Final Post

            When I knew I would have to take Impressionism through post-modernism I was not enthusiastic. But now that I have learned the history and technical advances in art that encouraged Impressionism and Post-modernism I am appreciative of the art movements. The reason why I did not like these art movements was because I held a deep love for realism and idealism, so the High Renaissance and Baroque period were my preferred art movements. Now though, that I have been immersed in the art world of Impressionists I have grown very fond of the Impressionists art, particularly the avant-garde realism. Although, artistically I have not recently been influenced by the artistic movements we discussed in class, I have seen some works of art that I am aesthetically pleased with.

            I would like to begin with the Stone Breakers by Gustave Courbet. I really enjoyed this piece not only because of its history, but because of its artistic style. At the time the piece was made the Socialist movements were taking place because of the exploitation of the working class by the bourgeoisie. I’ve read the Communist Manifesto and I agree with many of the ideas that Marx proposed to form a more perfect society. Although some ideas would not work and need further adjustment, Marx’s Manifesto paved way for a new way of thinking. Today this could be brought up in the current Occupy movement. Many of the middle and lower class are protesting that the high class is not contributing as much as the middle and lower class are. The Stone Breakers although from a different time period, reflects those same ideas. The piece shows two men, one a boy and the other an old man. From their clothing and occupation, it is good to assume that they are the lower class. They are hard at work doing the jobs nobody wants to do to support their families.

            At the time it was made many of the critics that saw that piece where disgusted and offended at the piece because of its subject matter and its artistic style. The bourgeoisie did not like that the piece focused on such lowly life forms and not only that but exposed the unfairness the rich had against the poor. The piece was also presented as an academic piece, through its size and naturalist style. St. Simon stated that art should have a purpose in society, to contribute to society that would benefit it. I completely agree in that aspect, if we as human beings have something we can share with the world then we should have an obligation to share it and use it as a way to provide people with information and to better themselves and their community. Courbet used this piece to address the issue of the exploitation of the poor and to raise awareness of the new socialist ideas that were taking place. Like Courbet I want to create art that addresses the issues society currently has and hope that enough people see it to change their ideals and help society for the better. 

20th cent. art: Richard Hamilton

            Previous to WWII, America was not considered a world power by the global community. By the 1950s the Allies had won and the United States and the Soviet Union entered a Cold War. The United States came on top as a world power and saw itself as the protector from communism and its sphere of influence. Aside from the political problems, the Western powers had entered the new age of modernism. New technologies brought forth new ways of living and the people accepted these devices readily, thus the consumer culture was born. In the art world, specifically Britain, artists were commenting on the current consumer culture and critiqued how it changed the way society based its ideals. Called Pop art after the tootsie pop in Richard Hamilton’s famous piece, the art movement first comprised of British artists that were involved in the Individual Group in London. This group focused on discussing the place of art in a consumer society. Richard Hamilton’s piece Interior focused on the visual culture and comments on the ideals of the consumer culture.

            Seeing that art was being replaced by advertising to define beauty, Richard Hamilton made collages composed from various advertising magazines. Using old and new techniques of print making he was able to create interesting pieces. The piece Interior is a good example of his collage work. The piece juxtaposes different sections of advertisement prints. Some are colored and some are monochromatic. Hamilton juxtaposes the pieces to fit together, as if the scene is actually from a home magazine. Hamilton adds a television and fancy furniture to comment on societies need to define itself by the materials it possesses. Wendy Weitman from the Museum of Modern art states that, “through a complex layering of painting and photographic techniques, he [Hamilton] continues to examine issues of illusion and the processes of image-making.”

            Hamilton began his ideas of his collages from a film still in the film Shockproof while teaching a class in Newcastle Polytechnic. Lying on the floor, the still intrigued Hamilton by how it was arranged compositionally. Hamilton describes the still as focusing all attention on a girl in a ‘new look’ coat. Hamilton further notes that the girl’s angle seems awkward as the perspective seems distorted. What really toke Hamilton back though was the fact the still was not of an actual place but of a film set, so the wall were not together and the lighting in the still came from different angles. All these elements inspired Hamilton to experiment with his collages and some paintings specifically focusing on the interior. Interior echoes Hamilton’s experience by having the walls of the interior placed at awkward angles which gives no clear angle of perspective. The walls also don’t seem to be conjoined and the enlargement of some of the furniture creates a feeling of unease as you see a living space in a correctly placed atmosphere, but the direct manipulation of the objects around the woman are varied in scale. From a simple film still Hamilton was able to create compelling dynamic compositions that not only focus on the composition of art, but as well as the life of the consumer culture.

References:

http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/hamilton-interior-p04250/text-summary

http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?criteria=O%3AAD%3AE%3A2481&page_number=4&template_id=1&sort_order=1

Dadaism and Duchamp

Dadaism and Surrealism began during the Great War. Many opposed the incessant bloodshed of thousands and the oppressive nature of their governments to create propaganda and conform society to their benefit. Dada and Surrealism questioned the rationality and logic of modern society when so many were being killed on the front line. Instead of creating art that was ordered and structured Dada and Surrealism was attracted to abstract, irrational, unorganized, and uninhibited art in a sense that it was not based on modern society’s values, but on the emotive and ideological senses of the artists. One such artist that decided to break from the traditions was Marcel Duchamp. His works became the most controversial and most talked about works of art to this day. Not because of their form or composition, but because they were not pieces that were created out of the mind of Duchamp, rather he grabbed mass-produced items and changed them slightly and called it art; such as the works Fountain and L.H.O.O.Q.

            Duchamp coined his pieces as ‘ready-mades’, the transformation of already made objects into works of art. In 1915 Duchamp would be graciously invited to America to be a founding member of the American Society of Independent Artists. As being the chairman for the hanging committee, Duchamp had the exclusive access to select which works of art would be selected for the exhibition that was coming soon. Duchamp already created Fountain years before the selecting of works. Fountain comprised of a male urinal turned upside down with a signature, R. Mutt. Duchamp guessed right when his work was rejected, although he had turned his work in anonymously. After that he left the Society and created some ready-mades, but would later retire from art for chess. What is most important though is that Duchamp was questioning the purpose of art. He argued that artists for centuries had had studio assistants create their design, while the artist didn’t even directly craft his piece. What Duchamp was doing was merely bypassing that procedure all together by buying it off the market. Although it was not of his creation, he believed it to be of his designed since he chose the piece and displayed it in a way more abstract. Many of course were horrified and shocked at the piece because of its obscene nature as being a male urinal and directly correlates with humanities disgusting nature, but the most important element was the piece itself. It questions what the real nature of art is and what can be called art.

