During class on Tuesday, January 28, 2014, the class as a whole examined and critiqued two paintings. The first was Olympia by Edouard Manet. The second was Venus of Urbino by Titian. While looking at these, I determined that though both paintings are done well and in the same medium, a different effect, though some points are similar, is created for each by the style of the artist.
Olympia has a few different effects. The first is the feeling of being beneath the notice of the woman in the forefront of the painting. The style in which her face was painted makes it seem like she is looking right over you. Kind of like the really popular girls from high school who stuck their noses up in the air while they walked around the school. The woman in the painting is one of the popular girls. Anyone looking at her is one of the nerds that "doesn't deserve" her notice. Next, is the feeling of wealth, and power exuded by the position of which she was painted in. Holding her head up is kind of her way of saying that she has more power than we may think. Lastly, the style the artist used makes the painting seem almost two-dimensional. It appears that there is almost no depth to the artwork, everything seems to be on the same plane.
Venus of Urbino also has a few different effects. The first is that of wealth and power, just like Olympia. This effect is created by the objects in the room around her which the artist used. The use of the objects like the grapes, the tapestries, the large hallway, and the slight jutting of her stomach help to illustrate that she has a decent access to food and money. Then there is the feeling of satisfaction. This is enhanced by the slight smile on her face and the style used to create the piece, which causes a serene expression on her face. Finally, the realistic effect and feel that the piece holds. The use of shadowing and depth within this work makes it feel as if you could reach into the painting, reach your hand back into the hall. It's like you could just walk right into the scene with them.
Two different artists, from two different time periods. There are quite a bite of differences but also quite a few similarities. Art my change over time, but the effects that are created are done by the style, not by the time.
Kara,
ReplyDeleteYour introduction provides some background and states a clear argument about artists' style creating different effects. You have details within the piece that back up your argument. I don't follow your argument about time: Manet could not have painted his picture without Titian's painting (it was a response). There is some element of time here that might be interesting to explore (if you were to expand this piece). Great job overall!