Peter Paul Rubens was commissioned in 1622 by Marie de' Medici, the widow of King Henri IV of France, to paint two cycles depicting events from her life and his for her new residence, the Palais de Luxembourg. Rubens faced challenges representing Marie's difficult life given the political situation. Through abundant use of classical allegory and mythology, he was able to present her quarrelsome history as an apotheosis, disguising true facts. The 24 enormous paintings, including The Destiny of Marie and The Triumph of Truth, took 3 years to complete and delighted Marie with their imaginary graces, though Rubens found the work unprofitable.
The Getty Museum contains many works of art from various periods and styles. This includes portraits, mythological scenes, still lifes and allegorical works. Many depict famous figures from classical mythology or historical events. The works showcase the technical skills of artists like Bosschaert, who established traditions in flower painting, and Lagrenée, praised for lavish drapery and delicate lighting effects. They illustrate themes like love conquering war, as in Mars Disarmed by Venus.
The document provides information on important artists and works from Italy, Flanders, and Germany in the 15th century before the Protestant Reformation, including Jan van Eyck, Hubert van Eyck, Duccio, Piero della Francesca, Mantegna, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Bosch, and Dürer. It summarizes their major paintings and discusses the development of oil painting, linear perspective, printing, and other artistic innovations during this period.
The iconography of 'Madonna and Child' and 'Venus and Cupid' in the most repr...PasqualeRaimo
Questo ciclo di lezioni in lingua inglese, prende il titolo “Un viaggio nell’arte tra l’amore sacro e profano”. In pratica viene messo a confronto il tema iconografico della Madonna con il Bambino e quello di Venere con Cupido attraverso le opere d’arte più rappresentative esposte in quattro tra i più rappresentativi musei d’Europa: The State Hermitage Museum di SanPietroburgo, il Victoria and Albert Museum di Londra, il Museo di Capodimonte di Napoli e il Museo del Prado di Madrid.
Prima di passare alla visione le singole opere d’arte, il progetto prevede un conciso cenno storico circa l’origine e la struttura dei suddetti musei. Le opere che saranno analizzate sono soprattutto dipinti, oscillanti cronologicamente tra l’XI e il XIX secolo, ma non mancherà la descrizione anche di oggetti d’arte di diversa tipologia (sculture, bronzi, arti applicate, etc.). Per ogni opera esaminata, prima della sua descrizione si procederà con una breve introduzione biografica dell’autore.
Art in detail: Mirrors in Art, The most famous mirrors of Western artguimera
This document discusses and provides images of several famous paintings from Western art history that prominently feature mirrors, including works by Manet, Vermeer, Velazquez, Bosch, Murillo, Caravaggio, Bellini, and Velazquez. The mirrors in these paintings are used to create effects of self-reflection, voyeurism, distortion, and illusionism that comment on themes of vanity, pride, purity, and the blurring of reality and spectacle. A quote by the philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty emphasizes how mirrors have the power to transform both the viewer and the viewed.
When I go to an art museum, gallery or auction house I am eagle-eyed and fastidious to a degree. A nick in the frame, the dust and grime of centuries, the general effect sad and forlorn, all these I see. I see, too, the myriad of other defects …
Landscape painting in the Renaissance (2) The Landscape and Figuresguimera
you can download my presentations at
http://www.authorstream.com/MyUploaded-Presentations/All
http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/guimera-4733810-landscape-painting-renaissance-figures/
you can download my presentations at
http://www.authorstream.com/MyUploaded-Presentations/All
http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/guimera-4745536-balcony-paintings/
The document provides a timeline overview of major developments in art from the Late Medieval period through the 18th century. It covers movements and styles including Humanism, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism and developments in regions including Italy, Northern Europe, Spain, France, and the Netherlands. For each time period and region, it summarizes key characteristics and includes an example artwork to illustrate the trends discussed.
The Getty Museum contains many works of art from various periods and styles. This includes portraits, mythological scenes, still lifes and allegorical works. Many depict famous figures from classical mythology or historical events. The works showcase the technical skills of artists like Bosschaert, who established traditions in flower painting, and Lagrenée, praised for lavish drapery and delicate lighting effects. They illustrate themes like love conquering war, as in Mars Disarmed by Venus.
The document provides information on important artists and works from Italy, Flanders, and Germany in the 15th century before the Protestant Reformation, including Jan van Eyck, Hubert van Eyck, Duccio, Piero della Francesca, Mantegna, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Bosch, and Dürer. It summarizes their major paintings and discusses the development of oil painting, linear perspective, printing, and other artistic innovations during this period.
The iconography of 'Madonna and Child' and 'Venus and Cupid' in the most repr...PasqualeRaimo
Questo ciclo di lezioni in lingua inglese, prende il titolo “Un viaggio nell’arte tra l’amore sacro e profano”. In pratica viene messo a confronto il tema iconografico della Madonna con il Bambino e quello di Venere con Cupido attraverso le opere d’arte più rappresentative esposte in quattro tra i più rappresentativi musei d’Europa: The State Hermitage Museum di SanPietroburgo, il Victoria and Albert Museum di Londra, il Museo di Capodimonte di Napoli e il Museo del Prado di Madrid.
