Order 203468: Art in a historical era and comparing two major works of art

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Name FINAL PAPER FEEDBACK Name, You have written a detailed paper that addresses more than was required. As you have chosen 2 artworks that depict similar subject matter, you have set up a refined comparison and contrast, which is quite powerful with your added insights. Yes, both Caravaggio and Gentileschi dealt with the intense Biblical scene in their own way. For each artist, we can only assume the anguish they were working out from within their own souls and experiences. During the entire class you have written well, with an in-depth alertness that keeps the subject matter alive. I hope you will continue to find ways to express yourself creatively and that the material you have learned here will be of help to you in future situations. Part A (5 pts.) provides accurate, interesting facts about the Baroque period, 1600 – 1750. Part B (5 pts.) describes how art functions in this context, both as persuasive vehicle for the Counter-Reformation and as means for veiled self-expression by artists of the time. Part C (5 pts.) offers 3 art elements and 2 design principles to describe the work, with added personal perceptions and queries that help the reader to engage in the artist’s experience. Part D (5 pts.) offers 3 art elements and 2 design principles to describe the work, also with personal conjecture that springs from factual analysis. Part E (5 pts.) compares and contrasts these two works using art elements, design principles and a keen, close look at technique, artists’ circumstance, and volatile subject matter. Part F (3 pts.) Reference list includes much more than 5 sources in proper APA style. Part F (2 pts.) In-text citations are present, but seem to appear as MLA style footnotes, rather than within the text. Grade: 30 of 30 Best to you in your future projects ! Darele Bisquerra [email protected]

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A. Description of one historical era.

The Baroque Period began right around the turn of the seventeenth century and ended

about the middle of the eighteenth century (1600-1750) The Baroque period started in

Rome, Italy and worked its way north through most of Europe. 1 In general, Baroque’s

artistic style of painting involved the use of exaggerated motion with a concentrated light

source through the use of a strong contrast of light and shadow at specific points in a

composition to elicited intense emotions and drama that produced a kind of artistic

sensationalism or grandeur. 2 The Baroque period was also a time in which religious

tensions grew within Western Christianity that resulted in its division into Roman

Catholicism and Protestantism known as the Protestant Reformation. The Baroque period

also reflected the growth of absolutist monarchies also known as "the style of

absolutism".This time period also brought about advances in the fields of science,

philosophy, math and astronomy. Isaac Newton established the basic laws of physics

pertaining to motion and gravity. Galileo and Kepler increased man’s awareness of the

vast expanses of space. In addition, it was a time period in which the French philosopher,

René Descartes, dubbed the “Father of Modern Philosophy” offered many of his

principles in philosophy that are closely studied to this day. Descartes was also a

mathematician who came up with the concept of the Cartesian coordinate system. In the

eighteen century scientific literature became so abundant, that the period has also been

named the Age of Enlightenment. There was also economic growth in most European

countries during this time period that helped to create a large, prosperous middle class.

The Baroque Period also brought about innovations in music. Many musical forms were

1 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/53809/Baroque-period>

2 <http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Baroque_period>

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born in this era. The most outstanding achievement in music during the Baroque period

was the innovation of opera.

B. Discussion of the role of art within the historical setting.

3 Baroque style of painting was closely associated with the cultural movement of

Reformation -Counter-Reformation which had a profound effect on art. Catholics,

through the efforts of the Counter-Reformation launched a huge campaign, partly through

the use of art, to reinvigorate the lose loss of faith people had with the doctrines, rituals,

and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church. During the Baroque period the

Catholic Church offered numerous commissions too many artists to create artworks

depicting subject matters relating to religious themes. However, the Catholic Church’s

conception of the function of ecclesiastical art demanded that paintings evolving church

contexts should depict their subjects clearly, powerfully, with decorum, and emotional

stimulus that portrayed reverence, devotion and piety to the church. 4 As a result, the

Reformation and Counter-Reformation played a big part in the selection of subject matter,

and innovation in the artistic style of the artist’s. It is by no means to say that Baroque art

was exclusively associated with religious art. Baroque art is also often identified with

Absolutism. A great demand for art emerged because of the rise of absolute monarchies

who exploited the Baroque style of art as a means of propaganda that would symbolize

their emerging power and authority. The aristocracy also saw the dramatic style of

Baroque art as a means of impressing visitors. Baroque style of art was consequently

used as a way to urge these types of social and political system changes occurring during

this time period. With the emergence of the urban middle class, art began to be produced

3 <http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3753922>

4 <http://www.essential-humanities.net/western-art/western-painting/baroque-painting/>

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in general subjects, such as landscapes and flowers, thus the manifestation of genre

scenes. The middle class use of art as an investment, additionally, resulted in the

development of a free commercial art market that stimulated linked professions, such as

the art dealer, auctioneer, and critic. Accordingly, the main patrons of art during the

Baroque period were the church, monarchies, aristocracy, wealthy merchants, private

citizens and art collectors.

