Paintings of the Old Masters - 1189 Words

Look at the color red, a color known for its beauty and while it may not be in everybody’s catalogue of beauty, it cannot be denied of its intensity. If one is showed a stunning painting of a red rose, one of the descriptions that could apply to that paining is beauty: seeing such an elegant spectacle of nature being emulated on paper can be quite stimulating. Another description that could be associated with a red rose is passion, as such a color may leave one energized and spontaneous; however how would one respond if they were told that the painting of the rose was painted with blood. Now a painting that once may have suggested the aspects of beauty and passion, may stir descriptions such as fear, aggression, danger and yet passion as well; therefore, bringing one to the understanding that â€Å"Every image embodies a way of seeing† (Berger, 142). This is why paintings should be viewed as a spectacle; hence, this brings me to the painting I was presented with by Joh n Berger in his book Ways of seeing in which he argues how through reproduction the modern context of the Old Masters’ paintings severed them from what they meant in the time of their production. The painting that demanded my attention was Wheatfield with Crows by Van Gogh, something that may seem simple at first but is rich with emotion. Through such a work of art I’ve come to understand that paintings are a medium where an artist can illustrate his words/feelings and expressShow MoreRelatedAn Explication of W.H. Auden quot;Musee Des Beaux Artsquot;665 Words   |  3 Pagesof connecting those elements as well as enriching the meaning of the current work through associations with the other. In his poem Musee des Beaux Arts, W.H. Auden uses allusions as a way of drawing connections between his poem, Peter Brueghels painting The Fall of Icarus, the myth, and the humanity indifference toward ones suffering. Icarus, the subject of this poem, was a figure from Greek mythology. He was the son of Dedalus, who, in order to escape from prison in Crete, made two pairsRead MoreThe Old Masters And The Racer By Amit Chaudhuri968 Words   |  4 Pagesmany concepts such as emotions, thoughts, actions, and situations. These concepts can often be categorized into two atmospheres: positive and negative. In â€Å"The Old Masters† and â€Å"The Racer,† Amit Chaudhuri and Hanif Kureishi convey their atmospheres through character relationships involving greed and symbolic ideas. Within â€Å"The Old Masters,† the reader is focused on the relationship between Pramathesh and Ranjit--two colleagues who work together--and their lives as time progresses. Throughout â€Å"TheRead MoreClement Greenberg Modernist Painting1062 Words   |  5 PagesClement Greenberg, â€Å"Modernist Painting† In his text entitled â€Å"Modernist Painting†, Greenberg focuses on the development of painting between the 14th and 19th century and emphasizes on what distinguishes Modernist painting from previous forms of painting, particularly those of the Old Masters. Greenberg begins by relating Modernist art to Kantian philosophy claiming that, the same way Kant used reason in order to examine the limits of reason, Modernist art is when art became self critical becauseRead MorePros and Cons of Taking the Clothing Store Online617 Words   |  3 Pagesincorporated a number of art historical references in his paintings of the 1860s, adding visual quotations into his paintings. Although this was not the reason why Manet was considered avant-garde, it reveals some of the artists underlying philosophies and theories. Manets visual allusions also serve the purpose of anchoring the artist in his own historical context. The social commentary Manet is famous for reveals itself in paintings lik e Olympia and Luncheon on the Grass. Similar techniqueRead MoreImpressionism as a Avant-garde Movement970 Words   |  4 Pagesavant-garde. The Impressionists took the first steps into modernism as a self-critical movement (Greenberg 1992:755). To a modern understanding, the Impressionist paintings are among the most instantly enjoyable works of art (Thomas 1987:9). The first Modernist paintings were produced by Edouard Manet (Greenberg 1992:756). His paintings declared the â€Å"frankness† of the surface on which they were created (Greenberg 1992:756). Manet, along with other Impressionists, did not fight the battle of drawingRead MoreModernist Painting By Clement Greenberg1325 Words   |  6 Pageshis essay, â€Å"Modernist Painting† (1960), Clement Greenberg seeks to lay principles for evaluating the progression of art to modern painting. Greenberg makes a lot of evaluations and assessments about modern paintings that are credible and can be held to a high standard. Despite his best efforts, some of his assertions are shrouded in generalizations and lack the necessary premises to be established as entirely objective and affirmative. Greenberg claims that the Old Masters created space one couldRead MoreMusà ©e des Beaux Arts by W. H. Auden Essay1106 Words   |  5 Pagescontent is conveyed. Auden’s poem appears to be divided into two separate parts. The first thirteen lines provide the reader with a general overview or introduction to humanities indifference to suffering. The second half, alluding to a Peter Breughel painting, provides an example of this indifference. A possible explanation as to why Auden may have separated the poem in this manner could be to first, make people stop and acknowledge humanities tendency to be indifferent to suffering. People are oftenRead MoreRenaissance Painting Restoration1186 Words   |  5 PagesVirgin, Child and St. John the Baptist (1480-65), by Jacopo del Sellaio (1440-93), and Madonna and Child with St. John the Baptist and Angel (1518-20), by Domenico di Bartolomeo Ubaldini or Puligo (1492-1527), are small (83-86 cm), oil-on-wood paintings by Florentine artists of the second rank, and were most probably commissioned by churches are decorative altarpieces. Their style, color, subject matter and composition are very technically competent but dull, repetit ive, imitative and uninspiredRead MoreEssay about Picasso and Cubism982 Words   |  4 Pagesinfluential of all movements in twentieth century art . Before Picasso did any cubism paintings, there were works exibititing a raw intensity and violence due to his reading of non western art aligned with European primitivism. This contrasting position provided the dynamic for Picasso’s work. In his paintings such as Mother and Child, Picasso showed the fetishistic and simplifying aspects of primitivism. In his paintings Picasso used bright hues and subdued grays and earth colors. Picasso found out thatRead MoreEssay about Theme of Suffering in Musee des Beaux Arts by W.H. Auden989 Words   |  4 Pagesnot matter if they saw him or not. Each person just continued what they were doing and lived their lives. ?About suffering they were wrong, the Old Masters, how well, they understood.? This is the first line of the poem by Auden. The sentence is straight to the point about how the Old Masters knew and understood suffering. One of the more famous Old Masters is Pieter Breughel. Unlike the other painters, he painted scenes (landscapes) of peasants living their lives. In these works you can see the normality