Versailles : The Hall of Mirrors

Walking into Versailles you will first find the sculpture Apollon by Jean Raon. This is not the only depiction of the sun god since Louis XIV closely identified with Apollo. This sculpture being in a nook suggests that it was not made to be viewed in the round. The form has so much contrapposto that if it was not for the support of the lyre the sculpture may have fallen over. The deeply carved lines into the clothing makes them more pronounced and their is a great amount of attention shown to the musculature of Apollo.
This attention to detail could only be expected after Jean Raon being trained by his master mason father and having attended the French Academy. Raon also studied three years in Rome supported by Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture and upon his return began working at Versailles. Raon was continuously employed by Louis XIV to work on Charles Le Brun's sculpture, architecture, and landscape ideas until 1699. He then went onto be a member of the Royal Academy and became a professor in 1690.

Citations:
Chateau de Versailles. en.chateauversailles.fr. Chateau de Versailles, n/a. Web. 2 July 2013.
J. Paul Getty Museum. www.getty.edu. The Getty Museum, n/a. Web. 2 July 2013.

Golden Rose of Minucchio da Siena

This Golden Rose is one of three left in the world. Golden Roses were mentioned as far back as the 11th century and out of hundreds made this is the oldest one. Although, part of the Catholic faith, the ceremony of giving the rose has managed to stay the same over centuries. Every year on the 4th Sunday of Lent the Pope offers the rose to a sanctuary, king, queen, or distinguished individual as a sign of special devotion. The 4th Sunday of Lent is called Laetare in Latin. It is a time where in the middle of fasting the rules could be lightened and the cloth on the alter would be changed to be a rose color.
This particular rose was commissioned by Pope John XXII in 1330. He gave it to Rodophe Nidau III who had previously shown devotion towards the Pope. Nidau helped him settle a dispute with Emperor Louis of Bavaria. The Cluny gallery was also able to find the goldsmith who made this rose. His name was Minucchio. He was a member of Sienese artists in what was 14th century Avignon.


Citations:
National Museum of the Middle Ages. www.musee-moyenage.fr. Hotel de Cluny, n/a. Web. 2 July 2013.Rock, P.M.J. "Golden Rose." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 6. New York: R
obert Appleton Company, 1909. 4 Jul. 2013 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06629a.htm>.

Champs Elysees : Arc de Triumph

The Arc de Triumph sits on the western end of the Champs Elysees built in honor of those who fought for France. Generals names and the Wars fought are engraved on the Arc, and the unknown soldier and memorial flame are placed underneath it. The four sculpture groups were done by James Pradier, Antoine Etex, Jean-Pierre Cortot, and Francois Rude: La Marseillaise.

The Arc was built between 1806 and 1836 and even though it was originally commissioned by Napoleon the Arc was turned into a memorial for soldiers, especially for those who served under him. Now not only is the Arc de Triumph a memorial for one thing but a memorial for all unknown or unidentified soldiers and each day the Memorial flame is rekindled at 6:30 since 1923. On top of that it has now become a key element is all National Holidays for France. 

It is also a piece of art. The four depictions of the figures have high amounts of detail and express strong emotion. It is said that Francois Rude's sculpture, The Departure of the Volunteers, is the most celebrated. After all it is Winged Victory leading the young and old into battle, seeming to promise that they will have victory.

Citations:

Arc de Triumph Paris. www.arcdetriompheparis.com. Arc de Triumph Paris, n/a. Web. 2 July 2013.

Mathieu Bock-Cote. identitenational.canalblog.com. National Identity, 20 Sept 2008. Web. 2 July 2013.

Pont Neuf : Boat Cruise

Pont Neuf meaning new bridge is the oldest bridge in Paris. The idea of the bridge was conceived by Henri II, the first stone was set by his son, it wasn't until Henri IV that work fully resumed and the bridge was finally opened on June 20, 1603. Right away the bridge was considered a central feature of royal architecture.
Parisians were also fans of the new bridge because even though it was made wide enough for houses none were allowed to be built. It gave them a chance to see the Seine in a new way and created a new place for socialization. Mainly the houses were kept off the bridge because Henri IV had just invested in the Louvre and wanted to keep a clear view of the museum.
Pont Neuf was designed and built by a team of 5 architects. The designs even had to be changed at one point giving the bridge five arches on one side and seven on the other with Jews Island as a middle point. Even with all the information that is known about Pont Neuf, historians are still asking questions about the faces underneath. There are 381 stone heads, each one making a different face; yet two stand out, appearing to be caricatures, possibly of his mistress.