C. Analysis of Art #1 using 3 art elements and 2 design principles

5 Caravaggio an Italian artist who painted in Rome, Naples, Malta, and Sicily caused a lot

of controversy among the public because of his use of intense, dramatic contrasts of light

and dark, tenacious realism, meticulous attention to naturalistic detail and approachable,

life-like models. He handled his success atrociously and led a tumultuous life. 6 He had

many encounters with the law and was imprisoned for several assaults and for killing a

man. Caravaggio’s artistic talents were forgotten upon his death. It wouldn’t be until the

20th century that the importance of Caravaggio’s artistic talents and contribution to the

development of Western art that his paintings were rediscovered. There is much

conjecture and confusion regarding Caravaggio’s death. An analysis of human remains

believed to belong to Caravaggio seems to indicate that Caravaggio might have died of

lead poisoning. Paints used at the time contained high amounts of lead salts and may be

the cause of Caravaggio’s indulgence in erratic and violent behavior.

In the analysis of Art #1, I was immediately drawn to Caravaggio’s painting, Judith

Beheading Holofernes, because of his use of dramatic and selective illumination of

figures out of deep shadow in order to spotlight certain parts of the painting while casting

5 <http://www.caravaggio-foundation.org/>

6 Ibid

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other parts into the night through the use chiaroscuro also called tenebrism, a hallmark of

Baroque painting. I was intrigued how the use of the figure ground relationship used in

the painting by darkening the background can be utilized in order to intensify the part or

parts of the work the artist wants to depict and intends, me, the viewer to see. The light is

intensified in this way to radiate or illuminate and draw me to the positive shapes or

objects/figures in the painting the artist wants me to focus on, in this case, the center of

the painting. The other element of art that makes this painting particularly unique and so

dramatic is Caravaggio’s use of time. The painting captures the moment when the action

is occurring and as if it were playing out onstage, choosing the most dramatic point. I also

noticed that the principle of unity was applied through the use of the color red. There is a

red draping above Holofernes head and red blood below coming from his neck. The red

added visual interest to the center of the painting to again create emphasis or a focal point

to the sword that Judith was holding while decapitating her captive. There is also the use

of both psychological and directional diagonal lines created in the painting that were also

used to create emphasis or a focal point to the decapitating of Holorfernes head. The

painting provided me with an intense mental or perceptual connection through Judith’s

eyes as well as her maid servant’s, which were filled with a disgusted facial expression

that were directed squarely at Holofernes. Again the positioning of the sword as well as

Judith’s arms which are both placed diagonally are used to emphasis the focal point, the

center of the painting, which always comes back to the dramatic act of Judith

decapitating Holofernes head.

D. Analysis of Art #2 using 3 art elements and 2 design principles

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Artemisia Gentileschi was the daughter of a painter and was also an Italian painter herself.

7 Her father had a colleague, Agostino Tassi, give Artemisia painting lessons. Tragically,

Tassi, also ended up raping her as well. Tassi was arrested and sentenced to

imprisonment for one year, although he never served the time. Artemisia’s suffering of

rape and subsequent mistreatment at the trial is probably the reason for her chose in

painting historic and biblical subjects that featured a female protagonist who intentionally

lacked the stereotypical feminine traits of sensitivity and weakness and instead were

courageous, rebellious, with powerful personalities. 8 Her best-known image, Judith

Beheading Holofernes, shows the decapitation of Holofernes. Artemisia Gentileschi was

a devoted follower of Caravaggio during the Baroque period whose chiaroscuro style

(contrast of light and shadow) greatly influenced Artemisia Gentileschi's work. She was

the first female painter to become a member of the Accademia di Arte del Disegno in

Florence. She was both praised and disdained for being a major artist in her own right

while exercising a creative talent thought to be exclusively male.Her success and gender

fueled many rumors about her private life.

The cause of Artemisia's death is not known, but she most likely died in 1652. It is

rumored that Artemisia may have committed suicide. Although, it is also speculated that

she may have died in the devastating plague that swept Naples in 1656. Today Artemisia

Gentileschi is considered the most important woman painter of Early Modern Europe.

In the analysis of Art #2 I was immediately hypnotized by Artemisia Gentileschi

painting, Judith Beheading Holofernes, because of the strong and intense mental or

perceptual connection created by the psychological line made between Judith and her

7 <http://www.artinthepicture.com/artists/Artemisia_Gentileschi/Biography/>

8 Ibid

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captive, Holofernes. I was further lured in by the strong directional lines use in the

painting. I was first enticed by the exploitation of diagonal lines utilized to implied

movement and directionality of Judith’s arms holding the sword as a way to express the

intensity of her action while in the middle of decapitating her captive’s head. I was

further entranced by the use of vertical lines to suggest the aggressiveness of both the

maid servant’s arms holding down Judith’s captive as well as the captive’s arms

struggling and fighting to break free. Lastly, I was pulled toward the use of the vertical

line of the sword itself to again imply the aggressiveness of the action actually taking

place in that very moment where Judith is cutting off her captive’s head. The use of the

psychological line and strong directional lines in the painting created an intense central

emphasis or focal point around the center of the painting, the decapitating of the captive’s

neck. There was also a consistent sense of unity through the vibrant use of the color red.

