Madonna and Child by Sandro Botticelli

This image is called Madonna and Child and was painted by Sandro Botticelli. He is the same artist that did The Birth of Venus, a painting we saw in class. It is dated as circa 1445, and is currently at The National Gallery in London. I found this to be an interesting depiction of the Virgin and Child because the love that is being expressed between them is clear to us. There is a genuine affectionate connection between mother and child. Note the loving way in which she gazes at Him; the way their faces seem to be touching just ever so slightly; and the way He is reaching for her, as if she were not close enough.

The next thing I noticed, is how strikingly young she looks. It is believed the Virgin Mary was about fourteen or fifteen when she gave birth to Christ. Botticelli reminds us of her youthfulness. He depicts her in an innocent, pensive, tranquil sort of way. It seems as though she is entirely at peace with herself and the world. Lastly, I really enjoy the detail in her dress and scarf. Each line is very delicate and gives the work a realistic touch.

instructions for blog posts

Some of you are still posting images that are not from the specific time period/culture we're discussing in class at the present; keep in mind that an image OF the time period is NOT the same as an image/object made IN the time period. IN the future please make sure that the image/object is from the appropriate time period. Email me if you have any questions about this.

Livia Drusilla

This is a sculpture of Livia Drusilla also known as Julia Augusta. She is the wife of Augusta whom was her second husband. She is described as being one who enjoyed the status of priviledged counselor of her husband. It was said that she petitioned on behalf of others to influence his policies. This was such a great feat for her because it is was an unusual role for a Roman wife in a culture dominated by paterfamilias, which are the head of the Roman family.

This sculpture stuck out to me because I could tell that she was royalty. I am a little disheartened that her left arm is cut off however from the angle that she is sitting I cant see if anything else is out of place. Im unsure if that happened during a time of war to show disrespect or if through time natural things happened that runied the sculpture. She gives off this heir of security. I also like the fact that she is covered instead of naked. I sometime find that offensive. Her face commands the sculputure even though most of it is her clothes.

This as painted by Marilene Sawaf. she graduated in Interior Design and Architecture from the University of Saint Espirt in Lebranon. She studied Art with the ABC school ofnFine Arts in Paris. Since 1981, she has exhibited her art paitings in many galleries. solo shows, and museums over the past 27 years. She was awarded the Ezecheil Straw Award(2006) and the Georgeopoulos award of drawing (2008) at the Currier Meusum of art annual exhibit with the NH art association. She use vibrate colors and stain glass effects of Medival art. She tries to capture the richness of color of the New England landscape, she has admired for the past 28 years. This also reminds of the many scultures and painting of glass makers we seen in class. those used vibrate colors and use of bright colorimg to fulfill their painting main message.

Title: Mariana

Artist: Valentine Cameron Prinsep

Country: Unknown

Time: 1888

Present location: Unknown

This painting was originally exhibited in 1888 as part of a collection of twenty-one paintings entitled "Shakespeare's Heroines." It is a remake of a paiting originally done by artist named Millais. Both the original and the remake of this painting feature this woman, Mariana, gazing out of her window. The difference? Millais' original work had a more dark and dismal tone, with dying autumn leaves; whereas Prinsep's work has more cheerful tone, set in spring with tulips blooming.

The piece of this painting that draws me most to it is the tulips in bloom. They complement Mariana's gold stripes in her dress and although she doesn't appear cheerful, the tulips add color to her otherwise dismal mood.

education

I found this picture on google.com, i could not find the artist. I liked this picture because i remembered when we were talking about the Monastic Life and all the categories under it. For example education , litereacy, authority and power etc. To me this picture shows a teacher teaching the kids how to read and the kids learning different lesssons. I think this was a huge thing for young women to be in a learning setting rather then just being to taught to be a mother or a wife.

I really liked how this picture brought out the educating of women at such a young age. but it looks as if a man is leading the class showing women are still subordinate to men. i also liked the colors of red and green. I also think color plays an important role in this picture because there are the three in red and one in green. in my opinion the one in green possibly is younger or not at the education level of the others. Either way all are being given the chance to make something of themselves.

Madonna and Child

Title: Madonna and Child

Artist: Giotto

Time Period: Middle Ages

Location: Firenze’s Uffizi Gallery

This is an image I found on Google images. It is a naturalistic perspective of The Virgin Mary and baby Jesus. In this painting by Giotto he uses a lot of light and dark values to get his point across; with this I see soft round deep modeling affects. During the Middle Ages women were shown in luxary wool and silk with silver. There was a theme at this time of fertility, marriage, and Christianity. Christian symbolism is generally called iconography. Jesus is shown in Mary’s left arm; one would say that there is a slight connection between the two. Mary is holding Jesus’ hand while he is clutching to her robe/dress. Mary’s expression is straight, I see no emotion. Jesus in the other hand is shown smiling like a normal infant.

