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0251_T

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

How does Holy Trinity (Masaccio) elucidate its abstract?

The Holy Trinity, with the Virgin and Saint John and donors (Italian: Santa Trinità) is a fresco by the Italian Renaissance artist Masaccio in the Dominican church of Santa Maria Novella, in Florence. The fresco was among Masaccio's last major commissions and is often cited as one of the first monumental Renaissance paintings to utilize linear perspective.

0251_NT

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

How does this artwork elucidate its abstract?

The Holy Trinity, with the Virgin and Saint John and donors (Italian: Santa Trinità) is a fresco by the Italian Renaissance artist Masaccio in the Dominican church of Santa Maria Novella, in Florence. The fresco was among Masaccio's last major commissions and is often cited as one of the first monumental Renaissance paintings to utilize linear perspective.

0252_T

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

Focus on Holy Trinity (Masaccio) and analyze the History.

The Trinity is thought to have been created by Masaccio between 1425–1427. He died in late 1428 at the age of 26, or having just turned 27, leaving behind a relatively small body of work.

0252_NT

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

Focus on this artwork and analyze the History.

The Trinity is thought to have been created by Masaccio between 1425–1427. He died in late 1428 at the age of 26, or having just turned 27, leaving behind a relatively small body of work.

0253_T

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

Describe the characteristics of the Location in Holy Trinity (Masaccio)'s History.

The fresco is located along the middle of the basilica's left aisle. Although the configuration of this space has changed since the artwork was created, there are clear indications that the fresco was aligned very precisely in relationship with the sight-lines and perspective arrangement of the room at the time; particularly a former entrance-way facing the painting; in order to enhance the trompe-l'œil effect. There was also an altar, mounted as a shelf-ledge between the upper and lower sections of the fresco, further emphasizing the "reality" of the artifice.

0253_NT

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

Describe the characteristics of the Location in this artwork's History.

The fresco is located along the middle of the basilica's left aisle. Although the configuration of this space has changed since the artwork was created, there are clear indications that the fresco was aligned very precisely in relationship with the sight-lines and perspective arrangement of the room at the time; particularly a former entrance-way facing the painting; in order to enhance the trompe-l'œil effect. There was also an altar, mounted as a shelf-ledge between the upper and lower sections of the fresco, further emphasizing the "reality" of the artifice.

0254_T

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

In the context of Holy Trinity (Masaccio), explore the Commissioners and donors of the History.

Not much is known about the details of the commission; no contemporaneous documents naming the altar-piece's patron(s) have been found. The two donor portraits included in the fresco, one figure kneeling on either side of the archway, have not been positively identified. The persons depicted are almost certainly contemporary Florentines; either the persons who funded the work, or relatives or close associates. According to the established conventions of such depictions, it is generally, but not universally, assumed that they were probably still alive at the time of the artwork's commissioning.The leading theories as to their identity favor two local families; either the Lenzi or, for at least one of the figures, a member of the Berti, who were a working-class family from the Santa Maria Novella quarter of Florence. Records of the Berti family, discovered in 2012, indicate that they owned a tomb at the foot of the fresco. Other sources mention a Lenzi tomb near the altar, with the inscription "Domenico di Lenzo, et Suorum 1426", as well as other Lenzi decorations in the chapel at that time, and theorize the donor portraits were posthumous images of Domenico (and his spouse?). In the Florentine dating system of that time, the new year began on March 25; and factoring in the conversion from Julian to Gregorian calendars Domenico's death, as recorded, would have been on 19 January 1427.It has been hypothesized that Fra' Alessio Strozzi and/or Filippo Brunelleschi may have been involved, or at least consulted, in the creation of the Trinity. Brunelleschi's experiments in linear perspective likely were the inspiration for the perspectival construction of the painting. Fra' Alessio's involvement has been posited more on the matter of the appropriate depiction of the Holy Trinity, according to the preferences and sensibilities of the Dominican order. However, there is, to date, no concrete evidence for the direct involvement of either of these two men.

0254_NT

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

In the context of this artwork, explore the Commissioners and donors of the History.

Not much is known about the details of the commission; no contemporaneous documents naming the altar-piece's patron(s) have been found. The two donor portraits included in the fresco, one figure kneeling on either side of the archway, have not been positively identified. The persons depicted are almost certainly contemporary Florentines; either the persons who funded the work, or relatives or close associates. According to the established conventions of such depictions, it is generally, but not universally, assumed that they were probably still alive at the time of the artwork's commissioning.The leading theories as to their identity favor two local families; either the Lenzi or, for at least one of the figures, a member of the Berti, who were a working-class family from the Santa Maria Novella quarter of Florence. Records of the Berti family, discovered in 2012, indicate that they owned a tomb at the foot of the fresco. Other sources mention a Lenzi tomb near the altar, with the inscription "Domenico di Lenzo, et Suorum 1426", as well as other Lenzi decorations in the chapel at that time, and theorize the donor portraits were posthumous images of Domenico (and his spouse?). In the Florentine dating system of that time, the new year began on March 25; and factoring in the conversion from Julian to Gregorian calendars Domenico's death, as recorded, would have been on 19 January 1427.It has been hypothesized that Fra' Alessio Strozzi and/or Filippo Brunelleschi may have been involved, or at least consulted, in the creation of the Trinity. Brunelleschi's experiments in linear perspective likely were the inspiration for the perspectival construction of the painting. Fra' Alessio's involvement has been posited more on the matter of the appropriate depiction of the Holy Trinity, according to the preferences and sensibilities of the Dominican order. However, there is, to date, no concrete evidence for the direct involvement of either of these two men.

0255_T

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

In the context of Holy Trinity (Masaccio), explain the Giorgio Vasari and Cosimo I of the History.

Around 1568, Cosimo I, then Duke of Florence, commissioned Giorgio Vasari to undertake extensive renovation work at Santa Maria Novella, including reconfiguring and redecorating the area where Masaccio's fresco was located.Vasari had already written favorably about Masaccio in his Vite. When it came time to implement the planned renovations of the chapel containing Trinity, circa 1570, Vasari chose to leave the fresco intact and construct a new altar and screen in front of Masaccio's painting, leaving a small gap, and effectively concealing and protecting the earlier work. While it seems plausible that it was Vasari's deliberate intention to preserve Masaccio's painting, it is unclear to what extent Duke Cosimo and/or other "concerned parties" were involved in this decision. To decorate the new altar, Vasari painted a Madonna of the Rosary; the image is extant, but has been moved to a different location within the church.

0255_NT

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

In the context of this artwork, explain the Giorgio Vasari and Cosimo I of the History.

Around 1568, Cosimo I, then Duke of Florence, commissioned Giorgio Vasari to undertake extensive renovation work at Santa Maria Novella, including reconfiguring and redecorating the area where Masaccio's fresco was located.Vasari had already written favorably about Masaccio in his Vite. When it came time to implement the planned renovations of the chapel containing Trinity, circa 1570, Vasari chose to leave the fresco intact and construct a new altar and screen in front of Masaccio's painting, leaving a small gap, and effectively concealing and protecting the earlier work. While it seems plausible that it was Vasari's deliberate intention to preserve Masaccio's painting, it is unclear to what extent Duke Cosimo and/or other "concerned parties" were involved in this decision. To decorate the new altar, Vasari painted a Madonna of the Rosary; the image is extant, but has been moved to a different location within the church.

0256_T

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

Explore the Rediscovery and subsequent history about the History of this artwork, Holy Trinity (Masaccio).

Masaccio's Holy Trinity was rediscovered when Vasari's altar was dismantled during renovations in 1860. The Crucifixion, the upper part of the fresco, was subsequently transferred to canvas, and relocated to a different part of the church. It is unclear from available sources whether the lower section of the fresco, the cadaver tomb, remained unknown or was deliberately omitted (and possibly plastered over) during the 1860s construction work.Restoration was done to the Crucifixion section of the painting at that time, to replace missing areas of the design; mostly architectural details around the perimeter of the work. While the painting was in damaged condition when rediscovered, it is also likely that further damage was caused by the transfer from plaster to canvas.In the 20th century, the cadaver tomb portion of the work was rediscovered in situ, and the two halves were re-united in their original location in 1952. Leonetto Tintori undertook restoration work on the combined whole during 1950–1954.Charles de Tolnay believed that the lower part of the fresco did not match the upper part in terms of style. Other experts assumed later changes in part of the painting or the loss of some parts, which creates the impression of fragmentation.

0256_NT

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

Explore the Rediscovery and subsequent history about the History of this artwork.

Masaccio's Holy Trinity was rediscovered when Vasari's altar was dismantled during renovations in 1860. The Crucifixion, the upper part of the fresco, was subsequently transferred to canvas, and relocated to a different part of the church. It is unclear from available sources whether the lower section of the fresco, the cadaver tomb, remained unknown or was deliberately omitted (and possibly plastered over) during the 1860s construction work.Restoration was done to the Crucifixion section of the painting at that time, to replace missing areas of the design; mostly architectural details around the perimeter of the work. While the painting was in damaged condition when rediscovered, it is also likely that further damage was caused by the transfer from plaster to canvas.In the 20th century, the cadaver tomb portion of the work was rediscovered in situ, and the two halves were re-united in their original location in 1952. Leonetto Tintori undertook restoration work on the combined whole during 1950–1954.Charles de Tolnay believed that the lower part of the fresco did not match the upper part in terms of style. Other experts assumed later changes in part of the painting or the loss of some parts, which creates the impression of fragmentation.

0257_T

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

In Holy Trinity (Masaccio), how is the Dimensions of the Description elucidated?

The painting is approximately 317 cm (125 in) wide, and 667 cm (263 in) high. This gives an overall vertical-to-horizontal proportion of about 2:1. The ratio between the upper and lower sections of the work is very roughly 3:1.

0257_NT

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

In this artwork, how is the Dimensions of the Description elucidated?

The painting is approximately 317 cm (125 in) wide, and 667 cm (263 in) high. This gives an overall vertical-to-horizontal proportion of about 2:1. The ratio between the upper and lower sections of the work is very roughly 3:1.

0258_T

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

In the context of Holy Trinity (Masaccio), analyze the Altar of the Description.

Originally, the design included an actual ledge, used as an altar, physically projecting outward from the now-blank band between the upper and lower sections of the fresco; further enhancing the sense of depth and reality in the work. Constructed as a pillared-shelf ~5 ft. above the floor, and estimated to be about 60 cm. wide, the altar-table's appearance would have been intended to match and/or complement the painted architecture. Its facing-edge and upper surface integrating with the fresco's steps and archway; and its supporting pillars, both real and illusory, combining with the shadows caused by the over-hang to create a crypt-like effect for the tomb beneath. The upper section of the fresco still retains traces of candle-smoke and heat-effects from use of this altar.

0258_NT

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

In the context of this artwork, analyze the Altar of the Description.

Originally, the design included an actual ledge, used as an altar, physically projecting outward from the now-blank band between the upper and lower sections of the fresco; further enhancing the sense of depth and reality in the work. Constructed as a pillared-shelf ~5 ft. above the floor, and estimated to be about 60 cm. wide, the altar-table's appearance would have been intended to match and/or complement the painted architecture. Its facing-edge and upper surface integrating with the fresco's steps and archway; and its supporting pillars, both real and illusory, combining with the shadows caused by the over-hang to create a crypt-like effect for the tomb beneath. The upper section of the fresco still retains traces of candle-smoke and heat-effects from use of this altar.

0259_T

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

Describe the characteristics of the Figures in Holy Trinity (Masaccio)'s Description.

The painted figures are roughly life-sized. For an adult of average height facing the painting, the line of sight would have been slightly above 'ground-level' in the work; with Death in the form of the crypt and skeleton directly front of them, and the promise of Salvation above.The architectural details painted on the wall (cornice, archivolts of arches, capitals) are brightly painted. The figures of the donors are located at the level of the viewer’s horizon and they are depicted from the perspective from below, and then, rising, the figures increase in size, according to their symbolic meaning, at the same time, as it were, moving deeper into the space of an imaginary chapel, the coffered vault of which is given in a strong perspective from below. The sarcophagus with the skeleton, although it occupies the lower part of the composition, on the contrary, is visible from above, as if located in a crypt under the floor of the church.

0259_NT

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

Describe the characteristics of the Figures in this artwork's Description.

The painted figures are roughly life-sized. For an adult of average height facing the painting, the line of sight would have been slightly above 'ground-level' in the work; with Death in the form of the crypt and skeleton directly front of them, and the promise of Salvation above.The architectural details painted on the wall (cornice, archivolts of arches, capitals) are brightly painted. The figures of the donors are located at the level of the viewer’s horizon and they are depicted from the perspective from below, and then, rising, the figures increase in size, according to their symbolic meaning, at the same time, as it were, moving deeper into the space of an imaginary chapel, the coffered vault of which is given in a strong perspective from below. The sarcophagus with the skeleton, although it occupies the lower part of the composition, on the contrary, is visible from above, as if located in a crypt under the floor of the church.

0260_T

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

In the context of Holy Trinity (Masaccio), explore the Damaging and restoring of the Description.