Prima di passare alla visione le singole opere d’arte, il progetto prevede un conciso cenno storico circa l’origine e la struttura dei suddetti musei. Le opere che saranno analizzate sono soprattutto dipinti, oscillanti cronologicamente tra l’XI e il XIX secolo, ma non mancherà la descrizione anche di oggetti d’arte di diversa tipologia (sculture, bronzi, arti applicate, etc.). Per ogni opera esaminata, prima della sua descrizione si procederà con una breve introduzione biografica dell’autore.
Art in detail: Mirrors in Art, The most famous mirrors of Western artguimera
This document discusses and provides images of several famous paintings from Western art history that prominently feature mirrors, including works by Manet, Vermeer, Velazquez, Bosch, Murillo, Caravaggio, Bellini, and Velazquez. The mirrors in these paintings are used to create effects of self-reflection, voyeurism, distortion, and illusionism that comment on themes of vanity, pride, purity, and the blurring of reality and spectacle. A quote by the philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty emphasizes how mirrors have the power to transform both the viewer and the viewed.
When I go to an art museum, gallery or auction house I am eagle-eyed and fastidious to a degree. A nick in the frame, the dust and grime of centuries, the general effect sad and forlorn, all these I see. I see, too, the myriad of other defects …
Landscape painting in the Renaissance (2) The Landscape and Figuresguimera
you can download my presentations at
http://www.authorstream.com/MyUploaded-Presentations/All
http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/guimera-4733810-landscape-painting-renaissance-figures/
you can download my presentations at
http://www.authorstream.com/MyUploaded-Presentations/All
http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/guimera-4745536-balcony-paintings/
The document provides a timeline overview of major developments in art from the Late Medieval period through the 18th century. It covers movements and styles including Humanism, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism and developments in regions including Italy, Northern Europe, Spain, France, and the Netherlands. For each time period and region, it summarizes key characteristics and includes an example artwork to illustrate the trends discussed.
Jean-François Millet’s Angelus, Vincent van Gogh’s Pietà, Renato Guttuso’s Crucifixion,
Marc Chagall’s White Crucifixion …
Redon’s Symbolism, Munch’s Expressionism ...
… a century of modern religious art
The document provides background information on several of Leonardo da Vinci's famous works, including the Portrait of Ginevra de' Benci, The Virgin of the Rocks, The Last Supper, the Mona Lisa, and various anatomical studies. It discusses when the works were created, their historical context and commissions, technical details, and their analysis and interpretation by art historians. The document also briefly describes Bramante's Tempietto and Raphael's School of Athens.
Somehow Vermeer’s paintings manage to transcend time and place. They may have been created several hundred years ago, but they are almost shockingly present.
Juan de Juanes was a 16th century Spanish painter known for his idealized Counter-Reformation images based on works by Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael. One of his most famous paintings was "The Judgment of Paris", depicting the mythological story of Paris choosing between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. The painting shows Paris in the foreground holding the golden apple as the goddesses await his decision, with trees and a river in the background landscape.
The document provides background information on several of Leonardo da Vinci's famous works, including the Portrait of Ginevra de' Benci, the Virgin of the Rocks, The Last Supper, the Mona Lisa, and various anatomical studies. It discusses when the works were created, their historical context and significance, technical details, and their current locations in museums.
were only rarely the true subject of paintings until the Age of Enlightenment started to celebrate science and technology ...
DOWNLOAD:
http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/guimera-4696169-bridges-western-painting/
The Enlightenment valued reason and evidence-based thinking independent of tradition. Voltaire was a key figure who advocated for freedom of thought and religion. Neo-Classicism drew from Greek and Roman art, emphasizing emotionless figures and narratives, as seen in David's Oath of the Horatii. Romanticism valued personal freedoms and feelings over reason, as expressed through Blake's visionary works and Goya's nightmare imagery critiquing the horrors of war.
The document summarizes art styles in 18th century Europe, including Baroque, Rococo, and Neoclassicism. Rococo originated in Paris in the early 1700s, characterized by bright colors, nature/mythology themes, and gallant/love subjects. It spread to countries like Spain, Germany, and Austria. Neoclassicism emerged in the late 1700s influenced by Enlightenment ideas and archaeological discoveries, drawing inspiration from ancient Greek/Roman art and ideals of order and perfection. The document provides examples of prominent artists and works for each style.
Sir Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) was from an Antwerp family. In 1591 he became a pupil Verhaecht, a landscape and decorative painter. In 1600 Rubens went to Italy and became a Court painter to Duke of Mantua. He travelled widely in Italy and visited many of the great cities. He spent time studied the works of Titan and Michelangelo. On return to Antwerp he was appointed as the Court Painter to the Spanish Governor of Netherlands, a post he held for the rest of his life. In Antwerp he built himself an Italianate palace and married Isabella Brandt in 1609. Afterward he became perhaps the most energetic and fruitful career in the history of art that made him the most important artist in Northern Europe and the greatest Baroque painter of Northern Europe.
The most learned, inventive and productive artist in the history of the northern Baroque, Rubens’s talent was extraordinary. The range of his work was colossal, encompassing portraiture, allegory, religious painting, landscapes and designs for ornament, tapestry, books and prints. A diplomat and scholar, his intelligent use of iconography was never rivalled, perfectly matching allusions to a patron’s aspirations, while his emotive religious works were actively intended as part of the Catholic armoury against the onslaught of the Protestant Reformation
The document provides an overview of important developments in Northern Renaissance art and literature from the 15th to 16th centuries. It discusses influential artists like Jan van Eyck, Hieronymus Bosch, Albrecht Dürer, and Hans Holbein the Younger who helped establish oil painting as a major artistic medium. It also mentions key literary works such as William Shakespeare's plays, Miguel de Cervantes' Don Quixote, and Dante's Divine Comedy. The document covers major historical events of the Protestant Reformation as well as the growth of printmaking technology.
