Abstract Pablo Picasso, one of the most famous artists in the history of art, was greatly concerned with social justice and the condition of man, becoming a self-avowed communist early on. This paper shows that Picasso continued to produce works of art throughout his lifetime, frequently returning to basic themes to which he continually brought new insights and methods of conveyance. The paper shows that by the time of his death at age 92, Picasso had left an indelible mark on the world of art, ensuring his place in history.
From the Paper "During his lifetime, Picasso went through a number of developmental stages including his aptly named blue, rose and Negro periods. Picasso borrowed artistic elements and gained artistic influence from varying persons and cultures, bringing them all together to create something that was uniquely his own. With Georges Braque, Picasso is credited with founding the cubist movement, in addition to being the originator of collage artwork. Picasso worked in a wide array of artistic mediums, with a seemingly boundless range and reach. While many of the themes Picasso addressed in his artwork were similar to those seen in classical painting (portraits, still lifes, landscapes, literary themes, old masters, love and death, joy and suffering, etc.) he is credited with having paved the way for art to move toward the more abstract, subliminal and subconscious. Picasso broke down convention, creating something new and revolutionary to take its place."
Abstract This paper examines how, in the 16th century during the height of the Italian Renaissance, the art that was created in the city of Venice symbolized a strong, independent, and influential school all its own, which was touched only very slightly by the ideals and fashions of Mannerism that swept Western Europe. It looks at how, within this highly independent school, numerous painters emerged as a group to set the precedents of Venetian art. In particular, it studies the utilization of color in the works of the artists Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese.
From the Paper "As most art historians and scholars would heartily agree, Titian, the quintessential Venetian painter, consistently provided the basic framework upon which he explored and utilized color to its utmost limits. By brushing on his colors layer after layer and building up structures within the pigments, Titian produced ?brilliant depths, lights and darks that seem to glow from within the canvas, and the flesh of his figures takes on the tone and illusion of true life.? 4 Yet as an artist, Titian was also doing something else, namely that he was organizing masses of color on his canvases that in the end were always extremely exciting to behold."
Abstract This paper is an analysis of the works of painter Marc Chagall and their significance in the history of 20th century art. It also evaluates the dominance of Clement Greenberg as a critic of the modern art movement, specifically in relation to the paintings of Marc Chagall.
From the Paper "Modernism, as defined by Clement Greenberg, is, in its ideal form, the combination of technique and subject matter to create artwork that challenges past conventions and to create art for art's sake. According to this definition, there exist many artists that are, by their existence and work within the late nineteenth to mid-twentieth century, artists of Modernity who receive little attention in the study of Modernism due to the fact that they do not follow the traditional progression as described by Greenberg. It is because of this that a distinction is recognized between Modernity, the period that encompasses modern art without regard to preconceived notions of form or content, and Modernism, which has come to be dominated by Greenberg's view. One such artist who may be a victim of the dominance of Greenbergian Modernism is Marc Chagall, who's use of abstract techniques in combination with a goal of figurative or narrative illustration marks him as a mere detour in the progression of Greenberg's Modernism. Through analysis of form and content, one realizes that room must be left for interpretation in defining the highly dynamic period of the early to mid-twentieth century art world, lest the works of artists such as Chagall be ignored in the study of Modernity for their inability to be categorized by Greenburg's concept of progression."
Abstract This paper is written about famous women and immigrants. From the beginning of American history women have played an active role in seeking rights for immigrants, African Americans, and their own rights.
Abstract The paper provides a brief biography of the life of Vincent Van Gogh, famous Dutch painter. Thereafter, it reviews four of his most famous paintings, "Self Portrait, 1886", "The Potato Eaters", "Starry Night" and "Wheat Field with Crows".
From the Paper "This final painting is arguably one of van Gogh's most disturbing. He shows three roads moving into a wheat field. It isn?t clear where any of them go. The roads may represent the different directions in which his mind was torn: sanity, insanity, and religion. The sky is active and stormy, and black crows swoop along close to the ground. Many would interpret the crows as symbols of death. There seems no sense of hope in the three opportunities the roads give, and no indication that traveling one would be more satisfying than another. This seems to be true of van Gogh's life: during his periods of sanity he was not successful at most things he attempted, including multiple attempts to develop a satisfying religious career. His religious beliefs seem to have brought him no lasting peace because of the bouts of insanity when his behavior became irrational and even bizarre."
