Alaskan Ivory Art: Non Western

 Alaskan Law Consumer Law Regarding Alaskan Traditional Items & Carving

In 1935 Alaska State legislature declared that all carvings or cultural items made from ivory, baleen, marine mammal bone, or any bone of Alaskan mammals are only made by a state or federally recognized tribal member or a certified non-Indian artisan. ‘’A certified Indian artisan is an individual certified by the governing body of the tribe of his or her descent as a non-member Indian artisan’’ Meaning you would have to have certified permission from a tribe to market any type of art traditionally made with raw cultural materials. It is against state or federal law to sell “Alaskan Carvings” if you are not a part of a tribe or not a certified non-native artisan.

Iñupiaq ship carving
ca. 1880–1910
Point Barrow, Alaska
Ivory, sinew
30 x 5 x 15 cm

History

Authentic Inupaiq Northern carvings from the far past are very hard to come by. Long ago, they were sold to European and American Whalers. There were 2100 whaling ships every year. It allowed Native Alaskans to make money to help aid their families. This whaling ship craving is a likely image of what the northern slope and coastal whaling ships see yearly hunting their precious whales. 

Analysis 

The carver of this piece is unknown. The ivory whaling ship has a mask and sails with the cold wind. This ship would have been silent without the roaring motor of today's boats. Suitable for preying on whales. Sinew is used, displaying where ropes were to tie down the sails. Traditional works were done with ivory, mainly old mammoth bone, tusk, or tooth. Most were white, but they were also grays and shades of brown within the ivory if they decayed horribly. This size of ivory work is rare because large pieces of ivory big enough to create such a work of art are very hard to find.

When I look at this piece of art, I see the expert artistry of my fellow Alaska Natives. It makes me feel proud to be a part of Inupiaq Culture. Our ancestors would have been so proud of it. They shine down on us with their blessing of the values they taught us to observe. The carver must have many long hours creating the fine details of the router and taffrail. 

Back

Angokwakzhuk

(Happy Jack, Iñupiaq, 1870?–1918),

carving

ca. 1900

Nome, Alaska

Walrus ivory tusk

34 x 5 x 3 cm

History

Angokwakzhuk, also known as Happy Jack, engraved this walrus tusk. Captain Hartson Bodfish nicknamed happy Jack after being invited into their whaling ship. The two sides of the tusk are believed to tell a story of the Eagle-Wolf Dance. The story goes as the hunter kills a giant eagle, then he is taken to the eagle's mother so that he learns to dance so that the spirit of her son can return to her. The hunter then returned home to perform the dance and feast as the mother eagle requested. The hunter saw a vision while dancing in a hillside den where birds fly away from it, and a wolf popped up dancing. This dance and story were passed down through the 19th & 20th centuries. 

Analysis

I noticed that this tusk was made between 1870-1918, and I wondered how he engraved such detail with old-style tools. I have a picture of my excellent grandfather engraving a small piece of ivory with an ancient technique of genius. In this picture, my great grandfather Walter Kowana uses a tool that acts like a stone age drill. He uses the bow to turn the wooden drill and create friction that would engrave into the ivory. He balances the drills into a hole of a wood or bone piece that fits the drill bit to stay in place. He keeps the wood or bone piece in his mouth so that the drill is balanced. I never met my great grandfather, but I would have loved to watch him create ivory engravings and other ivory works. I believe Angokwakzhuk would have something similar to my Amau Great Grandfather. This piece reminds me of what I had missed because I was born later than when my Amau was alive.

(Front)

Iñupiaq cribbage board

ca. 1900

Nome, Alaska

Walrus ivory tusk

57 x 4 x 2.5 cm

Collected by J. E. Standley

History

George Heye purchased an ivory cribbage board from a shop called Pioneer Square in the 1900s. There was a demand for Enthenic Alaskan souvenirs after the Gold Rush. A flood of gold diggers came to Alaska to strike it rich, and they wanted to bring something back to remind them of their Wild Alaskan adventure. They took the opportunity to make money or trade for goods such as sugar, salt, flour, and rice, the basics that western pioneers introduced. Native Alaskans had to adapt to new conditions of life. Everything was changing fast; they could no longer do things in old traditional ways. 

