Rock On: David Bowie

D Head V
David Bowie, D Head V, 1998
Rock On
By ETHAN DOSKEY

A freakish and creepy image, Bowie's fifth self portrait is a haunting look at what the artist perceived himself as. The crazed look on Bowie's face combined with the rushed feel of the paint strokes around the edges of the painting give off an unsettling feeling in the viewer like from a nightmare. This leads one to wonder why Bowie would want himself to be portrayed this way—it's not flattering or accurate to an outsider perspective. But is this what David Robert Jones thought of himself as? One can't truly know. But what we do know is that he had painted this himself and that says enough.

1998 is regarded as the end of Bowie's "Electronic Period," which involved progressive techno and rock sound. The previous year, Bowie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and released the album, Earthling. The tracks in that album were tech-heavy and featured songs called "I'm Afraid of Americans" and "The Last Thing You Should Do." Some of the lyrics: "I'm afraid of Americans / I'm afraid of the world / I'm afraid I can't help it / I'm afraid I can't," and "What have you been doing to yourself / It's the last thing you should do / Nobody laughs any more / It's the worst thing you can do," I feel are a soundtrack for D Head V. These two pieces reflect a fear for the world and give off a crazed energy. Of course I realize that not all music is auto-biographical, but I still think that his dark lyrics speak to his personality and emotions.

Born in England, but like a lot of other musicians upon reaching fame, he moved to America. His eccentricity and flamboyancy perhaps did not initially fit the American aesthetic and was way too "out there" for some, but fit well with the art districts of the Europe like Berlin and Paris. While Bowie could pull large crowds in America, I feel like most of the U.S. was not ready for him at first and preferred less liberal, experimental, and expressive forms of music, perhaps leaving him to write a song like "I'm Afraid of Americans" and painting something like D Head V.

Not much explanation has been given from the artist about what he was trying to convey with his painting or what motivated him to create in this medium. His other works are just as eerie and expressive and feature other self-portraits, frightening faces in his D Head series, and portraits of his friend and punk rock star, Iggy Pop. The haunting paintings Bowie made in the late nineties seem to coincide with his unsettling lyrics from his album, Earthling.

This series of blogs aims to discuss various paintings by or of famous classic rock musicians and inspect the correlation between the figures and the art involving them.
  • 7:00 AM

Rock On: Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan, Endless Highway, 2016
Rock On
By ETHAN DOSKEY

Bob Dylan’s series, “The Beaten Path” showcases many American landscapes through the eyes of the infamous folk singer. With these paintings, Dylan wanted to display his favorite parts of American culture from his time touring around the country. Often, Dylan chooses a subject and omits the aspects of the scene that he doesn’t like or think belong—office buildings, cars, skyscrapers. While this is not an accurate representation of modern America, Dylan explains that it is intentional.

These manipulated vignettes are not meant to have emotional meaning according to the artist and are supposed to contain images that are recognizable to any viewer. Dylan wants his art to be universal and understood by all and he aims to do that by de-personalizing his paintings.

Highway 61 Revisited, an exceptionally large canvas, took up an entire wall in the Halcyon Gallery. This gorgeous sunset scene succeeds Dylan’s aim in defining America’s landscape, but I believe utterly fails his intentions to not have work that evokes emotion for the viewer. In all of his paintings, there is common theme for a desire for nostalgia in the very premise of why he paints. His reverence for hay-day America motivates Dylan and it is quite apparent when seeing his paintings of hotdog stands, retro cars, and neon signs.

His expert use of brush strokes and color can’t help but remind me of masters like Cézanne and Monet—two painters known for their landscapes and expressive pieces. Dylan uses cameras and hand-built camera-obscuras to create his compositions and paint; this tool is not obvious when looking at his images because of how stylized they are, but in paintings such as Abandoned Hotel”and this one, it is a little more apparent because of the location and the strange use of angle. Discovering Bob Dylan’s painting has been an indulging experience for me and I hope that more people look into his painting whether or not they enjoy his music.

