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 The Romantic Age was an age in which artists employed many different techniques to create certain effects and feelings in their paintings. This paper focuses on some of the key pieces of art from the Romantic Age and analyzes each painting to reveal its true meaning and explain what aspects of each painting make it a Romantic work of art. It also examines how each painting reflects a certain aspect of both European and world culture at the time. This includes social, economical, and political aspects of life. The paintings include "The Raft of Medusa" by Theodore Gericault and "Hunting in the Pontine Marshes" by Florace Vernet.
From the Paper "One painting, The Raft of Medusa, by Theodore Gericault, is a painting of a small raft that is afloat in the sea which is covered with people sprawled out over the raft. There is a wide range of emotions shown by the people floating on the raft, as some are waving a white flag trying to catch the attention of a passing ship in the far distance, to the dead bodies of those not fortunate enough to make the journey on board the raft. In fact the range of emotions seems to follow a pattern from the top right to the bottom left. In the top right a ship can be seen very far off in the distance, which symbolizes the chance of rescue. Then moving downward and leftward there are a couple people trying to get the attention of the ship. Then there are some people who seem rather indifferent and are standing about, then there are people who seem worried, which gradually advances to into mourning, some people have their hands clasped over their faces, and finally there are the sick and then the dead. The elements of art which are important in this painting are line, space, and color. The line in this painting by Gericault is much defined by the way he outlines the bodies and faces to shape their expressions. Gericault also uses symbolism, using people to represent possible human emotions for dealing with such an event, and he expresses individualism by showing almost each person with their own emotion. Finally he uses the horizon very well by giving the painting a sense of depth."
Abstract This paper explains that Claude Monet's "Water Lily" paintings represent plein-air painting, meaning they were painted outside the confines of the studio, which relates directly to the Impressionistic mode of thinking about art. The author points out that Claude Monet emphasized the visual experience of the sensuously immediate, producing a new kind of art from an unacknowledged, yet most commonplace, kind of visual experience called "the glance". The paper relates that these later Monet paintings are akin to the Abstract Expressionism of Jackson Pollack and Abstractionists like Kandinsky because, in essence, the later water lily paintings are abstract in their concentration on flow, color texture, and movement.
Table of Contents
Monet and Impressionism
Giverney and the Water Lilies
"Water Lilies"
Importance
Figure 1: "Water Lilies" ("The Clouds")
Figure2: "Water Lilies" (1906)
Figure 3: "Waterlilies, Green Reflection, Left Part" (1916-1923)
Figure 4: "Water Lilies" (1907)
Figure 5: Bridge at Giverney. "Le Bassin aux Nympheas"
From the Paper "In art historical terms Monet was the heir to a departure in style and content in 19th Century painting and was one of the instigators of the new school of French landscape painting. Monet's earlier work signals a break from the past conflict in art between line and color as the dominant aspects of painting. He also began his painting career in an atmosphere which no longer felt bound to paint from a religious and mythological basis - which had previously been seen as essential elements of artistic creation. This meant that the artist felt free to explore new and more expressive methods of artistic creation and "they no longer troubled themselves about composing pictures based on geometric principles. They continued to compose, of course, but they chose their patterns with an eye to pictorial rhythm, and were thereby led to seek out new rhythms."
Abstract This paper discusses the global commodity of paint. It first discusses the history of the use of paint and how Plato revolutionized the concept of mixing together two primary colors to create a third, different, color. Next, the paper follows the development of the manufacturing of paint from ingredients of nature to synthetic paints. The paper then examines the components and technology used today to manufacture paint.
From the Paper "The chemical complexity of today's paints lends them to even broader markets than ever imagined. There exist today clear paints that can be used in covering plastics that protect but at the same time offer translucency ("Historical Context"). Also there are paints that add color to a product but can later be washed off with water. Oils, acrylics, watercolors, primers, sealers, latex, alkyd, flat, satin and gloss; these are all words used to describe the types of paint and their attributes in today's market. No matter what your project there exists a paint that will contribute to it and through the advancement of technology the market will continue to broaden."
