similar style in their work such as concentrating the use of colors solely on the mood on the characters or objects present. In a style that depicts a sole portrayal of religious subjects I find that Van Eyck’s work shows the upper hand because not only is it presented in a form that can be used for travelling but it also has a meaning that it was used typically for religious visits.

Furthermore, when I first saw this piece it also made me think of an illuminated manuscript called The Aurora Consurgens. 

Although the illustrations are allegorical representations of alchemical elements, I know that this has nothing to do with the triptych or art within the Renaissance times but as a matter of fact I actually found a connection that they both used which was Humanism and alighting areas that show a purpose of a character (In Van Eyck’s work the Archangel Gabriel holding an illuminated spear of some sort and the tiny gold details within his armor). Instead of comparing people back in the middle ages to saints this manuscript depicts elements in human or animal form. For example, mercury is depicted as a serpent; gold as the Sun and silver as the Moon.

The Walker Art Gallery!

The Ruin of Holyrood Chapel- Louis Daguerre

Hellooo everyone :)

I've decided to base this post on The Walker mainly because its the most visited art gallery I've been to ever since starting my History of Art course but also because I love The Walker in particular and this painting above all.

Most of my discussions will be taken from my personal research on the painting and research given from my presentation of 'My Favourite Artwork'.

Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre is perhaps best known for his contribution to the history of photography. He invented the first photographic process, the daguerréotype in 1839. He worked in the studio of the stage designer for the Paris Opera, Ignace-Eugene-Marie Degotti as well as assisting Pierre Prévost in designing panorama paintings for public entertainment.
Daguerre established his reputation as a stage designer for Parisian theatres, especially with the development of dioramas. These were buildings designed by Daguerre for displaying his and Charles-Marie Bouton's huge paintings. Most of the themes of the paintings were landscapes, chapel interiors and volcanoes.

Daguerre's fascination with dioramas stemmed from his interest in finding appropriate ways of capturing light and atmospheric effects in painting, as well as making perspective an expressive and dramatic medium. The increasing taste for travelling and particularly visiting ruins and picturesque sites in the 18th century made Daguerre's dioramas particularly popular among the people of his time. For those who did not have the chance to travel, dioramas offered an experience close to a real visit, while for the privileged it helped revive their memories.

The painting was made with oil onto thin linen and then stretched onto a canvas. Lighting was used at the back of the picture to distinguish gradual passage from natural to evening light.

His techniques to create the general effect of light and shadows is distributed with using many layers of oil paint on a dry brush for the refined pile and detached parts of the Gothic architecture. You can see that light is perceived through blobbing the white paint of areas in which the moonlight falls upon. He also uses oil paint thinly as a wash to illustrate the dark clouds being illuminated by the moonlights flash effect on the right hand side of the picture.


Perhaps the moonlight scene is better calculated than any other to calculate to display the ingenious application of the scientific principles upon which the diorama is constructed, from its harmony with the tone of coldness and transparency.
The chapel is a oblong Gothic pile, which originally formed the ancient abbey. 
The under range of the flying buttresses at the south side still remains, as well as the more upright ones, with canopied niches and pinnacles on the north wall.
At the extremity of the picture is a large eastern window, which occupies the only remaining one of the four large arches that once supported the central tower of the church, and behind which the moon rises, and lights apart of the picture.

Through the arches are the corners of the Southern bile, the windows which overlook the cloister, and an arcade of small pillars and pointed arches speak for themselves of Gothic exterior. This confined pile still contains in many of its detached parts some elegant remains of Gothic Architecture.

The skillful manner in which the lights fall upon this picture, brings out in detail the most interesting parts of the view, and particularly broken pillars which stand in the center of the dilapidated  pavement.
In order to give you more interest in the picture you have to vary the effects of light. This, though a legitimate object in art, in aiding reality of the scene, for when exploring these desolate ruins could ever fancy you should find an illustration of these beautiful eastern fiction among the tombs of these Scottish chieftains? 