This series of blogs aims to discuss various paintings by or of famous classic rock musicians and inspect the correlation between the figures and the art involving them.
  • 7:00 AM

Rock On: Ronnie Wood

Beggars Banquet
Ronnie Wood, Beggars Banquet, 1989
Rock On
By ETHAN DOSKEY

Ronnie Wood, the second most underrated Rolling Stones member, has taken up painting as he’s grown older and settled down from a rigorous touring schedule. His work often reflects his time on stage, his friends, and his life as a rock and roller. This painting is a visual representation of the Stones’ album, Beggars Banquet. Surprisingly, Wood does not appear on this album, as he later replaced Brian Jones after his death. In fact, this was Jones’ last album before he drowned.

Beggars Banquet was regarded by critics and fans as a mature revival of the Rolling Stones’ country, folk, and rock roots after their lowly rated psychedelic period. The album contains acoustic and vocal-focused tracks that are technically impressive and musically resonant. Of the ten tracks, “No Expectations” is particularly notable as it was Jones’ last musical performance. While Brian Jones had struggled with addiction, lead members Mick Jagger and Keith Richards had difficulty finding a place for the unreliable, yet undoubtedly talented, musician in the band and were contemplating scratching him out of the band completely. When Jones showed up to the studio on the day they were to record “No Expectations,” Keith asked Brian to add something to the piece which resulted in the most beautiful slide guitar fills ever improvised.

This painting in my eyes acts as a sentiment to Brian Jones’ life and his work on Beggars Banquet. Within this composition, members of the Rolling Stones are seen strewn across a red and brown dining room holding glasses and making a toast. I also want to point out how clever the oxymoron of Beggars Banquet is and what that possibly says about the band. Perhaps it speaks to making the best of what you have. The last song in the album, “Salt of the Earth,” asks the listener to “raise a glass to the hard working people,” thank, and recognize the people that are struggling on this planet for all that they do for the rest of us and for the hard times that they pull through. This painting and the album of the same name salute Brian Jones, all of those who experience hardships, and those who do the thankless jobs.

This series of blogs aims to discuss various paintings by or of famous classic rock musicians and inspect the correlation between the figures and the art involving them.

  • 7:00 AM

Rock On: The Beatles

Ethan Doskey
George Dureau, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Two Nuba Wrestlers, 1970-1
Rock On
By ETHAN DOSKEY

Instantly eye-catching and even confusing, this painting asks many questions and does not give many answers. The composition alone—not considering who the subjects are—draws so much attention with Dureau’s effective use of washed out colors in the background and the ambiguous nude figures in the front, one on top of the other. But by either reading the title or noticing the easily recognizable Beatles in their “Sgt. Pepper’s” garb, a new meaning is inferred in the image. What is Dureau saying by illustrating perhaps the most famous band starring (or grimacing) at these two African wrestlers supporting each other?


Art critic D. Eric Bookhardt describes Dureau’s style as an “iconic mix of flamboyant elegance and earthy eccentricity,” which is evidently seen in this piece. The Beatles’ extravagant marching band outfits and white skin sharply contrast the bare dark-skinned models in the foreground, one of which seems to has a noose around his neck.

Victors of Nuba wrestling matches in Sudan are often carried on the shoulders of fans and other wrestlers becoming a town celebrity for the week until the next tournament. Perchance that is what is depicted here. Also it should be stated that traditional Nuba wrestling is done naked as clothes are not needed for the sport and can actually get in the way.

To me, this painting speaks about fame and questions what hard work is. From Liverpool, the Fab Four became a massive sensation across America and achieved great wealth and popularity within four years of forming. Meanwhile Nuba wrestlers sacrifice their bodies to the sport for very little money, if any, and only local recognition if they win a match. I feel that the bottom wrestler’s noose signifies that to attain fame, one must kill himself or die—a notion that the Beatles don’t agree with.