Sculpture of a Woman with a Scroll

This is a portrait bust of a woman holding a scroll. It was made sometime between the late 4th and early 5th century in the Byzantine Empire. There is a prominent emphasis on the gaze of the woman and the scroll she is holding. The woman's look is very direct and confident instead of timidly cast downward like many other women from the Middle Ages (Virgin Mary). Such a bold gaze indicates a sense of importance and pride. This was a woman who had a very high status in her society. The scroll on her hand also reaffirms this notion. The scroll represents that she was an educated woman who could read and write. The woman could have been from a monastery, as most educated women during the Middle Ages came from monasteries, or she was just wealthy and received education elsewhere. The many lines on the body indicate that she was wearing a rich , billowing piece of clothing, which again, could have been a religious ceremonial robe or just a fine set of garments. Although her composition contains many feminine characteristics such as long, slender fingers and a soft set of eyes and jawline, overall, she was a distinguished woman who valued her education.

Virgin in Red

Virgin Mary with five Saints and Patron family

On Display: Wilhelmhack Museum

Date/artist: unknown

I found this on the Wilhelmhack website; This piece is from the middle ages. We discussed how The Virgin Mary became one to worship and became a focus in Christian Art. In this painting everyone seems to have that distinguished facial features and expressions, except the three smaller figures kneeling. They have a bit different facial feature to me. The five standing along side the Virgin Mary have almost the same features as she and to me that shows a sign of power. The Virgin in particular stands out to me because of the color scheme. The red in the cloaks and the walls stand out. But the bright candy apple red behind the Virgin Mary is what draws you into her. She is also in white that is combined with the red to draw you in. She is the one being worshiped in this painting because everyone is looking towards her and Jesus Christ in a way. I did notice that the three kneeling are looking up to the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ; whereas the Virgin Mary and the five along side her all seem to be looking down in a way. That seems to me as a sense of power as well. Everyone seems to be much smaller in size also showing a sense of domination and power in the picture.

Madonna In Majesty

Title: Madonna In Majesty/Enthroned Madonna with Prophets and Angels

Artist: Cimabue

Location: Florence, Italy

Date: 1285-86

In class today, we discussed how the Virgin Mary became a subject for works of Christian art, for which Jesus and different saints had been as a custom the primary focus. Mary is seated on a throne with the baby Jesus on her lap. The angels are symmetrically placed around the throne with their heads tilted. Mary's head is also tilted, and two of the prophets below the throne have their heads tilted up as well. To me, this gesture conveys thought, wonder, and/or reverence. The other two prophets appear to be in dispute over a scroll. Perhaps, they are debating over the Word of God and if Jesus is the real Messiah. Mary's hand gestures toward Jesus, as if she is introducing him as the Son of God and Savior of the world. The facial expressions of Mary and the angels are difficult to read, but I think they reveal adoration and gratitude. There is almost a hint of an archaic smile on each of the faces, a characteristic found in Greek sculpture. The rich colors, gold background, and religious nature of Cimabue's painting identify it as a work of Byzantine art.

This is titled Women as Decoration by Emily Burbank. This is from Anicent Egypt. This reminds me how in class the picture of the two egyptians standing up was almost the same height. That pioctured show that women were just as important as men were.

This image also shows how very equal women and men were to each other. It shows how women played a big part in the ruling of egypt. The women has very good posture and this statue is crafted very good and everything is almost symmetrical to the men statue. Both figures in this picture arfe postion to be of high athority.

Woman with Red Hair

Title: Woman with Red Hair
Painter: Albert Herter
Date: 1894

I found this image on google. I liked this picture because it stood out amongst the other selections. This painting was created by Alber Herter. In the painting he mixed various historic styles. There is a medieveal background and the gown has Renaissance- inspired design. It is an ode to classical and renaissance poses.
This painting was well put together. It is really intriguing to learn that the themes are not from one era. This means that there was different concepts added to the painting. The woman is sitting apparently looking away from the painter. The painting portrays her to be emotionless. There is no emotion coming from her eyes or her smile. I like the fact that while she is emotionless, the painting has alot of emotion because of the things surronding her. Everything else in painting is colorful and full of life. I thought it was an oxymoron that the person has no life but the things that are lifeless do.

