Michelangelo's and Leonardo's Leda and the Swan

Leda and the Swan, Michelangelo
tempera, 1520

Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci are one of the most well known Renaissance artists, possibly the most well known artists of all time. Michelangelo and Leonardo lived in the same period, High Renaissance. Both artists were born in the same country, Italy. Both painted and sculpted religious and mythological events and people. Their styles and their interpretations of these people and events differ from each other. Comparing Michelangelo's Leda and the Swan and Leonardo's Leda and the Swan.

Leda and the Swan is a short story in Greek mythology. Zeus transformed himself as a swan to seduce Leda. Leda and the swan was a popular subject matter during the High Renaissance period.

Michelangelo was born in Caprese, Italy. When Michelangelo was a child, he would paint all the time, his father scolded and beaten Michelangelo because he spent too much time drawing (Getlein 375). Michelangelo was an apprentice to the painter Domenico Ghirlandaio (Getlein 375). Michelangelo painted and drew the human anatomy perfectly.

Leonardo da Vinci was born in Vinci, Republic of Florence, Italy in 1452. Leonardo was an illegitimate son. Apprenticed to the Florentine artist Andrea del Verrocchio at 15 years old (Getlein 143).

Michelangelo's Leda and the Swan is set in a private place. Leda laying upon a red cloth, depicting lust. Michelangelo portrays Leda and the Swan in the act of sex.

Leda and the Swan, Leonardo da Vinci
Oil, 1510

Leonardo da Vinci's Leda and the Swan painting differs greatly from Michelangelo's painting. Leonardo depicts Leda and the Swan after the act, unlike Michelangelo's piece which shows Leda and the swan during the act. Leonardo da Vinci paints Leda's vagina, unlike Michelangelo who does not show Leda's vagina in his painting. Leonardo made the setting public. The background is mystical and imaginary, which fits the subject matter. Four babies hatched from two eggs representing the offspring of Leda's and Zeus's. Leonardo's painting does not depict lust like Michelangelo's painting, but instead depicts life. Leonardo still portrays lust, but the aftermath of lust. How Leonardo interpreted Leda and the swan mythological story could be a projection of how Leonardo da Vinci was an illegitimate son.

 Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci were both High Renaissance painters from the same period and location, even painted similar subject matter. Their style and interpretations are what differ them from each other. 

Sculpture

Event Horizon, Antony Gormley
Cast Iron, 2007

Antony Gormley is a contemporary British sculptor known for his human sculptures. Donatello is an early Renaissance Italian sculptor. Different art movements, backgrounds, era, and locations, but they sculpt the same subject: the human body.

Zuccone, Donatello
Marble, 1425

Antony Gormley tends to use cast iron and steel as his main mediums in sculpture like Event Horizon. Event Horizon is a 31 cast iron human figures placed around in cities such as New York City and London. Antony Gormley uses his body for his sculptures. Antony Gormley focuses on space and environment in his sculptures. Gormley also focuses on what the viewer perceives of his art. In Event Horizon, Gormley wondered if the viewer feels like he or she is being watched or if he or she thinks they are the sculpture. Aperture XX is a sculpture made out of 12.5 mm square section stainless steel bars. Aperture XX is an abstract human sculpture that deals with negative and positive space.

Splice III, Antony Gormley
Cast iron, 2009

Donatello used many different materials and mediums in sculpture. Donatello's sculpture David is made out of bronze. Donatello's sculpture Zuccone (Statue of the Prophet Habakkuk) is carved out of marble. Zuccone was Donatello's favourite sculpture (Spooner). Donatello's inspirations were mythology and biblical stories and people.

Splice III is an abstract sculpture of a human. Using blocks of cast iron to create the form. The Magdalene Penitent is a realist wooden sculpture of Mary Magdalene. Magdalene Penitent is known for its perfect anatomy, and has little to no flaws (Cavazzini).

Donatello's sculptures are realistic and based off mythology and the Bible. Common subject matter from the early Renaissance period. Antony Gormley's sculptures are concrete forms of humans using various metal as his main medium.

Aperture XX, Antony Gormley
12.5 mm square section stainless steel bars, 2008.

Spooner, Shearjashub (1880), Anecedotes of painters, engravers, sculptors, and architects, and curiosities of art, Volumes 1-3, A.W. Lovering. 

David, Donatello
Bronze, 1432

Cavazzini, Laura (2005), Donatello. Rome: Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso. 

The Magdalene Penitent, Donatello
Wood, 1453-1455

The American Flag and its History

The American flag has to be one of the most complex flag designs, but even with its complexity, it is easily noticeable icon. The American flag has been redesigned 26 times since 1777. A star represents a state, and the stripes represent the original thirteen colonies. The American flag is an iconic graphic design.

The original flag was called "Grand-Union"¹. Some people argue the flag was inspired by the British East India Company flag².

