Baroque

 

“The Art of Painting” By Johannes Vermeer

This famous 1700′s painting portrays an artist painting a woman in his studio by a window depicting what art by Vermeer’s standards is. He was a middle class man that thrived on his artwork and unique style of painting. During the rise of the merchant middle class Vermeer made a living off his paintings although not as profitable in his life time, he became very successful after death.   

 Through this painting there is subtle symbolism throughout the piece. The double headed eagle which adorns the central golden chandelier may have represented the catholic faith. Vermeer was different in being a catholic in a predominantly protestant area. During this time the council of Trent had taken place and issued condemnations on what is defined as Protestant heresies and re-defined the Catholic Church teachings in the areas of scripture and tradition, Justification, sacrament, and veneration of saints. With the conflict of interest with the council of Trent with Vermeer’s holly beliefs, we see slight symbolism in his piece where the chandelier is not lit nor adorned with candles which can be a direct catholic symbol.

This painting was one of Vermeer’s favorite pieces and a great example of optical art, this style of painting offers a realistic visual depiction of the scene and emphasizes the effects of lights that eliminate various areas. Vermeer’s early works concentrated on history paintings but around the time of 1656, he moved into genre paintings, and would proceed with those through the rest of his career. To other artist it may have been being picky, but to Vermeer it was the tedious time he put into pieces to make the models and surroundings flourish.

The painting is now located in Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria

Blog #1 Italian Renaissance

“The Fall of the Rebel Angel” By Pieter Bruegel the Elder. (1562)

This piece depicts an epic scene of good fighting evil; with traumatic loses on either side, which can be directly linked to the reformation in Europe at the time this was created. Pieter Bruegel the Elder was at the head of a list of inspirational and creative artists through his family. Throughout his many paintings he shows innovative ideas, and animated beings, and through the painting “The Fall of the Rebel Angels” he gives us an outlook into his thoughts through the reformation in Italy at the time.

Protestant views of salvation only came with the grace of god, “The Fall of the Rebel Angel” may depict the smiting of sinners, and a display of the penalty that would ensue, should people be led a stray form that belief. In Early Italian Renaissance we see a more romantic aspect to religious beliefs, how holiness is an exquisite feature to behold. During the protestant reformation we see examples of criminals to god, and visual art seemed more of a lesson of those offenders.

The creatures towards the bottom half of the paintings are cave dwellers who just woke up from a nice siesta, and it looks to me, that the holy angels that come soaring from above are coming to steel their lunch money. By the look of pitiful desperate agony on the demons faces they do not look scary or evil to me in the slightest. The “angels” look too satisfied with there work, and somewhat arrogant about their power. This could be a symbol to the side the painter, Bruegel, takes during the Reformation, or it could be the lack of creative facial expression the artist possessed. Other aspects that caught my eye with this painting were the creative use of negative space. There isn’t a single area of this paining not used by an object of figure, being that I have done some painting before I am extremely impressed with this.