Romanticism vs Venetian Renaissance - Essay Example

Romanticism vs. Venetian Renaissance Romanticism, considering its highest form, style and meaning, is not easily discernible through a single glance. When applied to artworks, this style cannot be easily defined and comprehend because of the intricacies associated with it. Above all, romanticism involves emotions and personification to project a complete aura, making it hard to be interpreted most of the times. In the deepest sense, romanticism emphasizes fine art combined with sentiment, intimacy and passion which then stresses the need for the incorporation of feelings and imagination in a masterpiece. More than rationale and thought of the artwork, romanticism gives focus and concentration on the storytelling and the mood behind every art piece (Romanticism para 3). Having said these facts, an individual usually and commonly thinks of romanticism as a style having overflowing sensibilities and personalities rather than a style possessing only a distinct taste which could make it a stand-out as compared to other art forms. As matter of fact, artists cultivating the romantic style do not share a special and discrete form of approaches in order to come up with a finished product. What is so special with romantic artists is their excellent use of their individualistic differences and understandings to promote a piece of art. In the minimum, romantic artists are linked by individualism as well as of freedom of expression. These characteristics, in many ways, break the convention set by the contemporary art. On one hand, Venetian Renaissance artworks as compared to romanticist art forms do not even concern feelings and intimacy but are more focused with politics and religion in the entirety. Venetian Renaissance is characterized mainly by rich colors and textures which symbolizes excellent and good changing economic stability and trade. In its deepest meaning, the artworks during the Venetian Renaissance era talks and depicts more about secularization and anti-religiosity. Also, base from a number of reasons which involve wealth, abundance, success, prosperity and affluence, the Venetian art focuses more of its understanding towards earthly pleasures, jovial way of living and myths (Kleiner 485). For this paper, I have decided to look with Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres’ Grand Odalisque painted in 1814 using the romantic art style. Also, I would be examining Titian’s Venus of Urbino painted in 1538 during when the Venetian Renaissance art style flourishes at its finest all throughout Europe. I have decided to examine these two classic works since they both depict and project a seemingly similar understanding and comprehension about women and the characteristics associated with the female race but in a totally different viewpoint and perspective. As can be seen in the Grand Odalisque by Ingres, the woman is depicted and portrayed as a passive element of resistance. As part of the intrigue in the artwork, you can see that there is something passionate and striking about the artwork’s personification and over-all impact. Seeing through the woman’s eyes, you can sense no fear about what is all happening in the background. In fact, the woman is so calm and very comfortable being nude and showing off with no clothes. Having said those facts, I believe that the portrayal and depiction of the whole artwork is so magnificent and extraordinary that it can efficiently talk across with the observer. It is very consistent in the narrative that it wants to translate, this is since it has been very effective in telling a story about an odalisque, which in common terms pertain to a concubine or a prostitute, having no choice to become anyone else but to be slaves for manly pleasure and sex. As stated above, the main character is an odalisque. And that fact is so important in order to understand more the nature of the art piece before being able to identify how similar and different it is to other artworks. Why so? Mainly because, the nature of the odalisque says it all what should the observer be soon expecting from the painting. An odalisque, defining the term in order to have a better grasp and understanding of the artwork, is a French term for a female slave of a sultan popular among Eastern cultures. Having said this, one can obviously pinpoint and observe the fascination that the artist has with the culture present in the orient seas and nearby places. If you will be searching other Ingres’ works, one could discern a very likable pattern of orient touches in the art pieces he has done. This is so very romanticist, since artists having this kind of style, especially European artists, fall in love with the beauty of the orient for they consider it as something unknown ready for exploration, something raw and powerful just in time for maturity and something exotic ready to offer pleasure and intrigue in the mind. On one hand, I would like to pinpoint some of the extraordinary observations I have noticed on the way Ingres used lines, colors and other elements of arts in order to evoke and induce different kinds of feelings and attitudes through his work. In my own opinion, Ingres’ adapted Poussiniste technique is very clear in outline as well as in detail. The Grand Odalisque, if you look at it very clearly, is an epitome of an art work whose composition is very profound and clear on the outside but seemingly blurred inside. Looking and examining closely the details of the painting, one can see and notice that there is actually a story behind the elements which seem to be out of place in the over-all picture. In connection to what is stated above, I would like to believe that one can also see an actual pattern of sublime attitude and persona in Ingres’ Grand Odalisque. To justify my previous proposition, I would like to pinpoint some of the details which I believe made me think that way. In the painting, though the woman is so calm and fearless, I can sense endless pain and doubt in the way the woman looks. Also, I have seen obscurity and strangeness in the way the woman is portrayed and positioned in the painting. I can sense a story of hurt, caused by power, through looking and probing deeply with the sensibilities and exoticness of the whole picture. And again, I would like to emphasize that it is very sublime in nature for it relates and narrates the very essence of sublimity which involve terror, pain, agony, discomfort and hurt. The Sublime, as a concept, is the very opposite of perfect beauty. The Sublime relates more of the person towards his own individualistic expression and self-preservation ---- ideals and characteristics which are considered to be the foundations of the Romantic awareness. Having said all of these facts, I would like to summarize my analysis of Ingres’ Grand Odalisque before continuing to the other artwork which I have chosen. In the said painting, the nude reclining female, a prostitute or a concubine by nature, can be seen and considered as a reflection of the sensibilities and personas associated with the whole concept of