Red is consistently found throughout the painting starting with the blood spilling from the

captive’s neck onto the bed sheets below as well as squirting out from his neck to his arm

above. The color red is also strategically painted in the garment draped around his lower

body and around the bands of both female’s upper arms to express a consistent sense of

unity throughout. One can also argue that a sense of Radial Balance is also used here as

well. The color red, the blood, seems to radiate from a center point, the sword around the

captives neck. Therefore, use of blood seems to provide order to the content of the

painting that directs the gaze of the viewer both outward and inward.

E. Comparison and contrast of Art #1&2.

In comparing Caravaggio’s painting with Artemisia’s with regard to the physical/formal

properties such as the art elements and design principles two things stand out in

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Caravaggio’s painting over Artemisia’s. Caravaggio’s painting is much more proficient

when it comes to the use of the art elements of light, value, and color. Caravaggio is a

master in the way he can create a vibrant palette rich and deep in color to evoke a

dramatic emotional scene in a painting. Secondly, Caravaggio’s ability and technique in

the use of chiaroscuro is unmatched in the way he can create a concentrated light source

within a painting. It is the reason why I chose his painting.

Nevertheless, I found Artemisia’s painting to be more engaging for a couple of reasons. I

was captivated by Artemisia’s intense use of unity through the use of the color red and

physiological as well as directional lines. These elements and principle of design were

crafted in such perfect harmony with each other that it created a perfect, strong, dramatic

focal point that pulled me to the center of her painting. I was especially mesmerized by

her use of the color red and the way it directed my gaze both outward and inward as a

means to explore the entire painting.

Ultimately what made these almost identical paintings by two different artists completely

different is how the artist’s personal expression of passion and intensity was presented on

the subject matter. Caravaggio’s painting seems to have been painted from the content of

anger, similar to the way he lived his dreadful and turbulent life. His painting reflected

his dark, urgent nature and desperate state of mind. Caravaggio’s stereotype of women

was also evident in his painting in the way he portrayed Judith as having a fragile,

delicate demeanor who seemed incapable of killing the Assyrian general, Holofernes, by

decapitating his head. This in my opinion made the painting lack realism and the

dramatic intensity needed. Ironically, these were some of the things for which he was

renowned and known for as an artist. In contrast, Artemisia’s painting is clearly painted

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from the perspective of a woman who has suffered underlying feelings associate with a

rape and subsequent discrimination simply because she was a woman. To me Artemisia’s

personal experiences makes her portrayal of Judith’s as a righteous woman with a

determined strong physical and emotional state committed to the task that overpowers

Holofernes and decapitates his head as real and dramatically intense. Artemisia painted

her painting from a viewpoint of a private yearning for equality of women and to express

her fight for the injustice of discrimination of women simply because of their gender.

This seems to be what makes her painting unique apart from the basic elements and

principles of design.

F. In-text citations and Reference page in APA Style

Works Cited

"Artemisia Gentileschi." Biography. Web. 03 May 2012.

<http://www.artinthepicture.com/artists/Artemisia_Gentileschi/Biography/>.

"Baroque - ENotes.com Reference." Enotes.com. Enotes.com. Web. 03 May 2012.

<http://www.enotes.com/topic/Baroque>.

"Baroque 1600 - 1700." Learn To Paint And Draw, Online Art Classes. 03 Nov. 2007.

Web. 03 May 2012.

<http://www.artapprenticeonline.com/artstudies/apprentart/edacarthistory/edacclh

istbar.html>.

"Baroque (1600-1750)." Baroque (1600-1750). The New Book of Knowledge, 25 Jan.

2012. Web. 03 May 2012.

<http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3753922>.

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"The Baroque Era." Art Cyclopedia: The Fine Art Search Engine. Web. 03 May 2012.

<http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history/baroque.html>.

"Baroque Painting." Essential Humanities. Web. 03 May 2012. <http://www.essential-

humanities.net/western-art/western-painting/baroque-painting/>.

"Baroque Period." - New World Encyclopedia. Creative Commons Attribution/Share-

Alike License, 07 Nov. 2008. Web. 03 May 2012.

<http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Baroque_period>.

"Baroque Period (art) : Introduction." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia

Britannica, 06 Feb. 2012. Web. 03 May 2012.

<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/53809/Baroque-period>.

"Caravaggio - The Complete Works." Caravaggio. Web. 03 May 2012.

<http://www.caravaggio-foundation.org/>.