This paper critiques two paintings by American artists: Thomas Hart Benton's "June Morning" (1945) and Frederick Carl Frieske's "Before Her Appearance" (1913).
1,155 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 0 sources, 2004, $ 39.95
Abstract This paper first describes Thomas Hart Benton's "June Morning" by explaining that the curvilinear forms and the realistic details accentuate this typical rural scene. The paper then critiques American Impressionist, Frederick Carl Frieske's "Before Her Appearance", which is a delicate portrait of a young ballerina applying the final touches to her make-up before going on stage. The paper points out that the painter is trying to evoke a feeling of naivet? with this young woman by using mottled details, which bring softness to the scene.
From the Paper "The flowering bushes appear to be doing well in the arid conditions as evidenced by the grass. Pink clusters of flowers adorn the bushes at the left foreground. White flowers, tinged with yellow, grow from a bush, out of the top of the hill in the right foreground. Aged and weathered wooden slats lie askew at the bottom of the bush, accented by rounded boulders. The three slats are broken and laying at odd angles, as if possibly a wheelbarrow or cart broke along the roadside at this spot, and the owner just left it for time to dispose of."
Abstract This paper considers the origins of the 18th century Rococo style of art. It also considers the similarities and the differences in French and Italian Rococo styles, the changes that occurred as the style spread to Germany and Austria, and the end of the Rococo form of artwork.
From the Paper "As is true of so much of artistic enterprise, Rococo art began as a reaction to what had come before it, and so it is impossible either to appreciate or to understand Rococo art without understanding at least in some measure the Baroque aesthetics that Rococo artists set themselves up against. While the Baroque covers a range of different sub-styles and competing schools, Baroque art (especially painting and sculpture) as well as architecture was distinguished by a general sense of vitality and an emphasis on creating the illusion of movement."
Abstract This paper looks at how the outdoor labyrinth at the Grace Cathedral mimics the design of the archetypal 13th century labyrinth at the Chartres Cathedral in France. The author points out that the terrazzo in the Grace Cathedral provides a cold, hard and unyielding counterpart to the otherwise rosaceous, curvilinear, forgiving labyrinthine pattern and the open-air setting suggests nature worship, inviting visitors to contemplate spiritual truths outside of the confines of a religious building. The paper concludes that the Grace labyrinth exemplifies the interfaces between nature and art, between decoration and art and between structural and artistic forms.
From the Paper "The space in which the Grace Cathedral labyrinth is contained is expansive yet it is also contained within a definite boundary. On the property of the Church, the labyrinth is nevertheless accessible at all hours of the day. Open hours mirror the open setting and open air. Because the labyrinth is on terrazzo, it feels distinctly man-made. It doesn't feel natural at all; it has no connection with the feeling of running through the woods or hiking. Having to remain in the lines and only go forward is one of the labyrinth's paradoxes: it is curvilinear and seemingly loose but it is also tight and restrictive."