After the Flag Resolution of 1777, the Second Continental Congress changed "Grand-Union" flag design to a flag that is similar to Francis Hopkinson's flag design³. The Continental Congress of 1776 put together a committee to create the flag and seal of the United States of America. The committee's goal was to create a flag that reflected the Founding Fathers' beliefs and values. The committee made the flag's colours red, white, and blue. Red represents hardiness and valour. White represents purity and innocence. Blue represents vigilance, perseverance, and justice. The star symbolizes the heavens; the stripe symbolizes the rays of light. ⁴ There are many different designs of the flag, a popular design is the Betty Ross flag.

The American flag design now is 50 stars and 13 stripes. The last state added to the Union was Hawaii. President Eisenhower made the 50 star flag our official flag on August 21st, 1959 ⁵.

The American flag is used on postage stamps, uniforms, and vehicles. The American flag is a significant symbol in the United States for citizens and soldiers. The flag symbolizes the freedom of speech and religion. The design and its history is powerful and meaningful to Americans.

1 Peter Ansoff, "The Flag on Prospect Hill". Raven, a Journal of Vexillology, 13: 91–98 (2006).

2 http://flagspot.net/flags/gb-eic2.html.

3"Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789" 8:464.

4Time, http://swampland.time.com/2013/07/04/why-the-u-s-flag-is-red-white-and-blue/

5 Duane Streufert, "A website dedicated to the Flag of the United States of America – The 50 Star Flag ," USFlag.org. Retrieved 2013-09-12.

John Singer Sargent Inspiration

Portrait of Theodore Roosevelt, John Singer Sargent

                     Oil on canvas, 1903

 John Singer Sargent was an American artist and one of the last great Realist painters. Known for his portrait paintings, he painted portraits of influential people like Theodore Roosevelt. John Singer Sargent is one of my favorite artists, he is able to mix realism and impressionism painting techniques in his work. John Singer Sargent is able to convey the person's personality in his paintings. John Singer Sargent's influences are Diego Velazquez and Frans Hal.

Diego Velasquez is a Spanish artist during the 17th century. Diego Velasquez was a Realist artist. Velasquez depicted his clients in honestly, even painting their flaws. Velasquez applied paint directly on the canvas giving a loose brush stroke to his work¹. John Singer Sargent studied Velasquez's technique and incorporated Velasquez's technique to his own paintings. Shown in Velasquez's oil portrait painting A Spanish Gentleman and John Singer Sargent's oil portrait painting Frank O'Meara the viewer sees similar brush stroke techniques.

The other artist who heavily influenced John Singer Sargent was Frans Hal. Frans Hal had a spontaneous and loose brush strokes. Hal captured the effect and feeling instead of the details ². John Singer Sargent used Frans Hal's techniques in his watercolour.

 John Singer Sargent was heavily influenced by Diego Velasquez and Frans Hal. Diego Velasquez and Frans Hal were both baroque artists, but influenced Realists and Impressionists artists with their loose brush strokes. 

1. http://www.artble.com/artists/john_singer_sargent

2. http://www.artble.com/artists/john_singer_sargent

        Frank O'Meara, John Singer Sargent

                     Oil on canvas, 1876

        A Spanish Gentleman, Diego Velasquez

                        Oil on canvas, 1634

      The Tramp, John Singer Sargent

                 Watercolour, 1904

                     Verdonck, Frans Hal 

                       Oil on panel, 1627

The Natural World

           St. John in the Wilderness. Thomas Cole,

                          Oil on canvas, 1827. 

                 

Art communicates the reliance and isolation humans have with nature. The natural world is an art theme that is shaped by environment. The natural world have been the subject of art for thousands of years since the first ancient cave painting. Art exhibits humans spiritual and physical needs through nature.

                        Cumberland Mountains. T.C. Steele

                               Oil on canvas, 1899

Landscape paintings is used to express spiritual beliefs. American landscape artist Thomas Cole's St. John in the Wilderness captures the relationship of nature and religious. Unlike other religious paintings, Thomas Cole focused on the landscape more than the religious figures. To Cole the landscape was a religious experience. American artists had national pride because of America's beautiful landscapes were created by God ¹. 

Landscape paintings reminds the viewer where they came from. T.C. Steele's painting Cumberland Mountains portrays America's national pride: hardworking people with the beautiful mountain background.In contrast with Cole's St. John in the Wilderness, Steele's Cumberland Mountains depicts the physical reliance humans have with nature.

Artists have painted how isolated humans are with nature. Landscape paintings can take us to a place we have never been before. Nature paintings can also make the viewer believe the painting is in a place that humans have left untouched. Claude Monet's The Undergrowth in the Forest of Saint-Germain conveys to the viewer he or she is isolated from the rest of the world; that no human has ever visited this mysterious place.

The natural world is a theme of art that explores the connection human has with nature whether it be physical or spiritual. Landscapes can make the viewer feel isolated. Art communicates relationship humans have with the natural world.

