A history of western painting. 1260 –1900 at the National Gallery London

The National Gallery, London. Survey curse. A history of western painting. 1260 –1900. Lecture 1. Louise Govier. Heavenly worlds. (1260 – 1400) This course began as an introduction to history of art called “From Giotto to Cezane”, however, people in the national gallery thought of something slightly different from that because, that first approach to history of art was being made regarding different styles and times, and ordering it according to neoclassicism, romantissicism, etc, which had the disadvantage of putting thins in a skewed way. This course then, tries to consider history of art as a whole, so the different “ways of looking” might be reconsidered as “actions and reactions” to previous work done by artists. A new look into history of art should include also artist not as known as the big men but also women probably, or others whose work is worth mentioning. The first session is called “Heavenly bodies” and we will focus our attention at looking key works from the early Renaissance or late middle ages (1260 – 1411). We are going to look into three main aspects in paintings during this time: Landscape, structures and bodies. Why is it consider a starting point?, why not considering the cave paintings in France and Spain?, well, …. So we start in Northern Italy, specifically in Tuscany where some early renaissance works are made by Margarito of Arezzo and his virgin and child. This work was acquired by the National Gallery as “the very first try to have real painting in the world” (as put during the foundation of the gallery back in the 19th century. It is called “the virgen and the child enthroned”. Look carefully at it. It has not perspective at all, it is a sort of flat work, it has a golden background with rich colours (mainly red and black). They look like 
”Russian” kind of faces which are not natural nor humans, they look distant. The child has an adult face and looks like a doll, an unnatural doll. The centre of the piece is the child himself. This painting is unusual because it is signed by Margarito himself, thus marking a new era in painting. This kind of painting were used inside churches as panels in the altar. A second key work in the national gallery is “The virgen and the child enthroned with two angels” by Cimabue around 1286. Look at it, people in the painting have the same distant expressions than in Margarito´s and it is so because during that times, the Bizantine empire in Constatinopla was a model to the rest of the world, thus, the Russian like expressions come from there. Madonas (virgens) from that period all like with simple facial expressions and very stilystic. It is also called gothic art (which should be used in an arquitectural contexts more appropriately). These two works are based in Heaven, they are fantastic, and represent the World as it should be in Heaven, not in Earth. That is way we have no shadows, or nature, or other things from Earth. They have no direct illumination (sun). The work by Cimabue was made in northern Italy (Tuscany most probably) and marks the beginning of the Renaissance, according to experts. And why is that?, well, because even though these are fantastic Heaven representations, Cimabue tries to put some “realism” in this painting, tries to be “even more perfect than people from before” because he included in this piece some 3D like characteristics as the throne itself and the steps leading to it. The faces have some 3D characteristics as well, they remind us of venetian masks, and remarkably he tries to simulate some transparent tissue like the dress of the virgen. The poses and sizes of the figures in the painting are not dispair and they reflect human actions like the virgen holding the child, it is a much more natural action. These techniques were not new. You can find them in Pompei works but, up to this date, nobody had ever tried to use them again, until Cimabue. A friend of his Pisaro, exalted his work and stated that from this work on, a new way of looking was happening and so, he marks the beginning of Renaissance. You still can find a work by Cimabue in Bologna´s cathedral, it is a virgen again, but its size was consider to fit the altar, so its huge. You can find a reference to this painting in a wall inside the national gallery, which depicts a pilgrim travel with the virgen. Why all of this happened it Northern Italy during this time? Because during these time, and based on Saint Benedict´s rule, Saint Bernard created monastic associations which prayed for poverty, prayer, devotion and education. The monks needed some way to educate people, so they supported paints and their work as a means to represent stories. And why northern Italy, well, because they inherited art, mainly sculpture and architecture, from the ancient roman empire, so they could actually look at it directly. And why heavenly bodies?, well, because painting human things, or human faces would be considered as vanity in the first place. All the art that happens during this early Renaissance is based in previous works, mainly by romans, not based in a set of rules which were established later on. In 1310 we have a beautiful painted cross. The face on the cross reflects sorrow and pain, it is not a heavenly one, it is more human. Giotto … includes in his paintings (which are of heavenly creatures, namely apostles) emotions and human expressions, he even includes pigeons and birds as part of his paintings. An important part in History of Art, is that during this time, the painters being supported by monks, created sort of schools, and created spaces were younger learners could actually practice their paintings. Such is the case of “The Anuntiation” by Ditio. It was asked by Siena´s Cathedral. This beautiful painting consists of a big painting with several alterpieces beneath. Among other ´innovations´ one can see 3D architecture, and people with more gestures than in previous works. An innovation is that the series of panels beneath the big painting, are connected among them, e. g. in one panel, Crhist with the help of God, cures a blind man. Such miracle is being viewed for several witnesses. Then, the same man being cured turns and becomes another person in the panel, but turning his head to the other side (the next panel) where a fantastic vision is depicted, being this vision a sign that the man could see. A very interesting picture is included in a box, made as a gift for King Richard. This beautiful and indeed expensive box (because it has been painted with gold brought ex profeso from autre mer) has got personal symbols on it (a goat, which is repeated in both insides of the box). It is French art, and picture the king being presented to the virgen, it has got some 3D, more natural gestures, and textures richly presented. By Wiltin Dichtic, 1371. CONNECTED? The 1362 “Coronation of the Virgen” by Jacopo di Cione, in Tuscany Italy, is a very interesting piece of painting for that time. In this particular painting, di Cione decides NOT to use any of the techniques being rediscovered at that time. Instead they decide to include more details in patterns and add more colour to it. It is a beautiful piece of the time. Masaccio in 1426, creates a beautiful “Virgen and Child”, this painting has got perspective, 3D and much richer details than paintings before. The child looks now like a child, and the virgen looks more natural. It has got direct illuminations, not the sun though because it comes from one side of the painting, so we have shadows, and light effects. The children is eating, yes eating grapes, as a symbol of his future wine and blood probably, so it has got symbolism. They look indeed very sculptoric, maybe because Masaccio has the chance to see all the beautiful sculptures produced by romans before. Conclusions. History of painting is a natural, logical and beautiful evolution of techniques and ways of painting. It is not always evolution, sometimes it only reacts to established rules going backwards and imitating previous techniques. The birthplace of Renaissance is Tuscany in Italy. It is so for two reasons: the inherence of the roman culture being all over the place, and two, because art was promoted at that time by monks, who were the brand new creation of roman catholic church to make people believe in other world beyond ours. The time, late 13th century, is also related to the creation of monastic orders. The very first Renaissance painting is the “Virgen and Child enthroned with two angels” by Cimaue. This painting represents a shift from previous works due to the fact that includes some perspective on it. It represents a new ideal: To perfect painting and making it more beautiful. Key people of this time. Margharito de Arezzo, Cimabue, Giotto. Questions. Why is this period considered a starting point of History of Art? Art began to show wince men tried to create an impact (whether emotional, intellectual or aesthetic). However, artists from the past and until Greece and Rome, used their creativity to spread religious ideas mainly, forgetting the emotional or aesthetical part of art. During the classicism in Greece and Rome, a renewed aesthetic ideal came to life, the ideal concept of regular life things was raised to the form of art, being the sculpture, architecture, literature, poetry all of the same movement. However, during the middle ages in the Christian world this ideal vanishes to give pass to the domain of the Church in all aspects of life .. until Giotto and Margaritho de Arezzo who for the first time in 1500 years went away from rather rigorous flat and plain figures of Bizantine paintings. During this time a new ideal was set, the ideal of the classicism and the ideal of centering the Man in the World … the Humanism. Who is Giotto? Giotto is an Italian artist of XIII and XIV century who in the 19th century was considerer the very first Renaissance men, due to the fact that he tries to make his paintings a little more realistic then it was done before. However, the very first renaissance painter who is the starting point for this course is Margaritho de Arezzo. And this is so because modern Art History tries to re discover some older, less known artists who deserve as well being include. Who is Pisanello? Pisanello is a XIV and XV century Italian painter. He might be consider as a follower of the so called International Gothic Movement. His teacher was Gentile di Fabriano. This movement in painting meant the use of really detailed figures in the paintings, it also uses elegant lines which result in refined and stylized paintings. Why the monks changed the way of thinking of Europe