An Intro to Art History

1
An Intro to Art History
2
Methods Inquiries

• For a long period of time art was limited to what
  were described as fine arts, paintings,
  drawings, sculptures, and the like
• Fine arts were meant to be understood and
  appreciated by a specific audience which
  understood these objects as works of art.
• Modern art historians however now consider a
  variety of art forms that were previously
  dismissed as crafts.
• Art Historians also agree that the work may have
  different meanings to different people and that
  those meanings can change over time.

3
Forms of Analysis

• Art analysis takes two major forms, contextual
  and formal.
• Contextual analysis examines the social,
  political, and economic times in which the piece
  was produced and consumed.
• There is also an assumption that within a culture
  the work of one generation will have an impact on
  future generations.
• Formal analysis looks at the aesthetic qualities
  of the work itself. One assumption is that the
  artist makes decisions that can reveal something
  about the meaning of the piece

4
Examination of Art

• Art historians prefer directly examining a work
  of art because much is lost when looking at a
  reproduction.
• However, they sometimes do not have a choice
  because a work may have been damaged or lost over
  time.
• Written sources and interviews with artists or
  consumers may also be used to discern a pieces
  meaning.

5
Development of Art History

• As a formal academic discipline art history arose
  in the mid-18th century. However, the works of
  earlier writers can tell us a lot about the
  development of interpretations of art.
• During the Renaissance Giorgio Vasari wrote a
  collection of artist biographies in his work The
  Lives of Artists.
• Modern art history however, developed from the
  work of enlightenment philosopher Johann Joachim
  Winckelmann. He was the one who made the shift
  from Vasaris biographical analysis to
  understanding stylistic trends in works of art.
• There have also been several revisions of art
  history such as the feminist revision, these
  revisions have broadened the field of art and art
  history.

6
Art of the Old Stone Age

• The oldest works of art discussed in the packet
  are those found in the Chauvet Caves in
  southeastern France
• These paintings date to about 30,000 BCE and as
  such are from the old stone age
• Estimated dates for such old pieces are revised
  and contested from time to time
• Other cave paintings found in Europe date to
  about 10,000 to 15,000 years BCE

7
Art of the Middle Stone Age

• As the Middle Stone Age came about the climate
  warmed significantly and some art similar to old
  cave paintings developed.
• Around this time architecture (such as the
  ziggurats on page 9) came into being

8
Art of the New Stone Age

• These works of art generally consist of rows of
  stones located in Western Europe (a picture of
  Stonehenge can be found on page 8)
• These stones were about 17 feet high and weighed
  as much as 50 tons

9
Ancient Mesopotamian Art

• The civilizations in Mesopotamia developed
  writing and art around the same time as the
  Egyptians (who will be discussed later)
• After the Akkadians took Sumer in 2334 BCE the
  art reflected loyalty to the king (this trend
  would continue thousands of years later with the
  monarchs and religious rulers of Europe
• The oldest surviving art from this period is in
  the Louvre and it is the tablet onto which
  Hammurabis code is written.

10
The Persians and the Egyptians

• The Persians were most noted for their
  architectural feats, one of which was at
  Persepolis and reflects influence of Egyptian
  architecture.
• The Egyptians made their greatest impact in
  architecture as well. The sphinx at Giza and the
  pyramids, the larger than life statues of the
  pharaohs, and the portrait of Queen Nefertiti.
• Another famous Egyptian work in the burial mask
  of King Tut.

11
Greco-Roman Art

• Three major cultures influenced Greek art the
  Cycladic, Minoan, and the Myceans.
• The Cycladic people made geometric nude female
  figure which are (apparently) highly appealing to
  modern sensibilities.
• Minoans developed on the island of Crete around
  the city of Knossos.
• Their paintings took two forms, frescoes and
  pottery
• They also had a naturalistic pictorial style.
• They also built 4 major palaces.

