Exam #2 Possible Images

Jean-Siméon Chardin Saying Grace c. 1740 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) 2) 3) ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) drum- hanging off the back of the chair, it shows that the child is a boy 2) gesture- the little boy's hands are in a prayer gesture, as he is saying grace (as the title says) 3) mother- the figure standing up, she is setting the table for the meal HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) at this time, Dutch genre painting was popular as it focused on the everyday middle class life 2) in 18th century France, it was common for young boys to wear skirts, they wore them up until the 20th century 3) Diderot believed that art should promote virtuous behavior and therefore he admired Chardin for refining portraits of the intimacy of everyday life

Rosa Bonheur The Horse Fair 1853-1855 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) 2) 3) ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) the horses- they are being shown at a horse fair 2) men- some are on the horses and others are walking next to them trying to corral the horses 3) HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) in order to study the horses, she had to go to stockyards and slaughterhouses and she had to petition the police to let her wear pants for her work 2) her parents were St. Simonians which supported equality for women and they encouraged her to become an artist 3) this painting was very popular and was even bought by Cornelius Vanderbilt and then put in the Met in NYC

Édouard Manet Olympia 1863 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) Contour lines- around the woman's body, predominantly on her stomach 2) desaturated colors- the bedding and the nude women are painted in soft, subtle tones. the bedding is a very light shade of blue 3) painterliness- on the bedding along the bottom of the canvas, you can see the brushstrokes ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) black cat on the right, at the woman's feet- a symbol for prostitution at the time 2) Nude woman- Olympia, she is a prostitute 3)Black woman on the right- Olympia's servant bringing her flowers from an admirer HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) this piece was inspired by Dumas the Younger's play, Olympia 2) the pose of the woman mirrors Titan's Venus of Urbino 3) Olympia's figure is quite petite which was not the way women were traditionally painted. Normally, women were more painted in a more developed, idealized way

Shen Zhou Poet on a Mountaintop c. 1500 ink and color on paper

FORMAL: 1) Monochromatic- grayscale as it is done in black ink 2) Atmospheric Perspective- desaturation of the gray in the clouds and mountains creates a foggy element 3) Diagonal Composition- the slant of the mountain ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) red marks in the bottom two corners and under the text are the stamp of either the artist, admirer, or collector 2) poem in calligraphy- translated, it's written in the POV of the man on the mountain 3) man- a poet who is standing on the mountain with his flute HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) Literati painting was associated with educated me who served the court as government officials 2) the "three perfections" are painting, poetry, and calligraphy... this piece encompasses all three 3) seals were stamped on paintings by various people- the artist, admirers of the pieces, and owners of the pieces

Nicolas Poussin Landscape with St. Matthew And the Angel 1639-1640 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) atmospheric perspective- as depth increases, details begin to blur like on the mountains in the background 2) 3) ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) St. Matthew- in blue, sitting down composing his text with the help of the Angel 2) the Angel- in white, standing next to St. Matthew 3) the ruins and crumbled buildings surrounding the figures- reference to Classicism and antiquity HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) the Barberini family was his foremost patron when he arrived in Rome from France and he soon became one of the most well thought-of painters 2) this piece was commissioned in 1639 by the secretary of Pope Urban VIII 3)

Claude Lorrain A Pastoral Landscape c. 1648 oil on copper

FORMAL: 1) atmospheric perspective- as depth increases, the objects begin to blur, like the mountains in the background 2) saturated colors- brilliant blue and red of the people's clothing and the bright green of the trees 3) z shaped composition- the figures point our gaze from right to the left, then the bridge crosses back to the right towards the middle of the canvas ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) two people in the bottom right corner are cattle herders 2) this scene takes place in an open field, nature is much larger than the people, thus qualifying as a landscape 3) bridge- creates a contrast between the natural, serene landscape and the manmade constructed walls and city HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) Lorrain was one of the pioneers of artists going to Italy and painting landscapes, later influencing the Neoclassical trend 2) at this time, painters would make sketches outdoors and watercolor practice paintings, then paint the actual scene in their studios because there wasn't an easy, portable way to bring materials outdoors 3) although he was French, Lorrain worked mainly in Italy, painting for French patrons

