Ceramics: Christ and Thomas

Christ and Thomas
Luca della Robbia, Christ and Thomas 
Ceramics
By MARY MARGARET SIMS

Luca della Robbia was an Italian sculptor from Florence. He was born in 1399 and died in 1482. He is remembered mostly for his tin-glaze technique that he passed down for many generations. He not only sculpted out of stone but also used a clay called terracotta. Terracotta means “baked earth” and it is a type of earthenware that is used to make durable and sustainable pieces. 

His most famous terracotta sculpture is Christ and Thomas. He was commissioned by a political party named Guelphs. It depicts Thomas doubting the resurrection of Christ. The sculpture carries a lot of feelings of sorrow and doubt. The Guelphs were not pleased with this piece because the glaze was from a different sculpture in the city.
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Ceramics: Horus Falcon Vessel

Horus Falcon Vessel
Unknown, Horus Falcon Vessel
Ceramics
By MARY MARGARET SIMS

Horus is a god of the sky, war, and hunting. It the first god to be worshiped by all of Egypt. Egyptians made pottery before they started building the pyramids. We know that because the drawings on the stones of the pyramids had large vessels and pots. There were two types of clay that was from the Nile river red/brown clay, and marl clay. 

This Horus FalconVessel was made for a functional purpose rather than decorative. It was most commonly used as a vase. It was made and a range of different sizes from three inches to three feet. The end of the vase comes to a point so it can be stuck into the ground for storage. It mostly stored water, oil, wine, and grain. Later on the Horus Falcon Vessels were painted with beautiful golds, blues, and reds.
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Ceramics: Unika Classic Vase in Blue Glaze

Mary Margaret Sims
Tortus Copenhagen, Unika Classic Vase in Blue Glaze 

Ceramics
By MARY MARGARET SIMS

Eric Landon, also known as Tortus Copenhagen, is a professional potter and designer. He is the Co-Founder of Tortus Copenhagen located in Copenhagen, Denmark. Erics love for pottery started when he was just 16. He graduated from the Danish school of Design in Copenhagen, and has received numerous awards for his ceramics. Tortus works with a grog-free stoneware and every piece that he sells is handmade in his studio in Denmark. 

Eric likes to focus more on fluid vases with a simple glazing technique. His glazing is mosting made up of the primary colors. This vase is called Unika Classic Vase in Blue Glaze. The body and form is very minimalistic. The blue glazes helps to bring out the overall beauty in this piece by not overpowering the feminine form.
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Ceramics: Oval Basin

Bernard Palissy

Bernard Palissy, Oval Basin, 1550

Ceramics
By MARY MARGARET SIMS

Bernard Palissy was a French ceramicist and scientist in the 1500s. He was known for his rusticware, and was inspired by nature. He mostly made large oval platters with animals and vegetation on it. Palissy would design casts of dead animals and attach them onto his basins, ewers, and platters. He casted these precise clay animals because he was interested in close observation. He would then paint them natural colors with a shinny lead-based glaze on top to make it look more realistic. In the Oval Basin, Palissy used snakes, frogs, fish, lizards, crawfish, and shells to make his clay casts. He used a warm yellow orange glaze to make the animals pop and bring the whole piece together.
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Ceramics: Summer Sun/ Inlaid Nesting Bowls

Andrew Molleur
Andrew Molleur, Summer Sun/ Inlaid Nesting Bowls

Ceramics
By MARY MARGARET SIMS

Andrew Molleur is a ceramicist and designer that was born in rural Connecticut but now lives and works in Kingston, New York. He was immediately drawn towards ceramics. Andrew uses multiple techniques that range from traditional to modern. Most of his works are functional pieces with geometric shapes. He went to Rhode Island School of Design and studied architecture, industrial design, and ceramics.
Andrew designs and creates all of his molds to produce all of his forms and uses a technique called slip casting. In this nesting bowl set the geometric designs are not painted on but rather individual hand laid pieces of colored porcelain. And the textures on these bowls are from the constant use of each mold. Andrew likes to use very minimalistic colors in all his pieces. Mostly using a grey scale with a pop of color.
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Pastoral Concert

Giogione
Giorgine, Pastoral Concert, 1510
By MARY MARGARET SIMS


In this piece Giorgione makes the viewer feel as though they are sitting on top of the hill listening to the fluid music of the lute being played by the man in red. Pastoral Concert seems to be more of a story than a single moment in time. The well-groomed man on the left is nicely dressed in the color red and seems to be playing the lute for the man on the right. 


