Abstract This paper compares the Russian Constructivism Movement to that of the De Stijl Movement and suggests that the latter was more futuristic and commercial in its presentation.
Abstract This is an art history paper, on one of the paintings on display at the Norton Simon Museum in Los Angeles. The name of the painting is "David Slaying Goliath", by Peter Paul Rubens. The paper is written in the cultures/period styles.
Abstract This paper presents a comparative analysis of the two artists who are Edward Manet and Claude Monet. A complete overview of their artistic lives has been observed, thus finding out the similarities and comparison between the their works.
Tags: ART HISTORY / IMPRESSIONISM, comparison manet monet
Abstract This paper defines surrealism and gives its history. The author feels that surrealism is much more significant today than it originally was. The paper relates that artist of all types took up the idea and manipulated it in various ways.
Abstract This paper describes land art and its attachment to minimalism. It analyzes it through three prominent land artists: Robert Smithson, Michael Hiezer, and Richard Long. It also discusses each artist's relationship with the land and the differences in how they approach their art.
From the Paper "Minimal art soon ceased to be simply a presentation of simple unitary forms, standing alone or arranged in series. It began to look for an existence outside the art gallery. However minimal works do not exist comfortably in the urban spaces generally assigned to the public sculpture. The result of this was the birth of what came to be known as Land Art. Robert Smithson is one of the best known attributers to this
period. His work is huge in size and workload. His works cannot be viewed by the public and so he has a reliance on the records of his work. This is similar to Michael Heizer whose work also depends on this record. Richard Long, differently to Smithson and Hiezer, brings the environment into the gallery for all to see and creates spiritual works. All three of these artists bring their own individual qualities into the movement of Land art."
Abstract This paper discusses Michelangelo's sculpture, "David", and how it reflects on the artistic and social values of the Italian Renaissance era. The paper explains the value the Renaissance era placed on sculpture and its fascination for classical antiquity, as well as its emphasis on the glory of the human body.
From the Paper "The sculpture by the Renaissance Italian artist Michelangelo Buonarroti of the Biblical hero "David" is so famous that statue's ubiquitous appearance in parody and in actual texts upon the history and aesthetics of art has rendered the work's appearance a clich? more an a inspiring work of sculpture. However, rather than simply something that is a pre-extant work for the ages, it is important to remember that the work's construction is the product of a particular period of history, not something that sprung fully-fledged from the mind of Michelangelo."
Abstract This paper discusses the Renaissance movement, which took place in Europe from the early 14th to late 16th century, and witnessed a revival of interest in the values and artistic styles of classical antiquity, especially in Italy. In particular, it looks at how the culmination of the artistic revolution of the Early Renaissance led to what is now known as the High Renaissance to signify the period of explosion of creative genius, producing as it did the work of great artists, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo. It examines how High Renaissance Art touched unparalleled heights of creative expression because it brought the artist's personal expression into well-established techniques and style, thereby increasing the dramatic force and physical presence of a work of art . It also shows how an essential characteristic of High Renaissance Art is seen as its unified balance between technical skill and the artist's intuition or personal expression.
From the Paper "Leonardo da Vinci's The Madonna of the Rocks exists in two, nearly identical versions; one, entirely credited to Leonardo, in the Louvre, Paris and the second, considered a collaboration because of its distinctly sixteenth century characteristics of larger figures, in London's National Gallery. Both versions depict a supposed meeting of the Christ Child and the infant saint John. The painting shows the infant Baptist, sheltering under Mary's cloak, venerating the Christ Child in a cool, watery wilderness. The figures, grouped in a pyramid, are glimpsed in a dimly lit grotto setting of rocks and water, a setting that inspired the work's name."
Tags: italy, leonardo, da, vinci, raphael, michelangelo
Abstract Martin Heidegger's "The Origin of the Work of Art" is no less ambitious a project than an attempt to discern the very source of art. As such, he attempts to investigate where art itself comes from. The paper shows that, in this complex work, he looks into the relationship of art, the artist, and truth. Further, he discusses the interpretation of art in terms of a circle of interpretation with many different aspects.
From the Paper "The term hermeneutic circle is simply another way of describing Heidegger's circle of interpretation in art. In "The Origin of the Work of Art", Heidegger notes that you cannot fully understand a single part of a work until you understand the whole. Further, he notes that you cannot understand the whole of a work of art until you understand all of the parts of the art. On the surface, Heidegger's circle of interpretation seems tautologous and circular, yet his circle is not a trap."
Abstract This paper looks at the Renaissance, a term used to describe the period of European history dating from the early 14th century to the late 16th century, predominantly in Italy. In particular, it examines the revival of the values and artistic styles of classical antiquity that is evidenced in many of the great works that were produced during that period. It discusses three of the most characteristic and highly popularized works of the Renaissance: Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus"; Michelangelo's "Sistine Chapel"; and Michelangelo's "David". It emphasizes the artist's intent, its impact on Renaissance culture, and why the works are considered a return to classical styles and values.
From the Paper "The Birth of Venus is considered one of the greatest masterpieces of the Renaissance, incorporating both classical and Christian values. Painted for the villa of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici at Castello between 1485 and 1486, The Birth of Venus was a revival of the classic Greek mythological goddess of Love. But there is a twist. Sandro Botticelli, was a student of Marsilio Ficino, head of the Platonic Academy. One of the focuses of Neo-Platonism was beauty and divine (Christian) love. Sandro Botticelli combined divine love (Venus was made to be the Virgin Mary) and beauty with the Classical Theme of Venus ? The Goddess of Love, to produce one of the most beloved works of the early Renaissance."
