Spanish Baroque Art : The Rokeby Venus, By Diego Velazquez

Peter Paul Rubens’ masterpiece, Venus and Adonis, is not only a significant artwork of the baroque-period in Europe during the seventeenth century, but it also tells the mythological story that begins with love, and ends in tragedy. Displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this painting is admired for representing the unique baroque-style of this era, as well as Rubens’ particular use of the medium and how it reaches those who are viewing it. His attention to detail and crafty use of symbolism within the painting assist viewers in deciphering the story, along with the values of the period in which Rubens was living. In studying the composition of the work and noting the historical context from which it came, one can ultimately

Titian’s Venus of Urbino, currently placed in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence is one the most famous mythological nature Renaissance painting. This oil on canvas, life size painting of Venus of Urbino, is an “iconic version of reclining female nude,” from the Venetian Renaissance Period. This painting is an influenced artwork of Giorgione’s Sleeping Venus (later completed by Titian’s himself after Giorgione’s death.), which represented an idealized beauty and harmony in the majestic sleeping pose of a Goddess. This bold approach to the depiction of female sensuality by a leading Venetian painter of the cinquecento led to the citation of this painting as an origin of many other Western art’s

One artist from the time, who was very popular for his reclining nudes was Giorgione (1477-1510) who painting Venus Resting, which was thought to have been left unfinished and the landscape to have been painted by Titian. The venus was originally meant to be accompanied by a cupid which has been painted out due to damage done to the painting, the cupid would have acted as a mediator between the goddess and the spectator (Chicago and Lucie-Smith,

Antonio de Palomino y Velasco was a Spanish painter of the Baroque period in addition to being an art historian. Originally from Bujalance, Antonio Palomino later studied lessons in painting under a major seventeenth century artist in Juan de Valdes Leal during the 1670s. After he completed his studies of art at Cordoba University,

Juan de Pareja is a piece of art which rebels against the standard of art for the time and shows the inner thoughts and humanity of people, whether that be the subject, the artist, or the audience. An oil on canvas painting made in 1650 by the Spanish painter Velazquez, the piece depicts his enslaved assistant, Juan de Pareja. When an audience sees this painting, they are sure to be astounded by the true beauty and suffering withheld in the piece, taken aback by the wrath hidden within, and morose about the implications made of the society it was contained in.

Renaissance art created standards and principles that every painting and artist had to utilize in order to even be considered good, let alone great. Characteristics such as the phenomenon of natural light, one-point and linear perspective, and highly idealized religious or mythological figures changed into the Baroque techniques of manipulating light to create emphasis, dramatizing the illustrated allegory, and unidealized realism. Additionally, “… the Baroque trend dominated and gave its name to the age… [but it was the presence of both styles] that give the Italian seventeenth century its richness and diversity.” (4) Italy, and Rome especially, is home to what can

Europe went through an era fueled by the search of truth and grand ambitions. This was a time period was characterized by much advancement in the sciences, politics, philosophy, and the arts.

The reading claims that nudes throughout artistic history have been an important source of beauty and controversy. Nudes began to spike during the Baroque period as they were used for the more expressive and emotional arts of the time. In the nineteenth century, nudes became more common, yet became more sensitive. Artists would train by drawing nudes of ancient Greek statues and figures from myth. However, many artists would then move on to create works depicting prostitutes or peasant naked women. This would not please patrons as they were extremely societally taboo. However, this did not start artists from making them, as they moved into the twentieth and twenty-first century. This shows the importance of artistic nudes and their impact

As a common source of inspiration, the theology of these three David’s will contribute to the clarification on how nudity can represent immeasurable momentous styles in Italian Renaissance sculpturing. Moreover, this period; where sculptures were the most prominent art form would trigger the meaning of art interpretation, purpose and motif, thereby surfacing a new understanding of art. Nudity during the Renaissance era in Florence was a period of transition in which spectators become educated and accustomed to a society driven by tradition, into a society that approximated a new ideal known as the rise of realism, naturalism and humanism through three different statues of David that revealed three different views on man’s interaction with god. Nudity played a significant role in the way in which all three different artistries were uncovered as each transitioned into a more concentrated or revolutionary movement that was being portrayed during that

