Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York - Essay Example

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York I. The Metropolitan Museum of Art My first impression about the Metropolitan Museum of Art is that it is huge. The face of the building was imposing but beautifully decorated. No one would mistake it for another but a museum because of how it looked like. The inside is also equally magnificent because it houses a mind boggling number of artworks that spanned through history that includes ancient Greek artworks to more modern work. A day of visit would not be enough to appreciate all the artwork present in the museum. I also realized that the Metropolitan Museum of Art is actually famous worldwide as I noticed many tourists were also there during my visit. Well it should be famous worldwide considering the artworks that it has which includes the priceless works of the masters. II. Paintings by different artist of the same art period Title Boating, Édouard Manet, 1874 The Daughters of Catulle Mendès, Huguette, Claudine and Helyonne Description Boating, Édouard Manet, 1874 Medium: Oil on canvass Dimensions: 97.2 x 130.2 cm The Daughters of Catulle Mendès, Huguette, Claudine and Helyonne Date: 1888 Medium: oil on canvass Dimension: 161.9 x 129.9 cm Elements and design principles The paintings in comparison belonged to the Impressionist era. They make an interesting comparison and discussion because impressionism had a rough start and was not accepted as a legitimate painting style before. Impressionism is an artistic style and movement that depicts the experience of the artist’s experience. Impressionism focuses on light rather than detail to evoke emotion from its art. They broke away from the traditional academic painting which emphasizes precision and correctness but instead emphasized on the free flow painting of the brush and the emotion of the painter. There are two celebrated artists during this period whose name resembles and who rose to prominence also marks the prominence of Impressionism both as an artistic method and movement. Among this is Auguste Renoir  (French, Limoges 1841–1919 Cagnes-sur-Mer) and Édouard Manet. Manets rise to prominence as an artist particularly in his work Boating is interesting because it can directly relate to impressionists acceptance as an art and movement. Initially, Manet was reluctant to this new genre of painters known as Impressionists because they were not yet accepted during that time. The style of Impressionists breaks away with the academic traditions of the time. Nonetheless, he adopted the impressionist method marked by his work Boating which did not hide the brushwork and free flow movement of the paint. The other impressionist painter is the legendary Renoir whose work intrigued critics during his time because its method also broke away from conventions. His work may not be precise just like the neoclassical painters but his paintings follows a high degree of harmony particularly in the use of shapes and colors in his work. For example, in this work The Daughters of Catulle Mendès, Huguette, Claudine and Helyonne, the round shape was obvious to subconsciously convey a serene environment typical of a music lesson depicted by the artwork. This round shape is central to his composition and was obvious in the shape of the foreground in the head of girls and ladies, the vase and violin. This technique is also present in Renoirs other works such as Le Bal a Bougival de Renoir. In the background, the round shape was also present which invokes a happy atmosphere. It is also important to note the use of warm colors that indicate lively atmosphere. The girls around the piano that is receiving a music lesson also contrasted with that of the young ladys dress which was bluish white and made the two young girls stand out. Renoirs paintings are notable for their vibrant light and saturated color, most often focusing on people in intimate and candid compositions such as these two girls around a grand piano. He was considered as one of the pioneers of Impressionist style that suggests the details of a scene through freely brushed touches of color, so that his figures softly fuse with one another and their surroundings. This method more than compensated in the methods seemingly lack of precision which was heavily emphasized in their predecessors but nevertheless manifested beauty and grandeur equal to other styles. While it was not accepted before, impressionism became in vogue with the works of Manet and Renoir. Why I chose it I chose these two paintings from this particular period of the attitude they adopted as an artists. For me, they are more artistic than their predecessors because they were not afraid to break away tradition. Impressionism may already be an accepted method today but in those days, it was not even considered a legitimate method and was heavily criticized. This can be gleaned from Manets initial hesitation to adopt this method until finally, he embraced it and became famous. Renoir on the other hand was really an impressionist to the core because impressionism was really his painting style. III. Art work from the following periods a. Ancient Title Terracotta Nolan neck-amphora (jar) Attributed to the manner of the Bowdoin Painter, 480–470 B.C  Description The jar is painted with a mythical figure Obverse, Apollo with bow and deer. It has a bow which is typical of Apollo and a deer which may by a metaphor of Apollos swiftness. Elements and design principles It used a Greek god Apollo as a subject of painting on jar which became more clear because it was painted on a cold color (black). The painting was precise considering that it was painted 2,500 years ago. Why I chose it At first impression, one would thought that this jar was made by a high end ceramic maker with the intricacy of the design and the elegance of the painting. Until I checked the information that describes and the date blew me away. This jar was made more than 2,500 years ago! Which is why I chose this jar as a subject for the ancient art. It was so old that its painter and maker is unknown but nevertheless, we get an idea why the Greeks are highly esteemed in the arts. Their ancient art can be compared with the contemporary artworks in terms of beauty, design and artistry. Also, I wondered that this must be made of something special because it is still intact after I 2,500 years. b. Medieval Title: Madonna and Child, Paolo di Giovanni Fei, 1370 Description: A religious icon where Mary is nursing her child Jesus. It is considered as one of the masterpieces of fourteenth-century Sienese painting. Elements and design principles This painting is done through egg tempera on wood with gold ground. Although Madonna and Child elements in painting during the medieval period, this painting is done with Feis feeling for decorative richness and refinement. The frame is elegant because it is gold-backed where the icons were rendered in a technique known as verre eglomise. Why I chose it I chose this painting for its elegance and novelty. Although there were many Madonna and Child paintings, this one is one of the few standout because gold is also used in the painting process. c. Renaissance Title Birth of the Virgin, Bartolomeo di Giovanni Corradini Description Madonna and childs birth on a palace. Rendered with tempera on wood. Elements and design principles The artist broke from the typical catholic convention of showing Jesus Christs birth in a manger but rather on an imposing palace which was patterned after the ducal palace of Urbino and decorated with reliefs derived from Roman sculpture. Further, instead of the typical shepherds/wisemen attending to Madonnas birth, He was instead attended by midwives. Why I chose it I chose this because of its non-conventional rendition of Madonna and her childs birth. The typical lore was that He was born on a manger but this painting showed a novelty which is on grand palace which made the painting more interesting. d. Baroque Title View of the Interior of the Pantheon, Giovanni Paolo Panini, Italian, 1734 Description Depicts the interior of the Roman Pantheon, the first century A.D. Roman temple dedicated to all gods and transformed in the Middle Ages into teh church of Santa Maria and Martyres. Elements and design principles The painting looked magnificent and heavenly with the shaft of light from oculus hitting the wall of the left of the building. It added the impression of the interiors grandiosity. Why I chose it I think everybody will agree with me that the painting looks grand and magnificent. The meticulous perspective done by Giovanni Paolo Panini made the painting looked bigger than it actually is. It is also very pleasing to the eyes. e. Eighteenth/Nineteenth Centuries Title View of Kensington Gardens, John Linnell, 1811 Description Watercolor over graphite on paper. Thick clouds on the perspective contrasted by two wooden poles and a portion of a house on the left side of the work. The center of the paining is marked by a sloping earth with trees above. Elements and design principles This painting is not typical of landscape painting because the house and wood were uncomfortably placed on the left. Perhaps it was intended by Linnell to have an unsettling feeling among its audience. The color is obviously strong which makes the painting attractive. Why I chose it At first, I thought the painting was rendered in oil but when I read its description, it was actually done in watercolor. In addition, the trees were rendered with such intricacy and detail that I cannot believe it was painted in watercolor which is the most difficult medium to control. I was in awe with the technical mastery of the painter which is why I chose this painting. f. Modern/Contemporary Title Americana, Charles Sheeler, American, 1831 Description Painting of Sheelers interior in his home in South Salem, New York which prominently featured his collection of early American furnishings which could explain the title. Elements and design principles Oil on canvass. The initial impression of the painting was that it rendered each object with Precisionist clarity, Charles Sheeler actually treated the composition as an abstract design enlivened by his unusual choice of perspective. Why I chose it I find the painting intriguing. This painting was supposed to be abstract but the objects and subjects in the painting were rendered with precision. I thought then that if its abstract, I would not recognize any figures on a painting but this is different. IV. Conclusion Visiting the "Met" or Metropolitan Museum of Artwork is like doing a time travel especially when I have to choose artwork from different era. In the process of choosing which artwork to include in assignment, I was exposed to mans capacity of beauty rendered in infinite possibility from a mere painting of a jar to the interior of a house. It made me realize that rendering beauty can be countless. It can done an object such as jars and it can be people, landscape and even arrangement of things. Seeing those artwork widened my horizon and its really different seeing those works than merely seeing them in books. After my visit, I believe that every student should visit the Met to expand their horizon. Read More