Holbein's Portrait Of George Gisze Analysis

SHELDON
NODELMAN
 from
 E.
D’Ambra,
ed.,
Roman
Art
in
Context.
NY:
Prentice
Hall.
1993
pp.
10‐20
 Like all works of art. the portrait is a system of signs; it is often an ideogram of “public’ meanings condensed into the image of a human face. Roman portrait sculpture from the Republic through the late Empire-the second century BCE. to the sixth CE -constitutes what is surely the most remarkable body of portrait art ever created. Its shifting montage of abstractions from human appearance and character forms a language in which the history of a whole society can be read. Beginning in the first century B.C., Roman artists invented a new kind of portraiture, as unlike that of the great tradition of Greek

Bigot intentionally places the figures together to form multiple triangular shapes to create depth and balance.2 Judith is placed in the left panel of the painting, Holofernes’ resting body in the middle and Judith’s servant in the right panel. The heads of Judith and her servant make the base of the triangle and were placed higher. Holofernes’ head is shown upside down and his eyes and mouth are wide open, symbolizing the unbearable pain he is experiencing and also of his defeat. Their heads form a downward pointing triangle, making the eye focus on the action of beheading Holofernes.

It is said that “The true content of a photograph is invisible, for it derives from a play not with form but with time”. This makes me think that the real content of a picture, which is what the photographer tried to express, is not evident to perceive unless an explanatory text is provided. In fact, I believe that our perceptions of pictures changes over time as the historical context do. In addition, our opinions are never fixed as they are influenced by our environment. Therefore, when looking at a particular picture at a given time, it is certain that our perception of it will be different in the future based on what happen between the first time and second time we saw it.

I remember viewing Portrait of Dr. Heinrich Stadelmann by Otto Dix during an eleventh grade field trip to the Art Gallery of Ontario, and being completely entranced by the painting—unable to look away from it. At the time, I was not fully aware of the world of art and did not have the vocabulary and knowledge to articulate my interest in this particular painting. Now, after returning to the painting three years later, the experience is quite different. Being recently exposed to a fairly wide range of art last semester has allowed me to experience the painting under a more knowledgeable light. During this most recent viewing of the painting I paid more notice to the painter’s decisions regarding the paint application, the textures, the colouration, the lines, the composition, etc. The core of this different experience during this viewing is due to a newfound consciousness of artistic choice.

In the realm of art, the portrait is one of the most intimate and relatable subject matters to the average human. In the past, the main purpose of the portrait was to capture the essence of the person that commissioned the work. The beauty of art is the fact that every artist views the world in a different light, which is reflected and understood when many works of the same subject are compared. No matter how hard one attempts to emulate someone else’s work, their own personal touch will innately shine through the piece. Many artists’ styles are so distinct that the viewer will instantly recognize their work, which is the same idea that great musical artists’ work can be identified within the first few seconds of a song. In order to develop a style that is exclusive to one person, they must first master the basic and essential aspects of the visual arts such as composition and the creation of still life pieces. Getting a solid understanding of the world and the skill of close observation is a step that mustn’t be skipped in the development of a personal style or look. Amedeo Modigliani’s portraits can be identified almost immediately, because of the distinctive features he incorporated into his subjects. His diligence in art school and his general desire to become a better artist were crucial aspects of him eventually finding and solidifying his iconic style.

For my term paper I decided to go to the Cantor Museum in Palo Alto, and I chose to focus on two portraits of women from two distinct time periods. First, I decided on the portrait of Margaret Blagge, Wife of Sidney, 1st Earl of Godolphin. This portrait was painted by the artist Matthew Dixon in 1675, in the Baroque period of art. The portrait of Margaret Blagge was done in England, and it was painted as an oil on canvas. The second artwork I chose to compare was the Portrait of Sally Fairchild by John Singer Sargent. This portrait was done from the year 1884 to 1887 during the Realism movement in art. The portrait of Sally Fairchild was painted in the United States of America, and was painted as an oil on canvas. When comparing these two portraits

6.Portrait paintings have primarily memorialized the rich and powerful. Over time, however, it became more common for middle-class patrons to commission portraits of their families and colleagues. Today portrait paintings are still commissioned by governments, corporations, groups, clubs, and individuals. In addition to painting, portraits can

Art by its nature is a subject of the philosophical, social, economic, political or religious context surrounding its creator. More often than not, a work of art addresses a specific topic or somewhat revolves around a particular person. Therefore, it is impossible to separate the context of a piece of painting, either historical or cultural, to its intrinsic value or the artwork's meaning. On the other hand, different cultures and time utilized specific conventions that govern the representation of objects of creativity. This essay highlights various pieces of art and their relationship to particular cultural, political, economic, or social settings. Moreover, it pinpoints how different times influence art presentation.

