Thursday, March 25, 1999

Announcements:

• we are responsible for knowing information on artists Constable and Turner for the exam (as discussed in section last week), even though we will likely not get that far in the lecture
• second mid-term will be held in class on Wednesday, March 31st

• Goethe
• Chevreul
• chiaroscuro
• romantic
• Delacroix
• Manet
• Monet
• Renoir
• Morisot

• For color wheel see "Abacus to Zeus" text
• Primary Colors (examples)
• Gentileschi's "Judith and Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes"
• primary and complementary colors
• reds, blues, yellows, and their complements
• Van Eyck's "Arnolfini Wedding Portrait"
• complementary colors: red and green
• Poussin's "Abduction of the Sabine Women"
• use of reds and blues
• contrast
• Value
• definition: property of a color by which it is distinguished as light or dark
• concept similar to that of a gray scale
• colors will be raised in value when mixed with white (called the tint)
• colors will be lowered in value when mixed with black (called the shade)
• examples
• Monet's "Red Boats" (higher value)
• Delacroix's "Odalisque" (lower value)
• Saturation
• definition: Saturation is a property of a color having to do with intensity and vividness.  Though a color may share other properties (such as hue and value), it may differ in its intensity, or saturation.  A vivid color is said to have “high saturation” and a less vivid color is said to have “low saturation.”  Both the purity and the amount of a pigment in a given area affects the saturation.
• examples
• Renoir's "Luncheon of a Boating Party" (more saturated)
• Morisot's "E. Manet and Daughter" (less saturated)
• Theoretical Background of Color Theory
• study of color theory gained prominence in the 19th century and influenced the Impressionist Movement
• there are two prominent theories
• Goethe
• phenomenon of after images
• psychological theory of colors
• Chevreul
• colors in proximity to one another influence how each is perceived (e.g. red with a glow of green; blue with a glow of orange)

• not really an impressionist, painted at that time
• "Olympia"
• treated canvas as flat surface; concept connected to photography
• did not treat art as an "open window" into another world

• Northern Renaissance
• attention to detail
• preoccupation with biblical themes
• symbolism
• Italian Baroque
• use of light (especially Caravaggio)
• drama of biblical themes ("Conversion of St. Paul)
• emotional response
• figures live in the immediate moment
• Flemish Baroque
• color is important (Rubens)
• landscape becomes important
• secular art
• art for the masses
• Spanish Baroque
• severe
• restrained
• inner spirituality
• suffering for your beliefs
• Dutch Baroque
• group portraits
• costuming was contemporary
• military costuming as symbolism
• middle class as patrons
• "realistic"
• French Baroque
• idea of line (Poussin)
• the Academy was important
• art for aristocracy
• mythological themes
• French Rococo
• fluffy, light, playful, delicate
• aristocratic commissions
• the ideas within the Academy remained unchanged (though there were changes elsewhere in Europe)
• erotic overtones (subtle and less subtle)
• French Neo-classical
• political aspects
• reaction to French Revolution
• react to wealthy aristocracy
• heroism
• flat, almost like a frieze
• Romanticism
• political
• expressive
• calling attention atrocities committed against humanity
• honor and horror
• psychological element