Extra Credit.

In chapter 20 about 16^th century art in Italy, we could find the most famous artist who is Leonardo da Vinci and his ‘Mona Lisa’ is one of famous works. Leonardo is one of greatest artist through the history of the art and he made lots of gorgeous masterpieces. Everyone in the world definitely knows about this portrait and curious about her smile. Personally, this ‘Mona Lisa’ is what I want to see in real. It is about 0.77 meter height and 0.53 meter wide, and it is in Louvre museum in France. Even though it is one of famous portrait painting, nobody exactly knows about when it was made, who is the model. Because Leonardo did not put his signature and there is no record for this painting. Therefore, some art historians estimated that according to the ‘Le Vite de Piu Eccelenti Pittori. Scultori et Architeili Italiani’ which is earliest described about Mona Lisa by Giorgio Vasari, the woman’s identity in the painting. In this book, Vasari recorded that the model of this portrait is the wife of a wealthy merchant Francesco del Giocondo in Firenze. Based on that record, this portrait called Mona Lisa which means Modonna Lisa. However, the history of process of possess the Mona Lisa is shrouded in mystery. This portrait did not go to the person, who ordered, and Leonardo has been kept it and then it goes to France family’s collection in mystery.  The Mona Lisa’s mystique is heightening by her smile. For depicted her smile, Leonardo used ‘Sfumato’ technique. In Italian, ‘Sfumato’ means dim, faint, and cloudy, also this technique makes intentionally cloudy outline of figure and remove the boundary. Especially, her border of lip and eyes are described by Sfumato technique. So her smile looks ambiguous but also looks soft and gentle. This kind of ambiguous and mystique are shown in background as well. Leonardo described the background with aerial perspective that means of indicating relative distance in terms of a gradation of clarity, tone, and color, especially blue, also it is different with linear perspective. In this painting, Leonardo depicted relatively accurate the closer landscape with reddish tone, and distant landscape described with blue tone and blurry border so it made an effect that space looks step back in the painting.  The woman’s upper body, which is gathered both hands in the front and gaze off screen, makes stable triangle composition. However, her body is slightly twisted to right side, so it gives different feeling depending on viewer’s location. This kind of feeling reinforced with background landscape, because it was drawn the both side of horizon looks differently. Leonardo expressed the river flows to waterway as if figure’s right side of horizon looks higher, so it gives different feeling from left and right side.  This landscape is not an idealized abstract nature, but it reflected real geographical features. Leonardo combined landscape and figure through arranged with element which is depicted the figure such as element of landscape, and line of hair and clothes.

http://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/mona-lisa-%E2%80%93-portrait-lisa-gherardini-wife-francesco-del-giocondo?selection=44860

http://www.lairweb.org.nz/leonardo/mona.html

#9. Last posting

For the quarter, I really enjoyed to learning the Europe Renaissance period art. Before I took this class, I just know the famous artworks but did not know that when it was made and who is the artist. I learned lots of interesting and important things in this quarter. Among them, personally I liked Jan van Eyck’s artworks in the 15^th century art in northern Europe. Especially, my favorite work is the ‘Double Portrait of a Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife’. Even though he is not an inventor of oil painting, he put a gorgeous color in his painting. I really liked the expression of fabric. It looks like real and every single winkle are meticulous. In the background, he put his signature and himself in the wall and mirror. I think that it is brilliant idea that he could express himself through his painting. This painting is intrigued me by the visual details. This painting was originally famous but through this quarter I like more about this painting.

Other type of art is Mannerism in the 16^th century art in Italy. I knew about the word Mannerism but did not know that this kind of story was in it. Actually, Mannerism style painting was the most interesting for me. I could not say these are not great works but definitely it has some weird things. Especially, the vivid colors stand out too much and it is not matched with overall the painting. Also, the background is not recognizable and roughly put it. “Entombment’ by Pontormo looks like people moves about their arms and legs limply and people who is in the top looks flying and not recognizable. In addition, ‘Allegory with Venus and Cupid’ by Bronzino was the most interesting one. I guess that artist wants to tell about many stories, so he put all the random things in this painting. Unless reading the description, nobody would understand this painting. In this painting, there are interwoven with seven figures, two masks, and a dove. According to the textbook, individual figures are exaggerated poses, graceful forms, polished surfaces, and delicate colors that characterize Mannerist art. In the left side, there is a screaming man and in the right side, there is a girl who is holding a beehive. This Mannerism style painting is definitely intrigued by the visual details.

Lastly, I had to tell about the Renaissance perspective. I did not know that it is started from 15^th century in Italy. Also I did not know that the perspective is really important thing in the painting. Linear perspective and atmospheric perspective made more realistic and great artworks. When comparing with 15th century Italy and Northern Europe, we could definitely notice that there is big different thing between them. As we could see, perspective technique makes depth of artwork.

#8. Early 18th Century art.

