Abstract This paper will discuss the representation of the natural landscape in Xie Ling-yun's poem "Visiting the Southern Pavilion". It will be shown, through a comparative analysis of Chinese texts on landscapepainting, that Xie Ling-yun's poem plays with, and is juxtaposed against, the generic rules of landscapepainting. The poetic landscape, which appears to be a celebration of the beauty of summer, is actually a reflection upon mortality and suffering. From this perspective, Xie Ling-yun's poem may be seen to have philosophical depth lacking in most landscapepainting.
Abstract This paper analyzes two pieces of art in terms of their content and design, as well as investigating the periods during which these pieces were produced. The two works that are explored are "Landscape with Saint John on Patmos" by Nicolas Poussin and Paul Cezanne's "Mont Saint- Victoire". Both images are of landscapes featuring mountains, yet the overall composition and execution of both pieces is remarkably different
Abstract This paper explains that the painting "The Architect's Dream" by American artist, Thomas Cole, masters historical perspective by combining structures from several epochs--Egypt, Greece, Rome and Europe--within the confines of a simple painting, thus depicting the evolution of architecture. The author points out that Cole, who was the founder of the Hudson River School, a group of artists that followed the style of American romanticism and realism, filled the landscape of this painting, accurately and in detail, with human structures of each age. The paper concludes that this piece of art from the romantic times is not so much a history lesson as it is a story of human ingenuity and spirit, which praises man's triumphs throughout the ages by giving tribute to the beauty of history's great accomplishments that still inspire humankind today.
From the Paper ""The Architect's Dream" is a large painting, about 8 feet long by 6 feet tall. Just looking at the different buildings throughout the eons is very enthralling. And so, I stood in front of this painting for at least ten minutes just taking in the sheer power of it. I imagined what it would look like IF someone actually built a city like the one Thomas Cole painted. I could see the romanticism in the expression on the Architect's face as he lays relaxed and wondering about his strewn books. I put myself in his position and tried to imagine looking upon such a dream city, but in reality."
Abstract In Chinese art and literature the representation of landscapes is frequently encountered. Over centuries, artists and poets have devised complex grammars that govern their depiction of the natural world. This paper will explore these grammars with respect to works by Xie Ling-yun, China's premier early landscape poet and Fan K'uan, one of the greatest of all Chinese landscape painters. Two respective works of this poet and painter will be discussed in order to demonstrate two singularly different approaches to the idea of the artistic representation of landscape.
Abstract This paper discusses the "Heart of the Andes," a landscapepainting done by the great Hudson River School artist, Frederic Edwin Church. This paper places the work in the context of the painter's entire career, while focusing on the importance this work had at the time. Church's early life is discussed, including the influence of Thomas Cole and others. A description of the work is included.
From the Paper "Frederic Edwin Church was one of the leaders of the Hudson River School of painting, and whose greatest success was Heart of the Andes. Church is the most grandiloquent and vivid American landscape painter whose greatest works inspired awe about natural wonders and their splendor and who carried forward the "manifest destiny" of the wilderness. His large canvases are noted for the accuracy and clarity of the scenery portrayed."
Tags: america, art, cole, destiny, edwin, history, hudson, landscape, manifest, painting, paintors, river, school, south, survey, thomas
Abstract The paper indicates the advantages of the subfield of landscape geography that is distinct from other sub-disciplines, discussing two Ontario examples that reveal how landscapes can shape more than one culture according to human relationships. The paper presents research/fieldwork towards inner city Toronto's landscape shaping 'homeless' culture and also how the Muskoka landscape influences local and visiting cultures. The paper examines how it is the same landscape but different phenomena, due to use/economic interaction with an environment.