Caspar David Friedrich Abbey in an Oak Forest 1809-1810 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) atmospheric perspective- beyond the initial layer of trees, all of the forest begins to blur into a solid background 2) symmetric composition- if divided vertically down the center, the halves of the cathedral and pattern of trees would almost mirror each other, balancing the piece 3) relative lack of clarity- due to the setting Sun, shadows are cast over the landscape, blurring lots of the forest and causing dark shadows ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) time- this piece takes place in the evening as there is a waxing crescent moon (just right of center) which is at its peak around sunset 2) monks- represent Friedrich's emphasis on spirituality in his paintings 3) pointed arch- shows that this is the remains of a gothic cathedral, pointed arches were characteristic of gothic architecture HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) Friedrich was Lutheran and saw landscape paintings as a way to show a spiritual revelation 2) he studied at the Copenhagen Academy where he was encouraged to focus on and make landscapes his specialty 3) this is a Romantic piece as it ties together the concepts of nature the divine/spirituality

Julia Margaret Cameron Portrait of Thomas Carlyle 1867 silver print

FORMAL: 1) central composition- this photograph only focuses on one figure, Thomas Carlyle 2) light source- the light is coming from the left side of the man (our right) so the left half of his face is illuminated and his right is in shadow 3) monochromatic- this is a black and white photograph ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) beard- adds character to his face (lady Eastlake said men's faces make better portraits than women's' faces) 2) out of focus/blurriness- creates a spiritual mood, almost softening the man's harsh face 3) Carlyle- he is the central and only figure as this is a portrait HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) Thomas Carlyle was a Scottish philosopher and is considered one of the most important yet controversial social commentators of the Victorian era 2) Cameron didn't get into photography until she received a camera from her daughters at the age of 49 3)

Gustave Courbet The Stone Breakers 1849 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) desaturated colors- soft creams, grays, and browns in the mens' clothes and the stones and ground around them 2) symmetric composition- if divided vertically down the center, the two men balance one another as both of their figures are leaning towards the right 3) ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) the different shoes- the young man's are more modern and the older man's are traditional clogs 2) top right corner- Roche du Mont Cliff in Ornans 3) hammer- in the right man's hands, it shows that they're breaking up stones to built road HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) Ornans is Courbet's hometown and the setting for some of his pieces such as this one and "A Burial at Ornans" 2) Eventually, his works were refused from the salon exhibition so he started his own exhibition spaces in lieu of the Academy in 1855 3) this painting is 5'3" x 8'6" and up until this point, only history pieces were of such large scale. Simple genre paintings like this weren't typically large, this shows the importance of the everyday in Courbet's eyes

Jacques-Louis David Napoleon Crossing the Saint-Bernard 1800-1801 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) diagonal composition- the horse is rearing, creating a dynamic image 2) atmospheric perspective- the sky and mountains behind Napoleon become hazier and less clear as they recede; this puts all the focus on Napoleon and his horse 3) central composition- Napoleon is the central figure of the piece as it is dedicated to him ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) Napoleon- central figure on the horse 2) gesture- he is pointing forward as if to say "onward!" 3) Hannibal's and Charlemagne's names are engraved on the rocks in the bottom left corner as they also crossed the Alps prior to Napoleon HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) this was painted four years before Napoleon became emperor, and shows just how much David glorified him 2) Napoleon actually commissioned David to document his deeds and conquests... this was painting after Napoleon had crossed the Alps (modern history) 3) David was such a loyal supporter of Napoleon that, when he lost power in 1814, David went into exile in Brussels where he eventually died

