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Showing posts from July, 2024

Early Modern Art Blog

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 The Harlem Renaissance The Creation (1927) Illustration by Aaron Douglas, based on the written work of James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938), "God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse."        The Harlem Renaissance was unlike any other movement in American history. During its time, participants referred to this movement as "The New Negro,"  the term originating from the title of Alain Locke's work from 1925. After the Civil War, many African Americans moved north to pursue a new life. There was a sizeable cultural boom in the neighborhood of Harlem in New York City. This movement spread and bred the works of artists like Aaron Douglas , Hale Woodruff , and Archibald John Motley Jr . Along with them came other artists, musicians, photographers, and writers who created the first African American movement of modern art. These creations show diversity in stories, craft, emotions, and expressions of life, religion, and post-civil-rights political and civil ten

Preferences and Perspectives: The Romantic Era

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Romanticism Vs. Impressionism Henry Fuseli, The Nightmare (1781) Woman is th emain focus lighting adds to the focal point and emphasis of subject matter Incubus has a highly detailed, ugly face lit from the ominus light source Reminiscent of the feeling of sleep paralysis, having a weight on your chest or seeing omnious figures in the dark The lines and shapes of the womans pose is idealized, she is soft, light and bright, and she's a tortured beauty as she wrestles with her nightmares. The edges are softer, more idealized, bending at just the right angle, blending in with portions of the background. About This Piece Artist: Henry Fuseli (Swiss, 1741-1825) Medium: Oil on Canvas Dimensions: 180 x 250 cm Location: Detroit Institute of Arts Horace Vernet, The Start of the Race of the Riderless Horses  (1820) The dark and light tones create a lot of contrast, drawing your eye to multiple focal points immense amount of movement seen throughout the piece; struggling horse masters wrangle

Morality and the Art of the Classical Era

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  The Age of Reason     During the 18th century, we saw a cultural and artistic shift, with artists, scientists, and philosophers pushing the boundaries of humanism and religion. There was a tidal wave of new ideas, information, and reasoning for how the world around them functioned (or the lack thereof). With new ways of expressing religion, being a free-thinking radical became widely popular. Revolutionizing was all the craze, and many Philosophers were at the head of these movements; Immanuel Kant, John Locke, and Rene Descartes. These new freedoms often leaned away from strict religious thinking and practices, adding pleasure and leisure into the mix. However, it wasn't always rainbows and sunshine because rational thinking brought up so many questions of natural law. Philosophers really shined in this era of art because these new ideals were very influential in art. The Stolen Kiss  By Jean Honor é Fragonard (ca. 1760)          This playful piece depicts a scene involving thr