Citations:
Marie de Paris. www.paris.fr. Paris, 09 Nov 2007. Web. 1 July 2013.
Victoria Yonkova. www.urbanghostsmedia.com. Urban Ghosts, 30 Oct 2012. Web. 1 July 2013.
n/a. www.fromparis.com. From Paris, n/a. Web. 1 July 2013.

The Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower was designed by Gustave Eiffel and construction began in 1887. It was supposed to be done to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the French Revolution so it was finished in two years, two months, and five days. Right after its completion many Parisians did not like the Tower. They thought that it was ugly and would fall down if their was a bad storm. It was originally scheduled to be moved, but it became useful as a spot for an antenna. 

The tower has 1710 steps to the top, though visitors are only allowed to climb to the 2nd floor. It also takes 60 tons of paint to cover the whole tower which happens every seven years. It takes 25 painters 15-18 months to complete the job. In between the day it was opened to the public and now the Eiffel Tower and the Parisians have had some history making moments. Hilter visited the tower and was not able to go up because the lift was "broken". Also a man slid from level one to ground on a bike in 1923. Today the Eiffel Tower is a very safe and admired success with over 7 million visitors annually. 

Citations:

Paris Attractions. www.ieiffeltower.com. Paris Attractions, n/a. Web. 1 July 2013.

Eiffel Tower. www.tour-eiffel.fr. La Tour Eiffel, n/a. Web. 1 July 2013.

Container Zero : Centre Georges Pompidou

Container Zero by Jean Pierre Raynaud does not always have a print of a skull inside of it. Since 1988 Raynaud has filled this 3x3 meter container with various artworks of his. The tiles are 15x15cm and except for the light the unit never changes.
Originally Raynaud had a degree in Horticulture, but he abandon the line of work and produced his first artwork in 1962. Most of his artworks have flower pots that are filled with cement rendering them useless. This could be a symbol for him feeling that his life or his existence doesn't work in the world.
This piece could be symbolic in two possible ways. A skull could mean that Raynaud, 74 years old, is now considering the possibility of his own death. Or it is a direct statement about him musing about death in general. He talks about how when choosing the tile inside this box he went to a hospital and morgue to make sure that they used a similar tile.
Reynaud's work makes very blunt statements through complex thought. Maybe that is how he's managed to secure a spot in the Centre Georges Pomidou Museum for 25 years now.

Citations:
Palagret. archeologueover-blog.com. Archaeology Daily, Jan 2010. Web. 30 June 2013.
Centre Pompidou. www.cenrepompidou.fr. The Centre Pompidou, n/a. Web. 30 June 2013.
Evene. evene.fr. Geste, n/a. Web. 30 June 2013.

The Notre Dame

Construction of the Notre-Dame first began in 1163 when the first stone was laid. By the 14th century and four builders later it was completed. The Notre-Dame was built in the Early Gothic style having flying buttresses, multiple windows, the architects having figured out all the ways to eliminate the most stone, and having a rose window.
I would give more detail but, for our visit to the Notre-Dame we climbed up the outside. It was 387 steps up through the western facade to come out on top of the church. One thing that I wanted to know about is who designed the gargoyles. As it would turn out, in the 19th century it was noted that the Notre-Dame required extensive repairs and in 1845 Eugene Emmanuel Viollet-Le-Duc took on the task. The restoration took up the rest of Violet-Le-Duc's days. Part of those restorations was to the western facade and that is how the Notre-Dame got its gargoyles. In fact it was once believed that gargoyles would ward off evil spirits, but now days they typically serve as decorative drains on the tops of buildings.


Citations:
Notre-Dame. www.notredamedeparis.fr. Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Paris, n/a. Web. 30 June 2013.

