I don't know about you, but when I think back to when I really started to learn about art I think about those dreaded classes of art history. At first, I couldn't help but fall asleep but as time went on I really started to enjoy learning about the different eras, the styles and just how different art was then compared to what it has become now. Every era, whether you liked the pieces or not, there was still some level of respect for what the artist was trying to express. Since this is 'ThePaintbrushFiles' why not kick off this blog with some classic paintings.
Neo-classicism, Romanticism, Baroque and Rococo are the eras in which a few of my favourites were born. There is something about the way they painted, they took such time and dedication to depict every emotion, every small detail and express it in the piece. Unlike us, they didn't have cameras to capture a specific moment or to re-live a memory so they would paint it.
Judith Slaying Holofernes
This oil on canvas by Artemisia Gentileschi was one of the first classic paintings that intrigued me. I know at first it can be a bit graphic, but when you look past that it is just beautiful. The angles, the colours, the shading, well pretty much everything! Not to mention that it is huge framing at 62.5 inches x 49.4 inches. That takes some serious talent and time.
So the first time I saw this piece, it was in my above mentioned art history class. The lights were off for the projector and I was just starting to fall asleep when my teacher put this up. Then instead of talking for hours (slight exaggeration), she asked us a question " Who do you think painted this? A Man or Woman? " Everyone started to comment aloud that they thought it was a man, that a woman could not possibly want to paint something so angry and graphic. So I decided to shout out " Woman " which I instantly regretted once I realized my teacher wanted some sort of explanation as to why I thought that way. I had some hunches but of course what did I know? I understood where everyone was coming from but I didn't agree, this painting had emotion behind it and the painting seemed focused and simple. As you can see, I was obviously right and she went on to explain the story behind the picture.
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Judith Beheading Holofernes |
The teacher then flipped over to show us this oil on canvas by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, who had created a painting based on the same story. You can see the differences, but one of the major ones that I noticed and that she talked about was that it was less emotional. The proportions and angles weren't as accurate and it seemed almost dream-like, less realistic.
For the background story you can check out this link
Hopefully I didn't bore you with my post, I am definitely no expert, just somebody sharing a passionate hobby and some memories with whoever wants to read.
A few other favourites from those eras...
The Lady of Shallot by John William Waterhouse
The Swing by Jean Fragonard
On a side note, I really don't think that art will ever be this way again. It is so beautiful and elegant and I appreciate having had the opportunity to learn about it and study it, even if I hated it at the time.
Here are some more links the other paintings incase they peaked your interests.
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