William Blake Newton 1795-c. 1805 color print finished in ink and watercolor

FORMAL: 1) diagonal composition- the stone that he is sitting on goes from the top left down to the right and the diagonal line is continued by Newton's hunched over body and the cloth 2) modeling- light to dark transition of shadows along Newton's muscles 3) shallow depth- the solid background gives the feeling that there is nothing beyond Newton and the rock he's sitting on ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) Isaac Newton- the nude figure in the center 2) Compass- in Newton's hand, represents rationalism 3) location- in a cave in nature, emphasizes how Newton is trying to calculate the world HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) Blake was anti-academic and believed that the rules of the academy hindered creativity 2) This piece shows how Newton and other Enlightenment thinkers can't design the world because it's full of mystery and unpredictable 3) Blake was also a writer, and brought together painting and poetry, addressing themes of spiritual crisis and redemption

Honoré Daumier Rue Transnonain, Le 15 Avril 1834 1834 lithograph

FORMAL: 1) foreshortening- the man's body is foreshortened, as his torso seems much shorter in proportion to his legs and the size of his head 2) monochromatic- black and white 3) light source- bottom left corner as if a door has been opened to reveal the man dead infant of his bed, his wife remains behind in the shadows ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) the central figure is a man who was shot in his own home 2) the woman on the left- his wife 3) underneath the man- a baby with a bullet hole in his head HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) this image was produced for the ChariVari journal that people could subscribe to to receive prints 2) this event occurred during a riot in which a guard was shot so the police went after the shooter and shot into a building, killing all of the innocent people in it 3) lithography is based on the fact that water and oil repel each other. It also lets the artist make multiple prints of the same image which made it ideal for publishing in literary journals for the middle class

William Hogarth The Marriage Contract 1743-1745 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) gaze- the gazes of all the different figures leads the eye all over the piece, showing the chaos of the situation and how everyone is focused on different things 2) symmetric composition- divided vertically down the center, there are two groups of people that balance each half of the piece 3) saturated color- brilliant red on the men's coats and the bright blue of the son's coat ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) Lord Squanderfield- the man on the far right sitting down 2) Young Squanderfield- the young man in blue on the far left, looking at his reflection in the mirror 3) scroll in the bottom right- shows the family tree and the lineage of wealth in the family HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) Based on a satire that promoted marriage based on love rather than maintaining the interest of the aristocracy 2) Hogarth wanted his art to contribute to and improve society so he used his platform to mock the aristocracy, showing that they're all corrupt 3) this is just one of a collection of pieces that trace the story of this marriage which ultimately ends in a murder suicide

John Singleton Copley Watson and the Shark 1778 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) gazes- the gazes of the figures in the piece draws the eye down to the naked man in the water 2) triangular composition- the wave on the left pointing up and the slant of the figures along with the spear on the right form a triangle with the nude man sprawled out as the base 3) atmospheric perspective- as depth increases, objects in the background become blurrier, the ships on the right are further and blurrier than the ones on the left ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) Nude man in the water- Brooke Watson the patron 2) ships in the background- show that this takes place in a harbor (Havana Harbor) 3) African man- apex of the painting, could be a servant to one of the white men in the painting HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) this is an example of a modern history painting as it recounts/dramatizes an event that happened in 1749 2) this piece was commissioned at the same time that Parliament was raging over the Declaration of Independence and the issue of the slave trade 3) Copley was one of the first artists to display his large pieces in public and charge admission fees for people to see them

Angelica Kauffmann Cornelia Pointing to her Children as Her Treasures c. 1785 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) implied texture- on the figures' clothing, the folds and shadows give the impression of silky fabric 2) saturated colors- brilliant red on the woman's gown and the boy's (far left) robes 3) atmospheric perspective- looking out beyond the figures, the mountains begin to blur as depth increases ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) Cornelia- the central figure standing up in the white gown 2) boys on the left- Cornelia's two sons who went on to become social reformers 3) jewels- in the woman in red's hands, they're her treasures but Cornelia's are her sons HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) Kauffmann was one of the greatest Neoclassical painters and was elected to the Roman Academy of St. Luke 2) the Classical subject of morality and virtue was revered in this time and this piece shows Cornelia's moral virtue in motherhood 3) Kauffmann, along with Reynolds and West, went on to form the Royal Academy

