Posted on 05/11/2006 3:04:49 PM PDT by Republicanprofessor
Wonderful, and so informative - thanks! I especially liked the Friedrich with the two small figures in black.
Deep thanks....
Not creepy ENOUGH for that goofy pair.
I worked at the MFA in Boston during the Renoir exhibit ('86-'87) and have had enough Renoir to last me a lifetime. I was blessed a few years earlier to catch the only exhibit of Bouguereau in this country at the Wadsworth Atheneum and have been a fan ever since.
IF you say so! < g >
I think Goethe posited that all art goes through three natural stages: classic, romantic and decadent and moves on to another form of classic that starts the process all over again, ever run across this?
I prefer the Cezane to the first Poussin. Due to the more realistic colors its easier to get 'into' the Cezane. I can picture myself walking the trail there to the buildings in the background while the Poussin doesn't draw me in as well.
I like the Davids also. These work over the sofa so to speak. I guess being a fan of the imagery of those eras helps. The broken blocks in the wall in The Death of Socrates make the whole scene real. Minor details are important. I guess that's why I tend more to the realist types of paintings and shun the abstracts and some impressionists
Again in Ingres Grand Odalisque and Delacroix’s Odalisque I greatly prefer the first over the second. Even with the extended version of the lower back Ingres image is of a woman. Delacroix is merely some smears of color on canvas. One thing I will give D credit for though is the smear of color in the right background. Gives the impression of several people back there looking in.
Rubens. Ugly fat chicks. Enough said.
Delacroix's The Death of Sardanapolous The nude in the first is the only redeeming feature I see in this one. But then I tend to like ladies posteriers and this one is shapely and well rendered. The rest of the image is too dark and cluttered for my taste. The nude doesn't really seem to add anything to the picture as the image is overwhelmingly full as it is. It's like "Where's Waldo" in paint.
Liberty Leading the People. Why are her breasts hanging out? doesn't add anything to the image at all. Just serves as a distraction. I think it would have worked far better if she were draped somewhat Romanish (Greekish?). As it is her image is incongruous with the whole and thus detracts from the story. What would be a good battle type painting now leads to the sole question "why is that lady half naked?" It's not even battle damage to her clothes. It's more like she's playing the slut in the middle of a battle. Just doesn't fit.
Raft of the Medusa. Again far too cluttered for my taste. The story behind the painting is cool but how could you tell that from looking at the picture. The father doesn't look like he's mourning. looks more like Rodin's "the thinker" (?)
David’s Napoleon Crossing the Alps vs. Gerricault’s Mounted Officer. David wins hands down. I don't do exageration very well.
Goya. Looks far too cartoonish for my taste. The colors are just strange to me. The central 'victim' is wearing a spotless white shirt and spotless trousers yet he's presumably been imprisoned.
Friedrich. these I like. The first has an almost photographic realism of an obviously not real subject. Like the Cezane earlier it draws me in. Whose being buried there. What's behind the ruined cathedral? I can see myself exploring the area.
Constable. I also like these. While thefirst is somewhat blurred it's light enough to still look real (or at least close enough). I've always liked landscapes though so I'm biased here.
Turner I don't care for. Too blurry (or perhaps too close to monotone?) I can't relate to something that's not there.
Rothko. My five year old daughter colors better than this.
Kind of long I know but it's been a while since I've played. All in all a much better period and style for me.
All the French are political whores, except perhaps Eric Rohmer.
Have you been reading Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair?
LOL.....not sure how familiar you are with Ingres...perhaps the ultimate revolutionary/counter revolutionary/counter revolutionary reactionary revolutionist....the guy knew how to kiss butt to save his neck!
I guess I'm going to go along with everyone else on Ingres - even though he is the one academic who really gets recognition, and I tend to like academic work, Ingres is not my favorite. I *really* don't like the Odalisque, much prefer the one by Delacroix, which, while not so tightly rendered has far more of the feeling of reality. I agree with those who prefer the drawings of Ingres to his paintings, for the most part (I tend to think the same of Rubens).
As an aside, even though I rank Velasquez as tops among artists of all eras, I'm not even thrilled with his odalisque-like Venus/mirror figure, though it's a big improvement over the Ingres. Delcroix is best on that.
Weirdly, I do like Fragonard, in spite of the fluffiness. I guess fluff has its place, anyhow they are kind of delighful. Unexpectedly. Perhaps I'm having a reaction to the self importance of modern art.
Fascinating to read that Constable was first to use bright green for grass, I'm wondering if the old painters who preceded him may not have a had a bright yellow, I already know that their access to bright blues was limited.
Turner's one of my favorites, in spite or because of his quite abstract syle! 'Course, the only similarity I see from Turner to Rothko is that both use a horizon line.
RP, wasn't David involved in the French Revolution politically, in an unsavory manner somehow?
I always thought that The Death of Socrates should be titled "Socrates Tells His Last Pun".
It was hard to stay alive during the Revolution(s). Just ask Robespierre.
Professor,
I would love to join your ping list. Think you could add me, or does someone else act as the caretaker for it? Thanks
In Delacroix's Odalisque, the image in the back may be the man leaving after doing his "duty;" a kind of wham-baam-thank-you-ma'am, if you will.
In Liberty, the half nude torso is because she is a symbol of Liberty. She is not really there in the battle (well, the whole thing is a bit contrived and symbolic, the telling way that the dead bodies are conveniently posed and all). She is holding the flag and urging those on to battle; symbolically, as I said. This is just a detail, but it focuses on what your interest was.
Thanks for joining the discussion.
I've added you to both ping lists: the regular art ping and the Art Education/Appreciation ping list which is much rarer.
I just posted 2 more articles this morning. If you do a keyword search under Art you will find them and perhaps they'll interest you.
But from now on you are on the ping lists.
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