Abstract This paper analyzes this famous painting. It takes the reader on an historic journey through Van Gogh's life and how this painting reflects something personal as it is a portrait of his good friend's wife. Points analyzed about the painting include color, texture, light, technique, figure style, artistic composition and symbolism.
From the Paper "La Berceuse is a portrait of Van Gogh postman's wife Augustine Roulin in 1889. It is one of the seventeen series of portraits that included his postman, Joseph Roulin and his three children. Van Gogh struck up a friendship with the Roulins while his stay in Arles and painted them more often than anyone other than himself thus revealing that Van Gogh had a soft corner for the Roulin family and more so for Joesph Roulin himself given the fact that Joesph had a certain tenderness for him as evident from one of Van's letters to his brother Theo. Van Gogh was indebted to the Roulins in more ways than one as they readily welcomed him into their home and took care of him when he was hospitalized for cutting off his earlobe during a quarrel with another artist, Paul Gaugin. Van Gogh repaid them for their kindness by doing numerous portraits of the Roulin family."
The comparison of the styles of two paintings - Vincent Van Gogh's "Woman with a Spade as Seen from Behind" and "'The Shop Girl" by Jacques-Joseph Tissot.
Abstract This paper compares the differing styles of these two artists. Both painting were of women but the writer shows how Van Gogh's is of a woman working in the field while Tissot's painting depicts elegant women in a shop. Even though they were painted in similar time frames, the latter painting is of a modern culture greatly ignored by Van Gogh in his works.
From the Paper "Vincent Van Gogh is a master artist whose works have fascinated the society for decades. The manner in which he portrays his subjects and the deliberation of each stroke gives a life like result that is a pleasure to see. Vincent Van Gogh went through life searching for the elusive perfection that he could capture on canvas. Though many would say that his works are itself a perfect presentation, Van Gogh proved to be his own biggest critic. He stated in one his Letter 257 c. January 3, 1883, "By working hard, old man, I hope to make something good one day. I haven't yet, but I am pursuing it and fighting for it..." thus were immortalizing his own life. We could have aptly used these words to write his eulogy for the search for something better is what he portrays on canvas."
Abstract This paper analyzes American impressionist, William Merritt Chase's painting, "The Nursery". It explains that it represents Chase's mid-career work and argues that the painting is less full of movement, and less stylistically dazzling than the work of French impressionists in the generation before. The author describes that the painting is however, full of the quiet intensity that marked so much of American painting at the end of the 19th Century.
From the Paper "William Merritt Chase, like most American Impressionists is less well known than his French colleagues of the same school, but paintings of his such as "The Nursery" remind us that Chase like other American Impressionists created works of both subtlety and ..."
Tags: impressionism, realism, American painting, Chase
Abstract This paper analyzes of Leutze's painting, "Washington Crossing the Delaware". It looks at the painting through different means, such as line, space, texture, color and overall composition. The paper describes the painting as historical in nature, detailing the Washington's involvement in the American Revolution, as well as an effective painting utilizing space, color and the emotions of the period.
From the Paper "Washington Crossing the Delaware: A Formal Analysis Emmanuel Gottlieb Leutze painted Washington Crossing the Delaware in 1851, which is now on exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the American Wing. It is an oil painting on canvas, and is a fairly large piece, 12 2/5 x 21 1/4. The painting is historical in theme, detailing the moment that General George Washington guided American revolutionary forces across the Delaware River for a surprise attack the day after Christmas in the year 1776. The history painting shows Washington and troops in a boat, crossing the river. Washington and the American flag play a central role in the piece about the Battle of Trenton. "
This paper compares the two Renaissance art pieces, "Mars and Venus United by Love" (c. 1570) painted by Paolo Veronese and "The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes" (c. 1545-50) painted by Tintoretto.