1. In the late 18th and 19th centuries, French and British colonial expansion into areas like Egypt and the Ottoman Empire fueled European interest in these regions.
2. Travel writings and artworks depicted exoticized and often distorted views of customs in these lands, helping create an "imaginary Orient" that portrayed local cultures as inferior and justified colonialism.
3. Paintings by artists like Jean-Leon Gerome and photographs of harem interiors catered to European fantasies about exoticized and eroticized Middle Eastern lifestyle despite inaccurately portraying them.
After the death of Louis XIV in 1715, French aristocracy abandoned Versailles for Paris salons which provided relief from rigid court life. This new culture of leisure for aristocracy gave rise to Rococo style characterized by delicate patterns, pastel colors reflecting pampered lifestyle. Rococo paintings by artists like Fragonard depicted romantic intrigues of aristocracy through playful erotic scenes pleasing the eye rather than providing intellectual enrichment. However, Rococo style later fell out of favor with rise of Enlightenment thinkers criticizing it as frivolous.
During the Reign of Terror following the French Revolution, thousands were executed by guillotine, including the king and queen. Jean-Paul Marat was a radical leader who used his newspaper to incite violence against enemies of the revolution. He was assassinated in his bathtub by Charlotte Corday. Jacques Louis David's painting "Death of Marat" commemorated Marat as a martyr for the revolution, depicting his serene face bathed in light after his murder. This work marked a shift where modern political figures, rather than religious or classical subjects, became the focus of major artistic works.
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid_Picture Gallery, The Masterpieces (2)guimera
This document provides details on artworks from the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, including paintings by Hans Baldung Grien, Peter Paul Rubens, Caravaggio, Vittore Carpaccio, Hans Cranach, and others. Each entry includes the title, artist, date, medium, dimensions and collection of the work, as well as a brief description providing historical and artistic context.
The document provides biographical information about Rembrandt van Rijn, a Dutch painter born in 1606. It discusses his early training and move to Amsterdam to study under more experienced masters. It then summarizes several of Rembrandt's most famous paintings, including The Money Changer, Saskia van Uylenburgh, The Night Watch, and provides context about his subjects and techniques. It also notes Rembrandt's financial troubles later in life and the deaths of his wife Saskia and son Titus.
Orazio and Artemisia Gentileschi. Father and Daughter Painters in Baroque Italyguimera
the tumultuous lives of these two artists moved along parallel trajectories from the popular quarters of papal Rome to the courts of the grand duke of Tuscany, Marie de' Medici in Paris, and Charles I in London ...
2ND HALF OF CLASS 6, FIRST HALF OF CLASS 7 REVIEWSbellablackadder
- Rembrandt was a Dutch painter born in 1606 who originally studied under other masters in Leiden and Amsterdam before achieving early success with portraits of leading citizens. He married Saskia van Uylenburgh in 1633 and frequently used her as a model.
- His most famous work is The Night Watch of 1642, commissioned as a group portrait of a militia but depicting over 30 figures. Financial troubles later forced the sale of his possessions.
- Peter Paul Rubens was a Flemish painter born in 1577. He studied in Italy, where he copied classical works and made portraits before returning to Antwerp to complete religious commissions and mythological paintings.
- In 1621,
Chapter 8 Absolutism & Divine Right In Europegrieffel
This chapter discusses the rise of absolute monarchy in Europe during the 1500s and 1600s. It covers several key monarchies that centralized power, including Spain under Philip II, England which brought stability under the Tudors but allowed Parliament a role, and France where wars over religion and power erupted. Russia also strengthened under rulers like Peter the Great by enhancing its military and connecting more with Western Europe, while further stratifying social classes. The chapter is divided into sections covering these different European powers in more depth.
Las Meninas es una de las obras maestras del pintor español Diego Velázquez, pintada en 1656. Representa a la infanta Margarita con sus damas de compañía y otros personajes en el estudio del pintor, mientras este retrata al rey Felipe IV y a la reina Mariana de Austria, que se ven reflejados en un espejo. La pintura es considerada una de las cumbres de la historia del arte por su perspectiva, composición y detalle realista.
Jean-François Millet’s Angelus, Vincent van Gogh’s Pietà, Renato Guttuso’s Crucifixion,
Marc Chagall’s White Crucifixion …
Redon’s Symbolism, Munch’s Expressionism ...
… a century of modern religious art
The document provides background information on several of Leonardo da Vinci's famous works, including the Portrait of Ginevra de' Benci, The Virgin of the Rocks, The Last Supper, the Mona Lisa, and various anatomical studies. It discusses when the works were created, their historical context and commissions, technical details, and their analysis and interpretation by art historians. The document also briefly describes Bramante's Tempietto and Raphael's School of Athens.
Somehow Vermeer’s paintings manage to transcend time and place. They may have been created several hundred years ago, but they are almost shockingly present.
Juan de Juanes was a 16th century Spanish painter known for his idealized Counter-Reformation images based on works by Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael. One of his most famous paintings was "The Judgment of Paris", depicting the mythological story of Paris choosing between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. The painting shows Paris in the foreground holding the golden apple as the goddesses await his decision, with trees and a river in the background landscape.
