The Massacre of the innocents gives the viewer a glimpse into the life and artistic journey of Flemish Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens. When one looks at the painting, it is as if they are reading the journal of the artist. The artist’s personal style, which was developed through inspiration from great artists such as Caravaggio, Michelangelo and Raphael, stands out in this painting. One can clearly see elements of the painting which have been influenced by the works of the artists that he carefully studied. (Jaffe,10)
The painting itself is an artistic representation of the account told in the Gospel where King Herod ordered the killing of infant boys. The painting was made in c.1610 BCE, has the dimensions 142 x 182 cm and uses the medium oil on wood (Jaffe, 73, 194). The painting, like many of Rubens’ artworks has a dynamic sense of movement along with the expression of the full spectrum of human emotions. Children can be seen being torn from their mother’s arms, some dead and others brutally injured. Mothers are shown mourning over the death of their child or trying to escape from the soldiers by scratching or biting (Williams, 1).
Rubens’ artistic training began in the 1590’s under the guidance of Tobias Verhaecht and Adam van Noort. However, Ruben entered his apprenticeship with Otto van Veen in 1594, who had the most profound influence on Rubens’ work in his early years. The early works of Rubens were heavily influenced by the works of Van Veen and Renaissance
“David Slaying Goliath” by Peter Paul Rubens is an example of Renaissance art. This painting depicts a well-known Bible story of a young Israelite boy named David who kills the giant, Goliath, with a slingshot, and chops off his head with a sword. Rubens has chosen to illustrate this Bible story at the moment when David is about to hack off Goliath’s head with the giant’s sword. In addition, we see armor-clad soldiers rushing into battle in the background. In “David Slaying Goliath,” Peter Paul Rubens uses color, value, and line to illustrate the dynamism and energy within the painting that makes it look realistic. In addition, these elements contribute to the sense of excitement and anticipation of the event depicted.
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
The purpose of this assignment is to present a brief yet comprehensive formal analysis of the work in question, namely, Joos van Cleve’s Lucretia. The painting was completed ca. 1525 by the Flemish artist most likely in Antwerp, where he was highly active from about 1511 until his death in 1540. The painting is oil on panel (75.9 x 60.6 cm) and is exemplary of the early Baroque period. The work depicts at the broadest level the suicide of the early Roman historical figure, Lucretia, following her rape c. 510 BC by Sextus Tarquinius, son of the last Roman king. The incident bears historical significance as it marks rising popular dissatisfaction of the Roman people with the monarchy, and the transition from the Roman Kingdom to the Roman Republic,
The Bloody Sunday massacre unfolded on the 22nd January 1905. An unarmed, peaceful march in St. Petersburg, Russia to the Winter Palace was organized by Father Gapon. Approximately 200,000 workers gathered with pictures of their ‘Little Father’ the Tsar, singing the anthem God Save the Tsar all the way along. The problem that it was illegal to hold any demonstration against the Tsar’s authority had threatened the government to believe that it would became a riot and thus, ordered the Imperial Guard to stop and dismiss the protesters. As there were too many protesters that the limited soldiers could not control over, some started gunning down the demonstrators even if no physical threat was shown. Whether the soldiers was given an order to fire
“Hieronymus Bosch was one of the most fascinating and puzzling artists in history- a unique artistic personality who nonetheless typifies the Renaissance era in the emergence of distinctive personal styles”, in the words of Fred S. Kleiner (257). The painting I chose do my term paper on is titled, The Arrest of Christ. Painted in the year 1515, by the artist Hieronymous Bosch, in oil and tempera on a panel. It currently hangs in the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park. The Arrest of Christ painting depicts Christ’s peace transcending his circumstances and the balance between good and evil. In the first part of this paper I will give a formal analysis of the painting
In this paper, I will describe, compare, and contrast two paintings of the same name, The Annunciation by Gerard David and Joos van Cleve. Beginning with Joos van Cleve’s work, we see the virgin Mary kneeling down before an opened book. An illuminated dove with its wings spread is suspended above Mary. An angel is standing beside her, making a gesture. Both figures are inside an ornately decorated, well lit bedroom.
Art is the cultural element that encompasses the achievements of an era. Giotto di Bondone’s Lamentation, painted in 1305, demonstrates the beginning of naturalism and the shift away from feudalism during the Early Renaissance period, while Caravaggio’s Entombment, painted in 1603, exhibits the advancement of naturalism into a more dramatic, emotional form called tenebrism during the Baroque period. Both of these painting were new for time, and they display certain similarities and distinct differences.
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”).
In the painting, ‘Virgin and Child’, by Rogier van der Weyden, it can be observed that the artist chose to use the medium of oil on wood. Despite the fact that Rogier van der Weyden created this painting in the Netherlands and was born in Tournai, Belgium, their primary influence appeared to stem from the Italian Renaissance, which had begun to use the technique of oil paintings with increasing frequency by turn of the 15th century. The subject of the painting itself, Madonna and her virgin child, were a common theme in the Renaissance, where religious subjects and topics were the primary choice for any prominent artist during this historical artistic period.
In the scope of this paper two works of art would be compared and contrasted - David’s Oath of the Horatii and Painting of Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride by Van Eyck.
Throughout history, people have used paintings and art as a tool to express their religious beliefs and values. Illustrations depicting the Virgin Mary and child, often referred to as Madonna and Child, are one of the most recurring images in Christian and European Art through the ages. Though these paintings and sculptures may have similarities in their iconography and style each work of art varies based on the different artists’ and time periods. Two paintings that portray these features currently reside in the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. The first, Virgin and Child by Rogier van der Wyden, was originally painted after 1454. In the painting, the Virgin Mary is holding Christ against her shoulder as he twists around to face toward the viewers. The second painting is Virgin and Child with a Donor, painted by Antoniazzo Romano and originally painted c. 1480. In this painting, Virgin Mary is supporting Christ who seems to be standing and includes a figure of a man with his hands crossed in prayer. While both paintings depict the mother and child, there are both similarities and differences in style and portrayal. In this paper, I will thoroughly examine these traits, as well as address the similarities and differences associated with the two paintings. This analysis will be done by using information gained from reading Gardner’s Art Through the Ages, in class lectures from ARTH 1381 Art and Society Renaissance to Modern and ARTH 1300 Ways of Seeing Art, and close visual
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 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.
Rubens continued learning of the different mythologies throughout his travels in Spain and Italy. He spent eight years in Italy as a court painter for the Gonzaga. Under the Gonzaga, Rubens was able to explore and see the greatest painters of Venice, including Titian, Veronese, and Tintoretto. In 1601 he visited Rome, there he had his first direct experience with the classical art. He returned later in 1605 and avidly studied ancient Greek and Roman sculpture. He admired and copied images of the ancient gods and heroes. Rubens’ knowledge of classical writings was an important element in the creation of his symbolic paintings. This knowledge of the history and mythologies was a strong influence in his life. In several of his letters in Ruth
The present work is focused on undertaking an in-depth analysis of two famous religious paintings: The Virgin and Child by Barnaba da Modena, an Italian painter from the fourteenth century, and The Elevation of the Cross by Peter Paul Rubens, a seventeenth century Flemish artist and diplomat. Following, by comparison, a thorough account of the two works' features, careful observation reveals more than one interpretation.