Abstract Some painting styles are associated with certain regions and certain time periods, and in the Renaissance, artists from certain cities would express their version of a style and even a subject matter. Two such instances from the Venetian area in the sixteenth century are discussed in this paper, both at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The first is "Mars and Venus United by Love" (c. 1570) painted by Paolo Veronese, a mythological subject; and the second is "The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes" (c. 1545-50) painted by Tintoretto (Jacopo Robusti).
From the Paper " Mars is identified by his armaments, though in this case he is identified primarily by the uniform he wears and by the helmet that is on the ground by his feet. His sword is being used by one of the cupids, who used it to keep the horse to the right from moving forward. The weight of the painting shifts the eye to the left side of the frame, as does the lighter coloring of Venus's skin and her chemise, which is tossed across a wall. Against her skin, the darker head of Mars is framed as he gazes down at the Cupid who is tying Venus's leg to that of Mars, suggesting that the title of the painting is to be taken literally. Venus is also watching her Cupid with some indulgence as the knot is tied. The three primary figures in the painting, then, are all shifted to the left, and the way the two principals are gazing forward at the Cupid in the lower left corner causes the viewer as well to shift his or her eyes in that direction and so to see the tying of the knot, the central action of the painting. Additionally, the curve of Mars's back as he leans to the left matches the slight shift of Venus's body to the right to form an arch over the Cupid. Mars holds a dark cloak, which drapes across Venus's lap, and the darkness of the cloak allows the whiteness of Venus's leg and Cupid's skin and wings to stand out even more in the lower corner."
Tags: style subject venetian, sixteenth century, regions
Abstract The writer looks at four paintings in this paper - "View of Toledo" by El Greco, "Saint-Sever, Rouen" by Camille Pissarro, "Waverly Place" and "Nedick"s? by Richard Estes. The writer shows how these paintings encompass not only the artistic ideals of the painters but also show how the genre of cityscape painting has changed over the years, beginning with the early Renaissance style and into the twentieth century.
From the Paper "The Spanish painter El Greco (1547-1614), born as Domenicos Theotokopoulos in Crete, emigrated to Italy as a young man and was trained in the traditions of Late Byzantine frescoes and mosaics. While still young, El Greco went to Venice where he became attached with Titian and later left for Spain to spend the rest of his life in Toledo. His artistic style is a strong personal blend of Late Byzantine and Late Italian Mannerist elements yet his strong sense of movement and use of light prefigures the Baroque period. As pointed out by Horst de la Croix, "El Greco's art is not strictly Spanish, though it appealed to certain segments of that society, for it had no Spanish antecedents and had little effect on future Spanish painting" (598)."
This paper analyzes "The Peale Family" painted by Charles Wilson Peale (1773 &1809. The New York Historical Society) and "The Bellini Family" painted by Edgar Degas (1859. Musee d'Orsay).
900 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 2 sources, 2002, $ 35.95
Abstract This paper uses the strategies that are part of critiquing in the book "Humanities through the Arts" by F. David Martin and Lee Jacobus. Paris). The author praises "The Peale Family" painted by Charles Wilson Peale, but "The Bellini Family" painted by Edgar Degas, although beautiful in its own way, is subjected to conflicting criticism. The paper explains that, by observing the line, color, and artistic agenda of each of these painters, we can critique them along the guidelines offered by Martin in his book.
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 landscape painting, that Xie Ling-yun's poem plays with, and is juxtaposed against, the generic rules of landscape painting. 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 landscape painting.
A comparative analysis of Salvador Dali's paintings entitled "On Paranoiac Critical Town" and "Slave Market with the Apparition of the Invisible Bust of Voltaire".
1,400 words (approx. 5.6 pages), 3 sources, 2002, $ 53.95
Abstract This paper will discuss two paintings of Salvador Dali entitled "On Paranoic Critical Town" and "Slave Market with the Apparition of the Invisible Bust of Voltaire". Some of the paintings will be critiqued and reveal how they were made, as well as a background that will include the sources of inspiration from within the author about them. By analyzing these two paintings we can compare why they were made and how they are similar and how they differ.