The document provides background information on several of Leonardo da Vinci's famous works, including the Portrait of Ginevra de' Benci, the Virgin of the Rocks, The Last Supper, the Mona Lisa, and various anatomical studies. It discusses when the works were created, their historical context and significance, technical details, and their current locations in museums.
were only rarely the true subject of paintings until the Age of Enlightenment started to celebrate science and technology ...
DOWNLOAD:
http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/guimera-4696169-bridges-western-painting/
The Enlightenment valued reason and evidence-based thinking independent of tradition. Voltaire was a key figure who advocated for freedom of thought and religion. Neo-Classicism drew from Greek and Roman art, emphasizing emotionless figures and narratives, as seen in David's Oath of the Horatii. Romanticism valued personal freedoms and feelings over reason, as expressed through Blake's visionary works and Goya's nightmare imagery critiquing the horrors of war.
The document summarizes art styles in 18th century Europe, including Baroque, Rococo, and Neoclassicism. Rococo originated in Paris in the early 1700s, characterized by bright colors, nature/mythology themes, and gallant/love subjects. It spread to countries like Spain, Germany, and Austria. Neoclassicism emerged in the late 1700s influenced by Enlightenment ideas and archaeological discoveries, drawing inspiration from ancient Greek/Roman art and ideals of order and perfection. The document provides examples of prominent artists and works for each style.
Sir Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) was from an Antwerp family. In 1591 he became a pupil Verhaecht, a landscape and decorative painter. In 1600 Rubens went to Italy and became a Court painter to Duke of Mantua. He travelled widely in Italy and visited many of the great cities. He spent time studied the works of Titan and Michelangelo. On return to Antwerp he was appointed as the Court Painter to the Spanish Governor of Netherlands, a post he held for the rest of his life. In Antwerp he built himself an Italianate palace and married Isabella Brandt in 1609. Afterward he became perhaps the most energetic and fruitful career in the history of art that made him the most important artist in Northern Europe and the greatest Baroque painter of Northern Europe.
The most learned, inventive and productive artist in the history of the northern Baroque, Rubens’s talent was extraordinary. The range of his work was colossal, encompassing portraiture, allegory, religious painting, landscapes and designs for ornament, tapestry, books and prints. A diplomat and scholar, his intelligent use of iconography was never rivalled, perfectly matching allusions to a patron’s aspirations, while his emotive religious works were actively intended as part of the Catholic armoury against the onslaught of the Protestant Reformation
The document provides an overview of important developments in Northern Renaissance art and literature from the 15th to 16th centuries. It discusses influential artists like Jan van Eyck, Hieronymus Bosch, Albrecht Dürer, and Hans Holbein the Younger who helped establish oil painting as a major artistic medium. It also mentions key literary works such as William Shakespeare's plays, Miguel de Cervantes' Don Quixote, and Dante's Divine Comedy. The document covers major historical events of the Protestant Reformation as well as the growth of printmaking technology.
1. In the late 18th and 19th centuries, French and British colonial expansion into areas like Egypt and the Ottoman Empire fueled European interest in these regions.
2. Travel writings and artworks depicted exoticized and often distorted views of customs in these lands, helping create an "imaginary Orient" that portrayed local cultures as inferior and justified colonialism.
3. Paintings by artists like Jean-Leon Gerome and photographs of harem interiors catered to European fantasies about exoticized and eroticized Middle Eastern lifestyle despite inaccurately portraying them.
After the death of Louis XIV in 1715, French aristocracy abandoned Versailles for Paris salons which provided relief from rigid court life. This new culture of leisure for aristocracy gave rise to Rococo style characterized by delicate patterns, pastel colors reflecting pampered lifestyle. Rococo paintings by artists like Fragonard depicted romantic intrigues of aristocracy through playful erotic scenes pleasing the eye rather than providing intellectual enrichment. However, Rococo style later fell out of favor with rise of Enlightenment thinkers criticizing it as frivolous.
During the Reign of Terror following the French Revolution, thousands were executed by guillotine, including the king and queen. Jean-Paul Marat was a radical leader who used his newspaper to incite violence against enemies of the revolution. He was assassinated in his bathtub by Charlotte Corday. Jacques Louis David's painting "Death of Marat" commemorated Marat as a martyr for the revolution, depicting his serene face bathed in light after his murder. This work marked a shift where modern political figures, rather than religious or classical subjects, became the focus of major artistic works.
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid_Picture Gallery, The Masterpieces (2)guimera
This document provides details on artworks from the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, including paintings by Hans Baldung Grien, Peter Paul Rubens, Caravaggio, Vittore Carpaccio, Hans Cranach, and others. Each entry includes the title, artist, date, medium, dimensions and collection of the work, as well as a brief description providing historical and artistic context.
The document provides biographical information about Rembrandt van Rijn, a Dutch painter born in 1606. It discusses his early training and move to Amsterdam to study under more experienced masters. It then summarizes several of Rembrandt's most famous paintings, including The Money Changer, Saskia van Uylenburgh, The Night Watch, and provides context about his subjects and techniques. It also notes Rembrandt's financial troubles later in life and the deaths of his wife Saskia and son Titus.
Orazio and Artemisia Gentileschi. Father and Daughter Painters in Baroque Italyguimera
the tumultuous lives of these two artists moved along parallel trajectories from the popular quarters of papal Rome to the courts of the grand duke of Tuscany, Marie de' Medici in Paris, and Charles I in London ...
