I was lucky enough to be able to visit the Della Robbia exhibition at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts twice this semester. This was one of the first major exhibitions for Della Robbia in the United States. The Della Robbia series began with Luca della Robbia in the 15th century, and this exhibition showcased 46 works of his family and associated workshops. The exhibition itself was breathtaking and unique. The creamy, white gazed terracotta statues and displays were breathtaking and unique in their own way. However, the one artwork that caught my attention was the Resurrection of Christ by Giovanni Della Robbia, only one of the few colorful works that are in this exhibition. One can simply write books about the technique, symbolism and the references that are present in this magnificent work. If one was to look at this relief for the first time, they can easily date it back to the early Renaissance period without having to do any research. The first indicator is that the patron or commissioner of this work is depicted in the work. Although patrons have been in artworks before, the difference between this artwork and others is that the patron of this work was not present at the scene of the Resurrection whereas other patrons were present while their work, probably being a portrait, was being worked on. Furthermore, the soldiers that were guarding the tomb were most probably not dressed the way they are depicted in the artwork and there are no accounts of other soldiers
At the crest of the Church of the Gesù in Rome, an aureate burst attracts an equivalent infinity of attention to the infinity of light that it emits. Borne of Italian baroque painter Giovanni Battista “Baciccio” Gaulli, this aureate burst is the center of the illusionistic ceiling fresco Triumph of the Name of Jesus. It is initially unclear what is being beheld, but it demands attention nonetheless. By simultaneously depicting and inciting the spectacle of this aureate burst, Gaulli arouses a discussion of the nature of visual representation and the fundamental role of a viewer. Gaulli asserts his position as an artist and emphasizes the viewer’s duty to an image—and to an artist—by demanding the viewer to include themselves among the enamored
Once gracing the lavish floor of Getty Center, the Coronation of the Virgin which was painted by the extraordinary Italian artist Gentile da Fabriano in 1420, attracted many attentions by its sacredness, powerfulness and magic of the Christ. At 36 ⅝ inches and 25 ¼ inches size tempera, Christ gently places the ornate gold grown upon Virgin Mary's slightly bowed head by the watching of angels from either side as she becomes the Queen of Heaven. Since the first century, Christianity has played an important role in Western Art, which has inspired numerous artists in making their masterpieces. However, artists must follow the religious ‘rules to build up the imagery of the Christ, and educate audience about the religious. Coronation of the Virgin by Fabriano is a perfect presentation of that.
On September 19, 2015 I visited the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas in Austin, where I observed The Raising of Lazarus by Joachim Wtewael in the European Old Masters gallery. The piece recreates the biblical narrative of Lazarus’ resurrection and demonstrates the exorbitant style of Mannerism popular during the 16th century. Wtewael establishes the significance of the Christ with his application of form through the use of unrealistic contortions of the people, the lines following the exaggerated limbs of the congregation, and the abundant use of the color red on almost every article of clothing.
The ominous figure in the centre of the foreground - Jesus Christ hanging lifeless on the cross, in Luca di Tommè’s ‘The Crucifixion’, primarily catches the eye. The symmetrical arrangement of lamenting figures around the cross, as well as the gilded background, highlight him as the focal point of this artwork.
Upon walking into Gallery 250 of Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, one will find on the wall a particularly eye-catching piece of art. The piece, set high on the corner of the wall encompassed by pictures depicting scenes from the life of Jesus Christ, is Giulio Cesare Procaccini's The Scourging of Christ. In this piece, Procaccini's masterful use of light and shadows in a technique called chiaroscuro dramatically portray the torturing of Christ, and it is this very application of chiaroscuro that immediately caught my eye. Through his masterful rendition of value, Procaccini successfully evoked within me a crushing sensation of agony. While I did not initially realize that the piece was one of Christ, research enabled me to witness how
Paolo de Matteis’s esteemed work The Adoration of the Shepherds is a large painting, depicting a classic Christian Nativity scene, that is displayed in the Dallas Museum of Art. In the piece, a dozen or so individuals surround the newborn Christ and his parents, gazing at him in admiration and paying him homage while animals look serenely on and angels assemble around the heads of the Holy Family. The artist employs several classic artistic elements in his painting, such as line, light, color, and shape, to draw the viewer’s focus directly to his intended point of emphasis, the infant Jesus.
