Favorites

This quarter I particularly enjoyed the Mannerist style. I am drawn to the almost modern or abstract nature of the works. The uncomfortable and impossible poses of the subjects means that the artists have the artistic freedom to paint their figures in any way, not just in ways that humans can achieve. This is actually the way that I myself draw: figures out of proportion, strange angles, though I must admit, sometimes by accident. I am also intrigued by the aim to make the viewers uncomfortable on purpose like in An Allegory with Venus and Cupid. The subject matter takes the viewer aback almost immediately. During the time it was created, most people knew the figures of Greek and Roman mythology and so instantly recognized the inappropriate nature of the scene. Even without any knowledge of mythological beings, the viewer can be shocked just by looking at Cupid’s face, knowing he is very young. This piece is one of my favorites also because of the fact that the artist is not painting a religious scene or commissioned portrait. The fact that this piece may have been created as a secret joke or as a reason for men at court to oogle a naked woman is evidence that we, as humans, have always been smutty, and that is very amusing. Dirty jokes are not just a modern thing!

My other favorite artistic period is the Baroque era. The drama and emotion of the scenes are what I have also thought of when thinking of fine art. Portraits give good information and a historical reference point, but the action in Baroque art really makes you feel. Bernini’s David is an amazing example of movement that can be achieved in sculpture. While he still has an idealized form, so popular in the Renaissance, he is in action, something not portrayed in earlier sculpture. We can see in what moment this David is existing; the moment of battle. The viewer’s ability to walk around the piece and get all different views allows us to be part of the action. This period kept some similarities of the Mannerist style such as the diagonal, sharp, almost painful lines.
    This same feeling of being part of the scene is also achieved in Baroque painting. One interesting example is Rembrandt’s  The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp. We see the good doctor teaching students about the inner working of the human arm. He is in mid-lecture, in mid motion. All of the students are gathered at the head of the table leaving the end open. This allows the viewer to take the place of a student standing at the end of the cadaver and be part of the scene.

    One characteristic of Baroque art is the dramatic contrast between light and dark. This is very interesting for me as someone in the lighting department of theater. In Brugghen’s St. Sebastian Tended by St. Irene, there are portions of bright light combined with dark shadows. It is very clear in this piece that the light source is coming from our left side.  We see the wound in his side greatly illuminated while in contrast his face is in shadow against Irene, perhaps trying to mask his pain.