Francisco Goya Third of May, 1808 1814-1815 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) light source- the box/lantern in the center, shining on the man in white 2) implied line- the straight barrels of the guns of the soldiers all point towards the man in white, drawing the focus to him 3) painterliness- individual brush strokes on the white shirt ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) gesture- the man in white had his arms raised like Christ when he was crucified 2) five men on the right half- the French firing squad 3) dead man- bottom right corner, he represents one of the hundreds of Spaniards who was murdered HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) on May 3, 1808, the French arrested hundreds of Spaniards and murdered them with a firing squad under the command of Napoleon 2) when he was asked why he painted such a brutal scene, Goya said "to warn men never to do it again." 3) Goya made a piece "Second of May, 1808" that showcased the street riots that happened the day before

Antoine-Jean Gros Napoleon in the Plague House at Jaffa 1804 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) light source- there is a sort of spotlight on Napoleon and the victims, which highlights his heroism and bravery, everything else is in the shadows 2) 3) ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) location- Egypt as shown by the Islamic architecture and arches 2) Napoleon- center figure reaching out to his right, touching a plague victim 3) French flag- in the center of the center arch, it shows Napoleon's conquest and the power of the French HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) Gros traveled with Napoleon in Italy in 1797 and later become an official chronicler of his military campaigns 2) this piece represents and actual event but in the Grand Manner as a modern history piece 3) this piece was commissioned as damage control to show Napoleon's "benevolence" when really he had many of the plague victims poisoned

Jacques-Louis David Death of Marat 1793 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) modeling- the light shining in on the piece creates soft shadows across Marat's body as part are illuminated and then transition to being shadowed 2) light source- from the left above Marat's head, it illuminates his figure but mainly his serene face 3) saturated colors- brilliant red in the tub showing Marat was stabbed and bled out ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) Marat- the dead man in the center of the piece 2) knife- on the ground by his hand, he was stabbed to death 3) bath- he is laying in the bath as he had a skin disease so he spent lots of time in medicinal baths and he was murdered in the tub HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) Charlotte Corday held Marat responsible for the 1792 riots and entered his home and stabbed him to death. this piece showcases the somber aftermath of his death 2) Marat's pose mirrors the pose in Michelangelo's Pietà, showing him as a martyr like Jesus 3) Jacques-Louis David was in favor of the revolution, like Marat, and later went on to support Napoleon

Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre The Artist's Studio 1837 daguerreotype

FORMAL: 1) monochromatic- black and white 2) light source- from the left, presumably from a window which caused the high exposure 3) ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) 2) 3) HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) daguerreotypes took 20-30 minutes of exposure in order to capture the images 2) Daguerre was the first to use this method, hence the name of this technique... daguerreotype 3) at the time, according the Lady Eastlake, photography was not art but rather a science

Henry Fox Talbot The Open Door 1843 salt-paper print from a calotype negative

FORMAL: 1) monochromatic- this is a photograph, in black and white 2) 3) ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) evokes nostalgia for an older way of living 2) the sky is not shown 3) HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) Lady Eastlake said that photography is really suited for depicted flat but variated surface 2) 3)

Francisco Goya The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters 1796-1798 etching and aquatint

FORMAL: 1) monochromatic- this is in grisailles as it is an etching just done in various shades of gray 2) diagonal composition- top right corner to Botton left, the various flying creatures make a dynamic entrance 3) contour lines- around the man's shin, there's an outline that's dark, showing the curve of his calves ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) sleeping man- he represents reason personified 2) owls and bats- they are flying in, sneaking up on reason and causing trouble 3) black cat- in the center, right behind the figure, represents bad omens HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) this is just one etching of a series of prints titled "Los Caprichos" Goya made in criticism of the aristocracy 2) Goya believed that the ordinary people of Spain were being led by a monarch and the Church in a way that defied reason 3) With etching, the plate is covered with a resin that makes the surface softer, making it easier to draw into it