The Toilette of Venus

François Boucher  (French, Paris 1703–1770 Paris)

 

Francois Boucher is represented one of artists in golden age of France Rococo painting. Boucher enjoyed immense and widespread public popularity from not only aristocrat and noblesse patronage but also ordinary people by reflecting exactly about taste and trend in that period. In 18^th century, France culture trend is dominated by indulging beautiful thing (le joli) and Boucher’s painting shows them a yearning to beautiful which is simple, bright, luxury, elegant, classy, decorative, and erotic image. Rococo style is made in France and spread to all over the Europe. In Boucher’s painting, there is typical image of France. In this painting, nude Venus is make-up with putti and it looks like she is barely moved. Her bedroom is decorated by velvet curtain and silk bedding, also pearl, ribbon, gold plate and silver tray thing and flowers are strewed. In the background, a marble pillar is also emphasis her social position. Three of putties are make-up her hair and pearl necklace, also white doves are surrounded by her. Boucher’s The Toilete of Venus looks beautiful and elegant but her skin is so pale and it makes unrealistic somehow. I guess that the meaning of the goddess of love become faint and only seek for the value of beauty and joy is related to pleasure tendencies of the age in the Rococo. Throughout his work, an ambience of splendor and luxury is implying the model’s social authority and wealth, also sparkle satin and soft silk things also imply the opulent lifestyle in France court. I think that in this painting, splash of colors, sensual express texture, and full of detail is typical characteristic in Rococo style. According to Boston College, Boucher's success was greatly enhanced by the patronage of Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, known to history as Madame (or Marquise) de Pompadour, the beautiful and talented mistress of Louis XV. Her favorite painter was Boucher and she wanted to decorate her country house by Boucher’s painting. ‘The Toilete of Venus’ is one of the panels in her luxury bathroom. This painting appears the goddess of love with putti which is winged little angle babies and it is symbols of love. According to Boston College, while it is clearly only a decorative panel, the dazzling surface technique, sensuous textures, and profusion of objects that seem to spill over at the boundaries, typify Boucher's work. In this painting, the model for the Venus was Madam de Pompadour herself. I guess that this scene which is image of Venus’s make-up frankly shows women’s desire for chasing beauty. In this subject, mirror is important symbolic icon. Usually, mirror was connected to Venus, the goddess of beauty, so back side of bronze mirror in ancient Greece was make-up or bath scene of Venus. However, in this painting, even though the mirror is on the bed, it is covered by curtain so it is not recognizable. Boucher might not want to express traditional Venus’s make-up, but he wanted to reveal the attractive and beautiful figure and high social status of Madam de Pompadour.

http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/110000172?rpp=20&pg=1&ft=the+toilet+of+venus&pos=1

http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/his/CoreArt/art/anc_bou_toil.html

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/bouc/hd_bouc.htm

http://arts.search.naver.com/service.naver?where=arts_detail&query=%EB%B9%84%EB%84%88%EC%8A%A4%EC%9D%98+%ED%99%94%EC%9E%A5&os=686462

#7. Baroque Art.

In different time period, Bernini and Michelangelo made two different David statues. Basically period and size are difference between both of them but the way how to express David in two different ways is the big difference. David statue by Michelangelo made in 1501-1504 and it is about 17 inch out of marble. In High Renaissance period, artist usually expressed their ideals such as humanism, naturalism, idealism, and visual harmony. Also, in this David statue, Michelangelo shows us everything in it. The reason why Michelangelo’s David is became a masterpiece is that it visually epitomizes the principles of humanism. And this David is nude statue and I think that this should be express naturalism. In addition, as we known that Michelangelo always made a visual harmony as perfectly and it shows in this David as well. Instead of showing active movement, Michelangelo shows us an ideal, muscular, mature David with every single detail in our body such as hair, eyes, hand with rock and tiptoe things. Also, Michelangelo depicted the moment of just before David battling with Goliath. I guess that he used to like Classical sculpture because David is made out of contraposto pose. Essentially, for the contraposto pose, the typical Greek face, and muscular body should be in the form. When we skim through this David, it might be hard to find any subject things. However, when we look closely in face, hand, and tiptoe, we could know that this David is ready to fight with Goliath. In his face, he is looking straight at someone and pulling a long face. In his right hand, it is exaggerated but we could know that rock must be in side of his hand. Also his foot is exaggerated and we could know that he is just about to start fight with Goliath.  In Italian Baroque period, Bernini made another David statue and it is made in 1623 about in 5feet 7inches out of marble. In Baroque period, artists are rejected Renaissance ideals and expressed what they wanted. As we can see, this David statue have really active pose and it is expressed the moment of during the fight with Goliath. Bernini shows that angry David just about to sling the rock to front of Goliath. David’s face looks angry and his mouth tightened into a thin line express that a man who have duel ahead and determined will. I guess that this David depicted simply than Michelangelo’s David because this David expressed all the things through his body and it feels like no more stories beyond that. The muscles in his legs are tight for stepping to Goliath and his arms and chest looks like full tensed before make a power for throwing the rock. This David is not nude statue compare with Michelangelo’s David but I think also it could be good way to express their feel. We could not see the all the Renaissance ideals but I feel like I can see the realism through this David.