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0401_T

Statue of Sir Nigel Gresley

How does Statue of Sir Nigel Gresley elucidate its abstract?

A statue of Sir Nigel Gresley made of bronze stands near the booking office of London King's Cross railway station. It was commissioned by the Gresley Society in memory of Sir Nigel Gresley, a locomotive designer who worked in offices at the station and whose designs included Mallard, which set the unbroken steam locomotive speed record in 1938. The statue was designed by Hazel Reeves and cast in bronze at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. A decision taken by the Society to omit from the final sculpture a mallard duck that had been shown in the initial design led to what was described as "possibly the most acrimonious argument in the long, pedantic history of the railway hobbyist".

0401_NT

Statue of Sir Nigel Gresley

How does this artwork elucidate its abstract?

A statue of Sir Nigel Gresley made of bronze stands near the booking office of London King's Cross railway station. It was commissioned by the Gresley Society in memory of Sir Nigel Gresley, a locomotive designer who worked in offices at the station and whose designs included Mallard, which set the unbroken steam locomotive speed record in 1938. The statue was designed by Hazel Reeves and cast in bronze at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. A decision taken by the Society to omit from the final sculpture a mallard duck that had been shown in the initial design led to what was described as "possibly the most acrimonious argument in the long, pedantic history of the railway hobbyist".

0402_T

Statue of Sir Nigel Gresley

Focus on Statue of Sir Nigel Gresley and analyze the Statue.

The Gresley Society is a charitable organisation of around 500 members dedicated to the preservation and celebration of the work of Sir Nigel Gresley, a locomotive designer and chief mechanical engineer of the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). Gresley oversaw the design and construction of 2,150 locomotives and tens of thousands of wagons and carriages; one of his locomotives, the Mallard, set the steam engine speed record in 1938, which stands to this day. The Gresley Society received a £500,000 bequest from the estate of a member in 2012 and, after consulting its members, decided to fund a memorial to Gresley. Originally this was to have been a bust but it was decided that a full-length statue would be more appropriate. The Gresley Society sought donations to the project from the general public and a further £13,000 was raised from 130 contributors.Sculptor Hazel Reeves was commissioned to produce the statue, for the fee of £95,000. Reeves used the traditional lost-wax casting method. Citing Auguste Rodin's advice to sculptors to begin with a nude figure she first made a bare model of Gresley from clay (around an armature) to which she added his clothing. This was moulded in resin, which was used to form a wax model for the bronze casting process. The bronze statue was cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. From planning to erection the statue took 18 months.The completed work is around 7 feet (2.1 m) high, standing at some 120% of life-size. Gresley is depicted standing with his right hand in his jacket pocket, possibly reaching for his pipe, and with his left hand holding a technical magazine. Reeves stated that she intended her figure to be captured "in a moment of quizzical reflection" and "looking out towards the future". The magazine is a copy of The Locomotive with the front cover showing the Mallard.The statue was unveiled on 5 April 2016, the 75th anniversary of Gresley's death, in a ceremony attended by Sir Peter Hendy, chairman of Network Rail, and Gresley's descendants. It stands near to the booking office and just yards from the office that Gresley occupied during his time as chief mechanical engineer. A plaque on the wall behind the statue outlines Gresley's career and names the Mallard and Flying Scotsman locomotives. It also notes Gresley's links with King's Cross from which many of his trains ran. The plaque names Reeves and notes that the sculpture was commissioned by the Gresley Society.

0402_NT

Statue of Sir Nigel Gresley

Focus on this artwork and analyze the Statue.

The Gresley Society is a charitable organisation of around 500 members dedicated to the preservation and celebration of the work of Sir Nigel Gresley, a locomotive designer and chief mechanical engineer of the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). Gresley oversaw the design and construction of 2,150 locomotives and tens of thousands of wagons and carriages; one of his locomotives, the Mallard, set the steam engine speed record in 1938, which stands to this day. The Gresley Society received a £500,000 bequest from the estate of a member in 2012 and, after consulting its members, decided to fund a memorial to Gresley. Originally this was to have been a bust but it was decided that a full-length statue would be more appropriate. The Gresley Society sought donations to the project from the general public and a further £13,000 was raised from 130 contributors.Sculptor Hazel Reeves was commissioned to produce the statue, for the fee of £95,000. Reeves used the traditional lost-wax casting method. Citing Auguste Rodin's advice to sculptors to begin with a nude figure she first made a bare model of Gresley from clay (around an armature) to which she added his clothing. This was moulded in resin, which was used to form a wax model for the bronze casting process. The bronze statue was cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. From planning to erection the statue took 18 months.The completed work is around 7 feet (2.1 m) high, standing at some 120% of life-size. Gresley is depicted standing with his right hand in his jacket pocket, possibly reaching for his pipe, and with his left hand holding a technical magazine. Reeves stated that she intended her figure to be captured "in a moment of quizzical reflection" and "looking out towards the future". The magazine is a copy of The Locomotive with the front cover showing the Mallard.The statue was unveiled on 5 April 2016, the 75th anniversary of Gresley's death, in a ceremony attended by Sir Peter Hendy, chairman of Network Rail, and Gresley's descendants. It stands near to the booking office and just yards from the office that Gresley occupied during his time as chief mechanical engineer. A plaque on the wall behind the statue outlines Gresley's career and names the Mallard and Flying Scotsman locomotives. It also notes Gresley's links with King's Cross from which many of his trains ran. The plaque names Reeves and notes that the sculpture was commissioned by the Gresley Society.

0403_T

Statue of Sir Nigel Gresley

In Statue of Sir Nigel Gresley, how is the Duck controversy discussed?

The original design for the statue had a bronze mallard duck near the figure's right foot. The planning application stated: "This duck is no mere whimsy. It is an allusion to Sir Nigel’s most famous locomotive, the Mallard, which holds the world speed record for steam locomotives. It is also an allusion to Sir Nigel’s habit of feeding mallards at his prewar home in Salisbury Hall". As well as the Mallard several other Gresley locomotives were named after birds including Bittern, Golden Plover, Gannet and Kingfisher and it has been claimed that ornithology was one of Gresley's hobbies. The design, including the mallard, was approved by the council of the Gresley Society, Historic England, the landowner (Network Rail) and the planning authority (Camden Council) by November 2013.In early 2015 the Gresley Society received a letter from Tim Godfrey, its vice-president and a grandson of Gresley, objecting to the inclusion of the duck. The Society held a special meeting at which it was stated "We would have to keep the duck off the memorial if we wanted to keep good relations with the Gresley family". A further meeting to discuss the statue in March 2015 was attended by Godfrey and his brother Ben. Godfrey, who is a breeder of rare ducks, stated that "It’s a statue of a man, not a stupid duck". Godfrey also disputed that Gresley had any interest in ornithology and that the selection of locomotive names lay with the LNER naming committee and not solely with Gresley. Some society members stated that the duck "detracted from the dignity of the statue". During the meeting the council of the Gresley Society voted against including the duck, leading to the resignations of two of its members.The decision led to disappointment for pro-duck campaigners. It led to what has been described as "possibly the most acrimonious argument in the long, pedantic history of the railway hobbyist". The dispute was covered in the national newspapers. Steam Railway magazine claimed it had made the Gresley Society "the laughing stock of the railway heritage world". A public petition to reinstate the duck for the "charm and wit" it added to the statue attracted 3,200 signatures, including those of Michael Portillo, Vanessa Feltz and Sir William McAlpine. McAlpine, a patron of the Gresley Society, said the duck showed the human side of Gresley and his wider interests and artists claimed it was an important attribute of the piece, providing a reference to the subject's significance.A December 2015 election for the council of the Gresley Society saw strong campaigning for candidates who would support the inclusion of the duck. However at the meeting, non-members were barred from the room and unable to cast proxy votes for members, which the Society later claimed had been a mistake. The action was the subject of a formal complaint to the Charity Commission. Pro-duck supporters also lobbied Camden Council to insist on the duck as it was shown on the approved planning permission documents. Because of the duck issue the Gresley Society offered to return the donations of any of the supporters of the original fundraising campaign, but only one chose to take the offer up. The statue was unveiled without the duck, though many attendees at the event brought rubber ducks to demonstrate their opposition to the decision.

0403_NT

Statue of Sir Nigel Gresley

In this artwork, how is the Duck controversy discussed?

The original design for the statue had a bronze mallard duck near the figure's right foot. The planning application stated: "This duck is no mere whimsy. It is an allusion to Sir Nigel’s most famous locomotive, the Mallard, which holds the world speed record for steam locomotives. It is also an allusion to Sir Nigel’s habit of feeding mallards at his prewar home in Salisbury Hall". As well as the Mallard several other Gresley locomotives were named after birds including Bittern, Golden Plover, Gannet and Kingfisher and it has been claimed that ornithology was one of Gresley's hobbies. The design, including the mallard, was approved by the council of the Gresley Society, Historic England, the landowner (Network Rail) and the planning authority (Camden Council) by November 2013.In early 2015 the Gresley Society received a letter from Tim Godfrey, its vice-president and a grandson of Gresley, objecting to the inclusion of the duck. The Society held a special meeting at which it was stated "We would have to keep the duck off the memorial if we wanted to keep good relations with the Gresley family". A further meeting to discuss the statue in March 2015 was attended by Godfrey and his brother Ben. Godfrey, who is a breeder of rare ducks, stated that "It’s a statue of a man, not a stupid duck". Godfrey also disputed that Gresley had any interest in ornithology and that the selection of locomotive names lay with the LNER naming committee and not solely with Gresley. Some society members stated that the duck "detracted from the dignity of the statue". During the meeting the council of the Gresley Society voted against including the duck, leading to the resignations of two of its members.The decision led to disappointment for pro-duck campaigners. It led to what has been described as "possibly the most acrimonious argument in the long, pedantic history of the railway hobbyist". The dispute was covered in the national newspapers. Steam Railway magazine claimed it had made the Gresley Society "the laughing stock of the railway heritage world". A public petition to reinstate the duck for the "charm and wit" it added to the statue attracted 3,200 signatures, including those of Michael Portillo, Vanessa Feltz and Sir William McAlpine. McAlpine, a patron of the Gresley Society, said the duck showed the human side of Gresley and his wider interests and artists claimed it was an important attribute of the piece, providing a reference to the subject's significance.A December 2015 election for the council of the Gresley Society saw strong campaigning for candidates who would support the inclusion of the duck. However at the meeting, non-members were barred from the room and unable to cast proxy votes for members, which the Society later claimed had been a mistake. The action was the subject of a formal complaint to the Charity Commission. Pro-duck supporters also lobbied Camden Council to insist on the duck as it was shown on the approved planning permission documents. Because of the duck issue the Gresley Society offered to return the donations of any of the supporters of the original fundraising campaign, but only one chose to take the offer up. The statue was unveiled without the duck, though many attendees at the event brought rubber ducks to demonstrate their opposition to the decision.

0404_T

Bust of Cardinal Roberto Bellarmine

Focus on Bust of Cardinal Roberto Bellarmine and explore the abstract.

The Bust of Cardinal Roberto Bellarmine is a half-length portrait of Saint Robert Bellarmine by the Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It was executed in the years 1621–1624, and unveiled in August 1624. It sits in the Chiesa del Gesù, Rome. It was commissioned by Pope Gregory XV and Cardinal Odoardo Farnese after Bellarmine's death. A tomb (now-destroyed) surrounding the bust was designed by Girolamo Rainaldi, and included sculptural decoration by Bernini's father, Pietro, and Bernini's some-time assistant, Giuliano Finelli. The bust was on display at the Fairfield University Art Museum in Fairfield, Connecticut from February 2 to May 19, 2018 in a special exhibition.

0404_NT

Bust of Cardinal Roberto Bellarmine

Focus on this artwork and explore the abstract.

The Bust of Cardinal Roberto Bellarmine is a half-length portrait of Saint Robert Bellarmine by the Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It was executed in the years 1621–1624, and unveiled in August 1624. It sits in the Chiesa del Gesù, Rome. It was commissioned by Pope Gregory XV and Cardinal Odoardo Farnese after Bellarmine's death. A tomb (now-destroyed) surrounding the bust was designed by Girolamo Rainaldi, and included sculptural decoration by Bernini's father, Pietro, and Bernini's some-time assistant, Giuliano Finelli. The bust was on display at the Fairfield University Art Museum in Fairfield, Connecticut from February 2 to May 19, 2018 in a special exhibition.

0405_T

The Age of Bronze

Focus on The Age of Bronze and explain the History.

When the statue was first exhibited at the 1877 Salon in Paris, France, Rodin was falsely accused of having made the statue by casting a living model, a charge that was vigorously denied. This charge benefited Rodin, though, because people were so eager to see this for themselves.