I repeat that the general effect of Daguerre's "Ruin of Holyrood Chapel" is beautiful owing to the care and skill of distribution of the light and shadows and one of my favorite pieces of art!

Reviewed by Nadine Powell-Hjort on Thursday 30 October 2014

The Gang Display - David

Helloooo :)

Following my last post on 'The Gang' display I saw at The Walker I found a common influence to Robert Mapplethorpe's photography work and various other artists that I will discuss below.
Although I can't find the image that I will be referring to, the piece of work I will be discussing will be Catherine Opie's "David".

Not long ago I did an essay on how Robert Mapplethorpe was influenced by Renaissance artists, and with this it made me think about contrasts and oppositions of other artists and exhibitions I have seen recently and in this case 'The Gang' display.

These are my findings:

Robert Mapplethorpe

In the article “Galleria dell'Accademia Presents Robert Mapplethorpe Perfection in Form” Robert Mapplethorpe’s art dictates the direction of Michelangelo’s David, the aim is to show that the photographer still best-known as the chronicler of New York’s S&M scene in the 1970s was actually the heir to the classical tradition.

Primary source Mapplethorpe’s muse and companion Patti Smith boasts about his admiration towards renaissance sculptor Michelangelo.  Mapplethorpe’s approach to photography and his subjects is one that has a focus on tonality – hence his choice to shoot in black-and-white – and the celebration of the human body, making clear references to classical antiquity. 

Although the connection to Opie's "David" is different due to the color editing of Sepia tones compared to Mapplethorpe's approach in black and white not only shows to me that he was influenced heavily by classicism whereas Opie could be a clear example of post-modernism in terms of using technology to edit and distinguish the form of her life model into a purpose that sets its sights on political and social aspects of the queer theory.

In contrast, Mapplethorpe’s images of Thomas, a nude model pressing his hands and feet against the edges of a circle, possess a taut, deliberate poise that is mannered rather than moving. But other sitters, such as Andy Warhol and David Hockney, are also associated to elements in an assemblage of shape, light and line by the rigorous angles and shadows of the backgrounds. 

Opie's work can easily be compared to Mapplethorpe's in terms of not only the background color contrasting in black and white but they share similar interests in eroticism, actions: postures and motions. This similarity is shown in "Lisa Lyon" (1984) 

'The Gang' Display

#opiethegang

'The Gang: Photographs by Catherine Opie' is an exhibition of work by the renowned American artist.
The iconic image The Gang, presented to the Walker by the Contemporary Art Society with the support of the gallery, gives the exhibition its name and is one of 25 photographs by Opie on display. It features Opie’s friends photographed together in a humorous pose that is defiant, yet tender.

The exhibition celebrates the acquisition by the Walker Art Gallery of Opie’s photograph, ‘The Gang’. This was presented by the Contemporary Art Society with the support of funding from the Gallery in 2014.
Opie’s portraits of her friends from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community subvert American archetypes. Opie’s attempt to make visible a misunderstood sector of American culture, produces a body of work that is at times explicit and challenging in its content, but also playful and intimate.

Catherine Opie says,

“I made The Gang after individually shooting them all for the 1991 body of work, Being and Having. It was great to see them with their mustaches and I couldn't resist making some group photos of them… I think it is perfect in celebrating Homotopia as this work was made 20 years ago, in relationship to visibility within my own queer community. It is good to celebrate and reflect on equality that has been achieved and celebrated as well as the fight in regards to homophobia that continues.”

 One word of opinion when I first saw this display was that it was unusual. But the more I looked into it I found the contrast between the color and black and white versions more intense and interesting in terms of documenting social/political aspects on sexuality.
Her work is informed by her identity as an out lesbian which balances her personal and political views. Her assertive portraits bring queers to a forefront that is normally silenced by societal norms.

