introduction: what is art history?
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Brief introduction to Art 109 Renaissance to Modern, Westchester Community College, Prof. Melissa Hall, Spring 2013TRANSCRIPT
Introduction: What is Art History??Art 109: Renaissance to ModernSpring 2013© Dr. Melissa Hall
What is Art History?So what, exactly, will we learn in an art history course?
Image source: http://www.marshall.edu/cofa/art/arthistory/
What is Art History?Will we learn what makes a work of art a “masterpiece”?
Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa, c. 1503-1505
JudgmentWhat makes one work of art “better” than another is highly subjective
Michelangelo, David, 1501-1504
JudgmentWho is to say if something is a masterpiece or not?
Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa, c. 1503-1505
In 1919 Marcel Duchamp questioned the idea of the “masterpiece” by drawing a mustache on a postcard of the Mona Lisa and calling it a work of art!
JudgmentSo art history is not involved with judging “greatness,” or what qualifies as a “masterpiece”
That is the job of art criticism, and art connoisseurship
Image source: http://www.marshall.edu/cofa/art/arthistory/
JudgmentIn fact, it might be useful to define art history by differentiating it from related fields:
•Art Connoisseurship•Art Criticism•Art Appreciation
Image source: http://www.marshall.edu/cofa/art/arthistory/
ConnoisseurshipEstimating the market value of a work of art is the job of the art connoisseur
Sotheby’s auction, May 3, 2006, where Picasso’s Dora Maar with Cat sold for $95.2 millionArt Knowledge News
Art CriticismArt criticism also involves evaluation and judgment
Mr. Art Critic, written and directed by Richard Brauer, 2008
Image source: http://www.theinsider.com/news/857730_Simon_Cowell_Back_In_Touch_With_His_First_Love
JudgmentIn this class you will be encouraged to form your own opinion about what you like and dislike
Image source: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/gowhere-hip-hop/2009/12/
Art AppreciationDo art historians help us appreciate art?
Norman Rockwell, The Connoisseur, 1962
Art AppreciationLearning about works of art can certainly help us “appreciate” them more
Artcphoto, Metropolitan Museum of Art - Fifth Avenue - Manhattan - NYC Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/artcphoto/2813520288/
Art AppreciationBut art appreciation is primarily concerned with our personal response to art
Sharon Lipps, Art Appreciation, The Getty, LA, CA, 2009http://www.pbase.com/elips/image/73508927
Art HistoryArt history is more concerned with the story behind the work
Ben Shahn, The Passion of Sacco and Vanzetti, 1931-1932
Art HistoryArt History is the study of works of art in historical context
Art HistoryIt is concerned with what art meant to the people who made and used it
Francois Joseph Heim, Charles X Distributing Awards to Artists Exhibiting at the Salon of 1824 at the Louvre, 1827Metapedia
Personal ResponseDoes this mean your personal response is not important?
David Choi, 9:48 a.m. Greek GalleriesImage source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8007731@N07/3407100463
Personal ResponseYour personal response can be an important component of understanding
Laura P. Russell, At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, Flickr
Personal ResponseBut to qualify as “art historical,” it must be informed by what you have learned about the society and the culture
Merode Altarpiece with ViewersImage source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/82032880@N00/4014610392/
BiographyDo art historians study the lives of artists?
Vincent Van Gogh, Self-Portrait as an Artist, 1887-88. Oil on canvas, 65 x 50.5 cm. Van Gogh Museum, AmsterdamArtchive
BiographyArtistic biography is only one component of art history, but it is not always the most important
Rembrandt van Rijn, Self Portrait, c. 1659-1660
Role of the ArtistPrior to the Renaissance, the artist was was merely a craftsman
Nanni di Banco, Sculptors at Work, 1416. Orsanmichele, Florence lib-art.com
Role of the ArtistArtists were expected to be skilled, not creative
Image source: http://www.thekiesels.com/VA_2003vacPg2.html
Role of the ArtistWorks of art were commissioned by patrons who gave specific instructions about what they wanted
Role of the ArtistArt historians must therefore learn about the patrons who commissioned works of art
Raphael, Pope Julius II, 1511London National Gallery
Role of the ArtistOften, the work is more about the patron than it is about the artist who made it
Jacques Louis David, Napoleon Crossing the St. Bernard Pass, 1801
Enrico Scrovegni giving the gift of his chapel to angels, Last Judgment, Arena Chapel, Padua, c. 1305
MethodologyHow do art historians study works of art?