            L.H.O.O.Q. was another piece that created controversy. At the time the Mona Lisa had made international headlines because the piece was stolen and nobody knew where it was. Before this event the Mona Lisa was not as prized as it was today, so the theft left it with much fame. While this hiatus was occurring, many vendors sold postcards of the Mona Lisa painting. Duchamp bought one and decided to draw in a handlebar mustache with a goatee. Under the postcard he wrote L.H.O.O.Q. When the general public viewed this piece they were horrified and insulted that such a sacred and highly revered piece could be vandalized this way. In this way Duchamp was commenting on the nature of fame and how art can be viewed differently when under fame. In my opinion I would call Duchamp’s work as art, I do not like it, but the ideas behind the art give his pieces meaning. It wouldn’t work any other way, for example if I had grabbed a desk and split it in half, but I had no idea or symbolism behind why I did it or what the piece stands for, then the piece is merely a short gesture for art. I feel that in order for something to be art one must be connected in some way to the art. To have some sort of ownership to the object whether it be craft, idea, or design. 

Post-Impressionism

Much like technology, art is upgraded to new trends and new functions as time passes by. During the late 19^th century, impressionist artists dominated the art world. Their imagined and happy depiction of life came across as appealing to many, but some wanted to go even further in terms of artistic conventions. Paul Gauguin was a new breed of artist that was burgeoning in Europe. Called post-impressionist, these artists incorporated some artistic elements from the impressionist artists into their artwork, but further morphed the idea of painting. Gauguin’s painting, The Yellow Christ, is a good example of a post-impressionist painting. Through its different and similar characteristics of artistic elements, The Yellow Christ, according to Griselda Pollock’s formula, is considered ‘avant-garde’ work.

            Griselda Pollock uses a formula based on three rules for an artwork to be considered avant-garde. The rules are reference, deference, and difference. Based on these rules, The Yellow Christ can be considered avant-garde. The Yellow Christ uses reference by paying homage to the landscape paintings of the impressionist artists and to the Medieval European artists that depicted religious or spiritual scenes. Landscape is shown in the background of Christ, although it is not the focal point of the piece it is still engaging enough to refer to the landscape paintings of impressionist’s artists.

            Gauguin uses deference by showing an interest in light in color. The entirety of the painting is filled with vibrant and warm colors. Yellow, red, green, and blue, these colors create a lively and calming effect that creates a glowing rhythm of color. Gauguin also applies loose brushstrokes to create his piece, much like the impressionists painters. What sets him apart though, the ‘difference’, is that unlike the impressionists, Gauguin utilized color not as a tool to depict naturalness, but to evoke a more emotive feeling towards the piece. For example, Christ is depicted Yellow much like the landscape, I’m guessing because Gauguin wanted to symbolize Christ as nature, or specifically autumn, since it looks like it is fall. The landscape was just as important to the people as Christ was, so Gauguin wanted to portray the commitment the working class had to their religion as well as to their work. Another difference is the use of line, Impressionist painters had no real use of strong bold lines in their work. They preferred color to make up the shape of the figures and objects in the piece. Gauguin goes away from this convention to boldly outline all the figures in his painting including Christ. By outlining the figures, Gauguin focuses attention onto the figures. The landscape has little to no use of strong lines, so the figures in the foreground are the main attention of the piece. By doing this Gauguin goes away from impressionist artists. Instead of focusing on the celebration of the bourgeoisie and overall feeling of the piece, Gauguin is focusing on the lives of the working class. He wants the viewer to focus on the emotional feeling the female figures have towards their religion. The landscape is merely a additive that establishes the mood.

            Gauguin criticized impressionist painters for only painting what they wanted to paint. To have no sense of thought in the painting, Gauguin thought to be a useless painting. The Yellow Christ evokes thought because the subject matter is provocative, and the use of color combined with the subject matter makes a compelling piece.

The Critique of Modernity

            Modernity toke forth as the impressionists’ painters painted the recurring theme of the bourgeoisie and their daily activities. Caillebotte was one of those painters that pictured the lives of the middle class. He was a wealthy patron of the arts, that felt the Academy of Arts was lacking in new art. Caillebotte frequently bought works from his impressionist friends and amassed a large collection that would be later donated to the state of France. Besides his wealth and obvious affection for the liberal arts, Caillebotte was a tortured soul. Having survived the loss of three family members in four years Caillebotte turned to painting and hobbies to cope with the loss of his family. With these feelings of depression and loss, Caillebotte changed his artistic style to not be as easily recognizable as his fellow impressionist painters. At first his paintings are looked upon with pleasant looks. His paintings picture the lives of the bourgeoisie going about their daily lives and the mood seems to be one of calm, but on a closer examination some elements of his design point toward other ideas of modernity. Not one of the celebrations of life, but of the loneliness and separation of modern life. Caillebotte conveys this well in his painting Le pont de l'Europe.

            In the painting a scene is shown of people walking by a steel or iron rail way. By this time the industrial revolution had begun and factories and urban cities were a manifestation of the industrialization. Mass production was brought forth as the new means of production and many laborers saw their skilled job turned over to a machine that could perform more efficiently and with little to no expense. From this many people saw less interaction from others as machines were now taking up the position their neighbor once did. Instead of a reliance on humans, people were relying more on machines to satisfy their desires and needs. Caillebotte conveyed this feeling through the imagery of the train railway. The railway dominates the frame, not only in size but in the use of low key colors. The man leaning on the railway enforces the feeling of loneliness and desire to be needed.

            Another element that seems to point towards a critique of life is the use of space. Caillebotte painting uses a deep sense of space, but Caillebotte fails to fill the space. The distance between the figures and the objects around them seem to be far from each other, giving off a feeling of distance and separateness. The man and woman in the middle ground who seem to be walking together are in a distance that questions if their relationship is marital or even intimate. The man in the top hat is far enough ahead to suggest that he may be turning his attention to the woman behind him for other reasons. The whole painting seems to exhume this type of feeling, that there is no intimate relationship with anything. People become as mechanized as the machine that is created to help them. There is no look for intimacy or friendship, but to how one can gain from the other. This is the feeling I get from the bourgeoisie, the less successful man on the right though is slumped and looks like in deep thought. He conveys this mood that he is not looking for gain in the material world, but in the emotional one.