The visual work I have chosen is the Bith of Venus and is one of the world’s most famous works of art. Painted by Sandro Botticelli between 1482 and 1485, it is the first example of painting on canvas. The written work I have chosen is the Stanze per la Giostra. It was written by Angelo Poliziano, written between 1475-8. Both works are examples from the Italian Renaissance era, during the Medici rule, and share the theme of beauty and humanism. The works I've selected share the same subject matter, Venus, and is the perfect example of beauty and humanism. She is the epitome of beauty and her birth from the sea is an example of her metamorphosis of humanism. For this paper, I will compare both works then discuss how the shared theme is seen in contemporary works. How does Venus and her beautiful metamorphosis fit into contemporary forms of beauty and humanism?

The painting The Holy Family with Saints Anne and John the Baptist, 1592 (oil on canvas) was created by Italian painter Sofonisba Anguissola (c.1532-1625). It is currently held at the Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, as a gift from Mrs. Forbes Hawkes and Bridgeman Images. This painting is among the unique pious narrative paintings by Anguissola. “The Holy Family” is the last dated painting by the artist. It was executed when she had just returned to Italy after spending 14 years working for King Philip II at the Spanish court. By this time, she had already married to a Genoese ship captain. Her various visits to court and her personal contacts with great painter at that time largely inspired herself. Through these contacts, she successfully stayed in touch with current developments in art. By closely observing this masterpiece, I argue that the artist perfectly sustain the beauty of counter-reformation arts in her work by use of light and shadow, delicate brushwork and accurate proportions of each subjects.

The original work is by Diego Velazquez’ ‘Portrait of Innocent X’ (1650) and is a portrait of Pope Innocent X. The appropriation is by Francis Bacon, ‘Study after Velazquez’ Portrait of Innocent X’ (1953). Diego Velazquez was a royal painter to the court of Spanish King Phillip IV. Velazquez visited Italy between 1649 and 1651 and was commissioned by the Pope, also known as Giovanni Battista Pamphilj, who was Pope from 1644 to 1655. Velazquez’ portrait has been considered one of the ‘finest portraits ever made’ especially by Francis Bacon. Francis Bacon grew up with a very strained relationship between him and his parents; Bacon’s father frequently whipped his children and did not agree with Bacon’s homosexuality and cross-dressing tendencies. His feelings of rejection and abuse may have been what made him begin painting and why his paintings show such dark themes and emotions.

Las Meninas was Velázquez’s largest oeuvre measuring 3.21 m by 2.81 m (Umberger 96). Velázquez’s masterpiece is one that draws sharp criticism ranging from those who find this work as a complete piece with its pictorial features prominent in the artwork, to those who find it hard to interpret its content conclusively (Ancell 159-160; Snyder 542+; Steinberg 48; Bongiorni 88). Despite such disparities, Velázquez’s masterpiece was able to project a day in the life of the royal family while at the same time achieving his artistic ideal. This work explores this artwork in light of the royal family and personal gratification by Velázquez as a celebrated artist.

Also known by the titles "Venus, Cupid, Folly, and Time" and "A Triumph of Venus", this painting was on purpose designed as a complex, erotic allegory that includes an extent of iconographic symbols from the ancient world of mythology. It was a present from Cosimo de Medici to King Francis I of France. Being rich and vivid in symbolism relating to the constituting ideas of the High Renaissance, the painting gives Bronzino the opportunity to establish his maestro figure painting and portrait art. Through personification of qualities and varying contrast and brightness, Bronzino is able to justify that personal gains outweigh anything and everything that is moral.

Choose three (3) works of art from three artists from the Baroque period through the Postmodern era. Your three (3) works of art should come from the time periods or art movements covered in the reading from Unit 4 and Unit 5. Your choices must comply with the following criteria: