Structure and Paintings: Musical Fete

Architecture
Structure and Paintings
Analyzing Architecture and Perspective within Paintings
Curated by Max Cantu-Lima

Giovani Paolo Panini, Musical Fête, 1747

"Design an architectural space to accommodate a specific program, experience, or intent." 
#12, 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School, Matthew Frederick

Giovani Paolo Panini was both a painter and an architect. His better known work consists of paintings of Rome's ruins when he had traveled there. In France he became famous for decorating palaces. As an architect Panini had an understanding for form and shape, so the composition of his work comes to no surprise. The painting is brilliant. You view it straight on as a fellow spectator as the show carriers you away. The perspective of the auditorium engages your eye with the red leading to the cool colors of blue and grey up to the holy yellows. The show must be quite good for the crowed is transfixed.

Little is actually known about Panini's work because he's just not that popular. But his work demands more attention. It creates space and detail that leads the eye across the canvas from one end to the other. The symmetry and balance displays an understanding of art. Just look at those chandeliers and the way the jewels sparkle. Every inch of this canvas calls for your attention, as each brush stroke behaves like an actor demanding your observation.

This painting needs more recognition. It's captivating. The reverberations of the instruments can almost be felt even through the computer screen. The contrast between the low cello strings and the sweet sounds of the violin. All working to complement the voices singing to the audience. Panini's painting has an organization of shapes that move the way the music does to accentuate the stage. The sides of the canvas open up as if ready to embrace you into a spectacle. The way it has done with everyone else.  The show goes on. You are not the first to see it, nor will you be the last. The show is captured in a never ending state of action, playing all the time. Waiting for you attendance.


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Structure and Paintings: School of Athens

Architecture
Structure and Paintings
Analyzing Architecture and Perspective within Paintings
Curated by Max Cantu-Lima

Raphael, School of Athens, 1509-1511

"A object, surface, or space usually will feel more balanced or whole when its secondary articulation runs counter to its primary geometry." 
#88, 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School, Matthew Frederick

By now we've fully covered the concept of space and perspective. But what Raphael does within School of Athens is quite different, which propelled it to its popularity. Raphael does not solely focus on the architecture, but depicts philosophers and authors of the time. Center stage we find Plato and Aristotle discussing the difference between idealistic world-views and the greater concern with the real world. The scene itself has become iconic, brought up commonly within philosophy classes and even making its way into pop culture as the inspiration for alternative band Alt-J's music video for Tessellate. And while the subjects are done well and cleverly, the architecture behind these great minds stands tall, towering over them. For in the end, the building will last longer, outliving all of them. Its beauty remaining for future generations to see.

Raphael widens the space he was restricted to working in, making the work seem larger than its true size. He not only increases the size, but also extends it further back creating even greater depth. One indication as to the talent and genius of Raphael, are the gaps Raphael places between the barrel arches. He's creating a more complex image by doing so, separating the perspective, almost vertical, lines with horizontal ones. He does this in sets of three. This not only creates more space, but more appealing space, while also allowing the sky to peek through. It's successful because of the way he utilizes color and shadow, capturing how light plays off the walls and columns.

This painting made its way into this collection, like other paintings, for its attention to detail. Raphael became a classical master because of this painting. With this statement, I am not saying his other work lacks talent but rather this painting has so much of it in one space it has become his most remembered. Both symbolic and executed well, Raphael's complexity creates a work that the viewer could analyze for hours.
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Structure and Paintings: Tower of Babel

Architecture
Structure and Paintings
Analyzing Architecture and Perspective within Paintings
Curated by Max Cantu-Lima

Peter Bruegel, Tower of Babel, 1553

"A dynamic composition encourages the eye to explore."
#40, 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School, Matthew Frederick
Peter Bruegel has been the most influential artist on how I view art. This painting relates directly to Paul Auster's City of Glass, which we read in our AP Literature class and concerns itself with the issues of identity and purpose. The Tower of Babel plays a role in the narrative of this novel with the fall of language, stating that our language has lost its meaning. While this may be the case, Bruegel speaks with a universal language of color, inserting light blues, yellows, and reds within the painting to give it that burst of presence from the stretching horizon of green. The beauty of this painting is the chaos that takes place as these workers attempt to construct this monstrosity. The viewer could lose themselves within the minute details of Bruegel's work.