            Although very ambiguous, the dog in the painting can also be used as a critique of modern life. At the time the bourgeoisie were in hysteria of fear over the rabies disease. The bourgeoisie were given information from medical documents, newspapers, and from friends about the dangers of rabies. From this a phobia developed and many of the bourgeoisies blamed the working class for the spread of the disease. I believe that Caillebotte was trying to convey the social issues that surrounded the middle class. All these elements are tied together to enforce the critique of modern life by the use of the color palette. The color palette is very static, it seems without feeling and raises the mood of loneliness. 

Political Impressionism

            Although both have similar sounding names, Monet and Manet were two artists that had distinct artistic styles. Monet was born in Paris and trained under academic artists, but developed his own type of style. His friends encouraged him to keep going with the type of artistic style that he conveyed in his first work; from this came impressionism. Monet and many other impressionist painters portrayed the lives of middle and upper French class citizens. The scenes would entail peaceful relaxing and cheerful themes. Manet also learned many of his techniques through academic training, but also developed his own style as well. As the socialist movements were taking place Manet used this social change to add a sort of message to his works. Manet’s works portrayed many scenes of modern life just like Monet, but Manet had a more controversial side to it. Although both the artists have different approaches to their art, Monet and Manet have some similar artistic styles that can be analyzed in Monet’s The Rue Montorgueil and Manet’s The Rue Mosnier with Flags. Both these paintings depict the French festival of June 30^th 1878 celebrating the birth of the French Republic.

            In The Rue Montorgueil Monet the festival is shown from an aerial perspective. On both sides there seem to be an array of buildings adorned in the flags of France. There are masses of people, so this indicates that this is a massive and joyous celebration, this ties well with Monet’s style, he preferred to depict scenes in joyous and happy moments. Manet’s The Rue Mosnier with Flags pictures a different scene. Manet’s painting portrays the painting in a more realist and modernist approach. The buildings are still decorated with flags but there is not enough energy that is reached in Monet’s painting. The streets are almost empty, but for a few upper class citizens indicated by their attire and horse drawn carriages. The one thing that does separate Manet’s work with Monet is the left half of his painting. A male figure is shown with crutches, one foot and cloaked in worn out attire. This man could very well be a soldier that fought during the French Revolution. He is walking close to what seems is a rundown fence. Manet unlike Monet was not afraid to portray the reality of modern life. Monet painted pretty pictures to make you feel relaxed, but Manet painted to get a message across and to show the reality of modern life. Manet’s work pictures the harsh reality that many men were wounded because of the revolution and even though they made big sacrifices, their work was for nothing since the rich and privileged still controlled the social system. Monet on the contrary wanted to depict the festivities of the celebration and the happiness at the moment in the scene.

            Although both have different interpretations of the French festival there are some artistic similarities. Both Monet and Manet used quick light broad brushstrokes to make their compositions. In this way both artists achieved trying to create an impressionist painting, to capture a feeling, and moment in time. Monet’s use of color depicts his painting as warm and inviting, while Manet’s is cold and very uninhibited. Manet’s brushstrokes though seem to be not as quick as Monet’s because I believe that he was trying to raise an issue, to have the viewer think about the problems of modern society, while Monet’s use of brushstrokes only wants the viewer to feel the intensity of the celebration at the moment in time. Although both are great compositions, I prefer Manet’s because I like art that informs the viewer or makes the viewer think critically about social problems. Monet only wants to show the political celebration as a sort of propaganda. He is not concerned with the problems of that time only the moment in which the people of France are celebrating.

Impressionism

            Impressionism was born in France when groups of painters wanted to go away from the Salon artistic standards and create their own independent art group. When the independent group held an exhibition of their art, an art critic named Louis Leroy named the exhibition ‘impressionist’ based on the title on Monet’s painting, Impression: Sunrise. Intended to be a negative review, Monet and his colleagues liked the impressionist phrase and utilized it to characterize their art. Impressionism is supposed to evoke the feeling of the moment captured in the art. An example of this impressionist art is in Claude Monet’s On the bank of the Seine, Bennecourt. My reaction to the painting is one of calm and relaxation. Monet conveys these feelings by the use of color and line.

            Monet’s use of color helps the piece exhume the feeling of calmness. The colors in the background are warm. There seems to be a variety of neutral colors and a mix of low and high key colors to create a balanced visual weight. What makes this painting different than the past academic paintings was the use of atmospheric perspective, using cooler colors and blurring figures or objects to project the illusion of depth. Monet though, does not use atmospheric perspective. While the sky is a cool color, Monet is not trying to create depth; there is no difference between the middle and background. I believe that by doing this Monet was trying to engage the viewer to see the painting as a moment in time, to not think about the depth or narrative of the painting. Just to enjoy the scenery and have a sense of relaxation. The cooler colors on the foreground though contrast with the warm colors in the background. Although they contrast, the difference between the backgrounds does not distract the viewer from the overall composition of the piece. In a sense, the use of the cooler colors helps balance the temperature of the painting. Making a well balanced composition of color.

            The use of line that Monet uses also establishes a mood of relaxation. Monet uses light, fast, and open brushstrokes to create line. This action creates a very liberating movement in the piece. If Monet used hard solid lines to create objects, the scene would have been more serious and rigid. Monet’s use of line though creates this feeling as if someone was in a dream or in a faraway place where none of life’s worries take place. Although some of the houses in the background exhibit straight lines, if one where to look closely, one can see that the lines have bumps or curves that make the staccato line into legato. The use of line in the figures is also very indistinct. There are no details to outline the figures in the background, just little blobs of paint here in there. This is to reinforce the idea of relaxation, the figures are not what are important in the painting it is the overall feeling one experiences as they are placed in this space. The woman in the foreground is much more detailed than the figures on the background, but her clothes are made up of very quick strokes that the clothing in front of her is unrecognizable. The use of line in the female figure suggests ambiguity, that anyone could be in her position. Instead of focusing on her looking at the landscape, the viewer can imagine him or herself in the woman’s place.

            In the background, almost all the lines are horizontal. There is no intense use of line to suggest focal points or high interest points. From the shoreline to the hilltop the lines seem to be parallel to each other. Nothing stands out, so there is no need to pinpoint details in the scenery. The viewer is not stressed to find any meaning to the piece. The placements of the trees are vertical to the horizontal seating position of the woman on the grass. This creates a sort of right angle that places the woman right at the vertex. She is the point of interest, the high key hues used to formulate her enforces her as the focal point. Although she is the obvious focal point, again, the idea is not to see her within the space it is to see through her eyes the space. This idea is reinforced by the identity of the woman. You cannot see her face, so you cannot define her, you cannot read her expression, and you cannot tell what the narrative in the painting is. By having the woman be unidentifiable the viewer doesn’t focus all attention to her. Your eyes wander off to the landscape the woman is viewing giving the piece a relaxing and calm feeling. 