0405_NT

The Age of Bronze

Focus on this artwork and explain the History.

When the statue was first exhibited at the 1877 Salon in Paris, France, Rodin was falsely accused of having made the statue by casting a living model, a charge that was vigorously denied. This charge benefited Rodin, though, because people were so eager to see this for themselves.

0406_T

Eye in the Egg

Explore the abstract of this artwork, Eye in the Egg.

Eye in the Egg (Estonian: Silm munas) is a 1962 oil on paper painting by the Estonian artist Ülo Sooster in the Tartu Art Museum.This painting shows an abstract egg-shaped form that opens into an infinite number of such opened-egg-shaped forms. It was painted in the period after the artist was released from 7 years hard labor in a Soviet prison camp when he was living in Moscow on Sretensky Boulevard with several other artists then painting and working in the non-conformist style. Sooster was experimenting at that time with motifs of the egg taken from René Magritte, and they symbolized for him infinity, evolution, and the experience of timelessness. There were so many repetitions of the egg in later works by Sooster that his grave has a stone egg on it. On 1 December 1962 this work was shown in Moscow in an exhibition called "Manege", hoping to gain Soviet recognition for their modernist art, but which sadly backfired, receiving a threat from Khrushchev to send them all into exile.The shape of the eggs is not exact and the "eye" in the title may refer to the central shutter-like doors in the egg that are similar to the shutters over the lens of a camera, a possible reference to surveillance cameras. The edges of the egg shapes are contoured to look almost as if made in metal, a trompe-l'œil effect that gives the whole a machine-like quality, as if the "eye" could blink mechanically.

0406_NT

Eye in the Egg

Explore the abstract of this artwork.

Eye in the Egg (Estonian: Silm munas) is a 1962 oil on paper painting by the Estonian artist Ülo Sooster in the Tartu Art Museum.This painting shows an abstract egg-shaped form that opens into an infinite number of such opened-egg-shaped forms. It was painted in the period after the artist was released from 7 years hard labor in a Soviet prison camp when he was living in Moscow on Sretensky Boulevard with several other artists then painting and working in the non-conformist style. Sooster was experimenting at that time with motifs of the egg taken from René Magritte, and they symbolized for him infinity, evolution, and the experience of timelessness. There were so many repetitions of the egg in later works by Sooster that his grave has a stone egg on it. On 1 December 1962 this work was shown in Moscow in an exhibition called "Manege", hoping to gain Soviet recognition for their modernist art, but which sadly backfired, receiving a threat from Khrushchev to send them all into exile.The shape of the eggs is not exact and the "eye" in the title may refer to the central shutter-like doors in the egg that are similar to the shutters over the lens of a camera, a possible reference to surveillance cameras. The edges of the egg shapes are contoured to look almost as if made in metal, a trompe-l'œil effect that gives the whole a machine-like quality, as if the "eye" could blink mechanically.

0407_T

Statue of Shinran, Tokyo

Focus on Statue of Shinran, Tokyo and discuss the abstract.

A statue of Shinran is installed outside Tsukiji Hongan-ji in Tokyo, Japan.

0407_NT

Statue of Shinran, Tokyo

Focus on this artwork and discuss the abstract.

A statue of Shinran is installed outside Tsukiji Hongan-ji in Tokyo, Japan.

0408_T

The Conductor (sculpture)

How does The Conductor (sculpture) elucidate its abstract?

The Conductor, also known as Maestro, is an bronze sculpture of a conductor by Mike Larsen, installed in Oklahoma City's Bicentennial Park, outside Civic Center Music Hall, in the U.S. state of Oklahoma.

0408_NT

The Conductor (sculpture)

How does this artwork elucidate its abstract?

The Conductor, also known as Maestro, is an bronze sculpture of a conductor by Mike Larsen, installed in Oklahoma City's Bicentennial Park, outside Civic Center Music Hall, in the U.S. state of Oklahoma.

0409_T

The Conductor (sculpture)

Focus on The Conductor (sculpture) and analyze the Description and history.

The 9-foot (2.7 m) statue depicts a man conducting and commemorates Joel Levine, music director of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, as well as six music directors of other local orchestras: Ralph Rose, Victor Alessandro, Guy Fraser Harrison, Ray Luke, Ainslee Cox, and Luis Herrera de la Fuente. The artwork, unveiled in 2007, was funded by Jeannette and Dick Sias, with additional support from the city and the Oklahoma City Centennial Committee. Mayor Mick Cornett attended the dedication ceremony.

0409_NT

The Conductor (sculpture)

Focus on this artwork and analyze the Description and history.

The 9-foot (2.7 m) statue depicts a man conducting and commemorates Joel Levine, music director of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, as well as six music directors of other local orchestras: Ralph Rose, Victor Alessandro, Guy Fraser Harrison, Ray Luke, Ainslee Cox, and Luis Herrera de la Fuente. The artwork, unveiled in 2007, was funded by Jeannette and Dick Sias, with additional support from the city and the Oklahoma City Centennial Committee. Mayor Mick Cornett attended the dedication ceremony.

0410_T

Girl in a Wetsuit

In Girl in a Wetsuit, how is the abstract discussed?

Girl in a Wetsuit is a life-size 1972 bronze sculpture by Elek Imredy of a woman in a wetsuit, located on a rock in the water along the north side of Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

0410_NT

Girl in a Wetsuit

In this artwork, how is the abstract discussed?

Girl in a Wetsuit is a life-size 1972 bronze sculpture by Elek Imredy of a woman in a wetsuit, located on a rock in the water along the north side of Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

0411_T

Girl in a Wetsuit

Focus on Girl in a Wetsuit and explore the Description.

The bronze sculpture depicts a friend of Imredy's, Debra Harrington, in a wetsuit with flippers on her feet and a mask on her forehead. Although some believe it was a replica of Copenhagen's The Little Mermaid, the creator has said:I didn't believe we should have a copy of the mermaid. She is rightfully a symbol of Copenhagen... I proposed to have a life-size scuba diver seated there. At that time scuba diving was getting quite popular here in Vancouver and, just as important, I didn't know of any similar sculpture anywhere in the world. It was a new idea… There was tremendous opposition and great controversy. I still don't know why.

0411_NT

Girl in a Wetsuit

Focus on this artwork and explore the Description.

The bronze sculpture depicts a friend of Imredy's, Debra Harrington, in a wetsuit with flippers on her feet and a mask on her forehead. Although some believe it was a replica of Copenhagen's The Little Mermaid, the creator has said:I didn't believe we should have a copy of the mermaid. She is rightfully a symbol of Copenhagen... I proposed to have a life-size scuba diver seated there. At that time scuba diving was getting quite popular here in Vancouver and, just as important, I didn't know of any similar sculpture anywhere in the world. It was a new idea… There was tremendous opposition and great controversy. I still don't know why.

0412_T

Four Seasons (Chagall)

Focus on Four Seasons (Chagall) and explain the abstract.

Four Seasons is a 1974 mosaic by Marc Chagall that is located in Chase Tower Plaza in the Loop district of Chicago, Illinois. The mosaic was a gift to the City of Chicago by Frederick H. Prince (via the Prince Charitable Trusts); it is wrapped around four sides of a 70 feet (21 m) long, 14 feet (4.3 m) high, 10 feet (3.0 m) wide rectangular box, and was dedicated on September 27, 1974. It was renovated in 1994 and a protective glass canopy was installed.The mosaic was the subject of a 1974 documentary film, The Gift: Four Seasons Mosaic of Marc Chagall, directed by Chuck Olin.

0412_NT

Four Seasons (Chagall)

Focus on this artwork and explain the abstract.

Four Seasons is a 1974 mosaic by Marc Chagall that is located in Chase Tower Plaza in the Loop district of Chicago, Illinois. The mosaic was a gift to the City of Chicago by Frederick H. Prince (via the Prince Charitable Trusts); it is wrapped around four sides of a 70 feet (21 m) long, 14 feet (4.3 m) high, 10 feet (3.0 m) wide rectangular box, and was dedicated on September 27, 1974. It was renovated in 1994 and a protective glass canopy was installed.The mosaic was the subject of a 1974 documentary film, The Gift: Four Seasons Mosaic of Marc Chagall, directed by Chuck Olin.

0413_T

Crown Fountain

Explore the abstract of this artwork, Crown Fountain.

Crown Fountain is an interactive work of public art and video sculpture featured in Chicago's Millennium Park, which is located in the Loop community area. Designed by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa and executed by Krueck and Sexton Architects, it opened in July 2004. The fountain is composed of a black granite reflecting pool placed between a pair of glass brick towers. The towers are 50 feet (15.2 m) tall, and they use light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to display digital videos on their inward faces. Construction and design of the Crown Fountain cost $17 million. The water operates from May to October, intermittently cascading down the two towers and spouting through a nozzle on each tower's front face. Residents and critics have praised the fountain for its artistic and entertainment features. It highlights Plensa's themes of dualism, light, and water, extending the use of video technology from his prior works. Its use of water is unique among Chicago's many fountains, in that it promotes physical interaction between the public and the water. Both the fountain and Millennium Park are highly accessible because of their universal design.Crown Fountain has been one of the most controversial of all the Millennium Park features. Before it was even built, some were concerned that the sculpture's height violated the aesthetic tradition of the park. After construction, surveillance cameras were installed atop the fountain, which led to a public outcry (and their quick removal). However, the fountain has survived its contentious beginnings to find its way into Chicago pop culture. It is a popular subject for photographers and a common gathering place. While some of the videos displayed are of scenery, most attention has focused on its video clips of local residents. The fountain is a public play area and offers people an escape from summer heat, allowing children to frolic in the fountain's water.

0413_NT

Crown Fountain

Explore the abstract of this artwork.

Crown Fountain is an interactive work of public art and video sculpture featured in Chicago's Millennium Park, which is located in the Loop community area. Designed by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa and executed by Krueck and Sexton Architects, it opened in July 2004. The fountain is composed of a black granite reflecting pool placed between a pair of glass brick towers. The towers are 50 feet (15.2 m) tall, and they use light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to display digital videos on their inward faces. Construction and design of the Crown Fountain cost $17 million. The water operates from May to October, intermittently cascading down the two towers and spouting through a nozzle on each tower's front face. Residents and critics have praised the fountain for its artistic and entertainment features. It highlights Plensa's themes of dualism, light, and water, extending the use of video technology from his prior works. Its use of water is unique among Chicago's many fountains, in that it promotes physical interaction between the public and the water. Both the fountain and Millennium Park are highly accessible because of their universal design.Crown Fountain has been one of the most controversial of all the Millennium Park features. Before it was even built, some were concerned that the sculpture's height violated the aesthetic tradition of the park. After construction, surveillance cameras were installed atop the fountain, which led to a public outcry (and their quick removal). However, the fountain has survived its contentious beginnings to find its way into Chicago pop culture. It is a popular subject for photographers and a common gathering place. While some of the videos displayed are of scenery, most attention has focused on its video clips of local residents. The fountain is a public play area and offers people an escape from summer heat, allowing children to frolic in the fountain's water.

0414_T

Crown Fountain

Focus on Crown Fountain and discuss the Concept and design.

Grant Park, which is between Lake Michigan and the central business district, is commonly called "Chicago's Front Yard". Its northwest corner had been Illinois Central rail yards and parking lots until 1997, when it was made available for development by the city as Millennium Park. Millennium Park was conceived in 1998 as the capstone of Grant Park, to celebrate the new millennium and to feature world-renowned architects, artists, designers, landscape architects, and urban planners. As of 2007, Millennium Park trails only Navy Pier as a Chicago tourist attraction.

0414_NT

Crown Fountain

Focus on this artwork and discuss the Concept and design.

Grant Park, which is between Lake Michigan and the central business district, is commonly called "Chicago's Front Yard". Its northwest corner had been Illinois Central rail yards and parking lots until 1997, when it was made available for development by the city as Millennium Park. Millennium Park was conceived in 1998 as the capstone of Grant Park, to celebrate the new millennium and to feature world-renowned architects, artists, designers, landscape architects, and urban planners. As of 2007, Millennium Park trails only Navy Pier as a Chicago tourist attraction.

0415_T

Crown Fountain

In Crown Fountain, how is the Selection of artist of the Concept and design elucidated?

