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Showing posts from March, 2023

The Romantic Era

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Realism: Caspar Friedrich created his notable work,  Wanderer above the Sea of Fog,  in  1818  and is thought to have been painted in Dresden, Germany. One can see the man standing on the rocks overlooking the cloud-filled landscape, relying on his cane. Friedrich created this piece to react to Enlightenment ideals like logic and order. He desired to create a work that focused on the broad subject of nature and the figure encountering an unknown world before him. The color scheme is gentler and muted, contributing to the piece's overall dooming feel . The texture in the wispy clouds and fog adds to the rejection of the idealized nature. The mist serves as a symbol of the unknown because it conceals what is below it. These three distinct artistic elements add the necessary depth to work.  I am not drawn to the   Wanderer above the Sea of the Fog.   I prefer       Gustave Courbet rejected the classical and theatrical styles taught in the French Academy. Courbet’s art “insisted on the

The Classical Era: Morals

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The Classical Era was a time of fierce movements that transformed the outcome of the future and changed the moral beliefs of those living through it. In the 18th century, revolutions, politics, and sovereign nations took over everyone's minds.  These events altered the historical timeline, and the art from this period experienced dramatic changes in meaning as the events led to spirations in morality in the 18th century.  Jean-HonorĂ© Fragonard was a highly respected Rococo painter who painted the above piece titled  The Pursuit. The Pursuit , one of four paintings of a series titled  The Progress of Love , was commissioned by Madame du Barry (Louis XV’s mistress) between 1771 and 1773. Madame Barry wanted this series painted to decorate her private salon. Fragonard depicts a romance scene as a young boy leaning towards a girl, giving her a rose. There seem to be two chaperones who are holding her back from falling. In the background is a sculpture of two cupids. The figures and t

Baroque Art: The Three Graces

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       The Three Graces was one of Peter Paul Rubens's last paintings before he passed away in 1640. The painting was made on a wood canvas with oil paint and was done between 1630-1635. This piece was believed to be made for Rubens's personal collection because it was found along with his other belongings when he died. The painting was later bought by King Philip IV of Spain in 1666, and then The Three graces were hung up in the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain.      One thing I noticed while searching through hundreds of pieces of art from the baroque art period is that most paintings have a dark undertone to them. I don't connect with darker elements, so finding a piece that fit this assignment's requirements took a lot of work. Although challenging, the search was successful because The Three Graces  has so many layers and was fun to analyze.      Peter Paul Rubens uses color in his oil painting to help make everything look more realistic and to create a form in his