Analysis

The engravings on the ivory cribbage board are two different types of seals hunted on the northern coasts of Alaska. The ringed seal (natchiq) and bearded seal (Ugruk) are depicted on ice flows. In between the cribbage holes, there is a harpoon that was used for hunting such seals. Cribbage is very commonly played among the older population. The flower on the front was probably just for decoration to take up more of the empty white space. The seals are very detailed, and the engraved lines all work together to give the art piece depth in contrast without having the artist coloring the seal. The seals are critical to Inupiaq Culture. Every summer, most of the community of Noatak goes down the coast to camp Sissaulik and harvest bearded seals for their blubber to make seal oil and their meat to make dried meat. Seal oil is like a condiment to be eaten with fish, frozen fish, and caribou meat. They put small amounts of seal oil in Eskimo ice cream, which is melting fat, then stirred to make a sort of whipped cream. It would be expected to have the animals that Native Alaskans harvest to survive. These carving are from my culture. This piece of art depicts the animals we harvest. It also depicts how my people can adapt, whether it may be wilderness or changing their traditions and purposes for carving ivory to benefit their survival. 

References

-, Unknown. “Angokwakzhuk - Infinity of Nations: Art and History in the Collections of the National Museum of the American Indian - George Gustav Heye Center, New York.” Copyright 2010. Smithsonian Institution., 2022, https://americanindian.si.edu/exhibitions/infinityofnations/arctic-subarctic/053086.html#about.

-, Unknown. “Carvings in Walrus Ivory.” Museum Bulletin, 2022, https://www.penn.museum/sites/bulletin/3861/.

-, Unknown. “Iñupiaq Cribbage Board - Infinity of Nations: Art and History in the Collections of the National Museum of the American Indian - George Gustav Heye Center, New York.” Copyright 2010-2011. Smithsonian Institution., 2022, https://americanindian.si.edu/exhibitions/infinityofnations/arctic-subarctic/054277.html.

-, Unknown. “Iñupiaq Ship Carving - Infinity of Nations: Art and History in the Collections of the National Museum of the American Indian - George Gustav Heye Center, New York.” Copyright 2010. Smithsonian Institution., 2022, https://americanindian.si.edu/exhibitions/infinityofnations/arctic-subarctic/214677.html.

., State of Alaska. “Alaska Native Art.” Request Rejected, https://www.law.alaska.gov/department/civil/consumer/Nativeart.html.

State of Alaska. “Alaska Native Art.” Request Rejected, https://www.law.alaska.gov/department/civil/consumer/Nativeart.html. 

Mid Modern Era: Why Oil on Canvas?

 Why Oil on Canvas? 

Oil paints were first used in the 7th century but were not commonly used until the 15th century. Before this, artists often used tempera paint made of pigments with egg yolk or other water-based paints. Tempura paint dried very quickly, so it was hard to get the fine details before it dried up. It also faded and lost its color when dried. Oil-based paint changed everything. 

The reason why oil-based paint is superior to other types of paints is that instead of evaporation, the oil oxidates. Just pigments are left when all the water evaporates. Oil-based paint has a chemical reaction that turns the paint into a gel, and then it hardens to how the artist left it. 

Oil-based paint is the easiest to shape the desired texture. Because of oil-based paints highlighting and contrasting a work of art was possible, which resulted in vibrant, realistic paintings. It gives the artist time to work with the paint and the freedom to come back the next day and pick up where they left off. Not only can they contain shape to maintain the texture they can easily be blended with other oil paints to make a more realistic look.

Here are prime examples of why Oil on Canvas is better for making the perfect painted art pieces.  

Henry Ossawa Tanner, The Banjo Lesson, 1893, oil on canvas, 49 × 35.5 inches
/ 124.5 × 90.2 cm (Hampton University Museum, Hampton, VA)

"Banjo Lesson"

History 

Henry Ossawa Tanner was the first African American famous artist that was acknowledged. He lived most of his art education in France and was well known for his biblical painting. Banjo Lesson was his most famous painting. His mother was born in slavery and escaped to the North through the underground railroad. His father was a minister who chose Henry's middle name, Osswa. He is named after Osawatomie, Kansas, where racist southerners bloodily beat abolitionist John Brown. After he contracted an illness, his doctor gave him a prescription to breathe the mountain air. So he went to North Carolina, where he experienced racism up close. After this influence, he painted such a moving painting. 

Tone

The painting has a dark tone overall. The setting seems to be a run-down building where many poor people may have lived. This building seems to have no electricity, but it is kindled by a candle or lamp light. There are two different sources of light. One is natural sunlight, and the other is artificial light. The tone of the shades of color makes it clear. There is a pale sunlight tone highlighting the banjo teacher and the banjo student.

Color

He used excellent highlighting skills with a mix of choices of color. He used a lighter shade of the wall color to make the illusion of pale sunlight coming through someplace out of view. On the other side, a warmer light seems like some sort of flame from a candle or oil lamp. His choice of color shows how he can make the illusion of shadows on the wall. His choice of color is so perfect that he uses yellow and orange on the tablecloth, reflecting the warm flame light. 

Texture

The painting is not significant in texture because it looks like the artist used strap techniques. Everything is hazy, and it is hard to see texture within the painting. An essential part of the painting is where the fuzzy texture has to be just right. The hair of the banjo teacher is the perfect texture. It depicts what the natural hair of an African American might look and feel. He has afro-type hair that shows a distinct receding hairline. The banjo student also has the same type of hair. It is much shorter and fuller, so his hair is much closer together, so not much texture can be visible.

Sir William Orpen, “Sergeant Murphy & Things,” circa 1923,
oil on canvas, 29 1/2 x 40 in. (c) The Sporting Art Auction 2016

"Sergeant Murphy & Things"

History
This painting was Sir William Orpen's first horse portrait. He was a war artist till after WWI. Now that the war was over, he had time to paint something else other than war art pieces. Most of his paintings are portraits of war heroes or scenes of war. Orpen’s full name is Sir William Newenham Montague Orpen. He was born in Ireland, and he died in London, England. 
Texture
This portrait has many texture features. The grass looks very dry yet still green. They are sharp and edgy compared to the soft flat green grass the horse in the background is trotting on. The horse is shiny and well groomed. The clouds are rolling and fluffy in the sky. It looks like a perfect game for an auction or race. The clothing of the people standing in front of the horse is very detailed. I can almost see every fiber crisscrossing to make the cloth. Their leather boots are shiny and look like they were just polished. 
Color 
All the colors are standard, and it is what would expect of a portrait. The colors of the jockey and the auctioneer's clothes are everyday clothes. Most jockeys had white pants with their sporting jacket. The color of the sky seems like a typical cloudy day with a mix of yellows and silver linings. The color of the horse is not just one color. 
Value 
Even though he is a brown horse, the artist uses different shades of dark and black to show the muscles of the horse. Then uses bright tan to highlight the parts where the fur of the horse shines in the sun. The brightness of the value makes the horse look glossy. The value of the colors shows plenty of shadows where would expect them. The shadow under the horse, even the shadow under the madman's hat where half his face is hidden is well constructed. Being oil on canvas painting gave the artist the tools it needed to build value, pigmented color, and texture within the painting.

‘Job’ by William Orpen (1905).Oil on canvas. 22 x 27 inches.
 Provenance with Pyms Gallery, London.