Over the course of time and events (see above), the fresco has been damaged and subsequently restored. Much of the outer edge of the upper section, mainly architectural detail, is replacement work. Some regions of "new" paint can be clearly identified by differences in colour, visual texture and detail; and in certain places, by apparent "cracks" along the boundary between the original fresco surface, and areas of the design where the original surface is entirely absent and was repainted.

0260_NT

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

In the context of this artwork, explore the Damaging and restoring of the Description.

Over the course of time and events (see above), the fresco has been damaged and subsequently restored. Much of the outer edge of the upper section, mainly architectural detail, is replacement work. Some regions of "new" paint can be clearly identified by differences in colour, visual texture and detail; and in certain places, by apparent "cracks" along the boundary between the original fresco surface, and areas of the design where the original surface is entirely absent and was repainted.

0261_T

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

In the context of Holy Trinity (Masaccio), explain the Lower section of the Description.

The lower section, which depicts a skeleton in a tomb as a memento mori, has also lost significant paint. By this timeRef?, "standard practice" in restoration had become more conservative, with a stronger emphasis on preserving and revealing the authentic work of the original artist; whereas earlier restorations tended to have more focus on producing an aesthetically pleasing "recreation" of the artwork.

0261_NT

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

In the context of this artwork, explain the Lower section of the Description.

The lower section, which depicts a skeleton in a tomb as a memento mori, has also lost significant paint. By this timeRef?, "standard practice" in restoration had become more conservative, with a stronger emphasis on preserving and revealing the authentic work of the original artist; whereas earlier restorations tended to have more focus on producing an aesthetically pleasing "recreation" of the artwork.

0262_T

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

Explore the Notable characteristics about the Description of this artwork, Holy Trinity (Masaccio).

The Trinity is noteworthy for its inspiration taken from ancient Roman triumphal arches and the strict adherence to recently developed perspective techniques, with a vanishing point at the viewer's eye level, so that, as Vasari describes it "a barrel vault drawn in perspective, and divided into squares with rosettes that diminish and are foreshortened so well that there seems to be a hole in the wall." The effect of the correct perspectival projection may be called trompe-l'œil, which means "deceives the eye," in French. The fresco had a transforming effect on generations of Florentine painters and visiting artists. The sole figure without a fully realized three-dimensional occupation of space is God supporting the Cross, considered an immeasurable being. The kneeling patrons represent another important novelty, occupying the viewer's own space, "in front of" the picture plane, which is represented by the Ionic columns and the Corinthian pilasters from which the feigned vault appears to spring; they are depicted in the traditional prayerful pose of donor portraits, but on the same scale as the central figures, rather than the more usual 'diminution', and with noteworthy attention to realism and volume.Masaccio placed the horizon line across the floor between the two donors. Orthogonal lines fan geometrically upward and outward into what becomes the angles and dimensions of the slightly diagonal lines of the coffers of the barrel vault. His use of linear perspective gives the illusion of realistic three-dimensional space.As far as can be determined from available records, at the time when this painting was created no large-scale Roman-style coffered barrel vault, Triumphal arch or otherwise, had been constructed in Western Christendom since late antiquity.

0262_NT

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

Explore the Notable characteristics about the Description of this artwork.

The Trinity is noteworthy for its inspiration taken from ancient Roman triumphal arches and the strict adherence to recently developed perspective techniques, with a vanishing point at the viewer's eye level, so that, as Vasari describes it "a barrel vault drawn in perspective, and divided into squares with rosettes that diminish and are foreshortened so well that there seems to be a hole in the wall." The effect of the correct perspectival projection may be called trompe-l'œil, which means "deceives the eye," in French. The fresco had a transforming effect on generations of Florentine painters and visiting artists. The sole figure without a fully realized three-dimensional occupation of space is God supporting the Cross, considered an immeasurable being. The kneeling patrons represent another important novelty, occupying the viewer's own space, "in front of" the picture plane, which is represented by the Ionic columns and the Corinthian pilasters from which the feigned vault appears to spring; they are depicted in the traditional prayerful pose of donor portraits, but on the same scale as the central figures, rather than the more usual 'diminution', and with noteworthy attention to realism and volume.Masaccio placed the horizon line across the floor between the two donors. Orthogonal lines fan geometrically upward and outward into what becomes the angles and dimensions of the slightly diagonal lines of the coffers of the barrel vault. His use of linear perspective gives the illusion of realistic three-dimensional space.As far as can be determined from available records, at the time when this painting was created no large-scale Roman-style coffered barrel vault, Triumphal arch or otherwise, had been constructed in Western Christendom since late antiquity.

0263_T

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

Focus on Holy Trinity (Masaccio) and discuss the Interpretation.

Masaccio's fresco is a sacra conversazione, a popular type of Renaissance religious imagery that portrayed contemporary people in scenes with holy or sacred figures. Most scholars have seen it as a traditional kind of image, intended for personal devotions and commemorations of the dead, although explanations of how the painting reflects these functions differ in their details. The iconography of the Trinity, flanked by Mary and John or including donors, is not uncommon in Italian art of the late 14th and early 15th centuries, and the association of the Trinity with a tomb also has precedents. No precedent for the exact iconography of Masaccio's fresco, combining all these elements, has been discovered, however.The figures of the two patrons have most often been identified as members of the Lenzi family or, more recently, a member of the Berti family of the Santa Maria Novella quarter of Florence. They serve as models of religious devotion for viewers but, because they are located closer to the sacred figures than the viewers are, they also lay claim to special status. The cadaver tomb consists of a sarcophagus on which lies a skeleton. "Carved" in the wall above the skeleton is an inscription: "IO FU[I] G[I]A QUEL CHE VOI S[I]ETE E QUEL CH['] I[O] SONO VO[I] A[N]CO[R] SARETE" (I once was what you are and what I am you also will be). This memento mori underlines that the painting was intended to serve as a lesson to the viewers. At the simplest level the imagery must have suggested to the 15th-century faithful that, since they all would die, only their faith in the Trinity and Christ's sacrifice would allow them to overcome their transitory existences.According to American art historian Mary McCarthy:The fresco, with its terrible logic, is like a proof in philosophy or mathematics, God the Father, with His unrelenting eyes, being the axiom from which everything else irrevocably flows.

0263_NT

Holy Trinity (Masaccio)

Focus on this artwork and discuss the Interpretation.

Masaccio's fresco is a sacra conversazione, a popular type of Renaissance religious imagery that portrayed contemporary people in scenes with holy or sacred figures. Most scholars have seen it as a traditional kind of image, intended for personal devotions and commemorations of the dead, although explanations of how the painting reflects these functions differ in their details. The iconography of the Trinity, flanked by Mary and John or including donors, is not uncommon in Italian art of the late 14th and early 15th centuries, and the association of the Trinity with a tomb also has precedents. No precedent for the exact iconography of Masaccio's fresco, combining all these elements, has been discovered, however.The figures of the two patrons have most often been identified as members of the Lenzi family or, more recently, a member of the Berti family of the Santa Maria Novella quarter of Florence. They serve as models of religious devotion for viewers but, because they are located closer to the sacred figures than the viewers are, they also lay claim to special status. The cadaver tomb consists of a sarcophagus on which lies a skeleton. "Carved" in the wall above the skeleton is an inscription: "IO FU[I] G[I]A QUEL CHE VOI S[I]ETE E QUEL CH['] I[O] SONO VO[I] A[N]CO[R] SARETE" (I once was what you are and what I am you also will be). This memento mori underlines that the painting was intended to serve as a lesson to the viewers. At the simplest level the imagery must have suggested to the 15th-century faithful that, since they all would die, only their faith in the Trinity and Christ's sacrifice would allow them to overcome their transitory existences.According to American art historian Mary McCarthy:The fresco, with its terrible logic, is like a proof in philosophy or mathematics, God the Father, with His unrelenting eyes, being the axiom from which everything else irrevocably flows.

0264_T

Cube with Magic Ribbons

How does Cube with Magic Ribbons elucidate its abstract?

Cube with Magic Ribbons is a lithograph print by the Dutch artist M. C. Escher first printed in 1957. It depicts two interlocking bands wrapped around the frame of a Necker cube. The bands have what Escher called small "nodules" or "buttonlike protuberances" that make use of the dome/crater illusion, an optical illusion characterized by shifting perception of depth from concave to convex depending on direction of light and shadow. Escher's interest in reversible perspectives, as seen in Cube with Magic Ribbons, can also be noted in an earlier work, Convex and Concave, first printed in 1955.Although the cube framework in Cube with Magic Ribbons by itself is perfectly possible, the interlocking of the "magical" bands within it is impossible. Escher scholar Bruno Ernst argues that this print is significant for being the first of four Escher drawings to use impossible object. However, there is debate as to whether the figure constitutes a true visual impossibility or is merely ambiguous, as the bands do not have continuous contours that unite their front and back faces, meaning they lose their visible boundaries when they cross over each other.

0264_NT

Cube with Magic Ribbons

How does this artwork elucidate its abstract?

Cube with Magic Ribbons is a lithograph print by the Dutch artist M. C. Escher first printed in 1957. It depicts two interlocking bands wrapped around the frame of a Necker cube. The bands have what Escher called small "nodules" or "buttonlike protuberances" that make use of the dome/crater illusion, an optical illusion characterized by shifting perception of depth from concave to convex depending on direction of light and shadow. Escher's interest in reversible perspectives, as seen in Cube with Magic Ribbons, can also be noted in an earlier work, Convex and Concave, first printed in 1955.Although the cube framework in Cube with Magic Ribbons by itself is perfectly possible, the interlocking of the "magical" bands within it is impossible. Escher scholar Bruno Ernst argues that this print is significant for being the first of four Escher drawings to use impossible object. However, there is debate as to whether the figure constitutes a true visual impossibility or is merely ambiguous, as the bands do not have continuous contours that unite their front and back faces, meaning they lose their visible boundaries when they cross over each other.

0265_T

La Scapigliata

Focus on La Scapigliata and analyze the abstract.

La Scapigliata (Italian for 'The Lady with Dishevelled Hair') is an unfinished painting generally attributed to the Italian High Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, and dated c. 1506–1508. Painted in oil, umber, and white lead pigments on a small poplar wood panel, its attribution remains controversial, with several experts attributing the work to a pupil of Leonardo. The painting has been admired for its captivating beauty, mysterious demeanor, and mastery of sfumato. There is no real consensus on the subject, date, history, or purpose of the painting. It shows an unidentified woman gazing downward while her hair fills the frame behind her. Many theories regarding the subject have been proposed: that it is a sketch for an uncompleted painting of Saint Anne; a study for the London version of the Virgin of the Rocks or Leonardo's lost painting of Leda and the Swan; or a painting left deliberately unfinished for its aesthetic value. The painting was recorded in the sale in 1826 of Gaetano Callani's collection to the Galleria Nazionale di Parma, the museum in which it is currently housed, but proof of its existence may date back to 1531, when it may have been owned by Isabella d'Este. Although many studies of Leonardo's oeuvre are silent on the issue, most scholars who discuss the painting regard it as an autographic work by Leonardo da Vinci and it has been listed as such in various major Leonardo exhibitions.

0265_NT

La Scapigliata

Focus on this artwork and analyze the abstract.

La Scapigliata (Italian for 'The Lady with Dishevelled Hair') is an unfinished painting generally attributed to the Italian High Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, and dated c. 1506–1508. Painted in oil, umber, and white lead pigments on a small poplar wood panel, its attribution remains controversial, with several experts attributing the work to a pupil of Leonardo. The painting has been admired for its captivating beauty, mysterious demeanor, and mastery of sfumato. There is no real consensus on the subject, date, history, or purpose of the painting. It shows an unidentified woman gazing downward while her hair fills the frame behind her. Many theories regarding the subject have been proposed: that it is a sketch for an uncompleted painting of Saint Anne; a study for the London version of the Virgin of the Rocks or Leonardo's lost painting of Leda and the Swan; or a painting left deliberately unfinished for its aesthetic value. The painting was recorded in the sale in 1826 of Gaetano Callani's collection to the Galleria Nazionale di Parma, the museum in which it is currently housed, but proof of its existence may date back to 1531, when it may have been owned by Isabella d'Este. Although many studies of Leonardo's oeuvre are silent on the issue, most scholars who discuss the painting regard it as an autographic work by Leonardo da Vinci and it has been listed as such in various major Leonardo exhibitions.

0266_T

La Scapigliata

In La Scapigliata, how is the Description discussed?

The true intention for the work's creation is unknown, and it has been variously referred to as a sketch, a drawing, or a painting. Due to the use of paint, it is correctly described as a painting, but scholars continue to discuss its sketch- and drawing-like qualities, often linking it to Leonardo's early works such as the Adoration of the Magi and Saint Jerome in the Wilderness, as well as later ones such as The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist. The art historian Carmen Bambach suggests that it should be described as a "brush drawing", or as a "painted sketch".The painting is executed on a small 24.6 cm × 21.0 cm (9.7 in × 8.3 in) poplar wood panel with oil, umber, and white lead pigments. It portrays the unfinished outline of a young woman whose face gently gazes downward while her loosely drawn, dishevelled hair waves in the air behind her. The woman's eyes are half-closed and completely ignore the outside world and viewer, while her mouth is slightly shaped into an ambiguous smile, evocative of the Mona Lisa. Other than her face that takes up most of the painting, the rest of the painting is barely even sketched in, with a primed, but unpainted, background. The differences in the face and the rest of the painting are effectively blended by a mastery of sfumato. The art historian Alexander Nagel notes that the sfumato results in the shadows concealing any strokes or marks, and points out how the shadows are softened by careful lighting around them, such as on the left side of the jaw. The appeal in this contrast of the unfinished and finished parts has provoked speculation that the painting is not incomplete, but was left in a sketchy state on purpose.The subject of the painting is unknown and no theory has proved convincing enough for modern scholars to reach a consensus about it. One theory is that the work is a study for Leonardo's lost painting of Leda and the Swan, but this is discredited by existing copies of the painting showing Leda with hair more elaborate than that of the woman in La Scapigliata. It is also claimed that the painting was a sketch for a painting of Saint Anne that never was completed, or a study for the London version of the Virgin of the Rocks. According to scholars at the Galleria Nazionale di Parma, the subject of the painting may be a portrait of an anonymous woman.