1“The Natural World,” Annenberg Learner video, 26:45, 2009, http://learner.org/courses/globalart/theme/10/

The Undergrowth in the Forest of Saint-Germain. Claude Monet

Oil on canvas, 1882.

Bibliography

“The Natural World.” Annenberg Learner video, 26:45. 2009. http://learner.org/courses/

globalart/theme/10/.

Russian Artists

Shannon Soran
ARTH 102

By the Whirlpool, Isacc Levitan

Pencil, 1891.

Girl in the Sunlight, Valentin Serov Oil on canvas, 1888.

In the Western world of art, Russian artists are often forgotten or not as famous as western European artists. Valentin Serov, a Russian impressionist, excelled in painting, the majority of his paintings were portraits. Isaac Levitan, a Russian realist, known for his landscape paintings and drawings. They lived during the same era 1860-1910, lived in the same country, but their backgrounds and styles are different from each other.

Valentin Serov was born in St. Petersburg from a well-off and artistic family. Serov studied in Paris and Moscow in St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. Serov was influenced by French impressionism seen in Girl in the Sunlight (Yudina). In Portrait of Konstantin Korovin Serov was influenced by Edgar Degas. Russian impression did not become popular until 1930s (McCarthey). Serov

was one of the first Russian impressionist. Later in his life, Serov did not use bright multi-colour like Vincent Van Gogh and Monet. Serov used black, brown, and grey tones shown in Portrait of the Singer Angelo Mazini. Serov was the most sought after portrait painter in Russia (Yudina). Serov was an impressionist, but later in his life switched to realism movement.

Portrait of Konstantin Korovin, Valentin Serov

Isaac Levitan was born into a poor and educated Jewish family. Levitan was accepted to the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture. Levitan lived in extreme poverty after his parents died. Levitan was famous for his landscapes, he only painted one urban landscape during his career. Levitan was first a realist painter, but later became influnced by impressionism. His landscape drawings always had a different mood in them. By the Whirlpool has an energetic yet mysterious feeling, perhaps created by the lines in the drawing. Path in the Forest has a calm and peaceful impression, every line was thought out and careful drawn. In 1892,

after the assassination attempt on Alexander II,

there were mass deportations of Jews from major cities in Russia (Unknown). Isacc Levitan had to be deported, later he returned because of his domestic and international fame. Levitan later became the head master of landscapes of Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture. Isacc Levitan lived a short and rough life.

Portrait of the Singer Angelo Mazini, Valentin Serov

                      Oil on canvas, 1890.

        Forest Edge, Isaac Levitan ink, 1885

Path in the Forest, Isaac Levitan Pencil, 1884

Citations

McCarthey, Thomas. "Russian and Soviet Impressionism." (2013): n.pag. McCarthey Gallery. Web. 29 Sep 2013. <http://www.mccartheygallery.net/index.php option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=1&Itemid=2>.

Yudina, Anna. "Prominent Russians: Valentin Serov."Russiapedia. N.p., n. d. Web. 29 Sept. 2013. <http://russiapedia.rt.com/prominent-russians/art/valentin-serov/>.

Unknown, . "Prominent Russians: Isaac Levitan."Russiapedia. N.p., n. d. Web. 1 Oct. 2013. <http://russiapedia.rt.com/prominent-russians/art/valentin-serov/>.

The Passion of Colour

Shannon Soran
ARTH 102.01

  Henri Matisse, Dance (II), 1910

      Color is a visual element that is important, but not essential in art. Many paintings and drawings are done in black and white. Even though color might not be mandatory in art, it adds more depth to an emotional experience and physical sensation that black and white cannot do by itself.

       The color wheel has primary, secondary, and tertiary colors in it. Complementary colors sit across from each other on the color wheel. Green and red, yellow-orange and blue-violet, and blue and orange are complementary colors.

Complementary colors make hues more vivid and intense (Getlein 93). Henri Matisse's Dance (II) has complementary colors of blue and orange. In Dance (II) the figures are dancing, and with the complementary colors the viewer gets a feeling it is an intense dance.

       Monochromatic is a single color in different values. Claude Monet's Waterloo Bridge, Sunlight Effect painting is monochromatic in blue-violet. Monet used lighter value in the background and darker value for the fore and mid-ground to create a sense of depth. Color can convey emotion. The color red can convey anger or

Claude Monet, Waterloo Bridge, Sunlight Effect, 1903

passion. The color blue can convey sadness or calmness. Pablo Picasso's The Old Blind Guitarist is painted in cool colors and expresses sadness, if the painting did not have a blue hue to it the viewer would not get the same emotion experience.

       Color is an important tool, even though it is not the most essential visual element like shape and mass. Color conveys an emotional response to the viewer that black and white cannot achieve like color.

Pablo Picasso, The Old Blind Guitarist, 1903

Citations

Getlein, Mark. Living With Art. 10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2013. 93. Print.