Homer:
You're making this way too complicated. Plus, you don't even know how to spell "Manny". I think you did that on purpose, just for a highbrow excuse to post the naked chick pictures (even though most of them are kinda chunky). ;-)
Posted on 05/25/2005 6:27:04 AM PDT by Republicanprofessor
A larger question would be: Can we see the beginning of European decadence and decline in their choice of subject matter? One notices that the American artists of the same period do not limit themselves to "nekkid ladies" and seldom do they seek to shock their audience.
I teach Art and Music Appreciation at a local technical college. My first lecture is a paraphrase of the federal jurist's comments about pornography...you can't really define good art but you know it when you see it. I send my students to visit local galleries and art exhibits and write about what piece or pieces they liked. I have had many students who had never seriously visited an art gallery before come back and write how moved they were by a ceratin piece and were surprised how much they enjoyed seeing serious art for the first time.
Maurice Denis said this “A picture--before it is a a war horse, a female nude, or some anecdote, is essentially a flat surface covered with colors in a particular order.”Does the word "flat" have different meanings. I understand the first use of the word ("essentially a flat surface"), but I'm not sure I follow its usage through the rest of it.He’s made the lady flatter and bolder
more modern and flattened style of realism
And one says he would paint her flatly, as if in real light,
Other than the obvious, what does "flat" mean?
You might indicate that. However, at one time beginning hundreds of years earlier the artists thought there was a beauty to painting nudes. That did not go out of style. However, with these more modern day paintings of nudes in the park with fully clothed men, you might have a point.
Excellent post, could I be put on your ping list?
Personally, I like the older, more realistic style better. Particularly in the Titian example. It seems to me that the more realistic the viewer's overall impression is, the greater the artist's skill. I.e., Titian exhibits more artistic skill than Manet, Manet exhibits more skill than Van Gogh, Van Gogh exhibits more than Picasso, Picasso exhibits more than Jackson Pollack.
Caveat: I am basing this on my impressions of their works most familiar to me; it's entirely possible, for instance that Picasso had an artistic ability greater than any of the others, but (IMO) did not employ it much in his more famous pieces.
Also note that by 'realistic' I don't mean to disparage surreal works like Magritte's, just that whatever content there is looks better with realistic textures, shadows, perspective, etc.
Not sure about the pornographic issue.
Well, this may not be the "great discussion" you're looking for, but I'll say, "Art is cool!" :)
My Grandpa had "Fog Warning" on his wall for decades. He also liked Andrew Wyeth, and I inherited his print of "Groundhog Day," which I love.
I don't know much about art, but I'm looking forward to your views on the Impressionists, as I love that style of painting. I also like Sargent, so hopefully you can get to him, too?
I tend to like Homer better than Monet myself. There is a regionalism and reality to Homer's work that seems richer than Manet/s work. Manet's work, such as Olympia is indeed very important as it breaks certain taboos about representation.
Nudes prior to Olympia were either muses or portrayed as coy. In Olympia the woman is staring directly at the viewer. She is not shy at all, and is a prostitute.
Thank you! I feel like a learned a few things today.
Fabulous! Thanks for posting those.
I, myself, am taking classes in watercolor. If I could paint like that.....
He may be referring to how the lighting is idealized in the earlier works. Single source light, such as direct sun, flattens the shadows. To model a subject, multiple sources of light will backfill and bring definition. Usually, this is a "key light" of reflected light, coming from the side and rear.
Homer:
You're making this way too complicated. Plus, you don't even know how to spell "Manny". I think you did that on purpose, just for a highbrow excuse to post the naked chick pictures (even though most of them are kinda chunky). ;-)
I like Homer's energy and motion--- you can almost feel the waves and the whip of the wind.
Manet has a stark realism that comes off as a bit brutal in a way. Like you just walked up and caught someone unaware, and not in a good way, totally.
The older paintings have a soft blur to them that makes them seem dreamlike and sweet. Like you are peeking through guazey window sheers.
None of the paintings appear pornographic to me. I did get a bit of "Oh my! They all have my hips and tummy! WHO'S BEEN IN MY BATHROOM!" in my gut reaction. ;)
Ah, as for the first woman being a prostitute, she's wearing heels in bed. ;)
Makes sense. Thanks.
Yes, and a funny thing.
My son is enrolled in a Western Humanities online course for the summer semester.
He has all kinds of links to site in his course material, and the other day he was pulling up pictures of "Rubenesque" figures.
I glanced over at the screen and said, "Now those are my kind of women." He laughed.
We live not far from the Ringling Art Museum. They have a wonderful collection of Rubens.
Have a good day, and the very best to you and yours.
Semper Fi
Tommie
Cool post. Do you have a ping list for future lectures? I'd like to be on it.
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