Realism and Early Avant-garde

            By the middle 1800’s, the Industrial Revolution was increasing at an unprecedented rate all over Europe and the United States. Many machines that required energy and a solid structure increased the demand for coal and iron. Many of the rural populations moved to the newly formed urban societies to hopefully work in the factories and industrial plants. Thus the middle class was born, also known as the bourgeoisie. While the factories provided work, the conditions in the factories and mines were unsanitary and unhealthy. Many of the workers subject to these working conditions were women and children, which forced the government to create regulations to have a safer workplace. Although the regulations helped the factory workers to a certain degree, some socialist thinkers shunned the capitalistic exploitation of the workers for maximum profit. Men like Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels argued against the economic structure of capitalism and prophesized the eventual demise of the bourgeoisie to the proletariat, or the working class. In the art world the same movement was taking forth.

In France, the Academie des Beaux-Arts was considered the highest influence over what styles of art was the most significant. Many of the art works were historic paintings and depicted the struggles and journeys of heroic and important men. Then in 1831, an architect named Eugene Viollet-le-Duc brought the idea of avant-gardism to the art world. Avant-garde artists thought their work to be in advance of the current artwork at the time and would reflect the ideas of socialism. Viollet-le-Duc gathered a few independent artists to create art that was against the Academie Beaux- Art. He wanted artists to create controversy and new political and social ideas. From this came Realism, the depiction of life in the real and natural world. Many of the independent artists depicted the urban lower class in their daily activities. The art was not to celebrate a historic moment or commemorate an important figure; the art was simply to show the reality of the modern world. An artist that conveyed this was Gustave Courbet in his work of the Stone Breakers.

At the time the Stone Breakers was looked down upon by the bourgeoisie. The piece looks very innocent and simple from a certain perspective, but upon further examination the piece conveys ideas of socialism and the flawed social class of the bourgeoisie. In the Stone Breakers two men are in their occupation breaking stones for road gravel. At the time, this was considered the lowest type of work, so this piece automatically receives negative attention from the bourgeoisie as it does not portray a historic moment and being in a large scale it should have portrayed something historical. One of the men is old while the other is young; they are both faceless, purposely done this way to show the unimportance of the men. This was another detail that was frowned upon the bourgeoisie because their styles of art called for figures of grand importance and with recognizable faces. Courbet then pictured the men in pheasant-like clothing; the younger one in more modernized attire, making a political statement that the new generation will have a grim future in a capitalistic system. This was far from the styles the bourgeoisie promoted in their artwork. Many of their artworks promoted the wealth and prestige of individuals, and emphasized the importance of an intellectual and ambitious mind. Courbet fought against this by picturing a scene with two poor male figures of unimportant background with little to no education, working in the lowest of society’s occupations. By doing this, Courbet in a way made these anonymous men into some kind of heroes, which was far from the hero the bourgeoisie conveyed in their art. The composition of the piece and the use of color further carry the piece closer to realism. The figures are juxtaposed in awkward positions and the colors used for the piece are dark gloomy and give a feeling of exhaustion. Courbet was intent on creating a piece that was a real as possible to give the viewer no indication that this was a dramatized scene in history like in the bourgeoisie art. The viewer is to see the harsh reality of the lower class and the exploitation they are subjected to by the bourgeoisie. 

Intro to Avant-garde

            When I think of ‘avant-garde’. I think of Italian Vogue or something that exhumes high fashion or gaudiness. I believe that today the word avant-garde is used to characteristic art that is very unconventional and experimental. The art is not supposed to be logical or rational; it can be in films, music, sculpture, paintings and any other mediums. For example when I look into Italian Vogue and see the wardrobes the women are wearing I am perplexed. I am perplexed because although the clothes have deep rich colors and have a variety of textures, the clothing itself is not practical. The shoes would be enormous or the coat would be too large and long for the person, but this is what characterizes avant-garde. The wardrobe is not supposed to be for practical reason or be worn outside of a runway, the clothes is created purely out of the innovation and imagination of the designer. The art is supposed to be about the art, to focus on the details and overall compositions to the piece, so as to make the viewer ask why combine those different elements. An example of avant-garde art would be Manet’s Luncheon on the grass.

            Before obviously looking at the naked woman, the scene seems serene and relaxing. Two men are enjoying their conversation and a woman is wading in the water at the background. Then when your gaze has come across the entire painting you are pulled to see the naked woman. She is emphasized by the paleness in her skin, forcing the viewer to direct your eyes towards her. Once one sees her the whole painting loses all logic and narrative. Her pose is very relaxed and her gaze is directed towards the viewer as if he or she was included in the painting. Avant-garde focused on the innovative and unconventional and Manet’s painting achieved this. Back in the time that it was created nudes were highly appreciated by the art galleries, but the nude characteristics had to depict historical or mythical scenes, with women usually in a provocative or sensual pose. Manet challenged this stereotype of the nude female to draw a female that is shown nude, but is not showing any of her indecencies. She is very relaxed and has the energy that she belongs there. Aside from her the scene combines further objects and figures and convey avant-garde. The men are in conversation as if she was fully dressed. The men have no shocked faces upon them and the woman is not embarrassed about her state.

            What shocks the viewer the most though is her gaze, she looks at the viewer in a very calm expression. She is not exhibiting any sexual energy, so it seems awkward as to why she would be present in the scene. Manet captured this scene to be innovative, to go outside the box and push the limits of what art is and how society views it at the time. There is no clear indication to what is the background since the woman in the water is not scaled in proportion to the figures in the foreground. The scenery seems to be man-made and some of the objects look as if the artist was quickly painting it. The food scattered upon the floor in the foreground is random and appears unimportant. All these elements further challenge the viewer to make some sense of the painting. Manet was trying to create an art piece for the sake of art. He intended his brushstrokes to be very random and transparent to give his technique away to the viewer and the unconventionalism of the objects and figures further heightens the feeling of avant-garde. Much like the clothing in the high fashion magazines, the clothing is not to be seen as a wearable clothing, but as a unifying composition that asks the viewer what art is.

Final post

            I was very excited about this class because we would be touching upon the Renaissance and Enlightenment period. I am very drawn the Renaissance and Enlightenment period because I am supporter of science and reform. I also believe in being the best human being you can be and a way of achieving this is to be a rational and logical human being. In the middle ages many of the lower class was enslaved into the feudal system therefore had little time to create and imagine. Once the Renaissance period came, many travelers, merchants, and inventors were sharing their findings and spreading new ideas. The corruption of the Church led people to find their own meaning from the Bible and scientist were changing the very fabric of what humanity was. In the Enlightenment era many scientists and philosophers were again challenging the power of the Church through pure reason to create a more perfect society. Art was used as a sort of propaganda for the times to send messages across to the people and spread ideas. What I really like about the class though that although the class did touch upon my favorite times in history it brought forth artists I never looked into and made me appreciate the eras I love.

            What intrigued me most about the Renaissance and the Enlightenment era was the push to create the illusion of reality as much as possible. So humanism, realism, and idealism dominated these periods in various ways. Renaissance period artwork such as Michelangelo’s Moses combines all the stylistics characteristics of humanism, idealism, and realism. Moses is shown in perfect proportions following the canon of proportions of Polykleitos. His body is idealized, showing very muscular arms and the indication of sturdy powerful legs and the tablets in his arms show human achievement of how Moses was able to communicate with God and receive his laws upon humanity. I was fascinated by both the visual details of the piece and the historical context. I like realism and idealism, so Michelangelo’s Moses fits well into my spectrum of ideas. The polished look on his body compliments the skill of the drapery Michelangelo used to achieve the look of clothing.

In the late Eighteenth century during the Enlightenment period in France Louie XVI was in power and was sympathetic to the Enlightenment movement. His commission of Oath of the Horatii by Jacques-Louis David is another example of artwork that incorporates realism, idealism, and humanism. Humanism is depicted by the subject matter and message of the artwork. The three young men on the left are giving oath to their father while the women on the right are weeping for the men who are going to commit to the army. The men’s and women’s bodies are proportioned accurately, the architecture is sound and the use of value reflects the characteristic of realism. Idealism is shown in the subject matter and in the bodies of the men. The subject matter shows the men honorably giving their lives for the cause, while the father is so overwhelmed by their determination that it seems he is taken aback. The men’s bodies appear very masculine and strong, while the women are slim and supple. The painting seems to have a balance of the masculine with the feminine which gives the painting even further interests. The paining was revered so highly in France that it eventually became a message of self-sacrifice and patriotism. The ideas of the paining led men of the French Republic to overthrow the French monarchy and establish a republican democratic government.

The Renaissance Period and the Age of Enlightenment were times were ideas were plentiful and society was looking to improve itself. Artworks such as Michelangelo’s Moses and Jacques-Louis David’s Oath of the Horatii inspired men to mold society to an ideal and humanistic society. To reach the level of perfection that only their ancestors would have dreamed of. Along with science and philosophy, art has paved and is still paving a new way of thinking in human society.On a side note the class also made me appreciate Baroque art!

18th Century art

In the 18^th century the ‘Enlightenment’ era was bursting with new ideas and ways of life. Men like John Locke, Isaac Newton, and Bernard de Fontenelle discovered the scientific method. This is to see the world through empirical means and make an educated hypothesis on how it functions based on the evidence collected. Rational thought declared that all men should have equal rights and that everyone deserves to live. An artist that embodied this desire for knowledge was Joseph Wright of Derby. The artwork that I will be discussing is The Alchymist.

            Joseph Wright of Derby was a man who was fascinated by machinery and science. Living during the Industrial Revolution he had many opportunities to meet many intellectuals, artists, and philosophers. His love for science eventually reached his love for painting. In the painting The Alchymist, it shows a scientist doing an experiment in what seems like a gothic like church. He is in awe of what he has discovered. It is believed that the man is Henning Brandt and his discovery of Phosphorus. Like the Gothic Church, there seems to be other religious connotations in the painting, such as the scientist bending on his knee in a religious fashion. The Derby Museum describes his kneeling position as the referencing of St Francis receiving the stigmata or St Jerome in prayer.

            Joseph Wright of Derby also uses the effect of chiaroscuro in his paintings. This is apparent in The Alchymist. The glass orb that the scientist is experimenting on has a very bright glow to it giving the surrounding room a calm glow. Wright was fascinated with the effects of light on objects and people so in many of his painting one can see a large source of light illuminating a room full of objects and people. Although the painting seems very magical, 18^th century critiques at the time of its creation were seen very uncomfortably. The religious and scientific subject matter puzzled many viewers and it toke almost four years for Wright to sell his work. Some historians believe that the painting was to celebrate the wonders of scientific discovery, some thought it was the message of science explaining religious questions, or that the painting helps vindicate chemistry from the past associations it had with alchemy. Whatever its real purpose it is a very compelling piece. Wright’s painting plays with such concepts as knowledge and enlightenment, theory and practice, spectatorship and discovery, temporality and historicity, and the local and national to suggest a type of enlightenment.

            The Alchymist did not gain as much recognition as An Experiment on a bird in the air-pump or The Orrery, but it seems to have a more puzzling characteristic about it that makes some art historians question the purpose of the painting. One historian concludes that the painting is to turn the roles of demonstrator, discoverer, and spectator around from any rational point of view. The scientist is as much the discoverer as the demonstrator, he is watching the phosphorus created with his assistants and he is also a spectator, as he accidentally discovered the element. His expression gives off the impression that he has no rational explanation for the phenomenon. In the Enlightenment age this would be seen as troublesome because rationality was the only way to make way for reason. In science usually the scientist is fully aware of his workings and his surrounding, so to see this on a painting confused many. I believe that Wright was trying to promote science in a different way, so as to make the viewer have a scientific and analytical view of his painting.

References:

http://www.tms.org/pubs/journals/jom/0706/byko-0706.html

http://www.derby.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/museums-and-galleries/treasures-of-derby/museums-art/alchymist/

http://www.oberlin.edu/amam/Wright.htm

http://www.reocities.com/jvertesi/wright/#_ftn11

Baroque Art

            During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries the Renaissance and the Reformation society was growing accustomed to change in the religious world as well as the scientific one. The shattering of the Roman Catholic Church brought many people to interpret the Bible their own way and led many like Martin Luther to a new way of approaching Christianity. Protestantism came forth in many versions and many artists now had opportunities to seek patrons not only in religious sects, but in secular ones as well. As time approached to the seventeenth century, many of the landscapes changed to the new majority of Protestants. Most of Northern Europe converted to Protestantism and Southern Europe clung to Catholicism. Science also changed the perception of the world, now that the knowledge that the world was not the center of the universe had come out, many saw that world around them was much more complicated. From all this change came the style of art called Baroque. Baroque incorporated and rejected many of the ideals of the Renaissance. Humanism was incorporated into the art in the Baroque period by portraying humans in different everyday activities, not only that but unlike the Renaissance artists the Baroque artists conveyed the humans in more emotional aspects. Unlike the Baroque period, Idealism was the dominant style in art during the Renaissance. Many of the Renaissance artists valued idealism and this left the viewers of the art to only observe the art not interact with it. Baroque art was the exact opposite, the artists emphasized movement, emotion, and energy to incorporate the viewer to interact with the piece. Naturalism also was incorporated in the Baroque period, but unlike the Renaissance the artists wanted to portray nature in a more emotive way. Still life’s and genre paintings depicted everyday objects and scenes so the viewer can relate to the piece and is more inclined to be responsive to the piece. Visual Harmony was used in a more dynamic and interactive way during the Baroque period as well. Instead of the usual pyramidal composition or symmetrical composition, many Baroque artists utilized asymmetrical balance to establish their compositions. This made the pieced much more interesting to look at and receive a greater emotive reaction from the viewer.

            Bernini’s David and Michelangelo’s David share some similarities in artistic style, but unlike Michelangelo’s Renaissance David, Bernini’s Baroque David has some different styles that pay homage to the Baroque period. Bernini’s David shares the ideals of humanism, naturalism, and idealism with Michelangelo’s David. For humanism, both pieces share the promotion of human achievement; they both wish to convey the best of the human being and portray the human body reminiscent of the ancient Greeks and Romans. The difference between Bernini’s David and Michelangelo’s David was Bernini’s David was a much more humanistic David, Michelangelo’s David is more idealistic. Bernini portrays David in movement, his body twisting as he is ready to launch the rock at Goliath. The viewer is forced to interact with the piece, to envision what is to come next. Michelangelo’s on the other hand is very stable, calm, and resolved. His David looks like he is contemplating the situation, so this leads the viewer only to think in an unemotional way. Both Davids exhibit the ideal of idealism though with the musculature of David although, Bernini’s David is much more mature and built. Bernini’s David shows tension in his muscles, unlike Michelangelo’s. Since Bernini’s David and Michelangelo’s David have similar visions of the human body, I can say that both the periods of the Renaissance and the Baroque periods had a similar style in naturalism. Both periods wanted to show the world in empirical means, but the Baroque wanted a more emotive response to how the world should be looked at. Renaissance art only showed an idealistic look at the natural world, so the viewer could not connect with the piece. In the Bernini’s David naturalism is shown by the way David would actually react to the action at the time. Michelangelo’s David looks more like hes walking on runway showing off his greatness. Bernini’s David is crouched, ready to attack his opponent in a serious and determined manner. Lastly, visual harmony in Bernini’s David is different that Michelangelo’s David by the way it is juxtaposed. Michelangelo’s David is in a balanced weighted pose that was popular in the Renaissance period. Called the Canon of Polykleitos, many of the sculptures at the Renaissance time had a proportionate body in a balanced posed. The body was commonly in an ‘S’ shape with one of the legs weighted against the other. Michelangelo’s David copies these canons of proportions and so does Bernini, but Bernini’s goes away from some of the traditions. For instance, Bernini’s David is proportioned correctly, but his body is not balanced in an upright symmetrical way. Bernini’s David is twisting in different directions implying asymmetrical balance. By doing this Bernini’s David exhumes more energy and movement. Visual harmony is still reached, but Baroque art molds visual harmony with the emotive senses to convey a more stimulating experience.

16th Century art in Northern Europe

In 1517 Martin Luther, a former catholic priest, wrote the 95 Theses stating the Reformation of the Church. Many people were tired of the rich and lavish lifestyles the clergy of the Roman Catholic Church was living while many of the people were starving. Men such as Martin Luther proposed to learn about Christianity through individual means, to seek God not through the Pope, but through the Bible. What helped evolve Reformation was the invention of the printing press, the printing press helped distribute ideas and debates of how religion should be followed. As well as the translation of the Bible to vernacular Italian or other languages helped the common people who could read better understand for themselves of what the meanings of the Bible are. As the Church was losing its influence on the people many Catholic artists had to move to other countries to find patronage to pay for their art. Also many artists made their own interpretation of the religious texts and decided to portray religious art more humanized. Art was no longer important in the religious realm; so many artists started depicted self-portraits, secular (non religious) objects, still lives, landscapes, and more humanized humans.

            The types of subject matter at that time that was sought after were usually self-portraits or paintings of scenery. A sort of Capitalistic system was starting to burgeon in Northern Europe, many men started to acquire wealth through selling commodities and other business like affairs, unlike the past way of inheriting wealth. As these men started to build their wealth many wanted to decorate their homes with furnishings and art. Individualism was taking place across the Northern European land, so many wanted artists to paint themselves in self- portraits to embody themselves in a grandeur style. Religious art was still made, but many artists started to make their own interpretations of religious scenes. For example in the Engraving of Adam and Eve by Albrecht Durer there is still a presence of religious subject matter that was popular in Catholic art. The differences are that Catholic art was more focused on the subject matter, the message, than the art itself. Durer went away from this and combined the immaculate detail of the Northern Renaissance to the religious theme of the piece. As one can see the background is very detailed, the foliage of the leaves, the array of bark markings on the tree, the feathers of the bird, the cliffs in the background, the animals around the forest and the humans themselves. Durer went away from the Catholic human form to the Classical representation of the human body. Durer made an ideal depiction of Adam and Eve, giving them appropriate proportions and well presentation of human anatomy.

Although Durer was immaculate in his detail, he still tried to include symbolism in his art to pay homage to the Catholic art. In the engraving Durer tried to emphasize the fall of man and his weakness. The animals portrayed in the engraving all have symbolic meaning to the weaknesses of man. The text Art History describes the symbolism as the stubbornly elk, the choleric cat, the phlegmatic ox, the sensual rabbit, and the mouse a symbol of Satan. Durer was able to mold both the past artistic trends of the Catholic art of subject matter and religious theme, and the future, of including fine detail and proportionate human beings.

Mannerism

            Mannerism was the movement after the death of Raphael. Many wanted to get away from High Classical idealism and realism. Through elegance, grace, and artificiality artist departed from past artistic conventions such as balance and lifelike references. Many of the art created during this time referenced past High Renaissance art, but unlike the High Renaissance art the humans were disproportioned and the background and subject matter for the pieces usually left someone scratching their head. Examples of mannerism are Parmigianino’s Madonna with the Long Neck and Bronzino’s Allegory with Venus and Cupid.