0266_NT

La Scapigliata

In this artwork, how is the Description discussed?

The true intention for the work's creation is unknown, and it has been variously referred to as a sketch, a drawing, or a painting. Due to the use of paint, it is correctly described as a painting, but scholars continue to discuss its sketch- and drawing-like qualities, often linking it to Leonardo's early works such as the Adoration of the Magi and Saint Jerome in the Wilderness, as well as later ones such as The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist. The art historian Carmen Bambach suggests that it should be described as a "brush drawing", or as a "painted sketch".The painting is executed on a small 24.6 cm × 21.0 cm (9.7 in × 8.3 in) poplar wood panel with oil, umber, and white lead pigments. It portrays the unfinished outline of a young woman whose face gently gazes downward while her loosely drawn, dishevelled hair waves in the air behind her. The woman's eyes are half-closed and completely ignore the outside world and viewer, while her mouth is slightly shaped into an ambiguous smile, evocative of the Mona Lisa. Other than her face that takes up most of the painting, the rest of the painting is barely even sketched in, with a primed, but unpainted, background. The differences in the face and the rest of the painting are effectively blended by a mastery of sfumato. The art historian Alexander Nagel notes that the sfumato results in the shadows concealing any strokes or marks, and points out how the shadows are softened by careful lighting around them, such as on the left side of the jaw. The appeal in this contrast of the unfinished and finished parts has provoked speculation that the painting is not incomplete, but was left in a sketchy state on purpose.The subject of the painting is unknown and no theory has proved convincing enough for modern scholars to reach a consensus about it. One theory is that the work is a study for Leonardo's lost painting of Leda and the Swan, but this is discredited by existing copies of the painting showing Leda with hair more elaborate than that of the woman in La Scapigliata. It is also claimed that the painting was a sketch for a painting of Saint Anne that never was completed, or a study for the London version of the Virgin of the Rocks. According to scholars at the Galleria Nazionale di Parma, the subject of the painting may be a portrait of an anonymous woman.

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La Scapigliata

Focus on La Scapigliata and explore the History.

No records of a commission survive for the painting, but its intimacy suggests that it may have been for a private patron. Bambach cites a note by the Florentine official Agostino Vespucci that mentions Leonardo, and describes the appeal and beauty of the unfinished bust of Venus by the famous ancient Greek painter Apelles. She believes that La Scapigliata may be the result of Vespucci commissioning Leonardo to execute a work along the same lines. A more widely accepted theory is that the work was commissioned by a known patron of Leonardo and a member of the Gonzaga family of Mantua, Isabella d'Este. She was one of the leading women of the Italian Renaissance, a major cultural and political figure, who had asked Leonardo for a painting of the Madonna for her private studio in 1501. Isabella d'Este probably gave the painting to her son Federico II on the occasion of his wedding to Margaret Paleologa. This is evidenced by a 1531 letter from the secretary of the Mantuan Gonzaga family, Ippolito Calandra, who suggests that a painting (with very similar features as La Scapigliata) be hung in the bedroom of Federico II and Margaret Paleologa. A 1531 inventory of the Gonzaga family art collection in the ducal palace also records a painting that could be La Scapigliata. Another inventory from 1627 likely refers to La Scapigliata and is likely to be the origin of the nickname for the painting since the record describes it as follows: "A painting depicts the head of a dishevelled woman... by Leonardo da Vinci." This record implies that it was not sold among a large sale of paintings from the Gonzaga collection to Charles I of England in 1626–1627. It is possible that the painting was stolen from the Gonzaga collection in July 1630 when, under the pay of Ferdinand II, an imperial army of 36,000 Landsknecht mercenaries sacked Mantua.The next (and first certain) record of the painting is in 1826, when Francesco Callani offered the collection of his father, the Parmesan artist Gaetano Callani, for sale to the gallery of the Accademia di Belle Arti di Parma. In a list of the works in the collection for the gallery's director, Paolo Toschi, La Scapigliata appears listed as "A head of Madonna painted in chiaroscuro". The sale implies that it entered the collection of Gaetano Callani at some point, probably during his 1773–1778 stay in Milan, but other than being in Milan, there is no information on the whereabouts of the painting prior to that notation. The sale took place in 1839, but the painting identified as La Scapigliata entered the gallery of Palatine Gallery of Parma (now the Galleria Nazionale di Parma), where it was listed as "The head of Leonardo da Vinci" and described by Toschi as "a very rare work to find today". It has been housed in the National Gallery of Parma ever since.

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La Scapigliata

Focus on this artwork and explore the History.

No records of a commission survive for the painting, but its intimacy suggests that it may have been for a private patron. Bambach cites a note by the Florentine official Agostino Vespucci that mentions Leonardo, and describes the appeal and beauty of the unfinished bust of Venus by the famous ancient Greek painter Apelles. She believes that La Scapigliata may be the result of Vespucci commissioning Leonardo to execute a work along the same lines. A more widely accepted theory is that the work was commissioned by a known patron of Leonardo and a member of the Gonzaga family of Mantua, Isabella d'Este. She was one of the leading women of the Italian Renaissance, a major cultural and political figure, who had asked Leonardo for a painting of the Madonna for her private studio in 1501. Isabella d'Este probably gave the painting to her son Federico II on the occasion of his wedding to Margaret Paleologa. This is evidenced by a 1531 letter from the secretary of the Mantuan Gonzaga family, Ippolito Calandra, who suggests that a painting (with very similar features as La Scapigliata) be hung in the bedroom of Federico II and Margaret Paleologa. A 1531 inventory of the Gonzaga family art collection in the ducal palace also records a painting that could be La Scapigliata. Another inventory from 1627 likely refers to La Scapigliata and is likely to be the origin of the nickname for the painting since the record describes it as follows: "A painting depicts the head of a dishevelled woman... by Leonardo da Vinci." This record implies that it was not sold among a large sale of paintings from the Gonzaga collection to Charles I of England in 1626–1627. It is possible that the painting was stolen from the Gonzaga collection in July 1630 when, under the pay of Ferdinand II, an imperial army of 36,000 Landsknecht mercenaries sacked Mantua.The next (and first certain) record of the painting is in 1826, when Francesco Callani offered the collection of his father, the Parmesan artist Gaetano Callani, for sale to the gallery of the Accademia di Belle Arti di Parma. In a list of the works in the collection for the gallery's director, Paolo Toschi, La Scapigliata appears listed as "A head of Madonna painted in chiaroscuro". The sale implies that it entered the collection of Gaetano Callani at some point, probably during his 1773–1778 stay in Milan, but other than being in Milan, there is no information on the whereabouts of the painting prior to that notation. The sale took place in 1839, but the painting identified as La Scapigliata entered the gallery of Palatine Gallery of Parma (now the Galleria Nazionale di Parma), where it was listed as "The head of Leonardo da Vinci" and described by Toschi as "a very rare work to find today". It has been housed in the National Gallery of Parma ever since.

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La Scapigliata

Focus on La Scapigliata and explain the Interpretation.

Many theories have been proposed about the intended purpose and meaning of the work, which the Galleria Nazionale di Parma suggests is due to the ambiguity in the work's 'painted-drawing' demeanor. Scholars at the Metropolitan Museum of Art note that the contrast between the subject's sculptural and detailed face with her fragmentary hair, shoulders, and neck evokes a similar contrast between intensity and freedom. Scholars at the Galleria Nazionale have interpreted this contrast as a feminist representation of powerful, but elegant, femininity.The work has been recognized as the apex of Leonardesque sfumato. Nagel notes the attentive detail to masterful shadowing and lighting. Nagel compares La Scapigliata with head studies by Leonardo's teacher, Andrea del Verrocchio, noting the similar approach and attention given to the shading, and that both Verrocchio's studies of female heads and Leonardo's La Scapigliata seem to 'know' that the edge of the panel exists. He concludes that,"In Leonardo's work, shadow is investigated to the point where it assumes an entirely new role, Shadows no longer "belong" to the form but are treated as variations of a more general visual phenomenon, subject to the laws that govern all visibility. They behave as gradual modulations within a continuous range extending between 'the beginnings and the ends of shadow,' that is, from light to absolute darkness. The shadow against the right cheek ('outside the form') belongs to the same system as the shadows under the chin, on the cheek, or around the eyes; under different conditions, they might unite to swallow the entire face." It is uncertain what access Leonardo would have had to Pliny the Elder's Natural History, but in 2016 Bambach speculates that La Scapigliata may have been inspired by an anecdote from it. Pliny refers to an unfinished painting of Venus of Cos by the famous ancient Greek painter Apelles that was admired even though it was unfinished. Bambach cites a note from Agostino Vespucci that mentions both Leonardo and this story, and claims that Leonardo was inspired to achieve the same result as Apelles.

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La Scapigliata

Focus on this artwork and explain the Interpretation.

Many theories have been proposed about the intended purpose and meaning of the work, which the Galleria Nazionale di Parma suggests is due to the ambiguity in the work's 'painted-drawing' demeanor. Scholars at the Metropolitan Museum of Art note that the contrast between the subject's sculptural and detailed face with her fragmentary hair, shoulders, and neck evokes a similar contrast between intensity and freedom. Scholars at the Galleria Nazionale have interpreted this contrast as a feminist representation of powerful, but elegant, femininity.The work has been recognized as the apex of Leonardesque sfumato. Nagel notes the attentive detail to masterful shadowing and lighting. Nagel compares La Scapigliata with head studies by Leonardo's teacher, Andrea del Verrocchio, noting the similar approach and attention given to the shading, and that both Verrocchio's studies of female heads and Leonardo's La Scapigliata seem to 'know' that the edge of the panel exists. He concludes that,"In Leonardo's work, shadow is investigated to the point where it assumes an entirely new role, Shadows no longer "belong" to the form but are treated as variations of a more general visual phenomenon, subject to the laws that govern all visibility. They behave as gradual modulations within a continuous range extending between 'the beginnings and the ends of shadow,' that is, from light to absolute darkness. The shadow against the right cheek ('outside the form') belongs to the same system as the shadows under the chin, on the cheek, or around the eyes; under different conditions, they might unite to swallow the entire face." It is uncertain what access Leonardo would have had to Pliny the Elder's Natural History, but in 2016 Bambach speculates that La Scapigliata may have been inspired by an anecdote from it. Pliny refers to an unfinished painting of Venus of Cos by the famous ancient Greek painter Apelles that was admired even though it was unfinished. Bambach cites a note from Agostino Vespucci that mentions both Leonardo and this story, and claims that Leonardo was inspired to achieve the same result as Apelles.

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The Death of Sardanapalus

Explore the abstract of this artwork, The Death of Sardanapalus.

The Death of Sardanapalus (La Mort de Sardanapale) is an oil painting on canvas by Eugène Delacroix, dated 1827. It currently hangs in the Musée du Louvre, Paris. A smaller replica, painted by Delacroix in 1844, is now in the Philadelphia Museum of Art.The Death of Sardanapalus is based on the tale of Sardanapalus, a king of Assyria, from the historical library of Diodorus Siculus, the ancient Greek historian, and is a work of the era of Romanticism. This painting uses rich, vivid and warm colours, and broad brushstrokes. It was inspired by Lord Byron's play Sardanapalus (1821), and in turn inspired a cantata by Hector Berlioz, Sardanapale (1830), and also Franz Liszt's opera, Sardanapalo (1845–1852, unfinished).

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The Death of Sardanapalus

Explore the abstract of this artwork.

The Death of Sardanapalus (La Mort de Sardanapale) is an oil painting on canvas by Eugène Delacroix, dated 1827. It currently hangs in the Musée du Louvre, Paris. A smaller replica, painted by Delacroix in 1844, is now in the Philadelphia Museum of Art.The Death of Sardanapalus is based on the tale of Sardanapalus, a king of Assyria, from the historical library of Diodorus Siculus, the ancient Greek historian, and is a work of the era of Romanticism. This painting uses rich, vivid and warm colours, and broad brushstrokes. It was inspired by Lord Byron's play Sardanapalus (1821), and in turn inspired a cantata by Hector Berlioz, Sardanapale (1830), and also Franz Liszt's opera, Sardanapalo (1845–1852, unfinished).

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The Death of Sardanapalus

Focus on The Death of Sardanapalus and discuss the Reception.

