Artists & Artworks to Know:

Ceramics & Sculpture Art Fall 2013

Venus of Willendorf

Prehistoric ArtArtist UnkownOolitic Limestonec. 28, 000 BC – 25, 000 BCNaturhistorisches Museum Vienna, Austria

•Discovered in 1908 near Willendorf, Austria.

•Carved during the Paleolithic Period (or the “Old Stone Age”)

•Has no feet and never stood on its own.

•Believed to have been associated with fertility and childbearing – thus, a fertility goddess.

•The figure has no visble face and her head being covered with what may be plaited hair or a type of headdress.

Stepped Pyramid of King Djoser

Ancient EgyptImhotep203 ft. highPolished White LimestoneSaqqara necropolis, Egypt27th century BC

-First architectural sculpture remains in which we know the architect.

-This first Egyptian pyramid consisted of six mastabas built atop one another in what were clearly revisions and developments of the original plan.

-Considered to be the earliest large-scale cut stone construction.

Army of Emperor Qin

Shi Huang

Ancient China210-209BCTerracottaMount Li, China

-First emperor of China.

-It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor.

-Purpose was to protect the emperor in his afterlife.

-Discovered in 1974 by local farmers.

-Estimated: 8, 000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses.

-Life-size figures: Vary in height, uniform, and hairstyle according to rank.

-They held real weapons and were originally brightly painted.

The Discus Thrower

Greek ArtMyronc. 460-450 BCOriginal Greek Bronze – lostKnown through Roman copies in marble5’1”highMuseo Nazionale Romano-Oalazzo Massio alle Terme.

-An intense focus on the human form and it’s ideal qualities. For men – very muscular; For women – very well-endowed.

The thrower is about to release his throw; thus, mid-action.

North Rose Window

Gothic ArtChartres Cathedral1230sStained GlassChartres, France

-King David sits atop a circle of 12 Kings of Judah and other prophets (outer circle) and angels (inner circle), all centered on the Virgin Mary and Child.

-Dedicated to the Virgin Mary

-During the time period, much of the population was illiterate; therefore, a greater emphasis was put on symbols. Specific numbers, colors and objects all told stories to the viewers.

PietaRenaissance Art

Michelangelo1498-1499Marble68.5 x 76.8”St. Peter’s BasilicaVatican City, Vatican

-Michelangelo broke the tradition of artists of his day; he did not use the accepted mathematical formulas for human proportions. As a result, each of his works contains a unique personality.

-Pieta contains an enormously large Virgin Mary. If she were to stand up – she would be a giant in comparison to Christ Jesus.

It is only piece Michealangelo ever signed.

The work was commissioned for a French cardinal’s funeral monument.

The ThinkerNeoclassical Art

Auguste Rodin1904Bronze on a stone pedestal73” highHotel Biron – Rodin MuseumParis, France

•-Rodin focused on the human figure. He chose instead to distort the figure to demonstrate the physical and emotional responses of his subject. But unlike Michelangelo, who was an expert carver, Rodin loved modeling. He would manipulate clay.

•There are about 28 full size castings although they were not all made during Rodin’s lifetime.

•There are also several version in plaster and other castings.

FountainDada Art

Marcel Duchamp1917Porcelain UrinalLost

-First of its kind to defy what was considered “art” – called a Readymade

-Signed “R. Mutt” (but really it was Duchamp)

-The original piece was lost.

-(Left) A photograph of the original by photographer Alfred Stieglitz.

Bird in Space20th Century Art

Constantin Brancusi1932-40Polished Brass59 7/16” high including baseGuggenheim MuseumNew York City, New York, USA

-His focus was on making things simple.

-Communicates the notion of flight itself rather than describing the appearance of a particular bird.

Duck20th Century Art

Alexander Calder1909Brass Sheet1.75 x .25 x 2”Calder Foundation, New York

-First kinetic sculpture of Calder. It rocks back and forth.

Aztec Josephine Baker20th Century Art

Alexander Calder1929Wire53 x 10 x 9”Calder Foundation, New York

Calder’s exploration of wire is transitioning to more kinetic works and will later develop into his more famous, “mobiles.”

Cone d'ebene20th Century Art

Alexander Calder1933Wood, Wire, rod and paint.106 x 55 x 24”Calder Foundation, New York

Calder’s first “mobile.”

Three Men Walking II

20th Century ArtAlberto Giacometti1949Painted Bronze Sculpture30 1/8 x 13 x 12.75”Metropolitan Museum of ArtNew York City, New York, USA

•Categorized by height, and surface quality, Giacometti expresses genuine human emotion.

•He work typically revolves around the horrors of World War II or alienation of urban life.

Standing Woman

20th Century ArtAlberto Giacomettic. 1947Bronze46.5 x 8.25 x 11 1/8”National Gallery of ArtWashington, D.C.

-Elongated figure-Slanted base-Tortured Texture

Spiral Jetty20th Century Art

Robert Smithson1970Mud, Precipitated salt crystals, rocks & water15 x 1500 ft. Rozel Point, Great Salt Lake, Utah

-Earthenwork consisting of a counterclockwise coil jutting from the shore of the lake.

-The sculpture is often visible then submerged then visible again depending on the water level.

-Construction took six days.

-As of July 2013, the jetty is visible again.

Sky Cathedral20th Century Art

Louise Nevelson1958Painted Wood11’3.5” x 10’.25” x 18”Museum of Modern ArtNew York City, New York, USA

-Nevelson’s first wall piece.

-Each compartment filled with wooden scraps including moldings, dowels, spindles, and furniture parts.

-Black paint was used to unify the work and obscure individual objects.

-LOVES the color black.

Folded Square Alphabet O

Post-Modern ArtFletcher Benton1979Steel97” x 78” x 99”San Francisco Museum of Modern ArtSan Francisco, California, USA

-From The Folded Square series

Folded Square Numerical 2

Post-Modern ArtFletcher Benton2004Painted SteelNo. 1 of Edition: 3. 12 x 12 x 12”Modernism Gallery

-From The Alphabet Series and New Works

-Created 25 years after first Alphabet works.

Bronze Head from Ife

African ArtYoruba People12th century ADBronze35 cm highBritish Museum, London

•-Realism & craftsmanship of the object challenged Western (Europe) preconceptions of African art at the time. •-The head is thought to be the portrait of a ruler known as Ooni (Oni), who ruled circa 800 AD.

•These bronze heads are proof of trade as there was very little cooper in Nigeria.

•Ife is considered by the Yoruba people to be the place where their gods created mankind.

Lakisi Initiation MaskAfrican Art

19th century

•This mask is used in ceremonies that mark a boy’s passage from boyhood to manhood.

•Dancers would wear these carved wooden masks in a ceremony that would focus on building a strong identity for the young man they celebrated.

•The mask you see is one of a very few original masks that have survived today. These masks are now rarely carved.

Hannya MaskTraditional Japanese Theatre MaskOldest mask is dated 1558.

•Most famous of the Japanese Noh Masks.

•The mask expresses the fury of a woman turned demon through jealousy and anger who revenges by attacking.

•It is the ghost spirit of an ordinary woman.