and helped painters? During the XII century, monks began to separate from ordinary ecclesiastical life and created monasteries. Inside these monasteries and specifically because of the scriptoria, illustrating becomes an important part of this. Details in this illustrations become works of art. During the XIII, XIV and XV centuries and until the invention of the printing machine, monks were important miniaturists artists and “illustrated” people. In other way of actions, and as a way of recover some importance, and in a way of spreading Catholicism among people, they supported artists, European artists that painted religious things for them (specially in the early renaissance). In high renaissance, much monks were devoted to painting (Lorenzo Monaco, Fra Angelico et al.) and they created beautiful devotional of saints paintings for their monasteries. What is altar piece? – A piece of painting being hung in an altar inside a church obviously. Book reviews. The book I have already get is called “The renaissance in Europe, a reader” (Ed. By Keith Whitlock, Open University Press and Cambridge University Press). Is a good book which summarizes some of the key elements that happened during the Renaissance. Here I found two or three interesting articles about art, but I would like to do a very general and personal summarize to understand the context. (Whitlock 2000) No done about this so far, still an interesting book. Lecture 2. New ways of looking. (1400 – 1450) During these time (around XIV, beginning of XV century) things for paintings go from better to excellent. Artists became good at imitating nature and some times they claimed to do better things than nature. A key painter for this time is Masaccio and his Pisa altarpiece. In this beautiful work it is possible to observe some use of 3Dimensioal space and things, perspective and the use of illumination. Masaccio reacts to Jacopo the Cionne (the coronation of the virgen, c. 1362) which is a beautiful golden painting which is flat and uses stylized lines and loads and loads of details on it, and has rather celestial images on it. In the future this style is going to be called “International Gothic Style”, and is called like that in a rather pejorative way; Italian painters called it from the godos, which were barbarians and attached to the past, specially to the church and not considered the new ideals of the renaissance men in northern Italy. Besides, these gothic style painters were international because they traveled from country to country, disseminating ideas and techniques from place to place. Masaccio is natural but somehow impotents, huge but uses the new ideals, psychological plot, use of antiquities from Greece and Rome, and techniques such as space, 3D. For Masaccio and the realism painters, the were more influenced by terrene things, rather than celestial ones. They were then obviously influenced by Sculptures and Architects from that time, mainly Donatello and Brunelessci. It is obvious to see in Massacio, styles, lines, poses and attitudes that come from sculpture really. An influential book for this time is the excellent style book by Leon Battista Alberti, “On painting” which describes the Universe and measures Man and space, and describes techniques which might be used by later painters. On the other side, there was this International style flourishing in Florence at the same time. Among artists in this side it is possible to find Lorence di Monaco, Marcelino, Jacopo di Cionne, fra Angelico (who actually put some realism in his beautiful paintings). In l´Academia in Florence it is possible to actually look at the best collection of this international art with paintings from Lorence di Monaco and Fra Angelico. By the time Pissanello began to paint, he could actually choose from many things, there were miniaturist from the internationals, and realism and techniques from the realism, so he becomes an expert in details, he creates some canvas (sellos) that are actually reused across his paintings! One of the greatest painters of this time is Piero della Francesca, a painter and mathematician that includes in his paintings studies of perspective, 3dimentional spaces, illumination. By this time, a new influence is brought by the international painters (maybe?) which comes from the northern renaissance, they bring the idea of landscape to the paintings!, as well as the use of oil for painting, to make them more atmospheric, more vivid. Conclusions. It is important to notice an influence between the two styles of importance at this time in Florence. The International style people react against the realists and vice versa, creating for the future generations, a rich set of techniques and issues to paint in their paintings. It is easy to observe the two lines: Masaccio, the Pisa altarpiece in one side, fra angelico, Lorenzo di Monaco, Marcelino and Jacopo di Cionne in the other side. For your next trip to Florence, do not forget to appreciate in detailed and enjoy, have a sentimental, intellectual and aesthetical experience with the paintings you will see. It is not easy to label a painter in a given style. Fra Fillippo Lippi and Pisanello are two examples of how every style influence another, and how a new style in painting was being created at that time. Key people of this time. Masaccio, Gentille di Fabrianno, Lorenzo di Monaco, Marcelino, Jacopo di Cionne, Fra Fillippo Lippi, Pisanello. Questions. What happened in the Renaissance during the time after Giotto but before Masaccio? One important thing happened, a learner of Giotto, Andrea Pissano, creates the Florence school of sculpture. His most important creation are the set of squares that make up one of the doors for the baptistery in Florence. It would be Lorenzo Gibertthi, and his celebrated south doors (considered by Michelangelo the doors of paradise) in times of Masaccios birth days. It is important to notice that the contest for the most beautiful doors was won by Gibertthi, and his closest competitor was Brunelesschi. Donatello was a student of Gibertthi, and later on he became Brunelesschi´s student and co worker. Masaccio is clearly influenced by the realists at that time, specially the sculptures, namely Donatello and Bruneleschi (remember his beautiful dome in Florence), but who influenced them in turn? Andrea Pissano, and his natural, more realistic and inspired in human things that he created in the doors in the baptistery. Pissano in turn was influenced by Giotto, but it would not be but a century later, when Masaccio fully expressed what Giotto proposed c. 1300. Why the international style was called international, considering the big number of Italian painters belonging to this style? Is the gothic as ugly as the early renaissance men considered it? Lecture 3. Beautiful bodies. (1450 – 1500) Renaissance is a time when Human beings are put in the centre of the World. They are the most important thing in creation, maybe they come before God. Painters during this time, tended then to paint beautiful creatures, beautiful Human beings that could express this ideal, this way of thinking and being. The painter themselves, could have thought of being themselves little Gods, creating beautiful human beings, the most perfect of the perfect creation. (A commentary was made in the sense that Giotto, though not having the techniques required in renaissance, was himself a true idealistic renaissance man, setting some of the ideals and concepts for future reference). Have you carefully seen all the last suppers painted?, well, they portrayed all the saints looking at you (remember that these paintings were in refectories inside abbeys and monasteries) except one, Judas, who is apparently showing you his back, and this is because, as he, all human beings are not in that special circle of saints next to Jesus, we are after all, little human beings.This quote Norman Coady in his lecture held as part of the course "History of Western Painting", National Gallery London, 2001. The analysis of the painting “The martyrdom of Saint Sebastian” by Antonio and Piero del Pollaiuolo (c. 1475), is an example of how beautifully and exactly are human bodies portrayed in the paintings. You can see many different aspects in this beautiful painting. First, you can admire the beautiful bodies of all the people involved, you can see Saint Sebastian, and how perfect lines in his belly, legs and chest. The people who is aiming at him are all beautiful too. Second. You can form figures in the painting, a pyramid, rectangles, squares, etc. Third, the four people in the painting, are actually only one. He is aiming at Saint Sebastian with the same expertise from all the angles, his muscles are tense both in his legs and arms. Third, you can see the landscape behind, it is colourful and beautiful. Talking about the landscape, it is important to notice that people from Florence, around that time, did not like it very much, in all their paintings what is important is actually the bodies, how beautiful they are, but not the landscapes anyway. Saint Sebastian is an altar piece. When Michelangelo saw it, used the same body, to do his entombment which is unfinished. Look how close are those two painting ´s figures. According to Norman Coady, Michelangelo must have felt himself like a little God, creating beautiful and expressful bodies in his paintigs. Going a little bit backwards, it is possible to conclude (according to Coady) that probably Cimabue´s cross is more beautiful that Margarito de Arezzo´s virgin and child enthroned. Because at least, the figure in the cross expresses sorrow, and pain, it is not entirely unexpressive as that of Margarito´s. The famous Leonardo´s painting of a man inside a circle, was not a new idea for the renaissance. The circle is considered the perfect figure, one with no beginning and no end. This figure has only one side(not four or three), and inside the perfect figure, was the perfect creature, Man. Talking about Leonardo, admire the children bodies in his virgin and children. Those bodies, exquisite lines and perfect figures corresponding or even expanding reality. But look closely and compare those Leonardo´s creations with those of Rafael (c. 50 years later). They look the same!, and it was because Rafael was an eclectic, an empirical talented artist that gathered the best from around him. Rafael came from Umbria, and was part of an aristocratic family. He was raised in a delicacy and fine home, and expressing feelings in poetry and painting. Apollo became the theme for various of his paintings and some of them show both, Christ and Apollo together. They both were gods of light. Even though these