Abstract Painter, sculptor, poet, and architect, Michelangelo dominated the art scene for almost the whole of the 16th century. This paper examines the time in history, known as the High Renaissance, in which Michelangelo created his masterpieces, touching on other painters of the time, such as Leonardo da Vinci. The paper then discusses Michelangelo's biography, patronage, and commissions. Finally, it presents a detailed analysis of "The Creation of Adam", a ceiling centerpiece in the Sistine Chapel.
From the Paper "The artist depicts the sublime act of creating Adam through a simple touch of the finger. A touch, yes, but not completely physical: God's index never touches Adam?s, but let's us imagine God's whole power. Between God's index and Adam's finger, one can see the glitter of a superior will and of a superior power. Symbolically, God is surrounded by angels and by an elliptical mantle that signifies the initial "cosmic Egg" from which everything emerged. One can notice that Adam himself forms an ellipse, but only an incomplete one: he needs God's soul-giving touch for him to complete himself as a being."
Abstract This paper analyzes and reviews the work of Austrian artist, Gustav Klimt, who is considered a leading exponent of Art Nouveau and one of the greatest decorative painters of the 20th century. The paper describes several of Klimt's more famous works of art, explains his artistic style and the themes exhibited in his work, and explains what makes Klimt one of the most prominent artists in the history of erotic art.
From the Paper "The Austrian painter Gustav Klimt (1862-1918), has long been considered the leading exponent of Art Nouveau and one of the greatest decorative painters of the 20th century. His artistic renderings of the female figure and his drawings that pertain to the theme of female sexuality have assured him a place in the history of erotic art. According to George Fliedel, "There is no denying that the erotic represented one of Klimt's most important sources of inspiration" (167), for in his later paintings, sexual subject matter is often concealed beneath a gossamer web of ornament, but in his drawings, the explicitly erotic is constantly evident. Seldom have the themes of sexual coupling and female masturbation been more frequently or more exquisitely portrayed than in a number of Klimt's most famous works of art. Contemporary critics, as well as earlier commentators, have observed that explicitly sexual subjects incited Klimt to produce some of his finest paintings."
Abstract An overview of the life and work of painter and artist, Michelangelo Buonarroti. The paper begins with a description of his early life growing up in Florence, Italy. The paper then looks at the incredible art he produced, including the most famous statue of David, which stands today in Florence. The writer notes the strong influence of religion on all of Michelangelo's work.
From the Paper "Michelangelo is described by many as a genius. Before Michelangelo, there had been nothing like his work. Michelangelo brought a "realism to art, freeing it from the stiff formality of the preceding centuries" (Lace 7). Michelangelo was different because he not only wanted to carve something that was natural looking, but he desired to express emotions in his subjects. His unique style has influenced many artists. In fact, it is noted that artists from all over Europe traveled to Italy just to study his work. In fact, his innovations in architecture are imitated today. His technique is sketching the human body are also imitated by artists. (7) Michelangelo is important because he caused the public to "reevaluate its view of artists"."
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."
Abstract After providing a brief overview of his life, this paper examines five works that demonstrate something of the range of his extraordinary talent and illuminate his almost preternatural ability to depict the condition of the human heart and soul ? whether his own in the many self-portraits he created or in other in the series of studies that made him one of the most popular portrait artists of Amsterdam in his own time.
From the Paper "Rembrandt himself would no doubt have been very pleased to have found out how dominant his own reputation has remained, for he was not an overly shy or modest artist. His life was in fact (especially when he was younger) defined in large measure by his ambition. He wished to be an artist whose work would in time come to rival that of other great Dutch artists such as Peter Paul Rubens. He wished not only to be a fine artist but also a famous one, and while he of course succeeded in achieving the first during his lifetime he in many ways failed to achieve the second. For while he was in demand for many years as a portrait-painter, by the end of his life he had lost many of his former patrons."
This paper describes the life and works of one of mankind's greatest thinkers, dreamers, and artistic visionaries, including lengthy descriptions of his life, major works, inventions and philosophical outlook on life are provided.
Abstract This paper chronicles the life and works of one of history's greatest human beings, Leonard da Vinci. From his birth and early childhood induction into the world of the arts to through to his later years as an inventor, engineer, and humanitarian this paper provides an in depth account of how he became one of history's greatest artists, thinkers, and visionaries. A detailed account is given of several of his most famous painting and sculptures, as well as his more creative and advanced inventions. His personal life is documented as well, from birth to death.
