Category: 131 R

Marcel Duchamp was born in 1887, in Blainville, Normandy. His father was a notary and his brothers were artists as well. Duchamp studied at the Academie Julian in 1904-1905 and his figure paintings were inspired by Fauvism artists such as Matisse. In 1911, Duchamp created his own style of Cubism which consisted of earthy colours, mechanical forms and a sense of movement, which was also influenced by futurism. This style was exemplified in his famous and controversial painting, Nude Descending Staircase, No 2. Personally, I’m not a fan of this painting because I find the colours kind of drabby but I do like the sense of movement that is happening. Still, this painting really doesn’t appeal to me in any way.

Nude Descending Staircase was painted in 1912 and caused a sensation at the 1913 New York Armory show. Duchamp did little painting after that, and created the first of his ‘readymades’ in 1913. He used everyday objects, some slightly altered, and designated them as works of art. His earliest readymade was his Bicycle Wheel (1913), which was a wheel mounted on a wooden stool. Another readymade was his snow shovel titled In Advance of the Broken Arm (1915).

One of his best known works was a urinal, which was titled Fountain. He submitted this piece to an exhibition of the Society of Independent Artists in New York in 1917. This piece broke the conventional understanding of the nature and status of art. Duchamp used prefabricated objects as he said they freed him from the ‘trap’ of developing a particular style.

Duchamp lived mostly in New York from 1915 to 1923, and then in Paris from 1923 to 1942. Duchamp became an American citizen in 1955. He was a very important figure in the art world. Duchamp also was interested in experimental film and continued to organize exhibitions such as the Exposition Internationale du Surrealisme in Paris in 1938. He was also an avid chess player, participating in tournaments.

During his last twenty years of life, he worked on a three-dimensional realization of The Bride Stripped Bare by her Bachelors, Even Etant donnes (Philadelphia Museum of Art). His first one-man exhibition was held at the Arts Club of Chicago in 1937.

Duchamp died in 1968, in Neuilly on the outskirts of Paris. He defied the rules of conventional aesthetics and his famous ready-mades revolutionized the world of art. He also was part of the Dadaist and helped organize Surrealist exhibitions. His art has faced a lot of criticism, and although it personally doesn’t really appeal to me, I do respect him as an artist for the way he breaks traditions and experiments with various styles.

Works Cited:

https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/marcel-duchamp-1036

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marcel-Duchamp

Gustav Klimt was born on July 14th, 1862, in Vienna, Austria. He was the founder of the school of painting known as the Vienna Sezession, which broke away from conservative artists’ organizations in Austria and Germany. Klimt came from a large family, he was the second of seven children. His siblings also showed artistic talent from an early age, and his father was a gold engraver. For most of his childhood Klimt lived in poverty as it was a difficult economy at the time for immigrants.

Klimt later studied at the Vienna School of Decorative Arts, and in 1883 he opened a studio which specialized in mural paintings. His earlier style was more classical and typical of late 19th century academic paintings. Klimt’s new style emerged in 1897, when he founded the Vienna Sezecession. The painters who were part of this were in favour of a more decorative style similar to Art Nouveau. Shortly after Klimt painted three allegorical murals for the ceiling of the University of Vienna auditorium. His work was violently criticized, and his murals were rejected due to his erotic symbolism. His later murals were characterized by his precise linear drawings and decorative patterns of colour and use of gold leafs.

His most famous painting was the Kiss, shown down below. This piece is exquisite and ethereal, and features shimmering gold tones and stylized forms. It is sentimental in nature and enchants the audience. The Kiss depicts an embracing couple kneeling in a grassy patch of wildflowers. The man wears vines in his hair and the woman’s eyes are closed and looks peaceful, emphasizing the tranquility and intimacy of the scene.

I really like the idealistic feeling of the painting as well as all the details shown in the dress and field of flowers. I like the geometric patterns and gold colours and the way the man and woman are almost engulfed in the painting, as if they are completely disconnected from the ordinary world.

