art history short (ku)

History of Art

Visual Literacy

‘What you see is what you see., -- Frank Stella, 1990

“Seeing comes before words. The child looks and recognizes before it can speak.”

What is ‘Art’?

Art is a primarily visual medium that is used to

express ideas about our human experience and the world around us.

A human phenomenon

Art is strictly a human phenomenon.

But they do not consider the aesthetics of their tools, or attempt to carve beautiful handles for them.

They do it out of natural instinct.

1. to better understand their life experience 2. to communicate ideas about the world to others

Towards a definition of art

Art has a visual form.

Materials from which the artwork is made

Formal elements, such as line, shape, color, texture, mass, volume, space, and so on.

Overall composition, size, internal balance, and so on.

Art functions.

1. Art assists us in rituals that promote our spiritual or physical well-being.

2. Art communicates thoughts, ideas, and emotions.

3. Art gives us pictures of deities, or helps us conceive what divinity might be.

4. Art serves and/or commemorates the dead.

5. Art makes evident the power of the state and its rulers.

6. Art celebrates war and conquest, and sometimes also peace.

7. Art is a means for protesting political and social injustice.

8. Art promotes cohesion within a social group.

9. Art records the likenesses of individuals and the context in which the individuals exist.

10. Art educates us about ourselves and the world around us.

11. Art entertains.

O lowe of Ise. Veranda Post: Female Caryatid and Equestrian Figure, 1930.

Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius, Rome, c. 175 CE. Bronze, approx. 11’6” H Musei Capitlini, Rome.

Even though they are from different traditions from different parts of the world, they are both performing the same function that is to visually reinforcing the rulers’ power, be it a local king or an emperor.

Art has content.

1. art's imagery 2. art’s surroundings where it is used or displayed 3. symbolic meaning 4. customs, beliefs, and values of the culture that uses it 5. text incorporated in the work, or writings about the work

Sandro Botticelli, The Birth of Venus, C. 1482. Tempera on Canvas, approx. 5’8” x 9’1”, Uffizi, Florence.

Art is an aesthetic experience.

Art has has effects on individuals and cultures.

Formal ElementsArt’s Early Manifestation

Paleolithic Period 30000 - 10000 B.C.

paleolithic primitive humanity emerged and manufactured unpolished stone tools

SOCIETY: bands of edible-plant gatherers and hunters (25–100 people)

ECONOMY: hunting and gathering

DWELLING: nomadic Lifestyle— caves or huts, mostly by rivers or lakes

TECHNOLOGY: handmade tools and objects found in nature

RELIGION: religious and spiritual behavior such as burial and ritual

The first artists were the Cro-Magnon people who were the ancestors of modern Europeans.

“Venus” of Willendorf Limestone, 30,000-25,000 B.C., 11.1 cm (Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria)

gridded design = elaborate hairstyle

face lacks description

arms strategically crossed on enormous bosom

navel is a natural cavity of stone

bulging stomach and prominent genitalia might hint at fertility

lower legs only sketchily indicated

• bulbous roundness of the form that recalls an egg-shaped “sacred pebble”

• an image of fertility, as some kind of magic charm, perhaps to be held in hands

Neolithic Period c. 8000- 3000 B.C.

During this time, humans learned to raise crops and keep domestic livestock, and were thus no longer dependent on hunting, fishing, and gathering wild plants.

Neolithic cultures made more useful stone tools by grinding and polishing relatively hard rocks, rather than merely chipping softer ones down to the desired shape.

The cultivation of cereal grains enabled Neolithic peoples to build permanent dwellings and congregate in villages,

The release from nomadism and a hunting-gathering economy gave them the time to pursue specialized crafts.

Stonehenge, Salisbury Plain, England, Bluestone, C. 2500–1800 B.C., Diameter 29.6 m

What we see today is the result of series of distinct building campaigns, beginning in the New Stone Age and continuing into the Early Bronze Age.

First, a nearly continuous circle (henge) was dug into the chalk ground.

A silted ditch was added as was the avenue down to the Avon River.

