Collection of the Seattle Museum

Collection of the Seattle Museum

The Origin of the Cornucopia by Abraham Janssens & Leda and the Swan and Her children by Vincent  Sellaer.

I personally have a hard time pointing out a mannerist painting but looking closer at these images I can sort of see mannerism in these two painting. There are also similarities between The Origin of the Cornucopia, Leda and the Swan and Her children, and the Madonna with the long Neck, the Allegory with Venus and Cupid paintings in the late Renaissance. Referring back to the Allegory with Venus and Cupid and comparing it with the Origin of the Cornucopia you can see similarities in un-naturalistic posture & gestures.  A certain unbalance to the color and lighting in the picture and lack of vocal point. This completely moves away from the idea of realism in the high renaissance. Although the Origin of the Cornucopia is very mannerist; it seems to be a lot less than the Allegory with Venus and cupid painting (p.663). Which is almost noisy in a sense because there is a lot going on; you have cupid and Venus being promiscuous. A man depicted to be a victim of syphilis and much more whereas, in the Cornucopia you have what appears to be the vocal point. Three individuals gathered around each other turned and twisted in acquired position reaching and gesturing to fruit on the ground near them.

On the other hand you have Leda and the Swan and her children; the painting where the figure I presume to be Leda is resting her arm on a Swan. I can’t imagine that realistically happening. I couldn’t imagine a Swan being able to support the weight of a full grown woman. Notice that in the Madonna with the long neck Oil painting(p.662), besides the obvious over sized child in her lap or elongated neck she possess. The image of Madonna appears or is depicted to be sitting on a throne or at least in a chair of some type.  The same persists in the “Leda and the Swan and her Children” painting. Aside from leaning on the Swan she also seems to be seated, and position on the ground or a ledge. The image of the child too her right is position farther down than she. This implies that this must be a ledge and that she must be sitting on the edge of it. But the ledge is not painted in the picture just like the throne isn’t in the “Madonna with the long Neck”. The face of Leda looks UN-natural, dummy like and somewhat of the reflection of the Swans, but in painted human form. The shadowing on her body is unsettling, a made up one rather than a natural one. In the painting of Leda resting her arm on the Swan it appears that she’s actually resting it; her arm on the Swans neck. While a portion of her drapery or clothing are thrown or wrapped around a portion of the Swans body. These depictions are UN- realistic, UN-natural to nature and therefore very much mannerist paintings.

High Italian Renaissance

High Italian Renaissance

The High Italian Renaissance essentially was no different in my opinion, really from the early renaissance. You still have the teachings and writings of Plato which continued to become popular and idealized. The use of Fresco and oil paint mediums are more common.  Modeling is of course taken a step further in sculptures and paintings with the introduction of sfumato & Chiaroscuro styles. The big emphasis in the high Italian renaissance seemed to be humanism & modernization. Everything was of current depiction, and perfection was a most. Perfection played a huge part for artist such as Michelangelo and Leonardo Di Vinci; who was both fascinated with the anatomy of the human system.

Artist in the high renaissance are so good at this point that you see a lot of overly expressed, arrogant art produced. Raphael’s Agnelo Doni, a portrait of Doni which commemorates his marriage alliance with Maddalena Strozzi, whom also has a separate portrait a two piece set. Looking at both portraits you can see the stronng emphasis in color. The vibrancy and the use of chiaroscuro, contrast between light and dark colors. Not so much in the background as in the foreground. The subject matters are realistic as can be expected from there head all the way to their garments.  But the subjects in both, Raphael’s portraits of “Doni & Strozzi” hold such profound realism in their hands. They stand out apart from everything else in the portrait. The joules in the rings that are placed upon the individual fingers, the use of sfumato style on just the hands alone would suggest some form of importance.

Artist in the high renaissance produced a lot of three-quarter piece portraits, similar to the Mona Lisa. A bit of historia is most common in paintings, particularly from well-known or renowned artists Such as Titian and Bramante, & Di Vinci etc. Michelangelo’s David is practically littered with idealistic trends of humanism and perfectionism with the disincentive inaccuracy of realism to the male genitals. Notice how all the statues and paintings depict the male genitals in its size and entirety. There isn’t any distinction in the neither size nor appearances. They all sort of fall under the same umbrella, realistically knowing that isn’t accurate. That’s just a bit of settle observation to the extent of realism in the high Italian renaissance.