Saint Chapelle

Louis IX had Saint Chappelle built as a personal chapel attached to and for the use of the Royal Court. It was built in the High Gothic period and is often described as fully achieving the Rayonnant style. This included having a rose window, thinning the vertical support system, having large windows, and not being able to tell the triforium from the clerestory. There were goals in the Gothic period like the church feeling like a vehicle to heaven. A bigger goal was for the chapel to not feel as if it was from our world, but instead feel that the space was divine.
Besides the fact that blue paint and gold leafing was tremendously expensive at the time, its use was often a way to symbolize the divine. For example in churches Mary and baby Jesus would have been represented in gold and blue or red and gold so that from any place in the church the viewer would know that it was Mary and Jesus. Such a link is also used for Saint Chappelle to the divine. Another way they created a divine atmosphere was by having stained glass windows create walls of light. At certain times of the day, light would become a materialistic thing thus seeming like it was not part of our world. Saint Chappelle is a great example of High Gothic and Rayonnant Style artwork and architecture.

Citations:
Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. www.britannica.com. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2013. Web. 30 June 2013.
Saint - Chappelle. www.editions.monument-nationaux.fr. The Center of National Monuments, n/a. 30 June 2013.

Eternal Pain : Musee d'Orsay

I was very interested to find out that Eternal Pain by Paul Darde, which I had seen as part of The Angel of the Odd : Dark Romanticism from Goya to Max Ernst exhibit, is a permanent artwork at the Orsay Museum. It was explained in the Dark Romanticism exhibit that this piece along with many others from the 19th century were made to draw in a viewer while disgusting or terrifying them simultaneously. It had been explained that Dark Romanticism was a response to turbulent and fearful times. The artists chose to revive myths, and confront viewers with their fears. These artists would take one fear, such as mortality, and magnify the emotion using their artwork.
This sculpture of Medusa's head resting on a pile of her hair and snakes was one of the 19th century Dark Romanticism artworks. Medusa was the myth of the woman who killed men with her gaze. This artwork turned her into a symbol of mortality. Not only in that she could end another person, but that, even she, was brought to death. Little details like her eyes being wide open, bulging with no pupil and having both hair and snakes sprouting from her head undeniably triggers responses in the viewers mind. Paul Darde wanted the response to be fear and accomplished that exactly.

Citations:
Musee d'Orsay. www.musee-orsay.fr. Musee d'Orsay, n/a. Web. 26 June 2013.
Joanna Ebenstein. morbidanatomy.blogspot.com. Blogger, 12 April 2013. Web. 26 June 2013.

The Winged Victory of Samothrace

Winged Victory or Nike was dug up on the island of Samothrace in 1863 by Charles Champoiseau. She was made during the Hellenistic Period as a commemorative monument and offering to the seafaring gods by the Rhodian people. It is thought that she was made due to a naval victory and put overlooking a Sanctuary of the Great Gods. She was meant to be viewed from the front left side.
Looking at her she is bracing herself into the wind clothes billowing behind her. Originally she would have had one hand raised up to her mouth as to announce why she was made. This piece has a great amount of detail on the left and front further backing up the hypothesis that she was to be seen from that direction. It displays the continuation of the high classical Greek sculpture skills. There is diaphanous drapery used by the Greeks in the high classical period. Deep carvings to create more shadow and a more dramatic form. She was clearly an open form statue by having that step forward and arms out wide. Although, if they had been tucked in or attached maybe her arms would still be there.
There are models and recreations that have been able to be made giving viewers a better idea of what she would have looked like with her head and arms. It has been agreed that she would have been looking straight forward and older models from 2nd BC seem to suggest that she was smiling and greeting the viewers.

Citation:
Astier Marie-Benedicte. www.louvre.fr. Collect and Louvre Palace, n/a. 24 June 2013.

Marianne Hamiaux and Sophie Marmois. www.musee.louvre.fr. Musee de Louvre, Oct 2008. Web. 24 June 2013.

Earthenware Bowl : Victoria and Albert Museum

This bowl was made by Clement Massier in 1871. Massier was from a family of ceramists going back to his great-grandfather before the French Revolution. His family ran a ceramic factory and both he and his brother were taught by an Italian master, Gaetano Gandolfi, who had been employed at the factory. Interestingly enough, Clement made this bowl the same year his father passed and the factory was turned over to him and his brother. For some time they ran the factory together, but eventually Clement embarked out on his own.

Success came easy for him, and by 1884 he had his own factory, a staff of 120, a gallery, and exhibition hall. That same year he began developing luster glazes. He is better known for his work with those glazes and the American Weller Company works with them today.