delicacy, Rafael was not an intellectual himself, he was only influenced by the things that surrounded him during his life. You can see a lot of good quality paintings and bodies but they not reflect perfection, they seem not quite natural (he himself, when came to Florence from Umbria, tried to learn more about nature and reality from Leonardo and Michelangelo. Boticcelli was a genius, a natural born artist who expressed really beautiful male bodies in his paintings. Botticelli was a Medicci painter. He was part of a selected circle of people among whom the ideas of Neo Platonism were very important. This ideas tried to put together classical ideals (Venus, Mars) with Christian ideals. Among Florentine painters of that time (Leonardo, Boticcelli, Michelangelo, Rafael) all of them paint beautiful bodies, which are more important than Landscapes, and all of them belong to the Neo Platonism movement initiated by Lawrence of Medicci. So their paintings became more pagans in a sense, which was in a contradiction with Venetian painters who thought that such an attitude could not be seen as a proper expression. However, all of the above were called to do some works in Rome for the 16th Chapel. You can notice in all the painters (above mentioned) paintings how the bodies sometimes tend to go down, hands, bodies, legs, they are heavy, that was because bodies though beautiful, could not be raised to Heaven, to the ideal world, to the world of intellect were only through painting, poetry and art one could have access. Look closely to the last supper in Milan, it expresses disciples movement, like Italians that have a wonderful body language, it is express in this painting like that. This idea of beautiful bodies can be traced down back to Greece. Conclusions. Neo Platonism stated the ideal of the importance of ancient Greece in Renaissance. Through poetry first, and then through painting itself, Apollo, venus, Mars became central themes. This Neo Platonism ideal is related to Lawrence of Medicci (the great, 1449 – 1492). For some reason, Neo Platonism became important for all the key people in this time. The paintings can be seen as an intent to actually merge ancient Greece classical ideals with Christianity. Beautiful male bodies are a constant in this time. The perfection in portraying them is a fundamental aspect of high renaissance. Key people of this time. Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Boticcelli, Rafael. Questions. Why did this way of Neo platonic thinking became important during this period of time (1450 – 1500)? Why is Lawrence Medicci related to all this way of thinking? Why do all the painters emphasize beauty in male bodies and female bodies seem to be in the background? Are there any more important painters during this time?. Lecture 4. “Challenges to authority”. By Norman Coady. This lecture tells the reactions of Venetian art to what was happening in central Italy at the time. This lecture began with a comparison between Benbenuti Cellini and Michelangelo. In Michelangelo it is possible to see the ideal man, it was rhetoric, the proper use of proportions, lines and techniques created those rather monumental paintings, probably a little bit cold, distant, dead. The review begins with beautiful Titian “No me tangere” (do not touch me) where for the first time Jesus Christ was depicted alive after his dead. Previous to Titian, resurrection was depicted only with an empty tomb. In this painting it is possible to see some changes. Tuscany was important at that time because it was the descendent of the Roman empire without having to rule or administer it. Instead it was a free, liberal city, new cultural Rome). Michelangelo painted frescoes only, beautiful bodies, sculptural ones. In Titian it is possible to see something completely different. Titian mixes the colours, creating new emotions, expressions, he gave the paintings some life. The use of light and shades, not like Rafael, but to suggest emotions, suggest vivid bodies, they reveal textures, something that it is not possible to see in Michelangelo for instance. While in Tuscany, the rational painting, perfect, was based in design, and it is possible to see the lines that make up a painting, in Venetian art the design changes with time, the artist must be inspired to actually paint, it is possible to see fingertips and blurring rather that straight, perfect, analytical lines. This new way of looking of the Venetians is called naturalism. Boticelli is not a naturalist either. The use of coulours and more robust bodies is a characteristic of Titian. His teacher were Giovani Bellini and Giorgione. In some pictures it is impossible to tell the difference between the painters, and some paintings have not a clear author. It is possible to say that for the Venetians God was not cold, rational and pure Reason like in Tuscany, rather, God was eloquence, beauty, imperfection, light and shades. In Venetia during this time, the paintings of naked women became a common thing, we shall not see more naked beautiful men. In Venezia, in the church of The virgin del pesaro, there are some beautiful examples of the art of Titian. So colourful, and so full of life. The use of different colours in painting is called coloreto. Was he influenced by Rafael?, well, they both influenced themselves, the use of arch in body gives more harmony to the painting, it is not straight anymore, it is rather curved and more solid. For the Tuscans, perfect bodies had to be proportionate, not the case for the Venetians. In central Italy, this naturalism movement was called Manerism. The style of these painters is so natural, so dynamic, so vivid, that it is possible to use an opera in the painting! There are several works by Titian in Prado and Louvre, and some of the most important ones in Venezia itself. Manierists in central Italy, like Veronesse, use the colour of Titian and the techniques of Michelangelo. The people of Venice at that time, being part of a decaying empire, try to go outside and look for powerful people, such is the case of the emperor Charles V, whose favorite is Titian. Tintoreto is said to have the coloreto from Titian and the line from Michelangelo, the works you saw in Saint Rocco, Venice are really beautiful and worth a look. In the paintings by Rafael, the composition has to be analyzed, in titian one has to enjoy the painting. Titian painted naked people, but celebrating the body, not making it perfect, the landscape in the background is a main characteristic of Titian. In titian it is possible to find reverse poses. It is like if figures were dancing, moving around the painting. Conclusions. The reaction by Venezian painters is really beautiful. They mix a new sense of colour (coloreto) adding life to the paintins, make them more enjoyable and vivid than Tuscan art. The technique used, with free brushes, rich colours, lights and shades is an antecedent to the baroque art of the 17th century. The influence of titian is enormous. It is said that the impressionists an many moder artist are influenced by Titian. Key people of this time. Titian, Tintoreto, Giovani Bellini, Benbenuto Cellini, Giorgione, Varonese, Caravagio. Questions. No questions, I´m really impressed with the works by these people, it feels different. Lecture 5. Visions of reality. Gill Hart. This lecture addresses the question of how painting in Northern Europe relates to what is happening in Italy? Room 56 is the room to begin. The class begins with a comparison between the painting of a follower of Campan c. 1440. How these northern painting relates to Massacio´s Altar Piece? To begin with, the northern painting is set in an interior set, a house most probably, the light comes clearly from the outside. Italians paintings are in classic settings, they are very sculptural, and mathematical, rational and symmetric. Northern paintings are more natural. Italian paintings are massive, certainly bigger whereas northern counterparts are small, tiny, reduced but detailed. The degree of detail is astonishing. Inspired in international gothic style, the paintings in northern Europe are miniaturizations and illustrations of normal and day to day life. The Wilton Diptych is a clear antecessor of this kind of paintings, that´s why it is considered to be painted in northern France. Early 15th century northern European painting are a miniaturizations of life and as well as Italians, they tended to go from the artificiality of the gothic style around Europe at that time. Another difference between the paintings is that northern Europeans used oil instead of egg tempera preferred by the Italians. A key characteristic is that northern paintings were covering the whole painting panel area with oil. Oil has larger drying times which allows the painters to correct colours and textures. On the other hand, egg tempera dries too quickly which is why Italians did not add much shadows or realistic effects on them. Early 15th century netherlandish painting were better painters, were almost photographer observers more than the Italians. The use of oil contributed to this detail obsession and the use of types was a very popular technique of that time in that place. Settings are very similar to all netherlandish paintings. They use interiors, halls, outside living rooms, etc, which have, behind them, a really complicated and detailed landscape. However, and contrary to Italians, the organization of the pictoric space is rather odd. It seems that they are out of proportions. The use of perspective among Italians is lineal, one could say, organizing the painting towards an upper central point. Whereas in northern paintings the perspective could be situated anywhere in the space!, VanEyke for instance, puts perspective in the centre of the painting, so it seems that everything was coming to meet in one place in the centre, besides, they do not give one single perspective but many!, which is great. This characteristic allows observers to view a painting in movement. Indeed, sometimes one finds difficult observing these paintings because it is like a dance in the painting!, it is like tv movements and programs. Van Eycke distorted his paintings. This distortions are not visible at simple glance the first time, but it is like if the eye needed to be trained. Indeed, the most amazing effects are created using this distortion technique! The Campin portrait of a man, reveals many distortions too. This distorted view allows the painting to reflect even more characteristics of the man who is been painted, he looks rather unhappy, and lonely. It is possible to say that Italians like to design, and Netherlands like to paint details, to