From the Paper "The study of landscape geography has involved a long struggle to distinguish its subject matter and approaches from those of physical geography. Landscape geographers make much not of local details within phenomena, but towards a good deal of theory to do with both a landscape's influence on culture and the aesthetics of geography. In some respects, landscape geography is like the study of ecology in attention to soil types, vegetation and the effects of land formations or waterways. There is much in common with fields of historical and human geography, too, in the attention given habitation, patterns of settlement or how local cultures have been influenced by terrain and climate."
Abstract This paper answers several questions about gardens and landscape architecture, beginning with the mythology of the Garden of Eden, which is depicted as nature and human life in an unsullied form, not yet marked by sin and with the different species living in complete harmony. According to this paper, it is harmony that is the hallmark of the garden at this stage, and the garden in Western culture is often seen as a locale to which the individual can return to capture some of that sense of a connection to the natural world and a link to God.
From the Paper "The Garden of Eden is depicted as nature and human life in an unsullied form, not yet marked by sin and with the different species living in complete harmony. Indeed, it is harmony that is the hallmark of the garden at this stage, and the garden in Western culture is often seen as a locale to which the individual can return to capture some of that sense of a connection to the natural world and a link to God. In Christian mythology, Sin is the daughter of Satan, but she will also bear him a son, Death."
Abstract The recent discovery of the polychrome paintings of the Olmec civilization in the caves of Oxtotitlan has a number of scholars searching for answers. The paper shows that some of the paintings are quite substantial in size and unfortunately the presence of tourists and exposure to the elements are beginning to have a negative effect on the paintings. The paper shows that the use of the cave as a place to hold religious ceremonies may be causing the most damage to these paintings.
Abstract This research paper examines and analyzes the history of painting in the twentieth century in the British Isles. The work of English artists such as Roger Hilton, Terry Frost, Adrian Ryan, Stanley Spencer, Victor Pasmore, and Laurence Stephen Lowry are assessed.
Abstract This paper explores the various aspects of digital painting enhancement from ethical concerns to techniques. The paper looks at how digital enhancement allows the artist to go beyond the limitations of the brush, bringing a new dimension to art. The paper contends digital enhancement should be considered as just another tool for the artist to use.
From the Paper "Every time technology moves ahead, invading the world of art, we are presented with exciting new opportunities along with difficult challenges. Such is the case with the advent of digitally enhanced painting. Digital enhancement allows us to push the envelope, invent new forms of expression, add rich dimension to old forms and step into the refreshing world of the unexplored. Although digital enhancement is resisted by some people for what are probably excellent reasons, it is embraced by others for reasons just as laudable..."
Abstract This paper describes the life of the Dutch artist Jacob van Ruisdael, from his time as an apprentice to his death. The paper analyzes his work through the motifs and quality of his paintings, and the progression of his career as an artist is one of the main themes. The paper comments that individual paintings are analyzed, including "Jewish Cemetery", "Landscape with a Cottage and Trees", "Dunes", "Wheat Fields", "Waterfall in a Rocky Landscape", and his etching "The Rustic Cottage".
From the Paper "Jacob van Ruisdael is believed to have been born in 1628 in Haarlem - one of the centers of Dutch art at the time. From Haarlem came such artists as Frans Hals, Philips Wouwerman, Adriaen van Ostade and of course Jacob van Ruisdael himself. In the early life of Jacob van Ruisdael he is believed to have lived with his father, Isaak de Goyer, who later changed his name to Ruisdael and also was an artist. Though there exists no concrete evidence of any of the art of Issak de Goyer, there does exist proof that Salomon van Ruisdael, a minor landscapist and Jacob's uncle, served as Jacob van Ruisdael's art instructor. In 1646 Jacob van Ruisdael painted his earliest dated picture entitled "Landscape with a Cottage and Trees" and almost immediately garnered attention. "
Abstract This paper discusses Albert Bierstadt's art and describes how his paintings depict the landscapes and environments of the United States West in their most idyllic and archetypal form. The paper describes some of Bierstadt's specific paintings and provides an appendix with copies of the paintings for the reader to view. The paper suggests that Bierstadt held a bombastic mentality as he profited and helped forge the New Eden image of the soon to be conquered American West.