This bowl is made of earthenware, a clay that normally has a low firing temperature. Consequently the lower temperature also makes it possible for ceramists to have richer colors on their vessels. The pooling of the glaze at the bottom of the bowl backs up this theory, along with what may have been a few bubbles. Having hundreds of years of documented family experience and teachings can be seen in this piece.


Citation:
Victoria and Albert Collection. collections.vam.ac.uk. Victoria and Albert Museum, 2013. Web. 24 June 2013.

Jason Jacques Inc. www.jasonjacques.com. Jason Jacques Inc, n/a. Web. 24 June 2013.

Au Bal - Marguerite de Conflans en Toilette de Ball

This portrait by Edouard Manet shows why it is believed that he crossed the gap between realism and impressionism. During his life Manet considered himself to be a realist painter, but he had a very different style. Often times it was not well received by art critics. It was the younger artists, that became impressionist painters, that liked Manet's work. 

Manet was first taught by Thomas Couture, a realist painter; only Manet quickly switched to his own style once he was on his own. He liked to draw and paint from reality, without thinly layering up the paint. The style he utilized is called alla prima. Part of Manet's style was to let the public see the layers of his painting. Manet was also friends with a photographer and often times this allowed him to capture the moment of what he wanted to paint. 

It is said that Manet used photography as an aid to create portraits. This may have been one of those, since it would appear that the woman is looking over her shoulder for a brief moment. In this painting in-particular you can see the two things that stuck with Manet from his teacher, the use of bold lines, and darker colors. This painting looks more impressionistic since it has more flat areas of color. The only part that is realistic is the attention to proportions of the woman's body. 

Citation
Rabinow, Rebecca. "Édouard Manet (1832–1883)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/mane/hd_mane.htm (October 2004)

Artble. www.artble.com. Artble, n/a. Web. 23 June 2013.

The Samuel Courtauld Trust. www.artandarchitecture.org.uk. The Courtauld Institute of Art, 2013. Web. 23 June 2013.

Blue Whale : The Natural History Museum

A blue whale can live to be 80 years old, yet the one in this picture was only four. She had been stranded on a beach in Ireland. Typically blue whales are about 25 meters long and 100 - 120 tonnes. They feed on krill, and during the summer can consume up to 4 tonnes in a day. Normally they feed alone or in pairs. Larger groups are only seen if there in an abundance of food in one place. Blue whales are the biggest mammal to ever exist on earth; including the dinosaurs. A child could crawl through the blue whale's largest artery with ease and their hearts are around the size of a Volkswagen Beetle.

Sadly Blue Whales are endangered today. In 1931 their slaughter peaked because of industrialization. In one whaling season 26,000 were killed. From 1904 to 1967 260,000 blue whales were taken. In 1966 the hunting of blue whales was banned. 

Today they are still very vulnerable. Any disruption or destruction of their environment could cause their extinction. Their population is increasing by about 7% each year. The mother can only carry one baby at a time for 10-11 months, and maturity is not reached until 7 to 10 years of age. It is a very long road to their secured survival. 

Citation:

Arkive. www.arkive.org. Wildscreen, 2013. Web. 23 June 2013.

BBC. www.bbc.co.uk. BBC, 23 July 2010. Web. 23 June 2013.

Tower Bridge in London

The Tower Bridge was first designed by architects Horace Jones and John Wolfe Barry in 1884. It took eight years, five contractors, and 432 workers to make this 265 meter long bridge. It took 11,000 tons of steel to create the frame work. Originally the bridge was painted brown, but was changed to red, blue, and white to celebrate the Queen's Silver Jubilee.
When the bridge was first operational is would open up to 50 times a day, but now it is on a schedule and opens about 1000 times a year. The bridge opens about 86 degrees and gives a clearance of 45 meters. When first made, the Tower Bridge operated by using steam, even so it only took about a minute for the bridge to raise up.
Tower bridge was made up in Victorian Gothic Style, and Cornish granite and Portland stone were used to make the bridge more appealing. The pointed windows, crosses on the top points, and overall attention to detail reflect the intended Gothic Style. Now days the top walk way is encased in glass allowing for people to see other great monuments around London.