play with colours, to add value to their painting. Some specialist suggested that these painters used glasses to shape their distortions, which I might say, is rather ingenious. The Arnolfi portrait is probably Van Eyke´s masterpiece. This portraits a man and a women who have just married recently. Van Eycke left his signature on this painting, and the proportions, dimensions and perspectives are all changed to the delight of the viewer. For the level of details in this painting, it is possible to say that Van Eyke was a very well educated man. He spoke Latin which is obvious in the inscription of the painting c. 1430. The use of symbols and the degree of details suggest the quality of the painters. These painters play with illusions. There is a painting in Kent, the Kent masterpiece which is a subtle and ingenious example of this style. There is a Vandervilles pieta in Prado. It is a fantastic painting, looks very sculptural, it is a big drama going on it. The details are superb, ingenious, and the use of perspective and illusion really makes them 3D like holograms. It is a diptych. The themes repeat among schools of painters, the child in the virgins legs is in one side trying to get an apple. In the other side is playing with his mom´s book. Rafael was influenced slightly by northern paintings, but he cannot quit his rational, designing roots, so he tended to stylishing this influenced paintings. Conclusions. These paintings are really ingenious, and show a better understanding of what looking means. They tend to be not perfect, or beautiful or sentimental, but detailed, they are renaissance men who tried to look at the world in a rather detailed manner. The use of oil was the key to develop this kind of painting, adding shadows to the paintings and colours. Italians were influenced by this thinking (e.g. Rafael), and viceversa, but the rationale is clear in both styles. Key people of the time´. Van Eycke Vanderville, Camping. Questions. 1. Lecture 6. A different ideal. Gill Hart. This lecture focused on Northern European painting in the XVI Century. Gerard David becomes a central figure during this time, around 1510. Northern European painters used oil, which offered them endless possibilities light modeling of details and light. The use of distortion is reinforced during this time. Gerard David is important because he used symmetry in every element, as well as order among his paintings. A lot of detailing is found in Gozart as well, not only in Gerard David. It is possible to see a merge between the Heavens and the terrenal things, saints share objects and spaces with ordinary and living people. Durer´s engravings influenced Gozart. Durer used his engravings when it was a popular thing in Europe during this time. Durer was a very traveled guy, he knew very well Italian techniques, yet he used these techniques in german settings and landscapes which was very bad critiqued. Some of these engravings are in the British Museum. Gozart in his paintings shows he probably did not have very much imagination and copied Durer engravings. Probably, John Milton might be inspiredc by Gozart´s Adam and Eve (which is a copy cat of Durer´s engravings again). Durer might be seen like a synthesis between Italian and Northern European painters. Cranagh in turn included references to Durer. Obviously, Durer was a big influence in the painters of his time, why?, well, he did mix aspects of aesthetics, geometry, perfection, classical themes and mitology of Italian art, with the empiricism, observation and details of Northern European art. Remember that Reformation took place during that time (c. 1517) and Luther critiqued the catholic custom of selling indulgences to people, therefore the need of the reformation of the church. Look the level of details in Gozart, and how the sitter seems to go out the frame itself! Look at the painting of Jen. De Grandville, Henry the VIII, you can see divisions all over it. Religious and political. Skull can be death or vanity. Two French men, by a German guy working in England with an Italian painting technique. Look at the floor. Grotesque old woman, this painting shows how german and northern European painters have a really great sense of humor. They also include landscapes, and a great deal of detail. During this time of change, the religious iconographic changes into nature and landscape, isolation and loneliness and suffering is worth noting in Northern European art of this time. Conclusions. Change in Northern Europe is the constant during this time. Religious, artistical, political. Durer is a great admirer of the structured, classical, geometrically perfect Italian painting. His engravings and paintings represent a synthesis of two (in appearance) different styles: Italian and Northern European (which was based in late gothic, with obsession in details, interiors and practical, empirical life rather than divine or Heveanly). Key people of the time. Gerard David, Durer, Gozart. TERM 2. Lecture 1. The Republic of Virtue. Dutch Republic. XVII Century, the Dutch Golden Age. The themes for the paintings are changed, from religion to landscape. The mood of the paintings changed as well from frightening to calm. Land and country became very important subjects for the Dutch painters of that time. All these reactions come due to the independence won to Habsburg Spain (sp. Philippe II). Dutch people were protestants and Spain was obviously catholic and her King was being really nasty with these little Republic. Bruguel´s reacting to this situation and most of his paintings have to do with politics and religion: No monarchy, no Catholicism. In this time there was a period of peace (1608 – 1621) but total independence did not come until 1661. Caravaggio was a source of inspiration for many Dutch painters of this time. Such was his influence that Rembradt said once that Ultrecht was a colony of Italians!!, for Ultrecht painters the weather was not a problem, they included a really nice weather in their paintings of Dutch landscapes. Albert Cuype introduces the theme of Italian and Arcadia (including the weather) in Dutch painting. Creating an IDEAL of his own country. In his painting the “Enchanted Castle”, the landscape is augmented, cows represent symbolically how productive was the country. Spain was full of aristocrats and patrons dictated religious motifs, whereas Dutch were productive, traders, protestants prosperous and artistic middle class people. Cuyp brought the Arcadia to Dutch. Windmills are another national symbol. They felts (as Jewish people do) they were the sons of God, who was on their side because they have won their country from the most powerful army of the time Spain, and had won territory from the Sea. This golden age represents for the Dutch, a wealthy living, an artistic and a patronization of Art. Paradoxically, their religion forbidden many of the pleasures of life. In Amsterdam, Rembradt and Haltz are worried because no matter how much you have, or how you live, you will eventually die, so they painted death orientated paintings. The Italian technique (imposed by Caravaggio) shadows and lights, close ups using Dutch gestures, people, costumes. Rembradt as Leo DaVinci looked at anatomy details. Rembrandt is always associated to Amsterdam. He painted (and is known for being an exception) many historical references, he was wealthy because he had a fixed clientele. He is a very dramatic and baroque painter. Baroque was a counter reform style. It is very old testament oriented because they were the chosen ones. Rembrandt imitates Tisian in poses and by signing by his first name (as Vincent (Van Gogh)). His portraits are both naturalistic and psychological. Menonites, baptistes and Jewish were his major patrons. Paintins had to be austere, so there is one with a black frame that happens to be Ebony! Rembrandt landscapes are fantastic, there is a triangle of churches and in the centre there is a Mill, illuminated by the sun and surrounded by water. Other motives include struggling, war and winning. Dutch are ordered, they are playing roles. The paintings are so exact that they could be photographs. Rumiere was influenced by Caravaggio as well. He painted classic, mitological brought to domestic day to day situations. Ordinary subjects and tasks are themes for paintings. How do they interpret light? Light describes people and objects. Conclusions. Dutch golden age represents the culmination of struggling and fighting against almost everything there: Spain, religion, weather. By fighting they became very wealthy and independent. They brought from Italy the Baroque style to represent his symbols, landscape and portrait paintings. Three cities are important, Ultrech, Amsterdam. Key people of the Time, Alber Cyrup, Rembradt. Lecture 2. The embarrassment of riches. People and everyday life are depicted during this period. After the golden Dutch century. Vermeer is the one in painting differences: Different social classes, stillness of life, the mood of the paintings change as well. Peter Hook is quit tranquil and moral whereas in other paintings, the room turns into a mess, a disorder of life. Cleanness inside the home in an ordered world outside are the ideals. The rol of women is well treated here. Women are responsible for the order inside the home, whereas men for the outside. Perhaps this notion of cleanness comes from the feel of guilty? Or a feeling of pride for the independence against the Spanish. Women as the country had won many new rights and their affairs are as equally important as those of men. Bruguel is considered the painter of everyday life. He shifted from religious themes to everyday using himself and his wife as models for his paintings. His paintings include a moral value treating paintings as a beautiful piece of work as well as instruments to instruction. In the stillness of foolish, kids are stealing their own mother, feeding pigs with roses, etc., the fact that the parrot is drinking wine means that drunk by hearing everything he will just repeat what he listens. So the kids are learning in the wrong way. Dutch people think that through education people will create and continue to have wealth. Broken pots and containers might suggest the broken virtue of a women. This painting is a warning. Poverty, chaos, vices, all come if not having a proper, virtuous life. It shows symbols rather obviously (keys are for the woman, the queen of the home, by being in the floor, it means that the house is out of control). This painter was a bohemian and really funny guy and sold himself as a part of his paintings. The main concern during this time is what to do with so much wealth?, some