art history RSS
Written by Teresita Blanco (The Artsy Sister)
Esteban Bartolome Murillo: Virgin Mary, Jesus, the Saints and the Meek
Esteban Bartolome Murillo was a Spanish painter during the Counter Reformation. Since he was a child he showed interest in the arts. Eventually, his talents landed him a steady job in Seville. Due to the Counter Reformation there was a huge demand for religious paintings. His style lent itself rather well to the religious fervor of Catholic. His art was so popular that up to 19th century , his work was reproduced. Ok... onto his work. Immaculate Conception A large bulk of Murillo's paintings center on the character of the Virgin Mary. The immaculate conception is a catholic dogma that...
Merisi da Caravaggio Baroque Painter
Caravaggio was quite the disturbed trouble soul. From this soul some of the most darkly beautiful biblical paintings came into existence. His artwork was both realistic and emotional. It was his brilliant handling of Tenebrims (dark creepy theatrical lighting) that won him hundred of commissions. Despite his success he had a knack for getting into dept. His gambling problems as well as his passive aggressive attitude earned him the graph of the Pope who put a hit on him. At the tender age of 38, Caravaggio died of a fever. But enough of info on his life. Let us focus...
Artemisia Gentileschi Baroque Painter 1593–1652
Artemisia (a variation of the name Artemis, Greek virgin goddess of the forest) Gentileschi was quite the fascinating Baroque artist (1593–1652). At a early age her father introduced her to the world of art. Much to her dismay one day her tutor raped the poor girl. This rape would later inspire many of her artwork that feature women taking vengeance upon men or men assaulting women. The intro painting is called Susana and the Elders made in 1910. Artemisia did this painting with the help of her father. The story portrayed above comes from the book of Daniel. Susana ,a...
The Saints and Virgin Paintings of Botticelli
The first saint painting features Saint Francis of Assisi. He is a very important Catholic Saint. He traveled as far as the middle east to convert the "infidels". I think I mentioned this saint before. I hate repeating myself. Lets just continue. Here the saint is surrounded by angels. This arrangement is very similar to Gothic frescoes. They always had a lot of golden decorations. The next painting is called "The Last Communion of St.Jerome". When a Saint, the Pope or a lay follower is near death, he usually receives his last communion. This communion is different from all the...
Sandro Botticelli (1445- 1510) Jesus, Portraits and Myth
Sandro Botticelli is an early Renaissance artist. During his time, he was among the first to move away completely from Gothic. His background and figures still carry a bit of the stylized gothic style. Over all, he attempted to mimic nature to the best of his abilities. During this time period, a return to the Greek meant a resurfacing of human idealism. Now being a human is all that matter... Still, the church continued to call the shots in this Greek world. However, depictions of pagan Gods was no longer a taboo. With a rise of kingship and banking, there...