Leading Ladies: Judith and Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes

Gentileschi
Leading Ladies
Strong Women in Art
Curated by Katie Sloan

Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith and Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes, 1625

Artemisia Gentileschi was one of the most renowned painters of her time after Caravaggio. And she was a woman. Female painters weren't usually accepted by the art community during this time period. However, Gentileschi became part of the Accedemia di Arte del Disegno in Florence. She was the firt female painter to be invited to the Accedemia. Gentilechi's subjects in her paintings are usually strong and suffering women. She sought to tell their stories since she was also a strong woman, striving to make her name in art while being held back because of her gender. Gentileschi's skills as a painter are unquestionable. Her subjects are life-like and the detail is amazing. Especially in the drapery, one can see in this painting in the subject's clothes and the curtain above their heads. 

The story of Judith is exactly something that Gentileschi would like to paint. Holofernes went to Judith's house and told her they were to be married. When she refused the not-so-proposing proposal, he proceeded to rape her. Judith took the case to court and Holofernes was found guilty but with no consequences for his actions. Judith took justice into her own hands and snuck into Holofernes' tent with her maidservant, where they beheaded him. Judith makes herself a vigilante, seeking her own justice for a crime committed against her. The darkness of the painting contrasts the figures bright colors  of the skin and clothes, making their action central to their action. 

Gentileschi and Judith both take initiative in their lives to make them leading ladies in art. Not only is the artist Gentileschi a leading lady by becoming the first female painter to have tremendous success as an artist, but the content within her paintings like this one clearly demonstrate women with strong ambitions ready to take the lead and shine in art. 

  • 7:00 PM

Leading Ladies: Self Portrait

Caterina Van Hemessen
Leading Ladies
Strong Women in Art
Curated by Katie Sloan

Caterina Van Hemessen, Self Portrait, 1548
Caterina Van Hemessen was one of the first Flemish female painters. Her work is known for her small-scale female portraits. She was also the first painter of both genders to paint a self-portrait shown seated at an easel. Female painters at this time period were rare. In order to become an artist, one had to dissect cadavers, study a nude male, and apprentice a teacher starting at the ages 9-15. All of these were obstacles for female painters. Hemessen was fortunate enough to be trained by her father which made it possible for her to become an artist.  

While fortunate to be a painter, Hemessen lacked proper training to acquire further skills. While her paintings are detailed and dimensional, they aren't the best paintings out there by any means. The face of her self portrait and body is a little disproportional, and her face seems flat. While there are folds in the clothing, they are not done well and the black om her chest also seems flat and lacking in shape. The composition of the painting is interesting. Knowing that she is the first painter to attempt to paint the self portrait as an easel, though, makes the painting a fresh idea of its time. 

While maybe not the most skilled artist, Caterina Van Hemessen used the teachings from her father to make headway for female artists. Since Hemessen was the first to paint the self portrait at an easel, she truly is an inspiration to art. Several of these paintings have been done after this original one. Being the first to paint this painting she is another leading lady of art. 

  • 7:00 AM

Leading Ladies: The Bar at the Folies-Bergeres

Edouard Manet
Leading Ladies
Strong Women in Art
Curated by Katie Sloan

Edouard Manet, The Bar at the Folies-Bergeres, 1881-82

Edouard Manet was on of the leaders in the transition from realism to impressionism. His style was new and fresh during his time and marked him as a talented artist. Manet was know for painting Parisian life. The Bar at the Folies-Bergeres was Manet's last major work, and was exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1882. Before Manet painted The Bar at the Folies-Bergeres, he had made several sketches of the scene, which have been saved and can be viewed today. These sketches he had made while in the bar, but the final painting was finished in his studio where he set up a bar scene and had a model stand behind it. 

