Post #2 Realism and the Early Avant-Garde

The early stages of Avant-Garde art, artists were interested in challenging and defying the established values of the Academy of Art. There was also a strong desire to make a commentary or influence on politics and humanity. One of the more successful ways to accomplish both of these goals gave rise to Realist painting. Realism is a movement where the artist tries to capture and portray the world as it is seen around him. The invention and growing use of photography played a large part in the rise and interest in this style of painting. Some techniques, inherent to taking a photo, were even picked up and incorporated by artists. Just as a camera lens can only  capture so much in its view, artists began to crop the edges off of objects on the boarders of their paintings.

As mentioned earlier, Realist painting was an effective tool for both challenging the establishment and social commentary, and one artist in particular was very good at using this tool to stir the pot. Gustave Courbet was a French realist painter who gained much notoriety for how and what he chose to paint. Two specific examples of this type of painting are first, The Stone Breakers, and second A Burial at Ornans. Looking at Stone Breakers we can see that two males are hard at work. They are dressed in modern clothing and the figures are scaled large, taking up much of the canvas. They are clearly what Courbet wants the viewer to focus on. This painting is of the Realist movement because it shows modern people as you would see them at the time of its creation. This is contradictory to what the Academy would prefer, but also is very unsettling to the bourgeoisie viewers who might view it as well. Both of these groups find it offensive to dedicate a painting to the much lower class stone breakers. To compound it, Courbet chooses a very large canvas to paint this piece on, an 5ft X 8ft. This size of painting was traditionally reserved for Academy style history paintings but it also makes the figures in the piece very large as well. They are unavoidable and force the viewer to see them as they are. Another issue many people had with this piece is that the figures are either turned away or have their face covered. There is no eye contact with the viewer and no other implied narrative other than these two men at work.

The second piece, A Burial at Ornans, is an interesting painting all its own. Stone Breakers was large but this painting is an enormous 10ft X 21ft and shows a group of people gathered at a funeral procession. This is not to be any specific funeral but is based on the burial of Courbet's grandfather. This painting does not seem to carry the photographic Realist qualities that Courbet shows in Stone Breakers because he does take some artistic liberties and does some blending of time periods. The figures to the right of the grave are said to be representatives of the 1789 French revolution and that Courbet was attempting to make a connection between that revolution and the more recent socialist revolution of 1848. This does however, does put a charge in his Avant-Garde political statement, since both revolutions tried to advance democracy in France. The painting itself is very somber and also awkward in ways. By doing a scan of faces in this funeral group you can see a wide range of emotions. Some appear sad and grieving, like the men on the right of the grave. Others seem bored or uninterested, like the clergy to the left. While others still, look away or appear to caught up in thought. The awkward tension create by the whole scene is very real, and is something one might experience at a real funeral, everyone experiencing and feeling something different. He was criticized for all of these facial expressions and the misplace dog, distracting from the real activity of the scene, a funeral. Courbet was also heavily criticized for the placement of the grave itself in this painting. He placed the large hole right in the center of his piece with all the figures huddled around it, as well as disrespecting the traditional use of such a large canvas to depict the burial of a heroic figure. 

Post #1 Introduction to the Avant-Garde

The term Avant-Garde has changed and morphed throughout history, starting as a military term but is now much more known as an art term. I have heard this used as way to describe art a number of times, but was never quite sure about its actual meaning. Though I still have much to learn, this weeks introduction has shed some needed light on what it means for art to be Avant-Garde. To my understanding, Avant-Garde at its core is to challenge what is established. In its early stages, this meant art that challenged and went outside of what was established and valued by the Academy of Art, who put high regard on paintings of history scenes, accurate anatomy, strong illusionism and smooth brush strokes. In modern times this could be a rejection of styles and elements found in early Avant-Garde work in attempt to push art into further uncharted areas and expression. The irony of this whole relationship is that artists who take up the fight of the Avant-Garde in any time, past or present, are completely reliant on the establishment they are trying to move away from. If there were never an Academy of Art and they had never put such emphasis specific elements of art, there would be no establishment for Avant-Garde artists to directly discard in their new direction. The establishment creates the contrast and interest in breaking these rules. To further the irony, those who were considered to be Avant-Garde at one time then have the potential to become the new establishment that a new generation of Avant-Garde artists may one day reject.