Delacroix's Death of Sardanapalus was controversial and polarizing at its exhibition at the Paris Salon of 1828. Delacroix's main figural subject was Sardanapalus, a king willing to destroy all of his possessions, including people and luxurious goods, in a funerary pyre of gore and excess. Sardanapalus was not a classical hero, like the Horatii in Jacques-Louis David’s eponymous painting. Delacroix's Sardanapalus was the antithesis of neoclassical traditions, which favored subdued colors, rigid space, and an overall moral subject matter. He also used foreshortening to tilt the death scene directly into the space of the audience, a far cry from the subdued order of traditional academic paintings. Dorothy Bussy quotes one critic of the work as calling the painting "the fanaticism of ugliness" when it appeared in the Salon in 1828.Linda Nochlin has argued that this painting scandalized the salon because it was understood by contemporaries as a destructive sexual fantasy of Delacroix's own--a collapse of the distinction between the "Other" of Orientalism (i.e., Sardanapalus) and western man.The composer Franz Liszt was inspired by Delacroix's painting (and Byron's play) to compose an Italian opera--Sardanapalo--on the topic, telling Princess Cristina Belgiojoso that, in view of the king's self-immolation, his finale will aim to 'set the entire audience alight'. He completed Act 1 only in 1852 and abandoned the project thereafter. The completed first act received its premiere in 2018.

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The Death of Sardanapalus

Focus on this artwork and discuss the Reception.

Delacroix's Death of Sardanapalus was controversial and polarizing at its exhibition at the Paris Salon of 1828. Delacroix's main figural subject was Sardanapalus, a king willing to destroy all of his possessions, including people and luxurious goods, in a funerary pyre of gore and excess. Sardanapalus was not a classical hero, like the Horatii in Jacques-Louis David’s eponymous painting. Delacroix's Sardanapalus was the antithesis of neoclassical traditions, which favored subdued colors, rigid space, and an overall moral subject matter. He also used foreshortening to tilt the death scene directly into the space of the audience, a far cry from the subdued order of traditional academic paintings. Dorothy Bussy quotes one critic of the work as calling the painting "the fanaticism of ugliness" when it appeared in the Salon in 1828.Linda Nochlin has argued that this painting scandalized the salon because it was understood by contemporaries as a destructive sexual fantasy of Delacroix's own--a collapse of the distinction between the "Other" of Orientalism (i.e., Sardanapalus) and western man.The composer Franz Liszt was inspired by Delacroix's painting (and Byron's play) to compose an Italian opera--Sardanapalo--on the topic, telling Princess Cristina Belgiojoso that, in view of the king's self-immolation, his finale will aim to 'set the entire audience alight'. He completed Act 1 only in 1852 and abandoned the project thereafter. The completed first act received its premiere in 2018.

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Passing Mother's Grave

How does Passing Mother's Grave elucidate its abstract?

Passing Mother's Grave (Dutch: Langs Moeders Graf), also known as Passing the Churchyard, is an oil painting on canvas made in 1856 by Jozef Israëls, a Dutch realist artist and a representative of the Hague School of painters. The subject of the painting is a widowed fisherman walking past his deceased wife's grave with his two children. In the early stages of his career, Israëls primarily painted portraits, genre scenes, and historical subjects. Passing Mother's Grave marked one of his initial forays into Realism by depicting peasant life and set the stage for the artist's lasting fascination with the theme of fishermen. This painting quickly became one of his most renowned works; it gained popularity and was widely reproduced in print reproductions including several painted copies executed by the artist himself. Due to its focus on the working class, the painting has been compared with The Stone Breakers, an 1849 painting by the French realist painter Gustave Courbet. The art historian Sheila D. Muller has written that it accomplishes a "monumental treatment of the commonplace". While generally considered among Israëls's most famous and popular paintings, the work has also been criticised as sentimental or "mawkish".Passing Mother's Grave is considered a prominent example of the Dutch realist movement in the second half of the nineteenth century. It influenced later artists in the Netherlands, including the Post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh, who listed it among his favorite works.

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Passing Mother's Grave

How does this artwork elucidate its abstract?

Passing Mother's Grave (Dutch: Langs Moeders Graf), also known as Passing the Churchyard, is an oil painting on canvas made in 1856 by Jozef Israëls, a Dutch realist artist and a representative of the Hague School of painters. The subject of the painting is a widowed fisherman walking past his deceased wife's grave with his two children. In the early stages of his career, Israëls primarily painted portraits, genre scenes, and historical subjects. Passing Mother's Grave marked one of his initial forays into Realism by depicting peasant life and set the stage for the artist's lasting fascination with the theme of fishermen. This painting quickly became one of his most renowned works; it gained popularity and was widely reproduced in print reproductions including several painted copies executed by the artist himself. Due to its focus on the working class, the painting has been compared with The Stone Breakers, an 1849 painting by the French realist painter Gustave Courbet. The art historian Sheila D. Muller has written that it accomplishes a "monumental treatment of the commonplace". While generally considered among Israëls's most famous and popular paintings, the work has also been criticised as sentimental or "mawkish".Passing Mother's Grave is considered a prominent example of the Dutch realist movement in the second half of the nineteenth century. It influenced later artists in the Netherlands, including the Post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh, who listed it among his favorite works.

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Passing Mother's Grave

Focus on Passing Mother's Grave and analyze the Analysis.

Israëls completed multiple versions of the painting. A well-known example in the collection of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam is an oil-on-canvas painting with dimensions of 274.5 cm (108.1 in) x 207.5 cm (81.7 in). The three people in the image are all barefoot. The widower is portrayed as a fisherman and he is holding a boy's hand and carrying a baby as he passes the headstone of his deceased wife. The painting was an attempt by Israëls to move from his traditional subject matter of historical paintings toward portrayals of contemporary peasant life.Austrian art historian Fritz Novotny described the painting as "an almost monochrome grey-brown tonality of a fragile delicacy". The sky in the painting is dark and ominous, but there is a sliver of blue sky which is thought to represent hope. The Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie stated that the models which Israëls used for the image were Klaas Helweg and the two children of Hendrik Helweg. The writer Nicolaas Beets is credited with naming the image "Passing Mother's Grave" in 1861. In the 1980 book Mondriaan and the Hague School, the painting is referred to as Passing the Churchyard. The original 1856 painting was purchased by the Amsterdam Academy of Fine Arts.

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Passing Mother's Grave

Focus on this artwork and analyze the Analysis.

Israëls completed multiple versions of the painting. A well-known example in the collection of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam is an oil-on-canvas painting with dimensions of 274.5 cm (108.1 in) x 207.5 cm (81.7 in). The three people in the image are all barefoot. The widower is portrayed as a fisherman and he is holding a boy's hand and carrying a baby as he passes the headstone of his deceased wife. The painting was an attempt by Israëls to move from his traditional subject matter of historical paintings toward portrayals of contemporary peasant life.Austrian art historian Fritz Novotny described the painting as "an almost monochrome grey-brown tonality of a fragile delicacy". The sky in the painting is dark and ominous, but there is a sliver of blue sky which is thought to represent hope. The Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie stated that the models which Israëls used for the image were Klaas Helweg and the two children of Hendrik Helweg. The writer Nicolaas Beets is credited with naming the image "Passing Mother's Grave" in 1861. In the 1980 book Mondriaan and the Hague School, the painting is referred to as Passing the Churchyard. The original 1856 painting was purchased by the Amsterdam Academy of Fine Arts.

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Passing Mother's Grave

In Passing Mother's Grave, how is the Reception discussed?

The painting is considered to be a milestone for 19th-century realism in the Netherlands. The art historian Sheila D. Muller has written that the artist accomplishes a "monumental treatment of the commonplace" and compared its impact with that of The Stone Breakers, an 1849 painting by the French realist painter Gustave Courbet. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz stated, "The works that came out of the Zandvoort experience are dark, somber and filled with feeling and compassion". The art historian H.E. van Gelder called the painting a "genuinely new moment and the obvious beginning of the second period of Israëls's development", in which he moved away from his previous interests in German Romanticism and his work emulating the Renaissance and Baroque masters. The painting gained popularity and was widely reproduced in print. For instance, artists Johannes Heinrich Rennefeld and Willem Steelink Jr. made prints of the painting on three separate occasions, which were then published and distributed both in and beyond the Netherlands. While the work is generally considered among the most prominent and recognized paintings by Israëls, it has also met with criticism, particularly in regard to what some have seen as an overtly sentimental subject matter. Writing for Scribner's Magazine in 1912, Byron P. Stephenson, who also worked as an art critic for the New York Evening Post, noted that while some people considered the work to be "one of Israëls's finest works", he thought the sentiment of the painting "cheap and mawkish".Due to the work's popularity, the subject of Passing Mother's Grave has also inspired the design of a statue in honor of Israëls—The Jozef Israëls Monument—in his hometown of Groningen, which depicts the figures from this painting cast in bronze. The Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh counted the painting among his favorites. He was fascinated by the painting and compared it with the work of French painter Eugène Delacroix, saying the painting was "Delacroix-like and superb" in its technique".The best-known version of the painting is in the collection of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. Another version of the painting is owned by The New Art Gallery Walsall in Walsall, England; at least one other version is known, sold to a private buyer in Vienna in 1907. The Stedelijk version of the painting is dated 1857. The version in the Walsall's collection is dated 1854 and titled The Widower (The Fisherman's Return). In 2008 another copy of the painting, titled Passing Mother's Tomb, sold at Lempertz auction house in Cologne, Germany. The painting was listed as measuring 94 cm (37 in) x 71.5 cm (28.1 in) and realized a sale price of €19,200.

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Passing Mother's Grave

In this artwork, how is the Reception discussed?

The painting is considered to be a milestone for 19th-century realism in the Netherlands. The art historian Sheila D. Muller has written that the artist accomplishes a "monumental treatment of the commonplace" and compared its impact with that of The Stone Breakers, an 1849 painting by the French realist painter Gustave Courbet. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz stated, "The works that came out of the Zandvoort experience are dark, somber and filled with feeling and compassion". The art historian H.E. van Gelder called the painting a "genuinely new moment and the obvious beginning of the second period of Israëls's development", in which he moved away from his previous interests in German Romanticism and his work emulating the Renaissance and Baroque masters. The painting gained popularity and was widely reproduced in print. For instance, artists Johannes Heinrich Rennefeld and Willem Steelink Jr. made prints of the painting on three separate occasions, which were then published and distributed both in and beyond the Netherlands. While the work is generally considered among the most prominent and recognized paintings by Israëls, it has also met with criticism, particularly in regard to what some have seen as an overtly sentimental subject matter. Writing for Scribner's Magazine in 1912, Byron P. Stephenson, who also worked as an art critic for the New York Evening Post, noted that while some people considered the work to be "one of Israëls's finest works", he thought the sentiment of the painting "cheap and mawkish".Due to the work's popularity, the subject of Passing Mother's Grave has also inspired the design of a statue in honor of Israëls—The Jozef Israëls Monument—in his hometown of Groningen, which depicts the figures from this painting cast in bronze. The Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh counted the painting among his favorites. He was fascinated by the painting and compared it with the work of French painter Eugène Delacroix, saying the painting was "Delacroix-like and superb" in its technique".The best-known version of the painting is in the collection of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. Another version of the painting is owned by The New Art Gallery Walsall in Walsall, England; at least one other version is known, sold to a private buyer in Vienna in 1907. The Stedelijk version of the painting is dated 1857. The version in the Walsall's collection is dated 1854 and titled The Widower (The Fisherman's Return). In 2008 another copy of the painting, titled Passing Mother's Tomb, sold at Lempertz auction house in Cologne, Germany. The painting was listed as measuring 94 cm (37 in) x 71.5 cm (28.1 in) and realized a sale price of €19,200.

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Destiny (Frazier)

Focus on Destiny (Frazier) and explore the Description and history.

The concrete or stone sculpture measures approximately 22 ft. 6 in. x 13 ft. x 16 in., and depicts a woman in the foreground with her arm around an eagle, and a man behind her.The sculpture was commissioned by the General Services Administration's Art-in-Architecture Program in 1960 for $6,800, and installed in 1967. It was surveyed by the Smithsonian Institution's "Save Outdoor Sculpture!" program in 1994.

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Destiny (Frazier)

Focus on this artwork and explore the Description and history.

The concrete or stone sculpture measures approximately 22 ft. 6 in. x 13 ft. x 16 in., and depicts a woman in the foreground with her arm around an eagle, and a man behind her.The sculpture was commissioned by the General Services Administration's Art-in-Architecture Program in 1960 for $6,800, and installed in 1967. It was surveyed by the Smithsonian Institution's "Save Outdoor Sculpture!" program in 1994.

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Decemviri Altarpiece

Focus on Decemviri Altarpiece and explain the abstract.

Decemviri Altarpiece (Italian: Pala dei Decemviri) is a painting by the Italian Renaissance artist Pietro Perugino, executed in 1495–1496, and housed in the Pinacoteca Vaticana in Vatican City. The work was commissioned by the Decemviri ("Ten Men") of Perugia for the chapel in the Palazzo dei Priori, and was executed 1495 to 1496. It was originally surmounted by a Pietà (87 x 90 cm), now at the Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria.

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Decemviri Altarpiece

Focus on this artwork and explain the abstract.

