Artwork #1: Self-Portrait with White Cap, Max Beckmann, 1926
Question #1:
Who is Max Beckmann?
Answer #1:
Max Beckmann was a German painter, writer, sculptor, printmaker and draftsman who lived during the years 1884 through to 1950.
Question #2:
Which styles did he use in his paintings?
Answer #2:
His earlier works leaned more towards academicism and expressionism. He was one of the foremost artists to be linked with the New Objectivity movement which is a more expressive type of painting.
Question #3:
Why did he paint Self-Portraits?
Answer #3:
During his career as a painter, Beckmann painted over 85 self-portraits. This was his form of implying the importance of understanding the inner self and exploring it to a great extent.
Self-portrait With White Cap. [Fine Art]. Retrieved from Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. http://quest.eb.com/search/107_3364382/1/107_3364382/cite
Artwork #2: The Rape of Proserpina, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, 1621-1622
Question #1:
Who is Gian Lorenzo Bernini?
Answer #1:
Gian Lorenzo (1598-1680) was an Italian sculptor and architect known for creating the Baroque style of sculpture.
Question #2:
What works is Gian Lorenzo well known for?
Answer #2:
He is well known for his sculptures of David, Apollo and Daphne, The Rape of Proserpina, and Ecstasy of Saint Theresa.
Question #3:
What is the meaning behind the sculpture?
Answer #3:
The sculpture depicts the moment when Proserpina is kidnapped by Pluto and dragged down to Hades. She struggles against the abduction by her uncle, Pluto.
The Rape of Proserpina Created by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. [Fine Art]. Retrieved from Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. http://quest.eb.com/search/135_855909/1/135_855909/cite
Artwork #3: Painting, Jackson Pollock, 1948
Question #1:
Who is Jackson Pollock?
Answer #1:
Paul Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) was an American painter. He was a significant contributor to the Abstract Expressionist movement.
Question #2:
What is drip painting?
Answer #2:
This is a style of abstract art where the thinned paint is flung or dripped onto a canvas.
Question #3:
Who influenced Jackson Pollock?
Answer #3:
He was influenced mainly by Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Jose Clemente Orozco, Paul Cézanne and Thomas Hart Benton.
JACKSON POLLOCK. - 'Painting', 1948. Fine Art. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016. quest.eb.com/search/140_1657642/1/140_1657642/cite.
Artwork #4: Christ Preaching (La Petite Tombe), Harmensz van Rijn Rembrandt, 1652
Question #1:
Why is the etching called 'La Petite Tombe'?
Answer #1:
The nickname given to the etching is thought to be derived from the person who commissioned it, Nicolaes de La Tombe.
Question #2:
Who is Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn?
Answer #2:
Rembrandt was a Dutch painter, printmaker, and draughtsman. He lived during the years 1606 to 1669. He is a renowned visual artist in the art community.
Question #3:
What style did Rembrandt employ in his etchings?
Answer #3:
A central characteristic of Rembrandt's work is the theatrical use of light and shadow to highlight specific features. His subjects also held a dramatic and lively way about them.
Christ preaching, c.1652 (etching). etching. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016. quest.eb.com/search/108_4067188/1/108_4067188/cite.
Critique: The Rape of Proserpina
The sculpture was commissioned by Cardinal Scipione Borghese in 1621 and was completed in 1622. It is one of a series of three works specially made for the Cardinal Borghese and was gifted to Cardinal Ludivarsi who placed it in his home. The Italian State purchased it in 1908 thereby ensuring that it entered a public collection. The sculpture depicts a story in Greek Mythology where Proserpina, daughter of Zeus, was abducted by Pluto and dragged to Hades to be his wife (Boucher, 2015). Bernini captured the exact moment when Pluto grabs Proserpina by the waist while she throws her arms out in a failed attempt to get away from Pluto. The hard-marble sculpture has realistic components such as the "texture of the skin, the weeping marble tears of Proserpina, the flying ropes of hair, the yielding flesh of the girl, and Pluto's indecent grin of triumph." (Boucher, 2015). There is such a great distinction of innocence portrayed by the girl, as well as the evil malice of the heart and death portrayed by Pluto.
The close attention to detail illustrates the Baroque era and its significance to the art world. Bernini allows the viewer to grasp the entire scene from a single point of time, to view the various emotions experienced in that moment. Fear, desperation, hopelessness, bemusement, arrogance, and finally defeat all are captured by the breathtaking sculpture. In contrast, other sculptors such as the Mannerist sculpture of Giambologna require the viewer to walk around the sculpture to see the individual expressions of each character. The sculpture also shows Pluto and Proserpina partially dressed and their genitalia artistically concealed (Boucher, 2015). This further adds to the sensuality of the entire scene. The sculpture works with the light and darkness throughout the composition giving it the feel of being remarkably life-like.
References
Boucher, B. (2015). Renaissance Quarterly, 68(3), 1012-1013. doi:10.1086/683886