When art challenges what has long been established, it will then no doubt challenge the viewers who have been viewing this long established way of creating art. With a piece like Manet's Luncheon on the Grass, those who were used to seeing clear narratives were now being exposed to scenes that showed no obvious story. The riddle of what they were now looking at could be both what initially turned people and critics off from this new way of art but could also be what ultimately kept them intrigued. This was not the only new element introduced by this particular painting. Manet had left his piece with very visible brush strokes and application of paint. Where before paintings were to be done with a smooth brush stroke and finished with a varnish, he chose to show his process in the piece and leave it looking very painterly. He also shrinks the perspective and creates the surrounding with a much more flat quality than was popular. This can also be seen by the size of the woman in the water, how she is much larger than she should be depicted if the viewer is supposed to see that pond as further in the distance. Most obvious however, is Manet's inclusion of modern people in his painting. This is a direct contradiction to the Academy and their emphasis on scenes being depicted historically and is a move toward a type of realism in which the artist tries to depict the world around him. He does this by dressing the men in contemporary clothing and by giving obvious and definite clues that though the nude woman is in reference to a classical nude, she too is very much a modern and contemporary person as well.

Post #9

Throughout the quarter we have looked at a number of artistic periods. Of those periods the one that stood out the most to me was the Renaissance. This maybe be one of the most known and talked about periods in art, or even history,  but in this class I learned a number of new details about the the art created that reassured me it has deserved such fame.  The rise of humanism, an idea that celebrates all human achievement, lead to advancements in art as well as the social status of artists. They were able to separate themselves into the liberal arts and show that their profession had a theoretical background that had to be taught, learned and expanded on. Artists began to keep notes and form theories and methodologies in creating art. This also helped artists to gain recognition for their individual achievements and accomplishments, a big difference from the common anonymity of the past. This coupled with the writings of people like Georgio Vasari, said to be the father of art history, gave artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo the ability to reach the historical fame they have.

Through humanism and this new scholarly approach to creating art, various new and groundbreaking techniques were developed. During the Renaissance, a focus on naturalism, realism and illusionism really forced artists to further push the envelope in all areas. Things like human anatomy and proportion were revisited and reemployed from the classical period. To create a more realistic illusion of space however, Renaissance artists created a few new tricks. Sfumato was a way for a painter to create a smoky, haze that appears on details deep in the distance in real life. It gave them a new tool for creating a realistic atmospheric perspective. But no tool gave them more realism than the development of linear or calculated perspective. Before then, we had seen a number of artists try to capture the way objects are oriented as they fade in the distance, or implied perspective. Filipo Brunelleschi developed linear perspective, having all lines fade to a common vanishing point and it changed art and its ability to portray realism and depth in a two dimensional medium. Paintings like Delivery of the Keys to Saint Peter by Pietro Perugino and School of Athens by Raphael are examples of what was possible in Renaissance art after learning linear perspective.

The Renaissance was also very interested in composition and how it not only filled the piece but effected the viewer. Their goal was to create a peaceful and harmonious composition that put the viewer at ease. To do this they started with a popular triangle composition that would have the important objects or figures in a loosely triangular layout within the format. This created a strong and balanced shape that also lead the eye all throughout the piece. As the interest in illusion and depth began to grow the triangle became a pyramid that could also fill space, but still created such balance and harmony. Portraits also bean to grow in popularity and it was Leonardo da Vinci who popularized the three quarter turn pose that has been popular and used in portraits and photos since.  

Post #8 Early 18th Century Art

Francois Boucher was an 18th century painter known for painting in the Rococo style. Boucher was born in Paris, and around the age of 24 had the opportunity to travel and study in Italy. Upon his return to France in 1731, he was accepted into the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture as a historical painter. His talents as a painter included more than just historical scenes, he was able to paint mythological, genre, and portrait scenes as well, advancing his status to First Painter of the King. Much Francois Boucher's work was influenced by the paintings of Peter Paul Rubens, a 17th century painter who gathered a stylistic following, emphasizing the importance of color and Jean-Antoine Watteau, a more contemporary painter who fathered the Rococo style.

The piece by Francois Boucher I have chosen to look at in depth is titled An Autumn Pastoral (1749) and is a companion piece to A Summer Pastoral, both commissioned by the patron Trudaine for his home. This piece is a great example of Boucher's work and the Rococo style that he was known for. The word pastoral means of or relating to shepherds and herdsman or country people seen in a rural setting. This painting is a very simple scene, showing two figures, a man and woman, who appear to be in love. They are resting near a fountain, surrounded by a flock of sheep and their keeper. Pastorals in art often show how humans and nature can coexist within a landscape. As with much of Rococo art, the scene is set outside, and the figures are flanked by the organic shapes of nature. Trees that twist and grow in every direction and plant life that has overgrown the fountain. There are images of sheep and and a dog all resting together with the people in harmony.  There is a looseness to the brush stroke in the depiction of the vegetation and sky, another characteristic of Rococo painting, and the varying shades of green are contrasted by the light blue sky, highlighted by tinges of gold in the clouds.