The bar called the Folies-Bergere and was a nightclub in Paris. The bar was known for men being able to call on prostitutes. However, the bar also doubled for concerts and circus acts. It was an entertaining way for the people of Paris to spend their nights. In the painting the viewer can see the many people in the reflection of the mirror, watching some kind of circus performance, as an acrobat's feet can be seen in the top left corner. The barmaid featured in the painting is Suzon. Although the painting is filled with people Suzon seems distant and alone, placed behind a bar, distant from everything going on. Her face seems melancholy, and she seems like she does not want to be there. A locket around her neck suggests that she has a love somewhere else, that maybe she wishes to be with instead of being at the bar. In the reflection, the viewer can see that a man is talking to Suzon. There is no suggestion as to who this man might be, other than a customer at the bar. Suzon's reflection is off to the right, which in reality would not be this way, but directly behind her. 

Suzon, was in real life a woman who in fact worked at the bar. Manet asked her to model for the painting in his studio. He set up a fake bar and had her stand behind it. He set up glass bottles and other objects in order to make the scene similar to the bar. However the painting is not meant to be realistic, but impressionistic which explains why her reflection is not in the right place. 

Without Suzon, the inspiration for the painting would not have been there. Her face become a memorable one in art. This is a well known Manet painting, which makes Suzon another leading lady in art, not only in her real life but in the painting itself, being the main focus in the painting.

  • 7:00 PM

Leading Ladies: Glaucus and Scylla

Glaucus and Scylla
Leading Ladies
Strong Women in Art
Curated by Katie Sloan

Jacopo da Empoli, Glaucus and Scylla, 1603

"Maiden, I am no monster, nor a sea-animal, but a god; and neither Proteus nor Triton ranks higher than I. Once I was a mortal, and followed the sea for a living; but now I belong wholly to it. But
what avails all this if it fails to move your heart?" (Glaucus on his seeing of Scylla).

Jacopo da Empoli was born in Florence and during his life he developed a style most like those during his time. In later years his naturalism became less evident. The figures in his painting, including this one, had porcelain like skin. This accentuated his classical style which was not as well known in the baroque period. In this painting Scylla's complexion is clear and porcelain. She is very curvaceous like most women painted during the period. 

Glaucus, before becoming a god, was a fisherman. One day, he had caught several fish, and he laid them out on the grass to sort them. They were at first dead, but they then revived and flopped on the ground toward the water and swam away. Glaucus, bewildered by this event, wondered what herb in the grasses could have caused this. He then knelt to taste the plant, and once reaching his palate, he felt the desirable urge to be in the water. When he couldn't control his urge any longer he bid the earth farewell and lived in the water. The gods of the sea welcomed him, and made him an immortal god. A hundred rivers were poured all over him, and he forgot all of his former life. When he awoke his hair was sea green, and trailed behind him. Where he once had legs, was a fishtail. One day Glaucus came across the beautiful maiden, Scylla. Scylla was one of the favored water nymphs. Glaucus found her bathing near the water ,and he spoke to her and tried to win her heart. Frightened, Scylla fled to a cliff to look and see if the man was a god or sea creature. She returned and he tried to win her heart but she fled away again from him all the same. 

Scylla has become another woman in mythology to control a man through his heart. After her refusal,  Glaucus was still obsessed with her and never ceased to love her. The way she is featured in the painting she is the center of attention and her beauty stands on its on. The desperate look on Glaucus' face shows her control over his emotions. She however refuses his love and remains independent. She is another leading lady. 

  • 7:00 AM

Leading Ladies: Death of the Blessed Ludovica Albertoni

Bernini
Leading Ladies
Strong Women in Art
Curated by Katie Sloan


Lorenzo Bernini, Death of the Blessed Ludovica Albertoni, 1671-74

In Bernini's last full figure sculpture, everything he is famous for comes to life. This sculpture of Ludovica Albertoni, placed in the Church of San Francesco a Ripa, embodies the idealization of death. The emotion on her face, an expression seen in other sculptures carved by Bernini, captures her feelings during her death. The way she clutches her chest shows her pain and the way her head is tilted back shows her taking her last breaths. 