A lot of artists during this time where commissioned to build and produce great works of art. Cathedrals are being remodeling during the high renaissance, ceilings of cathedrals are being painted and sculptures and tombs are being “commissioned,” built. Artists are in high demand with the decree of high ranks or authority. Artist now in the high renaissance have the power to travel produce and sale art work of their liking. Paints are even starting to be produced, premixed and sold. Heavy unclear symbolism is present in the high Italian renaissance. Giorgione’s “The Tempest” is an oil painting on canvas that suggests a lot of unclear subject-actions that may or may not be taking place in the painting.

Southern Rennaissance -Crucifixion with Saints by Pietro Vannucci c. 1480s.

Crucifixion with Saints by Pietro Vannucci c. 1480s. Tempera on wood panel (now trasnfered to canvas) center panel 40x221/4” (101x 56 cm), side panels 371/2 x 12” (95 x 30 cm). National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

          

Crucifixion with Saints is a piece of Southern Renaissance Art with heavy Greek influence; due to the display of Christ’s naked. The anatomy of the Christ lord is painted with such a natural look and actuality. This wood panel is filled with the overflow of color. Reds, blues and greens but the only piece of cloth Christ is wearing is white. As if it symbolizes a sign of peace and calmness.

The dimensions in this piece are so precisely put together that the scene beyond Christ and the four people on the side of him becomes intriguing and almost mysterious. Everything from the sunlight that highlights Christ and the man to the far left of him who is also wearing nothing but a white rag, although his rags are filthy. The people near the cross casts shows from beneath them indicating the setting of the sun or a shaded area in which they stand.

What’s interesting is the transition from light to dark and back to light again. The people near Christ who is up on the cross are in a shadow or setting of the sun. While Christ, up on the cross is highlighted by the light.  Behind them are trees bushes and rocks that build up to small cliffs. All which recede into the shadows with the exception of highlighted area. Then beyond that is a city with green mountains and trees that depict beauty and life, versus the front which shows grief and sorrow. The artist’s is playing with emotion as much as he is with color and lighting.

This piece lacks a great deal of humanistic value with the minor exception of the cloths that the women standing to the left of Christ has on.  The realism and naturalism as I stated earlier in Christ’s positioned body upon the cross is true to what we can envision in a real situation. Even the way the people positioned around him has a sense of natural realism to them. Unique but not very individualize in a realistic way. The two on the right of Christ share the same expression in the face as well a posture with a slight variation to the hands. Even the being on the far left share a common facial expression with the two beings that appear to be women on the right.

             Only the woman closest to Christ on his left posse expressions unique to any one else in the portrait, you can only assume that this woman is someone really close to Christ. This person could be identified as Mary, the mother of Christ than who is nailed to the cross. The artist wanted her to stand out to have viewers see that she was someone of importance. The painter presented this woman suspected to be Mary in royal clothing while the three around her had plain or little to no clothing.

The image is structured so the viewer can feel apart of the scene, with the position of the plants being the very front imagery of the portrait; seeping from each side corner of the portrait. Looking as if the viewer himself could step into the painting and be apart of the moment. This piece creates a sense of real live history frozen in time. Another lacking piece of this art is the ground on which they spectators stand, it lack complete natural realism. The foreshortening of the lion on the far left of Christ beyond the rocks peering from in front of the bush tree. The color and vision of the clouds and how we see them isn’t accurate. Images that begin to recede into the back just beyond Christ become flatten and less believable as far as being considered real.  The depiction of the rocks and cliffs come across of what they are but the realness doesn’t quite show in its entirety.

This piece very much reflect Southern Renaissance Art and the artist probably was considered good enough to apart of the guild system. Although his work didn’t show any signs of historia or humanism the story it tells and the bit of naturalism it held is compelling which would make this a good representation of the Renaissance era.

Northern Renaissance-The Supreme Art

 The Northern Renaissance was considered a time of "rebirth" for modern art or Roman Art. Jan Van Eyck during this time was proclaimed the Prince of Painting, the best know artist at the time. He was famous for his ability to create figures in a painting which appeared to be real. Like the art piece of Adam covering himself or the mirror piece of the man and woman.
  Jan Van Eyck set the tone for realistic art and for many artist his style was one that was followed. Artists began focusing on images that appeared much like they do in the natural world. Jan van Eyck revolutionized the form of oil based painting. For other Artist during this time there take was telling a story through the art with realism and symbolism.