Francisco Goya Family of Charles IV 1800 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) overlapping- for example, the King is standing on front of two figures behind him, almost completely blocking them. the figures are layered 2) gazes- every figure is looking in different directions, it makes it seem like everyone is bored and distracted 3) life size scale- this canvas is about 9'x11' and all of the figures are life size ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) Goya himself- on the left side behind the easel 2) King Charles IV- to the right of the center, in the black uniform and blue sash 3) the Queen- in the center of the piece surrounded by her children HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) this piece is very similar to Velazquez's "Las Meninas" where it's a portrait of a royal family with the painter and easel in the piece as well 2) One French art critic described the painting as resembling "the corner baker and his family after they have won the lottery." 3) shortly after painting this piece, Goya became the court painter for Charles IV, a title previously held by Velazquez

Claude Monet Impression: Sunrise 1872 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) painterliness- at the top of the piece, the sunrise is very streaky and you can see the brushstrokes (really the entire piece is painterly) 2) complementary colors- blue and orange are complementary colors 3) ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) in the center, there is a figure with an ore paddling a boat 2) location- morning in a harbor in Le Havre, Monet's hometown 3) landscape- Monet focused more on the style of painting rather than giving social commentary through his art HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) due to the creation of painting kits and bottling oil paints up in tubes, painting could now be done outdoors, aka. painting "en plein air" 2) this is also "Alla Prima" meaning the first layer of paint on the canvas is the paint we see. By painting outside, painters didn't have time for base coats to dry so the pain that we see is the initial paint that was put down 3)Shown in 1874 at the first exhibition shown by impressionists... this was a way to boycott the Academy's Salon

James Abbott McNeill Whistler Nocturne in Black and Gold, The Falling Rocket 1875 oil on panel

FORMAL: 1) painterliness- in the sky you can see the individual brush strokes and the vertical and horizontal directions he moved the brush 2) relative lack of clarity- nothing in this piece is clearly defined, the night sky serves as a backdrop for a blurry scene 3) complementary colors- that dark blue/green contrasts with the gold/orange of the fireworks ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) people- they're faintly painted in the bottom left part of the painting almost like they're transparent while watching the scene unfold before them 2) gold dots/sparkles- the trail of light from the rocket/fireworks 3) location- this appears to take place by the ceases the bottom of the canvas looks like a sandy beach that transitions into water HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) a critic said this was a painting of nothingness and Whistler sued him for libel and won the court case but it bankrupted him 2) Whistler called his pieces "symphonies" and "arrangements" like their themes were in the composition not the subject matter. This piece, like others by him, has a musical title... Nocturne 3) when he moved to London in 1859, he began to paint for the aesthetic, diverging from reality and becoming one of the first abstract painters

Édouard Manet The Luncheon on the Grass 1863 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) painterliness- on the grass, you can see the individual strokes of loose brushwork 2) modeling- there is a lack of modeling on the nude woman as there isn't really a gradual shift from light to dark but rather her body is very bright with minimal shadows 3) inconsistent perspective- the woman in the back appears quite large for the distance in which she is away from the other figures. ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) nude woman- at this time, it was only really acceptable for goddesses to be portrayed in the nude. this woman isn't a goddess she's just an average woman 2) there are two men sitting with the nude woman- they are dressed somewhat casually like they're part of the bourgeoisie 3) the woman in the background- she is in a very thin dress, Manet's audience thought that the women were prostitutes HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) Manet studied the engravings of Raimondi and they inspired the way he modeled his figures in a lounging pose 2) this piece was rejected from the academic salon in 1863 so it was shown in the "Salon of the Rejected" 3) even though this piece was rejected from the Salon, is helped establish Manet as an avant-garde, modern artist