Ludovica Albertoni was known as a Mother Teresa of her time. Raised in Roman nobility and wealth,  she wanted to lead a religious life. Ludovica wanted to dedicate her life to God and remain a virgin. However, her parents arranged for her to get married to Giacomo de Citara, a nobleman. She obeyed, and they were married and Ludovica gave birth to three daughters. Her husband unexpectedly passed away when Ludovica was only 33 years old. After this she joined Franciscan convent, where she devoted her life to prayer. Ludovica sacrificed her health in order to help the poor. She provided them with food and cared for them. She became known as a miracle worker and was also known for her religious ecstasies (she once levitated). She was in her sixties when she died from a painful fever. However, she had received the eucharist the day before, and her death was one of pain and joy. 

Bernini sought to capture all of these qualities in Ludovica's sculpture. He captures the pain of her death from fever with her hand clutching at her chest. He also captures her religious ecstasy in her face, a similar expression seen in his other works like Saint Teresa in Ecstasy, demonstrating the same sensual feeling of religious ecstasy. The folds in the marble are done with the skill and precision Bernini was famous for. The natural way the fabric flows is beautiful. There is no mistaking Bernini's talent as a sculptor. 

Ludovica's life shows her as a woman who had taken charge of herself and made herself.  She is truly a leading lady in art. Her importance in history gives her a place in the art world, her story ready to be told and listened to. Ludovica was a selfless woman whose independence would gain her a place in heaven and in art. 

  • 7:00 AM

Leading Ladies: The Birth of Venus

Botticelli
Leading Ladies
StrongWomen in Art
Curated by Katie Sloan

Botticelli, Birth of Venus, 1486

The Birth of Venus by Botticelli has become one of Botticelli's most renowned paintings. On the right of Venus are Zephryus and Aurora. Zephryus is the God of Winds, and he carries Aurora who is the gentle breeze. The two work together to blow Venus, the goddess of love, to shore where Horae, the goddess of seasons, waits to receive her in a robe covered with flowers. The flowers represent fertility, showing Venus's innocence but responsibility as a woman. The way she attempts to cover her privates shows her modesty and innocence.

Botticelli was a student of Lippi and developed his style of painting through his teachings. However, it was Massacio that Botticelli had been inspired by and sought to acquire his artistic skills. Botticelli mastered the style of the Renaissance's golden age. His paintings embodied the life of the figures in them, and he detail put into them is beautiful. In The Birth of Venus, the people in the painting have been painted with acute attention to detail. Their facial expressions seem to talk to the viewer, showing what they are feeling in the moment this painting was captured. The drapery in all the clothing flows naturally and looks realistic to the viewer's eye.

Venus is thought to be based off a woman that Botticelli knew. Her name was Simonetta Vespucci and during her time, she was beautiful and a favored model by the Medici court. Her face appears in this painting and other paintings by Botticelli featuring a woman. The fact that she appears in several of his paintings gives us the idea that perhaps Botticelli was in love with this woman. He worships her beauty through his paintings, and her inspiration to him fueled his talent and harnessed it into his true potential. Not only does this painting feature a strong female lead, Botticelli found himself a slave to the power of Simonetta's beauty.

  • 7:00 AM

Large Piece of Turf

Albrecht Dürer
Large Piece of Turf (The Great Turf), Albrecht Durer, 1503

When we first viewed Large Piece of Turf in class, I thought that the piece of art was not very interesting and didn't have much to it. When I first saw it, all I saw was grass. Then we discussed the painting more. I realized that the talent that Durer possessed in order to paint the single blades of grass was extraordinary. The realistic aspect of the painting is also quite impressive. Durer's attention to detail and color shows his dedication to the piece and how hard he worked to accomplish this in the painting. 