The sandstone circle of evenly space trilithons, consisting of uprights (post) and horizontals (lintel), was created in the early Bronze Age.

Finally, this arrangement was echoed in two similarly marked circles and smaller horseshoe that enclose and altar-like stone at the center.

•It appears that Stonehenge was originally aligned with the major and minor northern moonrises.

•Only later did the structure became oriented toward the sun when the heel stone and fallen slaughter stone along with other stones were rearranged with the axis.

Stonehenge probably served a worshipping ritual that must have been related to a large cosmology.

From Greek myths to Pax Romana

Greek Civilization6th -1st Centuries B.C.

Accomplished sailorsMaritime trade-based economy

ECONOMYbased on agriculture, pottery and metal objects

RELIGIONpolytheism/ anthropomorphic gods / human-like personalities & conflicts / participate in human events

“Man is the measure of all things.” -- Protagoras, the Greek philosopher, 5th C. BC

Measurementsrelated to human scale and organic forms

Artistssigned their works, changing status

ART• Emphasis on the individual• Naturalistic and idealistic treatment of human and nature

HUMANISMthe dignity and beauty of the individual human being

HUMANISMphysical and psychological interplay among human beings are the subject, the goal, and the final determinant

Kallikrates & Iktinos, Parthenon, Athens, Greece, 447–432 B.C.

CELLAwide and short, so as to accommodate the large cult statue of Athena Parthenos (Athena the Virgin)

Statue of Athena Parthenos (Athena the Virgin)

Hellenistic Period3rd – 1st Centuries B. C.

--, Laocoön, late 2nd century B. C., marble, 7' 11”, Vatican Museums, Rome

HUMAN PSYCHOLOGYThe incredible agony and suffering is contained in the face of Laocoön with a head titled

HUMAN PSYCHOLOGYHis hand reaching towards the sky, beckoning a reason for his suffering.

HUMAN PSYCHOLOGYThe distended muscles show the intensity of his struggle against sea serpent biting his side.

The emotions and the excitement of the Laocoon’s struggle frozen in one single pose.

Roman Period1st C. B.C. – 3rd C. A.D.

Map of Roman Empire from A.D. 14 – A.D. 284

“Caput Mundi”Encompass, govern, assimilate cultures by laws, religions, and language

POLITICAL SUPREMACY

SOCIAL CHARACTERS

GLOBAL POLITICS

GREEK

50 yrs

Culturally unified

Superiority over the world but never long-term political unity

ROMAN

500 yrs

Melting pot of different cultures & ideas

inconsistent

RELIGION (S)

ART

STYLISTICDEVELOPMENT

GREEK

Greek

Idealization based on myths

consistent

ROMAN

Roman based on Greek Christianity

added commemorative& narrative based on history

ROMAN ARCHITECTURE1st C. B.C. – 3rd C. A.D.

NEW TYPOLOGIESto accommodate increased population.

NEW TYPOLOGIESEmpire supplied the citizens with everything they needed, from water to entertainment on a grand scale.

NEW TYPOLOGIESAn unprecedented grand scale requires new forms be invented, cheaper materials, quicker construction methods had to be used.

ARCHESVAULTS

New Construction System

ØBarrel vault, a half cylinder

ØThe groin vault (Two barrel vaults that intersect at right angles.)

ØTrue arches are constructed of wedged shaped blocks, called voussiors, each pointing toward the center of the semicircular opening.

ØSuch and arch is strong and self sustaining no less vitas to Roman architecture was concrete, a mixture of mortar and gravel with rubble.

ØConcrete was invented in the Middle East more than a thousand years earlier. But the Roman made it their chief building technique.

ØThe advantages of concrete are obvious: it is strong, cheap, and flexible.

NEW CONSTRUCTION MATERIALRoman arch and vaulting systems are strong and self-sustaining

ØBarrel vault, a half cylinder

ØThe groin vault (Two barrel vaults that intersect at right angles.)