This series of blogs aims to discuss various paintings by or of famous classic rock musicians and inspect the correlation between the figures and the art involving them.
  • 7:00 AM

Rock On: Mick Jagger

Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol, Mick Jagger 142, 1975
Rock On
By ETHAN DOSKEY

One of the ten portraits Warhol made of Mick Jagger, 142 shows the rock icon laughing unlike the other nine renditions. Often with pop stars, their stage personality is mistaken with their personal identity. This is especially true with the Stones’ “bad boy” status and their disreputable actions on and off stage. In 1975 The Rolling Stones were in the height of their popularity and Mick Jagger had become a common household name in the U.S. and in the U.K. This print, done that same year, continues Warhol’s series of celebrity portraits; a fascination in public figures like Marilyn Monroe to Mao Zedong saturates most of Warhol’s portfolio. But in actuality, it was the Stones who approached Warhol asking for cover art for their album, “Sticky Fingers.” They were looking for a simple and grabbing image in Warhol’s sensational style to which he delivered. The scandalous picture Warhol produced soon became perhaps the Stones’ most recognizable cover art. This contract began the two subversive icons’ friendship which lasted until Warhol’s death in 1987.

With this print, I feel it is a closer look at the human being Jagger and not the chicken-dancing persona that he took up on stage. Warhol’s screen printing technique begins with a snapshot—a frozen moment of humor that is then pulled away and simplified. This abstraction of Jagger’s face in executed in a way that fundamentally breaks it down to an exaggerated state divided in blocks of color. The yellow rectangle resembles a post-it-note as if Warhol is jotting down only the essential aspects of Jagger’s physique. Overall, there is an experimental and loving feel to this piece in trying to capture Warhol’s friend in a piece of art.

This series of blogs aims to discuss various paintings by or of famous classic rock musicians and inspect the correlation between the figures and the art involving them.
  • 7:00 AM

Lovestruck and Livestock, Thisbe

Ethan Doskey

By ETHAN DOSKEY

Lovestruck and Livestock
Thisbe (Deluxe Edition)

In the front cover of this album lay several scattered sheets of notebook paper covered with sloppy handwriting. These words transcribed an interview with Bean Handerson, the lead band member of Lovestruck and Livestock.

"Bean, what caused you to temporarily leave Deathro Dull to for Lovestruck and Livestock?"

"Well chap, I felt like letting go, you know? I feel like as a society we a too clingy and feel like we have an umbilical cord connecting us with these false desires and 'needs' as if we're grown babies swimming in this pool of helplessness, to put it frankly."

"You are a renown self-taught oboe player and you used to make masterful solos back with Dethro Dull; I don't remember hearing any of that in Thisbe.

"Actually, it is still there, but we decided to record them from across the pasture in France where the recording studio."

"So that explains this thirty seconds of seemingly silent audio in 'Automotive Gasp'..."

"Exacto-runey, I wanted to fabricate this sense of confusion and intrigue in the piece."

"And why did you chose Rembrandt's Slaughtered Ox as the album cover?"

"Well, you know... *unintelligible*.... and I think it really speaks to our music, you know? And the woman in the background is like this mystifying being who is casting a spell of the viewer and... *unintelligible*... you know? *unintelligible*... so that's why we decided on the name Thisbe."

Editor's Note: Students happened upon a cache of hidden records with cover art from the Baroque masters. They were charged to investigate the vinyls. The above are their findings. 
  • 7:00 AM

Bust of Cardinal Scipione Borghese

Bernini
Bernini, Bust of Cardinal Scipione Borghese, 163
By ETHAN DOSKEY

The typical story of a commission we are all familiar with by now: rich and/or powerful person wants his/her portrait done, finds the most notable artist in the area, and has the artist complete their portrait by an agreed date. Bernini's commission to do Cardinal Borghese's portrait was no different at first until what seemed like an absolute disaster occurred two weeks before he would present it before the patron.

Having become arguably the most notable sculptor in all of Rome, Bernini soon became a favorite of the clergy, thus opening his career to the most sought-after commissions, including portraits of the most powerful people in Rome at the time. When Bernini was hired to sculpt a bust of Scipione Borghese, Bernini observed the Cardinal in his day-to-day activities and made a handful of quick sketches to reference later when chipping away at the marble. Unlike most portrait artists, Bernini did not use a live model for this commission, but rather used his sketches to get a grasp for the Cardinal's demeanor and filled in the gaps with his memory. This quality drastically increased the desirability of hiring Bernini because of the amount of time saved by not having to stand still for the sculptor.  