I also remembered Mr. Luce asking the students who were in the drawing and painting classes, which included myself, if we could paint with that concentration to detail. While I would love to say that I could, my skills cannot compare to Durer's. However, now when I paint or draw I think of this painting, and strive to get as close as my talents will let me to this incredible painting. By trying to practice these techniques that the experts use, my skills as an artist, I feel, have improved. Without this painting and the lessons I have learned from it in class, I might have not felt this inspiration to try and paint better than what I could already paint. 

The last aspect about this painting I realized was that it had a deeper message. Again, I had thought - that's just grass on an overcast day. But that just wasn't right. When we examined it further in class, we talked about the religious aspect of it. How the blades reach up towards the sky as if they are reaching towards heaven. This view was eye-opening to me. Since I had not seen a message behind the painting, I felt like I cheated the artist by not trying to understand what they were painting. I know when people go and see my artwork in the art show, I would want them to feel some kind of emotion from my painting and not just stare at it and decide whether it is good or bad. So I say, thank you Albrecht Durer. 

Editor's Note: The students were assigned to write about the artwork that has impacted them the most. These pieces will run for  about two weeks. 

  • 7:00 AM

The Abduction of the Daughters of Leucippus

Abduction of the Daughter of Leucippus
Peter Paul Rubens, The Abduction of the Daughters of Leucippus, 1617-18
"Though she give them not, yet take the kisses she does not give. Perhaps she will struggle at first and cry, "You villain!" Yet she will wish to be beaten in the struggle....He who has taken kisses, if he take not the rest beside, will deserve to lose even what was granted.... You may use force; women like you to use it....She whom a sudden assault has taken by storm is pleased....But she who, when she might have been compelled, departs untouched...will yet be sad. Phoebe suffered violence, violence was used against her sister: each ravisher found favour with the one he ravished," (Taken from a story in the collections from Theocritus and Ovid).

King Leucippus, in Greek mythology, is the father of the Leucippides. He was the father of Phoebe and Hilaeira, the girls portrayed in the painting. The two men kidnapping the girls are Castor and Pollux, who are twin brothers. The two men abducted the girls and then forced them into marriage. After the incident occured and Idas and Lynceus, nephews of Leucippus, and rival suitors, heard word of it they went to kill Castor and Pollux. They killed Castor, but were unable to kill Pollux because he had been granted immortality by Zeus. Pollux persuaded Zeus to grant Castor immortality as well. 

Rubens painting does much to show the struggle in the painting, but it also tones it down as well. The girls in the painting are thrashing their limbs, and their bodies look contorted showing their struggle and the will to try to escape their captors. However, the looks on the faces of the two brothers seem calm. Even with the girls struggling, they are so much more powerful that it is as if the girls' struggle hardly effects them. This painting clearly demonstrates the dominance of male over the female. The angel in the background seems to ignore the scene, almost making sexual violence an innocent aspect. Although this painting is referred to as The Abduction of the Daughters of Leucippus, it is also known as The Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus.

  • 7:00 AM

Habakkuk and the Angel

Bernini

Bernini, Habakkuk and the Angel, 1655-61

"In those days, the Babylonians came to the king and said to him, Deliver us Daniel, who hath destroyed thee and thy house. And the King saw that they pressed upon him violently; and, being constrained by necessity he delivered Daniel to them; and they cast him into the den of lions, and he was there six days...Now there was in Judea a prophet called Habakkuk: and he had boiled pottage, and had broken bread in a bowl, and was going into the field to carry it to the reapers. And the angel of the Lord said to Habakkuk, Carry the dinner which thou hast into Babylon to Daniel, who is in the lions' den. And Habakkuk said, Lord, I never saw Babylon, nor do I know the den...And Daniel said, Thou hast remembered me, O God, and thou hast not forsaken them that love thee..." (Hibbard 187)

Bernini's sculpting skills surpass all other sculptors of his time. The attention to detail that Bernini has makes his work look realistic. The facial expressions portrayed on his sculpture's figures depict the actual emotion and makes the viewer feel what is happening in the scene Bernini has sculpted. In Habakkuk and the Angel, the story here is that the angel has been sent down to Habakkuk to persuade him to take food to Daniel. This apocryphal legend comes from the legend of Bel and the Dragon and is appended to the Book of Daniel in the Bible. The Angel has been sent to Habakkuk to help save Daniel. When Habakkuk stresses that he does not know the way to Babylon and does not know where Daniel is, the Angel leads him there by grabbing hold of his hair. When they arrive the Angel points to Daniel who is praying. 