12
The Greco-Romans cont.

• As the Minoans collapsed the Mycenaean culture
  developed.
• They developed around Mycenae on the Greek
  mainland.
• It is clear from their use of gold that the
  Mycenaean culture mastered goldsmithing.
• Greek art itself was influenced heavily by the
  Egyptians and Mesopotamians as well.
• The Greeks developed two major forms of columns,
  the Doric and Ionic (Pictures of which can be
  found on page 12).
• They also developed vase painting techniques.
• Among the notable styles of vase painting was the
  Corinthian style, this included set figures on a
  floral background.

13
More from the Greco-Romans

• The best known Greek art comes from classical
  Athens.
• It was during the early years of classical Athens
  that Doric columns were developed.
• Most of what we know derives from Roman copies of
  Doric columns.

14
Greek Sculptures

• The Greeks developed contrapposto or
  counter-positioning as a way to make their
  sculptures look more natural. This is also what
  started the Greek obsession with the human body.
• The sculpture was posed with its weight shifted
  onto one leg
• This would set the model for thousands of years
  of sculpturing to follow.
• In the Middle Classical Period witnessed several
  important architectural advances (e.g. the
  Parthenon)
• However, architecture declined in the late
  classical period and during the Hellenistic
  period there was a increase of influence from the
  east.

15
Roman Art

• Early Roman art reflected several Etruscan styles
  and influences.
• However, around the second century BCE Rome took
  on more of a Greek style
• The Romans made pioneering achievements in the
  development of arches (Page 14 on the top right)
• Most Roman art was made to glorify the emperor
  statues frequently were placed atop archways.
• Amongst the most famous Roman architecture is the
  Coliseum.

16
Byzantine and Medieval

• After the fall of Rome the Byzantines continued
  the traditions in the east.
• The best known art from this period comes from
  mosaics
• Another achievement is the Hagia Sophia built in
  Constantinople
• Medieval Europe witnessed a great deal of civil
  strife and the art of the era was preserved by
  the Catholic Church.
• The nomadic Germans made several notable
  achievements in metal work around the early
  Middle Ages.
• The Vikings also made several important works and
  their society craved the glorification of war
  which was prominent in their art.

17
The lead up to the Renaissance

• During the late middle ages several remarkable
  churches were constructed (Page 15 top right).
• Underneath these churches usually consisted of a
  vast netowrk of arches called a barrel vault.
• A vault is an arch-shaped structure that is used
  as a ceiling or to support a roof.
• In the first half of the twelfth century the Goth
  style developed.
• The transition from Gothic to Renaissance is
  subtle and quite clear

18
Brunelleschi

• Brunelleschi completed the dome of the Florence
  cathedral
• He is also credited with developing linear
  perspective (single line vanishing point).
• Masaccio was the first one to use this technique.
• The technique was also used in the Mona Lisa.

19
The Renaissance

• Donatello is considerded to be the father of
  modern sculpture
• His most famous work is David the first known
  free standing nude statue.
• A generation later Botticelli (whose best known
  painting is The Birth of Venus) established an
  image of female beauty which has lasted
  throughout the centuries.
• Leonardo Da Vinci was the Renaissance man and
  invented among other things a system of canal
  locks which is still used to this day.

20
Michelangelo

• Michelangelo also made a statue called David
  which is possibly more famous than Donatellos
  version.
• He also created works for the Church including
  the tomb of Julius II and the ceiling of the
  Sistine Chapel
• Michelangelo also tutored Raphael (although they
  later became rivals)
• Raphael created The School of Athens as an homage
  to the great Greek Philosophers

21
The Reformation

• After the Protestants split the Catholics decided
  to one up them and create massively large and
  elaborate paintings such as Insenheim Altarpiece
  by Matthias Grünewald.
• Other artists associated with this period are El
  Greco and Tintoretto

22
Loose Ends

• Tintoretto created a style called Mannerism.
  Mannerist works distort perspective and scale.
• Tintoretto, Vecelli, and Giorgione are credited
  as some of the great painters to come from Venice
  during the Renaissance.