Decemviri Altarpiece (Italian: Pala dei Decemviri) is a painting by the Italian Renaissance artist Pietro Perugino, executed in 1495–1496, and housed in the Pinacoteca Vaticana in Vatican City. The work was commissioned by the Decemviri ("Ten Men") of Perugia for the chapel in the Palazzo dei Priori, and was executed 1495 to 1496. It was originally surmounted by a Pietà (87 x 90 cm), now at the Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria.

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Memory 99

Explore the abstract of this artwork, Memory 99.

Memory 99 is an outdoor steel sculpture by Lee Kelly, located at the North Park Blocks in downtown Portland, Oregon.

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Memory 99

Explore the abstract of this artwork.

Memory 99 is an outdoor steel sculpture by Lee Kelly, located at the North Park Blocks in downtown Portland, Oregon.

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Memory 99

Focus on Memory 99 and discuss the Description and history.

Memory 99, a 4,000-pound Corten steel sculpture designed by Lee Kelly, is installed at the North Park Blocks at the front steps of the 511 Federal Building (511 Northwest Broadway), which houses the Pacific Northwest College of Art's (PNCA) Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Center for Art and Design. It is 11 feet (3.4 m) tall and 23 feet (7.0 m) wide. The sculpture was dedicated by PNCA on October 19, 2012.

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Memory 99

Focus on this artwork and discuss the Description and history.

Memory 99, a 4,000-pound Corten steel sculpture designed by Lee Kelly, is installed at the North Park Blocks at the front steps of the 511 Federal Building (511 Northwest Broadway), which houses the Pacific Northwest College of Art's (PNCA) Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Center for Art and Design. It is 11 feet (3.4 m) tall and 23 feet (7.0 m) wide. The sculpture was dedicated by PNCA on October 19, 2012.

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Memory 99

How does Memory 99 elucidate its Reception?

Portland Monthly called the sculpture's design "sweetly curved yet architecturally stark", and said it serves as a "marvelous example of the work that has made [Kelly] one of the most in demand artists in the region.

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Memory 99

How does this artwork elucidate its Reception?

Portland Monthly called the sculpture's design "sweetly curved yet architecturally stark", and said it serves as a "marvelous example of the work that has made [Kelly] one of the most in demand artists in the region.

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Canigiani Holy Family (Raphael)

Focus on Canigiani Holy Family (Raphael) and analyze the abstract.

The Canigiani Holy Family or Canigiani Madonna is an oil-on-wood painting by the Italian High Renaissance artist Raphael, executed circa 1507–1508.It shows mainly (l.t.r.) Elisabeth with baby John the Baptist, Joseph and Mary with infant baby Jesus. These figures of the New Testament maintain eye contact. The oil painting was bought from the painter by the Canigiani family in Florence for their Home altar.It is part of the permanent collection of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, Germany.Raphael’s Artistic Techniques Early on his life, Raphael’s drawing style was influenced by his father, Giovanni Santi, who also was a painter. Raphael used ink as well as chalk to create his drawings. He would use soft strokes to create lifelike images. Raphael’s drawings covered different subject, just most were related to religion or biblical depictions. This is the case with Canigiani Holy Family. Just as with his drawings, Raphael’s prints also covered many subjects, but were primarily about religion. Raphael used the traditional printmaking technique of etching onto plates and then creating his prints on paper. Similar to his drawings and paintings, Raphael’s paintings were also primarily about religious scenes. Raphael was hailed as an artist who painted the most complete images.The Painting Canigiani Holy Family is an oil painting on a wood panel. The painting shows the Holy Family, consisting of Jesus Christ as a baby, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph. The painting focuses on the baby Jesus, with the older figures looking on. Also present in the painting are Saint Elizabeth and a very young John the Baptist.Raphael used vivid color and lighting to show the Holy Family in the daylight, while adding perspective which brings them to the front of the image. Depth is achieved by creating the images behind the Holy Family smaller, making them seem to be in the distance. Daylight is achieved through the use of soft blues and whites in the sky above. Borrowing form his history in drawing, Raphael is able to make each figure distinct from the whole. He does this through crisp, sharp lines as well as his use of color.Patrons Canigiani Holy Family was commissioned by the Caniagini family in Florence to e placed on the altar at their home. The Caniagini family was a wealthy family involve din banking, and also had a large amount of political influence at the time. The primary patron from the family was Domenico di Bartolomeo Canigiani, who was deeply interested in the arts and supported many artists, Raphael among them. Though the painting is Italian in origin, it is currently located at the Alte Pinakothek art museum in Munich, Germany.

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Canigiani Holy Family (Raphael)

Focus on this artwork and analyze the abstract.

The Canigiani Holy Family or Canigiani Madonna is an oil-on-wood painting by the Italian High Renaissance artist Raphael, executed circa 1507–1508.It shows mainly (l.t.r.) Elisabeth with baby John the Baptist, Joseph and Mary with infant baby Jesus. These figures of the New Testament maintain eye contact. The oil painting was bought from the painter by the Canigiani family in Florence for their Home altar.It is part of the permanent collection of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, Germany.Raphael’s Artistic Techniques Early on his life, Raphael’s drawing style was influenced by his father, Giovanni Santi, who also was a painter. Raphael used ink as well as chalk to create his drawings. He would use soft strokes to create lifelike images. Raphael’s drawings covered different subject, just most were related to religion or biblical depictions. This is the case with Canigiani Holy Family. Just as with his drawings, Raphael’s prints also covered many subjects, but were primarily about religion. Raphael used the traditional printmaking technique of etching onto plates and then creating his prints on paper. Similar to his drawings and paintings, Raphael’s paintings were also primarily about religious scenes. Raphael was hailed as an artist who painted the most complete images.The Painting Canigiani Holy Family is an oil painting on a wood panel. The painting shows the Holy Family, consisting of Jesus Christ as a baby, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph. The painting focuses on the baby Jesus, with the older figures looking on. Also present in the painting are Saint Elizabeth and a very young John the Baptist.Raphael used vivid color and lighting to show the Holy Family in the daylight, while adding perspective which brings them to the front of the image. Depth is achieved by creating the images behind the Holy Family smaller, making them seem to be in the distance. Daylight is achieved through the use of soft blues and whites in the sky above. Borrowing form his history in drawing, Raphael is able to make each figure distinct from the whole. He does this through crisp, sharp lines as well as his use of color.Patrons Canigiani Holy Family was commissioned by the Caniagini family in Florence to e placed on the altar at their home. The Caniagini family was a wealthy family involve din banking, and also had a large amount of political influence at the time. The primary patron from the family was Domenico di Bartolomeo Canigiani, who was deeply interested in the arts and supported many artists, Raphael among them. Though the painting is Italian in origin, it is currently located at the Alte Pinakothek art museum in Munich, Germany.

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Brushstrokes

In Brushstrokes, how is the abstract discussed?

Brushstrokes is a 1965 oil and Magna on canvas pop art painting by Roy Lichtenstein. It is the first element of the Brushstrokes series of artworks that includes several paintings and sculptures. As with all of his Brushstrokes works, it is in part a satirical response to the gestural painting of Abstract Expressionism.

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Brushstrokes

In this artwork, how is the abstract discussed?

Brushstrokes is a 1965 oil and Magna on canvas pop art painting by Roy Lichtenstein. It is the first element of the Brushstrokes series of artworks that includes several paintings and sculptures. As with all of his Brushstrokes works, it is in part a satirical response to the gestural painting of Abstract Expressionism.

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Brushstrokes

Focus on Brushstrokes and explore the Background.

Prior to producing his first Brushstrokes work, Lichtenstein spun his upcoming work as a "satirical send-up of Abstract Expressionism" by saying: "I'm thinking now of doing something on Abstract Expressionism...The problem there will be to paint a brush stroke, a picture of a brush stroke...Purposely dripped paint and things, you know, where the drips are actually drawn drips that look like drops of water drawn by a commercial artist."Despite the initial objective of parodying Abstract expressionism, the source for the first Brushstrokes work was a comic strip. Measuring 122.5 cm × 122.5 cm (48.25 in × 48.25 in), Brushstrokes was the first element of the Brushstrokes series. The source for the entire Brushstrokes series was Charlton Comics' Strange Suspense Stories 72 (October 1964) by Dick Giordano. According to the Lichtenstein Foundation, in addition to this painting named Brushstrokes, there are also both a sculpture and a screenprint by the same name. There is also "Brushstrokes 1970". The Lichtenstein Foundation website also notes that he began creating the Brushstrokes painting in the autumn of 1965 and presented the Brushstroke series at Castelli's gallery from November 20 through December 11.

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Brushstrokes

Focus on this artwork and explore the Background.

Prior to producing his first Brushstrokes work, Lichtenstein spun his upcoming work as a "satirical send-up of Abstract Expressionism" by saying: "I'm thinking now of doing something on Abstract Expressionism...The problem there will be to paint a brush stroke, a picture of a brush stroke...Purposely dripped paint and things, you know, where the drips are actually drawn drips that look like drops of water drawn by a commercial artist."Despite the initial objective of parodying Abstract expressionism, the source for the first Brushstrokes work was a comic strip. Measuring 122.5 cm × 122.5 cm (48.25 in × 48.25 in), Brushstrokes was the first element of the Brushstrokes series. The source for the entire Brushstrokes series was Charlton Comics' Strange Suspense Stories 72 (October 1964) by Dick Giordano. According to the Lichtenstein Foundation, in addition to this painting named Brushstrokes, there are also both a sculpture and a screenprint by the same name. There is also "Brushstrokes 1970". The Lichtenstein Foundation website also notes that he began creating the Brushstrokes painting in the autumn of 1965 and presented the Brushstroke series at Castelli's gallery from November 20 through December 11.

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Brushstrokes

Focus on Brushstrokes and explain the Detail.

As with many comics-based works, the connection to the source is evident in Brushstrokes. This work depicts a cropped derivation of the source image. In Brushstrokes, as in its source, a hand holds a house painter's paintbrush in the lower left hand corner of the image, while in the upper right a few strokes of paint as well as spatterings of paint are presented. Lichtenstein selected this source because he "...liked the summary rendering of the hand holding the brush and the way in which the cartoonist indicated paint". The three strokes in the upper right are the dominant imagery, while the partial view of the hand in the lower left limited by the edges of the canvas shows paint dripping from the brush. This is an example of Lichtenstein humorously presenting a subject that might be crowded out in a newspaper via a parody that relies on the difference between art and the rest of the world.

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Brushstrokes

Focus on this artwork and explain the Detail.

As with many comics-based works, the connection to the source is evident in Brushstrokes. This work depicts a cropped derivation of the source image. In Brushstrokes, as in its source, a hand holds a house painter's paintbrush in the lower left hand corner of the image, while in the upper right a few strokes of paint as well as spatterings of paint are presented. Lichtenstein selected this source because he "...liked the summary rendering of the hand holding the brush and the way in which the cartoonist indicated paint". The three strokes in the upper right are the dominant imagery, while the partial view of the hand in the lower left limited by the edges of the canvas shows paint dripping from the brush. This is an example of Lichtenstein humorously presenting a subject that might be crowded out in a newspaper via a parody that relies on the difference between art and the rest of the world.

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Perseus Freeing Andromeda

Explore the abstract of this artwork, Perseus Freeing Andromeda.

Perseus Freeing Andromeda or Liberation of Andromeda is a painting created by Piero di Cosimo, during the Italian Renaissance. The painting was praised by critics and art historians for its aesthetic, cosmological and political implications. The painting is a recreation of the myth of Perseus, the demi-god, who slays the sea monster and saves the beautiful Andromeda. The painting is based on a story created by the ancient Roman writer Ovid, in the Metamorphoses. The themes of the painting include platonic love, ideal beauty, marriage, and natural beauty. The painting includes portraits of the Medici family and many of Florentine's elite upper ruling class as characters in the story of Perseus Freeing Andromeda. The painting also represents a paragone between painting and sculpture. The painting resides in the Uffizi in Florence.

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Perseus Freeing Andromeda

Explore the abstract of this artwork.

Perseus Freeing Andromeda or Liberation of Andromeda is a painting created by Piero di Cosimo, during the Italian Renaissance. The painting was praised by critics and art historians for its aesthetic, cosmological and political implications. The painting is a recreation of the myth of Perseus, the demi-god, who slays the sea monster and saves the beautiful Andromeda. The painting is based on a story created by the ancient Roman writer Ovid, in the Metamorphoses. The themes of the painting include platonic love, ideal beauty, marriage, and natural beauty. The painting includes portraits of the Medici family and many of Florentine's elite upper ruling class as characters in the story of Perseus Freeing Andromeda. The painting also represents a paragone between painting and sculpture. The painting resides in the Uffizi in Florence.

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Perseus Freeing Andromeda

Focus on Perseus Freeing Andromeda and discuss the Mythological source.

The story behind this painting is that of the demi-god, Perseus, and Andromeda. Perseus was prophesied to kill Acrisus, King of Argos. Because of this prediction, Acrisus sends Danae, mother of Perseus, to be imprisoned, to keep her a virgin. However, Jupiter appears before her, in prison and impregnates her with Perseus, who is born a demi-god, with his mother being human and father being, a God, Jupiter. After Perseus is born he is imprisoned in a box with his mother and thrown into the ocean. They stay in the box for 19 days, eventually they are rescued by fishermen, both are alive. Perseus is raised on a nearby island and knows nothing about his past, one day the king of the island hosts a feast, during this feast Perseus insults him and the king tells him that if he wishes to stay alive he must bring him the head of the Medusa. After Perseus kills Medusa, on his way back home he spots Andromeda and her mother tied to a rock, and he flies down and slays the sea monster, rescuing Andromeda. Perseus eventually marries Andromeda The painting is based on a story in the Metamorphoses, written by the ancient Roman writer, Ovid.