According to one of his biographers, Filippo Baldinucci, Bernini was putting the final touches on the bust when he saw that a noticeable fault had appeared on the marble Cardinal's forehead that ran around the circumference of it's head with fifteen days before the piece was due. Bernini weighed the few options he had - he could present the piece as it was or he could ask for an extension, both resulting in the loss of the reputation he had vigorously slaved over. Instead, Bernini dealt with this issue unconventionally. Instead of telling the Cardinal about the serious problem, or anyone else, he kept the secret to himself and with two weeks left, (or three days according to Domenico, Bernini's son) Bernini began a completely new bust of Borghese. 

On the much anticipated day Bernini would present his sculpture, he unveiled the bust before the Cardinal, receiving praise for the likeness between Borghese and his marble counterpart. However, Bernini knew that his patron would be disappointed, so he wheeled in the second bust before Borghese, immediately resulting in the Cardinal's astonishment and endless compliments. 

Bernini twisted the challenge he faced into a benefit that left him with ten times the amount of scudi originally offered and enough credit to last him a lifetime, proving how charisma can exponentially better an artist's career. 

Additionally, it was not just Bernini's showmanship that woo'd his patrons, but the evidence that his work was far superior to what any other artist was doing then. The representation of Scipione Borghese shows the Cardinal making a face as if beginning or finishing a sentence. This technique was intentionally crafted and perfected by Bernini, which results in a sculpture filled with suspense and leaves the viewer curious and entranced. Furthermore, Bernini believed that the ideal way to capture the essence of person is to capture them in an unposed and natural fashion. While Bernini won over the Roman clergy with his witticism and cleverness, it is his remarkable pieces that are remembered hundreds of years later. 


  • 7:00 AM

Assumption of the Virgin

Assumption of the Virgin
El Greco, Assumption of the Virgin, 1577
By ETHAN DOSKEY

This colossal and stupefying panel by "the Greek" immediately fascinated me when I saw it in the Art Institute of Chicago. Measuring more than 13 feet tall and almost seven feet wide, this vignette of the Virgin's ascent into heaven demands the attention of anyone passing by.

While one may guess El Greco painted this after years of masterpieces under his fancy, black robe-belt because of the exceptional quality of the Assumption of the Virgin, this was his first big-time commission in Spain. Along with three other paintings of his, and his own burial place, this painting was originally located in the Church of Santo Domingo el Antiguo in Toledo, Spain. Today it lies across from the equally (yet entirely different in its approach) religious and captivating Crucifixion by Francisco de Zurbarán painted a half century later.

The juxtaposition in styles of Spanish painting during the Renaissance: a beautiful, colorful, and fantastical mannerist painting against the realistic, focused, and bare-bones execution of Zurbarán's Crucifixion entranced all museum-goers circulating through this room. On one end, we have a clear glorification of Christianity and the wonders associated with the belief. On the other end, the clear, undistracted, and undeniably apparent pain and violence inflicted upon God's son, Jesus, conveying to any viewer the sacrifice he endured for their sins.

Subversive to the conventional and uninformed view of Renaissance art being dull, comically incorrect in perspective, and ugly, this painting will surely convert all non-believers in paintings that are not from recent history. On that note, there is a beauty in how this was painted for the purpose of illustrating the grandeur of God, but today we have the liberty to attach our own individual post-modern interpretation and meaning to these masterpieces in Christian art painted four-hundred years ago.  We may see this painting with knowledge of other art that was created around the globe well before, well after, or perhaps in the same place fifty years later, as we've done. I find the non-period eye a fascinating tool that should be capitalized more upon in the academic community. Of course it is crucial to appreciate a piece of art for what it's worth in the context, conditions, and period it was created in, we should also recognize our fortunate position to make the comparisons that we do.

In the painting itself, I noticed the clear division between the mystified Apostles and the surprise-party-like celebration of the angels in heaven. When seeing this in person, I was enthralled with the use of scale and how it influenced the viewing experience of the painting. The figures in the lower half appear close to human size, letting the voyeur become a part of this religious event. Then, the accepting and embracing motion of the Virgin assenting into heaven leads the eyes up well into the sky where heaven is — a pseudo-immersive experience that demonstrates El Greco's excellence in what he did.
  • 7:00 AM

Death of the Virgin

1605
Caravaggio, Death of the Virgin, 1605-6
By ETHAN DOSKEY

A man of controversy himself, Caravaggio's work followed suit. This painting at completion was rejected by the clergy and by the patron because of its indecency. There were rumors that the model for the Virgin Mary was a woman of the night that Caravaggio found in a river and dragged into the studio.