Citation:
Tower Bridge Exhibition. www.towerbridge.org.uk. Tower Bridge, n/a. Web. 23 June 2013.
A View on Cities. www.aviewoncities.com. A View on Cities, 2013. Web. 23 June 2013.

Criminal Government : Saatchi Collection

In 2008 Gosha Ostretsov created this mixed media piece about post Soviet Russia. In each cell there is a human type figure, portrayed in a different way. The first man is the only one who has committed suicide, while the others are bloodied and mutilated. Typically they are described as government officials who have had their humanity taken away, been punished, and pushed to suicide.

It would seem to be that each one of these businessmen have a mask possibly representing the corruption they chose to create. The first one has abandon such a life, deeming it not right or worth it, but perhaps his only escape was death. The man to the right is somehow managing to reach through the wall to grab the first man's mask, possibly to carry on the corruption that other chose to leave. On top of that the four men remaining, two of which are missing their hand or entire arm, have kept their masks on. They have decided to keep doing what they are doing no matter the cost. Perhaps unlike the first man their corruption is deeper or maybe they want to keep living.

The viewer has to wonder if Gosha is depicting what would happen to businessmen while Putin had power or if he is saying that it didn't end with Soviet Russia. 

Citation:

Lupe Nuriez-Fernandez. www.saatchigallery.com. Saatchi Gallery, 2013. Web. 23 June 2013.

Roya Nikkhah. www.telegraph.co.uk. The Telegraph, 18 Nov 2012. Web. 23 June 2013. 

Madame de Pompadour

Madame de Pompadour started out as Louis XV's mistress in 1745 when she caught his attention at a ball. She became one of his preferred mistresses, so much so that he moved her to an apartment above his, connected by a secret stairway. Even so the romantic part of the relationship ended five years later causing her to commission paintings representing friendship and fidelity. This was one of those paintings. Here she is next to a statue meant to represent friendship and is with her pet spaniel.

She switched from mistress to friend retaining the ability to have great influence on the king. All along she had been on good terms with the king's wife and brought ease to his life. As a friend she would present new young women to him, oversee things like construction, and kept an active role in creating entertainment for him. She managed to become a sort of adviser to Louis XV. She stayed next to the king until her death at 42 years old.

Citation:
The Wallace Collection. wallacelive.wallacecollection.org. Wallace Collection, n/a. Web. 23 June 2013.
Chateau de Versailles. en.chateauversailles.fr. Chateau de Versailles, n/a. Web. 23 June 2013.

Street Artist Roa

Street artist Roa is from London, but has left his mark in New York, Paris and more. His murals show animals dead, alive, or almost dead. The top two photos are of one of his newest works in London, April 2013. The cow's head is shown as if it were just severed, starting to slide down while still being held up by the edge of the building, and its eyes open. The animals underneath are shown as being crushed by the weight. 

The third photo is of one of Roa's older paintings. Our tour guide, Karim, said that some of Roa's work is meant to be the animal(s) looking at humans, blaming them for the destruction of their habitat. The bird certainly backs up that claim. This is just one part of the entire mural. Over the expanse of an abandoned brick building the bird is having to weave in and out coming to the point of it looking straight at the viewer. Perhaps saying "Look what you've left". Perhaps the cow's severed head in Roa's newer piece was also because of a human.

There are murals done by Roa through out London that have been "tagged" over also. Karim explained that some street artists feel that Roa is a sell out, and that for Roa it is no longer about the art. To show their contempt they will tag over his pieces as a purposeful sign of disrespect. 

Citation:

Sammy Maine and Alex Williamson. www.creativeblog.com. 18 Jan 2013. Web. 20 June 2013

Vietnam II : Tate Modern

Part of what makes Leon Golub's artwork is the process that he went through to create it. Golub took parts of different photographs and put them onto the canvas creating one flat image out of many. He then would go about outlining, shading, adding layers to create highlights, and adding color to show what was skin, metal, or cloth. After all that he put solvent on the painted areas dissolving the paint and then scraped it away. The process would take about two weeks. Finally he redefined the figures and cut out pieces of the fabric. 

Somehow that process fits what is actually painted. In this painting their is violence, chaos, fear, and the idea of imminent death. Those ideas are as embedded in this painting, as the paint is embedded in the canvas. The paint blotches add panic and the boys face never loses the look of shear terror. 