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Moulin de la Galette 1876 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) painterliness- the dresses of most of the women, you can see the brushstrokes 2) recognizable light source- natural lighting shines through the trees 3) ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) children- bottom right corner, they emphasize the innocent flirtations of the bourgeoisie 2) location- the title translates to "Pancake Mill" which was a place in Paris where to bourgeoisie would gather and socialize 3) HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) Renoir's goal in painting was to capture innocence, joy, and aesthetic pleasure and beauty 2) Renoir was encouraged to paint outdoors and use natural light in his paintings by Monet 3)

Joseph Mallord William Turner Snowstorm: Hannibal and his Army Crossing the Alps 1812 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) painterliness- the stormy sky is full of scratchy paint strokes 2) atmospheric perspective- the whole piece is pretty blurry but as distance increases, the brush stroked get stronger and everything blurs under the monstrous cloud 3) z shaped composition- the top left of the clouds sweep down in a z shape to the right towards the soldier, showing its looming presence ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) Hannibal- just left of the center, his silhouetted form is on an elephant 2) location- the stormy Alps as shown by the mountains and whirlwind of dark clouds 3) Soldiers- along the bottom of the canvas, they were being led to fight against the Romans HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) Hannibal crossed the Alps before Napoleon did, this is also alluded to in David's portrait of him where Hannibal's name is carved into the stone 2) Turner sought to capture the sublime, something awe inspiring through his large, dramatic natural scenes 3) Turner also painted a piece about the burning of Parliament in London where he uses the same painterly techniques

Claude Monet Rouen Cathedral, West Façade, Sunlight 1894 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) painterliness- you can see the individual brushstrokes on both the chapel and the sky 2) 3) ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) Location- Rouen Cathedral 2) 3) HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) Monet made 30 paintings like this, all painted at different times and during different seasons to show the passage of light 2) 3)

Joshua Reynolds Lady Sarah Bunbury Sacrificing to the Graces 1765 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) pastel colors- there are light, soft pinks and teal colors on the clothing of the women 2) scale- this is a life size portrait of Lady Bunbury as the canvas is almost 8'x5' 3) ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) Lady Sarah- the contemporary woman in the center being represented as a priestess 2) statue top left- the Three Graces 3) her clothing- traditional Roman robes HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) Reynolds developed a style called Grand Manner that depicted modern people in historic or mythological portraiture 2) Joshua Reynolds was the first president of the Academy of Sculpture in London 3) William Blake was really critical of Reynolds and write notes on his work, criticizing the Academy

Théodore Géricault The Raft of the Medusa 1818-1819 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) pyramidal composition- the bodies in the bottom left lead up to the flag in Charles' hand and the other diagonal goes from the dead man in the bottom right up to the sail 2) modeling- along the arms of the figures, the transition from dark to light curves over their muscles 3) atmospheric perspective- in the right corner/top half, the waves and clouds get blurrier as you look out into the distance ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) Jean Charles- the black man on the right side of the piece, shirtless facing away from the picture plane 2) raft- bottom half of painting where all the men are, it shows that their ship, the Medusa, has wrecked 3) gestures- most of the figures are pointing out into the distance, as if they're signaling a ship for help HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) everyone from the ship had to get on the raft because the captain hoarded all of the life boats for himself, not saving anyone but himself and other government officials 2) to study bodies, Gericault would collect cadavers to see how the human body decays 3) this piece actually was not commissioned by anyone, the Gericault painted it in order to launch his career as a respected artist

Henry Ossawa Tanner The Banjo Lesson 1893 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) pyramidal composition- the section of light on the floor come up to a point behind the older man, putting the two figures in a triangular spotlight 2) complimentary colors- blue and yellow of the tablecloth and dishes behind the figures 3) painterliness- the individual brush strokes are prominent on the floor, creating the look of wood paneling ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) older man- sitting on a stool, teaching a young boy to play the banjo 2) young boy- in the man's lap holding the banjo 3) genre painting- this is a domestic scene not a historical event HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) Tanner's goal was to combat caricature images of African Americans that appeared in pop culture at the time (minstrel shows) 2) Tanner was mentored by Thomas Eakins at the Academy in Pennsylvania 3) Tanner traveled to Palestine and turned to painting religious art because he felt the Bible could provide hope for African Americans