people give charity, some other are patrons who are really ashamed of showing their wealth, so they make painters paint exotic things (vases, shells, expensive and exotic flowers, etc..), by showing living things (flowers, insects) they try to give a lesson as well, everything that is now wealthy and alive might be dead and over in the near future. Still life is perishable, will be end. Look at the Kalf “still life with the drinking horn of the saint Sebastian archer´s guild, lobster and glasses. Its level of details and exquisite finishing make it one of the best examples of this time. Conclusions. The wealthy Dutch were unsatisfied by the fact of their wealth. On the other hand they needed to transmit lessons, to teach and instruct by the paintings. So the paintings of this period are rather educational, they tell the spectator: Be aware, dead, poverty and chaos might come over you if you do not have a correct, respectful and humble life. Still life is a reflect of the preoccupations of the time. This paintings try to make the spectator aware of the end of life, it is perishable and so you are. Use well you wealth and no show it off. Key people of the time. Jan Steen, Kalf. Lecture 3. Pleasure and power. Courtly displays 1. Spain. Patronage and politics on the time of Felipe IV. Velázquez in 1618 during the time of the Inquisition in Seville. They were preoccupied for how things looked at still life. Velázquez put things together as if they were not meant to be together. Look at the glass and the spoon. This kind of paintings are called “Bodegón Moralista”. Naturalism plays a great influence. The debate of Martha and Mary was put in this painting. Velázques was not an explicit painting, and plays with time and space in the paintings. The setup of this painting is very of his own creation. His instructor Pachecho was a freelancer and writer, not only a classicist painter. However, Pacheco was judge of the inquisition and he used to decide if a painting was suitable for the rest of Humans. Something that Pacheco knew was that classicists used only one palette with pale, terracotta colours, a costume that Velázquez adopted himself. Rubens and Caravaggio were an important influence for Spanish painters. Rubens was more classical, whereas Spanish and Cavaggio rejected the classical themes. Spanish had very strong personalities. Bodegones were favored by Velázquez while he lived in Seville. Remember “El aguador de Sevilla”. The work of Murillo is very sentimental, more touching. Caravaggio worked with blurring lights and that was a very huge influence for Murillo (who in turn is considered to be the inspiration for 19th century painters). Although Sevilla was a rich trading centre with America, people living there were quite poor and miserable. That is why Murillo´s kids look rather sad, but still happy and optimistic. These paintings were quite fashionable during 19th century Britain. Church influenced painters a lot. It used to suggest if paintings were sobrious, natural. In the 17th century specific orders became patrons. The Capuccines, a branch of Franciscans) was a serious art patron. The models in the paintings were street actors representing scenes of the bible. “La inmaculada concepción” was a popular teological concept of the time, however, no one could actually paint it because it was not a biblical image. Velázquez thought risking his career, painted a conception of it, challenging everybody, even his father in law Pacheco. “Inmaculadas” paintings are popular with Murillos. Look at his auto portrait, it is rather thrilling. He suffered a lot because he lost must of his children. Look the colours, they are rather dull, and in fact his palette is portrayed in the painting!, Murillo was most probably influenced by Rubens. Felipe IV was a great collector. So Rubens worked for him as a Dutch, but Velázquez managed somehow to be the king´s préféré. Rubens encouraged Velázquez to travel to Italy (which he did in two times 1629 and 1648). The venus of the mirror was TOO sensual to be publicly displayed at that time and under those politics. It is a fact that Velázquez knew the collection of the king. He even though used a limited palette and painted the king as he was, dull and boring, and he did quite well and avoided the king´s criticism. There is a lot of ambiguity in the paintings of Velázquez. The venus for instance, is she looking at us or at the mirror? In “la cacería real” Velásquez painted the king and Olivares, el conde duque, and even though they are quite small, it is possible to point to the king.! Key people of the time. Velazquez, Murillo. Lecture 4. Pleasure and Power. Courtly displays II. Charles I of England, 1638 by Van Dyck. Its position is important. It shares with Philip IV that they are not very political but profoundly love the arts. Charles I is more romantic. In 1623 he went to Madrid to marry Phillip´s sister but charles was deeply impressed by the king´s collection which was the best in Europe of that time (sp. Italian and venetian). Charles wanted to be reputed as an Emperoor, a warrior and not as Philipe, so Van Dyck takes Titian´s Carlos V as an inspiration. Charles I has a sense of imperial thinking due to his father´s union of Scotland, England and Wales. James I, was a peace lover so he needed people from all over and brought them to London. Theatrical productions were important for him. Despite his emotions, he had a strong feeling of Mesiah, and felt that kings had the divine right to rule over others. So his rule is one of tirany. Charles I creates what is known as the Barroque formula, columns, courtains showing a landscape behind. He needed a Velazquez for England, but he found him in Flemish artists. Van Dick came to London in 1621 where he was offered a place, but he did not like it, and that´s why his paintings are rather melancolical. He went away and stayed out for 15 years. But Ruben´s pression made him come back and he stayed here until he died, sponsored by the king himself. Charles tried hard with other paintins, but he made 1 painter and van dick to paint the same thing and the quality of these 2 paintings is radically different. One can be seen in Windsor, the other one in Prague. “the celebration of the marriage”. Van dyke could have suggested the king to dress differently influencing fashion of that time in England. The baroque formula is unique to van dyke and had no precedents. But you should go to the banqueting room in white hall thought and conceived by James I but finished by Charles I through Indigo Jones, he was a very traveled and educated architect . What you see in White Hall is a restrained elegance. They are like this because of the peace loving nature of the king, finished c. 1622. It was Charles who commissioned the internal decoration to Rubens c. 1629. Rubens was in London at that time in a diplomatic mission for Philipe 4 to make Charles sign a peace agreement with his neutrality in the Dutch affaire. Rubens was doubled minded, he used art to talk politics. The paintings in White House were the images of absolutism. It includes signs of mitology. One depicts the benefits of a good government and the other the unification of England Scotland and Wales. Rubens shows off his knowledge of Allegory and history. For Rubens size mattered, he was interested in massive creations. It is interesting to see the evolution and the fact that one of the greatest catholic counter reformists painters depicted a protestant king and his divine rights. Rubens felt himself as mercury, the messanger of the gods and that is why it is so often portrayed in his paintings. At Hampton court there is a Hontorn painting depicting Apolo (Charles himself) and Helena (Henrietta his wife) and mercury (the duke of Buckingham). Van dyke and the duke of Buckingham as Adonis. Look at the imagenery and theatricality of the paintings, they mixed traditions and say things about the sitters. Van Dyk and Velásquez Meninas. Allegory of peace. Rubens painted peace and war in England. Minerva defending Peace from Mars, the only one who is looking at us is the child of a courtier man of Charles, as if imploring for peace. Rubenism = dynamic, energetic and composition of the paintings. Van dyk was considered as melancholic but is it? Key people of the time. Van Dyk, Rubens, Velazaquez. Lecture 5. Ideals and Idols. Ideal of landscape (Claude and Poussin) struggling to set art ideals. The French academia born during this time. Claude vs. Rubens. Claude is straight and classical while Rubens is colourful and baroque (dramatic, emotional, richness) whereas classical is simplicity and straightness, detachment and deep. Light is underlined in Claude´s paintings. Rubens is a human action depicted whereas Claude is not. French artists of this time do not like any other of their own time, do not resemble any other artist of the time and do not resemble among them either! Phillipe de Champagne, 1647 painted Cdnal. Richeliu who ruled instead of Louis. He is authoritarian, prevented german unification, killed hugonothes and is portrayed using Van Dyck techniques, the baroque formula. Marquis de Vignor and others were French of the XVII C. that do not look like a national, unified art. Joseph and contradiction of having Mary pregnant without actually having had sex with her. Looks a lot like Italy. French painters find Italy inspiring, not Caravaggio though or the new techniques, but Italy itself, as an inspiration. These artists were sent there by French authorities (like Poussin and Claude) but did not in fact live in France. They used to send their paintings back and L´Academie liked these and set a style based on them. Landscape, Flemish, Rubens is famous. Italians did not like it, copying nature was banal. So foreigners like Claude or Poussin found hard to find patronage and began experimenting. In their paintings Claude copied Italian buildings into them, he got famous and expensive with patrons in Italy and France. He did carefully a catalog of his compositions. The light in Cuyp is so Claude! The subject in Claude light itself!, it is not buildings or people, it is light!, landscape in society. As Claude´s forte is not figure painting, l´academie decided to teach it in France, creates an idealized landscape to put moral messages. Nicolas Poussin looked at his portrait at the Louvre. He couldn´t do what he wanted in France, Louis 13 et Richeliu were very dominant. So they live in Italy as foreigners where he is an intellectual, collector of antiquities and a very well read human. So his paintings are difficult and philosophical. It is still an idealized landscape. The serpent painting is a very exact study