PROJECT: I apparently need to learn ancient Greek....

Dr. Wind uses many older texts as reference but I can't always understand even the translation. That might be saying something about what I need to learn in the future.

The Birth of Venus. 

 The Three faces of Prudence. 

PROJECT: Noble Parody of an initiation:

" And what is purification bu the separation of the soul from the body...., the habit of the soul gathering and collecting herself on every side...? And what is that which is termed death, but this very separation of the soul from the body? .... And the true philosophers, and they alone, are ever seeking to release the soul... then, Simmias, as the true philosophers are ever studying death, to them of all men, death is the least terrible.. And I conceive that the founders of the mysteries had a real meaning, and were not mere triflers when they intimated in a figure long ago that he who passes unsanctioned and uninitiated into the world below will lie in a slough, but he who arrives there after initiation and purification will dwell with the gods."

This is a passage from Aristophanes' Clouds, where a rule of silence is imposed on the neophytes. Dr. Wind, seems to have a large back ground in ancient texts and says ," Aristophanes treats poetry as a mystic rite from which the profane are excluded, much as Socrates treats philosophy." This is interesting because the ancient Greeks used to believe that anything, good or bad, that was created by an artist or the average Joe, was not just created by their own methods but helped along by a muse or daemon. And this shows that these two well know ancient saw creativity and "smarts" in much of the same ways.

11.25.13 Notes

Classy things;





Notes;
*Titian, Danae, 1545
"it's a pitty, that in Venice, they do not know how to draw very well'
Based on Michelangleo's vision of "Night". the colorist style is lacking in design.  Style; color pattern, pose (painting now to poetry),

*Titian, "Noli me Tangere" 1512
supposedly unfinished Gorgonia, finished by Titian. Mary Magdeline and Christ, after the reserection, it's interesting that God shows to women first. This depicts Mary yerning for Christ but no longer being able to touch him. Style

*Flying of Marsyas, 1576
Uses brushes as big as brooms, or his fingers (God paints with his fingers, why not him as well)
a good artist only needs three colors; red black and white.
If you love painting, you have to love Titian. Unlike Bolini, he uses rhetoric and gestures that are not quite real but which kept the idea of the Renaissance. ]

*Titian, Pietro Arentino, 1545
Friend and pornographer, moved to Venice had much more freedom of speech. along with the sculpture yackavo , they had many parties. Titian was a ladies man but was highly revered friend of Pietro.

*Titian , Penitent Megdalen, Florence, Pitti, 1530-35
design and color was a gender discourse. female was matter and form. form relates to soul. woman and earth. form and color was an inferior thing, a lesser form. doesn't agree with that idea.

*Titian, Flora, 1516-18
Goddess and cortisian. caught by a wind God. in one hand she offers flowers(herself). A contemporary woman in older times. offering herself to her lover that is out of frame . dark back ground so that her form stands out.


*"la Bella" 1536
self portrait but not named. in an expansive blue dress but was highly prized and wanted by many. demonstrated beautiful painting. unspecific , not named. there were laws that prohibited women from dressing up too much so that they could not show off their wealth.

*Titan, Woman in a fur coat,
1536-38
similar to the La Bella, same models

*Titian, "sacred and profane Love," 1514 Rome, Borghese 4x9
create as a wedding present for Urrilo(secretary for the council of 10) , it was not titled that by Titian. Sacred is the nude elevated and in the sky. she is adorned, spirtiualized. the woman in the dress is more profane love because she is a materialistic. There is a dialogue between the women, the higher love (unbridaled love = unbridaled horses).  the water is agitated by cupid. animal passion. Both wearing red and white, exorting herself to love.

* Venus of Urnibo
Mrytle flowers, flowers of love.

*The Camerino of Alfonso d' Este, Ferrara, first mentioned in 1518
based on the ancient world
* Isabell d' este by Titian
*Fra Bartolomeo, The Worship of Venus
*Alfonso by follower of Titian
* Titian, Bacchanal of the Adnrians, 1522 Madrid, Prado
*Bellini, Feast if the Gods, 1514.... Titian comes in and repaints the background, wanted to make it consitant.


*Fra Bartolomeo, Lamention.

*Worship of Venus: Drawing by Fra Bartolomeo. 1517
abandon/ chaotic. the people are offering mirrors to the Venus. subjects
*Titian, Worship of Venus, 1518-19,
the putti fly up to the golden apples (a sign of Venus). the women depicted suggest that they part take in the craziness,

*BAcchabak if the Andrians, 1522, Madrid, Prado
Venice's glass. Titian brings in the ancient world to life, color is vital and reflective lights are also important.

*Possin, Midas and Bacchus

*Goya, Naked Maja, c 1800
*Titian, Bacchus and Ariadne, 1522-23 London, 69x75
Ariadne rescued Thesius, Bacchus rescues her off an island.

PROJECT: Pagan Mysteries...Pictures

Discussion 6, "Sound eyes..."