ØTrue arches are constructed of wedged shaped blocks, called voussiors, each pointing toward the center of the semicircular opening.

ØSuch and arch is strong and self sustaining no less vitas to Roman architecture was concrete, a mixture of mortar and gravel with rubble.

ØConcrete was invented in the Middle East more than a thousand years earlier. But the Roman made it their chief building technique.

ØThe advantages of concrete are obvious: it is strong, cheap, and flexible.

CONCRETESTRONG /CHEAP/FLEXIBLE

New Construction Material

CONCRETEA mixture of mortar and gravel with rubble, was invented in the Middle East more than a thousand years earlier. But the Roman made it their chief building technique.

--, Colosseum, Rome, inaugurated in 80 A.D., 187.5 x 155.5m

The concrete cone, with its miles of stairs and barred and groin vaulted corridors, was concluded to ensure the smooth flow of traffic to and from the arena.

The exterior dignified and monumental reflects the interior circulation of the structure.

Exterior: balance between vertical (Columns) and horizontal (Entablature)

The framework of engaged columns and entablatures expresses balance between verticality and horizontality.

Engaged columns

Entablature}

Engaged columns

Engaged columns

CORINTHIAN

IONIC

DORICLIGHTENING OF PROPORTIONS

Structurally irrelevantAesthetic function

Human scale

The Secret and the ProfaneThe Medieval, Romanesque and Gothic Art and Architecture

A new religion

Jesus Christ crucified in AD 33

330 ADConstantine founded a new eastern capital, Constantinople, at Byzantium where Christianity was firmly established.

380 ADConstantine became the first Christian emperor.

5th century Christian hegemony had rapidly changed the Roman Empire's identity.

Spread of Christianity in Europe to AD 600

Spread of Christianity in Europe to AD 325

before 313 ADChristians worshiped in private homes to avoid prosecution.

after 313 ADThey became free to construct places of worship.

The Age of Great CathedralsGothic Art and Architecture

HUMAN SPIRITseemed to blossom with hope as Gothic cathedrals pushed upward to the heavens

ARCHITECTURAL & SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION Getting away from the dark, massiveness of Romanesque architecture, the new Gothic style opened and lifted up interior spaces

NEW ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIESbecame more available in growing urban centers

CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS & UNIVERSITIEStook the place of monasteries as center of learning

RIBBED VAULTGROIN VAULT

NEW CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUEA rib going across the top of each vault, giving the structure a lighter feel.

BUTTRESSES: STANDARD VS FLYING BUTTRESSES

A. FLYING BUTTRESSES stand detached from the exterior walls, and are connected by only an arch.B. STANDARD BUTTRESSES hug the structure by butting directly up the exterior walls.

FLYING BUTTRESSESgive cathedrals an "airy" and weightless feeling.

High Gothic PeriodEarly 13th Century

[French High Gothic]

--, Notre-Dame, Paris, 1163+

EMPHASIS ON LONG AXIScompact and unified

DOUBLE AMBULATORYof the choir continues directly into the façade.

WEST FACADEthe simple harmonic rhythm created by the four buttresses

TRIPARTITE PLANFacade divided into thirds horizontally and vertically, representing the trinity

ROSE WINDOWIn the middle of the facade, which keeps the eye focused on the Madonna in the center.

KING’S GALLERYa line of statues of the 28 Kings of Judah and Israel

PORTALSadorned with jam figures and detailed tympanums

Royal Portal“Last Judgment”

Right Portal“Portal of St. Ann”

Left Portal“Portal of the Virgin”

FLYING BUTTRESSESFlying buttresses and arches give the structure a weightless feeling

FLYING BUTTRESSESThe weightlessness is also felt in the interior, where a tall, slender nave lifts our eyes upward.

CLERESTORY WINDOWSHuge clerestory windows allow light to flood the floor of the nave, adding to the weightless atmosphere.

Gargoyleallowed rainwater to fall free of the cathedral, thus preventing damage to the masonry.

GargoyleWarning to those who might underestimate the power of evil.