The Female Figure

The female body as symbol of classical beauty & the ultimate art form

                     "The nakedness of woman is the work of God"                      
                                                                                                                  -William Blake

Influences of The Renaissance

Primavera, 1482
Tempera on panel
203 cm × 314 cm

The shift from the Medieval art during the Middle Ages where the Church was the main patron of art, to the Renaissance brought about much change where now wealthy patrons including noblemen, merchants and bankers began to commission works that escaped the rigidity of religious art.

As seen through the work of famous Renaissance artist’s including Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci, the beginning of ‘modern’ science arose curiosity in the human figure and the rediscovery of beauty through the form of the human body. A sense of Humanism can be felt through the revival of the Classical Greek and Roman art through the Renaissance movement, which also laid down a new foundations for modern Western values and society with new ways of thinking and learning emerging.

Renaissance artists payed great attention into creating a sense of realism in their works emphasizing on linear perspectives, accurate proportions and three-dimensional modelling accomplished through their mastered techniques in painting with color and tone in order to create form.

The Birth of Venus, 1486
Tempera on canvas
172.5 cm × 278.5 cm

COMMENTARIES

‘The Nude remains a landmark (albeit an increasingly controversial one) in the description of the female body as art form. Indeed, for Clark the female nude represents the triumph of art: the ultimate transformation of matter into form. In these terms the image of the female nude is a pure form, one that, rather than provoking action, encourages contemplation, even reverence. To make his point Clark differentiates between the celestial and the earthly Venus. The former represents a perfection of the female form, so abstracted from sexual pleasure that it can sanction the male gaze and turns the female body into a work of art. The earthly Venus, by contrast, is warmly sensual, its wanton form always on the brink of immodesty. As such it is taken to be a less deserving object. Clark's statement is a classic example of the ways in which art criticism has sought to regulate the female form’.

Kenneth Clark's 1956

 ‘Clarke images the form as potential perfection’.

Robert W. Jones

The Nude

The Ancient Art of the Nude 
  

"Nakedness reveals itself. Nudity is placed on display. The nude is   condemned to never being naked. Nudity is a form of dress."

                                                                                            - John Berger

The Female Nude

How women are portrayed in art tells much about the status and roles of women in society and the place where men have positioned them.

The representation of the female figure can be traced back as far as the early prehistoric art. As seen in the image below of 'Venus of Willendorf ' 24000 - 22000 bce, the female figure was once used as a symbolic representation of fertility and life-giving.

The female nude in later periods of art became the subject for male consumption. Female nude during the Renaissance was often depicted in homage to Venus or Aphrodite, often seen lying naked in a landscape or domestic interior. They were largely commissioned by wealthy men of the period where they would have their mistress pose for the paintings and kept as a reminder of female submission to men.

'The Venus of Urbino', 1538 by Titian.

The Male Nude

The nude became significant in the art of Ancient Greece. The documentation of the male form was celebrated through the depiction of athletic competitions – where contests competed in the nude, battles and religious festivals in an unparalleled way. The Ancient Greeks deemed the male nude as the incarnation of all that was best in humanity, associating the male form – nude or otherwise – with power, triumph, glory, and even moral excellence. The image below demonstrates ancient Greek men competing in the Olympic games.

The shift to Greco-Roman art saw the depiction of the ‘perfect’ human form. The depiction of males was that of health, youth, geometric clarity and greatly influenced the depiction of the male form through out the Renaissance movement. 'Vitruvian Man'  1487 by Leonardo da Vinci is a great example of the 'perfect' male form depicted through his study of the proportions of the male human body. The impressive muscular physiques of the man has been well documented in the depicted warriors, hero's and gods in the biblical scenes of the Sistine Chapel. 

An Introduction to Museology - Elias Ashmole

Helloooo :)

As part of my course I will also be studying the history and background of museums and architecture/ art behind them.

Now I know this has nothing to do with my other posts but it all interweaves together and I love Elias Ashmole's work in general so here's an insight on his history and the similar interests that connect us to alchemy and its colorful distinguished art in its manuscripts.