"Job"

History

Sir William Orpen’s earlier paintings were mainly portraits of war and other heroic figures. His portraits included judges, generals, landowners, politicians, and theatre people. In his later painting, he painted gypsies and spirituals that lost their way, and we are looking for an escape from darkness. The man in this painting is of humble origins. Orpen risked his reputation by painting this man because painting other than a hero seemed lesser than painting common folk. Texture The texture of this painting is incredible. The weathered hands of the poor man and his white curly hair are very detailed. His skin is rough and dirty as if he had a rough life. The tone muscles on his body, even though aged, he still is in great shape. You can see every muscle and wrinkle on his naked body. He must have been working all his life to make a living. Tone He has a dark background to show that it is a sad, dark, twisty story. However, the man in the center of attention is bright as if a spotlight is on him. Also, the houses in the background are bright as well. It may as well be that Orpen wanted to draw the attention of the view to the man and the houses and keep their focus there. With oil paint, the artist can keep quality pigment to remain that desired darkness. The town’s folk that seem to be mocking the naked man are not as bright, but they are still bright enough to make out their faces and appearance. The choice of having dark or light tones focuses the viewer's attention and is very skilled of Orpen. Color The painting has all neutral colors. The only other color in the painting is the sliver of blue sky, the red shingles on the rooftops, and the red comb of the chickens. Artists can use neutral colors to give the illusion of a highlighting effect and make an object seem more realistic. Light hits different areas of surfaces when there is texture or depth to the object. Neutral colors are safer to use than other colors because they are everywhere. However, if used too often, it can lose individuality, so I believe that is why Orpen put flashes of color to counteract the neutral colors. Even though it was not much, it still made the painting more balanced. 

"The Pacific Club", Georgina Klitgaard

1893-1976

Provenance: Fletcher Gallery

"The Pacific Club"

History

The Pacific club is not only a painting but a place where a sailor kept his office and warehouses. It is the only 18th-century building left standing in Nantucket. Nantucket is a tiny island 30 miles off of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The island and the building has a long history of Whaling. 

Texture

The texture of the painting is mainly smooth seeing that the painting is oil on canvas. Usually, old building have cracks and the paint peels off. We don’t see this in the painting. The artist chooses to give it a smoothed-out feel. The path and dirt seem to have rocks paved over. The lines in the dirt made it look like there were flat rocks that were bricked together. Leaves on the tree were fluffy and not much textures but they were makeable to be leaves that had pointy sharp edges. 

Line 

Lines in the painting are straight forward. The poles in the background are pointing up in the harbor. The branches of the tree doesn’t completely match the picture of the actual tree in front of the building. The tree branches actually look more symistric than the real life tree. The artist choose to keep the painting smooth. Oil on canvas can have a lot of texture but in this painting it seems like a water color painting with bold colors.

Color

The coloring in the painting has a lot of shadows. The tree casts a beautiful shadow on the side of the building. The painter uses a perfect shade of the building to make it see like a perfect shadow. The artist gives the illusion of having a sun casting its rays down. The artist is also spot on where the shadows should be based on the estimated position of the sun. The sky is gloomy because of the choice of color for the sky and surrounding clouds. 

"Spring Migration"
Georgina Kiltgaard, Nantucket Island
oil on canvas, 22 x 30 inches

History Georgina Klitgaard did many paintings of Nantucket Island. This painting depicts many migrating seabirds, and Nantucket island is one of the stops they make. Georgina Kilgraard is an American artist born in New York, graduated from Barnard College, and studied at the National Academy of Design. She was very pronoun for painting view from above scenes of New York. She specialized in landscape painting, and the semi-wilds of Nantucket attracted her eye. Color Kiltgaard has chosen beautiful colors to show how fantastic landscape painting can be. Her oil pigmented paints are bold for the lush surrounding of the pond. The buses have a lovely red which are probably small flowers in bloom. The pond is a beautiful blue with the sparkling reflection of the blue sky. The birds are pure white and gray, making them look like they have an above-white coat with a gray undercoat to match their real-life appearance. The sky has a hint of gray that indicates that the sky is cloudy after a downpour of rain, and the rains have finally cleared. The ocean is in view, and white mist is like light fog.

