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VISUAL ART PROJECT By: Former Student Art Appreciation – Lauren Francis

Paris, France

Eiffel Tower

Musee d’Orsay

Musee du Louvre

Notre Dame

Significant Work of Religious Architecture

¨  The cathedral started it’s construction in 1163, under the order of bishop Maurice de Sully.

¨  Notre Dame was built as a dedication of the Virgin Mary.

¨  Napoleon salvaged the cathedral from possible destruction after the French Revolution.

¨  Joan of Arc (Saint who won Frances’ victory in the Hundred Years War) was beatified (granted access into heaven,) in 1909 in Notre Dame.

¨  Was one of the first buildings to use the concept of “flying buttresses.

¨  The stained glass was so important, it was removed for safety during WWll.

Notre Dame Cathedral Why is it significant?

An Inside Look

South Rose Stained Glass Window Designed by Jean de Chelles and Pierre de Montreuil

Inside Outside

The stained window is dedicated to the New Testament and contains eighty-four panes

Significant Work of Secular Architecture

¨  Built for the 1889 World’s Fair as a tribute to the 100-year anniversary of the French Revolution.

¨  The design contains 18,000+ pieces of puddle iron, and 2.5 million rivets.

¨  Took two years and hundreds of workers to complete

¨  Was the tallest structure in the word (10,000 ft. high) until the Chrysler building surpassed it in 1930.

¨  “Originally intended as a temporary exhibit, city officials opted to save it after recognizing its value as a radiotelegraph station.” – history.com

¨  Intercepted enemy radio communications during WWl.

Eiffel Tower constructed by Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel Why is it important?

A Closer Look…

“The Eiffel Tower has also inspired more than 30 replicas and similar structures in various cities around the world.“– History.com

Musée du Louvre constructed by Philip ll Augustus

Outside Floor Plan

Inside the Louvre

Important Artworks…

¨  Van Eyck is regarded as one of the most influential Northern Renisance painters.

¨  Van Eyck used such precision, sometimes using brushes with as little as one bristle.

¨  Van Eyck incorporated iconography with patrons such as Chancellor Rolin into this painting. ¤  The angel holds a crown over the Virgins

head, “a reference to her coronation in the heavenly city of Jerusalem.” – wordpress.com

¤  The pillar capitals contain carvings from the Book of Genesis.

¤  Chancellor Rolin commissioned this painting

The Virgin and Child with Chancellor Rolin (1430-1434) - Van Eyck

Oil on panel H. : 66 cm ; W. : 62 cm Why is it important?

Some Close-Ups

Important Artworks Continued…

¨  The art is one of mystery.

¤  Leonardo da Vinci documented all of his sittings with portrait subjects, however there is no document of the one of Mona Lisa.

¤  It is suspected it is Lisa di Antonio Maria Gerardini, however there is no concrete evidence.

¤  There is a theory that Mona Lisa is a self-portrait of Leonardo.

¤  The Mona Lisa went missing in 1911for two years; it vanished out of thin air and took until the next day for officials to realize it was stolen.

Mona Lisa - Leonardo Da Vinci

c. 1503–7Oil on poplar wood H. 77 cm, W. 53 cm Why is it important?

Mona Lisa compared with a Da Vinci Self-Portrait

Important Artworks Continued…

¨  The statue depicts Nike, Greek Goddess of Victory as an offering from the Rhodians for a naval victory.

¨  The statue was found in hundreds of pieces and was sent back to France to be reassembled piece by piece.

¨  Viewed as such a importance work of France, it was removed from the Louvre into safe-keeping during WWII.

Winged Victory of Samothrace - Discovered by Charles Champoiseau

circa 220-185 BC Parian marble for the statue and gray Rhodian marble for the boat and base Total H. 5.57 m

Why is it important?