He is also famous for a series of portraits he did of fashionable Viennese matrons, such as Fritza Riedler (1906) and Adele Block-Bauer (1907). In these works he diminishes shadows of the figure and heightens the sensuality of skin by surrounding it with bright, decorated patterns.

During the Second World War, Adele Bloch-Bauer and several other Klimt paintings belonging to the Bloch-Bauer family were confiscated by the Nazis and eventually added to the collection of the Osterreichische Gallery in Vienna. In 2006, the paintings were finally returned to the family and later that year Adele Bloch-Bauer was sold to the Neue Galerie in New York for $135 million.

Works Cited:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gustav-Klimt

Francesco Guardi was an 18th century Venetian painter famous for his landscape paintings and city scenes of Venice. While his subject matter is similar to that of Canaletto, Guardi’s style is more distinctive and impressionistic. His impressions of Venice are more romantic than Canaletto’s, which feel less lively and photographic. Guardi does a fantastic job of capturing vibrant light and creates a dazzling effect when painting water.

There is not much documentation on Guardi’s training, but it is believed that he learned from his elder brother and father. It is also believed that he learned mostly through studying the works of other painter rather than through formal training.

In Guardi’s paintings we see depictions of Venetian festivities as shown below:

Some examples of this are the Mardi Gras of 1758, and of events connected with the visits of foreign dignitaries are known from throughout Guardi’s career. 

Guardi was a prolific painter and his works have been purchased mainly by middle-class Venetians and English visitors. His work received a mix of reviews: some liked his poetic vision while others saw such qualities and poor technique and carelessness in certain specific sites.

Personally, I adore his work. I love the colours he uses and the softness of the sky. In some ways, the way he paints almost reminds me of watercolour because of the looser style. I also like the varied thin and thick brush strokes and attention to light. I’ve been to Italy before and I think Francesco successfully captured the mood and romantic feel of it all which is why his work resonates with me.

Works Cited:

https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/francesco-guardi

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Francesco-Guardi

https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.1363.html

Raphael was a master painter of the High Renaissance. Raphael is most famously known for his paintings of madonna, balanced compositions and clarity of form. He is also well known for his many self-portraits which he etched and painted throughout his lifetime. Raphael proved to be a very skilled artist from an early age. We can see the influence of Leonardo Da Vinci in his work as we commonly see the use of sfumato and chiaroscuro.

One painting I particularly love by Raphael is the Madonna Del Prato. I love the calm, peaceful disposition of the scene, the softness of the skin and the pale blue sky that fades over the horizon. I think the composition is very pleasing and I also like the little details such as the flowers scattered over the field in the foreground. I like the contrast in colour between the Madonna’s clothes and the colours of the background and we can see the use of sfumato. I also like the way the angels appear to be more human like. Overall, I think this is a stunning piece painting.

Above is one of Raphael’s sketches, The Heads and Hands of Two Apostles. I wanted to include a drawing as well because I find his sketches very inspiring. Down below is just one of the many self portraits Raphael drew.

Works Cited:

“Raphael.” Encyclopaedia Brittanica , Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 28 May 2019, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Raphael-Italian-painter-and-architect/Move-to-Florence.

Fra Filipo Lippi (1406-1469) was a Florentine painter who lived during the 15th century Renaissance period. His paintings were largely inspired by the works of Masaccio and Fra Angelico and depicted religious themes as most commonly found during the Late Gothic and Early Renaissance.

Lippi grew up in “the convent of Carmelite monks at Santa Maria del Carmine” (Valerio) with his brother and was exposed to art at an early age. Frescoes painted by Masaccio decorated the walls of the Brancacci chapel Lippi visited and proved to be a source of inspiration as he later started to do the same.

Filipo Lippi left the monastery in 1432 but returned to Florence in 1437 and was commissioned by the Medici family to paint for the church. Lippi ended up marrying a nun and had a son who also ended up becoming an artist.

Works Cited:

Mariani, Valerio. “Fra Filippo Lippi.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/Fra-Filippo-Lippi.