Themes of love and eroticism were also a significant part if the Rococo style and can be clearly seen in this piece. The couple gazes into each others eyes while the man feeds the woman grapes from the basket, another connection between humans and nature. The couple also is shown to have no shoes on which could be carrying that theme further but were also known to have a symbolic connection to eroticism. According to lecture the inclusion of a dog was a popular symbol of loyalty and fidelity. Boucher includes a small dog next to the woman who appears at ease, perhaps suggesting that the two really are in love and are calmly submissive and loyal to each other. The inclusion of the shepherd boy to the right could be just in connection to the piece being a pastoral, but he could function as a symbol of love as well. The boy's eye is clearly looking at the couple while he is surrounded by a few tranquil sheep from his flock. Perhaps just as he leads, guides and cares for his herd, the man in the couple is mirroring those ideals. The other symbol of love that stands out is the relief sculpture depicted on the fountain. It appears that two cherubs are holding each other in a closeness that resembles the couple. Rococo art often would incorporate symbols that hinted at mythological parallels in their artwork.

Image: http://hoocher.com/Francois_Boucher/An_Autumn_Pastoral_1749.jpg
Works Cited:
http://www.francoisboucher.org/
http://hoocher.com/Francois_Boucher/Francois_Boucher.htm
Webster's Dictionary

Post #7 Baroque Art

The art that was created during the Baroque period in the seventeenth century deliberately chose to step away from styles and techniques that were popular throughout the Renaissance. However, there were some elements of Renaissance art that can still be seen within the Baroque period. Set side by side for comparison, Michelangelo's David (1501-04) and Bernini’s David (1623) show many of these similarities and differences. At first look it is clear that both artists were striving for a degree of naturalism. In both pieces, the David figures appear to be humanly proportionate and posed in very natural ways. Michelangelo choosing the classical contrapposto stance, showing how the weight is shifted to one leg. Bernini too shows this transfer of weight but does so by freezing his David in action, as he prepares to sling his stone. Both artists also chose the same medium, marble stone, for which to carve their pieces, making many of the difference more noticeable when in comparison. Neither artist chooses to incorporate paint, or color to the final statue, opting to stay with the color of the stone.The use of pure marble statues goes back to the classical period, an artistic period that has had a large influence on both the Renaissance and Baroque art as well. Michelangelo's David shows more influence of humanism, than Bernini's. In Michelangelo's David we can see that first he is nude, showing the human form freely. He has also been idealized, showing him in a "perfect" human from, in strength and youth, with fully toned and sculpted musculature. Baroque artists were not as heavily influenced by the ideas of humanism. As one can see, Bernini's David, along with much of Baroque art, has some way of covering figures so that they are not nude. Also his David is not idealized, there is a realism to his muscles, body age, and facial features. The art of the Renaissance is known for its focus on visual harmony and calming to the viewer. Michelangelo's David shows this in his very relaxed pose and the serene gaze. The styles of Baroque art rejected this ideal and instead chose to make art that was full of drama and emotion and tried to force viewer involvement when looking at a piece. Bernini does this in his David in a couple of ways. As mentioned before, the figure is frozen in motion, but like in much of Baroque art, Bernini chose to freeze his David at the utmost climax of activity. In this case right before David slings his stone at the giant Goliath. Bernini also is able to incorporate a sense of drama by  the facial expression he chooses to give the figure. By the look on his face the viewer can see the range of emotions David might have felt at that moment, from fear,or anger, or concentration, even faith. This kind of emotion and manipulation of the viewer into a similar emotional response is an element that is not present in the Michelangelo version of David.

Post #6 16th Century Art in Northern Europe

Albrect Durer was a true original. He was from Germany, where there was no artists guild system, allowing Durer to be less restrained as an artist than others who had to work their way up the ladder. He traveled and trained in Italy and when influenced by what he saw and learned there was able to mix the two different cultures in his life to do the most for him artistically. It is said that Durer was the first humanist artist in the north and even more impressive, that he is the first "artist" by modern definition. The level of personal fame he was able to achieve, the geographical reach his name had was a first of its kind. Durer was one of the first to utilize and take advantage of print making. Where an artist would make one piece to be viewed at one place, Durer could make a woodcut and print copy after copy to be seen all around. He was also mindful of making prints that were popular with people of the time, in order to help circulation. Some of the these, as seen in lecture, were the pre-protestant Adam and Eve and then the image of the rhinoceros. The rhinoceros is interesting because it was made from just a sketch Durer had and he, and most all of Germany, had never really seen one in real life. The result is still a decent representation of a real rhino. In the Adam and Eve, the Italian influences on Durer's art are much more apparent. First by seeing that the two figures are nude, with a large focus on the human body and anatomy. They are carefully proportioned, with a naturalism to the muscle definition and a realism to shadow and depth. The figures even stand in the contrapposto stance that was popular in the classical and southern Renaissance periods. Durer also did a number of self portraits and the earlier ones had very southern influence. They were set with him at a three quarter pose, very realistic use of color and strong attention to detail in areas of hair clothing and shadow.