Additionally, the suggestion that she is dead welcomed even more distress among the Catholic community. Her sickly and bloated feet and hands along with her frazzled hair suggests that she is, in fact, dead. To quote Monty Python, she "is no more! [She] has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace!"

It appears that her death occurred and was neither instantaneous nor holy. The Apostles and the young woman in the foreground (who I will assume is Mary Magdalene) grieve like she had died like any other mortal, and did not assent into heaven without "dying," as it is suggested in the Bible. Unlike other artists at the time, Mary is not embracing the heavens or is surrounded by angels and cherubs. Instead, she appears grounded on Earth. And her halo is barely visible. While this is a spiritual painting, few clues suggest this.

One of these indications is the beautiful red draping fabric that mirrors the scene below it. Somewhat of a mannerist flare to the image, it covers about one third of the painting's composition. Because its color is the same as the Virgin Mary's dress, Caravaggio hints that this is her soul ascending into heaven. Other Assumption of the Virgin paintings of this time appear almost nothing like this rendition. This masterpiece looks to be happening right before us as if we are standing right behind the brass bowl on the ground. Like in Giotto's Lamentation about three hundred years before, Caravaggio welcomes the viewer right into the scene as if we were witnessing this biblical scene with the rest of them.

This is just one of several dark, Earthly, captivating, controversial and so well executed paintings Caravaggio produced as he matured and grew more insane. How can such a mad man create such beautiful and contemporary art?

  • 7:00 AM

Diana and Actaeon

Diana and Actaeon
EPUB000774.jpg
Parmigianino, Diana and Actaeon, 1523

By ETHAN DOSKEY

Parmigianino, the Mannerist painter from Parma, Italy, got his start doing small commissions in his hometown for churches and in homes. This mural in the Castle of Fontanellato of Diana and Actaeon from Ovid's Metamorphoses is a prime example of the soon-to-be classic's early work. The painting covers the entire upper-half of the room, including the ceiling. It depicts the goddess Diana discovering Actaeon watching her bathe, and then turning him into a stag as consequence. Ironically, the story goes that Actaeon was next attacked by his own hunting dogs, who did not recognize their master. (Moral of the story: don't walk around in the woods or you may find a naked goddess, leading to your death?)

While the bodies and painting itself is not done with the upmost detail or precision, Parmigianino is crafting his own style that would later become "Mannerism." Later in the same year that he completed Diana and Actaeon, Parmigianino traveled to Rome to seek fame, which he did.

However, Parmigianino's short career was challenged by his inability to finish a commission after starting it. Instead of working on the canvas itself, he would sketch dozens of drawings in his notebook. Unsatisfied by his progress or the finished product, Parmigianino would rework and resketch the paintings until content with his art. Often this process took years, causing many patrons to find work elsewhere and give the commissions to another artist.

In one instance, Parmigianino was hired by a nobleman to paint his vault. Though, in classic Parmigianino fashion, he took his time and could not make any substantial progress whatsoever. As months went by, the patron grew frustrated by the painter's snail pace. Eventually, the aristocrat's patience expired, and he had Parmigianino arrested for taking too long.

A year after being jailed and then bailed out by a loyal patron and an architect, Parmigianino died in Casalmaggiore, Italy in recluse at the age of 37n. Today, few of his paintings of his survive because of their untraceability and the fact that Parmigianino completed but a handful works. Despite the small quantity of existing paintings, his style influenced other painters who would build off of what he started: Mannerism.

  • 7:00 AM

The Garden of Earthly Delights

Ethan Doskey
Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthy Delights (closed), 1503
By ETHAN DOSKEY

The outer panels of perhaps Bosch's most famous painting depicts a scene utterly different from the contents inside. This monochromatic green-gray scale directly contrasts the vibrant green, blue, and pink innards as does the lack of humans and creatures. The only figure seen is God on the upper left corner next to the quotation “For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm” (Psalm 33.9).

