final final coffee table book

ART HISTORY



DECLARATION I, Shreyasi Mundada from FYS-Section hereby declare that all digital and written work appearing in this book as part of my Imaging course 15th week submission under the academic guidance of my course faculty is my own and all sources of knowledge used have been duly acknowledged. I will be solely responsible for any irregularity found with respect to non-adherence of academic integrity as per ISDI School of Design and Innovation’s standards and requirements.

CONT

TENT

Pr e h i s t o r y 40000-4000BC Lascaux cave paintings, Paleolithic era

The origins of art history can be traced back to the Prehis- toric era, before written records were kept. The earliest ar- tifacts come from the Paleolithic era, or the Old Stone Age, in the form of rock carvings, engravings, pictorial imagery, sculptures, and stone arrangements. Art from this period relied on the use of natural pigments and stone carvings to create representations of objects, ani- mals, and rituals that governed a civilization’s existence. One of the most famous examples is that of the Paleolithic cave paintings found in the complex caves of Lascaux in France. Though discovered in 1940, they’re estimated to be up to 20,000 years old and depict large animals and vegetation from the area.

Ancient Art 30000BC-400AC Mesopotamia, Code of Hammurabi

Ancient art was produced by advanced civilizations, which in this case refers to those with an established written lan- guage. These civilizations included Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and those of the Americas. The medium of a work of art from this period varies depend- ing on the civilization that produced it, but most art served similar purposes: to tell stories, decorate utilitarian objects like bowls and weapons, display religious and symbolic imag- ery, and demonstrate social status. Many works depict stories of rulers, gods, and goddesses. One of the most famous works from ancient Mesopotamia is the Code of Hammurabi. Created around 1792 B.C., the piece bears a Babylonian set of laws carved in stone, adorned by an image of King Hammurabi—the sixth King of Babylonia—and the Mesopotamian god, Shabash.

Me d i e v a l 500BC-1400AD Cimabue, Crucifix

The Middle Ages, often referred to as the “Dark Ages,” marked a period of economic and cultural deterioration fol- lowing the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 A.D. Much of the artwork produced in the early years of the period reflects that darkness, characterized by grotesque imagery and brutal scenery. Art produced during this time was centered around the Church. As the first millennium passed, more sophisti- cated and elaborately decorated churches emerged; windows and silhouettes were adorned with biblical subjects and scenes from classical mythology. This period was also responsible for the emergence of the il- luminated manuscript and Gothic architecture style. Defin- itive examples of influential art from this period include the catacombs in Rome, Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, the Lindisfarne Gospels, one of the best-known examples of the illuminated manuscript, and Notre Dame, a Parisian cathedral and promi- nent example of Gothic architecture.

Renaissance 1400-1800BC The School of Athens

The Renaissance reached its height in Florence, Italy, due in large part to the Medici, a wealthy merchant family who adamantly sup- ported the arts and humanism, The High Renaissance, which lasted from 1490 to 1527, produced influential artists such as da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael, each of whom brought creative power and spearheaded ideals of emotional expression. Artwork throughout the Renaissance was characterized by realism, attention to detail, and precise study of human anatomy. Artists used linear perspective and created depth through intense lighting and shading. The School of Athens is a fresco by the Italian Renaissance artist Ra- phael. It was painted between 1509 and 1511 as a part of Raphael’s commission to decorate the rooms now known as the Stanze di Raf- faello, in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. The Stanza della Seg- natura was the first of the rooms to be decorated, and The School of Athens, representing philosophy, was probably the third painting to be finished there, after La Disputa on the opposite wall, and the Par- nassus The picture has long been seen as “Raphael’s masterpiece and the perfect embodiment of the classical spirit of the Renaissance”. The painting is notable for its accurate perspective projection.

Ba r o q u e 1800-1750 The Calling of St Matthew

The Baroque period that followed Mannerism yielded ornate, over-the-top visual arts and architecture. It was characterized by grandeur and richness, punctuated by an interest in broadening hu- man intellect and global discovery. Baroque artists were stylistically complex. Baroque paintings were characterized by drama, as seen in the iconic works of Italian painter Caravaggio and Dutch painter Rem- brandt. Painters used an intense contrast between light and dark and had energetic compositions matched by rich color palettes. The Calling of Saint Matthew is a masterpiece by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, depicting the moment at which Jesus Christ inspires Matthew to follow him. It was completed in 1599–1600 for the Contarelli Chapel in the church of the French congregation, San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, where it remains today. It hangs alongside two other paintings of Matthew by Caravaggio, The Mar- tyrdom of Saint Matthew (painted around the same time as the Calling) and The Inspiration of Saint Matthew

Rococo 1699-1780 Embarkation for Cythera

Rococo originated in Paris, encompassing decorative art, painting, architecture, and sculpture. The aesthetic offered a softer style of dec- orative art compared to Baroque’s exuberance. Rococo is character- ized by lightness and elegance, focusing on the use of natural forms, asymmetrical design, and subtle colors. Painters like Antoine Watteau and Francois Boucher used lightheart- ed treatments, rich brushwork, and fresh colors. The Rococo style also easily translated to silver, porcelain, and French furniture. Many chairs and armoires featured curving forms, floral designs, and an expressive use of gilt. The Embarkation for Cythera is a painting by the French painter Jean-Antoine Watteau. It is also known as Voyage to Cythera and Pilgrimage to the Isle of Cythera. Watteau submitted this work to the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture as his reception piece in 1717.The painting is now in the Louvre in Paris. A second version of the work, sometimes called Pilgrimage to Cythera to distinguish it, was painted by Watteau about 1718 or 1719 and is in the Charlotten- burg Palace, Berlin.

NEOCLASSICISM Napoleon Crossing the Alps

Neoclassical period drew upon elements from classical antiquity. Archaeological ruins of ancient civilizations in Athens and Naples that were discovered at the time reignited a passion for all things past, and artists strove to recreate the great works of ancient art. This trans- lated to a renewed interest in classical ideals of harmony, simplicity, and proportion. Neoclassical artists were influenced by classical elements; in particu- lar, a focus on idealism. Inevitably, they also included modern, histor- ically relevant depictions in their works. For example, Italian sculptor Antonio Canova drew upon classical elements in his marble sculp- tures, but avoided the cold artificiality that was represented in many of these early creations. Napoleon Crossing the Alps is any of five versions of an oil on can- vas equestrian portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte painted by the French artist Jacques-Louis David between 1801 and 1805. Initially com- missioned by the King of Spain, the composition shows a strongly idealized view of the real crossing that Napoleon and his army made across the Alps through the Great St. Bernard Pass in May 1800.

The Descent of Man into the Vale of Death.

Romanticism embodies a broad range of disciplines, from painting to music to literature. The ideals present in each of these art forms reject order, harmony, and rationality, which were embraced in both classical art and Neoclassicism. Instead, Romantic artists emphasized the individual and imagination. Another defining Romantic ideal was an appreciation for nature, with many turning to plein air painting, which brought artists out of dark interiors and enabled them to paint outside. Artists also focused on passion, emotion, and sensation over intellect and reason. Prominent Romantic painters include Henry Fuseli, who created strange, macabre paintings that explored the dark recesses of human psychology, and William Blake, whose mysterious poems and images conveyed mystical visions and his disappointment in societal constraints.