Looking Back. Looking Forward.

Mary of Burgundy Painter
Painting is a window to the world
At the beginning of this course I admit I was somewhat intimidated by the process of art and art history. However the ability to learn about different artists, their personalities and understand their contributions within the context of politics, history and society has helped me develop a confidence and basic understanding of art theory.

Mary of Magdalene by Donatello
Memory of a grandmother's love and sacrifice
The blogs are a tremendous learning tool and helped me to really contemplate the meaning of art and determine how it related to my experience. I enjoyed reading the other students blogs as well and it provided me with different perspectives on some of the art work we discussed.

Birth of Venus by Botticelli
Animals can respond to art too
Our first blog asked us to describe ourselves visually. I would like to use this final blog as an opportunity to share with you some of the art work from the text that challenged, inspired or changed me.

Death of a Miser by Hieronymus Bosch
Death awaits us all
From the symbolism of Flemish art to the classical ideals of the Renaissance, from the emotion of Baroque art to the frivolity of the Rococo, art history came alive to me.

Fall of the Giants by Giulio Romano
Experiencing art in the third dimension
I was awed by Ter Borch's skill at depicting the beauty of fabrics and humbled by the dignity of Ver Meer's paintings of women.

The Banker and his wife by arinus van Reymerswaele
Money isn't everything
Donatello's Mary of Magdalene helped me grieve for the death of my grandmother. Carvaggio's mastery of light and shadow made his paintings luminous and memorable. The morbid humor of Bosch made me smile.

Catharina Hooft and Her Nurse by Frans Hals
The innocence and mischievousness of a child
I have enjoyed this journey of art through the world of architecture, painting and sculpture. At times eye-opening and uplifting and others emotional and humbling. Above all, it has been an opportunity to connect to the universal human experience.

Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba by Claude Lorrain
The beauty of land and sea

Head versus Heart

The Agony of Laocoon, Adrian Gottlieb

Neoclassical Art focused on line, proportion, and order...it was an art that was to be understood through the intellect.. On the other hand, Romanticism focused on color, drama, and disorganization...an art that was to be accessed through emotion.Discuss modern day examples of each, and then (only if possible) give me a modern day example that rejects both in your opinion.


Tatianas Repast, Adrian Gottlieb

Poussinistes versus Rubenistes. Neoclassicism versus Rococo. Right Brain versus Left Brain. The age old battle of reason versus emotion continues to shape art today.

Sophia Painting, Adrian Gottlieb
In the 20th century the 'Classical Realism' movement has created a renewed interest in academic art by emphasizing the importance of technique and beauty based on Neoclassical ideals. Classical realists advocate the importance of traditional crafts and techniques of painting, drawing and sculpture. Line is king for classical realists such as Adrian Gottlieb who is trained in the Atelier Method.

Requies Librorum, Adrin Gottlieb
Gottlieb's work clearly communicates the classical ideals of beauty. His portraits are so realistic because he draws and paints exclusively from live models. His accuracy and craftsmanship is evident in the attention to detail. His compositions present juxtapositions of interesting objects. Most of all I like his paintings because they make you think.

Poppy Field, Claude Monet
On the other side of the debate, the Modern art movement can be seen as a reaction to the formality and rigidity of the Enlightenment. Modern art emphasised emotions and new ways of creating and interpreting art. Impressionist painters such as Monet, Cezanne and Post Impressionist painter Van Gogh valued color over line. Their brilliant use of color and brushstroke created ethereal paintings that elevated emotion in the experience of art.

Irises, Claude Monet
I am drawn to art that appeals to both the intellect and emotion. I think therefore I feel. To me there is room for everyone. The variety of opinion, technique and motive creates a greater diversity within the world of art. I dont think it is possible to divorce line and color from art completely. A line is a point in motion. All art is a dance or movement of point, line and either presence or absence of color. However there are artists who oppose convential techniques and notions. Jackson Pollock was such an artist. He challenged and reinterpreted the boundaries of line as well as the optimistic use of color.

Number 32, Jackson Pollock
While Pollock does use color paint for his splatter paintings, he doesnt use color in the traditional sense. His rejection of traditional painting techniques and interpretation also made him a target of critics. While I am not particularly drawn to Pollock's paintings I do respect his individualism and style.

Galaxy, Jackson Pollock

Note: All images are property of the artist(s) and used here for educational purposes.