I have chosen to write over The Tower of Babel as our fourth painting as we analyze architecture because of its creativity. Bruegel produced this from his imagination. Sure he probably was inspired by the Roman Colosseum, but still, to produce this intricate world of workers that live on this building like bacteria inspires my creativity. The viewer can see the process of how the construction is taking place as most of the top is left exposed. Also the levels of the tower as they progress differ in the style of arches. What the painting attempts to instruct, in my mind, is the concept of being able working with others effectively as well as narrowing in on an idea. That no matter how great the idea is, if it's to big of an idea, your infrastructure is at risk of collapsing.

Bruegel is truly a master. Just look at how he produces the stones in the foreground and the sprawling landscape. The time he invests into getting all the details right. The coast and the ships proportionally correct. This imaginary world invites the viewer as it utilizes the majority of the canvas with interesting subjects to analyze. While it's only a two-dimensional picture, even with the paint you still feel that sensation of  "Wow." Gazing at this structure the mind still wanders off. Its nearly impossible not to think of something from this painting. The depth Bruegel is able to produce with his use of shadows brings the painting to a semi-real state of being, we begin to believe the narrative Bruegel is telling us. That's what makes him and this painting great. The fact that we can lose ourselves within it, and while all art does that to some degree, Bruegel makes it effortless.


  • 7:00 AM

Structure and Paintings: The Little Street

Architecture
Structure and Paintings
Analyzing Architecture and Perspective within Paintings
Curated by Max Cantu-Lima


Johannes Vermeer, The Little Street, 1657
"Space planning is the organizing or arranging of spaces to accommodate functional needs."
#13, 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School, Matthew Frederick 

Our next stop on the use of architecture within paintings covers the idea of material and sustainability. A large detail that decides the structure of a building is its material. Choosing this, the architect must take into consideration the location and weather so that the building will not be at risk of collapsing due to infrastructure complications. The use of brick has been the longest and strongest building material used around the world, its first appearance in Europe found in Greece during the twelve century. During the Baroque period, beginning around the year 1600, exposed brick went out of popularity. Brick work was instead covered with plaster. Brick was often the material of choice for economic and time reasons.

Vermeer is truly a master with the brush. His paintings contain such a level of detail that from a distance his work could be confused with photographs. The style which he paints this home, varies between thick application on the shutters, to the dabbing on the brick where the canvas peeks through in certain spots. The Little Street is a little painting that depicts a common place building in Delft. While the painting is quite famous, little is actually known about it. Whether this building ever existed is still disputed to this day as art historians attempt to trace back through history. Regardless of its actual location, the building appears worn down by time and weather. Uncharacteristic for Vermeer, who mostly painted portraiture,  produced a painting within the city he had recently painted before hand, A View of Delft.

Besides the incredible portrayal of detail, Vermeer captures the beauty of the common wealth home. The way he layers the homes behind this sturdy structure in the foreground. The main building provides a sense of security and durability. As an art history student, I know that dogs normally mean loyalty. This building has been relied on and will continue to be trusted because this is not a wealthy part of town. Without the money to erect glamorous Baroque buildings people relied on these brick homes. The growing plant on the left is a reminder that architecture, especially now, has to coexist with nature and be aware of its presence.  But in terms of the time period this was painted in, the plant stands for this working class part of town, full of life.