John Henry Fuseli The Nightmare 1781 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) tenebrism- the woman is extremely bright whereas everything else is dark, creating a stark contrast between her figure and the darkness that's taking over 2) relative lack of clarity- the shadows behind the woman are blurred but her figure and everything else illuminated is really defined 3) ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) Incubus- the evil spirit/creature that is sitting on the woman's stomach 2) Horse- on the left with glowing eyes, represents fear in the unknown and unrestrained sexuality 3) Woman- passed out dreaming on the divan HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) Fuseli was one of the first painters of Romanticism and he focused on dark, supernatural, irrational subjects 2) this piece was exhibited by the Academy in 1782 and was not received well by other members but the public seemed to enjoy it 3) The legend behind this piece was that and evil creature was believed to feed by stealing women and having sex with them in their sleep

Thomas Eakins The Gross Clinic 1875 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) relative lack of clarity- while you can see the students taking notes in the background, their figures are obscured by shadows and they fade into the background 2) light source- from the left, it's like there is a spotlight on Dr. Gross and the surgical procedure 3) chiaroscuro- there is a strong, bright light on the doctor and surgery but everything else falls into shadows, creating a stark contrast between light and dark ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) Figure standing up in the center- Dr. Samuel Gross, he's receiving the most light 2) figure to the left of Dr. Gross turned away from the procedure- probably related to the patient being operated on 3) location- a lecture hall where students in the background are taking notes on the procedure while Dr. Gross pauses to give a lecture HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) Eakins was enrolled at the Jefferson Medical College where Dr. Gross was a professor 2) this piece was denied entry to the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition because surgery was thought of as an inappropriate subject for art 3) the surgery being performed in the painting is actually a surgical innovation of Dr. Gross that saved limbs from being amputated

Artist unknown Calendar Stone c. 1500 stone carving in basalt

FORMAL: 1) relief sculpture- bas relief as nothing protrudes from the stone 2) monochromatic- it's all one uniform tan color 3) monolithic- this sculpture was carved into volcanic basalt ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) glyph to the bottom left of the central face- "four fire" represents one of the previous civilizations that was wiped out by a volcanic eruption 2) glyph to the top right of the central face- "four jaguar" represents one of the previous civilizations that was wiped out by an animal attack 3) glyph to the bottom right of the central face- "four water" represents one of the previous civilizations that was wiped out by a flood HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) this was "commissioned" by Moctezuma II who was the emperor of the Aztec civilization at the time 2) The Aztecs believed that their civilization was the fifth civilization (5th Sun) which would be destroyed by earthquake (Four Movement) but they were really destroyed by the conquistadors in 1521 3) this sculpture was horizontal

Anton Raphael Mengs Parnassus 1761 ceiling fresco

FORMAL: 1) saturated colors- brilliant blue color on the sphere and woman's clothing; brilliant orange on the far right woman's gown 2) symmetric composition- vertically down the center, Apollo's figure divided the remaining figures into even sides, balancing the scene 3) recession- there is a lack of recession as all of the figures are in line with one another, as if there were a wall behind them, blocking them from moving back ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) Mount Parnassus- where Apollo, Mnemosyne, and the Muses lived 2) Blue sphere- bottom right represents the heavens/universe 3) river god- behind Apollo at his feet, he is holding a water jug to create a stream HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) this is a ceiling fresco at the Villa Albani which was a popular tourist destination for students embracing on their Grand Tours 2) this was commissioned in 1761 by Cardinal Albani in the gallery of his new villa 3) this piece was the first full expression of Neoclassicism in painting

