Introduction to Art History What is art?

Is this art? Marcel Duchamp, Fountain, porcelain and black paint, 1917

L-Jan Davidsz de Heem, Still Life, oil on canvas, c 1650, R-Georgia O’Keefe, Red Canna, oil on canvas, 1923*

Determining what is art… Who was the artist(s)? Who was the patron? What was the intention of the maker? Does the object satisfy an aesthetic need? What purpose did the object serve? How does the object fit into its culture? How does the object fit into history?

Art History is the formal study of art, architecture and decorative objects from both an aesthetic and historical framework. Art History uses four methods of analysis: Formal—analysis of materials, methods, color and line Stylistic—analysis of objects in broader styles, trends and influences Iconographic—analysis of the symbolic meaning of the images and composition Historical Context—connecting the art object to its time frame and place and analyzing how it reflects the values and culture of a particular society

Adraien van der Spelt, Flower Piece with Curtain, oil on canvas, 1658, Chicago*

Edward Weston, Cabbage Leaf, silver gelatin print, 1931

David Smith, Cubi XIX, stainless steel, 1964*

Edvard Munch, The Scream, woodcut, 1895, Chicago

Blue Glazed Pottery Hippo, 4000 BC Lower Egypt

“William”—This hippo affectionately known as William at Met in New York. These little hippo figurines were common decorative and tomb objects in Ancient Egypt. What can we infer about Egyptian culture from their reverence for the hippo?

Christ and the Doctors Albrecht Durer, 1506

Christ and the Doctors, 1506 Albrecht Durer Christ and the Doctors was a popular theme of religious paintings. Why do the doctors (rabbis) look so evil? What were European attitudes towards Jews? How did many Germans feel about the Catholic Church?

Art with a Political Purpose Jacques Louis David painted “Death of Marat” shortly after Marat’s murder in 1793. An architect of the French Revolution, Marat suffered from a skin condition that forced him to spend much of his time in the bath. In David’s posing of Marat’s corpse, what was David trying to suggest about the life and death of Marat?

Art as Social Critique—Honore Daumier, Rue Transonain, le 15 Avril, 1834, lithograph, 1834*

Art as Self Expression—James Hampton, Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations’ Millennium General Assembly, c 1950-1964*

Detail of Throne

Impression Sunrise, 1873 Claude Monet

Impression Sunrise, 1873 Claude Monet The term for artistic movement for Impressionism was taken from the name of this painting. Monet continually experimented with color. Why is the orange of the sun so intense in this painting? What event in Europe impelled Monet to paint “au pleine aire”? What new invention allowed artists to escape their studios and paint outside? What new technology caused artists to reconsider their painting method?

Sunflowers, August 1888 Vincent Van Gogh How do you think Van Gogh felt when he painted these sunflowers? What is the purpose of this painting?

Patrons and Collectors Most art is made for a specific patron or for a collector to purchase A patron is an individual or group that commissions a work of art Collectors, either individuals or institutions, purchase works of art either for love of the art, power and prestige or for historical preservation

The Impact of the Patron Giotto, Portrait of Enrico Scrovegni, Arena Chapel, fresco, 1305-1306, Padua

Rembrandt van Rijn, The Night Watch, oil on canvas, 1642

Albert Speer, Reichstag, concrete, c 1935

The Frick Collection

The Frick

James Whistler, Symphony in Gray and Green: The Ocean, oil on canvas, 1866, The Frick Collection