Bernini sculpted Habakkuk and the Angel for the Chigi chapel. Habakkuk and the Angel are placed across from the sculpture of Daniel in the Lion's Den. This was done in order to further demonstrate this religious story. The Angel's finger in Habakkuk and the Angel is able to point over to the den where Daniel is being kept. Bernini knew exactly what he was doing by putting the two sculptures together this way. 

Bernini's late style is apparent in this sculpture. Bernini's sculpture contained elongation of the body. In this sculpture both the Angel and Habakkuk are extended. The Angel's arm pointing towards Daniel seems to come out farther and lead the viewer to Daniel. Habakkuk's calf is also much larger than it might actually be, but it seems to make him more strong even though an Angel delicately leads him by the hair. Bernini also shows gesture expressively in his late work, where often emotional expression was simplified. However the expressions seen in his late work like this one still carried tremendous emotional power. The Angel's face looks simple while Habakkuk's does not. His emotion on his face almost seems to be one of fear, but it's quite the opposite. He is taken over by the presence of this angel leading him to Daniel. Bernini's work still has the great effect of his earlier pieces, and this sculpture is just as beautiful.

  • 7:00 AM

Anatomy Lesson of Doctor Nicolaes Tulp

Anatomy Lesson of Doctor Nicolaes Tulp
Rembrandt, Anatomy Lesson of Doctor Nicolaes Tulp, 1632

Rembrandt's Anatomy Lesson of Doctor Nicolaes Tulp became one of Rembrandt's more famous paintings. After moving away from portraits and self-portraits, he moved towards different subjects and more complex works. This anatomy lesson clearly shows his talent. The detail in the painting is amazing. The corpse, which is being dissected, looks like an actual corpse. The color in his face and body is gone and his paleness contrasts the other men in the painting. The attention to detail can also be seen in the forearm, which is being dissected. The veins, muscles, and bones can be seen in the opening of the arm and seems atomically correct. The expressions on the mens' faces are concentrated and each different from the other as they learn. 

Rembrandt was probably commissioned by the Guild of Surgeons, specifically those seven who are featured in the painting. In Amsterdam, twice a week, a leading physician would give a theory lesson. Every year in the winter, one public autopsy would be held. This was done in the winter because the stench of the dead body was most bearable at this time. The surgeon elected to demonstrate the dissection was called a Praelector. Doctor Nicolaes Tulp became the Praelector three years earlier and gave his first autopsy in 1631 and his second in 1632, which is the one represented by the painting. Public autopsy's were performed on criminals who had been hanged for their crimes. The man in this painting is 28-year-old Adriaan Adriaansz. The autopsy was held on the same day of the execution. In this painting a lot can be seen from body movement. Not only can the members of the guild be viewed as intrigued by whats going on, but also notice that some of their eyes are not looking directly at the hand being dissected. Some of their gazes look to the book sitting on the right. The book is probably a book that demonstrates the muscular structure. Dr. Tulp also holds up his left hand in order to show how the muscles flex and work together. 