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres Large Odalisque 1814 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) saturated colors- brilliant blue of the fabric she's laying on and the curtain 2) light source- pointing directly at the woman, from the picture plane, as there are hardly any shadows, her whole body is illuminated 3) diagonal composition- the woman's body is lounging on the couch in a reclined position, from the top left to bottom right of the canvas ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) the nude woman- she is a concubine (odalisque is the Turkish term) 2) headdress- the details of it show not only of her exotic nature, but of her sensuality 3) peacock feather- shows the exoticism of the harems HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) Ingres was the president of the French Academy from 1835-1841 2) while he was trained in Neoclassical art, Ingres painted more erotic, sensual themes that aligned with the Romantic tradition 3) During Napoleon's campaigns, men who traveled to the East were fascinated by Turkish harems, this painting is a manifestation of the male gaze

John Singleton Copley Thomas Mifflin and Sarah Morris 1773 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) symmetric composition- if split vertically down the middle, the two figures would sort of mirror each other, balancing both halves of the piece 2) light source- coming from the left, it illuminates only half of the mans face and all of the woman's 3) implied texture- on Morris' dress, the folds and lighting gives the appearance of a thin, almost see-through silk fabric ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) Thomas Mifflin- to the left of his wife, he was a prominent merchant and politician 2) Sarah Morris- in the foreground, she sits to the right of her husband 3) silk threads- in Morris' hands, she is making her own goods as to boycott the ones from Britain HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) This couple, the patrons of the piece, were aristocrats and revolutionary patriots 2) although American, Copley actually ended up moving to London in 1774 and worked there until his death 3) in the colonies, revolutionaries resorted to making their own goods to boycott the goods from Britain as they wanted independence and didn't want to support the economy of Britain

Jacques-Louis David Oath of the Horatii 1784-1785 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) symmetric composition- the figure in the center divided the piece in half vertically, with the men on the left and the women on the right 2) light source- coming from the picture plane, it's like the scene is on a stage with light shining from the left 3) desaturated colors- the subtle, lighter shades of the women's clothes make them appear "weaker" and more "delicate" than the brighter colors the men are wearing ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) central figure- the father of the family in the red fabrics, he's the center of the piece and the family 2) three men on the left- the Horatii sons who were sent to represent Rome and fight the Curiatii from the city of Alba 3) Camilla- in white on the far right, she's the sister of the three men and married to one of the Curiatii that they're going to fight HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) commissioned for King Louis XVI as it was believed that art should improve public morals because his minister of arts thought there were too many nudes 2) this painting was inspired by the drama, "Horace" which tells of the history of ancient Rome 3) this piece became an emblem of the 1789 French Revolution as it shows patriotism and sacrifice for the greater good

Benjamin West The Death of General Wolfe 1770 oil on canvas

FORMAL: 1) triangular composition- the man in green on the left leaning to his right, the man in blue kneeling and leaning forward, and the top of the British flag make a triangular shape with General Wolfe in the center 2) saturated colors- brilliant blues, reds, and greens of the soldiers' coats 3) ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) Native American- bottom right, indicates that the setting is North America 2) General Wolfe- central figure in red being propped up by the other soldiers 3) British flag- behind the general represents the cross like when Jesus died HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) this is a Modern History painting- it's depicting an event that recently happened but taking liberties with the way the scene is composed 2) West was born in America but later went on to study in Rome and became a student of Mengs 3) this piece was not loved by the Academy as it broke the trend of Neoclassicism and academic history painting

Zhu Da Quince Qing dynasty, 1690, ink and colors on paper

FORMAL: 1) vertical axis of symmetry along the stem of the quince fruit- it emphasizes the asymmetry 2) contour lines- outlines around the lines of the leaves and fruit 3) complementary colors-warm color on the fruit (orange) and cool color on the leaves (blue) ICONOGRAPHIC: 1) fruit- the quince is the only fruit in the piece 2) black writing in the top right corner- Da's signature 3) red stamp- "teaching is half of learning" HISTORIC CONTEXT: 1) Da was an "individualist" who expressed his anger, melancholy, defiance, and frustration with the Qing dynasty in his art 2) this piece could be a reference to the quince garden where Buddha was before his enlightenment 3)