  • 7:00 AM

Structure and Paintings: Finding the Body of St. Mark

Architecture
Structure and Paintings
Analyzing Architecture and Perspective within Paintings
Curated by Max Cantu-Lima


Tintoretto, Finding the Body of St. Mark, 1562-66
"No design system is or should be perfect." 
#77, 101 Things I learned in Architecture School, Matthew Frederick

 Perspective surrounds us even though we are not constantly acknowledging it. That's because it's naturally happening around us. By moving our eyes in relation to objects, we see different angles and sides that our mind processes into an understanding of depth. When perspective is applied to drawings and paintings, we immediately recognize it presence because its fabricated. The artist is creating a three-dimensional space within two-dimensional surface. With this conversion our minds register space differently. We see the illusion of depth and space when in reality, its purely the manipulation of a subject's size on the canvas. When an artist attempts to fool the viewer's eye, the accuracy of lines leading to the vanishing point becomes crucial. Any mistake could throw off the space. The painter becomes the illusionist  attempting you to believe in the images you see with the use of his paint and brush strokes.

After discussing St. Marks Library, I decided to continuing our exploration of structures within art with  this Tintoretto and its use of perspective. Finding the Body of St. Mark is one of four in a series pertaining to St. Mark. What Tintoretto does so well here is accurately producing the space these subjects live within. Through the checkered floor pattern to the hallways columns and balconies, Tintoretto opens up this intimate moment that's producing chaos and panic within the subjects. As a one-point perspective composition, the lines all lead not only to the paintings vanishing point but to the paintings light source. This trap door emits a light that floods the hallway with a dramatic layer of gold, exaggerated by the lines Tintoretto drew in.

While Tintoretto was able to accomplish a successful sense of space through perspective, the subjects fall short. Several of them appear transparent. He spent so much time getting the setting recorded accurately that his figures lack sufficient amounts of paint to separate themselves from the checkered floor pattern. Despite this Tintoretto creates beauty with balance and color. As a viewer you sense of urgency of the moment as St. Mark lies cold on the floor. The shadows and orange emissions create a scene of both pain and beauty.


  • 7:00 AM

Structure and Paintings: Procession into St. Mark's Square

Architecture
Structure and Paintings
Analyzing Architecture and Perspective within Paintings
Curated by Max Cantu-Lima

Pt. I: Procession into St. Marks Square
Gentile Bellini, Procession into St. Mark's Square, 1496
"We move through negative spaces an dwell in positive spaces." 
#6, 101 Things I learned in Architecture School, Matthew Fredrick


With this series of paintings that I'll be showcasing over the next week, I wanted to discuss the use of architecture and how its depicted within paintings. Along with this I intend to include a quote that applies to the architectural style of the painting. The paintings are not limited only to architecture but also to the use of perspective and how that influences the feel of the painting. The inspiration behind this theme comes from my intentions to study Architecture in college.

Within Gentile Bellini's Procession into St. Marks Square, we witness a fragment of the "True Cross" being carried through the square. The building found in the background is St. Mark's Library in Venice. It was believed to be the safest location for books because as city built on water there would be less risk of a fire than other places. Bellini was able to reproduce its beauty onto canvas with accurate measurements and application of color. The painting could almost be a photograph due to his execution of detail. From the people to buildings, Bellini manipulates the paint to depict the smallest details of the work.

What sets this painting apart from others is Bellini's use of space. By drawing these lines into the floor, Bellini shows us the vanishing point he was using and demonstrates the use of one-point perspective. With this space he separates the front of the canvas, the masses carrying the artifact, from the Library, opening up square for its citizens to mingle in. Bellini also captures an asymmetrical balance within his work through the mass of people and buildings using strong lines that lead the people back on either side of the library. From the musicians on the right, with their bronze trumpets, to the robes, Bellini captures this moment that we would think was taking place before his eyes, yet this took place fifty years prior to his commission.

The space he creates with perspective provides a sense of comfort to the viewer because of the accuracy in proportions. The Gothic-styled library contains depth with the arches, created by the shades of color, and its height is exaggerated through the columns, towering over its people with pride. What makes Bellini a master is his ability to mix paint into shades that mimic the our sense of reality and applying them with meticulous brush strokes.


