Fin Ludwigs Art Explorations

             In this blog I will be looking at three different artists and how they changed the conception of what art is during the mid modern movement. I will be using the elements of art to define the impacts of each piece of art to highlight the changing ways in which we interact with art through these different art movements.    The left oil painting is titled Koska-Pal done in 1972 by French-hungarian artist Victor Vasarel, the painting on the right is also by Vasarel and is titled Tau-Ceti 36,  done in 1967. Vasarel painted both while living in Venice and was arguably the first to paint in this style, the style we call today op art. This style is powerful in its use of the fundamental principles of art. Utilizing form, line, value, and shape creatively to trick the eye into having an unusual viewing experience. For this reason, I love the Op art movement, it creates art that isn't in the subject, but in the brain's meltdown reaction to the confusing subject. This creates

       I will focus  on the influences of the great depression as seen in the following three works, exploring the moods and modality of the art of this unique time in history. I am especially interested in black and white colors in printmaking and photography, a theme evident in the pieces I chose to represent this time.  Thomas Hart Benton (American, 1889–1975).  Approaching Storm , 1940 Lithograph, 113/4 × 16 in. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Left: Arthur Rothstein (American, 1915–1985).  African American Family at Gee’s Bend, Alabama , 1937. Gelatin silver print, 71/8 × 91/2 in. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Alfred Stieglitz Society Gifts, 2001 (2001.298).  Right: Hale Woodruff (American, 1900–1980).  View of Atlanta , 1935 Linocut, 97/8 × 8 in. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.        Benton's Approaching Storm captures the tiresome labor of fieldwork, conveying the scene's mood expertly in its limited black and white colors. The d

 I will compare the differences between the Hudson River School artists and artists of the Pre-raphealite. By examining their landscape paintings I will point out my aesthetic preferences between the two while still acknowledging their inspirations. The first paintings are both from Hudson River School artists.     The top painting is Into Yosemite Valley  by William Keith, it was painted in 1895 on one of his many trips to Yosemite. The painting is a fantastic example of how the Hudson River School students would pick grand scenes and make them appear even grander. The small people in the image making their way up the hill add a sense of scale to the mountains in the background. This depth from the atmospheric perspective and composition allows the viewer to spend more time in the painting, almost relaxing in the awe of the landscape. The second painting by Thomas Moran titled 'Dusk Wings' was painted in 1860. This painting depicts the grandeur of a sunset as it casts its ligh

  Clockwise from the top left;  Robert Fulton by Jean-Antoine Houdon , Colonel Guy Johnson and Karonghyonty e by Benjamin West, and The Oath Of Horatii by Jacques-Louis David. Morality in Neoclassical art      With these three pieces, you can develop an idea of the return to morality in art prominent during this time. Themes of sacrifices, leadership, and power are all at work in these pieces. These elements together inspire the viewer to take part in the moral ideals of the time. Especially seen in The Oath Of Horatii painted by Jacques-Louis David in Rome during the year 1786 where three men are agreeing to a battle to the death to settle a debate between two cities. This sacrifice was meant to stop greater bloodshed if the cities went to war and was seen as a very noble sacrifice. This narrative promotes the morals of sacrificing the individual for the good of the state, a theme that became prominent in art during this time.     In the painting Colonel Guy Johnson and Karonghyont

       T his painting is titled " The Rainbow Landscape" by baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens. The work was finished in 1637 and was a way for Ruben to pay homage to the great Flemish tradition of painting landscapes. The piece celebrates the diversity of life and the position we as humans are in to rule over it. You can see this in the classic baroque style of rich colors used to create focal points around the humans, but also giving some of this richness to the animals to maintain their importance second to the humans. All of this is under a massive rainbow that breaks into 3-dimensional space as it comes out of the distant back towards the viewer. the rainbow seems to embody the riches of the land and the blessing of a good crop yield seen in the rainbow ending over the piles of what appears to be wheat.     The landscape has an interesting connection to the Council of Trent, Ruben was a convert to the catholic church and his paintings celebrate the divine hierarchy of lif

  This painting is called  Landscape with the Flight into Egypt  by artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder. The painting was made in 1563 in Belgium and is oil on a wooden board, it depicts Mary and Joseph fleeing from Bethlehem with baby Jesus. I find this piece captivating for its use of a dramatic and imaginative landscape to add a sense of divinity to Mary and Joseph's journey. The atmospheric perspective gives the painting a sense of scale with Mary's saturated red dress standing out in the foreground. This creates a very strong focal point and draws the viewer's eye closer to the subject, upon doing so baby Jesus's head from among Mary's cloak becomes obvious to the viewer. This well-thought-out progression curated by the artist sets this piece apart from other landscape-style biblical pieces from this time. Bruegel worked in the aftermath of the Reformation and his landscape paintings represent a separation from the long-standing iconography of the Catholic church.