2ND HALF OF CLASS 6, FIRST HALF OF CLASS 7 REVIEWSbellablackadder
- Rembrandt was a Dutch painter born in 1606 who originally studied under other masters in Leiden and Amsterdam before achieving early success with portraits of leading citizens. He married Saskia van Uylenburgh in 1633 and frequently used her as a model.
- His most famous work is The Night Watch of 1642, commissioned as a group portrait of a militia but depicting over 30 figures. Financial troubles later forced the sale of his possessions.
- Peter Paul Rubens was a Flemish painter born in 1577. He studied in Italy, where he copied classical works and made portraits before returning to Antwerp to complete religious commissions and mythological paintings.
- In 1621,
Chapter 8 Absolutism & Divine Right In Europegrieffel
This chapter discusses the rise of absolute monarchy in Europe during the 1500s and 1600s. It covers several key monarchies that centralized power, including Spain under Philip II, England which brought stability under the Tudors but allowed Parliament a role, and France where wars over religion and power erupted. Russia also strengthened under rulers like Peter the Great by enhancing its military and connecting more with Western Europe, while further stratifying social classes. The chapter is divided into sections covering these different European powers in more depth.
Las Meninas es una de las obras maestras del pintor español Diego Velázquez, pintada en 1656. Representa a la infanta Margarita con sus damas de compañía y otros personajes en el estudio del pintor, mientras este retrata al rey Felipe IV y a la reina Mariana de Austria, que se ven reflejados en un espejo. La pintura es considerada una de las cumbres de la historia del arte por su perspectiva, composición y detalle realista.
Artemisia Gentileschi was a 17th century Italian Baroque painter known for her paintings of strong female heroines. She was born in Rome in 1593 and showed artistic talent from a young age, being taught by her father Orazio Gentileschi. However, as a woman she was excluded from formal apprenticeships. She was raped by her tutor Agostino Tassi in 1612, which led to a highly publicized trial. This traumatic experience was believed to influence her paintings, which often depicted vulnerable women. Despite facing discrimination as a female artist, she received praise for her skill and became one of the first women accepted to the Accademia del Disegno in Florence. Her work
The document summarizes the painting "Las Meninas" by Diego Velázquez from 1656. It describes the central figure of the infant Margarita surrounded by two bridesmaids, Agustina Sarmiento and Isabel de Velasco. To the right are characters María Bárbola and Nicolás Pertusato, and to the left is the painter himself, Diego Velázquez. In the background there are two speaking characters and a reflection in the mirror of King Felipe IV and Queen Mariana of Austria can be seen.
The document discusses the High Renaissance period from 1490-1527 and the development of chiaroscuro technique. It then focuses on Michelangelo Caravaggio's use of tenebrism, a dramatic form of chiaroscuro using deep shadows. Caravaggio lived from 1571-1610 and is known for bringing about techniques that influenced the Baroque period through his realistic religious works featuring tenebrism. The document concludes by mentioning Caravaggio's followers, the Caravaggisiti.
Caravaggio , his life, his style, his first masterpiece giovannacasaretto
Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses criticizing the Catholic Church in 1517, sparking the Protestant Reformation. The Counter Reformation established rules for religious art, requiring clarity, orthodoxy, dignity, and ability to express feeling. Caravaggio's early works depicted everyday scenes and subjects, but after 1600 he received religious commissions. His realistic style brought religious scenes to life but sometimes caused controversy, as with his first version of "The Inspiration of Saint Matthew" which was refused. Caravaggio's temper led to a murder in 1606 and he fled Rome, producing some of his last works while in exile asking for mercy, before dying in 1610 at age 38.
Peter Paul Rubens was a Flemish Baroque artist considered the most influential painter of his time. He transformed himself from a Northern provincial artist after studying the great Italian masters in Italy from 1600-1608. Upon returning to Antwerp, he was appointed as court painter where he gained international fame for his dramatic and colorful paintings emphasizing movement, emotion, and sensuality. Some of his most famous works include The Massacre of the Innocents, Samson and Delilah, and the Marie de' Medici cycle commissioned for the Louvre in Paris. Later in life, he married his second wife Helena Fourment and continued painting large mythological and biblical scenes as well as portraits until his death in 1
1. The document provides background information on Peter Paul Rubens, a famous Flemish painter, including his early life and travels in Italy where he copied works and painted portraits.
2. It then discusses a major commission Rubens received in the 1620s from Marie de'Medici, the queen mother of France, to paint a cycle of 24 paintings depicting important events from her life to glorify her role in French politics.
3. The commission, known as the Medici Cycle, was completed by Rubens between 1622-1625 and used allegory and mythology to portray Marie in a positive light and imply her virtue and triumph. However, tensions remained between Marie and her son, King
1) The rise of absolute monarchy in 17th century Europe led to powerful monarchs claiming divine right to rule and portraying themselves as such through portraiture.
2) Artists like Rubens and Velasquez painted portraits of monarchs like Marie de Medici and Philip IV that depicted them as living gods to promote their authority and divine right to rule.
3) Louis XIV of France epitomized absolute monarchy, portraying himself as the "Sun King" through grand portraits and the opulent Versailles palace, designed to showcase his immense wealth and power over the state.