References

-, U. (2016). Oil painting techniques. William Orpen painter. Retrieved July 25, 2022, from https://www.oil-painting-techniques.com/analysis-william-orpen.html

-, U. (2016, September 22). The Pacific Club - A Look Back. Yesterdays Island, Todays Nantucket. Retrieved July 25, 2022, from https://yesterdaysisland.com/pacific-club-look-back/

-, U. (2021). | fichera fine art. Susanna J. Fichera Fine Art. Retrieved July 25, 2022, from http://ficherafineart.com/artists/georgina-klitgaard/

-, U. (2022). Georgina Klitgaard American (1893-1976) "The Pacific Club," nantucket oil on canvas, signed lower right "G. Klitgaard," signed, numbered, titled and inscribed on the stretcher "87, Bearsville, NY" 22 x 28 inches provenance: Fletcher Gallery, Woodstock, New York; Private Collection, Connecticut. other notes: The Pacific Club was housesd in the only surviving 18th century structure in Nantucket. originally a warehouse for ship captains, then a U.S. Customs office and eventually a gathering place for mariners for local mariners. for more information on the Pacific Club, see "the pacific club-a look back" framed dimensions - 27 x 32 3/4 x 1 1/2 inches tags: Nantucket, oil painting, listed artist, Woodstock Art Colony, 20th Century. Lot - GEORGINA KLITGAARD, American (1893-1976), "The Pacific Club," Nantucket, oil on canvas, signed lower right "G. Klitgaard," signed, n... Retrieved July 25, 2022, from https://www.shannons.com/auction-lot/georgina-klitgaard-american-1893-1976-the-pa_81F45F4867

Jalli, A. (2021, September 29). Neutral colors: What are they? why use them? Medium. Retrieved July 25, 2022, from https://bootcamp.uxdesign.cc/neutral-colors-1fc82ea81c71

Khalid, F. (2016, September 9). Henry Ossawa Tanner, the banjo lesson. Smarthistory. Retrieved July 25, 2022, from https://smarthistory.org/tanner-banjo/

Lee, D. (2019, May 28). 'job' by William Orpen - Christie's | sir William Orpen blog. www.sirwilliamorpen.com. Retrieved July 25, 2022, from http://www.sirwilliamorpen.com/job-by-william-orpen-at-christies-london-auction-18th-june-2019/

Oil painting. Oil Painting: History, Famous Paintings in Oils. (2022). Retrieved July 25, 2022, from http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/oil-painting.htm#:~:text=The%20main%20advantages%20of%20oil,than%20other%20types%20of%20paint. https://moa.byu.edu/why-do-artists-use-oil-paint/

Webster, A. (2016, November 17). Featured lot: Sir William Orpen, "sergeant murphy & things". Fine Art Connoisseur. Retrieved July 25, 2022, from https://fineartconnoisseur.com/2016/11/featured-lot-sir-william-orpen-sergeant-murphy-things/

Impressionism VS Realism: Romantic Era

Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889. Oil on canvas.

History

Vincent Van Gogh is a renowned artist from the 19th century. When he was alive, his works were not as celebrated. He sold a handful of his art in his entire artistic career before Vicent spent the last years of his life in an asylum. Van Gogh painted the starry night from the inspiration of his bedside window while living in the asylum. They had a strict policy about him not painting in his room, so he had to paint through memory. Though Van Gogh is well known for his works, he was only an artist for a decade. He died at the age of 37 from committing suicide. After his death, his brother Theo wanted to promote his work, but he sadly died six months after Van Gogh. Theo's wife inherited the art and loaned Gogh's art to museums making his works more widespread. 