I believe, as do others, Judith and the Maidservant with the head of Holofernes is perhaps homage to her rape and subsequent treatment during her adolescent years. Her painting`s inspiration also plays tribute to the biblical story of Judith, who sleeps with the King Holofernes and than decapitates the drunk King in his sleep. Both Judith and the maidservant are now dominate in the painting over the dead male, they are quiet, unobtrusive and tense. A single candle burns within the dark room creating stark contrast between light and dark. The artist`s great skill can be seen in the bright highlighted details of Judith's hand and in the folds of clothing of the two. Depth and dark core detail can also be seen in the dark and reflective shadow areas within the room. Judith's hand covers the candlelight as she peers at the outside world, perhaps in an attempt to help in

Since hundreds of years ago, it has been a common practice to make statues or paint paintings of important individuals throughout history to commemorate their contributions. The use of these portrayals are to remind people of who the ruler or person was, while keeping them remembered by others for decades to come. Two works that explore remembrance in similar and different ways are Head, possibly a King, by African, by a southwestern Nigerian constructed in the 12th to 14th century, and Charles de Solier, Sieur de Morette, by Hans Holbein the Younger between 1534 and 1535. In both Head, possibly a King, and Charles de Solier, Sieur de Morette, the representations of these two individuals of power share a common theme of illustrating status, importance, and power to the viewers by using the depictions.

In Schiele’s other self-portrait cataloged here Squatting Man (Self-Portrait), Schiele confronts the viewer. It is the first image seen here that actually makes contact with the viewer. The eyes which are often seen as the mirror to the soul stare back at the viewer in a challenging and unashamed way. The position the figure is in is also one that alludes to birth as did his Nude Self-Portrait, the colors here are a blend of cooler colors – browns, blues and grays fill in the figures body which is one of the only full body self-portraits done of Schiele himself. The blend of purples, blues, and browns here could evoke a sense of death or a decaying/ sick person or corpse. Also the colors can be associated with bruising on the skin. There is an undertone of questioning of sexuality here as Schiele draws himself squatting a position that is not usually seen as masculine in nature. His head is tilted to one side as well almost in a questioning and unsure posture as his hands are folded over the lower part of his naked form concealing his manhood. The squatting position is also associated with release through the form of using the bathroom which could have something to do with the colors of brown used here . “It has been noted that frontal self-portraits possess a healing function for artists in times of crisis and transition”. Schiele who does a series of paintings and self-portraits in a crouching position (this one being one of the first) uses this crouching position to talk

“Woman Holding a Balance” has so much to interpret as far as depth and space through the form and structure of the artwork. This piece of art is formed from blue, gray, white, and yellow colors giving it a harmonious act to it. Vermeer created this piece of art as a woman holding a balance with her right hand. As we analyze this painting starting off from the top left portion, there is a window with light entering the space to which this woman is in. The window is covered by a yellow curtain. Next to the window is a dark, framed mirror, which is close to a black color. Underneath the mirror, Vermeer painted a table with gray and yellowish pearls laid down over it. There is also a dark blue piece of cloth resting on the top left portion of the table. Right in front of the table we have the woman holding the scale, and she is wearing a blue and white jacket with a hoodie that gently falls over to the sides of her head. In addition, on the far back part of the painting, right behind the woman, Vermeer painted “The Last Judgment”. “The Last Judgement” shows Christ with his arms extended on judgment day with people looking up at him from beneath. All this, as far as the window, table, pearls, woman,

“Figure in interior” also shares a coincidental or perhaps synchronous comparability with artists who dealt with the figure in similar ways, such as Marcel Duchamp [see his “Two nudes” (Fig 2-5, 1910)] and Leonard Foujita [“Nu a la toile de jouy” (Fig 2-6, 1922)]. There is also a certain resemblance, albeit potentially coincidental, between Shinnors’ figures, Cézanne’s treatment of facial physiognomics, and Louis le Brocquy’s “Head” series (1979 - 1999). Like Cézanne and Shinnors, le Brocquy’s aim was not to paint a faithful representational portrait, but was informed by the way he perceived the human head as a “mysterious box” and the face as “the outer reality of the invisible interior world of consciousness”. Indeed, le Brocquy’s approach

The story behind this painting is a Biblical tale about a strong heroine named Judith, who was known for her bravery and resistance against the Assyrian troops that come to assume control over her people. In this story, Judith uses her wit and seduction to ease her way into the Assyrian troops' camp and continue with a genius plan to execute the Assyrian General, Holofernes. She seduces him, and once he is drunk, beheads him in his own tent, with his own soldiers all around him oblivious (Branch). Judith was able to defeat the enemy and resist what could have been the end of many Israelites' lives. Cranach's choice suggested a political resistance that required a bravery similar to that of Judith's. Small details in the painting such as the bodice of the dress and Judith's jewelry show Cranach's love for a decorative surface, as well as the

Each artist is an individual with a unique style, and although these styles can be similar in practice – the individuality of the artist often proves the discriminating factor for a successful artwork. Self-portraits are beneficial when looking at the individuality of the artist as there are two aspects to look at – the artist’s style, and the artist’s view of him/herself. The latter can provide a brief insight into the mental situation of the artist as well as any apparent influencing factors of the artwork. This view can often also include fragmental insights into the society and culture of the time. Rembrandt van Rijn and Vincent van Gogh are 2 artists of whom are well represented by this statement.