In December 1999, Lester Crown and his family agreed to sponsor a water feature in Millennium Park. Unlike other park feature sponsors, the Crowns acted independently of Millennium Park officials; they conducted independent surveys of water technologies, held their own informal design contest, and stayed active in the design and engineering of the project.The Crowns were open-minded about the choice of artist; wanting a modern work, they solicited proposals from a list of prospective artists and architects. Jaume Plensa researched the traditions and history of fountains and studied anthropomorphism in fountain imagery. Some of his early ideas for the project referenced Buckingham Fountain, but these were soon abandoned. His presentation to the Crown family started with a slide show of fountains from the Middle Ages through the 20th century. Plensa focused on the philosophical meanings associated with fountains, their history, use and art. His presentation included computer animation of facial expressions. The other finalists were Maya Lin, who presented a low-height horizontal form, and Robert Venturi, who presented a fountain that would have been 150 feet (46 m) tall. In January 2000, Plensa won the commission to design the fountain over Lin and Venturi. The installation is a video sculpture, commissioned to operate thirty years.

0415_NT

Crown Fountain

In this artwork, how is the Selection of artist of the Concept and design elucidated?

In December 1999, Lester Crown and his family agreed to sponsor a water feature in Millennium Park. Unlike other park feature sponsors, the Crowns acted independently of Millennium Park officials; they conducted independent surveys of water technologies, held their own informal design contest, and stayed active in the design and engineering of the project.The Crowns were open-minded about the choice of artist; wanting a modern work, they solicited proposals from a list of prospective artists and architects. Jaume Plensa researched the traditions and history of fountains and studied anthropomorphism in fountain imagery. Some of his early ideas for the project referenced Buckingham Fountain, but these were soon abandoned. His presentation to the Crown family started with a slide show of fountains from the Middle Ages through the 20th century. Plensa focused on the philosophical meanings associated with fountains, their history, use and art. His presentation included computer animation of facial expressions. The other finalists were Maya Lin, who presented a low-height horizontal form, and Robert Venturi, who presented a fountain that would have been 150 feet (46 m) tall. In January 2000, Plensa won the commission to design the fountain over Lin and Venturi. The installation is a video sculpture, commissioned to operate thirty years.

0416_T

Crown Fountain

In the context of Crown Fountain, analyze the Artistic design of the Concept and design.

Prior to Crown Fountain, Plensa's dominant theme had been dualism, which he had expanded to artworks in which the viewers are outside, and the visible subjects of the art are inside containers and hollow spaces. In the 1990s, he completed several outdoor sculptures in which he explored the use of light (The Star of David (1998) at Stockholm's Raoul Wallenberg Square, Bridge of Light (1998) in Jerusalem), and LED technology, video, and computer design (Gläserne Seele & Mr. Net in Brandenburg (1999–2000)). In his public art, Plensa challenged himself to involve the viewer with his art, which led to his conception of the Crown Fountain. His objective was to create a socially relevant, interactive fountain for the 21st century. Since water is the focus of a fountain, and since Chicago, and especially Millennium Park, is so greatly affected by the nearby waterfront, Plensa sought to create an eternal water work to complement the local natural inspirations. Because of the colder winters common to the climate of Chicago, Plensa created a fountain that would remain vibrant when the water was inactive in the wintertime, so the fountain is an experience of light themes and the use of video technology.Plensa explores dualism with Crown Fountain, where he has two randomly selected faces "conversing" with each other. Plensa feels that by using faces, he can represent the diversity of the city both in ethnicity and in age. The artist intends to portray the sociocultural evolution of the city by updating the collection of images. His representation has become a part of the city's pop culture; the first few episodes of the first season of Prison Break featured shots of the fountain.Plensa feels that the challenge in the creation of successful work of public art is to integrate the viewer into an interactive relationship with the art. The fountain is known for encouraging its visitors to splash and slide in the reflecting pool, jostle for position under the water spout and place themselves under the cascade. This interactivity was to some degree accidental. Although the city planned for some interactivity, the transformation of the fountain into a water park for kids within hours of opening surprised Plensa. Now, when the National Weather Service issues summer heat advisories and the Governor of Illinois declares state office buildings as official daytime cooling centers, the national press points to Crown Fountain as a respite for inhabitants of the Chicago metropolitan area.

0416_NT

Crown Fountain

In the context of this artwork, analyze the Artistic design of the Concept and design.

Prior to Crown Fountain, Plensa's dominant theme had been dualism, which he had expanded to artworks in which the viewers are outside, and the visible subjects of the art are inside containers and hollow spaces. In the 1990s, he completed several outdoor sculptures in which he explored the use of light (The Star of David (1998) at Stockholm's Raoul Wallenberg Square, Bridge of Light (1998) in Jerusalem), and LED technology, video, and computer design (Gläserne Seele & Mr. Net in Brandenburg (1999–2000)). In his public art, Plensa challenged himself to involve the viewer with his art, which led to his conception of the Crown Fountain. His objective was to create a socially relevant, interactive fountain for the 21st century. Since water is the focus of a fountain, and since Chicago, and especially Millennium Park, is so greatly affected by the nearby waterfront, Plensa sought to create an eternal water work to complement the local natural inspirations. Because of the colder winters common to the climate of Chicago, Plensa created a fountain that would remain vibrant when the water was inactive in the wintertime, so the fountain is an experience of light themes and the use of video technology.Plensa explores dualism with Crown Fountain, where he has two randomly selected faces "conversing" with each other. Plensa feels that by using faces, he can represent the diversity of the city both in ethnicity and in age. The artist intends to portray the sociocultural evolution of the city by updating the collection of images. His representation has become a part of the city's pop culture; the first few episodes of the first season of Prison Break featured shots of the fountain.Plensa feels that the challenge in the creation of successful work of public art is to integrate the viewer into an interactive relationship with the art. The fountain is known for encouraging its visitors to splash and slide in the reflecting pool, jostle for position under the water spout and place themselves under the cascade. This interactivity was to some degree accidental. Although the city planned for some interactivity, the transformation of the fountain into a water park for kids within hours of opening surprised Plensa. Now, when the National Weather Service issues summer heat advisories and the Governor of Illinois declares state office buildings as official daytime cooling centers, the national press points to Crown Fountain as a respite for inhabitants of the Chicago metropolitan area.

0417_T

Crown Fountain

Describe the characteristics of the Video production in Crown Fountain's Concept and design.

Approximately 75 ethnic, social, and religious Chicago organizations were asked to provide candidates whose faces would be photographed for integration into the fountain. The subjects were chosen from local schools, churches and community groups, and filming began in 2001 at the downtown campus of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). The SAIC students filmed their subjects with a $100,000 high-definition HDW-F900 video camera, the same model used in the production of the three Star Wars prequels. About 20 SAIC students took part in what became an informal master's course in public art for the project. Faculty from Columbia College Chicago was also involved in the production of the video. The high-definition equipment was used because of the scale of the project. Because the image proportions were like a movie screen with a width far exceeding its height, the camera was turned on its side during filming.Each face appears on the sculpture for a total of 5 minutes using various parts of individual 80-second videos. A 40-second section is played at one-third speed forward and backward, running for a total of 4 minutes. Then, there is a subsequent segment, where the mouth is puckering, that is stretched to 15 seconds. This is followed by a section, in which the water appears to spout from the open mouth, that is stretched to last for 30 seconds. Finally, there is a smile after the completion of the water spouting from the mouth, that is slowed to extend for 15 seconds. Of the original 1,051 subjects filmed, 960 videos were determined to be usable for the project. Originally, the set of images was presumed to be the beginning of a work in progress, but as of 2009 no additional videos are planned.To achieve the effect in which water appears to be flowing from subjects' mouths, each video has a segment where the subject's lips are puckered, which is then timed to correspond to the spouting water, reminiscent of gargoyle fountains. Each face is cropped so that no hair and usually no ears are visible. Since there is no tripod designed for cameras turned on their sides, an adjustable barber/dentist's chair was used to minimize the need for the movement of the state-of-the-art camera during filming. Nonetheless, in some case, digital manipulation was necessary to properly simulate puckering in the exact proper location on the video. Many of the faces had to be stretched in order to get the mouths properly positioned. Additionally, each video was color-corrected for brightness, contrast and color saturation. Both the playback equipment and the final videos had to be further adjusted to account for sunlight during viewing.

0417_NT

Crown Fountain

Describe the characteristics of the Video production in this artwork's Concept and design.

Approximately 75 ethnic, social, and religious Chicago organizations were asked to provide candidates whose faces would be photographed for integration into the fountain. The subjects were chosen from local schools, churches and community groups, and filming began in 2001 at the downtown campus of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). The SAIC students filmed their subjects with a $100,000 high-definition HDW-F900 video camera, the same model used in the production of the three Star Wars prequels. About 20 SAIC students took part in what became an informal master's course in public art for the project. Faculty from Columbia College Chicago was also involved in the production of the video. The high-definition equipment was used because of the scale of the project. Because the image proportions were like a movie screen with a width far exceeding its height, the camera was turned on its side during filming.Each face appears on the sculpture for a total of 5 minutes using various parts of individual 80-second videos. A 40-second section is played at one-third speed forward and backward, running for a total of 4 minutes. Then, there is a subsequent segment, where the mouth is puckering, that is stretched to 15 seconds. This is followed by a section, in which the water appears to spout from the open mouth, that is stretched to last for 30 seconds. Finally, there is a smile after the completion of the water spouting from the mouth, that is slowed to extend for 15 seconds. Of the original 1,051 subjects filmed, 960 videos were determined to be usable for the project. Originally, the set of images was presumed to be the beginning of a work in progress, but as of 2009 no additional videos are planned.To achieve the effect in which water appears to be flowing from subjects' mouths, each video has a segment where the subject's lips are puckered, which is then timed to correspond to the spouting water, reminiscent of gargoyle fountains. Each face is cropped so that no hair and usually no ears are visible. Since there is no tripod designed for cameras turned on their sides, an adjustable barber/dentist's chair was used to minimize the need for the movement of the state-of-the-art camera during filming. Nonetheless, in some case, digital manipulation was necessary to properly simulate puckering in the exact proper location on the video. Many of the faces had to be stretched in order to get the mouths properly positioned. Additionally, each video was color-corrected for brightness, contrast and color saturation. Both the playback equipment and the final videos had to be further adjusted to account for sunlight during viewing.

0418_T

Crown Fountain

Focus on Crown Fountain and explore the Construction and engineering.