Color

Every stroke is connected with bold colors. Dark blue makes up most of the painting, and it can make you feel sad or depressed. In today's day in age, the color blue represents freedom. When you look up at the blue starry sky, you feel free to let your mind wander. There are quite a few yellow patches in the mix that are stars. Yellow gives you a sunshine feeling of hope. Yellow mean happiness and positivity. Putting the two colors together creates a sense of joy in freedom. Such as the feeling of one's self when one break free of troublesome life problems. They feel the rush of happiness and hope in their newfound freedom. Something was bothering Van Gogh, and painting seemed like a way of putting his emotions onto canvas. His troubles were too much that even art couldn't prevent his tragic death. I interpret all these feelings from the colors of this painting. 

Form & Lines

Lines form shapes, and lines can create forms. Stars before dawn are not as bright because the sun is coming up, yet he decides to blow up the star's brightness to make them the center of attention in his painting. He applied paint to the canvas directly from the tubes to create thick lines. "The result was the dream-like image, which features wavy cypress trees in the foreground and glowing stars, a bright crescent moon, a swirling sky, rolling hills, and a village in the background." Goph used one long bold line across the painting to outline the mountains from the sky. The wavy lines of the sky were forming the brightness of the starlight. Since there were no brush strokes, the lines were not buffered out or blended to make a more realistic view of the sky. The lines made it more unique. 

Van Gogh's goal was to capture the emotion and feel at that moment. He wanted to express his emotion and paint it from his perspective of how he saw the night sky. He didn't try to make the picture look more realistic but was more impressed with his feelings about the artwork. 

John Modesitt, The Water Lily Pond, 1899 Oil on Canvas

History

John Modesitt rented a house where it was perfect for his family in Giverny, France. Over time they improved the land after his success as an artist. John Modesitt wanted to build a garden pleasing to the eye and for him to paint. They were then able to buy the land to achieve their dream garden. He was finally able to begin to build in 1893. After the garden was finished, he painted 12 views of the garden.

"His famous home and garden with its waterlily pond were bequeathed by his heirs to the French Academy of Fine Arts (part of the Institut de France) in 1966. Through the Fondation Claude Monet, the home and gardens were opened for visit in 1980, following refurbishment. In addition to souvenirs of Monet and other objects of his life, the home contains his collection of Japanese woodcut prints. The home is one of the two main attractions of Giverny, which hosts tourists from all over the world."

Line & Form

This piece of art is impressionism because it is not a clear picture of something you can see. It's not the exact picture. Many colors intertwine in a network forming a hazy view of the water lily pond. The form of this painting is free, and the artist just put their feelings on canvas. It's the artist's way of mushing their emotion together and placing them on the canvas.

Texture

The texture of the painting has many dabs of paint individually placed to make up the picture. It's like a 2-dimensional picture of blown-up pixels on the TV that are easy to make out. You can see the individual pixels but also the image Monet painted. You can see lilies in the water, but if you look closely, you wouldn't know they are lilies without the hints of the whole painting. The texture is rough, but the smoothest part of the piece is the Japanese bridge overlooking the pond.

The Old Musician, 1862 by Edouard Manet

History

Edouard Manet painted heroism in the modern life of that time. Most of the characters were real people. In this painting, there is a musician, a gypsy girl, an infant, an acrobat, an urchin, a drunkard, and a ragpicker. These were probably people he might have seen from his studio. The musician was Jean Lagrène, leader of a local gypsy band. He stationed his studio in the slums of Paris. He was around many ordinary folks considered low in ranks, but that did not bother him. The man in the top hat’s name was Colardet; he was the rag picker, a person who collects rags and then sells them. 

Color

His style of painting was more modern at the time. Instead of blending pigments, he placed those pigments next to each other. It makes the painting more direct with solid pigments. The painting was like the artist turned up the contrast on a picture. You can see individual colors not blended out as you would see in other paintings. Most of the pigments are very solid and very life-like. The skin of the people is ashen. Manet’s style was all about not blending colors, so, understandably, that is why they are so pale. 