For My Museum Essay, I have chosen Rogier van der Weyden’s “St. Luke drawing the Virgin” (c. 1435-40). First of all, this painting is an extraordinarily beautiful piece of art, with both meticulous details and true to life emotional state of the figures portrayed. And it intrigued me even more when I found out that there is a very compositionally similar painting by Jan Van Eyck (“Madonna with Chancellor Rolin”).
Immigration has been in motion from as far back as the 16th and 17th century. As a country that was established due to immigration and the pursuit of freedom, it comes to no surprise that many people from around the world fled to the United States. However, a substantial amount of Italians did not start immigrating to America until the late 1870’s to 1924. More than 4 million Italians left Southern Italy and Sicily due to poverty and political hardships. On top of that, the belief of a better life in America was a large motivation and the dream that they can return to their motherland with more wealth, drove them to explore outside of their country. In today’s modern society, Italian-Americans make America’s fifth largest ethnic group. In spite
For being over eight hundred years, the Christ in Majesty with Symbols of the Four Evangelists remained in remarkable condition. However, pieces of the original piece, which originated in the Catalan chapel in Spain, have faded. Portions, especially along the bottom, have disappeared over time. Even though historians moved it to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, it has not been fully restored. The artist identified each of the apostles in the Christ in Majesty with Symbols of the Four Evangelists, but the writing has grown fainter and this creates a difficulty for art historians. Another key factor in the overall story represented has faded--one of the lamps or incense holders beneath Christ.
The Deposition from the Cross (Entombment of Christ) by Jacopo Pontormo was completed in 1528 and originally resided in the Florence Charterhouse as the main altarpiece. With it’s distinct iconography, the work was intended to show the public the raw suffering of Christ after his sacrifice and how those around him felt at the time of his death. It holds an uplifting and even hopeful tone with it’s “sour” color palette, a stable for the Mannerist movement.
An in-depth study reveals mankind’s literal presentation of Mary to God for appraisal and judgment, rather than a simple depiction of her journey upward. The painting illustrates man’s—not God’s—physical act of lifting Mary up, creating a truly dynamic canvas. To do all of this, El Greco uses strong geometric divisions and hidden lines to take control of the viewer’s eyes, and sly manipulations of gravity and forces to create an image truly in motion. In the end, El Greco uses the painting’s overwhelming size and orientation to alter perspective and succeeds in tying the viewer’s fate into the scene itself.
The first artwork we were required to find was a Grave Stele. The one that caught my attention was titled Gravestone of a Prominent Family. It is a 59-inch Greek stele made out of marble which dates back to 150 B.C. It was made in Smyrna which happens to be present day Turkey. When I saw this stele, the first thing that caught my attention was the sunken relief and the four different figures in the middle. The stele itself is a very detailed work of art. At the bottom of the stele, there is Greek writing that honors the family. In the middle there is the sunken relief aspect of the stele. It displays what seems to be a family standing around a torch. On the right you can see the women figure standing holding a tall torch, while on the left you can see the man figure with two children around him in
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.
One of the art pieces that I have chosen is called “Saint Michael Casting Satan into Hell” created by Francesco Picano after a design by Lorenzo Vaccarno. This piece was made in 1705 in Italy (Naples) during the times of Italy 's Renaissance movement. According to the article “Brief History of Italy” by Tim Lambert states that, “The 18th century was an age of enlightenment when the power of the church was curtailed”(sec 8). Which stating that during this time religion was highly focused in their works as a gateway for new ideas. This artwork is located at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art inside the Ahmanson building on the third floor, in the center of the exhibit under European art. The reason why I chose this piece is because this piece was interesting, how they represent the idea how it’s represented in the stories that was focused in the work. As well as how it’s place near the center so people can observe it from many different angles. This piece is a sculpture work that uses Polychromed wood and glass that were carved and molded into and it 's at least two feet tall.
The great thing about art, is that there are multiple portrayals of one idea but, the artist’s own personal style allows one to feel something that another may not. Early Renaissance painters, Giotto di Bondone and Duccio di Buoninsegna established their own unique style to depict a biblical scene known as, The Betrayal of Christ. Through a close analysis of each artist’s representation of, The Betrayal of Christ, one is able to compare and contrast the artists own understanding of the scene through their attention to detail, character, and space throughout the painting. When examining these two works, one will have a stronger emotional response towards Giotto’s interpretation rather Duccio’s, due to his methods of handling organization, figures, and space.