THE DAWN OF INDIVIDUALITYQualities of the Renaissance and Mannerist Art

Florence: Birthplace of the Renaissance

The intellectual and culture-rich Florentines fought off more powerful Milan

Athens defeated the more Persian army

A sense of civic pride blossomed, eventually it proclaimed itself the new “Athens” and the heir of ancient “Roman republicanism.”

The victory of the mind over the sword elevated the "liberal arts" (which included the visual arts) to a position of prestige and respect.

Artists and architects became the new heroes/celebrities of Florence.

* artist is seen as a part of the educated social elite* the gifted, temperamental genius who discovers truth in paint or stone.

The Age of Humanism

“Man is the measure of all things.”

* looked back to the Classical Greece and Rome for inspiration * revived the ideals embodied in the ancient Greek maxim

Greek: art as an imitation of the idealFlorentines: art becomes as expression of human emotion and ability

“ How great and wonderful is the dignity of the human body; secondly how lofty and sublime the human soul, and finally how great and illustrious is the excellence of man himself made up of these two parts. –Gianozzo Manetti

1400 - 1600 a change of consciousness toward, a celebration of the ability of mankind to think, create and reason.

The Renaissance was an era of collective "high self-esteem" as people realized that they could not only reproduce the art and the ideals of Classical culture, but actually surpass them.

High Renaissance Period1500 ‑ 1520

[Culture: Central Italy]

Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1452‑1519

Leonardo’s first and official position was that of a military engineer for the Duke of Milan.

da Vinci has both the interest and expertise in engineering, medicine, music, art and philosophy.

Proposed the idea of the centrally planned Church

Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper, c.1495-1498, Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan

The Last Supper is the first masterpiece of the High Renaissance because of the relationship between the figures and the visual space of the painting.

Figures look like a mere line-up or a frieze.

The perspective pulls you in

1. The Position of Jesus* Jesus is placed right at the center of the picture* framed by the window, a separate portrait within the painting* separated from the apostles by grouping them in threes

2. "One of you shall betray me." Chaos and Order* showing confusion while maintaining order in the composition. * Each disciple has a dynamic pose, an attitude of imbalance, but each is a part of a group of three in tight composition.

3. The Triangle of ChristA triangle gives a subliminal effect of stability. Here, Jesus forms a triangle, while the disciples form high-tension shapes.

4. What, No Halo?Leonardo made the halo look realistic; there's nothing unreal in this picture. He placed the sun behind Christ's head.

Michelangelo Buonarotti, David, 1502, marble, 4.34 m. (Accademia, Florence)

Commissioned as a symbol of the Florentine Republic by civic leaders in 1501, at 14 feet tall, it was one of the first monumental sculptures of the Renaissance.

A moment before the battle.

The sling goes over David’s left shoulder

The stone lies in the hollows of his right hand but he is about to launch it.

He stands alert in body and spirit, every muscle vibrant with Michelangelo’s anatomical knowledge

ability to communicate the life of the spirit through the beauty of the body.

APPREHENSIONCreased forehead and strained neck muscles portray apprehension as he sighted his opponent.

proportions & psychology correspond more to the Hellenistic than to classical style.

David’s hands are oversized and his veins and muscles seem to be bulge from beneath his skin.

more relaxedtense and watchful

David was meant to illicit a sense of determined fortitude and civic-patriotism, and therefore put in Florence's main square, in front of the seat of Florentine government.

NEW HUMANISM takes root during the Renaissance. * an individual who accomplished the unthinkable, overcoming a Giant. * a metaphor of the increased awareness of the accomplishments and the possibilities that surround mankind.