The Crown family, for whom the fountain is named, donated $10 million of the $17 million construction and design cost. The Goodman family, known for funding the Goodman Theatre, was also a large contributor; the entire $17 million cost was provided by private donations. The initial proposed cost for the fountain had been $15 million.After two architectural firms refused the contract to make Plensa's design a reality, the firm Krueck + Sexton Architects accepted. Public art was a departure from Krueck & Sexton's residential and corporate office-dominated portfolio, which includes buildings like the Spertus Institute. Collaboration between the artist, architectural team, and consultants proved to be crucial to the success of the project. The fountain's black granite reflecting pool measures 48 by 232 feet (15 by 71 m) and has an approximate water depth of 0.25 inches (6.4 mm). It displays videos on two LED screens, each encapsulated in a glass brick tower measuring 50 by 23 by 16 feet (15.2 by 7.0 by 4.9 m). The firm designed a special stainless steel T-frame both to bear the load of the walls, which are 50 feet (15 m) high, and to withstand lateral wind forces. The frame holds all the glass blocks and transfers the load to the base in a zigzag pattern. Rods measuring 0.5 inches (13 mm) in diameter anchor to the structure and project into the frame for lateral stability, while triangular corner brackets add support.After several dozen glass manufacturing firms were interviewed, L. E. Smith Glass Company emerged as the company to produce 22,500 glass blocks near the upper limit of the size of press glass formed from hand-poured molten glass and cast iron molds. The process used sand and soda ash heated to a temperature of 2,600 °F (1,430 °C) and "gathered" with a large clay ball resembling a honey dipper. Rather than use a standard plunger to ensure the glass that sagged off the rod spread to the corners of the mold, they relied on gravity. The full mold was annealed (reheated in an oven to 1,100 °F (593 °C)) and cooled. Over the course of four months of production, about 350 blocks were produced per day.The glass was custom-made at a factory in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, and shipped to the structural glass panel manufacturer in Melbourne, Florida. The panels were then shipped by truck to Chicago. The glass is white glass, rather than the usual green glass that results from iron impurities. This has the tradeoff of increased image clarity, but greater dirt visibility. Each block is 5 by 10 by 2 inches (127 by 254 by 51 mm) with glass thin enough to avoid image distortion. On each block, one of the six faces is polished, and the other five surfaces are textured.The structure for the blocks was a challenge. At first, the design team had considered switching to plastic blocks, until the team found Circle Redmont Inc., a prefabricated glass panel company in Melbourne, Florida which specializes in structural glass panel systems. Circle Redmont came up with the plan of turning grates on their sides to be used as building elements. The individual grids are 5 feet (1.5 m) tall and either 16 feet (4.9 m) or 23 feet (7.0 m) wide with cell capacity of an average of 250 blocks. Each tower is composed of 44 grids stacked and welded. The combination of the refraction of the glass and the thinness of the metal make the grid virtually invisible.The fountain uses 11,000 imperial gallons (50,000 L) per hour, 97% of which is recycled back into the system. Getting the water to the spout took ingenuity. Although consideration was given to omitting a LED tile, it was determined that the images would then look as though they were each missing a tooth. Instead, one tile in each tower is recessed about 6 inches (150 mm) to allow the installation of 1 inch (25 mm) clear tubing for the water nozzle. The water regularly spills over the fountain and down the sides of the towers and intermittently spouts from the nozzle. Two essential custom fittings contribute to the artistic vision of the fountain: a custom glass block at the upper edge for guiding the water's descent while remaining unobtrusive, and a plastic nozzle fitted to the stainless steel frame to control the rate of water flow and reduce liability to the city for any injuries sustained by the fountain's interactive participants. The interactive participants are usually children playing in the stream from the water spout or under the cascade. The risk that the spouting water would knock people down made the design both a legal and a physical challenge.The fountains use over one million LEDs. The inner surface of each tower uses 147 smaller screens with a total of 264,480 LED points (each with two red, one blue and two green LEDs). The physical demands of LED screens, in particular the red, green, and blue long-life light bulbs and the requisite circuitry, created three major challenges: supporting the physical structure, combating heat buildup, and optimizing perceptibility of the display. Plensa had used LED fixtures on previous projects, and thus had some experience with these issues. The LED structure is not supported as a single wall (which would be 50 feet (15 m) high), but rather as several segments that are noticeable as visible horizontal bands every few feet: these show where the LED equipment is supported. The heat generated is handled by fans that cool the air at the bottom, that then works its way through the chimney-like tower. Perceptibility was determined to be optimal with LED lights 2 inches (51 mm) behind the glass.LEDs were chosen because they were viewed as the lowest maintenance option of the possible color changing fixtures. LEDs fit into an electrical circuit, causing illumination by the movement of electrons in the semiconductor material and making a filament unnecessary, so the bulbs never burn out and do not get too hot. Fins were added to the screens to keep direct sunlight from hitting the LEDs. Color Kinetics (now part of Philips Solid-State Lighting Solutions, which is now called Philips Color Kinetics) ColorBlast 12 LEDs fixtures are used to illuminate the tower structures and glass in an attempt to meet Plensa's objective that the towers have a light and translucent appearance, with their internal structures reflecting light from behind the glass surface. The electronics were designed to be adaptable to the time of day, weather and season and to meet the desired century-long longevity and dependability objectives set by the design team in response to the thirty-year directive.The 9,423-square-foot (875.4 m2) pool used 3 by 3 feet (0.91 by 0.91 m) pavers that weigh 250 pounds (110 kg). The pavers were rested on screw jack pedestals in order to be leveled and shimmed. The pavers had to be perfectly leveled for the water to work correctly because the fountain incorporates numerous sensors to regulate the flow and level of the water.During construction the underground parking garage remained open. An additional challenge was designing the structure to facilitate interior access for ongoing maintenance and repairs, while accommodating two levels of underground parking underneath. The challenge was solved by combining a T-bar grid to absorb weight with about 150 "outriggers", or "tiebacks", inserted through the video wall to support the glass blocks and absorb wind loads. This design allows for the removal of individual glass blocks for cleaning or repair without disruption to the display. The filtered air inside the towers helps minimize the need for cleaning. Crown Fountain's design not only included interior access for technical repairs, but also incorporated exemplary, non-discriminatory, barrier-free accessibility, because its interactivity is not limited to the able-bodied. The force of the water accounts for the entire range of possible interactive visitors.

0418_NT

Crown Fountain

Focus on this artwork and explore the Construction and engineering.

The Crown family, for whom the fountain is named, donated $10 million of the $17 million construction and design cost. The Goodman family, known for funding the Goodman Theatre, was also a large contributor; the entire $17 million cost was provided by private donations. The initial proposed cost for the fountain had been $15 million.After two architectural firms refused the contract to make Plensa's design a reality, the firm Krueck + Sexton Architects accepted. Public art was a departure from Krueck & Sexton's residential and corporate office-dominated portfolio, which includes buildings like the Spertus Institute. Collaboration between the artist, architectural team, and consultants proved to be crucial to the success of the project. The fountain's black granite reflecting pool measures 48 by 232 feet (15 by 71 m) and has an approximate water depth of 0.25 inches (6.4 mm). It displays videos on two LED screens, each encapsulated in a glass brick tower measuring 50 by 23 by 16 feet (15.2 by 7.0 by 4.9 m). The firm designed a special stainless steel T-frame both to bear the load of the walls, which are 50 feet (15 m) high, and to withstand lateral wind forces. The frame holds all the glass blocks and transfers the load to the base in a zigzag pattern. Rods measuring 0.5 inches (13 mm) in diameter anchor to the structure and project into the frame for lateral stability, while triangular corner brackets add support.After several dozen glass manufacturing firms were interviewed, L. E. Smith Glass Company emerged as the company to produce 22,500 glass blocks near the upper limit of the size of press glass formed from hand-poured molten glass and cast iron molds. The process used sand and soda ash heated to a temperature of 2,600 °F (1,430 °C) and "gathered" with a large clay ball resembling a honey dipper. Rather than use a standard plunger to ensure the glass that sagged off the rod spread to the corners of the mold, they relied on gravity. The full mold was annealed (reheated in an oven to 1,100 °F (593 °C)) and cooled. Over the course of four months of production, about 350 blocks were produced per day.The glass was custom-made at a factory in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, and shipped to the structural glass panel manufacturer in Melbourne, Florida. The panels were then shipped by truck to Chicago. The glass is white glass, rather than the usual green glass that results from iron impurities. This has the tradeoff of increased image clarity, but greater dirt visibility. Each block is 5 by 10 by 2 inches (127 by 254 by 51 mm) with glass thin enough to avoid image distortion. On each block, one of the six faces is polished, and the other five surfaces are textured.The structure for the blocks was a challenge. At first, the design team had considered switching to plastic blocks, until the team found Circle Redmont Inc., a prefabricated glass panel company in Melbourne, Florida which specializes in structural glass panel systems. Circle Redmont came up with the plan of turning grates on their sides to be used as building elements. The individual grids are 5 feet (1.5 m) tall and either 16 feet (4.9 m) or 23 feet (7.0 m) wide with cell capacity of an average of 250 blocks. Each tower is composed of 44 grids stacked and welded. The combination of the refraction of the glass and the thinness of the metal make the grid virtually invisible.The fountain uses 11,000 imperial gallons (50,000 L) per hour, 97% of which is recycled back into the system. Getting the water to the spout took ingenuity. Although consideration was given to omitting a LED tile, it was determined that the images would then look as though they were each missing a tooth. Instead, one tile in each tower is recessed about 6 inches (150 mm) to allow the installation of 1 inch (25 mm) clear tubing for the water nozzle. The water regularly spills over the fountain and down the sides of the towers and intermittently spouts from the nozzle. Two essential custom fittings contribute to the artistic vision of the fountain: a custom glass block at the upper edge for guiding the water's descent while remaining unobtrusive, and a plastic nozzle fitted to the stainless steel frame to control the rate of water flow and reduce liability to the city for any injuries sustained by the fountain's interactive participants. The interactive participants are usually children playing in the stream from the water spout or under the cascade. The risk that the spouting water would knock people down made the design both a legal and a physical challenge.The fountains use over one million LEDs. The inner surface of each tower uses 147 smaller screens with a total of 264,480 LED points (each with two red, one blue and two green LEDs). The physical demands of LED screens, in particular the red, green, and blue long-life light bulbs and the requisite circuitry, created three major challenges: supporting the physical structure, combating heat buildup, and optimizing perceptibility of the display. Plensa had used LED fixtures on previous projects, and thus had some experience with these issues. The LED structure is not supported as a single wall (which would be 50 feet (15 m) high), but rather as several segments that are noticeable as visible horizontal bands every few feet: these show where the LED equipment is supported. The heat generated is handled by fans that cool the air at the bottom, that then works its way through the chimney-like tower. Perceptibility was determined to be optimal with LED lights 2 inches (51 mm) behind the glass.LEDs were chosen because they were viewed as the lowest maintenance option of the possible color changing fixtures. LEDs fit into an electrical circuit, causing illumination by the movement of electrons in the semiconductor material and making a filament unnecessary, so the bulbs never burn out and do not get too hot. Fins were added to the screens to keep direct sunlight from hitting the LEDs. Color Kinetics (now part of Philips Solid-State Lighting Solutions, which is now called Philips Color Kinetics) ColorBlast 12 LEDs fixtures are used to illuminate the tower structures and glass in an attempt to meet Plensa's objective that the towers have a light and translucent appearance, with their internal structures reflecting light from behind the glass surface. The electronics were designed to be adaptable to the time of day, weather and season and to meet the desired century-long longevity and dependability objectives set by the design team in response to the thirty-year directive.The 9,423-square-foot (875.4 m2) pool used 3 by 3 feet (0.91 by 0.91 m) pavers that weigh 250 pounds (110 kg). The pavers were rested on screw jack pedestals in order to be leveled and shimmed. The pavers had to be perfectly leveled for the water to work correctly because the fountain incorporates numerous sensors to regulate the flow and level of the water.During construction the underground parking garage remained open. An additional challenge was designing the structure to facilitate interior access for ongoing maintenance and repairs, while accommodating two levels of underground parking underneath. The challenge was solved by combining a T-bar grid to absorb weight with about 150 "outriggers", or "tiebacks", inserted through the video wall to support the glass blocks and absorb wind loads. This design allows for the removal of individual glass blocks for cleaning or repair without disruption to the display. The filtered air inside the towers helps minimize the need for cleaning. Crown Fountain's design not only included interior access for technical repairs, but also incorporated exemplary, non-discriminatory, barrier-free accessibility, because its interactivity is not limited to the able-bodied. The force of the water accounts for the entire range of possible interactive visitors.

0419_T

Crown Fountain

Explore the Unveiling about the Dedication and operation of this artwork, Crown Fountain.

Construction of the video sculpture was completed for testing without the fountain's water features on May 18, 2004. Originally, Plensa had planned to have each face appear for 13 minutes, and this continued to be the targeted duration when the testing of the sculpture occurred. Eventually, professors at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago convinced him to use only five-minute videos.Plensa's design of Crown Fountain was unveiled to the public on July 16–18, during the 2004 grand opening celebrations for Millennium Park. At the time of the unveiling, Crown Fountain, like the nearby Cloud Gate, was incomplete because only 300 of the videos had been refined for public display. It was officially dedicated on July 24, 2004 as part of a special private fundraising party that raised $3 million for the Millennium Park Conservancy fund.

0419_NT

Crown Fountain

Explore the Unveiling about the Dedication and operation of this artwork.

Construction of the video sculpture was completed for testing without the fountain's water features on May 18, 2004. Originally, Plensa had planned to have each face appear for 13 minutes, and this continued to be the targeted duration when the testing of the sculpture occurred. Eventually, professors at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago convinced him to use only five-minute videos.Plensa's design of Crown Fountain was unveiled to the public on July 16–18, during the 2004 grand opening celebrations for Millennium Park. At the time of the unveiling, Crown Fountain, like the nearby Cloud Gate, was incomplete because only 300 of the videos had been refined for public display. It was officially dedicated on July 24, 2004 as part of a special private fundraising party that raised $3 million for the Millennium Park Conservancy fund.

0420_T

Crown Fountain

In the context of Crown Fountain, discuss the Operation of the Dedication and operation.

The control center for the synchronization of images, water flow, and lighting color and intensity is beneath one of the towers, in a room that covers 550 square feet (51 m2). The room houses high-definition video servers and equipment temperature sensors. Hard drives contain all the individual electronic computer files of the face videos. Generally, the computer programs automatically perform tasks such as determining when the face will pucker and, if weather conditions permit, when to turn the water on and off. Using low- rather than high-resolution images was both less expensive and created a better display for the average viewer. A Barco show controller selects the sequence of faces one at a time and determines a random tower lighting selection of one of eight LED colors programmed into an Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC) Emphasis control system. At night, the ETC system controls spotlights that illuminate the cascading water and that are dimmed by special wet-use location ground fault circuit interrupters. The control room covers an area equal to 26 parking spaces in the underground parking garage, which costs the city $100,000 annually in terms of the opportunity cost of lost revenue (in 2004 dollars). Maintenance issues for the fountain range from kids removing the adhesive between the bricks to pipes in need of maintenance. As of 2014, annual upkeep costs were approximately $400,000. Typically, the fountain's water features function between mid-spring and mid-fall, but the images remain on the screen year-round.