Leading theories suggest that these outside panels are a view of the third day of Earth when land, plants, and foliage were created. This argument makes a lot of sense chronologically (according to the Bible) as the inside illustrations follow the linear story of the creation of man in the Garden of Eden, man's temptation to evil, and then finally Hell itself. Additionally, there is no evidence of the Sun, moon, or stars, which were created on the Fourth day. The title The Garden of Earthly Delights complements this suggestion in a witty fashion; the "Garden" being the previously mentioned Eden or perhaps the land that God created, and "Delights" being man's ecstasy from lust and greed.

I chose the exterior of this chef d'oeuvre because of how Bosch applied his style to such an uncharacteristic subject. Also, by how drastically different it is compared to any of his other works: there is not a single creature or ungodly monstrosity, nor any vibrant color pops.

Bosch teases to the interior of this painting and past works of his through the surreal plants and landmarks on the Earth. In a way, Bosch plays God my making his own semi-disturbing version of the Bible story and by creating his own planet. Bosch does not hold back in this painting. It is so technically beautiful and skillful and yet also so thought provoking and open to interpretation, which makes this piece so prolific and admired. By making the outer panels so simplistic, he ingeniously compliments his own work and creates a welcoming image that unfolds into this delightful/nightmarish world.
  • 7:00 AM

Saint Jerome in His Study

Albrecht Dürer
Albrecht Dürer, Saint Jerome in His Study, 1514
By ETHAN DOSKEY

Dürer expertly forms a stunningly life-like vignette of Saint Jerome in his study with his dog and lion in this single-point perspective. The step at the bottom, the pillar to the left, and the ceiling on the top creates the illusion of a frame that invites the viewer into the scene as if you were standing just outside the room. The accurate viewpoint evokes a sense of believability in the etching along with the shadows and projected light from the window. Above this, though, I am most impressed by the level of detail on such a small plate; the room comes alive from items that tell us more about the world in that time period.

In a historical sense, one can gather what technology and style people would have in Dürer's time because evidence suggests that, like classic Italian Renaissance artists, Dürer drew from the real world. He believed that, "no man can ever make a beautiful image out of his private imagination unless he have replenished his mind by much painting from life" (Four Books on Human Proportions). This philosophy becomes apparent in his etchings that obviously draw from real world models because of the precise dimensions and shading.

His attention to detail is astounding. The grain of the wood, the fur of the animals, St. Jerome's beard, Dürer's signature on the floor, the slippers behind the dog, the scissors on the wall, the crucifix on the table - impeccable. Considering the constraints and nature of the medium as well as the tools he would have used, Dürer proves even more impressive. Since he used print-making as his medium, his work was easily copied and distributable which drastically opened up his audience and making him the first celebrity artist.

  • 7:00 AM

Henry G. Marquand

Ethan Doskey
John Singer Sargent, Henry G. Marquand, 1897

"Invictus"
By WILLIAM ERNEST HENLEY

Out of the night that covers me,
     Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
     For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
     I have not wined nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
     My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
     Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
     Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
     How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
     I am the captain of my soul.



Editor's Note: Students were asked to pair a poem and painting with no explanation of the connection. 


  • 7:00 AM

Far Away Thoughts

Ethan Doskey
John William Godward, Far Away Thoughts, 1892
By ETHAN DOSKEY

I would like to dedicate this portrait to my mother.

After a week of being away, I was overjoyed to see her on my birthday. To celebrate, we made a trip to the New Orleans Museum of Art, just the two of us. As we walked through the sculpture garden that summer afternoon, I thought about what bliss I was experiencing - free of stress, drama, and any worries in my life. I could not help but acknowledge the peace that her and I felt.

Then it started to rain. And it was and utter downpour. The violent sound of the rain on the marble and windows soothed us even further and the cool breeze traveled through the galleries from the open doors. We then took our time meandering through every room: still-life, seventeenth century portraiture, impressionism, post-impressionism. Then we reached neoclassicism and pre-raphaelite, genres my mother and I have quite an affinity for. At home, our decor consists almost entirely of prints from John Collier, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, and J.W. Waterhouse, so seeing this room was quite a treat.

