Ch. 21 Favorite Works

Ch. 21 Favorite Works:


Sandro Bontticelli, Primavera, ca. 1482. Tempera on wood, 6'8" x 10' 4". Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence.

The movement in this piece really struck me and the abuility to read the work from left to right became a very interesting aspect to me. It is painted really elegantly and the dark background contrast well against the light and vibrant colors of the characters. The natural made halo around Venus's head brings the focus on her in the center of the portrait but with the addition of all the other figures my eye did not linger on her for a significant time compared to the other figures. Overall I felt that it was a very sensual with the transparent outfits and the captivation of Venus and Cupid.

 
Donatello, Saint George, Or San Michele, Florence, Italy, ca. 1410-1415. Marble, figure 6' 10" high.

Donatello's sculpture of St. George portrays him as the warrior saint of Florence, who is ready to come to life and protect his city from harm. the amount of detail represented in the armor of St. George is very striking. The appearance on the face of St. George speaks a lot for the work. He gives a very stern glare and the seriousness of his role for the city is apparent. Donatello definitely paid attention to the details in the folds of his cloak and how the pieces of armor and clothes join and are represented. The sculpture is very stern and powerful and was successful in portraying the guardian role of the Saint.   

Ch. 20 Favorite Works:

Jan Van Eyck, Man in a Red Turban, 1433. Oil on wood, 1' 1 1/8" x 10 1/4"
The contrast between the deep dark background and the man's jacket, and the red turban automatically make your eyes focus to the man's head. There is great detail presented in the folds and the realism of the man's face and a great example of shadowing. The man's eyes are an interesting point in the peace, he has a very stern look and no matter where you are the eyes appear to be glaring at you. I think this effect is what makes the peace so interesting to me. It is as if he is glaring right into your body.

Ch. 20 Favorite Works:
 
Jean Fouquet, Melun Diptych, Right Wing: Virgin and Child, ca. 1451. Oil on wood, 3' 1 1/4" x 2' 9 1/2"

This image stood out to me being very graphic in nature and appears to me to be something that could be done today using some sort of graphics program. The vibrant red and blue background of the angels matched against the bright white image of the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus foreground create a very strong contrast of color. The detail in the shadows and folds in the cloth and around the bodies is very interesting and well done and to me represents an even greater step to realism during this time period. 

Ch.14 Favorite Work

Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Peaceful City, detail from Effects of Good Government in the City in the Country, east wall, Sala della Pace, Palazzo Pubblico, Siena, Italy, 1338-39, Fresco.

I am a fan of architecture so this peace stood out to me pretty quickly. It is one of the first pieces of artwork that we see that incorporates architecture at this detail where the buildings closer to the viewer are larger and get smaller as they move further away. I also like the use of Fresco for this painting. There is great detail in the entire piece and a great sense of depth and rich color that draws the viewers eyes around the entire body of work.
Chad Morehead