Title: La Delicata

Artist: Unknown

Country: Athens, Greece

Date: c.a. 500 BC -- c.a. 490 BC

Present location: Athens, Acropolis Museum


This free-standing marble statue of a maiden is from the late-Archaic period and was found at Athens, Acropolis, south of Parthenon in 1888. The statue of maiden was one of many statues dedicated to Athena on the Acropolis. She is wearing a diagonally draped cloak over her dress, which doesn't allow for great detail with her clothing. It brings out more of the texture of the clothing, rather than any patterns or surface designs. She has a few pieces of hair pulled back and the remaining free-falling down her chest and back, which to me, is the most prominent part of this statue. This feature really stands out to me because it is in perfect symmetry and lays nicely, something I could never accomplish with my own. She appears to only have earrings on, which may allow us to think that gems and jewels were not a necessity for a woman like this. Her face is solemn, not smiling, with her eyes slanted inward, however, her face appears to have a soft-look to it. Her stance is also upright, which is another prominent feature of this statue. She appears to be serious, yet subtle about whatever it is she thinking about or doing. Her arms are also not present, however, I am not sure that is the original intent of the statue. Overall, this statue depicts a woman of power and elegance, one who has soft feminine features, yet serious overtones in the way she carries herself.

Venus of Hohle Fels

This is a picture of what is believed to be the oldest known sculpture to date, according to many archaeologists. Known as the "Venus of Hohle Fels" after its discovery in the Hohle Fels cave of Germany in September 2008, this small, 6 centimeter sculpture is well over 35,000 years old. The figurine depicts a very heavy-set woman, with a central emphasis on her large breasts and vagina (much like the Venus of Willendorf). In addition, the woman also has a thick stomach and wide hips. In the back, the buttocks is also broad and detailed. The arms and legs, however, are considerably smaller in comparison, and the head is nowhere to be found. The exaggerated yet careful details of the breasts and vagina, as well as the disregard of other body parts, showcase what feminine characteristics were most valued at the time. The huge breasts, buttocks, and encorged vagina held much importance, as it could have represented a strong sense of sexuality. They could also represent fertility, as the breasts are swollen much like that of a breast-feeding mother, and the hips are strong and wide for giving birth. Also, the sculpture was made entirely of wolly mammoth ivory, which was believed to be a symbol of fertility in itself. Depicting the woman as overweight could also represent power, as fat at the time could enhance sustenance and survival. In contrast, the small legs, arms, and non-existent head showcased that these body parts were not valued on a woman, probably because intelligence and a strong set of legs and arms were seen as a male characteristic. Overall, the "Venus of Hohle Fels," with its large specific attributes, depicted the ideal woman 35,000 years ago in what is now present-day Germany.

Relief: Exaltation of the Flower

Relief: Exaltation of the Flower Greek Art Musee du Louvre, Paris

The “Exaltation de la Fleur” (exaltation of the flower), is an ancient Greek Sculpture. It is made from a grave stele. In the sculpture are two women wearing some type of hair net, holding poppy or pomegranate flowers, and maybe a small bag of seeds. The hair nets could be a form of sophistication, wearing the hair up instead of having it down. Holding the flowers is the symbol what they are representing. The small bag of seeds can correspond to the flowers and show how they must continue to grow. The word exalt means to praise or worship, as in a God; in reference to that the two women in the sculpture could represent Goddess of flowers.

What I first noticed about this sculpture were the fact that there are two women and they are in profile. They are almost in perfect symmetry, which meant they were equal in their culture. As one women’s head is down and eyes seem to be closed there is still a smile on her face; maybe she is praying to the other Gods over the bag of seeds she is protector of. The other woman seems to be smiling as well however her head is not vowed and eyes are opened looking at the other women. There are numerous amounts of lines in this sculpture, not only in the robes or gowns the women are wearing but there are lines showing the distinction between their hair and the hairnets. The proportions of their faces can be predicted as a modern woman of today, the slight difference is the nose how it comes straight from the forehead. I choose this piece of artwork because it was nice to see women holding a high position as being a goddess!

Cybèle

This is a painting by François-Edouard Picot. It is a painting of The Roman goddess Magna Mater or Cybele she was often shown in a chariot drawn by lions. There was a belief that lions couldn’t mate or produce. Cybele often turned people who didn’t properly pay her tribute into these roaring beasts as a punishment Cybele is an example of the fertile earth. She is the goddess of caverns, mountains, walls, fortresses, flowers, and wild animals.