On the left are American soldiers and on the right are Vietnamese men, woman, and children. The soldiers have an armored vehicle and point two guns at the unarmed people. Golub clearly wants the viewers to side with the helpless people depicted on the right hand side of his painting.  

Leon Golub painted three large artworks in 1973, fueled by the 1972 election of Nixon winning over anti-war supporter George McGovern. Golub had been against the Vietnam conflict for almost a decade by 1973 and had joined anti-war group artists. This was the first time he referenced these modern issues in his artwork. 

Citation:
ABC. www.abc.es. Diario ABC, 05 April 2011. Web. 20 June 2013.

Racheal Taylor. www.tate.org.uk. Tate Modern, May 2004. Web. 20 June 2013.

The Apotheosis of James I and Other Studies: Multiple Sketch for the Banqueting House Ceiling, Whitehall : Tate Britian

This oil painting was one of Sir Peter Paul Rubens' first visualizations of what the whole ceiling at Whitehall Palace would look like, including the ideas for 7 out the 9 ceiling compartments. Ruben was considered the leading artist when he returned to Antwerp in 1608 and started by setting up a studio with assisting young talented artists. It was in 1621 that Ruben was first asked by the British Court to design the ceiling of Whitehall. Only two sketches were made by the late 1620's since the project had stalled and James I passed away. They depicted James I's main achievement, the Union of the Crowns of Scotland and England. In 1629 Rubens negotiated peace between England and Spain, secured the permission of James I's son to paint the ceiling in his fathers honor, and is knighted.
This oil painting sketch up was most likely for Rubens' personal use while in London and was made up completely by him.
In this sketch the Union of the Crowns is not depicted, instead it shows the late James I being carried up by an eagle surrounded by human depictions of justice and wisdom. With that there are also drawings of James' four royal qualities; liberty, discipline, knowledge, and virtue. The real paintings were finished in 1634 and put on the ceiling of the Whitehall Banquet Ceiling in 1636 and it is now the only ceiling painting of Rubens that survives.
Seeing an artists sketches is sometimes a chance to see how they mastered their skill. The piece of wood Rubens sketched and painted his first full idea on was 37 inches by 25 inches. One can only imagine he chose such a large work space to be able to add a great amount of detail. When looking at it closely you can see where he changed his mind, and where he became sure about an idea by the addition of more layers of paint. It is clear that Rubens knew human anatomy and even used symbolic scale by having the most important figure or scene being the largest. I don't think it would be an opinion to say Ruben is a leading artist.

Citation:
Karen Hearn. www.tate.org.uk. Tate Britian, Oct 2009. Web. 20 June 2013

Lady Colin Campbell

Gertrude Elizabeth Blood or Lady Colin Campbell was 40 years old when Giovanni Boldini painted this portrait of her. After what is said to be the longest divorce in recorded English history, she was doing everything to become an independent woman. This was not easy for her since her divorce had been considered scandalous and her ex-husband had accused her of being unfaithful four times. Even though she had fallen from her husbands higher society standing, she continued on to be an art critic and a journalist, having books and many articles published. She was even admired for her athletic abilities.
This oil on canvas painting of her at the National Portrait Gallery shows how she wanted her peers to view her and that she wanted to keep command of her image. In this painting the little details such as the flowers or her feet partially tucked under her seem to be her wanting to be portrayed as a lady. Yet the bigger details like the black low cut dress and her relaxed curved figure mixed with her seductive gaze seem to be her wanting the viewer to know that she is powerful and in control.
This is only heightened by Giovanni Boldini's disregard of normal human anatomy. Technically a dress could not be that low cut without showing something, yet her chest remains flat. It would also appear that her head is just a little to small for the rest of her body. Regardless of that Gertrude wished for it to go to the National Portrait Gallery.

Citation:
National Portrait Gallery. www.npg.org.uk. National Portrait Gallery, London, 2013. Web. 20 June 2013.

Anne Jordan. www.ladycolincampbell.co.uk. 2010. Web. 20 June 2013.