0420_NT

Crown Fountain

In the context of this artwork, discuss the Operation of the Dedication and operation.

The control center for the synchronization of images, water flow, and lighting color and intensity is beneath one of the towers, in a room that covers 550 square feet (51 m2). The room houses high-definition video servers and equipment temperature sensors. Hard drives contain all the individual electronic computer files of the face videos. Generally, the computer programs automatically perform tasks such as determining when the face will pucker and, if weather conditions permit, when to turn the water on and off. Using low- rather than high-resolution images was both less expensive and created a better display for the average viewer. A Barco show controller selects the sequence of faces one at a time and determines a random tower lighting selection of one of eight LED colors programmed into an Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC) Emphasis control system. At night, the ETC system controls spotlights that illuminate the cascading water and that are dimmed by special wet-use location ground fault circuit interrupters. The control room covers an area equal to 26 parking spaces in the underground parking garage, which costs the city $100,000 annually in terms of the opportunity cost of lost revenue (in 2004 dollars). Maintenance issues for the fountain range from kids removing the adhesive between the bricks to pipes in need of maintenance. As of 2014, annual upkeep costs were approximately $400,000. Typically, the fountain's water features function between mid-spring and mid-fall, but the images remain on the screen year-round.

0421_T

Crown Fountain

Regarding Crown Fountain, how does the Dedication and operation's Operation incorporate the Video sculpture?

Video sculpture The front face of each tower is animated with a continuous, dynamic exhibit of lights and electronic images. Although the screens on the towers periodically display clips of landscapes such as waterfalls, most intriguing are the display of faces of Chicago residents. About 1,000 faces of Chicagoans are shown in a random rotation, the order determined using a Barco show controller. Each face is displayed for five minutes, with a brief period between each of these videos during which the sculpture is unlit. As a result, no more than 12 faces appear per hour during the summer. However, during the winter a version without the final one minute of puckering is shown, so the video segments then are only four minutes each. The video pattern also includes a three-minute water scene every half-hour and a 30-second fade-to-black every 15 minutes. If all the faces were shown consecutively, instead of randomly, they would each appear about once every eight days. A June 2007 article in the Chicago Sun-Times reported that many of the subjects who had their images digitized for the project had yet to either see their own images or hear of anyone who had seen them. The spouting water from the faces of the towers appears to be flowing from the displayed subject's mouth from a 6-inch (150 mm) nozzle located in the center of each interior face 12 feet (3.7 m) above the reflecting pool. Images are shown daily year-round, while the water feature only operates from May 1 to approximately October 31, weather permitting. The park is open to the public daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.Each tower is illuminated from within on three sides by approximately 70 color-changing Color Kinetics LED lighting fixtures per tower, while the fourth side features opposing Barco LED display screens. At night, some of the videos are replaced by images of nature or solid colors. Also at night, the other three sides of the fountain display changing colors. The outer Color Kinetics surfaces randomly display the translucent glow of one of eight colors along with each of the inner opposing faces. As a video sculpture with a variety of cascade and water spout fountain modes, the sculpture is a fluid, dynamic evolving artwork.

0421_NT

Crown Fountain

Regarding this artwork, how does the Dedication and operation's Operation incorporate the Video sculpture?

Video sculpture The front face of each tower is animated with a continuous, dynamic exhibit of lights and electronic images. Although the screens on the towers periodically display clips of landscapes such as waterfalls, most intriguing are the display of faces of Chicago residents. About 1,000 faces of Chicagoans are shown in a random rotation, the order determined using a Barco show controller. Each face is displayed for five minutes, with a brief period between each of these videos during which the sculpture is unlit. As a result, no more than 12 faces appear per hour during the summer. However, during the winter a version without the final one minute of puckering is shown, so the video segments then are only four minutes each. The video pattern also includes a three-minute water scene every half-hour and a 30-second fade-to-black every 15 minutes. If all the faces were shown consecutively, instead of randomly, they would each appear about once every eight days. A June 2007 article in the Chicago Sun-Times reported that many of the subjects who had their images digitized for the project had yet to either see their own images or hear of anyone who had seen them. The spouting water from the faces of the towers appears to be flowing from the displayed subject's mouth from a 6-inch (150 mm) nozzle located in the center of each interior face 12 feet (3.7 m) above the reflecting pool. Images are shown daily year-round, while the water feature only operates from May 1 to approximately October 31, weather permitting. The park is open to the public daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.Each tower is illuminated from within on three sides by approximately 70 color-changing Color Kinetics LED lighting fixtures per tower, while the fourth side features opposing Barco LED display screens. At night, some of the videos are replaced by images of nature or solid colors. Also at night, the other three sides of the fountain display changing colors. The outer Color Kinetics surfaces randomly display the translucent glow of one of eight colors along with each of the inner opposing faces. As a video sculpture with a variety of cascade and water spout fountain modes, the sculpture is a fluid, dynamic evolving artwork.

0422_T

Crown Fountain

Focusing on the Dedication and operation of Crown Fountain, analyze the Fountain about the Operation.

Fountain Crown Fountain has both slits and a grate for drainage (pictured above right) to drain the 11,520 US gal (43,608 L; 9,592 imp gal) of water per minute. When the videos are not on the front of the tower, water cascades down each of the facades. The water is filtered, pumped and recirculated through the fountain. Dual pump rooms below each tower draw water from a reservoir beneath the reflecting pool. There are 12 mechanical pumps that are regulated from a control room in the underground parking garage beneath the south tower of the fountain. The water in the reflecting pool has a depth of about 0.33 millimetres (0.013 in).

0422_NT

Crown Fountain

Focusing on the Dedication and operation of this artwork, analyze the Fountain about the Operation.

Fountain Crown Fountain has both slits and a grate for drainage (pictured above right) to drain the 11,520 US gal (43,608 L; 9,592 imp gal) of water per minute. When the videos are not on the front of the tower, water cascades down each of the facades. The water is filtered, pumped and recirculated through the fountain. Dual pump rooms below each tower draw water from a reservoir beneath the reflecting pool. There are 12 mechanical pumps that are regulated from a control room in the underground parking garage beneath the south tower of the fountain. The water in the reflecting pool has a depth of about 0.33 millimetres (0.013 in).

0423_T

Crown Fountain

In Crown Fountain, how is the Updating discussed?

In 2014, the hardware and software behind the fountain's operation were replaced. At the time there were plans to replace LED lighting with incandescent bulbs on each of the non-video display surfaces and to replace the video surface LEDs. Plensa, who maintained control of the video faces for the first two years of the fountain's operation, understands that future generations may wish to update the faces used in the rotation of videos to reflect changes in humanity going forward. In 2014, an additional 1000 faces were anticipated for 2016.

0423_NT

Crown Fountain

In this artwork, how is the Updating discussed?

In 2014, the hardware and software behind the fountain's operation were replaced. At the time there were plans to replace LED lighting with incandescent bulbs on each of the non-video display surfaces and to replace the video surface LEDs. Plensa, who maintained control of the video faces for the first two years of the fountain's operation, understands that future generations may wish to update the faces used in the rotation of videos to reflect changes in humanity going forward. In 2014, an additional 1000 faces were anticipated for 2016.

0424_T

Crown Fountain

Focus on Crown Fountain and explore the Critical reception.

Crown Fountain, Trevi Fountain, and Buckingham Fountain, as well as natural water features such as Old Faithful, are examples of the ability of water to attract people and hold their attention. Crown Fountain has more interactivity than other Chicago fountains, such as Buckingham Fountain and Lorado Taft's Fountain of the Great Lakes and Fountain of Time (all but the last are in Grant Park). These other Chicago fountains are traditional in that they discourage viewer touching; Buckingham Fountain is surrounded by a fence, and Taft's fountains are surrounded by moats. In contrast, Crown Fountain provides an open invitation to play in the fountain's water. U.S. News & World Report describes the fountain as an exemplary feature of the city's numerous urban parks. Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin, who is pleased with the sculptures' verticalness, says the fountain helps appropriately depict the modern 21st-century urban park. The Chicago Sun-Times describes the fountain as "eye-catching, crowd-friendly ... high-tech [and] ... contemporary". The New York Times calls the fountain an "extraordinary art object". Frommer's describes the fountain as public art at its best. The beauty of the fountain is, as the San Francisco Chronicle explains, that it is high-concept art for all to enjoy. The Financial Times refers to the fountain as a "techno-fountain". The fountain is praised for its technical features by industry magazines and has won various awards. The project won the 2006 Bombay Sapphire prize for its design work with glass. Critical reviews were not unanimous in their praise. One Chicago Tribune critic was not impressed with JumboTron-like art, although he conceded the participatory element reminded him in a positive way of the jungle gym element of the Chicago Picasso.The fountain is featured on the cover of Philip Jodidio's 2005 book, Architecture: Art. Although Plensa is considered to be a conceptual artist, according to Jodidio, Plensa created a work whose architectural aspects are paramount. Its location juxtaposed with the Historic Michigan Boulevard District's skywall highlights these aspects. Jodidio considers the work to be a modernization of the gargoyle theme, and feels that the scale of the enlarged faces humanize the work and challenges the architecture. The towers are an integral part of the skyline that have achieved rare permanence for contemporary art.

0424_NT

Crown Fountain

Focus on this artwork and explore the Critical reception.

Crown Fountain, Trevi Fountain, and Buckingham Fountain, as well as natural water features such as Old Faithful, are examples of the ability of water to attract people and hold their attention. Crown Fountain has more interactivity than other Chicago fountains, such as Buckingham Fountain and Lorado Taft's Fountain of the Great Lakes and Fountain of Time (all but the last are in Grant Park). These other Chicago fountains are traditional in that they discourage viewer touching; Buckingham Fountain is surrounded by a fence, and Taft's fountains are surrounded by moats. In contrast, Crown Fountain provides an open invitation to play in the fountain's water. U.S. News & World Report describes the fountain as an exemplary feature of the city's numerous urban parks. Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin, who is pleased with the sculptures' verticalness, says the fountain helps appropriately depict the modern 21st-century urban park. The Chicago Sun-Times describes the fountain as "eye-catching, crowd-friendly ... high-tech [and] ... contemporary". The New York Times calls the fountain an "extraordinary art object". Frommer's describes the fountain as public art at its best. The beauty of the fountain is, as the San Francisco Chronicle explains, that it is high-concept art for all to enjoy. The Financial Times refers to the fountain as a "techno-fountain". The fountain is praised for its technical features by industry magazines and has won various awards. The project won the 2006 Bombay Sapphire prize for its design work with glass. Critical reviews were not unanimous in their praise. One Chicago Tribune critic was not impressed with JumboTron-like art, although he conceded the participatory element reminded him in a positive way of the jungle gym element of the Chicago Picasso.The fountain is featured on the cover of Philip Jodidio's 2005 book, Architecture: Art. Although Plensa is considered to be a conceptual artist, according to Jodidio, Plensa created a work whose architectural aspects are paramount. Its location juxtaposed with the Historic Michigan Boulevard District's skywall highlights these aspects. Jodidio considers the work to be a modernization of the gargoyle theme, and feels that the scale of the enlarged faces humanize the work and challenges the architecture. The towers are an integral part of the skyline that have achieved rare permanence for contemporary art.

0425_T

Discus Thrower (Washington, D.C.)

Focus on Discus Thrower (Washington, D.C.) and explain the abstract.

Discus Thrower is a bronze sculpture in Washington, D.C. A copy of Myron's Discobolus, it is located in Edward J. Kelly Park, at 21st Street and Virginia Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. The architect was Rodolfo Siviero, and the founder was Bruno Bearzi. It was dedicated on March 1, 1956. It was a gift from the Italian government to commemorate the return of looted art objects after World War II.The inscription reads: (Base of sculpture, east side:) GLI ITALIANI AL POPOLO AMERICANO 28 FEBBRAIO 1956 (Base of sculpture, west side:) SIGNVM IVSTITIAE RESTITVTAE XXVIII.II.MCMXLVIII

0425_NT

Discus Thrower (Washington, D.C.)

Focus on this artwork and explain the abstract.

Discus Thrower is a bronze sculpture in Washington, D.C. A copy of Myron's Discobolus, it is located in Edward J. Kelly Park, at 21st Street and Virginia Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. The architect was Rodolfo Siviero, and the founder was Bruno Bearzi. It was dedicated on March 1, 1956. It was a gift from the Italian government to commemorate the return of looted art objects after World War II.The inscription reads: (Base of sculpture, east side:) GLI ITALIANI AL POPOLO AMERICANO 28 FEBBRAIO 1956 (Base of sculpture, west side:) SIGNVM IVSTITIAE RESTITVTAE XXVIII.II.MCMXLVIII

0426_T

Willfully Whimsical

Explore the abstract of this artwork, Willfully Whimsical.