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Perseus Freeing Andromeda

Focus on this artwork and discuss the Mythological source.

The story behind this painting is that of the demi-god, Perseus, and Andromeda. Perseus was prophesied to kill Acrisus, King of Argos. Because of this prediction, Acrisus sends Danae, mother of Perseus, to be imprisoned, to keep her a virgin. However, Jupiter appears before her, in prison and impregnates her with Perseus, who is born a demi-god, with his mother being human and father being, a God, Jupiter. After Perseus is born he is imprisoned in a box with his mother and thrown into the ocean. They stay in the box for 19 days, eventually they are rescued by fishermen, both are alive. Perseus is raised on a nearby island and knows nothing about his past, one day the king of the island hosts a feast, during this feast Perseus insults him and the king tells him that if he wishes to stay alive he must bring him the head of the Medusa. After Perseus kills Medusa, on his way back home he spots Andromeda and her mother tied to a rock, and he flies down and slays the sea monster, rescuing Andromeda. Perseus eventually marries Andromeda The painting is based on a story in the Metamorphoses, written by the ancient Roman writer, Ovid.

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Perseus Freeing Andromeda

How does Perseus Freeing Andromeda elucidate its Historical context?

The painting has been praised by art historians and art critics because it possesses aesthetics, cosmological and political implications. It also accurately depicts the classical stories by focusing on the theme of beauty. In terms of political characteristics, the painting contains many contemporary dignitaries such as Filippo Strozzi the Younger and Lorenzo de' Medici, future Duke of Urbino. Strozzi is depicted as the man with a white turban on the right hand corner of the painting. He is supposed to be Ceppheus. Lorenzo de' Medici's portrait is supposed to be Perseus. Piero di Cosimo signs the painting by putting himself in it as the elderly man facing the viewer. The depiction of the sea monster, in the painting, is an allusion to the return of the Medici household to power in Florence. Giorgio Vasari praised the painting for its beautiful use of color and for the depiction of an original sea monster in a way that no one in the past has done.

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Perseus Freeing Andromeda

How does this artwork elucidate its Historical context?

The painting has been praised by art historians and art critics because it possesses aesthetics, cosmological and political implications. It also accurately depicts the classical stories by focusing on the theme of beauty. In terms of political characteristics, the painting contains many contemporary dignitaries such as Filippo Strozzi the Younger and Lorenzo de' Medici, future Duke of Urbino. Strozzi is depicted as the man with a white turban on the right hand corner of the painting. He is supposed to be Ceppheus. Lorenzo de' Medici's portrait is supposed to be Perseus. Piero di Cosimo signs the painting by putting himself in it as the elderly man facing the viewer. The depiction of the sea monster, in the painting, is an allusion to the return of the Medici household to power in Florence. Giorgio Vasari praised the painting for its beautiful use of color and for the depiction of an original sea monster in a way that no one in the past has done.

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Perseus Freeing Andromeda

In the context of Perseus Freeing Andromeda, analyze the Current Location of the Historical context.

The painting is currently displayed in The Galleria Degli Uffizi, in Florence. In the Uffizi gallery, The painting is placed in an area that recounts the Renaissance time of debate about the strengths of painting verses sculpture. In this Gallery there are many sculptures and the placement of Perseus Freeing Andromeda adds to the argument of whether painting is a more powerful art form than sculpture.

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Perseus Freeing Andromeda

In the context of this artwork, analyze the Current Location of the Historical context.

The painting is currently displayed in The Galleria Degli Uffizi, in Florence. In the Uffizi gallery, The painting is placed in an area that recounts the Renaissance time of debate about the strengths of painting verses sculpture. In this Gallery there are many sculptures and the placement of Perseus Freeing Andromeda adds to the argument of whether painting is a more powerful art form than sculpture.

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Sisyphus (Titian)

In Sisyphus (Titian), how is the abstract discussed?

Sisyphus (Spanish: Sísifo) is an oil painting by the Venetian master Titian, made in 1548 or 1549. It is in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid.

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Sisyphus (Titian)

In this artwork, how is the abstract discussed?

Sisyphus (Spanish: Sísifo) is an oil painting by the Venetian master Titian, made in 1548 or 1549. It is in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid.

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Sisyphus (Titian)

Focus on Sisyphus (Titian) and explore the Subject.

From Homer onwards Sisyphus was famed as the craftiest of men. In the underworld Sisyphus was compelled to roll a big stone up a steep hill; but before it reached the top of the hill the stone always rolled down, and Sisyphus had to begin all over again. The subject was a commonplace of ancient writers, and Titian's source was a passage in Ovid's Metamorphoses, which recounts the eternal sufferings of several personages in the underworld:Thither, leaving her abode in heaven, Saturnian Juno endured to go; so much did she grant to her hate and wrath. When she made entrance there, and the threshold groaned beneath the weight of her sacred form, Cerberus reared up his threefold head and uttered his threefold baying. The goddess summoned the Furies, sisters born of Night, divinities deadly and implacable. Before hell's closed gates of adamant they sat, combing the while black snakes from their hair. When they recognized Juno approaching through the thick gloom, the goddesses arose. This place is called the Accursed Place. Here Tityos offered his vitals to be torn, lying stretched out over nine broad acres. Thy lips can catch no water, Tantalus, and the tree that overhangs ever eludes thee. Thou, Sisyphus, dost either push or chase the rock that must always be rolling down the hill again. There whirls Ixion on his wheel, both following himself and fleeing, all in one; and the Belides, for daring to work destruction on their cousin-husbands, with unremitting toil seek again and again the waters, only to lose them.

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Sisyphus (Titian)

Focus on this artwork and explore the Subject.

From Homer onwards Sisyphus was famed as the craftiest of men. In the underworld Sisyphus was compelled to roll a big stone up a steep hill; but before it reached the top of the hill the stone always rolled down, and Sisyphus had to begin all over again. The subject was a commonplace of ancient writers, and Titian's source was a passage in Ovid's Metamorphoses, which recounts the eternal sufferings of several personages in the underworld:Thither, leaving her abode in heaven, Saturnian Juno endured to go; so much did she grant to her hate and wrath. When she made entrance there, and the threshold groaned beneath the weight of her sacred form, Cerberus reared up his threefold head and uttered his threefold baying. The goddess summoned the Furies, sisters born of Night, divinities deadly and implacable. Before hell's closed gates of adamant they sat, combing the while black snakes from their hair. When they recognized Juno approaching through the thick gloom, the goddesses arose. This place is called the Accursed Place. Here Tityos offered his vitals to be torn, lying stretched out over nine broad acres. Thy lips can catch no water, Tantalus, and the tree that overhangs ever eludes thee. Thou, Sisyphus, dost either push or chase the rock that must always be rolling down the hill again. There whirls Ixion on his wheel, both following himself and fleeing, all in one; and the Belides, for daring to work destruction on their cousin-husbands, with unremitting toil seek again and again the waters, only to lose them.

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Sisyphus (Titian)

Focus on Sisyphus (Titian) and explain the History.

On his first visit to Augsburg Titian received a new commission from Charles V's sister, Queen Mary of Hungary. Titian had to execute two or three large pictures, which should represent Tantalus, Sisyphus and Tityus. Two of them were painted in the first half of 1549; for they already adorned the Great Hall of the Summer Palace of Binche, for which the Queen evidently had destined them, in the August of the same year when Philip was her guest in the Low Countries. However, the last picture of this series, the Tityus, was not executed till much later, in about 1553.The Queen took the collection of pictures (some by Titian and some by other hands) with her to Spain; in the sixteenth century they hung in the Alcázar at Madrid, and gave to the room its name, Pieza de las Furias, which may be translated "the room of the Forces". In course of time the Tantalus was lost, and the Tityus and Sisyphus, still remaining in the Prado, were once supposed, on the strength of ancient testimony, to be copies by the hand of Sánchez Coello. Georg Gronau writes, "If so Coello must have worked with the highest skill in imitation of Titian's style. The two pictures really display all the bold design, the touch, and the colouring of Titian, and should be reckoned among his finest original creations." Charles Ricketts says they are very properly ascribed to Titian instead of being described as copies by the "cold, bad colourist", Sánchez Coello.

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Sisyphus (Titian)

Focus on this artwork and explain the History.

On his first visit to Augsburg Titian received a new commission from Charles V's sister, Queen Mary of Hungary. Titian had to execute two or three large pictures, which should represent Tantalus, Sisyphus and Tityus. Two of them were painted in the first half of 1549; for they already adorned the Great Hall of the Summer Palace of Binche, for which the Queen evidently had destined them, in the August of the same year when Philip was her guest in the Low Countries. However, the last picture of this series, the Tityus, was not executed till much later, in about 1553.The Queen took the collection of pictures (some by Titian and some by other hands) with her to Spain; in the sixteenth century they hung in the Alcázar at Madrid, and gave to the room its name, Pieza de las Furias, which may be translated "the room of the Forces". In course of time the Tantalus was lost, and the Tityus and Sisyphus, still remaining in the Prado, were once supposed, on the strength of ancient testimony, to be copies by the hand of Sánchez Coello. Georg Gronau writes, "If so Coello must have worked with the highest skill in imitation of Titian's style. The two pictures really display all the bold design, the touch, and the colouring of Titian, and should be reckoned among his finest original creations." Charles Ricketts says they are very properly ascribed to Titian instead of being described as copies by the "cold, bad colourist", Sánchez Coello.

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Sisyphus (Titian)

Explore the Analysis of this artwork, Sisyphus (Titian).

Georg Gronau imagines the Pieza de las Furias as it must once have been:We can still imagine the general effect of the room when the pictures adorned it. Four colossal single figures (each picture measures more than two metres square), superhuman in form, struggling in torment, with a grand gloomy background suited to their dark-coloured bodies. Sisyphus is trying to push his rock up the mountain height; cliffs encircle him, and a whirlwind blows the flames of the underworld up around him. Prometheus lies stretched out over masses of mountain rock, of which he seems to have almost become a part; one arm hangs down over the cliff, his body is shrinking and writhing. It is as if Titian in these human forms would symbolise the struggles of the forces of nature. In drawing the masses of rock the remembrance of the mountains of his early home no doubt assisted him. Charles Ricketts describes the two surviving pictures by Titian:In these Titian reverts to the bold foreshortening of his Santo Spirito Ceilings. Both have been darkened by the smoke of one of those countless fires which have devastated the collections of the Spanish house, the colour-scheme of the 'Prometheus' now suggesting the rust of iron. This superb work anticipates the more broken and febrile handling of the following decade, and without documentary evidence I should have been inclined to ascribe it to a later period.

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Sisyphus (Titian)

Explore the Analysis of this artwork.

Georg Gronau imagines the Pieza de las Furias as it must once have been:We can still imagine the general effect of the room when the pictures adorned it. Four colossal single figures (each picture measures more than two metres square), superhuman in form, struggling in torment, with a grand gloomy background suited to their dark-coloured bodies. Sisyphus is trying to push his rock up the mountain height; cliffs encircle him, and a whirlwind blows the flames of the underworld up around him. Prometheus lies stretched out over masses of mountain rock, of which he seems to have almost become a part; one arm hangs down over the cliff, his body is shrinking and writhing. It is as if Titian in these human forms would symbolise the struggles of the forces of nature. In drawing the masses of rock the remembrance of the mountains of his early home no doubt assisted him. Charles Ricketts describes the two surviving pictures by Titian:In these Titian reverts to the bold foreshortening of his Santo Spirito Ceilings. Both have been darkened by the smoke of one of those countless fires which have devastated the collections of the Spanish house, the colour-scheme of the 'Prometheus' now suggesting the rust of iron. This superb work anticipates the more broken and febrile handling of the following decade, and without documentary evidence I should have been inclined to ascribe it to a later period.

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Sisyphus (Titian)

Focus on Sisyphus (Titian) and discuss the Provenance.

1700—Royal Collection (Royal Alcázar, Madrid), no. 3; 1747–1818—New Royal Palace, Madrid, no. 32; 1819–present—Museo del Prado, Madrid, no. P000426.

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Sisyphus (Titian)

Focus on this artwork and discuss the Provenance.

1700—Royal Collection (Royal Alcázar, Madrid), no. 3; 1747–1818—New Royal Palace, Madrid, no. 32; 1819–present—Museo del Prado, Madrid, no. P000426.

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The Blood Compact

How does The Blood Compact elucidate its Description?

The Blood Compact portrays the 1565 Sandugo (blood compact ritual) between Datu Sikatuna of Bohol and Miguel López de Legazpi, surrounded by other conquistadors. Sikatuna was described to be 'being crowded out of the picture by Miguel López de Legazpi and his fellow conquistadores'.

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The Blood Compact

How does this artwork elucidate its Description?