Romanticism. The reclining female embodies different kinds of emotions and feelings; thereby, also being able to tell different stories using various ways that the observer can only enumerate. Ingres’ style blurs the very concept of the painting, however he is very successful though in introducing and incorporating some elements in the background which are easily discernible by the eyes in order to somehow understand and comprehend the idea behind his work. These ideas can be seen on how a viewer can perceive the odalisque as a symbol which best represents concept regarding sexuality, reproduction and sensuality as well --- including concepts which involve exoticness and erotica. The painting is a prime representation of the Sublime; for the painting evokes and presents questions pertaining to what are just and fair. As a sublime symbol, the odalisque, as a character and persona, is viewed by most observers, including me, as a forbidden concept not to be explored and an alluring creature whose charm is dangerous, lovable and deceivable all at the same time. As I have said a while ago, there is profound clarity in the outside surface of the painting but blurriness in the inside. This can be actually seen in the way Ingres renders his painting with well-conceptualized details which encompass idealism and carefully embody soul through the obscurity of the position and the whole arrangement of the fabrics and furs, accoutrements and other materials. The strangeness of the way the woman in the painting is positioned and the way figure looks over-all add to the intrigue brought about by the painting. The strangeness even adds rhythm, personification and volume to the painting’s total viewer impact. On the other hand, I would like to give my insights regarding the painting created by Titian entitled Venus of Urbino which was painted during the Venetian Renaissance period. Well, what intrigues me with this painting is its way of giving out an emotion of nothingness. Seeing and examining the woman who is the main character of the painting, I sense an empty face. It’s very sturdy and confusing at the same time. Because her eyes somehow tell the viewer that she is for real, that she is quite happy but her face doesn’t seem to agree. I suppose and believe that this fact is the true meaning and essence of the art works during the Venetian Renaissance period. The intrigue behind Titian work resides in the beauty of the mystery associated with it. I have noticed admiration in Titian’s work through the intricate details that I have been able to expound in the course of finding the meaning of the artist’s symbolisms. Examining closely the painting, I can say that there is something different about it as compared to the Grand Odalisque by Ingres. Though both paintings basically talk and depict woman as their main subject, I can’t help but notice that there is an illusion that the Venus of Urbino has as compared to the previous painting that I have examined. I believe that this illusion resides from the way the colors are mixed and match all throughout the masterpiece. Unlike with the Grand Odalisque, I sense a darker story behind Titian’s work. The lighting, which in my own opinion is very indeed magnificent, is what makes it a stand-out as compared to Ingres’ work. The beauty coming from the way the colors are blended by the artisan is very pronounced that even though it doesn’t really aim to induce any kind of feeling, it actually did. This fact, I guess, roots from the very characteristic of Venetian painters to be keen observers of the relationship between light, texture and color in order to come up with a harmony like no other. Examining all other paintings introduced in the class created during the Venetian Renaissance period, I could clearly see patterns and interplay of light and color on most of the artworks and pieces fashioned that time. In the painting, a viewer could clearly discern a blunt affection and fondness in the way woman projects her thoughts and feelings as a whole. It could be easily seen that the woman’s expression is very frank and forthright that she is able to imbibe an intriguing notion of stability and invulnerability as well. Closely scrutinizing the whole picture, the woman speaks and communicates her thoughts by staring straight right towards the viewer’s eyes, unconcerned with her body being seen in public. Just like in the Grand Odalisque, both women are very comfortable with being nude, like they are a pro in showing off their body for the purpose of man’s appreciation of beauty as well as of nudity. It reflects then that both paintings cultivate the belief that nudity is in essence a topic of relevant importance during their times. It just shows that during those periods, there is a growing appreciation with regards to topics concerning sexuality being woman as its primary symbol. Going back to Titian’s work, it can also be seen that the woman, who is the main subject of the masterpiece, holds a lump collection of roses using her right hand while her left hand covers her reproductive organ while also seemingly playing around with her pubic hair. In my own opinion, this induces some feelings that the artisan actually want to bring and tempt out. Interpreting this, I would like to believe that even though there is a growing affection towards exploring concepts involving sex and gender during those times, there is still a connoted notion with regards to sexual subjects and objects being taboo when talked about in public. To clarify that, I would like to emphasize that it is in my proposition that though there have been movements defying the common notions regarding sexual intimacies and topics associated with them during that time, there is still some restraint and reasons why it isn’t completely successful. This proposition is most evident with the two works cited. In Titian’s work, he didn’t completely show the nude woman. Titian has added ways in order to somehow inject mystery towards his subject, thereby not showing off entirely the soul of the main character. On one hand, the Grand Odalisque is seemingly like that of Titian’s. There is mystery unto why the woman in the painting is reclining backwards towards the observer, when she can just be upfront to show the true beauty of nudity for more appreciation. Having said all of those facts, I would like to emphasize that the strongest similarity of the two paintings is their way of imbibing a feeling of mystery by using the woman as the subject. Their differences lie within the intricate details, the way the artisans made use of different elements in order to create arts. The two paintings are best differentiated by the way the artists used color, line and texture in order to narrate a story. Work Cited Ingres, Jean Auguste Dominique. Grand Odalisque. 1814. Louvre, Paris. Kleiner, Fred S. Gardner’s Art through the Ages: The Western Perspective, Thirteenth Edition, Vol. 2. Boston, MA: Wadsworth. 2008. Print. Titian. Venus of Urbino 1538. Uffizi, Florence. _____Romanticism. Module Thirteen. _____. Venetian Rennaisance. Module Fourteen. Read More