            As I said before the Mannerist style portrayed the human form in disproportioned and anatomically incorrect positions. Madonna with the Long Neck is a good example, as the title suggest, the Madonna’s neck is exaggerated to a length not normal. Her body proportions are incorrect as well; her legs are thick and long compared to her small and thin shoulders. Her hands are too long for a female and her body is in an unbalanced position holding Christ. The baby is also anatomically incorrect, the baby is much too large and long to be a child, and his arms are at awkward positions giving the impression of no balance. Anatomical awkwardness is also shown in Allegory with Venus and Cupid. Cupid is seductively holding Venus in an awkward anatomically impossible position. Cupid’s back is curved to a point unimaginable and the angles at where his legs are bent at have no reinforcement to his pose.

            Another Mannerist style is the use of background, with the Classical period background was used for the basis of foundation, to set the setting and establish order and balance. Mannerism deterred from that conveyed the background as more of an abstract idea. In the Madonna with the Long Neck the background has a small man unrolling a scroll, the way he is positioned seems that the artist was not pressed to worry about perspective. As the image of the unsupportive column suggest as well. The column is gigantic in proportion to the small man, so this takes away at what depth there is to the picture and if there is linear perspective. In the Allegory with Venus and Cupid the background is very random and gives off the impression as being tight and cramped. There is much movement in the background distracting the viewer from Venus and Cupid. Not only that but, there is no sense of where the light is coming from. The lighted figures are in random places and the lady on the left top corner should be lighted as she is at the same distance as the man in the right top corner.

            Although both artworks are Mannerist I feel the Allegory withVenus and Cupid is far more anti-Classical. Although the Madonna with the Long Neck does have the necessary elements to be considered Mannerist, the piece still has some main references to the High Classical High Renaissance Period; such as the use of color and the direction of the light. Bronzino’s piece on the other hand seems as though it has no reference in it except for the gods of Greece. Everything is very random the subject matter can be interpreted in many ways and the positions, light direction, and balance of the piece is very Anti-Classical.

High Renaissance

            During the Medieval ages many of the art focused on the symbolism, the message of the art. Artists were more abstract in regards with nature and the human form. What was more important was to give a message through art. As the middle ages past the Renaissance began and people were starting to go back to the teaching of the Classical period of the Greeks and Romans. In doing so, humanism was brought forth again, but this time humanism was transformed into many art forms. Artist were delved more into trying to portray realism as much as possible, although by the High Renaissance some idealism came through to humanism and gave it an extra upgrade to the perfection of art.

            Although in the Early Renaissance the illusion of the natural world was attempted through fine detail in objects and people, the High Renaissance artist tried to achieve this illusion through more empirical and analytical means. Using different light textures such as sfumato, the subtle transition from light to dark that Leonardo Da Vinci excelled at, artist were able to create an ideal perfect surrounding or scenery. Another technique used to enhance the illusion is chiaroscuro or implanting implied spotlights on person to enhance the shadows and overall realistic effect of the piece to give the sense of three-dimensionality.

            Many of the artworks created during the High Renaissance period were set into a well thought out space, or more mathematically rational. A way many artists of that time achieved such organized space was through linear perspective. Linear perspective allowed artist to render a three-dimension space on a two-dimensional surface. This was done by first picking a vantage point or a place where everything will recede to. The closer objects are to the vantage point the smaller and more indistinct they will be, the farther the more detailed and larger it will be shown. This manipulation of space allowed the artwork to have the illusion of depth and foreshortening, it gave the viewer a sense of reality, as one would see the real world. Added to linear perspective was atmospheric perspective, which was the illusion of depth through colors, so as one was closer to the vanishing point the colors would be more bland and cooler such as blue or gray and as one is farther from the vantage point the more colorful and radiant they are.

            An example of High Renaissance art would be of The Virgin of the rocks by Leonardo da Vinci. Sfumato is utilized as one can see the overall smoky or hazy look to the piece; it gives the impression as someone is peering in through a light fog. Chiaroscuro can be seen in each individual of the piece, they seem to be radiating light. This gives the viewer a heightened view of the person’s forms and expressions. The pieces are laid out in a triangular form, which was popular at the time, to give the artwork a sense of balance and stability. The Virgin is at the top and the three individuals are placed so as to make an implied triangle. Linear perspective is also employed at around the left middle corner where there is a range of rocky cliffs. The vantage point begins there and the orthogonal lines go out in a eastern direction, the cliffs near the vantage point are smaller and less detailed than the rocky cliffs behind the Virgin. The atmospheric perspective adds to this illusion of depth by making the cliffs near the vantage point cooler in cooler and less distinct. As one can see the Virgin and the people around her are warmly colored and finely detailed to finish off the perception of depth. All these techniques and skills finish off to make a excellent piece of art that renders the illusion or reality well.

Early Renaissance analysis

            The Crucifixion with Saints by Perugino is an example of Early Renaissance art. The elements used to incorporate this painting were a base in painting that spread among other aspiring artists of that time. My reaction to the painting is one of awe; the painting exhibits a dynamic sense of balance. To portray the sense of balance, the painting utilized the elements of composition, color, style, line and scale.

            As one can see, the Crucifixion of Saints one can see that the painting is divided into three panels. This was typical at the time during the Early Renaissance to create this type of art medium. Usually they were placed on altars at churches, so they respectively gained the name as altar pieces. Since the altar piece has three panels, this altar would be called a triptych. I believe balance is the strongest point in this painting. Perugino established balance by how he juxtaposition everything on the painting. As one can see Perugino used a pyramidal figural group, which is Jesus at the top and the four persons at the bottom evenly spaced to create a triangle like shape. This created a sense of balance as all implied weight is equally shared on every point of the painting. Another pyramidal structure that can be examined is of the foreground landscape. The rocky hills surrounding the five figures form a sort of upside down pyramid to give more importance to the central figure. The importance of the figure in the middle is emphasized by the empty background. This use of juxtaposition allows the viewer to see that the central figure is the most important of the piece. Composition was the most heavily used element to exhibit the aspect of balance.

            Another element utilized to show balance, was color. Using the technique called atmospheric or aerial perspective; Perugino was able to further portray balance through the whole piece. On the foreground all objects are beautifully and warmly colored. All features are exhibited and the use of shadow and light gives the foreground a warm and heavenly glow. The objects on the background though are shown in cooler colors. A sort of bluish gray or colorless background indicating the illusion of distance, as well as the apparent use of less detail as the farther away the scene is from the foreground. This gives the painting depth and a more dynamic sense that the scene is more realistic.

