Week 10 Blog Post

           This quarter I particularly enjoyed studying the Mannerism Period from the High Renaissance. I was drawn to this period because of its originality. Mannerism I believe brought a unique aspect to its art. With the more abstract ways and contrasting colors I was drawn to the differences it brought to their paintings in particular. Mannerism made its techniques known by taking figures and contorting them from proper anatomy. With the elongated limbs and uncomfortable yet incredibly balanced poses. Every figure took on an emotion and distinct contortion to draw in the viewer’s eyes. Mannerism also played around with irregular settings, lighting, and an overall collapsed perspective.

The Pontormo Entombment is a strong painting that represents these various aspects of the Mannerism period. First I noticed the irregular colors in the piece. Mostly pastels of pink, beige, and blue were used in this piece. Jesus lays in the contorted mess of limbs caused by the other figures in the image. The facial expressions of these figures remain glazed over if not peaceful. The balance in each figure shows one of the mannerist’s techniques of balance in their poses. Supporting one another as a somewhat of a controlled chaos takes place. The elongated necks of the figures in this painting create a sense of gracefulness in their movements. The cloths drape so elegantly around one another.

That is why the Mannerism Period was so intriguing to me. It was the visual details in the paintings that drew me closer. Although the historical context behind this period was interesting it was the visual details that made this time period stand out to me. It was short, but I believe it brought new direction to modern day art. With a different perspective I was able to see more beauty in their elongated limbs and contorted frames.

I had a different reaction to this period than I had to other periods. Every piece from this period seemed to have more going on than any other piece. The unique forms placed in front of me created an interesting originality to how we view human anatomy. It was the irregularity to these pieces that grasped my interest. IN a way I saw the Mannerism period as a time of rebellion. Taking the balanced, harmonized, naturalistic ways of the Renaissance times and creating a controlled chaos of clashing colors and disproportioned bodies to create bizarre themes that combined Classicism, Christianity and mythology.

Artistic periods seem to blend together for me. Taking techniques from one time and creating new art can get tiring. We see naturalism, humanism, and other aspects of art through out the times. Mannerism was a way to break from this repetitive ways and create a time that created vastly different stories and still held such beauty in their art. 

Extra Credit #2

Antonio del Pollaiuolo sculpted the statue of Hercules and Antaeus in 1475. This was one of many depictions of the battle between Hercules and Antaeus. Hercules and Antaeus was an intriguing sculpture to me. I found it intriguing mostly because of the detail in the movement of the figures. I was drawn to the dramatic emotion it brought to my eye. The story behind this piece was sure to be just as intriguing so I decided to look further into it.

            In short Antaeus was a being that gained strength through the earth. He would constantly challenge passers-by to a wrestling match. When he killed his victims he would collect their skulls to one day build a temple to his father Poseidon. When he challenged Hercules he was lifted into the air and became just as week as all the other men. Hercules defeated Antaeus by keeping him in the air (where Antaeus was weakest) and crushing him in his arms.

The detail involved in this piece is fascinating. Pollaiuolo was known for his knowledge of human anatomy. I believe he is one of the most intriguing artists because of this knowledge. He is able to create movement in his figures with details in the muscles and movement of cloth. Like in the Battle Of The Nudes, Pollaiuolo’s ability to represent physical and emotional violence it astounding. When looking at this statue I can tell Hercules is the one lifting Antaeus because of the lion skin wrapped around his waist. The anguish in Antaeus’s face is clear due to his opened mouth screaming what I can only assume is mercy in his defeat. Antaeus’s legs kick out as if to flail from Hercules massive grip. The muscles are strained where they are being used. I can feel the struggle in this battle.

Pollaiuolo usually did small bronze sculptures. This depiction of Hercules and Antaeus was one of the largest. The intertwined bodies clearly show the understanding Pollaiuolo had of human anatomy. Pollaiuolo was able to show great detail in each figure in motion. It was said that Pollaiuolo had dissected corpses to better understand the human anatomy. Which although disturbing clearly gave him an advantage in his art.

http://www.all-art.org/Architecture/13-19.htm

http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix4/antaeus.htm

Extra Credit #1

Last week we chose an artist we found interesting to do a short research project about. I had chosen Jean Honore Fragonard for his painting The Swing. Unfortunately The Swing was not the painting I was discussing. The Swing was very intriguing to me, and one of the main reasons I chose Fragonard as the artist to research. I chose another painting of his titled Young Girl Reading. This week I would like to look further into The Swing and the story that lies beneath.

When first looking at this painting I saw it as playful and lighthearted piece. After my research I learned about the scandal behind these figures. The man swinging the woman is said to be her husband. You then see a man hiding in the bushes. This man is said to be the woman’s lover.  He hides in the bushes to catch a glimpse up the woman’s dress, as she would swing over him. The Cupid statue on the left side of the painting holds his finger to his lips to keep it this affair he is witnessing a secret. I noticed that the lighting has illuminated the three involved in the scandal (Cupid, the woman, and her lover) as if to bring them out into the open to play around with the thrill of being caught in the act. The husband and innocent looking angel status stay back in the shadows. Representing staying in the dark of the whole situation.

Fragonard uses pastel colors, pale pinks and greens creating a more sensual coloring in the painting. Looking closer you are able to see the loose brushstrokes in the pink dress of the woman. We are also able to see her garter belt. Philosophers of the Enlightenment wanted to soon condemn this painting for being able to see this aspect. They wanted a new style of art. Art that showed moral behavior in its figures, of human beings at their most dignified state. The Scandal behind The Swing did not demonstrate such ideas.

What I thought to be a lighthearted playful painting turned out to be a scandalous endeavor to study. I very much enjoyed the story behind this painting because it demonstrates how perspective can mean so much in a painting. It’s how we interpret the figures actions with out them moving or narrating what is going on. By knowing the story behind this painting I was able to see the importance of how these figures were illuminated and brought to my attention. The man in the dark about his woman’s affair, the two lovers playfully flirting right in front of his face. The colors also create this disillusion in the piece. Fragonard used pastels that create a playful scheme of things when the colors that would better represent the story should be more vibrant and energetic. It’s all very interesting.

http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/rococo

http://www.artble.com/artists/jean-honore_fragonard/paintings/the_swing