Tags: botticelli, venus, michelangelo, sistine, chapel, david
Abstract This paper presents a brief review of "The Moon and Sixpence", by Somerset Maugham, which tells the story about Charles Strickland, an artist who leaves his home and travels to live in the islands. The paper shows how Maugham's novel is similar to the life story of French painter, Paul Gauguin.
From the Paper "However, unlike his character narrator, Maugham did understand and appreciate art. The story's narrator struggled in vain to translate Strickland's work, his expression of truth, into language (Macey pg). In a 1919 review of Maugham's novel, Maxwell Anderson wrote that the title was "an admission by Somerset Maugham that explaining genius is as impossible as expressing moonlight in terms of the decimal system" (Macey pg)."
Abstract This paper talks about some of the art produced in Benin and Sierra Leone and why so much of the more ancient art of that region no longer remains. The paper then describes art from Benin that is approximately 500 years old and more recent artwork from Sierra Leone made in the 19th century. The naturalistic heads and bodies of the Ife tribes of Benin and the Nowo masks from Sierra Leone are described, and the materials and techniques used are explained as well. Images of both types of art are included with the paper.
From the Paper "Art from Benin, located in the rainforests of Nigeria on the coastal plain west of the Niger River, first came to the Western world in 1897, when members of a British expedition took out thousands of objects as war plunder after the English conquest. Through government and private sales, Benin sculptures were soon found on the shelves and displays of museums and personal collections in England, Europe and America (Ben-Amos, 9). The art of Benin is unique in Africa, due to its unusual makeup of cast brass and carved ivory. Much of artwork from this country acts as a heritage to the Royal Kingdom of Benin, one of the greatest times in the continent's history (Ezra, 2)."
Tags: copper, tada, figure, sculpture, pourings, obas, softwood, ceremonial, adulthood
Abstract This paper provides a brief biographical sketch of the life of Toulouse-Lautrec and then discusses and analyzes some of his art. The paper describes some of the influences on Toulouse-Lautrec's art, the uniqueness of his techniques and style, and the period when he was at the height of his career.
From the Paper "Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was born in Albi, France on November 24, 1864 to an aristocratic family. After breaking both his legs in separate accidents, it was discovered he had an inherited bone disease, and his legs never grew to their full potential. He enjoyed art, and in 1885, he began to exhibit and published his own work. Toulouse-Lautrec's work was exhibited throughout Paris and included exhibitions at the Salon des Independents in Paris and Les XX in Brussels, Belgium. At the age of 36, he died of alcoholism and syphilis on Sept. 9, 1901."
Abstract This paper examines how Constructivism, an artistic and architectural movement, arose in Russia after the Revolution of 1917 and how the Revolution set the stage for one of the most remarkable transformations of artistic theory in the history of art. It looks at how the Constructivists strove to produce bold work in painting, sculpture, photography, and architecture through the use of new media and how they abandoned traditional media and embraced influences from the progressive and technologically advanced industrial society after the Revolution. Although there are many artists who have contributed a significant amount to the movement, it focuses on those made by Rodchenko, Malevich and Popova.
From the Paper "The reforms of Alexander II brought the emancipation of the serfs and opened the way for industrial development. However, emancipation imposed harsh economic conditions on the lower class and did not satisfy their need for farmland. Industrialization concentrated people in urban centers, where the exploited working class was a receptive audience for radical ideas. By 1903, Russia was divided into several political groups. The autocracy was upheld by the landed nobility and the higher clergy; the capitalists desired a constitutional monarchy; the liberal bourgeoisie made up the bulk of the group that later became the Constitutional Democratic party; lower and middle class were incorporated into the Socialist Revolutionary party; and the workers, influenced by Marxism, were represented in the Bolshevik and Menshevik factions of the Social Democratic Labor party."
Abstract This paper describes the theme in the book, "A River Runs through It", about art and its importance in our lives and the way the author, Norman Maclean, combines the sport of fly-fishing with this theme as a way of explaining what art means and how it differs from mere competence.
From the Paper "Norman's father who was a Presbyterian minister believed that art was "one" way man could clearly understand God and His creation. He advocated creativity because for Norman's father, art was the channel man used to communicate with God and to become a part of His wide universe. In short, it was not competence but mastery of art that helped man establish a direct link with the wider world around him and Art was man's way of showing appreciation for God's universe. This is the reason why Norman's father tells him to create stories because he knows that this is one art form that will bring his son closer to God and nature."
An overall look at Da Vinci's brilliant work during the humanistic period in Europe, which introduced the study of anatomy and functions of the human body.
Abstract This paper provides a look at Da Vinci's humanistic work during the late Middle Ages in Europe that brought the study of anatomy into existence. Though outlawed by the Catholic Church, dissection gave Da Vinci the ability to sketch the human body inside and out.
From the Paper "During the Renaissance, a movement towards humanism brought anatomy from nonexistence to theory to science. Leonardo Da Vinci was a humanist who was a part of the scientific revolution during the 15th and 16th centuries and studied medicine, in addition to mathematics, physics, art, etc. When the shift to realism became important in art, anatomy and the study of the physical body was immensely important to artists in Europe. Da Vinci rebelled against the church to take the first step in portraying the body as how it is, which is important to humanism because it focuses on the physical human body."