            The style that Perugino used for the Crucifixion of the Saints was heavily popularized by Flemish painters. It allowed artists to paint a visual picture of a window to see a real event or a perspective of what would have happened. Flemish painters were adamant about detail to all features such as the people, objects in the painting, or aspects that reside in the natural world. For example the flowers at the bottom of the painting are highly detail, all the leaves are shown, petals, highlights of the stems and leaves, and the grass surrounding the flowers is individually painted. Today lots of artists spend much time on immaculate detail as this because it consumes too much time. Perugino’s Flemish style gave more balance to the painting because it gave a continuity of detail to the whole composition. Nothing was left less detailed or else it would distract the viewer and therefore compromise the balance of the piece.

            What also helped to establish balance of the Crucifixion of that Saints was the use of line. As I said before, the painting is in pyramidal form, but more importantly Perugino utilized the skill of linear perspective that became a standard in Renaissance art. Jesus at the top of the altar piece was used as the vanishing point, or the point where all direction comes from. Then orthogonal lines, or imaginary lines that give direction spreading from the vanishing point, spread out towards all the figures at the bottom. This allows the viewer to lead his or her eye at the top, or the focal point. Then lead down to the rest of the altar piece, this allows for a more fluid continuous line of direction. The use of line gives the viewer a balanced sense of direction as the viewer does not feel compelled to start viewing at the right corner or on a random spot.

            To finalize the feel of balance, Perugino uses scale to create depth and realism. This is called intuitive perspective, as objects or landscapes get farther into the distance; they appear smaller and out of focus. An example of this is on the left panel of the altar piece, a lion is shown in the middle ground smaller that the man in the foreground, giving the impression that the lion is at a farther distance then the scene on the foreground. Other examples include the landscape in the middle panel in the background, and the fence behind the person on the right panel. These uses of scale further assume the sense of balance because it gives the continuity of depth giving the overall sense of the painting as stable and harmonious. 

Northern Renaissance

            In the documentary of the Northern Renaissance, many ideas and thoughts were changing at a unfathomable rate. From the beginning of the Renaissance in Flanders, to the eventual renaissance in Italy. Before the renaissance, many of society’s thoughts and action were under the influence of the Church, specifically the Roman Catholic Church. Artists could not proclaim or sign their art because the Church thought it a sin of vanity and egotism. So many artists were anonymous. The video heavily discusses the starter of the new renaissance, Jan Van Eyck. Jan Van Eyck gave birth to a new revolution in art, at the time sculpture was thought of as the supreme art form because of the ability of artists to depict humans in the round, giving them a more realistic appearance. Sculptors such as Sluter achieved a new level of sculpting were not only did he sculpt humans, but he gave complex detail to the clothing and face to give the viewer the illusion that the sculptures were real human beings. As well as the clothing was given a sense that it was flowing and real.

Jan Van Eyck, like Sluter, wanted to reach a new level of realism, but he wanted to expand it to other medium. Before the Renaissance, tapestries were considered very valuable and high art, but as new ideas came, people wanted a new fresh take on art. Jan Van Eyck was one of the first to use oil painting as a medium to make supreme art. Many of the art produced at this time was religious scenes, famous victories, and sacred peoples. Eyck changed that by paint self-portraits, daily activity scenes, and modest normal people. Unlike the previous painters of his time who were anonymous Eyck made an effort to make his mark on his artworks, such as signatures, self-mottos, and inserting himself in painting. This was he was able to be globally known. What also gave him and other future painters more fame was the invention of the printing press. This allowed artists artwork to be copied and distributed, so that more people found out about their work.

            At the time of the renaissance there was two Popes in conflict that both proclaimed they were they real Pope. This caused many to doubt and distrust the Church and start looking for answers themselves. This allowed people like Jan Van Eyck to make his own interpretations of religious scenes. What made Eyck so different from other painters was his use of detail. He was determined to incorporate as much detail as possible. Not only that, but he wanted his work to look as real as possible. Eyck’s skill in layering oil paint allowed him to give a consistent illusion of reality, which astounded people of that time until today. The pigments he used were derived from various natural elements and involved a long and difficult process, so being as labor intensive, it was expensive to obtain oil paints. Eyck’s skill gave him the sponsorship of noblemen such as the Duke of Burgundy to finance his profession.

            During the Northern Renaissance, change was coming forth and going towards realism. To achieve a new level of skill and thinking, art during the renaissance was trying to convey itself more as a natural thing in the world, rather than a window open to the world. Oil painting especially captured this and very quickly became the new supreme art.

Importance of the Renaissance

The Renaissance, to me, was what art was supposed to be. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Dark Ages introduced surrealism or a more symbolic way of representing an image. Although it is good to go away from the norm, one must always come back to what one can see in reality. During the Renaissance, many stopped following the teachings of the church and started to find explanation for the physical world through logic and science. Many of the discoveries introduced in the Renaissance hold prevalence today, such as, astronomy, physics, geology, and art.

Our culture heavily focuses on the 15^th and 16^th century art because it utilized math such as geometry and portrayed a more realistic sense of things. Proportion, anatomy, scale, shading, angles, and many other elements of art were reintroduced and founded during the Renaissance. Many feel that Renaissance art was the epiphany of art because of how realistic the art was. Human anatomy was perfected; color was used to emphasize reality by using the exact or near exact pigmentation of color to create a realistic effect. The use of shadows and contrast add a more three dimensional feel. Composition was well laid out so the placement of objects and people was proportionate to one another. Themes portrayed on paintings usually involved famous incidents in time or daily activities. This allowed many people to see how the Renaissance period was and how society was structured. Artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael were famous mainly because they worked closely with the Roman Church, so they were given the privileges of painting on churches, so their art was reached to a larger audience. All of these artists also expanded to other mediums such as painting, penciling, watercolor, oils, charcoal, sculpting, and architecture. By expanding upon mediums artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael could be more influential to a variety of viewers. All of them also looked to the real world for their inspirations, such as (secretly) ordering corpses to examine the muscle structure and bone structure of the human body and other animals. This allowed these artists to portray humans more realistically and give the viewer and more relatable theme. As well as studying the landscapes and incorporating the elements of perspective, scale, proportion, line, color, and light to make the scene look as if one can jump into the portrait.

No other artist has reached the level of technique and skill that Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael attained. This is why many classes and cultures revere them so, because they are the trinity (not in a religious sense) of humanism. They started a revolution in art, instead of heavily depending on symbolism and disregarding the human form; Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael perfected the human form and although adding symbolism to their art at times, it did not deter them from creating a realistic scene. This is why I believe the Renaissance was viewed as one of the most influential times in human history. The incorporation of art and science pushed the boundaries of what art could be.