The painting has received a fair amount of criticism, especially with the anatomical correctness of the hand being dissected. The main criticism was whether the flexor or extensor muscles are represented. I find this extreme considering how ridiculous it would be if he painted a dissected forearm from the distance he did correctly. The amount of detail in the painting is already impressive. The light source of the painting comes from overhead so that there is light for the doctor to perform the dissection. There is little color in the painting besides the red on the veins of the arm. This attracts the viewers eye to the forearm.
  • 7:00 AM

The Union of Earth and Water

Katie Sloan
Peter Paul Rubens, The Union of Earth and Water, 1618
Rubens began his artistic career as an apprentice to Tobias Verhaecht. After developing his skills as an artist he began to create his own works. Rubens was greatly influenced by Italian Renaissance painters like Michelangelo and Raphael, and he was also influenced by Venetian painters like Titian. These artists techniques and style inspired Rubens as a 17th-century painter and made him one of the greatest Baroque artists. In The Union of Earth and Water Rubens' style can be seen and the influences he had can also be seen in the painting. The way he paints his human figures mirror that of the artwork of the painters of the Italian Renaissance. The sensuality of the nude forms and the warm brown coloring of the figures reflect Ruben's respect for these painters and Classical style. This painting also reminds me of the paintings of Botticelli, such as Primavera and The Birth of Venus, in not only the forms and the way the woman stands as the primary focus of the painting, but also in the mythical background in the painting. 

In this painting, Earth and Water join each other. The female who represents Earth holds in her right hand a horn of plenty and a tiger is seen touching the fruit. These items embody Earth as they symbolize life and living creatures which Earth provides. The woman in the painting is Cybele, the Anatolian Earth goddess. Cybele is known to be associated with animals, especially lions, which makes since as a lion is painted beside her. She has also been called Mother of the Gods. Water is represented by Neptune, the Roman god of the sea and the water. He holds his trident in his hand and water is nearby and touches the Earth on the ground to show the union as well. The woman who unites the two, is Victory -  also Nike in Greek mythology. She has been known to be the Winged Goddess of Victory. Her wings can be seen as she is supposed to have flown down from Olympus in order to unite them. During battles, Nike would fly around and award soldiers with fame and glory. In this painting her presence is significant because it makes the ceremony glorified. The man blowing the conch is Triton. Triton is the Greek god who is the messenger of the sea. He used his conch in order to calm or raise the waves of the sea. His presence also makes this union important because if Triton is blowing his conch, it's a big deal. The two children painted at the bottom have no special meaning in the painting.

Ruben's message behind the painting was that when Earth and Water united they would bring wealth, plenty, and prosperity to mankind. Ruben also gave his painting a message that dealt with problems during his time. The union of Antwerp and the River Scheldt is represented by this painting. Earlier, the Dutch had blocked off the mouth, which prevented Flanders from having an outlet to the sea. Their union can be seen in this painting as water that has been connected to Earth.
  • 7:00 AM

Moses Defending the Daughters of Jethro

Katie Sloan
Rosso Fiorentino, Moses Defending the Daughters of Jethro, 1523-1524

"Now the priest of a Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock/ And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day? And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock. And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? Why is it that ye have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread. And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses a Zipporah his daughter. And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land." (Exodus 2:16-22)

Fiorentino's painting depicts this scene from Exodus 2:16-22. The scene represented is violent and wild. The shepherds that Moses beats are painted in the nude so that they look like muscled titans. The nudes in the painting all form a circle around Moses, who is the center of attention of this chaotic battle of men. Fiorentino uses highlights and shadows well to show the muscles and strength of all the men in the battle. The agony in their faces can be seen especially with the man on the right, who looks to be shouting and not really doing much else. The girl the viewer sees in the top right is Zipporah, whom Moses would get as a trophy prize for defending them. She is the only figure in the front scene who is clothed in a light blue, which makes her pristine and fragile. But, oops, her dressed slipped a little and we have a wardrobe malfunction. 

Fiorentino used a different technique in his painting. Taking in the new style of mannerism, Florentino had brought mannerism to Fontainebleau in 1530. There he became a founder of French 16th century mannerism, which was called the School of Fontainebleau. Rosso Fiorentino's actual name was Giovanni Battista de Jacopo di Guasparre. But because of his red hair he was nicknamed Rosso which meant "the red one." This painting is an example of Florentino's use of mannerism. The lines and contours of the muscles are stricter lines instead of the Northern Renaissance style of natural looking beauty. 

  • 7:00 AM