Art History by Tanya Geercke

Author: Tanya Geercke (Page 1 of 2)

Inspiration

Viewing art, studying art and writing about art, gives me more pleasure than almost any other activity. It stimulates my senses, my emotions and engages my brain, but most of all it has the capacity to reach into me and warm my soul. Recently, it has inspired me to want to create art of my own and so I have embarked on an artistic journey, with the intention of finding my own creative voice and also to learn new skills, in particular how to use colour and paint.

I was a creative child which led to my studying fashion and textiles at art school. Afterwards I dabbled in art, taking drawing classes before becoming interested in black and white photography. I think that deep down I’ve always wanted to become an artist and if not now, when? Creative dabbling is not enough, I want to focus on producing something interesting and meaningful, something that represents me. My starting point is to look for inspiration and where else would I find this but in the art I love.

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Morisot & Modern Life

Nineteenth-century propriety meant that as a female artist, Berthe Morisot had little freedom to experience and paint the public spectacle of modern Parisian city life.  So instead, she focussed on her home, transforming the experience of women within the domestic sphere, into one of modernity.

In the nineteenth-century, it was unusual for a woman to have a successful artistic career, but Berthe Morisot (1841-1895) was fortunate in having the support of her wealthy bourgeoise family, who had encouraged her from a young age.  Through the Morisot social circle, she became friends with Edouard Manet (and his brother Eugène, whom she married) and got to know his followers, the group of artists who became known as the Impressionists.  This gave her the opportunity to engage with artistic debates of the day, such as how artists might respond to modern life.  In the mid nineteenth century, Paris had undergone a physical transformation with new boulevards, public buildings, cafés and bars, that drew crowds and created a visual spectacle of interest to artists.  Whilst her fellow male artists could engage directly and easily with urban life, Morisot, ‘[h]eavily chaperoned, corseted and formally dressed, […] could not become the unobtrusive observer/participator of the pageant of modern life…’[1]Adler & Garb, 1987, p.80  This led to her finding a different way of representing the new modern era.

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Notes[+]

A Festive Treat

Adoration of the Magi (1423) is a sumptuous altarpiece by Gentile da Fabriano, filled with elegant figures, intricate details and lavish gold decoration. It is a triumph of late Gothic style, revealing technical virtuosity and imaginative storytelling, as well as meeting the exacting needs of his patron.

The man standing to the right of the youngest Magi, holding a falcon and looking at the Holy Family, is Palla Strozzi (1372-1462).  He has this prominent position because he commissioned the work and in many respects, this painting is all about him. Strozzi was a banker, a nobleman and at the time the richest man in Florence.  He was a humanist, knew Greek and Latin, had an interest in rare books and was knowledgeable about art.  He founded the first public library in Florence.  This work reflects his status, as well as his taste and ideas. It is no surprise that the artist he commissioned to paint the altarpiece for his private family chapel, was Gentile da Fabriano (c.1370-1427), at the time, the most celebrated and sought-after painter in Italy, official painter to Pope Martin V and newly arrived in Florence.  Expectations would be high.

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The Allure of Renaissance Portraits

Some of the most arresting portraits were produced in the Renaissance period.  Artists including Jan Van Eyck, Hans Memling, Raphael, Hans Holbein and Giovanni Moroni created unique works that showcased originality and virtuosity.

A portrait may have appeared a straightforward commission for a renaissance artist, because after all, a resemblance with a touch of flattery would surely keep a patron happy and lead to bigger more lucrative commissions.  However, some outstanding works were produced in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and reveal how the best portraits were not just about a likeness but try to convey the character and emotions of a real person.  It wasn’t until the fifteenth century that portraits appeared as a separate entity, rather than as pious images of donors in larger devotional works.  Earlier portraits were based on models from Classical antiquity such as the profiles on Roman medals, but the Renaissance heralded a new representational system in art which helped develop portraiture.  Many artists excelled in the field and I’ve selected a few to discuss, who I find particularly interesting.

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Vincent and George

It is often said that the art of Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) is the result of a disturbed and volatile mind, an idea that has come to reinforce our notion of the artistic temperament. However, I believe he always painted with purpose, that his art was considered, rather than impulsive and influenced by both intellectual and emotional responses. This is borne out in his many letters (of which 902 survive) that show him to be a very intelligent and thoughtful man.  They are revealing of his feelings about life and art and show how he was strongly influenced by religion and social compassion. His letters also show how he was inspired by literature, particularly English Victorian writers. Charles Dickens was a favourite, but I would like to focus on George Eliot, who had a particular influence and show how her views about religion, people and the need for a social conscience as well as her vivid descriptive language, helped inform his art.

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