The piece I would like to specifically look at is called Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and was created around 1519 by Albrecht Durer. The subject of this painting is direct and obvious, the three figures done in portrait fashion. They are composed in a triangle style similar to what was once popular in the south and the piece is very balanced and calm. All of the figures are naturally portrayed and there is a realism to the way there bodies are proportioned and interacting within the painting. There is strong attention to detail, common in the north, in things like the detail of the clothing, how it folds and interacts with the body, especially around Saint Anne's chin. There is also a visible change in textures between one garb to the next, another interest of northern renaissance artists. The subject matter of the piece retains its religious quality but is much more subdued than earlier religious pieces. There are no crucifixion scenes, obvious symbols, foreshadowing or stylized glows or halos added to either the mother or child, like we have seen in other paintings. There is the inclusion of a saint, and the virgin appears to be praying over the baby  is the way Durer chooses to communicate its religious context. They even look to be wearing more modern clothing than would be worn at biblical times, another popular style technique. Durer is sure to add his signature "AD" logo that he signs his work with. This is part of his way of elevating his status as an artist, something artists have been trying to do since the early renaissance, but he is the first to do it this way. Early renaissance artists wanted to show that there was theory, teaching and special skill within their profession. Durer believed this too, as he kept notes and wrote theories of his own, but he was also able to elevate himself personally, as an individual, to the point of fame. He not only signs his work, but has created a recognizable trademark that allows the viewer to know who made the piece they are looking at.

Post #5 Late Renaissance/Mannerism

Toward the later parts of the renaissance there was a shift from the ideals of the art that was created during the high renaissance. The importance of things like accurate human anatomy, harmony, balance and color were now purposefully ignored and skewed in favor of pieces that created tension in their composition and figures that became elongated and contorted. Just as humanism described the ways of old,  art historians would later call this new movement mannerism. Two paintings that really show the change from the high renaissance are Parmigianino’s Madonna with the Long Neck and Pontormo’s Entombment. The first thing I notice about these paintings are the figures and how they are composed. In the Madonna, her figure is stretched and elongated in an unnatural way, something that conflicts the high renaissance. You can see this in her neck and hands, and also the long leg on the figure to her left. Another thing that is interesting is just the sheer size of the Madonna figure. Looking at her legs and lap, if she were to stand, she would be a very tall, stretched and her proportions would not be one of a human. Finding a way to compact very large figures in a smaller space is use of the mannerist style. I have to talk about this Christ child that she holds in her lap because it is so noticeably bizarre. To start his size and the way his limbs have been elongated make him look like a toddler but with the head of an infant. He also appears lifeless, and I can very much appreciate the foreshadowing of the death of Christ in this way, but out of context, it is a very strange image to see the Madonna so serene, looking down at her giant lifeless baby. The way the emotions clash and the overall dark colors make the piece visually heavy. In the Entombment, there is not such a profound elongation to the figures, if any at all. However, it is still a very tense composition, mostly due to how the figures are posed. First person I notice in this painting is the individual in the squat position supporting Christ. Being on his tip toes, it gives the viewer a sense of unease, that he could fall at any time. The other two figures that are unsoundly posed are the lady in green at the top of the painting and the one with the pink cloth on her head. Both are so out stretched to the viewer to get a look at Christ that it seems like they could topple out of the painting and on the the floor. In all honesty I can't tell if they are supposed to be on the same ground as the foreground or if they are to be standing on something but the way that teeter is very unsettling, a big shift from the strive for harmony. What also really stands out about this painting is the use of color. During the high renaissance color was used to show things as naturally and realistic as they could. In this painting it appears that color is used more for the sake of color. As seen by the individual in the squat position who has a a strangely pink back, highlighted by his blue belly. There is an olive green hue to the skin of Christ that somewhat matches the cloth draped across his body that but does not appear to be a natural skin tone. It is interesting that there are splashes of green both top and bottom and then deep red flanking both sides of Christ, while pink swirls throughout. These two paintings show elements of mannerism in their use of elongated and over sized figures, unstable and unnatural poses, constricting large subject matter in smaller space and by giving the viewer an overall sense of tension, unease and melancholy.