From the Paper "It only takes a single spark to ignite an inferno. In the summer of 1451 outside Florence, Italy, a brief affair between a public notary and local peasant girl would produce a result that would forever impact the human spheres of art and ingenuity. A result powerful enough to move rivers and build castles, yet graceful enough to create indisputable works of artistic genius, and soft enough to display truly naked acts of kindness and compassion. On April 15, 1452, nine months after this affair, the babe Leonardo from the small village Anchiano, near Vinci, was born."
Abstract Laszlo Moholy-Nagy is widely considered to be one of the twentieth century's most important and influential artists. This paper discusses him as a photographer, painter, designer, writer, sculptor printmaker, film-maker and teacher. It shows how his influence reached into many aspects of the arts, from his native Eastern Europe, to the Western part of the Continent, across the Atlantic to the United States. The paper also explains how Moholy-Nagy was an important figure in the Western European Constructivism movement.
From the Paper "Moholy-Nagy was born in 1895 in Baac?s-Borsod, Hungary. He left school in Budapest to fight in World War I in 1916. It is during the war that he began sketching and taking his work as an artist seriously. In 1917, while recovering from a wound, he founded the artist group MA and started a literary magazine called "Jelenkor". In 1919 he moved to Vienna. It was there he began to make photograms and collages."
Tags: art, paint, designer, photographer, hungary, jelenkor, collage, war, sketch
Abstract This paper examines the work and style of two famouspainters, Pablo Picasso, best known for his high abstractions of the Cubist painting style and Salvador Dali, one of the most important leaders of the Surrealist movement. It discusses how they have influenced a wide range of artists and are today considered as the quintessential examples of twentieth century art. It illustrates, through examples of their work, how Picasso as an artist was highly imaginative and original and borrowed heavily from many historical examples which aided him in developing new painting styles. Salvador Dali, like many of his surrealist contemporaries, sought inspiration from a love for fantasy and studied the writings of Sigmund Freud regarding the human subconscious mind which inspired him to "systemize confusion" through his paintings.
From the Paper "The Cubism style of painting as practiced by Pablo Picasso is best represented by his Accordionist (1911, oil on canvas), a construction of large intersecting planes that suggest the forms of a man with his instrument. Host of smaller shapes, each a simplification of some aspects of the original subject, hover in and interpenetrate the larger planes. The total effect is that of a new kind of pictorial reality. The viewer is no longer obligated to contemplate merely a man playing an accordion, but is allowed to explore the canvas and probe its myriad of objects that have been disintegrated and then reintegrated which offers a great variety of views from many different angles and tangents."
Abstract This paper begins by providing a brief biography of Manet. It looks at the style of his first artwork and then discusses two of his famous paintings. The first is "Luncheon on the Grass" painted in 1863 and the second is "Olympia" painted in the same year. The paper then looks at how his art changed towards the end of his life.
From the Paper "The great painter Edouard Manet, born on January 23, 1832 in Paris has always been recognized with the "Impressionists". He mostly preferred to exhibit his work in the exhibitions that were more moderate and sponsored by the French government. Though, he learned traditional style painting, but his experience with Claude Monet and the other "Impressionists," made his work more natural and spontaneous by using meaningful outlines, severe lighting contrasts, with daring colors and rich texture to depict the world around him (Gray, 1983).
Although, he was well educated, yet did not excel within the academic atmosphere and instead showed interest towards drawing and the arts. After serving in the merchant marines in 1850, Manet joined the studio of Thomas Couture and studied until 1856. There the old masters, especially Velazquez and Goya, influenced him. However, he opined that art of one should always reveal and indicate ideas and ideals of the present instead of the past (Gray, 1983).'
Abstract Pablo Picasso has been, without question, the single most influential artist of the early 20th century, both as a public figure and an artist. He has been credited, along with Braque, for the creation of Cubism, and his work in every other genre set the bar for his contemporaries. This paper shows that Picasso's styles, over the course of his eighty-year-long career, ranged from Neo-classicism to Cubism to Neo-expressionism. His work even influenced the great abstract painters. His work was always genius and usually controversial. The paper shows that, while his work has been accepted by the mainstream, his life remains controversial to this day.
From the Paper "External strife was also a muse for many of his greatest political works. During his Blue era, he painted the outcasts of society. When his beloved France was plunged into war, he painted one of his greatest masterpieces, the Guernica. This giant mural commemorated the slaughter of his people and condemned the rising fascist movement. He remained artistically active when Paris was over-run by the Nazis as well. While he was regularly questioned by them, and his art decried by the Nazi Party as degenerate, he was strangely never arrested or detained."