The Baroque style in France, Spain, and Flanders was characterized by grandiose architecture and elaborate artistic works commissioned by royalty and the Catholic church. In France, Louis XIV transformed Paris into a cultural center under his 72-year reign and built the extravagant Palace of Versailles. In Spain, Velázquez painted realistic portraits that blurred lines between reality and illusion, like his masterpiece Las Meninas. Rubens embodied the Flemish Baroque style through his vibrant colors, dynamic compositions, and blending of northern realism with Italian classicism.
This document contains images and descriptions of nude and partially nude figures in Western art from antiquity to the 19th century. It discusses how depictions of nudity have varied based on cultural norms over time, from Greco-Roman myths and Renaissance allegories to Orientalist themes. Many famous artists are represented, including Titian, Rubens, Rembrandt, Manet, and Ingres, showing their treatments of subjects like Venus, Susannah and the Elders, and odalisques against historical contexts. Recurring images demonstrate evolving standards of modesty and eroticism.
The document provides an overview of Baroque art in the Spanish Netherlands and Dutch Republic during the 17th century. It discusses key Flemish artists like Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck who worked under Spanish rule in the Southern Netherlands. Rubens is noted for his energetic style and vast output, combining northern and southern European influences. The document also covers the Dutch Golden Age in the Protestant north, with genre painters like Frans Hals and Rembrandt capturing middle-class life. Rembrandt's psychological portraits and mastery of light are emphasized.
Slideshow complements Gardner's Art Through the Ages (Global) textbooks. Prepared for ART 102 - Montgomery County Community College - Jean Thobaben - Adjunct Instructor.
William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet and actor born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. He is considered the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. Some key facts are that he wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets throughout his life and invented words like "watchdog". The Renaissance period influenced Shakespeare's works by sparking new ideas and allowing for more unconventional stories in plays, inspiring works like Othello that reflected Renaissance themes.
The Renaissance period saw a revival of learning in Europe following the Middle Ages. Greek scholars fled Constantinople after its fall and spread Greek manuscripts, enlightening Western minds. This led to new discoveries and a focus on humanity. In England, the Renaissance spirit was strongest during the Elizabethan period. Writers like Shakespeare produced great works of drama and poetry focusing on human qualities and individuality. This was inspired by humanism and the rediscovery of classical works. The Renaissance marked a transition between the medieval worldview and modern thought.
The Baroque period saw the development of Baroque painting and art styles between 1600-1750 characterized by drama, deep colors, and contrasting light and dark. Key Baroque artists included Caravaggio known for realistic depictions of emotion and lighting effects, Rembrandt a leading Dutch painter noted for compositions like "The Night Watch", Rubens who emphasized movement and sensuality in works like "The Fall of Man", Velázquez the leading Spanish artist with complex works like "Las Meninas", and Poussin who brought order and clarity to mythological scenes such as "Venus and Adonis".
Louis XIV became king of France at age 5 after his father's death. As a child, he experienced hardship during a revolt against his regents that shaped his authoritarian leadership style as an adult. Louis XIV centralized power around himself, declaring that he embodied the state. He invested in infrastructure, the military, and culture, transforming France but also bankrupting the nation's finances. Growing discontent among the population due to economic troubles and the perception that Louis XVI was out of touch led to the French Revolution.
Baroque period ( history & style) duskyrose 29Malou Alipio
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1. Peter Paul Rubens
The Life of Marie de' Medici
Portrait of Marie de' Medici. c. 1622. Oil on canvas, 130 x 108 cm. Museo del
Prado, Madrid.
Image Source: Olga's Gallery
It was in January of 1622 that Marie de’ Medici, the widow of King Henri IV of
France, first summoned the Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens to Paris. She was
looking to decorate her new residence, the Palais de Luxembourg (designed by
Salomon de Brosse on the site of the hôtel of the Duke of Luxembourg a few years
earlier in 1620), with two cycles of paintings. The first cycle was to illustrate events
from her own life while the second would illustrate events from the life of her
deceased husband.
2. Unfortunately for Rubens, the life of Marie de’ Medici was filled with overly
melodramatic events, though none of these were particularly interesting. Born in
Florence on April 26, 1573, the youngest daughter of Francesco I, Grand Duke of
Tuscany and Johanna, Archduchess of Austria, Marie was considered to be a
"handsome, vulgar, and heartless woman" (Bertram 104). Her uncle Ferdinando I
de’ Medici, who had succeeded to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany following the death
of her father in 1587, paid for her marriage to King Henri IV. This came in the
form of six hundred thousand crowns, thus buying for her the Queenship of
France.
After their marriage in 1600 (Henri’s second following his divorce to Marguerite
de Valois), "everything went wrong and their life became hell" (Avermaete 106). It
was a quarrelsome and unhappy arrangement, encouraged constantly by the King’s
vindictive and jealous mistress, Henriette d’Entragues. It is possible that Marie
would have been a content and good-natured wife, but the daily bereavement she
received from Henriette was enough to make her a sour, cold, and hateful woman.
"At times there were open quarrels. The Italian woman knew how to give as well as
take, and could be even more high and mighty than her King. His words may have
been cutting, but she had a choice vocabulary of crude ones" (Thuillier 16). Their
marriage was short-lived, however, for on May 14, 1610, the King was stabbed to
death in the Rue de la Ferronerie in Paris. A mere two and a half hours after his
assassination, Marie was recognized by the Parisian Parliament as the new Regent
of France.