• Elias Ashmole was born in Lichfield on 23 May 1617 and died in South Lambeth on 18/19 May 1692. 
• The 1640s saw a great revival of interest in the occult sciences (astrology, alchemy, natural magic), and Ashmole quickly assimilated the Neoplatonic–hermetic world-view within which the occult sciences seemed to have their natural place. But astrology was more than just an occult science: it could also be used as a weapon in a propaganda war.
• Ashmole also maintained a lifelong interest in various aspects of magic, especially in attempts to make spirits appear. Here the figure of John Dee, whose ‘conferences with angels’ had caused much scandal in Elizabethan England, loomed large. Ashmole collected Dee’s manuscripts, gathered all the information he could from Dee’s son Arthur, and planned a biography of the great magician. The biography never appeared, but the figure of Dee continued to haunt Ashmole for the rest of his life.
• Ashmole also became known, in his later years, as a great collector of manuscripts and other curiosities. His house at South Lambeth received visits from people such as Robert Hooke and Henry Oldenburg, often escorting foreign virtuosi. The collection of another antiquarian, John Tradescant, was also inherited after a lawsuit. Looking for a permanent home for these collections, Ashmole turned to the University of Oxford, offering to bequeath them to the University if it could find a suitable home for them. The University accepted the offer, and a fine new building was erected with a chemical laboratory in the basement, and display rooms above. The Ashmolean, England’s first public museum, received a royal visit in May 1683, and was opened to the public in June, with Dr Robert Plot as its first curator. 

The Ashmolean Museum has a medium sized collection of very good Pre-Raphaelite pictures, and there are various other places in Oxford to see their work.

The Ashmolean is one of the great museums in the world - and it can lay claim to be Britain's first official museum. Indeed, at the time of its founding, the term "museum" was unknown.

The Ashmolean was originally based on the idiosyncratic collection of natural history specimens collected by gardening pioneers John Tradescant (father and son). The Tradescants displayed their collection at their house in Lambeth, south London, but later deeded the curiosities to Elias Ashmole.

Ashmole in turn presented this jumble of natural and man-made oddments to Oxford University, where special buildings on Broad Street were created to house them. These buildings first opened their doors on May 24, 1683. The first Ashmolean was composed of three separate parts; the collection, a chemistry laboratory, and lecture rooms. The public was allowed to view the collection - a concession that irked some of the more supercilious academics of the period. The collection was enhanced by the addition of its prize possession, the Alfred Jewel, in 1718.

This Saxon relic is a gold-encrusted, enameled ornament intended to grace the end of a staff, or scepter. The association with King Alfred is uncertain, though the Latin inscription (which translates as "Alfred had me made") and the richness of the jewel makes it likely that only someone as powerful as Alfred could have been responsible for its creation. In the mid Victorian period the growing collection was split into natural and man-made divisions, with the former being used to create the new Oxford Museum of Natural History.

References:

www.ashmolean.org 

Artists on Film

Hellooo everyone!

This was the topic from one of my lectures that I had today and found it really interesting! Just wanted to share with you an insight of how films emphasis an artists background.

The main aspect was influencing ideas based on TV and films for artists this would include theater, opera, or even poetry.

The themes behind the popular backdrops are:

• Independence from patronage- breaking away from their primary fame and choosing independent solo careers.
• Voyeuristic feelings and emotions whilst sitting through the artists story.

From what I have learnt today 'Artists on Film' reinforces artists turbulent stories rather than the whole story put together in truth, and doesn't collaborate the audience with the film entirely, so what's the point?

In my opinion i'd rather read a couple of novel sources in order to understand the artists past life than working through a film of exaggerated and false interpretations just to sell the film to an audience.

Although on the other hand the film could very well be a visual representation of life at that time so its useful how a director can use knowledge, research, lighting, sets and actors to creatively interpret artists life on film.