I like this painting because it seems as if everyone is at her feet just trying to get close to her. kind of like she is on this pedestal. I think this shows an image of a strong woman who is looked up to by many others. Also she sits upon this mountain above everyone else and close to God. Maybe that's why people want to be so close to her. It seems as if everyone is on their knees praising her. She looks confident and content in the position she is in. She is strong but tough at the same time.

Hellenistic Market Woman

Title: Market Woman

Date: 1st Century BCE

I found the image of this sculpture in Marilyn Stokstad's book, Art: A Brief History, which was required for Dr. Rabe's Art 103 class. This is a marble sculpture of an elderly market woman that is believed to have been created during the Hellenistic era. However, some sources say that it may be a Roman copy, due to the fact that it appears to have been intentionally damaged. The arms have been chopped off, part of the right breast, neck, and area above the eyebrows have been chiseled at, and there is a chunk of marble missing from the left jawbone among other disfigurements. The woman wears a thin garment. The folds and drapery adds texture to the sculpture. Her sleeve has slipped off her shoulder, exposing part of her breast. According to Stokstad, this is a "detail often seen in representations of old women that hints at the liberation of the elderly from the restrictions imposed on women of childbearing years." She wears thong sandals and carries a bag as well as a basket of what appears to be fruit. This sculpture is located in The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Tropic Blooms

The artist, date, and title are unknown because this is a painting I found for a previous art class. This painting stood out to me because color is something that draws me in. The colors used in the painting create a sense of peacefulness yet liveliness. The colors are a scheme that always has been a favorite of mine: bright colors including white, yellows, purples, reds, greens, etc. The white and yellow of the flower is the emphasis of the painting. These colors together surrounding a white and yellow flower really draws the eye to the flower in the middle. These colors create a contrast to truly draw your eye into the center as well. These colors are not extremely contrasting but they still do the job in making the white really be the focal point. I am also drawn in to the flower because it is the only part of the painting that is completely solid and sharp; the rest of the painting has a sense of motion and fading. This is why this piece can give off the sense of peacefulness and purity, as well as liveliness and in motion. White is the color of purity in which case the flower gives off those themes. In addition, the lines and strokes used in this picture also draw you into the flower. The green lines draw you into the flower also. The composition of this piece is thoughtfully placed; the flower is almost in the center. The other colors create a kind of border around the flower. I feel this piece of art is unique.

general comment

All of you who have followed directions and posted images and discussion have done a good job. I wanted to point out that several of you have chosen images that fall more in the domain of commercial (not advertising, however) art than fine art or even popular (non-professional). This is fine, and within the bounds of the assignment: but it is important that you are aware of the distinction between fine/popular/commercial art, because it gives you valuable information about the intended purpose of the work and perhaps the issues the artist was addressing.

Dancing With Violin IV

Title: Dancing With Violin IV

Artist: Anna Razumovskaya

Country: Russia

Date: Unknown

Present location: Private location

This is one of the many pieces of artwork done by a young, Russian female artist named Anna Razumovskaya. This painting is the fourth in the series. I googled music and artwork and this was one of the results I came across. It appealed to me because I have a passion for music, especially pertaining to the violin. I have played stringed instruments for the past 16 years, which is the main reason this picture grabbed my attention. I also took a particular liking to this painting because of the vivid use of color. The dress also jumped out at me as something I could picture myself in. In a dream :) I chose this painting over the other three within the series because Dancing With Violin 1 and 3 had this woman posed with her bra exposed with her hugging the violin, not playing it or getting ready to play it. They also seemed to have a sullen and depressing tone because her head was hung low, making her appear unhappy. I really liked Dancing With Violin 2; it was my personal favorite, but due to technical difficulties, I could not get that picture to post to the blog :( This painting was the winner not just because of defalt, but also because the woman appears to have a happier demeanor, even though you could not see her face. Her head is held high, her shoulders back, and she is about to strut her stuff with that instrument.

The colors within this painting are what gives emphasis to it. The dress has so many different arrays of color in it that it almost forms a textured appearance. You feel that if you reached out to touch the dress that you would feel the different layers and materials used. The pale blue hues give the dress a cooling effect, with small bursts of warm yellows and reds, that saturate the dress and give it definition. It almost resembles a peacock in sort of a way. In the background of the portrait, it is not defined, however, it appears to me that a person to her right is watching her because of the shadow-like coloring. The repetition of blues and scattered, chaotic lines give this portrait an uneven pattern, yet one that is pleasing to the eye.

Marilyn Art

This image is of Marilyn Monroe (June 1, 1926 – August 5, 1962) This image is by the artist A Northern Soul. The image can be found at popartgeneration.com. She is known as one of the most popular and glamorous performers in Hollywood history. She was an actress, model, and a film producer. Her film career stretched from 1947-1962.