Methodology1. Subject Matter (iconographic
analysis)2. Style (formal analysis)3. Context (cultural analysis)
Image source: www.thinkandthrive.com
IdentificationArtistTitlePeriod/RegionDateMediumDimensionsCollection
Georgia O’Keefe, Jack-in-the-Pulpit No. 4, 1930Oil on canvas, 3’ 4” X 2’ 6”National Gallery of Arthttp://www.nga.gov/fcgi-bin/tinfo_f?object=70179
IdentificationNote: titles of works of art are treated like book titles
“Georgia O’Keefe painted Jack-in-the-Pulpit in 1930.”
“The Mona Lisa is a painting by Leonardo da Vinci.”
Subject MatterWhat is the subject matter?
Georgia O’Keefe, Jack-in-the-Pulpit No. 4, 1930Oil on canvas, 3’ 4” X 2’ 6”National Gallery of Art
Subject MatterWho or what is represented
Visual LiteracyHow do we know who thisperson is?
Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
Visual LiteracySometimes we will need to learn the story behind the picture
Jacques Louis David, Death of Socrates, 1787Metropolitan Museum
Subject MatterRecognizing subject matter in modern art can be more challenging because the work is abstract
Pablo Picasso, Bottle of Suze, 1912
AbstractionSimplification of form into simple shapes
Theo Van Doesburg, Cows, 1917
Subject MatterThis collage represents an oval table top with a glass and a bottle of Suze
Pablo Picasso, Bottle of Suze, 1912
Non-Objective ArtSome works of art have no recognizable subject matter at all
This is called non-objective art
"Jackson Pollock painting "One: Number 31, 1950" at the Museum of Modern Art", 2007Image source: http://www.imaginify.org/post/index.php?catid=&name=News&topic=8
Subject Matter
Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
OK, so the subject matter of this painting
is George Washington. Am I done?
Subject MatterWho was George Washington, and why is he significant?
Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
Subject Matter
Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
OK, George Washington was the first President of the United
States. Am I done?
DescriptionAnalysis of subject matter also involves description:
How does he appear
How is he standing (pose)
What is he wearing?
What else is in the room?
Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
Narration
What is happening?
What is he doing?
Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
InterpretationAnalysis of subject matter also involves interpretation:
Why is he posed that way?
Why were those particular objects chosen?
What purpose was this portrait meant to serve?
What was the message?
Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
Subject MatterSubject Matter:
The “what” of the work (who, what, where)
Content:The “why” of the work (meaning, purpose, message)
Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
IconographyTo get from subject matter to content involves iconography
Iconography: the interpretation of signs and symbols
Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
Subject MatterHow do we know these two people are “tourists”?
What are the visual clues?
Duane Hanson, Tourists, 1970 National Galleries of Scotland
IconographyPose (the way they are standing and gesturing)
Attributes (clothing and accessories)
Duane Hanson, Tourists, 1970 National Galleries of Scotland
Subject MatterPainted portraits of political leaders were the “media” of their day
They were supposed to communicate a message about the person represented
Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
Subject MatterWhat message was Stuart’s portrait intended to convey?
What are the visual clues?
Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
The Clothing
Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796. Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
Allan Ramsay, King George III (in coronation robes), 1761-1762National Portrait Gallery
The Clothing
Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796. Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
The Clothing
Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796. Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
The Clothing
Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796. Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
“Stuart painted Washington from life, showing him standing up, dressed in a black velvet suit with an outstretched hand held up in an oratorical manner (which could be characterized as "commanding and stern yet open and inclusive"). In the background behind Washington is a row of two Doric columns, with another row to the left. Wrapped around and between the columns are red tasseled drapes.”
