Unit 4 Individual Project
The term Baroque during the 17the century was used to describe the art, architecture and sculpture. Arts from the Baroque period gave a feeling of movement, energy, as well as tension. They also had a distinct infinite amount of space together with strong contrasts between light and show. They also presented themes of spirituality and realism (Carl & Charles 2009).
Flight into Egypt, c. 1603 – Annibale Carracci
The Flight Into Egypt was painted using oil on canvas with dimensions of 48 ¼ X 98 ½ inches. The painting depicts a religious theme as it depicts biblical characters – Joseph, Mary, and Baby Jesus (Harris, 2005). In this painting, the artist brings out the effect of a balanced, idyllic landscape beauty, having a rather perfect sentimental integration of the holy biblical characters – Joseph, Mary, and Baby Jesus. The father is seen with a mule; the mother is holding her baby; they are walking along a calm river.
The painting has a distintinctive classical, measured, composed, and ideal landscape. It has a restful setting, depicts gentle undulating planes that stretch to the distant horizon. In the foreground, there is a boat – which is used as symbol of life – floating on a calm river. This expertly creates an unusual atmosphere, using the repetition effect. Annibale paints a natural world, portraying a landscape where humankind and the space sorrounding him exist in perfect Arcadian harmony (Harris, 2005). It is clear that this is pastoral world, where man lives free of corruption and the decedance characteristic of city and court life – the painting strikes balance between civilization and wilderness.
Annibale’s philosophy of art was based on originality –“his thoughts were his own; his conceptions too”. He painted what was in his head and did not rely on statutes, models, or paper drawings. The artist also relied on observation and experiment in his study of nature. As such, his work is not only more realistic but also less complex and emotionally affecting.
A Pastoral Landscape, c.1650 – Claude Lorrain
A Pastoral Landscape is also an oil painting on copper with dimensions of 15 ½ X 21 in. In the effort to soften the sense of tension and opposition, the artist uses atmospheric perspective in this painting (Sonnabend & Whiteley, 2011). The landscape depicts the best civilization of the time through the best of an overly benign and gentle nature. In the foreground, the painting shows two figures with tall trees on the right side. This is balanced by a classical ruin along with much smaller trees further back on the left side. There are animals grazing peacefully along a river in an open landscape. A horizon and hills in the distant are also visible. This entire painting has a strong allegory effect and depicts a symbol of peacefulness in a reality. Unlike the Flight into Egypt, this painting puts more emphasis on trees in the foreground and ancient buildings in the distance.
The inspiration of Claude’s painting came from the country side around Rome which had characteristic the Roman Campagna – haunted with remains and associations of antiquity. He specialized in ideal-landscaping painting, where an aspect of nature is presented more beautifully and harmoniously compared to nature itself. At the time, artists from many nationalities were assembled in Rome and developed this form of art. Both Annibale and Lorrain were influences by the Catholic Church (Sonnabend & Whiteley, 2011). It was demanded that all paintings and sculptures in Church context must be representational arts, communicating clearly to the illiterate as opposed to the well-informed.
View of Harlem from the Dunes at Overveen, c. 1670 – Jacob van Ruisdael
The View of Harlem from the Dunes at Overveen is an oil painting on canvas, measuring 22 X 24 1/8 in. The painting presents signs of protection and prosperity attributed to God’s providence (Gardner & Kleiner, 2010).
Ruisdael painted View of Harlem when he was at the height of his talent after learning painting from his father and uncle. The most conspicuous motif of the painting are clouds, fields, as well as sunlight that connects them. The geometric organization of the prominent bleaching fields is played over by irregular patterns of shadow and light. Most of the land is from the receded sea, and a viewer stands on the dunes which hold the water back. There is a Church of St. Bavo, whose spire links the earth and heaven.
There is much open space full of light, visually. The light is representation of the omnipresent grace and providence of God upon Harlem which took up Calvinism at around 1580. In terms of scale, View of Harlem is smaller that the other two in addition to having more diminished human figures. Much of the painting shows daily commercial activities blessed by God (Gardner & Kleiner, 2010). Thus the work communicates humankind’s dependence on God’s providence. This is in line with the seventeenth-century Dutch belief that their attained political, religious, and economic freedom was from the Divine Being.
In conclusion, all the three painters and their arts are representation of the Baroque Period, and are all pastoral landscape paintings. Both stylistically and allegorically, they all depict aspects of naturalism and idealism (Carl & Charles 2009). The have similar idealism and gesture in the sense that they represent the nature of reality being found in reason or consciousness. Furthermore, all three painting are symbolic with a religious theme found not only in the church, but also in nature, light, form, and the artist themselves.
Reference:
Gardner, H., & Kleiner, S. F. (2010). Gardner’s Art Through the Ages: The Western Perspective, Volume 2. Connecticut: Cengage Learning.
Sonnabend, M., & Whiteley, J. (2011). Claude Lorrain: The Enchanted Landscape. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
Harris, S. A. (2005). Seventeenth-century Art & Architecture. London: Laurence King Publishing.
Carl, H. K., & Charles, V. (2009). Baroque Art. London: Parkstone International.