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Skin: Amor Vincet Omnia

Amor Vincet Omnia
Skin
Curated by Sonia Larbi

Caravaggio, Amor Vincet Omnia, 1601-1602

My collection, which supposedly celebrates the plump and fleshy, would be remiss without at least one Caravaggio. And Caravaggio's Cupid is so very, very nude. What drew me to this painting was the realism in which Caravaggio painted Cupid's torso and arm. The chiaroscuro shades the muscles just right and brings out every detail with more than life-like precision.

Specifically, the small creases of Cupid's stomach as he steps onto the floor take my breath away. They make the painting a masterpiece. They bend Cupid in half and elicit movement in his wings. They make the painting believable.

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Skin: Hélène Fourment in a Fur Wrap

Hélène Fourment
Skin
Curated by Sonia Larbi


Peter Paul Rubens, Hélène Fourment in a Fur Wrap, 1630s

We see her in the act of turning, her fur about to slip off her shoulders. She will not remain as she is for more than a second. Her image is as instantaneous and brief as a photograph. Her skin confronts us - lumpy, tender, susceptible. Her body is dynamic, constantly twisting - her torso turning to the right and her legs to the left. Her sexual center is hidden from view by her fur wrap. Her skin is fat and soft - breaking the ideal construct of "beauty." This is Ruben's beauty, made up entirely of his perception of his young wife. The painting lovingly captures her expressive eyes and full breasts.

This portrait by Peter Paul Rubens stands out to me as one of my favorite pieces from this year. I love the  emotion behind it and the way he loves and accepts Hélène Fourment. He adores every inch of her skin, and expresses that love through painting.

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Skin: The Rape of Proserpina

Bernini
Skin
Curated by Sonia Larbi
Bernini, The Rape of Proserpina, 1621-22

I chose this angle for Bernini's masterpiece, The Rape of Proserpina, to showcase his alchemy. Here, Bernini transforms marble into flesh. Not only does he sculpt Pluto and Proserpina in perfect proportion, he adds the spark of life. Overhead lights glint off of Proserpina's haunch and calf, imitating sweat. Pluto's beefy fingers extend from his veiny hand and clutch Proserpina's thigh and waist, pressing deep grooves into her body and the marble. Her head is thrown back, neck stretched to the maximum, forehead creased in fear, and mouth open in a frozen scream. 

The single tear tracking down Proserpina's face seals the deal. You desperately want to act the hero, want to do something. It tears you up inside to stand there and watch passively as such a horrible scene unfolds in front of you. You have to remind yourself that this is only marble, and you'd probably get arrested before you could wrench the two figures apart.

  • 7:00 AM

Skin: Portrait of a Young Girl

Petrus Christus
Skin
Curated by Sonia Larbi

Petrus Christus, Portrait of a Young Girl, 1465-1470

When brainstorming ideas for this 4-work collection, I decided to do something less...nautical and more abstract. I tried to think of one unifying thing in all the art I studied in my Renaissance art history class that jumped out at me or took me by surprise. Almost all of my favorite oeuvres this year were of humans. A large majority, portraits. But the portraits and sculpture I singled out were much more than simple depictions of faces or bodies. They had something else, something hard to put in words. In these seven works, light emits from the subjects - instead of just reflecting off of them. The bodies are tactile, realistic, and emotive. Their skin tells the story just as much as their faces. You want to get to know them, talk to them, help them, or befriend them. They draw you in, include you in their drama. They are the human condition in two dimensions. When you look at them, you sink into their skin, become them - even just for one moment. That idea titles this collection.

Here we meet Petrus Christus' Portrait of a Young Girl - a mysterious, piercing, portrait of...a young girl. That's all we get. No background to place her or name to identify her. All we have is her face - in minute detail. The spidery cracks in the delicate paint work to increase her flawlessness. They highlight her perfection and add an air of breakability to the painting - like she's going to fall apart at any moment. Her almond eyes look at you with calm contempt. Her skin glows with an inner radiance only a master could paint. The brush strokes remind me of Durer they're so small. She takes your breath away - and doesn't even care that she's doing it.

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