Texture

Since there were no blended pigments in the painting, most of the texture is not visible. Most areas of the painting have smoothed out slippery looking. Something more textured then is the spikey and curly hair of the musician. The clouds are soft because the color is buffered to make the illusion of fluffy clouds over a blue sky. The skirt of the gypsy girl is smooth and almost silky despite its worn cloth feel. The leaves of the tree are very crisp. The painting does not have much texture only if you study the painting. 

The Stone Breakers, Gustave Courbet

History

Courbet, the maker of this piece, painted two peasants breaking stones that will be used to build a road. The event is something that people did during that time. They built roads with human resources because they did not yet invent the modern power tool era. Courbet was expressing the exhaustion they faced from their hard work to earn enough money for food and a way of life. As beautiful as the painting is, it didn't survive the bombing of Dresden in 1945. For Courbet, it was just a memory he painted. 

"It is not often that one encounters so complete an expression of poverty and so, right then and there, I got the idea for a painting. I told them to come to my studio the next morning."- Gustave Courbet.

Color

The color of this painting puzzles me. I don't know why Courbet put a black background but left the face of the cliff in the top right corner. It looked like a shadow covered the scene to pay more attention to the two road makers. All the colors in the painting are found in everyday things at that point in time. Clothes were simple back then, yet people of lower social status wore plain clothes, so they couldn't afford lavish, colorful clothes. The dirt in the clothing you can make out gives the more emotion of sweat and blood they put into their work. 

Texture

Every inch of the painting is very detailed. The clothing is textured as if the workers are wearing actual pants. I can see the very fibers of every stitch and thread in their painting. The grass of the desert is very brittle. You can see every small blade of grass. The rocks are jaggy and edged because they were smashed open with hammers. The basket has every fiber woven in an elegant pattern to form a basket.

Impressionism Vs. Realism

As the four examples of the two styles that I have chosen, I will now compare the two. My favorite of the two styles is realism. I enjoy looking at something detailed and texture of real life. It amazes me how real they seem when it's just a painting an artist may have painted out of memory. Impressionism, on the other hand, is not a clear picture of something you can see. It is not the exact picture. It's the artist's way of mushing their emotion together and placing them on the canvas. I see their sentiment, but I don't enjoy seeing them often because it reminds me of my messy emotions. Sometimes I'm all emotional and not thinking clearly. Impressionism has too many feelings to show that trigger my deep thoughts. I know some people may enjoy that, but I don't so much. I enjoy seeing a piece that looks like the artist took a long time perfecting the little detailed things like the single blades of grass I saw in The Stone Breakers by Gustave Courbet. 

Classical Exhibit ART 200x

John Trumbull, American, 1756–1843
The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

History

    John Trumbull is famous for many revolutionary art pieces depicting many battles and historical events. Jefferson invited John to stay with him in Paris to compose the painting. Jefferson wanted this piece to be historically accurate but also have everyone included, even though some who opposed the proposal were not physically present during that moment of history. Jefferson was the one who submitted the document to John Hancock, but in the painting, those included were John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. 

Elements

    This painting is a historical moment of the revolutionary history of America. The overall tone depicts a very gloomy and dark setting. This moment of history was secret; only a select few witnessed this day until it was made known to the world. They did not have electricity yet; candlelight and sunlight were what they had. Not one's face is hidden in the painting, so they can all be named in the painting. All faces were severe and heroic; being there was an intense moment of history. They were shaping the building blocks of the new founding country. Anyone would be nervous, yet all faces were stern and ready to face the start of the new founding country. The color of the painting was dark, and everyone wore white powdered wigs because that was their culture. You can see many faces in this painting. It took John 3 decades to do because he wanted to include all 56 members. It must have taken a long time because he had to research many faces and interviews to see who was present or involved. Everyone in the painting was not even present, but Jefferson wanted everyone there despite the reality of having some disapproved or who could not be there.