Table of Contents:
Cultivating His Landscapes Bierstadt's New Eden
Bierstadt as Spokesman for Manifest Destiny
From the Paper "Bierstadt was a product of his time, a true purveyor of Manifest Destiny and profiteer over the national drive westward. By all accounts, he had no evil intent nor was he a morally bad figure. It is with the aid of historical perspective that we may see how his individual works and success played a role in the paradigm of the American West. His pervasive advertisement of a New Eden was merely one part among many in the schema of mid-19th century American society and politics. Indian Canoe is a testament to the repercussions of zealotry and the dehumanization of those who stand before faith. The weight of all humanity's consciousness is heavier for it."
Abstract This paper examines two untitled paintings, painted by Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1981. It first discusses a painting of an abstract landscape split vertically down the center by a thin red line. The paper then discusses the second painting - an ecstatically colorful portrait of a solitary male figure. The paper discusses the meaning in each painting.
From the Paper "What one finds, when examining both the paintings discussed here, is that they are emblematic of one of the main themes running throughout Basquiat's oeuvre - man's conflict between nature and culture. In the first painting, the human figure is conspicuously absent. But a number of tools and vehicles that man's development has relied upon over the years - from the hammer to the airplane - form the nexus of the painting. In this regard, the absence of a human figure is haunting. It infers that the tools that we have invented in the name of progress very well may outlast us in our ongoing struggle to master the natural world."
Abstract This paper examines how, while much of art progressed toward abstraction in the early part of the twentieth century, Regionalist painting continued relatively the same. One artist, Stuart Davis, spear-headed the movement to paint the American scene in a imaginative new way. It looks at how one of his works, "Landscape with Garage Lights," is a prime example of this progression of art and how it proved to be a new benchmark in Regionalist painting. It also shows how, by rejecting earlier traditionalist beliefs and embracing modern influences, he comments on the urban American life with abstract forms and highly saturated colors, creating a truly unique and upbeat work of art.
From the Paper "Matisse and the emergence of jazz also influenced Davis. Matisse helped pioneer the use of highly saturated colors in his works, and this concept did not go unnoticed by Davis. Although these saturated colors did not truly represent any real landscape, that did not stop Davis from making use of them. In Landscape with Garage Lights there are strong reds, oranges, blues, and greens. Every color seems to be of the variety that a child could easily pull out of his/her small box of Crayola crayons. However, this assortment of primary colors causes the work to evoke an upbeat response. This upbeat response can be compared to the rise of jazz music during the period. Jazz was a new, experimental, and colorful way to write and play music."
Tags: art, ashcan, regionalism, abstract, matisse, color
Abstract This paper looks at Millet's painting, which is more than the simple, decorative landscape it may appear to be on first examination. It shows that it is a work by an artist whose painting of rural and peasant scenes had made him successful.
From the Paper "The rough, contorted path, passing through a narrow gateway to the haven of the Priory which links earth to heaven can be seen as a representation of the path of the soul through earthly labors to ultimate salvation; it is also a powerful reminder of the earthy quality of ordinary peoples' lives in rural France, with the mud and stones standing for the material conditions of their lives in which they were trapped. There is thus a social criticism present in this work as well as a spiritual message. The domination of earth over sky in terms of the area of the painting it occupies would seem to underline this aspect of the painting. However the placing of the Priory and the relative brightness of the sky, the sense of space conveyed by the sea and sky in the upper portion of the painting, contrasting so sharply with the quite congested an claustrophobic atmosphere of the earthy lower portion, suggests strongly the presence of salvation and hope. In that sense the Priory stands for the enduring qualities of the human soul and its unquenchable potential for salvation. From bottom to top, the picture goes from dark to light, and from earth to heaven. It is, in the final analysis, a landscape of hope."