THE MAKING OF THE MODERN WORLD European art in the late-19th and early-20th Centuries

Impressionism PeriodZenith in the 1870's

[Culture: French]

idealized“grande genre” Historicismclassical, religious, mythological, allegorical subjectssober colorsglossy, finished surface

IMPRESSIONISMSociété anonyme des artistes peintres, sculpteurs et graveurs

ACADEMIC PAINTINGAcadémie des Beaux-Arts

loose imagerymodern lifecommon, contemporary subjectsbright, unblended colorsunfinished, sketch-like appearance

Painted indoor Painted outdoor

ACADEMIC PAINTINGAcadémie des Beaux-Arts

IMPRESSIONISMSociété anonyme des artistes peintres, sculpteurs et graveurs

SUBJECT MATTERS landscape or scenes depicting the modern contemporary daily life

SUBJECT MATTERS Depicting the bourgeoisie's leisurely activities + artists as urban flâneur

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fl%C3%A2neur

WORKING METHODOLOGY working outdoors, depicting the effects of sunlight, shadows, and direct and reflected light on natural objects, surfaces, and atmospheric spaces.

PAINTING TECHNIQUE * Loose imagery constructed with visible brushstrokes * paint applied directly and spontaneously on canvas, rather than finely delineated pictures

COLOR USAGE *Pure, vibrant color palettes *Contrasting colors rather than mixing hues

PHOTOGRAPHIC INFLUENCE unusual visual angles+ “Snapshot” “for the first time pictures created by light and light alone could be made permanent”

Japanese Woodblock Prints Edo Period1600-1868[Japanese]

The Paris Universal Exposition 1867

Japanese Pavilion, The Paris Universal Exposition, 1867

Katsushika Hokusai, Great Wave of Kanagawa, from the series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, 1831. Woodblock print; 25x37.1cm. (Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

A series of similar views of Mt. Fuji at different times of day and in different seasons

* Prussian blue in this print enhances the wave’s naturalism * Dramatic rise and nearness of the wave to the picture plane create impressive effect.

a convincing portrayal of the rhythmic power of a swelling wave, even though the wave is flat, patternistic quality seems to arrest its movement.

NATURALISM In the distance, Mt. Fuji is small and insignificant by comparison.The foaming water rises to embrace the mountain.

NATURE VS HUMANThe fishermen are tossed about by the sea that wells up in a giant claw but somehow they seem respectful of nature’s power.

Claude Monet (1840‑1926, Impression, Sunrise, 1873, Musée Mannottan, Paris.

A mere sketch or "impression," not a finished painting.

Technique: 1. short, broken brushstrokes that barely convey forms giving an effect of spontaneity and effortlessness that masks their carefully constructed compositions.

2. an emphasis on the effects of light, rather than neutral white, grays, and blacks, shadows and highlights rendered in color.

3. pure unblended colors

Photographic Influence painting intended to correspond to the image the eye sees in an instantaneous glimpse, a new language with which to depict modern life.

Post-impressionism 1880's ‑ c.1900

[Culture: French]

Contention: dissatisfied with the limitations of impressionism

Continuation: 1. using vivid colors 2. thick application of paint 3. distinctive brush strokes 4. real-life subject matter.

Innovations1. Emphasis on geometric forms 2. Distorting forms for expressive

effect3. Using unnatural or arbitrary

colors

Vincent Van Gogh (1853‑1890, Dutch - Holland until 1886; France: Arles, S. Remy, Auvers)

Vincent Van Gogh, Starry Night, 1889, Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), N.Y. [Dutch]

- Impressionism did not provide the artist with enough freedom to express his emotions- Painting as a vessel for personal emotions

- Art alone made his life worth living.

Dynamism: landscape filled with ecstatic movement: earth and sky pulsate with an overpowering turbulence; the trees spring flamelike from the ground; hills and clouds heave with the wavelike motion.

Brushstroke: Dynamism in every brushstroke makes of each one not merely a deposit of color but an incisive graphic gesture.

Color: determined the expressive content: Yellow = faith/triumph/love; Carmine = spiritual color; Cobalt = divine; Red & Green = terrible human passions

Religion Sukhothai

Faculty of Architecture and Planning Thammasat University

Religion Sukhothai

Sukhothai: The capital of the first Thai Kingdom and center of communi;es along the Ping and lower Yom river basins during the late 13th to 15th C.