Willfully Whimsical is a 2006 painting by Lisa Corinne Davis. It is in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. Completed in 2006, Davis used oil paint and collage to on a wood panel to create a complex, abstract painting.Willfully Whimsical was gifted to the Philadelphia Museum of Art by Davis in 2008.

0426_NT

Willfully Whimsical

Explore the abstract of this artwork.

Willfully Whimsical is a 2006 painting by Lisa Corinne Davis. It is in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. Completed in 2006, Davis used oil paint and collage to on a wood panel to create a complex, abstract painting.Willfully Whimsical was gifted to the Philadelphia Museum of Art by Davis in 2008.

0427_T

Opus 217. Against the Enamel of a Background Rhythmic with Beats and Angles, Tones, and Tints, Portrait of M. Félix Fénéon in 1890

Focus on Opus 217. Against the Enamel of a Background Rhythmic with Beats and Angles, Tones, and Tints, Portrait of M. Félix Fénéon in 1890 and discuss the abstract.

Opus 217. Against the Enamel of a Background Rhythmic with Beats and Angles, Tones, and Tints, Portrait of M. Félix Fénéon in 1890 (French: Opus 217. Sur l'émail d'un fond rythmique de mesures et d'angles, de tons et de teintes, Portrait de M. Félix Fénéon en 1890) is an 1890 oil painting by French artist Paul Signac. The Neo-impressionist work depicts the French art critic Félix Fénéon standing in front of a swirling coloured background. It has been held by the Museum of Modern Art in New York since 1991. The work is a left profile portrait of Fénéon, with his characteristic goatee beard, wearing a brown coat with black suit and white shirt, holding a black top hat and walking cane in his left hand, and delicately a cyclamen flower in the fingers of his outstretched right hand. The angles of Fénéon's head, arm, elbow, and cane, create a zigzag pattern down the right hand side of the painting, while the curved stem and petals of the flower echo the upward curve of Fénéon's goatee. Signac made the portrait from a pencil drawing and oil sketch of the subject, but without long sittings. Its composition may draw from an 1890 gouache portrait of Signac by Georges Seurat, in which Signac is depicted wearing a top hat and carrying a cane. The swirling patterns in the background create a kaleidoscopic colour wheel with abstract designs in eight sectors meeting at a central point, contrasting with the foreground figurative portrait of Fénéon and the flower. The choice of a cyclamen may be a visual pun referring to colour cycle in the background. The background may have been inspired by a Japanese wood block print of the 1860s, perhaps a kimono pattern, which was in Signac's gallery. It is probably also a reference to the aesthetic theories of Charles Henry, whose 1885 book Introduction à une esthétique scientifique influenced Signac and Seurat. Henry's book on colour theory and the "algebra" of visual rhythm (which proposed a deterministic and calculable link between outer stimuli and psychic reaction) was illustrated by Signac, 1890, either Application de nouveaux instruments de précision (cercle chromatique, rapporteur et triple décimètre esthétiques) a l'archéologie. The exceedingly long title of the painting may be intended as a joke at Henry's scientific pretentions. All three were still in their youth: in 1890, Signac celebrated his 27th birthday, Fénéon turned 29, and Henry 31. By this time, the free brushstrokes of Impressionism were being succeeded by the more deliberate and scientific approach of Divisionism or Pointillism, championed by Seurat and Signac, painting with small contrasting coloured dots based on an understanding of colour theory with the intention that the pure colours would be combined in the viewer's eye and mind to create a more vivid work. Unlike many art critics, Fénéon was a supporter of Seurat and Signac, naming their artistic approach Neo-impressionism. The painting measures 73.5 cm × 92.5 cm (28.9 in × 36.4 in). In the lower corners are the title, "OP. 217" and the artist's signature and the date, "P. Signac 90". It was exhibited at the Salon des Indépendents in 1891, but was not well received by most critics, who considered that the background dominated the portrait figure. Signac gave the painting to Fénéon, who kept it until his death in 1944. Artworks from Fénéon's estate were sold at the Hôtel Drouot in 1947, and funds used by his widow to establish the Prix Fénéon, literary and art prizes. The painting was part donated to the Museum of Modern Art in New York by Peggy Rockefeller and David Rockefeller in 1991.

0427_NT

Opus 217. Against the Enamel of a Background Rhythmic with Beats and Angles, Tones, and Tints, Portrait of M. Félix Fénéon in 1890

Focus on this artwork and discuss the abstract.

Opus 217. Against the Enamel of a Background Rhythmic with Beats and Angles, Tones, and Tints, Portrait of M. Félix Fénéon in 1890 (French: Opus 217. Sur l'émail d'un fond rythmique de mesures et d'angles, de tons et de teintes, Portrait de M. Félix Fénéon en 1890) is an 1890 oil painting by French artist Paul Signac. The Neo-impressionist work depicts the French art critic Félix Fénéon standing in front of a swirling coloured background. It has been held by the Museum of Modern Art in New York since 1991. The work is a left profile portrait of Fénéon, with his characteristic goatee beard, wearing a brown coat with black suit and white shirt, holding a black top hat and walking cane in his left hand, and delicately a cyclamen flower in the fingers of his outstretched right hand. The angles of Fénéon's head, arm, elbow, and cane, create a zigzag pattern down the right hand side of the painting, while the curved stem and petals of the flower echo the upward curve of Fénéon's goatee. Signac made the portrait from a pencil drawing and oil sketch of the subject, but without long sittings. Its composition may draw from an 1890 gouache portrait of Signac by Georges Seurat, in which Signac is depicted wearing a top hat and carrying a cane. The swirling patterns in the background create a kaleidoscopic colour wheel with abstract designs in eight sectors meeting at a central point, contrasting with the foreground figurative portrait of Fénéon and the flower. The choice of a cyclamen may be a visual pun referring to colour cycle in the background. The background may have been inspired by a Japanese wood block print of the 1860s, perhaps a kimono pattern, which was in Signac's gallery. It is probably also a reference to the aesthetic theories of Charles Henry, whose 1885 book Introduction à une esthétique scientifique influenced Signac and Seurat. Henry's book on colour theory and the "algebra" of visual rhythm (which proposed a deterministic and calculable link between outer stimuli and psychic reaction) was illustrated by Signac, 1890, either Application de nouveaux instruments de précision (cercle chromatique, rapporteur et triple décimètre esthétiques) a l'archéologie. The exceedingly long title of the painting may be intended as a joke at Henry's scientific pretentions. All three were still in their youth: in 1890, Signac celebrated his 27th birthday, Fénéon turned 29, and Henry 31. By this time, the free brushstrokes of Impressionism were being succeeded by the more deliberate and scientific approach of Divisionism or Pointillism, championed by Seurat and Signac, painting with small contrasting coloured dots based on an understanding of colour theory with the intention that the pure colours would be combined in the viewer's eye and mind to create a more vivid work. Unlike many art critics, Fénéon was a supporter of Seurat and Signac, naming their artistic approach Neo-impressionism. The painting measures 73.5 cm × 92.5 cm (28.9 in × 36.4 in). In the lower corners are the title, "OP. 217" and the artist's signature and the date, "P. Signac 90". It was exhibited at the Salon des Indépendents in 1891, but was not well received by most critics, who considered that the background dominated the portrait figure. Signac gave the painting to Fénéon, who kept it until his death in 1944. Artworks from Fénéon's estate were sold at the Hôtel Drouot in 1947, and funds used by his widow to establish the Prix Fénéon, literary and art prizes. The painting was part donated to the Museum of Modern Art in New York by Peggy Rockefeller and David Rockefeller in 1991.

0428_T

Parable of the Sower (Bruegel)

How does Parable of the Sower (Bruegel) elucidate its abstract?

Parable of the Sower is a 1557 landscape painting by Dutch and Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder. It is now in the Timken Museum of Art in San Diego.

0428_NT

Parable of the Sower (Bruegel)

How does this artwork elucidate its abstract?

Parable of the Sower is a 1557 landscape painting by Dutch and Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder. It is now in the Timken Museum of Art in San Diego.

0429_T

Snow Flurry (design)

Focus on Snow Flurry (design) and analyze the abstract.

The Snow Flurry design was used by American artist Alexander Calder for at least seven mobiles between 1948 and 1959. A monumental design composed of white disks of varying sizes are connected on different branches and levels to reflect a snow flurry in Calder's distinct Modernist style. The 1950 mobile was famously owned by the Noyes family before its 2012 sale fetched over $10 million and made it the most expensive hanging mobile ever sold. This mobile is owned privately, while the 1955 Ráfaga de nieve mobile is a permanent fixture at the Central University of Venezuela, and the others are displayed in museums.

0429_NT

Snow Flurry (design)

Focus on this artwork and analyze the abstract.

The Snow Flurry design was used by American artist Alexander Calder for at least seven mobiles between 1948 and 1959. A monumental design composed of white disks of varying sizes are connected on different branches and levels to reflect a snow flurry in Calder's distinct Modernist style. The 1950 mobile was famously owned by the Noyes family before its 2012 sale fetched over $10 million and made it the most expensive hanging mobile ever sold. This mobile is owned privately, while the 1955 Ráfaga de nieve mobile is a permanent fixture at the Central University of Venezuela, and the others are displayed in museums.

0430_T

Snow Flurry (design)

In Snow Flurry (design), how is the Design discussed?

The design, called a "cascade of white discs", is based on snowfall that artist Alexander Calder experienced from his home in Roxbury, Connecticut. It also bears similarities to Calder's 1946 Blizzard (Roxbury Flurry), which is considered a sister work. Another similar Calder mobile is the 1961 Nineteen White Discs. A New Statesman review says that the title Snow Flurry makes sense, but that on first sight it "looked ... like a great cabbage white, complete with proboscis, tendrils, aerials and those paned butterfly wings in every unadorned wire".The Modernist design comprises "a series of different sized, circular white discs delicately hanging from twig like wire branches, casting shadows ... and slowly turning". The mobiles are all "practically the same", using white painted sheet metal and dark metal wire. The sizes of the circular discs get smaller the further from the apex they are; the mobile is structured in a pyramid formation. As a whole, it can rotate a full 360 degrees, but the various branches are restricted as to how far they can turn independently. Described as "evocative" in a HuffPost review, the mobile is intended to move when breezes take it so "the flurries float like light snowflakes"; the movement and the shadows produced by the mobile add to the visual appeal.Talking about one of the Snow Flurry mobiles at the Beyeler Foundation in 2012, Calder's son said: You'll see that the movement of the mobile is gesture, of course, it's gesture before abstract expressionism. It is all about gesture. If you start to study the assembly of the sculpture, you see the white disks, the different scales [...] And if you start to follow it, it's almost like conducting a piece of music, Calder is very related to music. He is very related to rhythm, all his obsession with jazz, the harmonies of life and life cycles, the spirals, there are lots of spirals in this work.

0430_NT

Snow Flurry (design)

In this artwork, how is the Design discussed?

The design, called a "cascade of white discs", is based on snowfall that artist Alexander Calder experienced from his home in Roxbury, Connecticut. It also bears similarities to Calder's 1946 Blizzard (Roxbury Flurry), which is considered a sister work. Another similar Calder mobile is the 1961 Nineteen White Discs. A New Statesman review says that the title Snow Flurry makes sense, but that on first sight it "looked ... like a great cabbage white, complete with proboscis, tendrils, aerials and those paned butterfly wings in every unadorned wire".The Modernist design comprises "a series of different sized, circular white discs delicately hanging from twig like wire branches, casting shadows ... and slowly turning". The mobiles are all "practically the same", using white painted sheet metal and dark metal wire. The sizes of the circular discs get smaller the further from the apex they are; the mobile is structured in a pyramid formation. As a whole, it can rotate a full 360 degrees, but the various branches are restricted as to how far they can turn independently. Described as "evocative" in a HuffPost review, the mobile is intended to move when breezes take it so "the flurries float like light snowflakes"; the movement and the shadows produced by the mobile add to the visual appeal.Talking about one of the Snow Flurry mobiles at the Beyeler Foundation in 2012, Calder's son said: You'll see that the movement of the mobile is gesture, of course, it's gesture before abstract expressionism. It is all about gesture. If you start to study the assembly of the sculpture, you see the white disks, the different scales [...] And if you start to follow it, it's almost like conducting a piece of music, Calder is very related to music. He is very related to rhythm, all his obsession with jazz, the harmonies of life and life cycles, the spirals, there are lots of spirals in this work.

0431_T

Snow Flurry (design)

In the context of Snow Flurry (design), explain the Snow Flurry, I of the Artworks.

