21/9/06 - History of Art - Introduction: Terms of Art History

Who?
Who created the art object? Modern idea of artists' works chronicled together rather than all grouped together. Idea that artists are lone people in society. Outsiders. E.g. Van Gogh (supposedly had bipolar disorder). Andy Warhol, TraceyEmin. Exhibitions focus on individual artists (most popular kind of gallery*). But Judy Chicago's The Dinner Party was a piece created by a collection of women.

What?
Artists distorted reality in Renaissance. More problems in Symbolism, when they tried to imitate dreamlike ideas. Abstraction - all reality deleted from art. Photography. Marcel Duchamp took useful object (urinal) and gave it a new meaning, creating art (in theory).

How does medium affect our assessment of the work? Greuze's Girl With Dead Canary, oil painting. Why does this medium hold authority?

Disegno or colore. Venetians thought colore more emotional.

Fine arts. Painting, sculpture, print making, etc. Supposed to be superior until challenged by Impressionists. Horrified artists by exhibiting quick sketches done outdoors as finished works.

What? Genre
Subject matter put into hierarchy, e.g. Lady Jane Grey's Execution, Paul Delaroche, 1833. Held highest. Historical paintings. Next, portraiture. Historical landscape, i.e. mythological. Genre painting, originating in Holland, domestic scenes. Development of this, painting of everyday (but not domestic) life.

When? Period/style
E.g. Caravaggio's Crucifixion of Saint Peter. Baroque period. Realist.
Fragonard, The Swing. Romantic. Detailed, bright, beauty.
Turner/Constable. Can they be grouped as Romantic artists?

Or grouped by schools, e.g. countries.

Why? Patronage, intention
Commission? Botticelli, Birth of Venus. Commissioned by cousin.
Michelangelo, Medici Chapel, San Lorenzo.
Is it possible to discuss art in terms of artists' intentions? Monet, Ice Floes on the Seine. Stated all his paintings were done outdoors, but he often 'touched up' his paintings indoors. Gauguin, Vision of the Sermon, 1888. People interpret this as religious but Gauguin never intended this.

The object in the wider world... museum/exhibition, canon/reproduction
Exhibiting. Origin? What kind of collection? Victorian? How is the painting affected? Modern art displayed in modern building? Older paintings in imposing buildings? How is it displayed? Eye level a 60s habit. Natural or artificial light? How are people protected? Symmetry. Figures look TOWARDS each other. Colour of wall changes perception of painting.

Canon of art. Unknown artists brought into known in modern art history, e.g. Bougliereau, Tissot. Academic artists. Gentileschi, Caillebotte - The Unkown Impressionist was the name of his exhibition. Western art more popular in the past, e.g. Chinese art.

Reproduction. E.g. Monet bags, postcards. Our perception may become jaded. Changing size of reproduction alters perception. Attacking conventions by distorting the picture.

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* In terms of number of visitors.