The Clothing
Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796. Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
“Washington's suit is plain and simple, and the sword that he holds on his left side is a dress sword and not a battle sword (symbolizing a democratic form of government, rather than a monarchy or military dictatorship). In the sky, storm clouds appear on the left while a rainbow appears on the right, signifying the American Revolutionary War giving way to the peace and prosperity of the new United States after the 1783 Treaty of Paris. The medallion at the top of the chair shows the red, white, and blue colors of the American flag.”
The Clothing
Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796. Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
“On and under the tablecloth-draped table to the left are two books: Federalist—probably a reference to the Federalist Papers—and Journal of Congress—the Congressional Record). Another five books are under the table . . . . The pen and paper on the table signify the rule of law . . . .”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lansdowne_portrait
Subject Matter
A detailed description helps us see the work more clearly
Gilbert Stuart, Portrait of George Washington (The Landsdowne Portrait), 1796Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery
StyleWhat is style?
StyleStyle refers to the visual characteristics of a work of art
Pablo Picasso, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, 1907Museum of Modern Art
Style
Period StyleA style that is typical of a particular time period
Jacopo da Pontormo, Entombment of Christ, 1525-1528
Parmigianino, Madonna with the Long Neck, 1534-1540
Regional StyleA style that is typical of a particular region
Jean Hey? or the Master of Moulins, Portrait ofMargaret of Austria, oil on panel, c. 1490
Alesso Baldovinetti, Portrait of a Lady, tempera and oil on wood, c. 1465 (National Gallery, London)
Personal StyleAn individual artist’s unique “personal” style
Vincent Van Gogh, Starry Night, 1888
Evolution of StyleHow style changes over time
Giotto di Bondone, Ognissante Madonna, c. 1310
Unknown Master, Virgin and Child Enthroned with St Dominic, St Martin and Two Angels, c. 1290 Web Gallery of Art
Evolution of StyleChanging attitudes towards the body
Albrecht Dürer, Fall of Man (Adam and Eve), 1504
Expulsion of Adam and Eve, Hunterian Psalter, c. 1170
Evolution of StyleComposition and lighting
Caravaggio, Deposition, c. 1600-1604
Jan Vermeer, Young Woman with a Water Pitcher, c. 1662
Evolution of StyleConcepts of “realism”
Gustave Courbet, the Stone Breakers, 1849
Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, Princesse de Broglie, 1851-1853
Evolution of StyleCapturing effects of atmosphere and light
Claude Monet, Boulevard des Capucines, 1873
Jacob Van Ruisdael, View of Haarlem from the Dunes at Overveen, c. 1670
Evolution of StyleRejection of realism
Paul Gauguin, The Yellow Christ, 1889
Ernst Kirchner, Head of a Woman, 1913
Evolution of StyleEvolution towards abstraction
Georges Braque, The Portuguese, 1911
Marcel Duchamp, Nude Descending a Staircase, 1912
Evolution of StyleElimination of subject matter
Wassily Kandinsky, Improvisation 28, 1912
Constantin Brancusi, Bird in Space, 1924
Art and ContextArt does not mean in a vacuum!
The cultural context of art is an integral part of its meaning or content
Jeff Koons, New Hoover Convertibles, Green, Red, Brown, New Shelton Wet/Dry 10 Gallon Displaced Doubledecker 1981-87
Renaissance HumanismHumanist scholarship and the secularization of learningShift in patronage
Andrea del Castagno, Giovanni Boccaccio, c. 1450
The Reformation
St. Peters Basilica, Rome
Workshop of Lucas Cranach, Martin LutherMetropolitan Museum
Absolutism
Hyacinth Rigaud, Louis XIV, 1701
The Enlightenment
Jacques Louis David, Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier and his Wife, 1788Metropolitan Museum
The Age of Democracy
Eugene Delacroix, Liberty Leading the People, 1830
Jean-Antoine Houdon, George Washington, 1788-1792
The Industrial Revolution
Jean-François Millet, The Gleaners, 1857
The Rise of Cities
Gustave Caillebotte, Rue de Paris, Temps de Pluie, 1877
Claude Monet, Boulevard des Capucines, 1873
The Machine Age
Fernand Léger, the City, 1919
War
Pablo Picasso, Guernica, 1937
Atomic Age
Hans Namuth, Jackson Pollock, 1950
Consumerism
Andy Warhol, 32 Campbells Soups, 1962