The Dauphin, Louis XIII, had been born on September 27, 1601, and was thus
only nine-years-old at the time of his father’s death. Marie would reign as Regent
from 1610 until 1617, at which time Louis banished her for five years “in the
wilderness,” otherwise known as the château of Blois. She was allowed to return to
Paris with the aide of the Abbé de Luçon, later to become her enemy, Cardinal
Richelieu, and she contented herself with the newly completed Palais du
Luxembourg and its decoration. It can be assumed, however, that her desire to
commemorate her life in such an extravagant way must have been centered around
hidden motives. To be sure, she felt the need to reaffirm her political and/or her
symbolic strength in the French monarchy, as she had always felt slighted by her
son due to his abrupt termination of her Regency (which she had anticipated lasting
quite a bit longer than it actually did). Through the commission itself as well as the
final product, the Queen was able to establish herself as a valued member of the
royal family, despite her permanent banishment in July 1631 to Compiegne.
Rubens' first visit to Paris would last for six weeks, during which time he was
lodged near the Pont Neuf on the Quai Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois. The visit was
only intended to be a preliminary discussion of the details of the commission, but
Rubens kept himself busy with a variety of activities. Among these, he inspected the
palace where the cycle was to be displayed and painted portraits of Marie and Anne
of Austria, whom Louis XIII had married at the age of fourteen in 1615. The
Queen's advisor, Claude Maugis, Abbé de Saint-Ambroise, led the negotiations for
the cycle and was an ardent supporter of Rubens' ability to carry out such an
enormous task. "He publicly declared that 'two painters of Italy would not carry
out in ten years what Rubens would do in four, and would not even think of
3. undertaking pictures of the necessary size'" (White 56). It was decided and agreed
by all parties that Rubens would complete the two cycles of paintings (thus the
decoration of two full galleries in the Palais du Luxembourg) for a price of twenty
thousand crowns. The cycle of the Life of Henri IV was never undertaken, though
the Life of Marie de' Medici was completed in full. There were twenty-four
paintings in all, including portraits of the Queen and her parents. The other
paintings are as follows: The Destiny of Marie, The Birth of Marie, The Education
of Marie, The Presentation of the Portrait, The Marriage by Proxy, The
Debarkation at Marseilles, The Entry into Lyons, The Birth of the Dauphin, The
Consignment of the Regency, The Coronation of the Queen, The Death of Henri IV
and the Proclamation of the Regency, The Council of the Gods, The Triumph at
Juliers, The Exchange of Princesses, The Felicity of the Regency, The Coming of
Age of Louis XIII, The Escape from Blois, The Treaty of Angoulême, The
Conclusion of the Peace, The Full Reconciliation, and The Triumph of Truth.
Indeed, the commission was to be one of the most difficult that Rubens would ever
undertake, as he not only had to conform to extravagant spatial requirements, but
he was also painting the cycle in a tense political arena for an uncompromising
monarch. "Apart from these difficulties of poor subject and large space, Rubens
had to suppress much in the life of Maria so that he might not offend her, and so to
handle what he selected that he might not offend the King. Realism, in other words,
would have been most dangerous" (Bertram 110).
Therefore, how did Rubens go about representing the rather unfascinating and
extremely complicated life of such an infamous Queen? In what ways was he able to
incorporate both touchy and hurtful subjects into the overall celebration of her
existence? To what limits did he stretch his imagination in order to envison
extravagant depictions of mundane events over and over? It is indeed true that
"considerable imagination, aided by an abundant use of classical allegory, was
necessary to present the quarrelsome heroine as the embodiment of all the virtues"
(White 56-57). Therefore, in almost all of the paintings that make up the cycle, the
Queen is surrounded by allegorical figures as well as those from ancient mythology.
"The gods, goddesses, and other allegorical figures who accompany the queen
throughout the different events of her life raise her into a sort of empyrean situated
somewhere between earth and sky. Thus rather humdrum facts take on the aspect
of an apotheosis, in perfect accord with the idea of 'royalty by divine grace'"
(Badouin 183). The final result of the cycle was an intentional and successful façade
that disguised the true historical facts.
In examining seven of the twenty-four paintings in the cycle, one is able to best
understand the very unique ways in which Rubens communicated the life of the
difficult, complicated, but extremely fascinating Marie de' Medici.
4. The Destiny of Marie de' Medici. 1622-1625. Oil on canvas, 12' 11 1/8" x 5' 1".
Musée du Louvre, Paris.
The Triumph of Truth. 1622-1625. Oil on canvas, 12' 11 1/8" x 4' 11". Musée du
Louvre, Paris.
Image Sources: Olga's Gallery
These are the first and last paintings in the cycle (excluding the three portraits of
Marie and her parents). In The Destiny of Marie de' Medici, Rubens has depicted
the Fates, spinning the destiny of the unborn Queen while Zeus and his wife Hera
watch from above. The Fates, otherwise known as the three Moirae, were female
deities who supervised fate rather than determined it. The daughters of Zeus and
Themis, they included Clotho (who spun the thread), Lachesis (who measured the
5. length), and Atropos (who cut it). It is interesting to note here that the scissors of
Atropos were omitted in order to stress the privileged and immortal character of the
Queen's life. The Triumph of Truth is an ambitious end to the cycle, as it depicts
King Louis XIII and Marie finally reconciled and seated in the heavens. The King
presents a laurel wreath to his mother which surrounds two joined hands with a
heart above them. Rubens purposefully depicts Time uncovering Truth below the
pair, as the misunderstanding between Louis and Marie was due in part to false
reports from others.
