Piet Mondrian: Art, De Stijl, and Neoplasticism
Historical Context
World War I (1914-1918) significantly impacted the art world, leading to a return to naturalism in some artists, such as Picasso. This period also saw the rise of several influential art movements:
- Dada Movement: Marcel Duchamp and Francis Picabia were key figures in this anti-establishment movement.
- Metaphysical Painting: Giorgio de Chirico was a prominent figure, and Marc Chagall was influenced by this style.
- Constructivism: This movement emerged in opposition to Dadaism, emphasizing
Romanesque Sculpture: Characteristics and Evolution
Introduction
The precedent of Romanesque sculpture is found in the trials of pre-Romanesque sculpture. Oriental Greco-Roman sculpture carries some experience but is transformed by Christian elements. In the Romanesque period, sculpture had grown little, especially monumental sculpture, which had been instrumental in the Greco-Roman world. It had been forgotten by both the ancient sculptural tradition and the classical tradition, preferring small dimensions, such as ivory or gold. During the Romanesque
Read MoreNeoclassical and Goya’s Art: A Comprehensive Analysis
Neoclassical Painting: General Characteristics
Inspired by Enlightenment ideas and classical models (mainly Roman friezes and Pompeian painting), Neoclassical painting emerged as a dominant artistic style. (Note that very little painting from classical antiquity survives.) Common themes included mythological and funerary subjects, often depicted on sarcophagi within the paintings. Line drawing and sculptural impact took precedence over color. Artists favored cold light and primary colors. Compositions
Read MoreAcrylic, Oil, and Mural Painting Techniques
Acrylic Painting
Acrylics appeared in the mid-nineteenth century, but it was not until the 1930s when they became commercially available. American artists were among the first to use acrylic paint, incorporating it into contemporary art. Gradually, artists became more aware of the many technical possibilities of this medium, such as the stability of the colors and, most importantly, the speed of drying. Acrylic has similarities with oil in color stability and texture, but a huge advantage in terms
Read MoreMasterpieces of Art History: From Baroque to Neoclassicism
Bernini’s *Apollo and Daphne*
Bernini’s *Apollo and Daphne* is a Baroque work with a mythological theme. It is a crucial piece for the study of Hellenistic sculpture. Commissioned by Cardinal Borghese for the gardens of his villa, the theme is the metamorphosis of Daphne as told in Ovid’s work. It is a Baroque sculptural group, where Bernini shows the action of Daphne culminating in full metamorphosis, a moment stopped in unstable equilibrium. Here, we see not the balance of the Renaissance but the
Read MoreHieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights: A Triptych of Sin and Salvation
The Garden of Earthly Delights is the best-known work of Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch. This is a triptych painted in oil, comprising a central panel and two side panels (painted on both sides) which can be closed on the central panel. It is considered that the work reflects a moralizing intention that would have been understandable for the people of the time. In this sense, King Philip II of Spain, soon suspected of heresy, purchased the painting because of his interest in it.
Triptych Opened
When
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