Year: 1948 Snow Flurry, I measures 238.7 cm × 208.8 cm and was gifted to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) by Calder in 1966. It was displayed at the Tate Modern in 2015, where curator Ann Coxon said that, based on the sculpture, "a sense of the natural world has also been important: [they were] looking at opening up some of the windows, getting a sense of the outside coming in". As of 2020, it is not displayed.

0431_NT

Snow Flurry (design)

In the context of this artwork, explain the Snow Flurry, I of the Artworks.

Year: 1948 Snow Flurry, I measures 238.7 cm × 208.8 cm and was gifted to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) by Calder in 1966. It was displayed at the Tate Modern in 2015, where curator Ann Coxon said that, based on the sculpture, "a sense of the natural world has also been important: [they were] looking at opening up some of the windows, getting a sense of the outside coming in". As of 2020, it is not displayed.

0432_T

Snow Flurry (design)

Explore the Snow Flurry II about the Artworks of this artwork, Snow Flurry (design).

Year: 1948 The second of the 1948 collection is owned by the Museu de Arte Contemporânea da Universidade de São Paulo. It measures 185.4 cm × 205.7 cm.

0432_NT

Snow Flurry (design)

Explore the Snow Flurry II about the Artworks of this artwork.

Year: 1948 The second of the 1948 collection is owned by the Museu de Arte Contemporânea da Universidade de São Paulo. It measures 185.4 cm × 205.7 cm.

0433_T

Snow Flurry (design)

In the context of Snow Flurry (design), discuss the Snow Flurry III of the Artworks.

Year: 1948 Snow Flurry III measures 134.6 cm × 228.6 cm and is owned by the Portland Museum of Art, given as an anonymous gift, where it is on the first floor of the Payson building. It was displayed on loan at the National Gallery of Victoria in 2019.At the Portland museum, it is said to be "one of the most beloved sculptures".

0433_NT

Snow Flurry (design)

In the context of this artwork, discuss the Snow Flurry III of the Artworks.

Year: 1948 Snow Flurry III measures 134.6 cm × 228.6 cm and is owned by the Portland Museum of Art, given as an anonymous gift, where it is on the first floor of the Payson building. It was displayed on loan at the National Gallery of Victoria in 2019.At the Portland museum, it is said to be "one of the most beloved sculptures".

0434_T

Snow Flurry (design)

In Snow Flurry (design), how is the Snow Flurry of the Artworks elucidated?

Year: 1950 Measuring 152.4 cm × 213.4 cm, this piece is the best known variation.The 1950 sculpture was owned by Eliot Noyes, a close friend of Calder's, and then his family until 2012, when it was sold at Christie's; the saleroom created a catalog for Noyes' Calder pieces that capitalized on the connection to the owner as well as the artist. It achieved US$10,386,500, a record price for a Calder work and the most expensive hanging mobile ever sold at the time. Its original estimate was US$3.5–4.5 million. The new owner is also based in the United States.

0434_NT

Snow Flurry (design)

In this artwork, how is the Snow Flurry of the Artworks elucidated?

Year: 1950 Measuring 152.4 cm × 213.4 cm, this piece is the best known variation.The 1950 sculpture was owned by Eliot Noyes, a close friend of Calder's, and then his family until 2012, when it was sold at Christie's; the saleroom created a catalog for Noyes' Calder pieces that capitalized on the connection to the owner as well as the artist. It achieved US$10,386,500, a record price for a Calder work and the most expensive hanging mobile ever sold at the time. Its original estimate was US$3.5–4.5 million. The new owner is also based in the United States.

0435_T

Snow Flurry (design)

In the context of Snow Flurry (design), analyze the Snow Flurries of the Artworks.

Year: 1951 The Snow Flurries mobile is 243.8 cm × 243.8 cm and is owned by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. In a review while on display at the Orange County Museum of Art, its "pure visual impact" was said to be "quite arresting". It has also been shown at the Nasher Museum of Art, where it took ten workers to hang it.

0435_NT

Snow Flurry (design)

In the context of this artwork, analyze the Snow Flurries of the Artworks.

Year: 1951 The Snow Flurries mobile is 243.8 cm × 243.8 cm and is owned by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. In a review while on display at the Orange County Museum of Art, its "pure visual impact" was said to be "quite arresting". It has also been shown at the Nasher Museum of Art, where it took ten workers to hang it.

0436_T

Snow Flurry (design)

Describe the characteristics of the Ráfaga de nieve in Snow Flurry (design)'s Artworks.

Year: 1955 The version at the Central University of Venezuela, titled in Spanish, is 320 cm × 250 cm.The Venezuelan architect and designer Carlos Raúl Villanueva began designing the University City of Caracas campus in the 1940s, beginning construction in the 1950s in a time of prevailing Modernism in Latin America. Villanueva hired many artists from around the world to contribute works to the campus, including Calder, who contributed four pieces; Ráfaga de nieve, a monumental acoustic sculpture called the Floating Clouds, and two stabiles.The mobile was first restored in 1983, and restored again in 2013; its location allows strong air currents to damage it over time while also making it difficult to clean. Restoration involved consultation with the Calder Foundation, and each piece was documented and labeled before it was dismantled and removed. A geometric analysis of the mobile suggested that in some formations it shows Fibonacci patterns in its layout.

0436_NT

Snow Flurry (design)

Describe the characteristics of the Ráfaga de nieve in this artwork's Artworks.

Year: 1955 The version at the Central University of Venezuela, titled in Spanish, is 320 cm × 250 cm.The Venezuelan architect and designer Carlos Raúl Villanueva began designing the University City of Caracas campus in the 1940s, beginning construction in the 1950s in a time of prevailing Modernism in Latin America. Villanueva hired many artists from around the world to contribute works to the campus, including Calder, who contributed four pieces; Ráfaga de nieve, a monumental acoustic sculpture called the Floating Clouds, and two stabiles.The mobile was first restored in 1983, and restored again in 2013; its location allows strong air currents to damage it over time while also making it difficult to clean. Restoration involved consultation with the Calder Foundation, and each piece was documented and labeled before it was dismantled and removed. A geometric analysis of the mobile suggested that in some formations it shows Fibonacci patterns in its layout.

0437_T

Snow Flurry (design)

In the context of Snow Flurry (design), explore the Snow Flurry, May 14 of the Artworks.

Year: 1959 This mobile is 243.84 cm × 426.72 cm, and is owned and displayed in the Denver Art Museum, having been purchased for US$500,000 in 1997. It was loaned to a display at Denver Botanic Gardens in summer 2017. It was first displayed at the Tate Gallery London in 1962, specifically lent by Calder. After display in the Tate exhibition it was lent for display to Leeds City Art Gallery who were in the process of negotiating an acquisition for the collection, through the Leeds Art Collections Fund, eventually buying the work Chicago Black. A contemporary report wrote that: "After an exhilarating correspondence we are greatly indebted to Mr. Calder for lending one of his finest mobiles called Snow Flurry—it was in the exhibition—for hanging in the vestibule at the Art Gallery. When it eventually has to be taken down and returned to America, a feeling of discontent is bound to descend also, this time on staff and visitors alike."

0437_NT

Snow Flurry (design)

In the context of this artwork, explore the Snow Flurry, May 14 of the Artworks.

Year: 1959 This mobile is 243.84 cm × 426.72 cm, and is owned and displayed in the Denver Art Museum, having been purchased for US$500,000 in 1997. It was loaned to a display at Denver Botanic Gardens in summer 2017. It was first displayed at the Tate Gallery London in 1962, specifically lent by Calder. After display in the Tate exhibition it was lent for display to Leeds City Art Gallery who were in the process of negotiating an acquisition for the collection, through the Leeds Art Collections Fund, eventually buying the work Chicago Black. A contemporary report wrote that: "After an exhilarating correspondence we are greatly indebted to Mr. Calder for lending one of his finest mobiles called Snow Flurry—it was in the exhibition—for hanging in the vestibule at the Art Gallery. When it eventually has to be taken down and returned to America, a feeling of discontent is bound to descend also, this time on staff and visitors alike."

0438_T

Assumption of the Virgin (Palma Vecchio)

Focus on Assumption of the Virgin (Palma Vecchio) and explain the abstract.

The Assumption of the Virgin is an oil on panel painting by Palma Vecchio, created c. 1513, now in the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice.It shows an episode recounted in the apocryphal gospels - the Virgin Mary rising to heaven carried by angels. In this case the legend of the Girdle of Thomas is included, with Mary about to drop the belt of her dress down on Thomas the Apostle.

0438_NT

Assumption of the Virgin (Palma Vecchio)

Focus on this artwork and explain the abstract.

The Assumption of the Virgin is an oil on panel painting by Palma Vecchio, created c. 1513, now in the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice.It shows an episode recounted in the apocryphal gospels - the Virgin Mary rising to heaven carried by angels. In this case the legend of the Girdle of Thomas is included, with Mary about to drop the belt of her dress down on Thomas the Apostle.

0439_T

Assumption of the Virgin (Palma Vecchio)

Explore the History and description of this artwork, Assumption of the Virgin (Palma Vecchio).

The large painting is perhaps the first Vecchio produced in Venice. It was probably commissioned in 1513 and it appears the artist received a fee of 50 ducats from the Scuola di Santa Maria Maggiore's syndics, showing that he was already highly regarded on Venetian territory despite his youth. Giorgio Vasari and Roberto Ridolfi also mention a painting of the Madonna in the Air by Vecchio, then in the Church of San Moisè.In 1808 the painting and the other works of the Scuola della Carità were confiscated by the Napoleonic authorities in Italy, entered the Gallerie dell'Accademia four years later. A restoration in 1967 confirmed its attribution as an early Vecchio.

0439_NT

Assumption of the Virgin (Palma Vecchio)

Explore the History and description of this artwork.

The large painting is perhaps the first Vecchio produced in Venice. It was probably commissioned in 1513 and it appears the artist received a fee of 50 ducats from the Scuola di Santa Maria Maggiore's syndics, showing that he was already highly regarded on Venetian territory despite his youth. Giorgio Vasari and Roberto Ridolfi also mention a painting of the Madonna in the Air by Vecchio, then in the Church of San Moisè.In 1808 the painting and the other works of the Scuola della Carità were confiscated by the Napoleonic authorities in Italy, entered the Gallerie dell'Accademia four years later. A restoration in 1967 confirmed its attribution as an early Vecchio.

0440_T

Assumption of the Virgin (Palma Vecchio)

Focus on Assumption of the Virgin (Palma Vecchio) and discuss the Description.

The image depicts the Madonna who, contrary to traditional representations, turns her gaze downwards to the apostle. It is heavily influenced by Giovanni Bellini's Virgin in Glory with Saints, now in the church of San Pietro Martire in Murano and by Deposition in the Sepulchre in Iesi by Lorenzo Lotto, particularly in the depiction of the face of the angels supporting the Madonna, and in the slightly awkward angel holding up the ascending Virgin, an unusual representation. The full-length depictions of the apostles are depicted looking toward the sky. They have a sculptural presence and form, perhaps in tribute to the sculptor Tullio Lombardo who was close to the artist. They wear brightly coloured clothes, including red, green, and yellow cloaks, with a small gap at the bottom cut at an unknown date to allow for a tabernacle. In the background is a barren landscape and in the far distance a castle. Above them is the Madonna wearing a pink dress with copious moving folds, a blue flapping cloak and a white veil. Behind her is a golden mandorla (almond-shaped halo) and she is supported by musician angels, including an angel with open wings holding her up, all shown against an intense blue sky. The Madonna holds an ochre belt in her left hand and hands it to the apostle who stands immediately below her with a confused and incredulous gaze - the apocrypha relates that he had not only initially disbelieved in the Resurrection but also the Assumption.

0440_NT

Assumption of the Virgin (Palma Vecchio)

Focus on this artwork and discuss the Description.

The image depicts the Madonna who, contrary to traditional representations, turns her gaze downwards to the apostle. It is heavily influenced by Giovanni Bellini's Virgin in Glory with Saints, now in the church of San Pietro Martire in Murano and by Deposition in the Sepulchre in Iesi by Lorenzo Lotto, particularly in the depiction of the face of the angels supporting the Madonna, and in the slightly awkward angel holding up the ascending Virgin, an unusual representation. The full-length depictions of the apostles are depicted looking toward the sky. They have a sculptural presence and form, perhaps in tribute to the sculptor Tullio Lombardo who was close to the artist. They wear brightly coloured clothes, including red, green, and yellow cloaks, with a small gap at the bottom cut at an unknown date to allow for a tabernacle. In the background is a barren landscape and in the far distance a castle. Above them is the Madonna wearing a pink dress with copious moving folds, a blue flapping cloak and a white veil. Behind her is a golden mandorla (almond-shaped halo) and she is supported by musician angels, including an angel with open wings holding her up, all shown against an intense blue sky. The Madonna holds an ochre belt in her left hand and hands it to the apostle who stands immediately below her with a confused and incredulous gaze - the apocrypha relates that he had not only initially disbelieved in the Resurrection but also the Assumption.

