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.