ART200 - KA

          Today there are more artists than ever before, with a wider range of styles, themes, and platforms. One factor that is significantly different about art now than in the earlier time periods we've looked at is the diversity. For centuries, the art world was ruled primarily by white males. Now there are artists from all different backgrounds. Today we will be taking a look on how diverse perspectives are reflected in modern art.        Our first piece is by Alaska Native artist, Erica Lord, is from her collection called " The Tanning Project ." Entitled " I Tan to Look More Native ," this piece is a digital photograph of Erica Lord herself. Created in 2006 in the U.S. (exact origin of creation unknown), this piece reflects Erica Lord's thoughts on cultural identity and beauty standards. Erica Lord is from mixed ancestry, including Athabaskan, Inupiaq, Finnish, Swedish, Japanese, and English. She explores how identity and cul...

           The early 1900's began with a multitude of issues that impacted the world. World War lasted from 1914-1918, and hit Europe hard. The U.S. only joined in 1917, so it had less of an impact. Because of this, American Modernism looks quite different from European Modernism. Even though there was a smaller impact from the War, the stock market crash of 1929 marked the beginning of the Great Depression. The Great Depression was a period of economic downturn that lasted from 1929 through the last 1930's, with the most severe period being from 1929-1933. This had major impacts throughout the world and was characterized by mass unemployment, increased poverty rates, declines in economic output, etc. Despite this, artists prevailed. Today we'll take a look at a few paintings from the Great Depression.          Our first painting is titled " Wisconsin Landscape " by John Steuart Curry. It is an American Regionalist painting tha...

         After Neoclassicism of the 1700s, the 1800s brought new styles of  paintings to the world. The 19th century marked the start of the Romantic era. Styles such as Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, as well as others filled the century with beautiful and well known works of art. In the first half of the century, Romantic style was prominent and resulted as a reaction against Neoclassicism. Impressionism took off in the latter half. We'll be taking a look at how these two styles compare.         Within the Romantic style, there was a range of subject matter. It could depict beautiful landscapes or horrible tragedies and injustice. Romantic paintings were meant to elicit emotion from viewers. Our first work of art is a German Romantic painting titled Wanderer Above the Sea Fog. It was created in 1818 by Caspar David Friedrich. It depicts a man peering our across a vast landscape. The painting employs Rückenfigur, a composition...

        The mid 1700s brought a major shift in artistic style. The dominant art style at the beginning of the 1700s was a style that came from France called Rococo. Rococo art was characterized by pastels, curving lines, and am emphasis on pleasure and indulgence. These styles of paintings reflected the taste of aristocracy. In the mid 1700s, Rococo went out of style and was replaced by Neoclassical style. This style is drastically different from Rococo. It is often somber and appears to capture a moment frozen in time. Characters are often in the middle of an act. These paintings depicted acts for the good of all, and promoted moral virtues. Morality was a driving factor in this shift, and can be reflected in the paintings themselves.          Our first painting is The Swing  by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, created in France in 1767. Though it was only 81 cm x 64.2 cm, this oil on canvas painting is incredibly beautiful and grand. O...

This painting was created by Rembrandt van Rijn in the Netherlands in 1632. Entitled " The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp," this painting depicts Amsterdam's Surgeon's Guild. Shortly after Rembrandt's arrival in Amsterdam, he was commissioned to create a group portrait of the Surgeon's Guild. The painting depicts a group study on human anatomy, as shown above. Group portraiture became popularized during the Baroque era. This painting represents an expansion of scientific thinking and is connected to the rise of the merchant class. The Baroque era was a time of scientific advancement. Along with discoveries in the human body, there were advancements made in astronomy and geography. Items sych as the globe, telescope, and microscope prompted scientific thinking and new discoveries. This painting is evidence of a bigger shift to scientific thinking during the Baroque period. Study of human anatomy was very popular during this time, and even became a spectacle. Human...

        Many of you may recognize this piece. This is Michelangelo Buonarroti's "Creation of Adam." It is one of nine scenes from the Book of Genesis that was painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican in Italy. They are all fresco and the paintings were created between 1508 and 1512. This is thought of as a high renaissance painting. Two notable factors behind this painting are Michelangelo's relationship with the Medici family and the reinvention of Rome.      Michelangelo had personal relationships with the Medici family, which influenced his work. According to PBS, Michelangelo was a student in Lorenzo de'Medici's school of art starting when he was 13. This is where he first explored his interest in human anatomy. Michelangelo is well known for his masterful depiction and contour of human muscle and body anatomy. This was spurred by the Medici family, as he did his first human cadaver dissections with Lorenzo Medici. Dissectin...