Upon first glance, I was immediately drawn to this painting. I loved the simplicity and beauty that this painting embodied. The composition and humble dimensions were so pleasing to the eye that I was dumb-struck. The cool colors offset by the porcelain white skin and red hair fits so well together and gives off so many complementary vibes. The woman's gaze also intrigued me. I thought to myself how amazing it is that this artist could translate such thought into a practically emotionless figure onto a two-dimensional canvas. Then I looked at the title: "Far Away Thoughts." How fitting.

I rushed to find my mom across the room and had to drag her by the arm to see this because I knew she would love it. We sat for two minutes without saying anything- just appreciating this painting in every sense that we knew how. "You know, she reminds me a lot of you," I said, breaking the silence.

For the first time, I felt like I discovered a perfect painting. One that conveyed so much with so little, was a piece from our favorite movement, contained our favorite colors, and even had a figure with red hair... just like us.

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

Lamentation Over the Dead Christ with Saints

Botticelli
Botticelli, Lamentation Over the Dead Christ with Saints, 1495
By ETHAN DOSKEY

In Botticelli's final years of painting, his style underwent complete atrophy. Under the unmitigated influence of the quasi-preacher, Savonarola, Botticelli questioned the religious implications of his art. In direct contrast to the Medici Renaissance ideals, Savonarola condemned all "sinful" acts of participating in the sciences and arts. This, in effect, pulls Botticelli apart (you can see a direct correlation in his paintings through the years) and drives him to burn his paintings in the "bonfire of the vanities" and retire.

Before his spiritual crisis, Botticelli was regarded as a master of his trade by those who recorded their opinions. "Sandro Botticelli, an excellent painter both on panel and on the wall. As Michael Baxandall says, "His things have a virile air and are done with the best method and complete proportion" (Baxandall 26). From the vague words of an agent of the Duke of Milan in 1490, he praises the energetic vibe of Botticelli's painting, and the "method" and the "complete proportion" of his works. Though this may not mean much to the twenty-first century reader, art critics in 1400s Florence did not have any concrete grounds for what constituted a "good" and "bad" painting.  Instead, they were faced with the difficult task of conveying the desirable attributes of art according to the community of the time. By this time Botticelli had created such magnum operas (for I think that narrowing it down to one would be unfair) as Primavera and The Birth of Venus, exhibits of his "golden years" in painting.

Two years before he tossed his personal collection of works to their fiery doom under Savonarola's direction, Botticelli painted the passion-infused Lamentation Over the Dead Christ with Saints. A vertical take on his more illustrious Lamentation over the Dead Christ, (without saints in the title) Botticelli disregards his previous realism approach to painting that he was so commended for. The neck of one of the Three Marys at Jesus' feet floats below her shoulders in a disturbing (Isolation dance move) fashion and Jesus' body appears scaled down in size and is being held up by his head and feet.

Despite the negligence of proportion and physical capabilities, the emotion and gesture depicted in this painted do more than redeem the aberrations. Botticelli expresses a pure grief and despair that I believe one can understand as a human without any familiarity with The Bible, Jesus' life, or Renaissance Art. Each face, shown or covered, tells a different story the provokes vivid sentiments in my mind in a captivating manner.




  • 7:00 AM

Art History Hotties: Madonna and Child with Saints John the Baptist and Catherine

Ethan Doskey
Perugino, Madonna and Child with Saints John the Baptist and Cathrine, 1495
By ETHAN DOSKEY

Perugino's Madonna looks like the Valedictorian of your grade who kept a steady 4.4 gpa, got a 32 on the ACT in 7th grade, was the Homecoming Queen, who you wish you were, and who you still think is a 10. Her mom attends Jazzercise every day (when Mary isn't dress-coded and needs her mom to get her jeans from home), and grabs Mary's arm at the grocery store to tell her to shut up because she's embarrassing her. Her favorite Snapchat filter is the deer - seeing her story is the highlight of your day. Her hands look soft and warm like a blanket fresh out of the laundry, and her hair looks as smooth as the over-priced tablecloth they pull out of the closet whenever their extended family from Cincinnati comes into town.

