Katsukawa Shunsho Print

http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/32116


Katsukawa Shunsho
Nakamura Tomijuro I as Nagoya Osan in the second part of "Fuki-kaete Tsuki no Yoshiwara" 1771
Woodblock print
Art Institute of Chicago

Sorry folks, it looks like I am unable to get the image to loan for this post. The link above will take you to the Art Institute of Chicago's page.

Katsukawa was known for his images of kabuki actors during the ukiyo-e period of Japanese woodblock prints. The artists for these prints used actors, courtesans and tourist spots as the subjects for their images. The prints were then posted in the streets or sold as mementos or collector pieces like modern trading cards. These were images for the common people.

Woodblock prints became known to westerners when Japan was finally opened up to trade during the 19th century. The sheets of paper were used as packing materials for the more expensive luxury materials being shipped into the west. Some of the more salacious images were kept by the sailors while others came to the attention of art collectors or artists. Western artists were influenced by the use of line in depicting the flowing robes and decorative patterns as well as the use of perspective and the fitting of a scene in the artistic space.

Writer, James Mitchner is the premier collector of Japanese prints. I had the opportunity to see an exhibition of some of his pieces and it was a real treat. The images and reproductions we see in books do not do justice to the color and texture which the actual prints have.

Water Lilies

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Claude_Monet_-_Water_Lilies_-_1906,_Ryerson.jpg


Claude Monet, Water Lilies, 1906
Chicago Institute of Art

Say what you will about the Impressionists, but they are just pretty. Monet and his comrades were interested in the effects of light and color and how the eye perceives images. The invention of photography during this period had a great influence on other visual art as it made people think about how they see the world.

Another technical innovation which aided the Impressionists in their art was the development of paint tubes and quicker drying paints. These allowed the painters to go outside to paint their views where they were instead of having to make sketches and hope that you can capture the exact scene in your studio.

Monet had a country estate with plenty of space for creating picturesque views. Most notable are the Japanese bridge and the lily pond. He would make several paintings of these during different times of day and seasons of the year. Taken together, scholars call them parts of a series.

Portinari Alterpiece

http://www.lib-art.com/artgallery/11055-portinari-triptych-framed-hugo-van-der-goes.html">

Author : Hugo van der Goes
Date :1476-79
Oil on wood, 253 x 586 cm
Form :painting
Location :Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

Scholarly writings often note the group of rustic shepherds bursting in on the Holy Family and the symbolism of the still life in the foreground; or the fact that the artist suffered from a mental and spiritual crisis around the time that this was painted. One theory is that van der Goes suffered from lead poisoning through the paints commonly used at the time. The book Compared to other Nativity paintings, this example is more somber and subdued; more definitely North European than its counterparts.

The patron, Tommaso Portinari was an employee of the Medici, working at the bank branch in Bruges. In typical Renaissance fashion, they are depicted in the right and left panels of the triptych. They also commissioned a portrait pair from Hans Memling. Tommaso was raised by the Medici, but this connection did not help him when financial troubles lead to the bank being dissolved and Portinari was fired. The piece was to be displayed in their family chapel at the Church of St. Egidio.

This piece was just so impressive in person. I did a group project presentation on this in college and then that summer, I went to Florence and was able to see it. I love the winter landscape in the background; it reminds me of Minnesota.

Introduction

I am currently studying to be a librarian, but I miss my classes in the humanities and art history. I thought that this blog would help me to re-discover my interest in this area. Over the years, I have collected different postcards from the various museums I have visited. I would like to examine these images in my posts; preferably one per day, but with school, I may not be able to be so diligent. I will try to include images where I can, but copyright issues may prevent me.