"Dada Project"

"Between World Wars"

Artist- Marcel Duchamp

Name- L.H.O.O.Q.

Date-1919

Period- Dada Movement

The Dada Movement roughly began in the year 1915, The Dada Movement was a direct reaction to the absurdity of World war 1.The Dada Movement was art with a rebellious and attitude criticizing society through it's view. The artwork was created by a mirror effect of the world around them. During this time period art broke away from its traditions and beauty. Since the war was going on the world made no sense; so the artist took upon themselves to create artwork that reflected on the world which made no sense. This intriguing type of Artwork was usually made by cheap uncollectible materials. The subject and characteristics of Dada was usually humor and/or Irreverence. Their were no beliefs or rules during this movement, These artist's went beyond boundaries and twisted reality with their unique/Bizarre art. As you can see in this painting the famous original painting done during the renaissance period during the early 1500's. Marcel Duchamp took it upon himself to add his dadaism style; adding a Mustache and Goatee to Mona Lisa making it very intriguing to the eye.

Artist- Marcel Duchamp

Name- Fountain

Period- Dada Movement

Date- 1917

This artwork done by Duchamp would be evidently clear that it was made during the Dada period, The position of the urinal is in a bizarre position laid on its back instead of it's normal position upright. The Dada Movement was the definition of unusual, fascinating, and refreshing artwork that reflected the inner and outer skirts of what was going on around them. Like Duchamp Dada Artists purposely made controversial Artworks like this urinal. Viewing this piece must make everyone wonder what was going through the mind of Marcel when creating this. "The Gift" By Man Ray which is another Artwork done during this period.  Man Ray alters an actual iron he then transforms it into a useless and dangerous object which contradicts its purpose of the object. While viewing both pieces i do believe that's what both artist where trying to achieve; they were altering normal objects and making them into useless objects contradicting it's purpose.

Artist- Jacob Lawrence

Name- Migration Series 

Date- 1940's

Period/Art Type/Influences- Social Realism/ Harlem Renaissance

During the 1940's Jacob Lawrence explored the labor of the southern us and "New Negro Movement".  In his migration series his art depicted not only the labor of African Americans but also African americans moving north to find better housing systems and freedom. He has a brilliant use of color, In these paintings he uses bright red/orange, In the third painting he also uses a contrast of light and shadow with the sky and figures. The figures he draws are in flattened angular forms, what's also unique about his art is the arrangement of colors he uses to have the viewer look throughout the painting instead of one spot. Jacob Lawrence was inspired by artists like "Goya", and Orozco, his artwork was also influenced by the Harlem Renaissance and the African American History.

Impressionism and Post Impressionism Art Movement

Name- "Wheat field with crows"

Artist- Vincent Van Gogh 

Period- Impressionism

Date- 1890

Type- Landscape Painting

Objective(Subject)- Auvers-Sur-Oise, Wheat

Impressionism is an Art movement of the 19th century which began during the mid and late 1800's. Impressionism paintings is based on what the eye see's rather than what the mind know's, In other words it's direct eye observation of everyday things, situations, events or life in general. Impressionist paintings are objective and less emotional, They are created Pictorially by the strokes of the paint which gives it a spatial effect. Usually when viewing an Impressionist painting; because of the color's, lighting, and brushstroke technique the painting itself expresses it's modernity. This time period allowed artists the show the world in their perspective such as this painting by van gogh. You can clearly see the crows, the sky, and grass with the wheat fields. This painting was created with the fluidity of brush strokes and the true bold pure colors such as that yellow that make up the wheat, the dark green to make up the grass and that dark blue sky also add on to that everyday life scenery. This painting is more focused on the light, the atmosphere and also the movements of the crows flying over the wheat fields as they truly are make this painting stand out as a Impressionist painting.

Name- "The Starry Night"

Artist- Vincent Van Gogh

Period- Post Impressionism 

Date- 1889

Like Impressionism the Post Impressionist Movement began during the mid and late 1800's. The artist's believed in the free interpretation of nature, not to see things as they are like the impressionist paintings but rather to see through them, to a significance in a reality deeper than superficial appearance like said in the lecture. Post impressionist paintings tend to have a symbolic meaning or content attached to them and they also have a sense of structure and formal order. The stars and waves which are the winds and clouds all seem to be put in a specific order rather than where they actually are viewed. The expressive use of color such as blue create the dark scenery of night and the significant bright yellow stars express that broader touch of the stars lighting up the night. Their are a lot of lines, and waves which create rhythm and that extraordinary insight swell as mysterious visionary. The form of structure, and formal ordering of the stars and scenery give this painting not only the Post impressionist feel but that artificial look as well. 