Religion Sukhothai

Sukhothai: The emergence of Sukhothai and its satellite towns represented a shi> from a small community to a cluster of towns with dis;nc;ve poli;cal and cultural organiza;on.


Religion Sukhothai

Hinayana Buddhism In the fourteenth century, Sri Lanka sent monks to Sukhothai to spread Lankavamsa sect of Hinayana Buddhism. During the 15th and 16th Centuries, Hinayana Buddhism flourished in Burma, Thailand, and Laos.


Hinayana Buddhism The role of religion was no longer confined to a spiritual sense. Religion defined a town’s stance and legi;macy of the ruler.

Religion Sukhothai


Hinayana Buddhism Rulers who asserted their role as religious patrons could more easily win flavor from the subjects as ideal leaders. The rulers are natural protectors and promoters of Buddhism.

Religion Sukhothai


Lankavamsa Buddhism The prac;ce of Lankavamsa Buddhism gave rise to religious structures and works of art.

Religion Sukhothai


Stabilizing Buddhism: Wat Chang Lom

Religion Sukhothai


Wat Chang Lom: The construc;on of the chedi with elephant sculptures surrounding its base followed Lankavamsa Buddhist tradi;on in that the elephants are considered auspicious animals, symbols of stability, and thus supporters of Buddhism.

Religion Sukhothai


Wat Chang Lom: Wat Chang Lom exemplifies the style of wat architecture that is characteris;cs of Sukhothai style.

Religion Sukhothai


Lotus-‐bud Chedi: The defini;ve style of Sukhothai architecture. The origin of this type of chedi remains unknown as the it did not appear in any pre-‐ or post-‐Sukhothai period.

Religion Sukhothai


Lotus-‐bud Chedi: The chedi rests on a high square base with indented corners. The top part of the chedi is shaped like a lotus bud, from which the name is derived.

Religion Sukhothai

Top

Middle

Base


Religion Sukhothai

Lotus-‐bud Chedi: Wat Mahatat.


Religion Sukhothai

Buddha images The excep;onal beauty of Sukhothai Buddhist is the product of the years the ar;sts spent honing their skills and crea;vity to uphold Buddhism, coupled with relentless patronage from the monarch.


Religion Sukhothai

Buddha images Sukhothai Buddhas have an oval face, arched eyebrows, hook-‐shaped nose, long ears, and thin lips with hint of a faint smile. The face is kind and the eyes looking down on the worshippers below; the overall features imply calmness and self-‐contentedness.


Religion Sukhothai

Buddha images Sukhothai Buddha images are mostly in the medita;on and “subduing mara” posi;on. However, the unique and most famous form of Buddha images is the walking Buddha.


Religion Sukhothai

Walking Buddhas represent a walking pose of the Buddha as he descended from a visit with his mother in heaven.


Religion Sukhothai

Walking Buddhas of Sukhothai period were the first free-‐standing Buddha images in Thailand.


Religion Sukhothai


Absolute monarchy AyuGhaya

Fusing secular power with religious a8ainment is evident in the Phra Wichitmarnmolee si Sanpetch Borommatrailokanat, the adorned Buddha image in the ordina;on hall of Wat Na Phra Men. According to AyuGhaya’s belief, the image portrays a posture of the Buddha when manifes(ng himself as an emperor.

Raja Secular Leader



Secular Leader: The lo>y status of the Kings of AyuGhaya was reflected in regalia, utensils and costumes, which were made of precious materials with intricate embellishment by skilled workmen.



Secular Leader: The grandeur of the royal barge procession, featuring several hundred boats of exquisite decora;on, cap;vated foreign visitors who had a chance to witness it. Many of them actually recorded the fascina;ng scene in pain;ngs



Secular Leader: The mural on the wall of Wat Pradu Songdharma’s vihara shows a royal procession.



Secular Leader: Pa lai yang paGerns feature designs that Thai people made and then sent to India for produc;on The chintz would then be sent back for sale in Siam. The pa-‐lai-‐yang paGerned tex;le was expensive and considered a luxury fit only for royals or nobles.

art history short (ku)

Education