He is wearing a dull brown jacket with crazy hair and bare foot. The relationship seems to be of lovers rather than two colleagues. The intimacy and connection between them is outstanding. The two naked women in front of them are not actually there but created in the men’s imagination. The women are acting out song that is being played by the man on the right. This piece is outstanding and evokes a lot of emotion.  
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Garden of Earthly Delights

Hieronymus Bosch
Bosch, Garden of Earthly Delights (open), 1504
By MARY MARGARET SIMS

Bosch is most famous for his sinister and twisted works. His creativity amazes me, and I am in awe by the many intricate details. Many historians think that inside of Bosch’s paintings there are puns and little jokes referencing wife tales and religious stories. Bosch’s painting style in the 15th century was quite different than other painters in his time. He painted with heavier layers of oil paint and had more texture than the normal Flemish style which was smooth and soft.

He painted this painting during his middle and last period. In this piece Bosch has painted three panels. In the first panel it seems as though they are in the Garden of Eden and God is giving Adam Eve. The landscape is more like Dr. Seuss, with the vibrant flowing mountains that almost looks like the ocean. There are many animals and vegetation available, it seems fruitful. In the middle panel all of the people are naked and inside giant food. Their faces are emotionless and flat, but every person seems to have a purpose. The last panel is dark and hell like. The people are still naked but there are different giant items, they are less organic and more material items. There seems to be more emotion in the people's faces less flat but not completely human.
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Quail in Grass

Alexander Pope
Shibata Zeshin, Quail in Grass, 1847
"Ode on Solitude"
By ALEXANDER POPE

Happy the man whose wish and care
A few paternal acres bound,
Content to breathe his native air,
In his own ground

Whose herds with milk, whose fields with bread,
Whose flocks supply him with attire,
Whose trees in summer yield him shade,
In winter fire.

Blest, who can unconcernedly find
Hours, days, and years slide soft away,
In health of body, peace of mind,
Quiet by day,

Sound sleep by night; study and ease,
Together mixed; sweet recreation;
And innocence, which most does please
With mediation.
Thus let me live, unseen, unknown;
Thus unlamented let me die;
Steal from the world, and not a stone
Tell where I lie.



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



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Coronation of the Virgin

Coronation of the Virgin
Filippo Lippi, Coronation of the Virgin, 1466-69
BY MARY MARGARET SIMS

In Italy during the 15th century, religious paintings were created for three main reasons. They were used to help people that were illiterate so they would be able to understand scripture without having to learn to read. Another reason is so that everyone would have the same image in their head about the readings. And lastly they were made to evoke more emotions than the readings.

Lippi used a lot of deep blue and gold which shows that this was made for someone in the upper class. The gold sun in the background forces the focal point to be on Mary's face. Mary and God are placed in a triangular shape with a rainbow like circle framing them. The angels on the left and right side seem to be the crowd happily watching God give Mary a crown. The hand that is at the top of the painting could have given the crown from heaven to God so it could be given to Mary.

God is placed on a pedestal above Mary which shows His power. Mary is kneeling in front of God while holding her hands in prayer position depicting honor and respect. Mary's head is bowed while God bestows a crow upon her head like he is rewarding her. They seem to be floating in the sky because there are clouds below them and the sun right behind them which could mean that Mary is godlike.
Filippo Lippi created this piece to help people understand the importance of the coronation of Mary.

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Madonna and Child

Madonna and Child
Simone Martini, Madonna and Child, 1326

By MARY MARGARET SIMS

In 1326 Martini was commissioned by the government of Siena to paint his interpretation of Mary and Jesus. This piece is part of a five panel altar piece, making it easier to transport by folding the panels together. This style was called, polyptych "a painting, typically an altarpiece, consisting of more than three leaves or panels joined by hinges or folds." This display was very unusual for this time period making it stand out more. Martini was one of the more notable painters of his time with his impeccable attention to detail. In this piece you might notice that the child is very plump and that the women is scary looking because of her vacant eyes and this is why I call this painting shrek baby and alien lady. 

Since I am new to art history I don't look at this piece of art and think, "Oh that's for sure a Martini because of the face shape and the eyes." I look at this painting and think, "That's an ugly baby and a weird looking women with scary long spider fingers." This may seem sacrilegious in the art world but since I am still a newbie in the art history realm this is all that my untrained eyes see.


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