of geometry and design which is very Italian and important in his paintings. It is not a painting about death. Virgil talks about the serpent and the near death but this painting is like a chained reaction! The adoration of the golden calf Pussin makes us think about the painting, follow the design, the clues, the lights and shadows. In the Louvre you will find a fine collection of Poussin really. The times of life is really interesting. You can find titian, antiquity and sculpture as Poussin´s influences. Look at the Narcisus painting, and the one which is surprised by a Sauno and the guy masturbating Mazarin and Colbert did established the French royal academy and set Poussin as the example to follow and they suggest that painters should really copy him. The 17 C. finished with a debate of Rubens vs. Poussin. Poussin is crisp and defined, restricted where as Rubens is more artistic, more felt, touching, dramatic, colourful, less restricted. Key people of the time. Poussin, Claude, Rubens. Lecture 6. Vision and ecstasies. Italian Baroque. Caravaggio. Actions, drama, claroscuro, still life whereas Poussin looks fantastic, stagy, tablaux vivantes, detached. Look at Christ, he is got not weird. Not halos, the guy´s hand is too big, realism, naturalism, and drama are the keys for Italian baroque. Caravaggio worked with alive models. It´s claustrophobic very much to the face. He does not do religious pictures. An aspect in Caravaggio is his homosexuality, so he has a lot of boys in provocative poses, very realistic. Victory and Love depicts a boy in a very shocking pose. There was a negative connotation in the word baroque. Extreme emotions, exaggerated, expressions, sentimentality (which became fashionable during Victorian age) esp. in Manchester in 1857. Some English men labeled baroque as patetique, uneven, untasty, extreme and complicated. Bellini´s sculpture of Saint Teresa is the 5scencia of baroque sculpture, but you should not be viased by definitions, these creations transform pleasure into a religious experience. Not many baroque was bought for the Nat. Gallery as a consequence. Two paintings with the same theme are not the same treated in baroque and renaissance, baroque is bloody, dramatic and renaissance is cold, detached more fact related. Baroque after all is humorous, dramatic, huge, captivating, showy. Key people of the time. Caravaggio. Review of the book “Giotto to Dürer” (Dunkerton, Foister et al. 1991). This review might clarify some of the questions posed before in all this period of time. First, it is important to distinguish the kind of uses of painting in Renaissance. Previous to that, an analysis of the socio – economical situation of the time is made, for more details on it refer to page 18 (Dunkerton, Foister et al. 1991). The chapter called “Christian Worship and Imagery” gives a clearer idea of the uses of painting during this time. 1. Altars, saints and relicis. Catholic church in Europe during that time was very influential in the kind of living that people had. Churches and Chapels were places of worship, thus very important places in the cultural and social life of the cities during Renaissance. Rich people could afford having altar pieces inside their palaces and houses. The topics of all these paintings were, of course, religious characters above all the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ. Thus “Virgin and Child” and “Crucifixion” became central themes in paintings. Abbeys and convents had very impressive altar pieces and saint paintings. The life of the saints was another popular theme, and they were normally portrayed as having an object from either his / her martyrdom or a key piece during his / her life, or both of these concepts. (Dunkerton, Foister et al. 1991). As examples of this: Saint Jerome always has a lion, Saint Peter the keys, Saint Paul usually a sword (object of his martyrdom), Saint Mark a lion too, Saint Luke (patron saint of painters by the way) has an ox and a book in his hands, etc. 2. Commerce, convention and innovation. Commerce among big cities, and rich people became clients for all the painters during that time. They were very demanding and very specific for the topics they wanted to have painted. Decoration of rich palaces and houses became too a very important activity for artists during those times, the topics here were more varied going from world maps, to landscapes to portraits. Portraits specially became very popular and a common present among little kingdoms. Marriage was first presented most probably, though a portrait first. (Dunkerton, Foister et al. 1991). TERM 3. Lecture 1. Vice, virtue and invention. Painting became dramatic about domestic issues. To be moralizing. The aims were different though. The movement of the bodies were different. The bodies are not beautiful and the themes try to be very British. British art is often a moment of innovation, it has to do with moral and industriousness and industrialization. Canaletto is an Italian painter that created paintings for turism. The organization gathered many painters but in canaleto turism is a main feature. He used, and it is documented, some optical devices to create several effects in his paintings. Canaleto came to England and painted the Thames, but it looks rather pretty and not polluted. England at that time was not very settled, but was a bit trying to present and pictured herself in certain ways. Howart is one of the british artists who wanted to show himself as a learned and educated man. He trained himself as a painter. The portrait of Davies´children is an example of why not he got many commissions. It included some dark symbols like the cat, the clock and the singing bird towards the cat. He painted people and made money with it. The set of the marriage by Hogarth is a funny way of portraying event of that time. The parents are actually negotiating the marriage and his father is a rather rich man where as hers is trying to pay for getting a name. The marriage by Gainsborough portraits a young couple. He is rather independent and likes haunting, whereas she is a bit disappointed and bored. He comes from Saufaulk and this portrait tells of the morals of the time. There are actual manuals of how to look natural in an unnatural way, posses are very important during that time. This marriage is showing off their wealth and showing off the way they cultivated their lands using rather novel techniques. The dog in this painting occupies a more privileged position than the woman. During this time painters began to include landscapes in their paintings, so the term picturesque came during this time. The horse is a beautiful example of how human knowledge dominated nature. It is a beautiful wild animal, yet it uses human-made technology and the way he looks reveals a further domestication. Animal paintings sold very well during this time. Josh Renault got really depressed because of the way of painting of his time. He proposed an academy of arts and stated that it should preferable to avoid profit from paintings and try to ennoble people through art but He himself did not follow his own suggestions and his ideal paintings did not sell well and were not well received. During this time in Britain there are some women artists. Angelica Clapha is a very successful one and her 18th century Cleopatra is a very well painted. The conclusion for painters during this time is that portraits are important, poses are important, landscapes and sitters are important, and they should focus on beautiful people and good manners and behavior. Key people of the time. Josh Renault, Howarth, Canaleto. Lecture 2. Rules and Revolution. 18th century French art Watteu. Differences are that French enjoy, pleasure, make music so to speak with paintings. The brushstrokes in the French picture of the time are more impressionists than the British of that time. Colors are warmer, more humane, more intimate than British. Watteu created a fantastic world in the paintings, a way of escaping from reality. English are more formal, pose is important and colors are cooler. The landscape it Britain has to be realistic, clear real. Whereas French like role playing, enjoy to put symbols into the paintings. English are practical. French playful. Epicurios is a very famous figure for French, as he looks for pleasure as an important part of life. Rococo is the name that these artists give to this kind of art. It is characterized for complicated shapes, curves and counter curves. Rococo is associated with frivolous thinking according to l´Academié. The ideal of the family as an important social strata becomes popular in France about that time. This thinking influenced Britain before. French art is escapism, idealization, fantasy but not moralizing. Some artists mixed rococo with mythology. Boucher paints very much about visual pleasure. Remain the swinger. Madame Pompadour who ruled France for being a lover of Luis the XV and use her image to be a mecenas as well as to preserve power. She uses art as a medium to communicate messages to the court. Boucher is one of her favorites and portrays herself as a powerful, cultured, beautiful woman and not like a bimbo who she really was more of. Russeau and Diderot concluded that artists were not doing any good to morals by painting like that, so they wanted artists to raise morals standards to virtues. So they prompt the academie to make painters think like that. Hence the term academique to refer (despectevely) to painters who followed the rules. So painters of that time excluded themselves. Mdme. De Vigee-Lebrum as a woman could not part of the academie in principle. Women were not able to be academiques because they necesarelly were not trained properly (with nude male models). She was trained by some men artists. Mdme. Vigee-Lebrum painted herself in a direct reference to Ruben´s portrait done for Susana L. in 1622 saying that she was as good as Rubens. Susan is sexualized, almost an object, whereas Mdme. Was independent, secure and doing what she wants, painting. She makes a living painting for Maria Anttoinete and for royals over Europe during the Revolution time. Shadam painted still life, with good textures and was very secretive for his creations. He claimed to paint with scensce of the things and not with colours. Printed cards makers added moralizing phrases to every card later on. Brulleea was always unaccepted by the Academie yet he was successful. He did not try in the academie, they did not like the theme he proposed, the look, the drapery, everything was so Barroque. He got furious and finally when he was accepted he never went to the Academie. He nevertheless was