Art History Hotties: Fisherman With a Net

Alexa Birt
Frederic Bazille, Fisherman With a Net, 1868

By ALEXA BIRT
Oh my god, Becky, look at his butt. His chiseled back and leg muscles, the proud and unashamed stance, it all just screams "art history hottie." Jean Frederic Bazille undoubtedly created this masterpiece with that in mind and does so by placing the man in the manliest of settings: a lush plot of prairie grass.

The man peers cheekily behind his shoulder, beckoning the viewer to gaze upon his bootyful presence. His confident posture contradicts the physical vulnerability the man bears, given his astonishing lack of clothing which seems to be in a mound off to the side of the painting. Maybe he's a bum and needs to hunt for food in order to survive? The fish net wrapped around his wrist and draped off to his left side certainly suggests this theory. Then again, it was considered normal in Europe to fish in the nude in 1868, the year these beautiful buns were born.

While he seems to be doing all the heavy lifting, in the rear of the painting, his friend sits on his laurels taking off his own clothes, perhaps adding to the clothing pile. In addition, his right arm seems to be peculiarly more muscular than the other one… it must be a real bummer living as a naked prairie man. The homosexual undertone in this painting must be in response to the opposition and repression of homosexuality present during the time in which this painting was created. Bazille never married either, and his intimate relationships with men suggest that he might have been gay himself, though it is never a good idea to make assumptions. Seeing that Bazille is now deceased, I guess we will never get to the bottom of this issue. I suppose we can only guess based on his artwork.

One thing's for sure, he was all about that bass.
  • 7:00 AM

Poodle

Alexa Birt
Ferdinando Botero, Poodle, 1971
By ALEXA BIRT

Mom, I gift you Poodle not only to give you a chuckle, but also as an intervention. You feed Rudy (her own grey poodle) way too many treats. At the rate you're going, his form has the potential to resemble that of the overweight dog in Poodle. Please, do us all a favor and stop the madness.
 
Poodle, a painting by Ferdinando Botero, depicts an obese grey poodle resting on an ornate carpet. This work completed in 1971 can be considered as "Naïve Art," meaning that it includes childlike simplicity in its manner. This naïveté can be demonstrated in either or both subject matter and technique. While some artists who create "Naïve Art" may have little to no artistic training, others have studied classical art or received university training.
 
Ferdinando Botero, born in 1932, was always fascinated with visual art and at the age of 16 had his first illustrations published in a Columbian newspaper. As an adult, he traveled with a group of artists around Barcelona and moved to Paris in 1953, where he spent much of his time at the Louvre. Since then, Botero has earned international recognition for his paintings and sculptures.
 
Botero's work has manifested its own signature style, called "Boterismo," in which the subject matter is exaggerated to critique politics or create humor. In Poodle, the subject matter is by far larger than your average poodle. In today's culture, the breed is typically regarded as prissy and feminine. Looking at Poodle, you might laugh, then feel bad for the poor animal, and maybe even be a little grossed out. The innocence of the small yellow bows adorning the poodle's ears add to the contradicting emotions portrayed by this painting.

To Rudy, I want to apologize for all the times I called you fat. You're not fat, just a little too "Boterismo."

Editor's Note: Students were asked to give a painting to someone or something they cared for. These are their moving responses.
  • 7:00 AM

Two Men Contemplating The Moon

Alexa Birt
Caspar David Friedrich, Two Men Contemplating The Moon, c.1830
By ALEXA BIRT

Caspar David Friedrich's oil on canvas Two Men Contemplating the Moon features two figures staring off into the lavender sky covered by gnarled tree limbs. It is speculated that the two figures present in the painting represent Friedrich and his pupil August Heinrich. The romantic piece made circa 1830 currently resides in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Friedrich typically used his artwork as an avenue for venting, particularly about his frustrations regarding the Napoleonic Wars. Being a German artist active during the time of Napoleon's dictatorship, he had a lot of pride and nationalism to portray in his paintings. The two figures in Two Men Contemplating the Moon don old Germanic costumes that a rebel during the 19th century would wear. Such anti-Napoleonic clothing became illegal in Europe in 1819.

By having the two figures with their backs turned to the viewer, one can feel as if they're a part of the painting,  gazing off into the nostalgia of the sky. The asymmetric painting is consumed by gross and grown over tree branches, which represent Germany's unruly state during the Napoleonic Wars. Friedrich painted three versions of this work, all very similar looking but portraying the same emotion of looking towards the hopefulness of the moon and basking in the nostalgia of a better time.