The Education of Marie. 1622-1625. Oil on canvas, 12' 11 1/8" x 9' 8 1/8". Musée
du Louvre, Paris.
Image Source: http://sunsite.icm.edu.pl/cjackson/rubens/rubens46.jpg
6. The Education of Marie includes an abundance of allegorical and mythological
figures, who all aide in the schooling of the young Queen. To the left, Apollo (the
patron god of arts), Athena (the goddess of wisdom), and Hermes (the messenger of
the Olympian gods), teach her music, reading, and eloquence respectively. At the
same time, the three Graces (or Charities) are present at the right to offer her
beauty. As ancient Greek divinities for beauty, grace, and artistic expression, the
three sisters of the Graces included Euphrosyne, Aglaea, and Thalia.
The Debarkation at Marseilles. 1622-1625. Oil on canvas, 12' 11 1/8" x 9' 8 1/8".
Musée du Louvre, Paris.
Image Source: Web Gallery of Art
7. In The Debarkation at Marseilles, Marie is welcomed to her new home by a
personified France, wearing a helmet and a blue mantle with golden fleur-de-lis.
Above, Fame blows two horns to announce her arrival to the people of France
(including her future husband). Below, Neptune, three sirens, a sea-god, and a
triton help escort the future Queen to her new home. To the left, the arms of the
Medici can be seen above an arched structure, where a Knight of Malta stands in all
of his regalia. On a side note, Avermaete discusses an interesting idea that is
particularly present in this canvas. "He [Rubens] surrounded her [Marie de'
Medici] with such a wealth of appurtenances that at every moment she was very
nearly pushed into the background. Consider, for example, the 'Disembarkation at
Marseilles', where everyone has eyes only for the voluptuous Naiads, to the
disadvantage of the queen who is being received with open arms by France"
(Avermaete 107).
The Coronation of the Queen. 1622-1625. Oil on canvas, 12' 11 1/8" x 23' 10 1/4".
Musée du Louvre, Paris.
Image Source: http://cgfa.sunsite.dk/rubens/rubens2.htm
This painting is one of the few in the cycle that does not contain any mythological
or allegorical figures. It also is an accurate depiction of an historical event in the life
of the Queen, as the King had the Queen crowned at the basilica of Saint-Denis in
8. Paris to increase her authority on May 13, 1610 (the day before he was
assassinated).
The Death of Henri IV and The Proclamation of the Regency. 1622-1625. Oil on
canvas, 12' 11 1/8" x 23' 10 1/4". Musée du Louvre, Paris.
Image Source: Web Gallery of Art
In this painting, Rubens combines two subjects (related though they are) into one
scene. On the left, the King, assassinated by a madman, is lifted to the heavens by
Time where he is received into the arms of Zeus. To the right, the Queen is dressed
in mourning clothes and is seen seated on a throne. To her right stands the goddess
Athena, representing Prudence, and in the air a woman holds a rudder,
representing the Regency. The Queen accepts an orb, a symbol of government,
from the personification of France while the people kneel before her. This is an
appropriate example of the exaggeration of facts in the cycle. Rubens stresses the
idea that the Regency was offered to the Queen (the populace almost seem to be
begging her to accept the offer), though she actually claimed it for herself the same
day her husband was murdered.
9. The Council of the Gods. 1622-1625. Oil on canvas, 12' 11 1/8" x 23' 10 1/4".
Musée du Louvre, Paris.
Image Source: http://www.artunframed.com/rubens_3.htm
The Council of the Gods is one of the least understood of the paintings that make
up the cycle. It is meant to represent the conduct of the Queen and the great care
with which she oversees her Kingdom during her Regency. Thus, how she
overcomes the rebellions and the disorders of the State. However, it is difficult to
make out the subject matter of the work, as the scene is packed with a variety of
mythological figures. These include Apollo and Pallas, who combat and overcome
vices such as Discord, Hate, Fury, and Envy on the ground and Neptune, Pluto,
Saturn, Hermes, Pan, Flora, Hebe, Pomono, Venus, Mars, Zeus, Hera, Cupid, and
Diana above.
In the end, Rubens accomplished quite an amazing feat. He completed a total of
twenty-four enormous paintings in only three short years. He, unfortunately, did
not look back on the experience as a positive one. "In retrospect, in his own
country, Rubens was calmer but hardly less bitter, 'when I consider the trips I have
made to Paris, and the time I have spent there, without any special recompense, I
find that the work for the queen mother has been very unprofitable to me'" (White
62). Marie de' Medici, however, was overjoyed at the final product. But then again,
who wouldn't be? "Rubens was so kind to the queen, and adorned her with so
many imaginary graces, that Marie de Medici was beside herself with delight. That,
10. of course, is the way in which the great ones of this world want history to be
written" (Avermaete 107).
Bibliography
Avermaete, Roger. Rubens and his times. Cranbury, New Jersey: A.S. Barnes and
Company, 1968.
Baudouin, Frans. Pietro Pauolo Rubens. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1977.
Bertram, Anthony. The Life of Sir Peter-Paul Rubens. London: Peter Davies, Ltd.,
1928.
Thuillier, Jacques. Rubens' Life of Marie de' Medici. New York: Harry N.
Abrams, Inc., 1967.
White, Christopher. Rubens and his world. London: Thames and Hudson, 1968.