Rembrandt 'The Night Watch' (1642)

Charles Laughton once again teams up with Korda for this moving, elegantly shot biopic about the Dutch painter. Beginning when Rembrandt’s reputation was at its height, the film then tracks his quiet descent into loneliness and isolated self-expression, following the death of his wife to the unveiling of Night Watch to the ecclesiastical excommunication of his late-in-life lover and maid, Hendrickje Stoffels. Though black and white, Rembrandt is shot by cinematographer Georges Périnal with an attention to light that’s particularly Rembrandtesque.

In the scene where Rembrandt presents his 'Night Watch' painting, that it is a nocturne Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenhurch, and not until late in the 18th Century did it acquire the name by which it is now known. Unfortunately, both "Night" and " "Watch" are wrong. The civic guards who are depicted had, by the time Rembrandt painted them, become quite pacific; it was no longer necessary for them to defend the ramparts of Amsterdam or to go out on watches by night or by day. Their meetings had been diverted chiefly to social or sporting purposes; if they may be said to have any particular destination in the painting, it is perhaps to march into the fields for a shooting contest or to take part in a parade.

As I could see from that clip not much art is shown which again proves that the film isn't really about the artist or their work.

It was by far the most revolutionary painting Rembrandt had yet made, transforming the traditional Dutch group portrait into a dazzling blaze of light, color and motion, and subordinating the requirements of orthodox portraiture to a far larger, more complex but still unified whole.

 In Rembrandt's hands what was, after all, a commonplace affair became filled with Baroque pictorial splendor, loud with the sound of drum and musket, the thud of ramrods, the barking of a dog, the cries of children. In the forefront Captain Banning Cocq - in black, with a red sash - and his lieutenant in yellow lead the forward drive of the still unformed ranks. 

The sense of movement is reinforced by converging diagonal lines: on the right, the foreshortened spontoon in the lieutenant's hand, the musket above it and the lance still higher; and on the left, the captain's staff, its line repeated above by another musket and the banner. 

The effect on the viewer is direct; he feels that he had best get out of the way.

Toulouse Lautrec- La Goulue (1892) Moulin Rouge

When the brassy dance hall and drinking garden of the Moulin Rouge opened on the boulevard de Clichy in 1889, one of Lautrec's paintings was displayed near the entrance. He himself became a conspicuous fixture of the place and was commissioned to create the six-foot-tall advertisement that launched his poster making career and made him famous overnight. 

He turned a spotlight on the crowded dance floor of the nightclub and its star performers, the "boneless" acrobat Valentin le Désossé and La Goulue, "the glutton," whose cancan skirts were lifted at the finale of the chahut.

In the scene you see straight away that its an alienated life separated from society, troubled by drink ( an exact description of an artists life stereotype) emphasis and exaggeration of Toulouse dying over a broken heart in the film whereas state of death was syphilis.

Soften light and heightened colours remind me of the vivid underworld nightlife of New Orleans bourbon festivals. The clip and the work conjure up leisurely wealth based around that time.

Again, left out the importance of the artists work and shown little reference of the Toulouse sketches for a brief number of seconds.

Camille Claudel 'Le Homme' (1893)

…MUSE AND MISTRESS. “MADEMOISELLE SAY”

Letter from Auguste Rodin to Camille Claudel, C.1886, [L.1451]

While Rodin recognized the young woman’s talent from the outset, he also fell in love with her almost immediately. The two sculptors’ complicated love story has inspired many overly romanticized interpretations.

This intense love affair, encompassing their personal and professional lives, inspired both artists, whose works functioned as declarations, criticisms or echoes of one another. 

Based on the artists life and what it was like in the 19th century for women artists. The scene showed Camille inspiring Rodin in the use of materials and her own intuition of concept life sculptures. (As seen in the pose of the woman in the film compared to the sculpture 'Le Homme' itself) although I must admit the sculpture looks more masculine than it does feminine.

After giving this lecture much thought I had come to the conclusion that  these films were not made for making money but that they were independent projects for catching artists stereotypical facts and proving them wrong critically.