Jacques-Louis David: Oath of the Horatii, oil on canvas
(Paris, Musée du Louvre);
Photo credit: Scala/Art Resources NY

 History

   This painting was made from a Roman legend where three men were chosen to fight against their enemies’ champions so that both parties could avoid a full-scale war. Those three men were brothers, and their father holding the three swords is swearing them into an oath to protect their nation. Women in the background are the wives or fiances of the three men. They are distraught and know what their husbands will be facing. They will face life and death and either win or lose, which would mean gruesome death. 

Element

This piece of painting is my favorite of the three I choose. The reason is because of the perfect shading and the color choices of the art piece. The parts where everything has what looks like highlights shining from one direction in the painting are perfectly shaded. The color of the skin is bold and lifelike. Furthermore, the shading and colors perfectly align where light and dark would be in real life. The painting is like someone who went back in time, took the picture with a camera, and made it look like a classical oil on canvas painting. The shadows of the painting are spot on, and the choice of color for the clothing seems very lifelike. The coloring of the silver or gold helmets looks shiny where you would expect it to be because of the position of the direction of the light. Everything is perfectly colored and shaded to make each character more prominent or less prominent, as the women and the children are in the shadow of the men. The artist boldly lined the men and the two women into the light while the woman with the children is shunned in the shadows of the men.

Eugène Delacroix, “Liberty Leading the People” 

History

    In this painting, Delacroix depicts women representing Liberty, leading soldiers to victory while holding the french white, blue and white flag. In July of 1789, a protest called the Storming of the Bastille sparked the French Revolution. This protest took place on the streets of Paris because you can see Notre Dame Cathedral in the background.

     "Delacroix was living in Paris at the time, enabling him to experience the chaos firsthand. "Three days amid gunfire and bullets, as there was fighting all around," he wrote in 1830. "A simple stroller like myself ran the same risk of stopping a bullet as the impromptu heroes who advanced on the enemy with pieces of iron fixed to broom handles."-Tribe, Yugan

    Because he experienced this firsthand, it gave him the emotions and right to paint this elegant piece of a woman leading the revolutionaries to victory. Women did not lead, but she was a symbol of Liberty. 

Elements

    This piece is not as vivid as the last piece of art by Jacques-Louis David, but the artist has a good coloration of how smoke can make a picture hazy. Liberty lady clothing has many lines that create the illusion of wrinkles and ripples in the fabric. The waist belt looks like it is flowing in the air from her running or the chaos. The lines on the flag of the voluntaries, which is now France today, make the illusion of it free-flowing in the wind. You can almost hear the flag snap and flap by the illusion of the lines of the flag, with Liberty holding a gun in her left and the flag in her right, the emotion of pride in one's right to fight to have freedom. This painting is a patriotic piece of art that Delacroix made out of his experience in Paris and how he saw the French Revolution from his point of view. 

Citations

A Scholarly Skater. “American Artists and the American Revolution.” A Scholarly Skater, 30 Sept. 2021, https://ascholarlyskater.com/2019/01/04/american-artists-and-the-american-revolution/.

Tribe, Yugen. “7 Spirited Works of Art Sparked by Revolution.” My Modern Met, 26 June 2020, https://mymodernmet.com/revolution-art/.

Unknown. “David, Oath of the Horatii (Article).” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/later-europe-and-americas/enlightenment-revolution/a/david-oath-of-the-horatii.

Unknown. “The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.” The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, | Yale University Art Gallery, https://artgallery.yale.edu/collections/objects/69.

Unknown. “Neo-Classicism and the French Revolution.” Oxford Art Online, https://www.oxfordartonline.com/page/neo-classicism-and-the-french-revolution/neoclassicism-and-the-french-revolution.