The artwork is located at the top of the Daru staircase

Removal in 1939

Musée d'Orsay constructed by Lucien Magne, Émile Bénard and Victor Laloux

Outside Floor Plan

Important Artworks…

¨  Manet is known as the “first modern artist” – Lauren Francis

¨  First rejected from the 1863 Salon for being too controversial, Luncheon on the Grass was then displayed at the Salon des Refuses. ¤  Because the Salon des Refuses contained more

contraversial works of art, it became more popular than the regular Salon, aiding in Manet’s recognition.

¤  The piece was controversial due to the concept of “nude vs. naked” n  The lady is looking straight in to the viewers eye

n  She doesn’t seem to care she is naked; work before this depicting nude women would place their hands in a form as if shy. This woman seems to embrace her nakedness.

n  The fact she is sitting next to the men seem like she feels of equal status to them, when in actual fact she is not.

Luncheon on the Grass - Edouard Manet (1863)

Oil on canvas

H. 208; W. 264.5 cm Why is it important?

Important Artworks Continued…

¨  Vincent van Gogh “produced over forty- three self-portraits, paintings or drawings in ten years” - musee-orsay.fr

¨  Van Gogh did self-portraits as a way of finding himself, saying to his brother "People say, and I am willing to believe it, that it is hard to know yourself. But it is not easy to paint yourself, either.” - musee-orsay.fr

¨  He also said to his sister "I am looking for a deeper likeness than that obtained by a photographer.“ - musee-orsay.fr

¨  As always, Van Gogh’s signature “swirls” are present in the painting.

Self-Portrait - Vincent van Gogh (1889)

Oil on canvas

H. 65; W. 54.5 cm Why is it important?

Important Artworks Continued…

q  The mother was not supposed to be the subject, however the model failed to show, so the mother filled in.

q  As she was an older woman, she needed to sit during the painting

q  The painting was rejected from the Royal Academy exhibition, but later got in due to the efforts of Whistlers influential friend.

q  The artwork was “shown at the Chicago World’s Fair during the Great Depression, and [became] an icon of motherhood.

Portrait of the Artist's Mother (1871) - James Abbott McNeill Whistler Oil on canvas H. 144.3; W. 162.5cm

Why is it important?

Bibliography

¨  http://traveltips.usatoday.com/famous-museums-paris-3541.html

¨  http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/louvre.htm

¨  http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/notredame.htm

¨  http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/eiffeltower.htm

¨  http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/collections/works-in-focus/home.html

¨  http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/spip.php?article448

¨  http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/spip.php?article380

¨  http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/420752/Notre-Dame-de-Paris

¨  http://www.notredamecathedralparis.com/blog/79-notre-dame-cathedral-paris-history-including-joan-of-arc

¨  http://www.history.com/topics/eiffel-tower

¨  http://history1900s.about.com/od/famouscrimesscandals/a/monalisa.htm

¨  Lectures 16 & 17 (Renaissance) – Lauren Francis

¨  Lecture 13 (Greek Art) – Lauren Francis

¨  http://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/virgin-chancellor-rolin

¨  http://rafaelplacido.wordpress.com/2008/07/27/a-closer-look-at-the-virgin-and-child-with-chancellor-rolin/

¨  http://www.musee-orsay.fr/index.php?id=851&L=1&tx_commentaire_pi1%5BshowUid%5D=7123

¨  http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/collections/works-in-focus/painting/commentaire_id/self-portrait-2990.html? cHash=a873609651

Bibliography Continued

¨  http://www.helium.com/items/2196218-artwork-arrangement-in-gray-and-black-portrait-of-the-artists- mother-by-james-mcneill-whistler

¨  http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/collections/works-in-focus/painting/commentaire_id/portrait-of-the-artists- mother-2976.html?tx_commentaire_pi1%5BpidLi%5D=509&tx_commentaire_pi1%5Bfrom %5D=841&cHash=237ef8c554

¨  http://musee.louvre.fr/oal/joconde/indexEN.html

¨  http://musee.louvre.fr/oal/victoiredesamothrace/indexEN.html