very successful with his portrays. Jean Luc David was payed by the state to make pro state paintings in 1785. He was neoclassic, the composition was odd, the setting as well. La Academie did not like it again. He helped the revolutionaries by doing propaganda with paintings. Men are always stoic, women dramatic. The atic of Versailles has drawings of revolution paintings, moralizing paintings, and is allowed to the public once a year only. Neoclasic means rational composition, classic settings, simple, structures easy to read. Clear, smooth surfaces. It is possible to say that rococo is fluffly whereas neoclassic is reflexive, old poses. Key people of the time. Mdme. Pompadour, Mdme. Vigee-Lebrum, Jean Luc David, Boucher, Wattau. Lecture 3. Turbulance, Delacroix, anger, darker palette, natural background, landscape. Vigorous brushstakes more animated. More stilised, artistic, bohemian, temperamental. Romanticism is casual, smart. The Paganini violist in a stormy background, emotional, passionate. Brahms, Wellington but not portrays today. There is not a defining style. Any romantic was to be contradictory, not labeled, they react against rationality and to the notion that every answer has a question. Line versus colour. Challenges, anger, it is not the spirit of the enlightenment, its all about emotions, intuitions, colours affect you not lines. Deal with things outside the rational, the subjectivities, the fear, the irrational, the fantastic. Goethe´s poems, the forest, why not could this happen, if I am perceiving this it might be true. Darker areas, the nightmares, all this movement preceded Freud and dreams. It is much against Christianity. Blake, a Swiss man in 1790, 1781, Thor, the beasts, demonianic overcoming the past, the hereditary vices. Ideals broke during this time and after the Revolution. Now there is terror, we cannot see the light that was promised, Napoleon was here. So this movement was political as well. Blake paints ghosts and drug helped them to explore the nature and the dark side of the Humanity. Matusalen and his longevity is associated to George the 3. Goya, the romantics explore the limits. He was unorthodox searched for different things. He ends up painting for the Spanish monarchy or the Ilustrados. He thought Napoleon and the Church were oppressors and a burden for Spain as a Nation. He becomes a protester against suffering. A deep disenchantment is suffered in Spain. Goya paints Myths, criticized Church, superstition, or just a fantastic side of the things, the black side. He seems to be profoundly sorry and disappointed. The Nazarism in Vienna were another movement belonging to the Romanticism. They rejected the Academy and went to Italy where lived as a monastic order. They looked back to the old days as an escape from reality. Cottages, houses, lochs, landscapes and identity, all of these elements are painted in Romantic creations. They celebrate the rural bless country, the informal nature of nature, they celebrate informal gardens. Brodly 1780-1830 is another expression of romanticism. There exist many views of it, so it could be thought of differentiating them according to themes or time. The raft of the Medusa talks about the sinking of the small ship. Sabini talks about the saving of it and the Human tragedy, the cannibalism, the fight for reaching the centre of the raft. This controversial matter came to public life after one survivor narrated the story in Paris. Horror, dark war, natural tragedy, emotions, fear, they are all over romantic paintings, they are rather irrational. Delacroix, the massacre of Chios, the famous greek city where more than 18000 people died in the hands of the turks. There is relationship in this point with lord Byron. Cruelty, the decline of a great civilization. How individuals solitude is the role of the artist, is the fate of art. As Christ in the cross, one is alone, left alone by god .This painting is too informal, too unconventional. Manet during this time is a struggling hero. He thinks of himself as a bird with great wings walking among other people who ruin it and laugh at it. So the exile, the pursuit of lost civilization, wilder ones who could give an insight of this senselessness. Turner is another great painter of this time. He paints the nature and the sublime of it. Mist, machines in decadence, trains burping smog. He paints great heroes like Hannibal crossing the Alps in 1812. His relationship with the Empire, the trains, the industry and making out the point that all of these is out of his powers. Colour, passion, darkness, all this is painted during this time. Key people of the time: Claude, Manet, Turner, Delacroix, Goya. Session 4. Landscape and identity. Development of the landscape and modernity. 1838 Turner has just finished his boat painting. Constable used colours as means to express things, and used them differently to create beautiful landscapes. Turner marked the end of Romanticism. Realism is so not romanticism. Before the ideal of good versus bad was gone. Realism depicts the things as they are, not as ghosts or ideals as romantics. Constable was from Saufaulk, he sketched the landscapes. He asked a friend of his to do the sketches back in Saufulk, so he could just fill them with coulours. He believed in sketching lives, drawings, he grew as the son of a landowner so his view is very much of the rich, not the suffering peasants. The idea of Constable of adding colours liked very much the French and the impressionist movement later on. Constable exhibited some paintings in Paris where he won a gold medal for them. Constable thought of life differently. The painting of the Salisbury Cathedral from the river puts the rainbow starting from the house of his patron, a clergy called Fisher. His technique for the use of colours was unique. Nature was powerful, yes, but could be a source for solace. Friedrich considers Nature as a force, the cross and the cathedral was made as an altarpiece and he turned to nature to find God, instead of finding them in Saints and Madonnas. People during this time are worried about identity, Germans appropriated Gothic as a german way of art. The bare of a nation which will be Germany is a very important time for them going from principalities and small states to a very bin and important Nation. As ducth people did with cows and windmills, the germans do with gothic and landscape. Samuel palmer went aside looking for god in landscape, he is the creator of the solitude painting saw the last week. Rosseau and Diaz la Peña, the .. at Fontain Bleu. Instead of going as the view of God in landscapes, they shifted to the influence of light. Aluminum tubes during this time were invented so they permitted painters to paint outside. They chose (as Constable) an adequate frame for their paintings putting things inside them. They shifted from a very idealized Italian landscape to a French landscape. Louis Phillipe is the French bourgeoisie king, so political issues and painting were very much related. In 1848 a new revolution began and despite the constitution and Louis, workers revolted, so people thought that the revolution of the century before had not done very much for poor people were even poorer now. In 1851 a new republic alliance in the hands of Napoleon 3 seeks a new Republic. Millet Jean Francois and Courbet became the champions of this time, by painting poor people and peasants arguing that provincial landscape was very much related to peasants, of course the impact that they wanted to have towards poor people was a better motive to paint these themes. In 1860 this changed thanks to Napoleon. The term “La France Profundee” has a root in agrarian societies. Jule Breton, the sun setting, The angelus, look at the sunset, the peasants praying for the working day, and the presence of the Church at the end. The concept of noble savage, were goodness and beauty can only be found back in Nature and away from civilization. These were real painters and never intended to sell their creations, that was up to dealers. The French society eventually got fed up with peasants paintings in France. Gustave Courbet, he is represented as the peasant painter, he only intended to create a persona for him, he was a landowner who recreated painting peasants and peasants again. Alexandre Dumas wrote against him calling him bitterly an imposter and a hypocrite. Pre Manet is saying Pre impressionism. Courbet painted naked women without significance because, as he said, he never had seen a Nimph in a river. When you go to Paris, go to the Petite Palais where the original exists of the prostitutes. In the Nat. Gallery they wear cache mire and Courbet wanted to highlight their living as a Burgeois society that was actually buying lots of paintings. Courbet used his imaginations to create real images that, as he put it, were even more real than reality. This ideal of peasant paintings inspired a younger generation of artists as Manet. Dejoune au Solail highlighted the beauty of moder life. In 1863, Luois Napoleon actually like these new paintings that could not be exhibited on the salon, so they created a salon de refuses. The struggle of finding a new identity. The Olimpus by Manet included several odd characteristics that shocked the society of his time, translating Titians painting into a modern life prostitute. Olimpia is the only painted of a naked woman who actually looks directly at you. Manet painted the execution of Maximilian of Habsburg. Degas actually found this painting in the house of Manet after a big fire, so he could actually restore some parts of it, which is now showing at the National Gallery. Manet was being very sarcastic because he showed frend soldiers shooting at him, and not Mexicans which were the case. He is a revolutionary painter. He claims to offer instants of life, moments of things, as pictures. Constance´s influence ends with Manet. He influence many realists and naturalists of this time, brushstrokes changed, and evolved into impressionism. The begin of impressionism is La plage. Key People of the time. Constance, Friedrick, Palmer, Courbet, Millet, Manet. Lecture 5. A different Impression. A different. This lecture is about French art, the avant garde movement. Manet 1870. La plage, and then compare it to the garden. La plage is an improvised painting, rapid movements, is more fluid. The garden by Monet is definitely looks more ordered, more studio like, adjusted to certain tastes and circumstances. The garden is seen as a close up, people began to vanish and disappear from Manet painting, it’s a private place whereas la plage does have more space, people on it, it is a public space. Painting of modern