I love this image because not only is she one of my favorite hollywood stars but also in my opinion she defines beauty. I particularly love the use of color in this picture. I think the pink and black really blend well together. The use of line in this photo is also good. I like the way it outlines her face perfectly. i would describe this as a shadow picture and the pink against the black really brings out her face and makes it look so pretty. I think the theme here would be glamorous!

Artwork as Theraphy

Title: Unknown

Author: Unknown

Date: Unknown

This is an image I found on google.com after I typed in to search for “artwork therapy”. I sought this to be very entertaining and interesting image because of what it’s representing. A beautiful woman in a gorgeous gown is normal; however holding a gun and drinking what I believe is Jose Cuervo (a strong dark alcohol). The theme to me here is depression and love. The setting is on an altar at church; one can perceive that she since she is wearing a gown and is in a church she is a bride. I believe that she was left at the altar by her fiancé.
The photo is in black and white, which adds more to the whole theme of depression, because usually depression is dark and gloomy. The cross behind her is the center of the artwork, which can symbol a strong sense of religion, unless, is was placed just to portray the church prospective. The balance in the photo is off because the woman is not centered, but more to the left- this makes the space seem a tad bit bigger than if she was centered. We the audience can see the texture of the ground and how much of it there really is. Two-point perspective can be shown as the curtains how they go in toward the cross at the back.

Abstract Foot Drawing

This is a drawing that I did in art class of my senior year in high school. I sat at a table with five other students, and our teacher had us scribble something, without looking, onto each one of our papers. After your paper made the cycle around the table and got back to you, the goal of the project was to see a form within the scribbles that you could create into an image. After some close examination and with the help of my imagination, I found a shape that resembled a foot within the curved lines. Actually, a foot with four toes of differing lengths. Also, there was a circular shape in the area where a second toe should have been located, which I made into a ring. I was going to try to make the zig-zag scribble on the foot into some kind of tattoo, but then I saw that it reminded me of the back of a corset. The ribbon, ring, and corset are all feminine, and I thought they went together nicely. I used the method of value shading with the tools of a pencil, compressed and vine charcoal, and cotton balls for smudging and blending. I love black and white, especially in photography and clothing. I thought that a contrast between the gray background and the white foot, as well as the black and white striped ribbon would make for a cool effect. Some lines were added/revised to create the toe nails, as well as parts of the corset. I don't really consider myself to have much talent as an artist. However, I was proud of this drawing, and it was a really fun project.

line drawing

This picture reminds me of the picture that was shown in class of the head in a can and the lady who was holding the head. This picture uses the color black to outline the womens hair, eyebrows, eyelashes,her tears, the shape of her nose, the makeup on her eyes and her lips. All of this on a whites surface. I see alot of line being used without an actual line being drawn up on the women face.

This painting out lines the women fingers and hands. Also a white tear is shown but i barely saw that because her tear is white and her face is white. you can see the outline of her neck. i really dont see emphasis in this picture or this is no kind of form in this picture.

Swans Reflecting Elephants

This is the painting Swans Reflecting Elephants (1937) by the famous surrealist painter Salvador Dalí. It is a picture of numerous large swans sitting ontop of a pond, with some distorted trees in the background. The three large swans in the middle serve as the emphasis of the painting. The bold and curvy lines from the tree branches and swan necks also pop out and interestingly help form distinct reflections of elephants in the water. The warm orange colors of the rocks all around the sides of the water add a sense of calmness upon first glance, however, the black and cool colors of the elephant water reflections and knotty trees also sets up an ominous feeling. I think the two different feelings the colors set up contribute to the overall theme of the painting, which is contrast and polar opposites. These include the graceful swans vs. lumbering elephants, the vivacious landscapes vs. dead, cold trees, a cloudy sky to the left vs. a clear sky to the right, man vs. animal, etc.

greetings

Hi to all and welcome to the Women in Art Blog. To get things rolling, I'm going to post an image and commentary.

This is an image by a contemporary Palestinian-British artist named Mona Hatoum, called Projection (2008). It is a map of the world in which the oceans, or "space" are embossed or raised, and the continents are stamped or embedded. Made of cotton, a humble material suggestive of cloth, clothing and women's sewing, the title refers to the Peter's Projection cartography, with Africa at the center or the "heart" of the composition. Hatoum has made maps in a variety of materials that point to current events, political realities and conflicts, and always the unsettled experience of life in exile, in the sweeping Palestinian diaspora. As a Palestinian she is "homeless", "stateless", as an artist she is a citizen of the world.