Madonna looks like you just told her that you forgot to bring cupcakes to advisory... even though she sent you an e-mail last night reminding you. Catherine and St. John the Baptist are fed up - this is the second week in a row. You are very embarrassed by this because you were planning to confess your feelings to her on the upcoming field trip (you were assigned the same group so this was your big chance to be alone with her). Yet, you still love the sensation of her acknowledging your existence.

Despite this incident (and no, you chickened out and missed your chance to profess your love to her), you still crush on Madonna everyday and cherish her note in your yearbook from last year telling you to "stay cool" just before you tuck yourself in at night.

  • 7:00 AM

Virgin of the Rocks

Ethan Doskey
Leonardo da Vinci, Virgin of the Rocks, 1483
By ETHAN DOSKEY

Frustrated by not being able to sketch anatomically-correct renditions of various dinosaurs from memory, like any dejected third grader would, I sought help from my mother. Fortunately, I went to the right person (not that I had many other options). As an art-grad, she wisely told me to simply "draw what I saw."

With a new-found purpose and motivation, I pulled out my encyclopedia of dinos, flipped straight to the velociraptor section, grabbed a few colored pencils, a sheet of paper, and drew with virtuoso-like confidence.  As I drew, I realized the vicious, feathered beast I was striving to replicate looked more and more like lop-sided meatloaf on legs. After this experience ended in tears, I thought that, like Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's narrator in Le Petite Prince, I was not cut-out for the life of an artist anymore, and I retired my box of colored pencils.

Unlike my easily defeated juvenile-self, Leonardo made discoveries and set presidents in painting, anatomy, engineering, and mathematics in his studio in Vinci. He drew and painted from what he saw in nature, a method that is easily seen in Virgin of the Rocks. A part of his own philosophy, he thought the only way to accurately depict nature, was to first understand its intricacies and how it functioned. In his journal, he made sketches of such things as the muscles in a horse's legs and most famously, his Proportions of Man. This painting highlights Madonna, Child Jesus and John the Baptist, and an angel within a probable world. This scene resembles nothing like any painting made a quarter of a century before with its life-like depth and da Vinci's signature dreamy veil engrossing the painting.

A technique pointed out in his journal, da Vinci would find scale and proportion by looking at his subject "behind a sheet of glass." This instantly conquers the perhaps most daunting challenge a painter is faced: simulating three dimensions on a two-dimensional medium. I just recently tried my hand at drawing again using this approach in a drawing class. As a part of our first project, we took a picture of a still-life and turned it upside down. Seeing the confusion in the student's faces, our teacher explained to us one of da Vinci's conclusions-  when you just draw what you see, you draw proportionately.

  • 7:00 AM

Joachim Among the Shepherds

Ethan Doskey
Giotto, Joachim Among the Shepherds, 1304-1306
by ETHAN DOSKEY

Joachim, having been denied entry to Jerusalem by the high priest for his childlessness, skedaddles to the country. Here, he embraces a shepherd's lifestyle and fasts. Receiving a message from angels promising them a child after forty days of his exile, his wife, Anne, gets a bun in the oven (that bun being Mary, Jesus' eventual mother).  

Depicted in fresco in the Arena Chapel, Giotto portrays Joachim's humble request to join the Shepherds of the desert. In the style he became known for, Giotto creates a set, placing emotionally vivid characters into their manipulated environment. Similarly to his other works, Giotto's choice of story is lesser-known — Joachim's not appearing at all in the bible. 

A dream-like cliff face draws Joachim and the shepherds away from the setting in a disproportionate fashion. The tower of rock in the top right section of the painting along with the "sheep" and cave/hut/dwelling facility, causes the right half of the panel to seem weighted, offsetting the open space around Joachim. The placement of the two shepherds is striking; the "is this guy for real?" look combined with the fact that the other man is facing away, draws focus and intrigue from the viewer while further adding dramatics. An aspect I do not quite comprehend or suggest an explanation of, the dog at Joachim's feet appears to be the only thing in motion. Additionally, although this may have changed through time, the dog's light coat demands attention compared to the gorgeous indigo sky and the overwhelmingly neutral tones of the rest of the painting. 

  • 7:00 AM