life. That is what impressionism is more or less, in terms of subject and techniques. Paris is being reconstructed at that time. Napoleon 3 transformed the city to keep people controlled, the classes were aristocracy, middle class and workers). Art becomes political because the oppression of the classes began to be evident, so with Art, educated people could understand hidden messages of repression, it was a code. Medieval Paris was gone and nearly 350000 people were displaced with the reconstruction of Paris. La Grad Opera was built in 1870, as well as Le Primptempts and the Bon Marché. The new buildings allocated departments upstairs and cafés and shops downstairs, as well as restaurants. The best past time of the time was to see and to be seen. Paris was cleaner, nicer and much more consumist than it used be. Alienation was severely criticized due to the fact that it enabled more political control over people. Manet never exhibited with the so called impressionists. He was prepared to go against everything. L´art pour l´art was his phrase. He broke conventionalism. In his painting about the park the centre is now blurred, the front is blurred again whereas the back is actually clearer and neat. Manet broke many rules. Manet was interested in 17th century Spanish art and he included some of this strong colours in his paintings. But what people used to think about it? Manet often used novel forms of entertainment as themes for his paintings. These nouvel places were actually good for mingle. Cafés and brasseries (a beer selling place when beer was a novelty in France at that time) were painted by Manet. Le boulevard des capouchines. The situation in France at that time was very desperate. Napoleon had lost his war against Prussia and Paris had to surrender making people flee. Monet, Manet and Pizarro joined La Legion d´honeur. 1874 the group set up an exhibition and they called themselves an independent society. These people came mainly from Le Salon des Refusés, critiques of that time show how much people disliked them. One criticiser, a visitor to the exhibition refers to them, deceptively, as impressionists, due to the fact that their paintings were very much related to first impressions and moments, and because one of Monet´s paintings was called Impression: Sol Naciente. The critiques suggested that these paintings were unfinished. Monet painted La Station D´Orsay and he painted and played with lights and shadows and steam. Impressionists were not ordered or disciplined but free, and liked to be themselves and experimentalists. Renoir is the painter of the pleasure. The ideal in Paris was to see and to be seen. At the Opera Garnier, they used to leave the lights on, so they could actually see who was and who was not during the performance. During this time there were woman painters as well. As a derogative idea, people used to think and say that impressionism was very feminist, and that it was too far away from modernity. Pissarro was an anarquist and influenced very much cezanne (who is considered the father of modern art). In 1880 Renoir in turn influenced Gaugain who travels around Italy and retakes a taste for the classics. Monet created one of the most beautiful snow paintings. Monet from then tried to capture the moment, the essence of the situations but he could not capture even shorter periods of time which led him to create series of things that actually changed according to time. By 1883 he was living in Gyverni, creating by artificial means nature adjusted to his tastes. An influence of japaneese engravings is very significant at that time. Van Gaugh and Gaugain were influenced by them. Degas is another impressionist. He never rejected past training so he was more in line with the impressionists and classics. He painted the modernity, the new things happing in that ever changing French Republic. Key people of that time. Manet, Monet, Gaugain, Pissarro, Van Gogh, Degass, Renoir. Lecture 6. Disolving Boundaries. Degas l879, Ms. Lalá, he is from the generation of Manet, and shares the concept of painting the modern life. But he painted ballet dancers attached to the Opera Garnier. These paintings were very tough and structured, these paintings were dearing, he had conventional training but felt very much an impressionist. He even exposed his paintings in seven out of eight of the impressionist conventions. Not as the impressionists, he like to work indoors in his studio. He liked to paint as Manet, he was witty in his paintings and became a master on the managing of light indoors. Manet and Degas worked together and were linked through a net of acquaintances and contacts and they influenced very much in younger painters. The ballet dancers were a recurring theme for Degas. These girls were in fact poor girls, often sexually abused by their protectors, but had no option but to entertain, and live as slaves. Degas painted portraits but he made fun about characteristics of his sitters. He liked to paint bodies in forced positions, but often models were very expensive and he could not afford them (he lived with not much fame at his own time). Seurat receive as well a classic formation. And he did not considered himself an impressionist. On the other hand, he developed a technique in which he painted myriads of points over a white canvas. The effects given by this technique were quite unique of that time. His beliefs are reflected in the fact that he based his techniques on optic studies, and applied a scientific approach for the paintings he did. Seurat and Degas are both static painters, they like to reflect astaticism rather than movement, they both also like to depict naked bodies and quite traditional settings. Opposite to impressionists they both like to work indoors, in their studio rather than outdoors. Cézanne, Renoir, Seurat and VanGogh were all of them trendy at that time. They did not feel impressionists, but rather they felt differently and they were called avant garde, or post impressionists. They all saw things from a different perspective, with a different look. A superficial look will reveal impressionistic – liked paintings but in fact it is just the firs impression. To begin with, the avant garde paintings are huge in comparison to the impressionist ones. The bathers on the Seine. Although the technique is different, the approach to painting is still modern life. The difference is again the painting indoors. The brushstrokes in the portraits of Seurat are just little points. This technique is also called divisionism. The salon de 1884, refused Seurat which only pushed him away from conventionalisms and put him in contact with the avant garde movement of other artists. And old impressionists had to cope with the changes that these new painters were creating. Seurat painted landscapes. He used to go out and come back to the studio. Symbolism consisted in the use of signs to create more complex meanings, and this was specially truth in poetry with Rimbaud and Verlaine. Monet worked as an old painter. He painted the L´Orangerie which is intended to provoke emotions as if floating with liles. This technique gave the idea of not having an horizon but being floating in those beautiful lilies within all these colours. Van Gogh is very much related with his paintings, and his life is very reflected in the paintings he did and the times he lived. He was Flemish, came to Paris where he began to paint with the avant garde painters. His most famous paintings were done in a range of two years when he spent four years in Paris. Van Gogh was a hard worker, he tried everything and ended up doing carefully paintings and not in hurry as he often is depicted. His early works did not like the critiques of the time, so he actually trained with some post impressionist paintings. After Paris he went to the southern part of France and he like Arles very much, but he began getting crazy and eventually shoot himself back in his country. During his time in southern France, his recurrent themes are people, harmony and happiness reflecting the fact that he was very happy there. Cézanne was friend with Van Gogh and kept in touch by mail. Gaugain was also a painter know to both of them and even painted a chair taking as model the chair of Van Gogh in his house in Arles, reflecting the fact that they were very much in touch with each other. The differences with the chairs is total, Gaugain´s one is indoors, is a night scene, getting ideas from books, red and green as contrasts are the basic colours of this painting. The Van Gogh´s is yellow and blue, they are very harmonious colours and this painting has got many dimensional problems, but is the surface what matters, somehow. Van Gogh eventually gave up painting in 1889 and had to leave the south for the north, to live with his brother in Paris. He felt as if he had left the paradise or his eden. Van Gogh died as a genious, as a désolé. Gaugain, as VanGogh made a mystery of his life, a legend. He was a studio painter and also an investor in modern art. So he owned several Pissarros and Degas, which he used to study the techniques and paint. The impressionism was not attractive to him and his early paintings were indeed trendy, he wanted himself to go beyond so he goes to France´s colonies and ended up in Tahiti where he found his paradise. Unfortunately his paradise was already rotten with western ideas and he got syphilis there and drank loads of alcohol. He introduced the idea of primitivism He came back to Paris but he never fit in again really, so he returned to Tahiti where he died some years later. After painting some things in Paris, he returned to Tahiti where he tried to commit suicide but he failed, and then began to paint exactly the opposite reflecting the optimism that he got after his failed suicide. Cézanne then is the most obvious influence in the art of the 20th century. As Seurat, he thought differently, and used different brushstrokes and colours. He wanted to revive Poussin. He thought that he could not create another sun, but he could certainly improved the one in his paintings, he did not painted nature, rather he created a new nature with his colours and brushstrokes. He played with different perceptions and changes, and movements of the body. Then a comparison between Matisse and Picasso, but that is another story my dear friend. Key people of the time. Gaugaine, Van Gogh, Cézanne, Seurat, Degas, Pissarro. Bibliography Dunkerton, J., S. Foister, et al. (1991). Giotto to Dürer, Early Renaissance Painting in The National Gallery. Milan, Italy, Amilcare Pizzi s.p.a. Whitlock, K. E. (2000). The renaissance in Europe. A reader. London, Yale University Press.