The Blood Compact portrays the 1565 Sandugo (blood compact ritual) between Datu Sikatuna of Bohol and Miguel López de Legazpi, surrounded by other conquistadors. Sikatuna was described to be 'being crowded out of the picture by Miguel López de Legazpi and his fellow conquistadores'.

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The Blood Compact

Focus on The Blood Compact and analyze the Historical background.

Juan Luna completed The Blood Compact in 1886, a year after he moved to Paris to open a studio. It was also the year after Luna became a friend of Félix Resurrección Hidalgo, another known Filipino painter. In 1904, the painting won the first prize in Paris, France and at the St. Louis Exposition in the United States. The masterpiece was painted by Luna during his four-year pensionadoship from the Ayuntamiento de Manila, enabling him to continue studying painting in Rome. It is one of the three paintings Luna gave the Government of Spain, even though he was only obligated to paint just one canvas during the pensionadoship. The other paintings are Don Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, a painting that was burned during the Philippine Revolution, and Governor Ramon Blanco, a work that became a part of the Lopez Museum collection. This is one of the last paintings created by Luna.José Rizal and Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera helped Luna in completing the painting by providing historical advice and posing for the painter: Rizal posed as Sikatuna while Pardo de Tavera posed as Legazpi.The Blood Compact is currently displayed in Malacañan Palace, the official residence of the President, located at the top of the Grand Staircase leading towards the Ceremonial Hall.

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The Blood Compact

Focus on this artwork and analyze the Historical background.

Juan Luna completed The Blood Compact in 1886, a year after he moved to Paris to open a studio. It was also the year after Luna became a friend of Félix Resurrección Hidalgo, another known Filipino painter. In 1904, the painting won the first prize in Paris, France and at the St. Louis Exposition in the United States. The masterpiece was painted by Luna during his four-year pensionadoship from the Ayuntamiento de Manila, enabling him to continue studying painting in Rome. It is one of the three paintings Luna gave the Government of Spain, even though he was only obligated to paint just one canvas during the pensionadoship. The other paintings are Don Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, a painting that was burned during the Philippine Revolution, and Governor Ramon Blanco, a work that became a part of the Lopez Museum collection. This is one of the last paintings created by Luna.José Rizal and Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera helped Luna in completing the painting by providing historical advice and posing for the painter: Rizal posed as Sikatuna while Pardo de Tavera posed as Legazpi.The Blood Compact is currently displayed in Malacañan Palace, the official residence of the President, located at the top of the Grand Staircase leading towards the Ceremonial Hall.

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The Blood Compact

In The Blood Compact, how is the Exhibition discussed?

In 2008, The Blood Compact and other Luna works became a part of a twenty-three painting exhibition from the collection of the Bank of the Philippine Islands. The public exhibition celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of the Bank of the Philippines Islands, and marked the first time that the so-called "BPI collection" was shown to the public. The Blood Compact and the other paintings are considered as the 'expression of the coming of the age of the Filipino and the birth of the Philippines as a nation in the late 19th century.'

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The Blood Compact

In this artwork, how is the Exhibition discussed?

In 2008, The Blood Compact and other Luna works became a part of a twenty-three painting exhibition from the collection of the Bank of the Philippine Islands. The public exhibition celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of the Bank of the Philippines Islands, and marked the first time that the so-called "BPI collection" was shown to the public. The Blood Compact and the other paintings are considered as the 'expression of the coming of the age of the Filipino and the birth of the Philippines as a nation in the late 19th century.'

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Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl

Focus on Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl and explore the abstract.

Symphony in White, No. 1, also known as The White Girl, is a painting by James McNeill Whistler. The work shows a woman in full figure standing on a dog skin in front of a beige curtain with a lily in her hand. The colour scheme of the painting is almost entirely white. The model is Joanna Hiffernan, the artist's mistress. Though the painting was originally called The White Girl, Whistler later started calling it Symphony in White, No. 1. By referring to his work in such abstract terms, he intended to emphasize his "art for art's sake" philosophy. Whistler created the painting in the winter of 1861–62, though he later returned to it and made alterations. It was rejected both at the Royal Academy and at the Salon in Paris, but eventually accepted at the Salon des Refusés in 1863. This exhibition also featured Édouard Manet's famous Déjeuner sur l'herbe, and together the two works gained a lot of attention. The White Girl shows clearly the influence of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, with whom Whistler had recently come in contact. The painting has been interpreted by later art critics both as an allegory of innocence and its loss, and as a religious allusion to the Virgin Mary.

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Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl

Focus on this artwork and explore the abstract.

Symphony in White, No. 1, also known as The White Girl, is a painting by James McNeill Whistler. The work shows a woman in full figure standing on a dog skin in front of a beige curtain with a lily in her hand. The colour scheme of the painting is almost entirely white. The model is Joanna Hiffernan, the artist's mistress. Though the painting was originally called The White Girl, Whistler later started calling it Symphony in White, No. 1. By referring to his work in such abstract terms, he intended to emphasize his "art for art's sake" philosophy. Whistler created the painting in the winter of 1861–62, though he later returned to it and made alterations. It was rejected both at the Royal Academy and at the Salon in Paris, but eventually accepted at the Salon des Refusés in 1863. This exhibition also featured Édouard Manet's famous Déjeuner sur l'herbe, and together the two works gained a lot of attention. The White Girl shows clearly the influence of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, with whom Whistler had recently come in contact. The painting has been interpreted by later art critics both as an allegory of innocence and its loss, and as a religious allusion to the Virgin Mary.

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Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl

Focus on Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl and explain the Artist and model.

James Abbott McNeill Whistler was born in the United States in 1834, the son of George Washington Whistler, a railway engineer. In 1843, his father relocated the family to Saint Petersburg, Russia, where James received training in painting. After a stay in England, he returned to America to attend the US Military Academy at West Point in 1851. In 1855, he made his way back to Europe, determined to dedicate himself to painting. He settled in Paris at first, but in 1859 moved to London, where he would spend most of the remainder of his life. There he met Dante Gabriel Rossetti and other members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, who would have a profound influence on Whistler.It was also in London that Whistler met Joanna Heffernan, the model who would become his lover. Their relationship has been referred to as a "marriage without benefit of clergy." By 1861, Whistler had already used her as a model for another painting. Wapping, named after Wapping in London where Whistler lived, was begun in 1860, though not finished until 1864. It shows a woman and two men on a balcony overlooking the river. According to Whistler himself, the woman – portrayed by Heffernan – was a prostitute. Heffernan supposedly had a strong influence over Whistler; his brother-in-law Francis Seymour Haden refused a dinner invitation in the winter of 1863–64 due to her dominant presence in the household.

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Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl

Focus on this artwork and explain the Artist and model.

James Abbott McNeill Whistler was born in the United States in 1834, the son of George Washington Whistler, a railway engineer. In 1843, his father relocated the family to Saint Petersburg, Russia, where James received training in painting. After a stay in England, he returned to America to attend the US Military Academy at West Point in 1851. In 1855, he made his way back to Europe, determined to dedicate himself to painting. He settled in Paris at first, but in 1859 moved to London, where he would spend most of the remainder of his life. There he met Dante Gabriel Rossetti and other members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, who would have a profound influence on Whistler.It was also in London that Whistler met Joanna Heffernan, the model who would become his lover. Their relationship has been referred to as a "marriage without benefit of clergy." By 1861, Whistler had already used her as a model for another painting. Wapping, named after Wapping in London where Whistler lived, was begun in 1860, though not finished until 1864. It shows a woman and two men on a balcony overlooking the river. According to Whistler himself, the woman – portrayed by Heffernan – was a prostitute. Heffernan supposedly had a strong influence over Whistler; his brother-in-law Francis Seymour Haden refused a dinner invitation in the winter of 1863–64 due to her dominant presence in the household.

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Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl

Explore the Creation and reception of this artwork, Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl.

Whistler started working on The White Girl shortly after December 3, 1861, with the intention of submitting it to the prestigious annual exhibition of the Royal Academy. In spite of bouts of illness, he had finished the painting by April. In a letter to George du Maurier in early 1862, he described it as:...a woman in a beautiful white cambric dress, standing against a window which filters the light through a transparent white muslin curtain – but the figure receives a strong light from the right and therefore the picture, barring the red hair, is one gorgeous mass of brilliant white. The portrait was created as a simple study in white; however, others saw it differently. The critic Jules-Antoine Castagnary thought the painting an allegory of a new bride's lost innocence. Others linked it to Wilkie Collins's The Woman in White, a popular novel of the time, or various other literary sources. In the painting, Hiffernan holds a lily in her left hand and stands upon a wolf skin rug (interpreted by some to represent masculinity and lust) with the wolf's head staring menacingly at the viewer.Whistler submitted the painting to the Academy, but according to Heffernan, he expected it to be rejected at this point. The previous year, in 1861, another painting had caused a minor scandal. Edwin Henry Landseer's The Shrew Tamed showed a horse with a woman resting on the ground nearby. The model was named as Ann Gilbert, a noted equestrienne of the period: however it was soon rumoured that it was actually Catherine Walters, the notorious London courtesan. Whistler's painting was reminiscent enough of Landseer's that the judges were wary of admitting it. White Girl was submitted to the Academy along with three etchings, all three of which were accepted, while the painting was not.Whistler exhibited it at the small Berners Street Gallery in London instead, where it was shown under the title The Woman in White, a reference to the novel of that name by Wilkie Collins, which was a popular success at the time. The book was a tale of romance, intrigue and double identity, and was considered a bit of a sensation at the time of its publication. Du Maurier apparently believed that the painting referred to the novel. The review in the Athenaeum complained that painting did not correspond to the character in the novel, prompting Whistler to write a letter asserting that the gallery chose the title without consulting him, adding "I had no intention whatsoever of illustrating Mr Wilkie Collins' novel. My painting simply represents a girl dressed in white standing in front of a white curtain."The next year, Whistler tried to have the painting exhibited at the Salon in Paris – the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts – but it was rejected there as well. Instead, it was accepted at the alternative Salon des Refusés – the "exhibition of rejects" that opened on May 15, two weeks after the official Salon.The 1863 Salon des Refusés was the same exhibition where Édouard Manet's Déjeuner sur l'herbe caused a scandal, yet the attention given to Whistler's White Girl was even greater. The controversy surrounding the paintings was described in Émile Zola's novel L'Œuvre (1886). The reception Whistler's painting received was mostly favourable, however, and largely vindicated him after the rejection he had experienced both in London and in Paris. It was greatly admired by his colleagues and friends Manet, the painter Gustave Courbet and the poet Charles Baudelaire. The art critic Théophile Thoré-Bürger saw it in the tradition of Goya and Velázquez. Lisa Peters summarises that countering criticism by traditionalists, Whistler's supporters insisted that the painting was "an apparition with a spiritual content" and that it epitomized his theory that art should be concerned essentially with the arrangement of colors in harmony, not with a literal portrayal of the natural world. There were, however, those who were less favourable; certain French critics saw the English Pre-Raphaelite trend as somewhat eccentric.The painting remained in the Whistler family until 1896, when it was sold by the artist's nephew to art collector Harris Whittemore. In 1943, the Whittemore family gave it as a gift to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

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Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl

Explore the Creation and reception of this artwork.

Whistler started working on The White Girl shortly after December 3, 1861, with the intention of submitting it to the prestigious annual exhibition of the Royal Academy. In spite of bouts of illness, he had finished the painting by April. In a letter to George du Maurier in early 1862, he described it as:...a woman in a beautiful white cambric dress, standing against a window which filters the light through a transparent white muslin curtain – but the figure receives a strong light from the right and therefore the picture, barring the red hair, is one gorgeous mass of brilliant white. The portrait was created as a simple study in white; however, others saw it differently. The critic Jules-Antoine Castagnary thought the painting an allegory of a new bride's lost innocence. Others linked it to Wilkie Collins's The Woman in White, a popular novel of the time, or various other literary sources. In the painting, Hiffernan holds a lily in her left hand and stands upon a wolf skin rug (interpreted by some to represent masculinity and lust) with the wolf's head staring menacingly at the viewer.Whistler submitted the painting to the Academy, but according to Heffernan, he expected it to be rejected at this point. The previous year, in 1861, another painting had caused a minor scandal. Edwin Henry Landseer's The Shrew Tamed showed a horse with a woman resting on the ground nearby. The model was named as Ann Gilbert, a noted equestrienne of the period: however it was soon rumoured that it was actually Catherine Walters, the notorious London courtesan. Whistler's painting was reminiscent enough of Landseer's that the judges were wary of admitting it. White Girl was submitted to the Academy along with three etchings, all three of which were accepted, while the painting was not.Whistler exhibited it at the small Berners Street Gallery in London instead, where it was shown under the title The Woman in White, a reference to the novel of that name by Wilkie Collins, which was a popular success at the time. The book was a tale of romance, intrigue and double identity, and was considered a bit of a sensation at the time of its publication. Du Maurier apparently believed that the painting referred to the novel. The review in the Athenaeum complained that painting did not correspond to the character in the novel, prompting Whistler to write a letter asserting that the gallery chose the title without consulting him, adding "I had no intention whatsoever of illustrating Mr Wilkie Collins' novel. My painting simply represents a girl dressed in white standing in front of a white curtain."The next year, Whistler tried to have the painting exhibited at the Salon in Paris – the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts – but it was rejected there as well. Instead, it was accepted at the alternative Salon des Refusés – the "exhibition of rejects" that opened on May 15, two weeks after the official Salon.The 1863 Salon des Refusés was the same exhibition where Édouard Manet's Déjeuner sur l'herbe caused a scandal, yet the attention given to Whistler's White Girl was even greater. The controversy surrounding the paintings was described in Émile Zola's novel L'Œuvre (1886). The reception Whistler's painting received was mostly favourable, however, and largely vindicated him after the rejection he had experienced both in London and in Paris. It was greatly admired by his colleagues and friends Manet, the painter Gustave Courbet and the poet Charles Baudelaire. The art critic Théophile Thoré-Bürger saw it in the tradition of Goya and Velázquez. Lisa Peters summarises that countering criticism by traditionalists, Whistler's supporters insisted that the painting was "an apparition with a spiritual content" and that it epitomized his theory that art should be concerned essentially with the arrangement of colors in harmony, not with a literal portrayal of the natural world. There were, however, those who were less favourable; certain French critics saw the English Pre-Raphaelite trend as somewhat eccentric.The painting remained in the Whistler family until 1896, when it was sold by the artist's nephew to art collector Harris Whittemore. In 1943, the Whittemore family gave it as a gift to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

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Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl

Focus on Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl and discuss the Composition and interpretation.