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The Tortoise Trainer

How does The Tortoise Trainer elucidate its Description?

The painting depicts an elderly man in traditional Ottoman religious costume: a long red garment with embroidered hem, belted at the waist, and a Turkish turban. The figure may be a self-portrait of Hamdi himself. The anachronistic costume predates the introduction of the fez and the spread of Western style dress with the Tanzimat reforms in the mid-19th century. He holds a traditional ney flute and bears a nakkare drum on his back, with a drumstick hanging to his front. The man's costume and instruments suggests he may be a Dervish.The scene is set in a dilapidated upper room at the Green Mosque, Bursa, where the man is attempting to "train" the five tortoises at his feet, but they are ignoring him preferring instead to eat the green leaves on the floor. Above a pointed window is the inscription: Şifa'al-kulûp lika'al Mahbub ("The healing of the hearts is meeting with the beloved").

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The Tortoise Trainer

How does this artwork elucidate its Description?

The painting depicts an elderly man in traditional Ottoman religious costume: a long red garment with embroidered hem, belted at the waist, and a Turkish turban. The figure may be a self-portrait of Hamdi himself. The anachronistic costume predates the introduction of the fez and the spread of Western style dress with the Tanzimat reforms in the mid-19th century. He holds a traditional ney flute and bears a nakkare drum on his back, with a drumstick hanging to his front. The man's costume and instruments suggests he may be a Dervish.The scene is set in a dilapidated upper room at the Green Mosque, Bursa, where the man is attempting to "train" the five tortoises at his feet, but they are ignoring him preferring instead to eat the green leaves on the floor. Above a pointed window is the inscription: Şifa'al-kulûp lika'al Mahbub ("The healing of the hearts is meeting with the beloved").

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The Tortoise Trainer

Focus on The Tortoise Trainer and analyze the Historic context.

Osman Hamdi Bey created the painting at a time of great social and political turmoil in the Ottoman Empire. The reforms introduced by Sultan Abdülhamid II had either proved ineffective, or had been blamed for the increased upheaval. The Ottoman Empire, which still encompassed parts of the Balkan peninsula, parts of North Africa, all of Anatolia and the Levant, and much of the Arabian peninsula at the turn of the 20th century, was under serious threat from both the growing power of nationalist movements within its territory, and from the incursions of foreign powers which would eventually divide the Empire between them in the aftermath of the First World War.Although not widely shown or understood at the time, the painting achieved greater significance in subsequent decades as it presaged the Young Turk Revolution of 1908 which brought an end to the direct autocratic rule by the Sultan (eventually replaced by the regime of the Three Pashas after the 1913 coup d'état) and set the stage for the Empire's entry into the First World War on the side of the Central Powers and for its subsequent partitioning.

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The Tortoise Trainer

Focus on this artwork and analyze the Historic context.

Osman Hamdi Bey created the painting at a time of great social and political turmoil in the Ottoman Empire. The reforms introduced by Sultan Abdülhamid II had either proved ineffective, or had been blamed for the increased upheaval. The Ottoman Empire, which still encompassed parts of the Balkan peninsula, parts of North Africa, all of Anatolia and the Levant, and much of the Arabian peninsula at the turn of the 20th century, was under serious threat from both the growing power of nationalist movements within its territory, and from the incursions of foreign powers which would eventually divide the Empire between them in the aftermath of the First World War.Although not widely shown or understood at the time, the painting achieved greater significance in subsequent decades as it presaged the Young Turk Revolution of 1908 which brought an end to the direct autocratic rule by the Sultan (eventually replaced by the regime of the Three Pashas after the 1913 coup d'état) and set the stage for the Empire's entry into the First World War on the side of the Central Powers and for its subsequent partitioning.

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Life (sculpture)

In Life (sculpture), how is the abstract discussed?

Life is a concrete sculpture on Quinpool Road, a commercial street in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was commissioned in 1968 by Ben's Bakery and produced by painter Joseph Drapell.

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Life (sculpture)

In this artwork, how is the abstract discussed?

Life is a concrete sculpture on Quinpool Road, a commercial street in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was commissioned in 1968 by Ben's Bakery and produced by painter Joseph Drapell.

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Life (sculpture)

Focus on Life (sculpture) and explore the Background.

Commissioned by Ben's Bakery, Life was designed by noted painter Joseph Drapell shortly after he emigrated from Czechoslovakia as a refugee, landing in Halifax in 1966. The piece, one of the artist's first professional works, sits along the edge of the bakery's former property, shielding an open-air car park and loading area from the commercial street beyond.

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Life (sculpture)

Focus on this artwork and explore the Background.

Commissioned by Ben's Bakery, Life was designed by noted painter Joseph Drapell shortly after he emigrated from Czechoslovakia as a refugee, landing in Halifax in 1966. The piece, one of the artist's first professional works, sits along the edge of the bakery's former property, shielding an open-air car park and loading area from the commercial street beyond.

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Life (sculpture)

Focus on Life (sculpture) and explain the Physical description.

The sculpture is made of ferroconcrete and acrylic glass, the latter a relatively new product at the time. The concrete was once painted pink, and the glass scattered colourful sunlight onto the sidewalk. According to the artist, the piece is 65 feet long, 6 feet deep, and 12 feet high. There is a small plaque mounted at the eastern end of the sculpture, which bears the artist's name (rendered as "Josef Drapell"), the title of the piece, and "Halifax 1968".

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Life (sculpture)

Focus on this artwork and explain the Physical description.

The sculpture is made of ferroconcrete and acrylic glass, the latter a relatively new product at the time. The concrete was once painted pink, and the glass scattered colourful sunlight onto the sidewalk. According to the artist, the piece is 65 feet long, 6 feet deep, and 12 feet high. There is a small plaque mounted at the eastern end of the sculpture, which bears the artist's name (rendered as "Josef Drapell"), the title of the piece, and "Halifax 1968".

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Life (sculpture)

Explore the Concept of this artwork, Life (sculpture).

In 2015, Drapell explained the piece to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as follows:The central form 'male' is tall, impenetrable; the central form 'female' is shorter and receptive. From the left and from the right 'the forces of living' compress both sexes with reality (concrete walls). The three glass boxes represent our intelligence, our feelings, our emotions and our rationality. On sunny days, the sun plays in them with that extra uplift, on cloudy days everything is back to 'normal.' The pairs of Plexiglas rods cast into the concrete walls represent our curiosity and symbolize our desire to see beyond the concrete reality of our limited world.In our explorations of the universe we sometimes succeed, or pay with our blood (the fluorescent red Plexiglas).

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Life (sculpture)

Explore the Concept of this artwork.

In 2015, Drapell explained the piece to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as follows:The central form 'male' is tall, impenetrable; the central form 'female' is shorter and receptive. From the left and from the right 'the forces of living' compress both sexes with reality (concrete walls). The three glass boxes represent our intelligence, our feelings, our emotions and our rationality. On sunny days, the sun plays in them with that extra uplift, on cloudy days everything is back to 'normal.' The pairs of Plexiglas rods cast into the concrete walls represent our curiosity and symbolize our desire to see beyond the concrete reality of our limited world.In our explorations of the universe we sometimes succeed, or pay with our blood (the fluorescent red Plexiglas).

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Life (sculpture)

Focus on Life (sculpture) and discuss the Current condition.

Today the sculpture is in poor condition. The concrete surface suffers from spalling, and large chunks have broken away from the base, exposing the corroding rebar. The acrylic glass has become cloudy.In an effort to rehabilitate the piece, in 2006 the municipal government asked Halifax artist Philip Doucette to cover Life with mosaic tiles. After researching the sculpture's background, Doucette refused, stating that it would be "very egregious to modify someone's design and call it your own". He stated that the sculpture is a reminder of a young artist who immigrated to Halifax and went on to achieve international recognition, and asked, "do we keep the fact that he had been here in our memory? I think that's an important question."In 2010, the city explored the possibility of moving the sculpture to the Halifax Common. Drapell asked the city to cover his expenses in overseeing the move, and the plan did not proceed.

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Life (sculpture)

Focus on this artwork and discuss the Current condition.

Today the sculpture is in poor condition. The concrete surface suffers from spalling, and large chunks have broken away from the base, exposing the corroding rebar. The acrylic glass has become cloudy.In an effort to rehabilitate the piece, in 2006 the municipal government asked Halifax artist Philip Doucette to cover Life with mosaic tiles. After researching the sculpture's background, Doucette refused, stating that it would be "very egregious to modify someone's design and call it your own". He stated that the sculpture is a reminder of a young artist who immigrated to Halifax and went on to achieve international recognition, and asked, "do we keep the fact that he had been here in our memory? I think that's an important question."In 2010, the city explored the possibility of moving the sculpture to the Halifax Common. Drapell asked the city to cover his expenses in overseeing the move, and the plan did not proceed.

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Life (sculpture)

How does Life (sculpture) elucidate its Future?

In 2014, the Canada Bread Company, parent company of Ben's Bakery, was acquired by Grupo Bimbo of Mexico. In March 2015, it was announced that the 104-year-old Ben's Bakery would be shut down and the employees laid off, with production shifting to facilities in New Brunswick.The bakery property was purchased by Westwood Developments, controlled by Danny Chedrawe, in November 2015. Westwood plans to build a mixed-use residential and retail development on the site, a plan that would affect the sculpture. The fate of Life has not been publicly revealed, but in early 2016 it was reported that the architects and developer were exploring ways to potentially incorporate the piece into the new development.

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Life (sculpture)

How does this artwork elucidate its Future?

In 2014, the Canada Bread Company, parent company of Ben's Bakery, was acquired by Grupo Bimbo of Mexico. In March 2015, it was announced that the 104-year-old Ben's Bakery would be shut down and the employees laid off, with production shifting to facilities in New Brunswick.The bakery property was purchased by Westwood Developments, controlled by Danny Chedrawe, in November 2015. Westwood plans to build a mixed-use residential and retail development on the site, a plan that would affect the sculpture. The fate of Life has not been publicly revealed, but in early 2016 it was reported that the architects and developer were exploring ways to potentially incorporate the piece into the new development.

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The Feast of Saint Nicholas

Focus on The Feast of Saint Nicholas and analyze the abstract.

The Feast of Saint Nicholas (Dutch: Het Sint-Nicolaasfeest) is an oil-on-canvas painting executed c. 1665–1668 by Dutch master Jan Steen, which is now in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. It measures 82 x 70.5 cm. The picture, painted in the chaotic Jan Steen style, depicts a family at home on December 5, the night celebrated in the Netherlands as the Feast of Saint Nicholas, or Sinterklaas.

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The Feast of Saint Nicholas

Focus on this artwork and analyze the abstract.

The Feast of Saint Nicholas (Dutch: Het Sint-Nicolaasfeest) is an oil-on-canvas painting executed c. 1665–1668 by Dutch master Jan Steen, which is now in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. It measures 82 x 70.5 cm. The picture, painted in the chaotic Jan Steen style, depicts a family at home on December 5, the night celebrated in the Netherlands as the Feast of Saint Nicholas, or Sinterklaas.

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The Feast of Saint Nicholas

In The Feast of Saint Nicholas, how is the Jan Steen and his contemporaries discussed?

Jan Steen was a Dutch genre painter of the 17th century. Dutch painting of the time, including the landscapes of Aelbert Cuyp and Jacob van Ruisdael, show a rustic intimacy that carried over into genre paintings of domestic scenes. The paintings of Jan Vermeer and Jan Steen detail the same sense of comfort in scenes from daily household life. As the Dutch economy thrived and the middle class of wealthy merchants grew, such domestic paintings rose in popularity. As members of the middle class became the new patrons of art, the traditional religious and historical subjects were less popular than the newer household scenes that offer direct glimpses into the lives of Dutch families of the time.

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The Feast of Saint Nicholas

In this artwork, how is the Jan Steen and his contemporaries discussed?

Jan Steen was a Dutch genre painter of the 17th century. Dutch painting of the time, including the landscapes of Aelbert Cuyp and Jacob van Ruisdael, show a rustic intimacy that carried over into genre paintings of domestic scenes. The paintings of Jan Vermeer and Jan Steen detail the same sense of comfort in scenes from daily household life. As the Dutch economy thrived and the middle class of wealthy merchants grew, such domestic paintings rose in popularity. As members of the middle class became the new patrons of art, the traditional religious and historical subjects were less popular than the newer household scenes that offer direct glimpses into the lives of Dutch families of the time.