It is very interesting that there is such a heated discussion about the body. Although they may have never heard, " The body is a temple", Gilio seems to think that the body would not hold the same power over the practitioners of the church if they were to be nude. Not only that but allegory and unspoken suggestion with in a painting was highly dictated. Michelangelo's pose for Christ as he looks upon the damned gained much recognition because the unspoken power of it was so intense. The body becomes a symbol of power or untruth and for those that could not read or write this was their suggestion to the meaning of their lives. Being able to capture an emotional response from a viewer from a highly responsive painting like Correggio, was much more important than a rational response. It was the painters job to tell the viewer something, not build it up with facts. The fact that this was how the Church was able to intense followers to keep believing in what they were feeding them was extremely important, and they new it.

Discussion 1; Humanism

So from the readings by Martin, Humanism seemed to have been created, by chance or by choice, for the elite! It was all about bettering the lives of the civilians but only until they bettered them enough for the higher classes to take what they needed from the lower classes. The lower classes could not elevate their status quot but they could teach others a better way to rule or to learn. I think Troy said it very well, " The Humanist movement was born of power, justified by the power of its originators, and used to garner power for personal gain, and with eloquence/rhetoric as a “guiding aim”, what cannot be rationalized? " This statement shows much of what our government is still about in this age; education leads to power....and if you're lucky wealth. It is interesting that there were so many backing the idea. There can only be so much corruption before a revolution erupts. The new Humanist way took ideas from the old Greek and Roman ways but also enforced them with their new contemporary ways. 

11.4.13 Class Notes

Classy things;
NO CLASS next Monday 11, 2013.

Presenters for the week after:
Christa
Marion
Stormy
Texel
Shae




Notes:
Home Videos from Harvey in Italy. Epic.
Raphael - Bernini 2010

Medici Tombs:
*Duke Giuliano, La Notte Day. (Night and Day)
never truly restful figure for night, but more exhausted.
Day-figure bound up in itself, looking over the shoulder, the arm twisted behind the back creating this strong backed person. Velvadier torso was one of the inspirations for it. Despite it's power there is no effective action. Left to be finished.
Night- earliest of the 4 figures, still has atriputes of the night. symbols of sleep and death, poppies, masks, owl. (womb to tomb). going way from the "Virgin" she seems, spent, no longer a virgin. procreative. Broken nose is a symbol of Michelangelo failed attempt, (negative things).

*Duke Lorenzo Dusk and Dawn =Dusk(Michelangelo Portrait)  -Earth-Melancholy-Autumn
Dawn- (th eVirgin) -air-
Lorenzo -Very  much the pensive thinker. Was an idea from the print from Durer "Melencoliai". Story is Lorenzo died mad so that may be why the helmet covered his face so.
Dusk- sense of exhaustion can be seen in unfinsihed work.
Dawn- beautiful virgin, Chasity Belt of sorts wraps around her ribs.

*Michelangelo, Medici Madonna 1519-34
The Christ Child is at his mothers breast instead of the child engaging with the audience. the child is enclosed with the form. prohetess looks ahead. strong contraposto (twisting away from us). completes his Madonna series. the crossed legs "the legs that no man shall enter"/ head is unfinished.

*Titian, Danae, 1552
-Story, danae is locked in a tower and Jupiter appears to her as a stream of gold. An idea from the closed form of Michealangleos "Night".

*Michelangelo, Pieta, St. Peter's 1498
had her hand and nose knocked off by a cultural vigilati.  commissioned for a French tomb. the first sculpted Pieta in Italian art. her face is narrow Florentine type. Has strange line qualities throughout. problem that Michelangelo has is how to balance the composition, She becomes bigger as it works to her feet to help compass him . If She were to stand up she would be 3x bigger. Only sculpture that Michelangelo signed. The presentation of the Corpas Cristi; the church offering us the body of Christ.  She does not look sad, she is the prophet. He is the scarifies and she is the alter. The muscle tone of Christ is that it is not of a dead man but of a man that he is only sleeping, he will rise again. She is also too young, she is 47 years old...."chase women take better care of themselves". "the wife of Christ". the mourning of a lover, the tragedy of it.

*Michelangelo, Pieta, Florence, 1555
Difference in composition, Missing a leg for Christ, Michelangelo attached the sculpture. Awkward composition  Joseph of aramedia and Nickademus were the ones to bare Christ to the tomb. Nickademus is looking over Christ while Mary holds up Christ. The theme of lovers of Christ. Mary Magdalene. Missing leg can only go over the lap of Mary. The corps is quite alive.

*Dying slave, Tomb of Julias the II
Suspended figure,

Raphael's Isaac and Rebecca
crossing of the a\lap is highly sexual

Michelangelo, Rondanini Pieta 1560- 64
Unfinished and not known to the public. was working on it till the day he died. Holding up Christ, but also merges into the body of the Madona. Has a huge part of work to do. Really long legs. Seems to be a result from other ideas.