Whistler, especially in his later career, resented the idea that his paintings should have any meaning beyond what could be seen on the canvas. He is known as a central proponent of the "art for art's sake" philosophy. His comment on The White Girl, denying a connection to Wilkie Collins' novel The Woman in White is one of the earliest of these assertions ("My painting simply represents a girl dressed in white standing in front of a white curtain.") Because English critics saw the painting as an illustration, they tended to be less favourable than their French colleagues, who saw it as a visionary, poetic fantasy. One English critic, referring to Collins' novel, called The White Girl "...one of the most incomplete paintings we ever met with." Since the Berners Street Gallery had used the name The Woman in White for the painting, critics were disappointed with its lack of resemblance to the novel's heroine. Whistler, who had never even read the novel, resented the comparison. About ten years later, he began referring to the painting as Symphony in White, No. 1, though a French critic had called it a Symphonie du blanc already at the time of its exhibition in Paris. By the musical analogy, he further emphasised his philosophy that the composition was the central thing, not the subject matter. The title was probably also inspired by Théophile Gautier's 1852 poem Symphonie en Blanc Majeur.Whistler was not entirely content with the realism the painting displayed in its original form, a trait he blamed on the influence Courbet had on him at the time. Later, between 1867 and 1872, he reworked it to give it a more spiritual expression. Even though Symphony was begun before Whistler first met Rossetti, the Pre-Raphaelite influence is still clear. The painting was an early experiment in white on white, with a woman standing in a white dress in front of a white background. This colour scheme was a subject he would return to later, in two paintings that would be given the titles of Symphony in White, No. 2 (1864) and Symphony in White, No. 3 (1865–1867). The panel is long and slender, and the model's pose and the shape of her clothes further emphasise the vertical nature of the painting. The woman is bold, almost confrontational, in her direct gaze at the viewer, and her features are highly individualised. Art critic Hilton Kramer sees in Whistler's portraits a charm and a combination of craft and observational skills that his more radical landscapes lacked.Though Whistler himself resented attempts to analyse the meaning of his art, this has not deterred later critics from doing so. The 19th-century French art critic Jules-Antoine Castagnary saw in the painting symbols of lost innocence, a theme that has been picked up by later critics. The art historian E. Wayne Craven also sees the painting as more than a formalist exercise, and finds "enigmatic, expressive and even erotic undercurrents" in the image. He points to the contrasts presented by the imagery, with the white lily representing innocence and virginity, and the fierce wolf head on the rug symbolizing the loss of innocence. Beryl Schlossman, coming from the perspective of literary criticism, sees allusions to the Madonna of religious art in the work. To Schlossman, the rug under the woman's feet is the cloud on which the Virgin is often seen standing, and the wolf is the serpent, crushed under her heel.

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Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl

Focus on this artwork and discuss the Composition and interpretation.

Whistler, especially in his later career, resented the idea that his paintings should have any meaning beyond what could be seen on the canvas. He is known as a central proponent of the "art for art's sake" philosophy. His comment on The White Girl, denying a connection to Wilkie Collins' novel The Woman in White is one of the earliest of these assertions ("My painting simply represents a girl dressed in white standing in front of a white curtain.") Because English critics saw the painting as an illustration, they tended to be less favourable than their French colleagues, who saw it as a visionary, poetic fantasy. One English critic, referring to Collins' novel, called The White Girl "...one of the most incomplete paintings we ever met with." Since the Berners Street Gallery had used the name The Woman in White for the painting, critics were disappointed with its lack of resemblance to the novel's heroine. Whistler, who had never even read the novel, resented the comparison. About ten years later, he began referring to the painting as Symphony in White, No. 1, though a French critic had called it a Symphonie du blanc already at the time of its exhibition in Paris. By the musical analogy, he further emphasised his philosophy that the composition was the central thing, not the subject matter. The title was probably also inspired by Théophile Gautier's 1852 poem Symphonie en Blanc Majeur.Whistler was not entirely content with the realism the painting displayed in its original form, a trait he blamed on the influence Courbet had on him at the time. Later, between 1867 and 1872, he reworked it to give it a more spiritual expression. Even though Symphony was begun before Whistler first met Rossetti, the Pre-Raphaelite influence is still clear. The painting was an early experiment in white on white, with a woman standing in a white dress in front of a white background. This colour scheme was a subject he would return to later, in two paintings that would be given the titles of Symphony in White, No. 2 (1864) and Symphony in White, No. 3 (1865–1867). The panel is long and slender, and the model's pose and the shape of her clothes further emphasise the vertical nature of the painting. The woman is bold, almost confrontational, in her direct gaze at the viewer, and her features are highly individualised. Art critic Hilton Kramer sees in Whistler's portraits a charm and a combination of craft and observational skills that his more radical landscapes lacked.Though Whistler himself resented attempts to analyse the meaning of his art, this has not deterred later critics from doing so. The 19th-century French art critic Jules-Antoine Castagnary saw in the painting symbols of lost innocence, a theme that has been picked up by later critics. The art historian E. Wayne Craven also sees the painting as more than a formalist exercise, and finds "enigmatic, expressive and even erotic undercurrents" in the image. He points to the contrasts presented by the imagery, with the white lily representing innocence and virginity, and the fierce wolf head on the rug symbolizing the loss of innocence. Beryl Schlossman, coming from the perspective of literary criticism, sees allusions to the Madonna of religious art in the work. To Schlossman, the rug under the woman's feet is the cloud on which the Virgin is often seen standing, and the wolf is the serpent, crushed under her heel.

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Martelli Annunciation

How does Martelli Annunciation elucidate its abstract?

The Annunciation is a painting by Fra Filippo Lippi hung in the Martelli Chapel in the left transept of the Basilica di San Lorenzo, Florence, Italy. There are several paintings by Lippi of this same name. This piece is about six feet by six feet. There is little known information about the painting's origin, although it is likely that it was originally commissioned for use in its current location. The dating (c. 1440) is based on the style and the presence of St. Nicholas in the predella panels. The patron for this piece was notably Niccolò Martelli, a rich Florentine citizen who supported the reconstruction of the basilica and other parts of town. The painting is considered the first known example of a squared altarpiece, without any traditional gothic decoration like pinnacles or cusps, in order to better match the simple architecture of the church, by Brunelleschi. The panel is divided in two by a central column. It uses a geometrical perspective to show a complex architecture including several edifices and an open loggia. There are several elements suggesting the influence of Flemish painting, by which Lippi was influenced during his stay in Padua. These include the glass ampulla in the foreground, symbolizing the Holy Spirit.

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Martelli Annunciation

How does this artwork elucidate its abstract?

The Annunciation is a painting by Fra Filippo Lippi hung in the Martelli Chapel in the left transept of the Basilica di San Lorenzo, Florence, Italy. There are several paintings by Lippi of this same name. This piece is about six feet by six feet. There is little known information about the painting's origin, although it is likely that it was originally commissioned for use in its current location. The dating (c. 1440) is based on the style and the presence of St. Nicholas in the predella panels. The patron for this piece was notably Niccolò Martelli, a rich Florentine citizen who supported the reconstruction of the basilica and other parts of town. The painting is considered the first known example of a squared altarpiece, without any traditional gothic decoration like pinnacles or cusps, in order to better match the simple architecture of the church, by Brunelleschi. The panel is divided in two by a central column. It uses a geometrical perspective to show a complex architecture including several edifices and an open loggia. There are several elements suggesting the influence of Flemish painting, by which Lippi was influenced during his stay in Padua. These include the glass ampulla in the foreground, symbolizing the Holy Spirit.

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Martelli Annunciation

Focus on Martelli Annunciation and analyze the Visual analysis.

In this piece there are three angels with wings who have come to meet with Mary. Gabriel is in front of two other angels kneeling while they stand. He is holding a lily which is symbol of purity. The dove flying above is a symbol of holy spirit. The other two angels are looking off into the distance and not at Mary. The one closest to the audience is looking directly at us, as if acknowledging our presence. They wear woven red socks which are a similar color to their outer garments. Under this red drape they wear light grey outfits tied around their waists by a rope. Mary is wearing a darker grey garment with gold outlining and a light-colored headwear. She is looking down at Gabriel and motioning her hand toward him. She might be reaching her hand out to receive the branch from him, though he doesn't appear to be extending it out to her. There is an object to the right of her which appears to be a placeholder for books or other text. They all have golden halos above their heads with teardrop-like patterns inside. These don't seem to be floating, but rather just placed on their heads somehow, without obeying laws of gravity. Their robes are all shown with very exaggerated drapery and wrinkles, which gives this piece depth and adds movement to the figures. This is a style of painting clothing that was popular during this era of the Renaissance. The architecture painted displays a very classic Italian Renaissance style. There are two arches on either side of the subjects, and we look in through the arches to see the scene. Behind the figures there seems to be a garden of small trees and one which is almost as tall as the buildings surrounding it. This tree is positioned in line with Gabriel, who is standing directly in front of it. This may have been used to signify his importance and to make him a main subject, separating him from the other angels. The whole courtyard exhibits symmetry in the rows of trees and buildings that are on either side. The cityscape continues on in the background with churches and tall buildings poking above the skyline. The churches can be noticed by their pointed tower tops which stand taller than the other buildings. A white bird flying behind the angels is wearing a golden halo as well. It appears to be emitting golden rays from its beak towards Gabriel and Mary. By Mary's feet is a cutout in the flooring just big enough for a vase of water to fit in it. The position of this vase creates a straight vertical line with the palm of Mary's hand. This brings the viewer's attention back to Mary. The buildings and architecture have a great level of realism in this painting, but the figures' faces aren’t extremely realistic. Their bodies show contrapposto, however, which makes their stance more natural. The three scenes in the predella are similar to those in the Barbadori Altarpiece, from 1438.

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Martelli Annunciation

Focus on this artwork and analyze the Visual analysis.

In this piece there are three angels with wings who have come to meet with Mary. Gabriel is in front of two other angels kneeling while they stand. He is holding a lily which is symbol of purity. The dove flying above is a symbol of holy spirit. The other two angels are looking off into the distance and not at Mary. The one closest to the audience is looking directly at us, as if acknowledging our presence. They wear woven red socks which are a similar color to their outer garments. Under this red drape they wear light grey outfits tied around their waists by a rope. Mary is wearing a darker grey garment with gold outlining and a light-colored headwear. She is looking down at Gabriel and motioning her hand toward him. She might be reaching her hand out to receive the branch from him, though he doesn't appear to be extending it out to her. There is an object to the right of her which appears to be a placeholder for books or other text. They all have golden halos above their heads with teardrop-like patterns inside. These don't seem to be floating, but rather just placed on their heads somehow, without obeying laws of gravity. Their robes are all shown with very exaggerated drapery and wrinkles, which gives this piece depth and adds movement to the figures. This is a style of painting clothing that was popular during this era of the Renaissance. The architecture painted displays a very classic Italian Renaissance style. There are two arches on either side of the subjects, and we look in through the arches to see the scene. Behind the figures there seems to be a garden of small trees and one which is almost as tall as the buildings surrounding it. This tree is positioned in line with Gabriel, who is standing directly in front of it. This may have been used to signify his importance and to make him a main subject, separating him from the other angels. The whole courtyard exhibits symmetry in the rows of trees and buildings that are on either side. The cityscape continues on in the background with churches and tall buildings poking above the skyline. The churches can be noticed by their pointed tower tops which stand taller than the other buildings. A white bird flying behind the angels is wearing a golden halo as well. It appears to be emitting golden rays from its beak towards Gabriel and Mary. By Mary's feet is a cutout in the flooring just big enough for a vase of water to fit in it. The position of this vase creates a straight vertical line with the palm of Mary's hand. This brings the viewer's attention back to Mary. The buildings and architecture have a great level of realism in this painting, but the figures' faces aren’t extremely realistic. Their bodies show contrapposto, however, which makes their stance more natural. The three scenes in the predella are similar to those in the Barbadori Altarpiece, from 1438.