"Morning on the Seine near Giverny"

Artist- Claude Monet

Date- 1897

Period- Impressionism

Impressionism paintings are based on what the painter is observing, the painting is constructed on what is being viewed in its natural setting with no supernatural characteristics. The objective of Impressionist painters are on everyday events and situations of modern life naturally without any added superstition. Also the painting's itself have a more natural look. One of the main characteristics in the Impressionistic era was that the painters paid attention to the light and the atmosphere. As seen in the painting "Morning on the Seine near Giverny" this scenery is in seine of a river. It must have been raining or  cloudy because Claude emphasizes in the atmosphere with those grey and dull colors. If you pay close attention to the river you can actually see the sky/clouds reflected on the river. Claude uses the same color as the sky to show that reflection of light which was used in the Impressionism period quite often. Claude uses a very natural green to the trees which give it a more naturalistic view, overall this painting has a gloomy feel due to the colors.

Museum Artwork

-Tobias and the Angel

-Giovanni Battista Caracciolo 

-Italian, Naples 1578-1635

-Oil on canvas 

During the time of the baroque period many of the paintings used contrast as shown in  "Tobias and the Angel". Contrast which are the dark values in the background of the painting were used significantly during this era, also body movements and gestures were a big significance to the painting. Also the lighting used in contrast to the dark background darkens the mood of the painting as well as increases its dramatic scene. Both the contrast as well as the gestures intensify/increase the drama and sense of emotion in the painting. The light upon the figures with the darkened background and the bright red robe deeply express the event in which is taking place. The story of this painting states "In the apocryphal book of Tobit in the old Testament, Tobias is shown with the fish whose gail would heal his father's blindness. His companion, wearing a traveler's hat, is the archangel Raphael. Caracciolo, one of the leading figures of Neapolitan painting, combined the dramatic lighting and realism of Caravaggio's work with the balletic poses of his Mannerist training. The result is a work of uncommon elegance and expressive power, inaugurating the great age of the Baroque painting in Naples.

-Private collection

-I.2012.59

-Madonna and Child Enthroned with saints

-Raffaello Sanzi

-1504

As shown on the gallery label of this beautiful painting it says "Raphael painted this altarpiece around 1504/5 for the small Franciscan convent of Sant' Antonio in Perugia. It hung in a part of the church reserved for the nuns, who are thought to have insisted on some of its conservative features, such as the elaborately clothed Christ Child. By contrast, the grave male saints are among the earliest evidence of Raphael’s study of the work of Leonardo da Vinci and Fra Bartolomeo in Florence". Renaissance paintings were completely different from the Baroque paintings which use contrast, most renaissance paintings had more light and soft quality feel to their paintings. During the renaissance symbolism was used quite often in paintings, also a new culturally artistic term and movement called Humanism was introduced. It was the introduction of paintings that focused more on humans and their values. The body movements and gestures in this painting have a more humanism feel to it. The colors are much more bright and vivid, the halo's around their head are a bright gold as well. The formal element with the colors Red and yellow are used through out the painting to catch the eye and interest's of the audience visualizing this wonderful piece. The deep rich colors used within the painting bring out the emotions and elements of symbolism as well as humanism in this painting. This painting also has atmospheric perspective as you see in the background with the mountains and light blue sky which creates that illusion of depth feeling.

Renaissance Baroque Art

-Masaccio, Tribute Money
-1421
-Brancacci Chapel

Humanism is the ideals and/or quality of the human nature, meaning that it focuses on the characteristics and values of the human being's. This includes the emotions, movements and surroundings which create a more of a humanistic feeling. Like said in the lecture Humanism is a legacy of the Greeks and Romans, it is a code of civil conduct, and a theory of education which the teachers serve to the state with no material reward. Humanism was influenced by the printing press, and interest of wide variety which included aerodynamics, geology, and military science. In this painting the special technique used is called fresco where the pigment or color is added to the wet plaster and applied directly to the wall. So it becomes part of the structure and has more of that humanistic feeling. Masaccio also adds on to the humanistic feeling by introducing new innovations to this piece by the arrangement of figures. The figures are grouped in a circular structure around Christ within a spacious landscape and atmospheric perspective which is created by the mountainous landscape and clouds.

 

-Jan Van Eyck

-Arnolfini Portait

-Early Renaissance 

Jan Van Eyck was the first Netherlander painter to achieve international fame, one of his famous paintings the "Arnolfini Portait" is an oil painting which uses visual symbolism. The cast off shoes represent sanctity of space which is the quality or characteristic of being holy, and/or saintly as shown in the painting. The dog represents fidelity which is defined as the quality of being faithful or loyal. The whisk broom represents domestic care which is the variety of household services or care. The single candle burning represents the eye of god. The way they are dressed as well as their body gestures also adds on to their sanctity and humanistic feel.

-Judith Beheading Holofernes

-Artemisia Gentileschi 

This painting was done by Artemisia Gentileschi, the first woman admitted to the florence academy of art, she was into heroic female themes. The story of this painting is about a widow named "Judith" saving her people of Israel by getting "Holofernes" drunk then beheading him. This painting has a amazing feel of the Baroque Time period. The contrast between the light and the dark background makes the painting much more dramatic, The colors and well detailed figures gives the painting a realism look. The clothing in "Tribute Money", "The last supper", "Merode Alter Piece", and the "Arnolfini Portait" all match with this painting's clothing style and color which would include red, orange, and brown giving it more of that amazing Baroque time period feel and look.