  • 7:00 AM

Napoleon Crossing the Alps

Alexa Birt

Jacques-Louis David, Napoleon Crossing the Alps, 1801-1805
By ALEXA BIRT

Jacques-Louis David's oil on canvas painting, Napoleon Crossing the Alps, showcases the infamous French dictator, Napoleon Bonaparte. The work features Bonaparte on horseback, assuming a confident pose, donning an extravagant red cape billowing in the wind. In the background, soldiers march up the rocky mountain.

Napoleon Crossing the Alps was one in a series of five versions made between the 1801 and 1805. The first version was commissioned by the French ambassador to Spain; however, once Bonaparte got word of his portrait, he asked David to make three more versions. The fifth and final version of the work was made purely for David's enjoyment to express his support and honor for Bonaparte. Each version seems to look approximately the same, with mainly only the color tone in the background changing. However, Napoleon's pose and location on the canvas remains the same throughout the series.

Napoleon's gesture pointing upward is a sort of motif that appears in other works by David, such as The Oath of the Horatii, and The Death of Socrates. The position in which Napoleon hand rests in suggests an extreme amount of confidence in achieving his goal, and may possibly have some religious connotations. In addition, Napoleon's ungloved hand symbolizes his position as a leader or peacemaker rather than a conqueror. The rock inscriptions on the bottom left of the painting feature Napoleon's name, as well as Hannibal and Charlemagne, two other historically notable figures who led troops across the Alps.

This piece conveys a mixture of emotions for the viewer. Napoleon's confident stature contradicts the feeling one may experience from the cold brutality of the mountainous background. However one may feel about this painting, it remains apparent that Jacques-Louis David definitely thought highly of the dictator and battle commander.
  • 7:00 AM

The Embarkation of Cythera

Alexa Birt
Jean-Antoine Watteau, The Embarkation of Cythera, 1717
By ALEXA BIRT

The Embarkation to Cythera perfectly embodies of Rococo art. Watteau uses soft pastel colors, as well as his famed amorphous greenery, allowing the viewer to feel relaxed and at peace when admiring the work. With this in your house, you will experience tranquility and serenity, defusing stress after the inconveniences of the day. He also quite subtly uses cherubs, another characteristic of Rococo art, throughout the painting which implies a celestial nature.

The far right of the painting features three couples expressing their affection for one another. To give the viewer another inkling at the main theme of the work, Watteau uses cherubs throughout as a classic Rococo symbol of love. Another way Watteau implies romance is in the setting of the work, the island of Cythera as a part of the Ionian Islands in Greece. Cythera is known to be the birthplace of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who is featured as a statue in the far right. By placing the piece at Aphrodite's birthplace, it symbolizes the creation of new love.

The Embarkation to Cythera would make the perfect gift as a wedding present for your beloved as it symbolizes your new-found nuptials. Placed next to the feet of one couple lies a black and white dog, sitting contentedly atop the small green hill. Dogs imply fidelity and loyalty, proving a ceaseless allegiance to one's beloved. Watteau's magnificent artwork will produce elation and the ultimate statement of status and love to you, the buyer.

Editor's Note: The authors were asked to write sales copy for Edme-François Gersaint, the prominent rococo art dealer who offered a printed catalog of available works.
  • 7:00 AM

Entrance to Subway

Alexa Birt
Mark Rothko, Entrance to Subway [Subway Scene], 1938
By ALEXA BIRT

As a part of Rothko's "Subway Series," Entrance to Subway depicts a lonely New York subway station, quite characteristic of art made during the Great Depression.

The 1930s, such a gloomy era for many Americans, produced very dark themed artwork. It is apparent that Rothko responded to this through the progression of his pieces. Entrance to Subway marks the beginning of Rothko's exploration into darker themes. His later work evolved into simple yet extraordinary existentialist paintings characterized by dark colors and softly blended lines between basic blocks of color. 

The people painted in Entrance to Subway are composed of undefined shapes, allowing the viewer to create their own meaning to the work. Rothko's lack of definition adds to the depressed and isolated mood of the painting. In addition, the use of dark, muted colors also helps to cultivate the desolation he wanted to portray.

Another way to view the situation presented in Rothko's work is to interpret the people walking down the stairs as abandoning the positive ideologies that were existent pre-1930s, while the people standing in the back of the subway station appear alienated from their surroundings.
  • 7:00 AM