Seaport with the Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba

The painting Seaport with the Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba hangs in room 15 of The National Gallery in London. It was painted in 1648 by Claude Gellee along with the Landscape with the Marriage of Isaac and Rebecca. These two paintings, made to hang together, were commissioned by the Duc de Bouillon. They now hang with two of JMW Turner's paintings, Dido building Carthage and Sun Rising through Vapour, between them as requested in Turner's will. It is believed that Turner wanted his work directly compared to Claude's in the museum.
This partially imaginary scene Claude painted was from a story in the Bible of the Queen of Sheba meeting with King Solomon in Jerusalem. It was customary to depict their meeting at the time; so it was odd for Claude to paint her departure instead.
In this painting Claude uses linear perspective and also creates a fore, various mid, and back grounds. On each level he keeps a vertical axis, balancing out the left and right sides creating a push and pull, luring the viewer through and back around again encouraging a sense of unity. Claude also seems to hint that he may have had his own idea about a time for the Queen of Sheba to exist in by giving the front left column an Etruscan capital. Yet it is also grown over with foliage. This perhaps was a secret that the 17th century painter kept to himself. Claude certainly mastered combining imagined landscapes with already known scenarios.

Citation:
The National Gallery. www.nationalgallery.org.uk. The National Gallery, n/a. Web. 20 June 2013.

Pyxis with Four Horses on the Lid

This Pyxis, named because of the shape of the vessel, is held in the British Museum in London.The piece was made in Greece around 740BC. It was common during the Late Geometric period for artists to not sign their work, although this artist has now been given the name The Painter of London after where this piece is held. It is made of an orange buff clay with a brown and black paint, and is roughly 9 inches tall and 12 inches in diameter. 

First off, it is called the Geometric Period because the art made during this time was often formed out of various geometric shapes such as cylinders, cubes, and spheres. As time progressed into the Late Geometric period the subjects portrayed became a little more realistic in form. In this piece the basic shapes can been seen, the horses' legs and torsos are elongated cylinders and their heads still a bit more cube like. On top of that this piece shows a common characteristic of the Geometric Period called horror vacuii. Horror vacuii was the fear of having empty space. That is why this artwork is covered in patterns and drawings, and the horses were no exception. On this artwork we see mainly zig-zag, vertical, and diagonal lines to form patterns; along with four spoke wheels.

All in all, it is amazing to think that this is when the Greeks began to coalesce, make artwork and then progress so much that the Parthenon was created. 

Citation:

Trustees of the British Museum. www.britishmuseum.org. The British Museum, n/a. Web. 18 June 2013.

Westminster Abbey: The Vault Apse Detail

 

The east side of the Abbey was tore down by King Henry III in 1245 to be rebuilt in the High Gothic style. One of the architects on the project was Henry of Reyns who was inspired by the Reims, Amiens, and Chartres Cathedrals. All three had been built in France in High Gothic style. The Abbey has the highest vault in London at 102ft. Although in comparison Amiens has a height of 144ft. The east side of the Abbey was finished in 1269.

When building in High Gothic style there were three main things to accomplish to have height, to seem light in weight, and to be bright. The height of 102ft of stone was accomplished by pointed arches and flying buttresses. Having most of the Abbey's skeleton or support system only visible from the outside makes the building appear light weight to the visitor. On top of that these innovations allowed for bigger windows creating a brighter environment. 

I chose this photo of the east apse because I feel it best demonstrates the High Gothic architecture of the Abbey. Part of High Gothic architecture was making it so the viewer would feel like they were zooming for the heavens. The Westminster Abbey East Apse is bright, tall, and its seemingly carved out ceiling looks as if it weighs nothing at all. I only wish I could float up to the top. 

Citation:

The Dean and Chapter of Westmister. www.westminster-abbey.org. Westminster Abbey, 2013. Web. 18 June 2013.

An Introduction

This summer I went on a study abroad trip to London and Paris. The goals of the class were to view and learn about artworks and architecture; with an underlying theme of art in the time of war. My personal goals extended from those including receiving inspiration from the artwork, to set goals for my own art based on what I saw in the museums and landmarks we visited, and through evaluation find what I liked (or disliked) about the artworks to then incorporate (or not) into my own art. I am now writing this academic blog where I hope to recap and evaluate the history, known meanings, and stylistic choices of certain artworks and architecture in London and Paris, with a secondary theme of emotions I felt were conveyed. To clarify, although I may feel a specific emotion is conveyed, that does not mean that is the only emotion that could be felt and I urge the reader to come to their own conclusions.