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Example research essay topic: Classical Greece And Early Twentieth Century Art - 1,482 words

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... l as promising young artists, to design relief panels for the project designed the arch. American sculptor and art patron, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, designed one such panel. Her bronze sculpture stands twenty-four inches high and sixty-four inches wide. On one side of the panel is a soldier standing at attention as he salutes. The opposite side of the panel depicts five men with their rifles drawn engaged in battle.

This section of the monument clearly shows the horrors of war and the heroics of American soldiers. (Illustration 6) Both, the Battle of Greeks and Amazons and Whitney's relief panel for The Victory Arch, depict realistic scenes of battle. Artistic commemoration of war and battle has been an important part of every culture since the beginning of time. Although both pieces of work are historically important, the Battle of Greeks and Amazons is artistically superior. The scene is more than a sculpted portrait, it captures the attention of the viewer with its perception of motion and its dramatization of the horrific scene. A calyx-kate is a large mouthed bowl with two handles and a foot. These bowls were used to mix wine with water during ceremonial dinners.

One of the leading vase painters of the severe style was known as the Niobid Painter, He painted his figures with attention to detail similar to that of the sculptors of the severe style. Although he did not use shadowing to show detail in his figures, he accomplished realistic human form by his mastery of line. One of the finest works by the Niobid Painter is believed to be a calyx-kate found in Orvieto, Italy, which now resides at The Louvre in Paris, France. (Illustration 7) This is the earliest example of a new style of space and perspective. The figures on this calyx-kate are scattered freely at different points to indicate depth. Each is standing on a separate patch of ground and is connected by a single wavy line.

Also present on this vase are human forms shown in profile, and for the first time in the history of art, these profiled figures are shown with the eyes drawn in profile rather than in full face. Painting was as important as sculpture during the Harlem Renaissance and one of the most celebrated painters was Palmer Hayden. Early in his career Hayden was criticized for portraying blacks as cultural stereotypes. Later in his career, due to his sensitivity to this criticism, his paintings began to depict black people in a more sympathetic manner. The Dress She Wore Was Blue (Illustration 8) was a piece from the John Henry series produced between 1944 and 1954. It is an oil on canvas painting of people working on the railroad.

The use of one point linear perspective shows the depth of the railroad tunnel in which the figures stand. The left side of the picture are several women glancing over their shoulders and smiling at the hard working men, their faces in profile creates an implied line spanning the picture plane in an upward diagonal direction. The bottom of the skirt worn by the woman in the forefront of the picture, (the woman in the blue dress) blows to the left creating a sense that a light breeze is blowing in through the tunnel opening. Another sense of motion can be seen on the right side of the picture, created by the swinging sledgehammers held by the men; yet another use of applied line. The Niobid Painter was a great innovator in Classical Greek painting. He introduced new concepts in the use of visual perspective.

Although the calyx-kate he painted paved the way for future artists to free themselves from age-old conventions, it cannot be equally compared with the lively Palmer Hayden painting, The Dress She Wore Was Blue. The myriad of formal elements in Hayden's work successfully holds the attention of the viewer. You feel as though you just entered the hot, steamy tunnel yourself and welcome the cool breeze that rustles the hem of the ladies blue dress. In 1968, a vast burial ground was discovered in Paestum, Italy. Approximately fifty of these tombs contain paintings and are the only classical Greek frescoes ever found. The oldest of the painted tombs, believed to be from the fifth-century B.

C. , is that of the Tomb of the Diver. (Illustration 9) The inside of the slab that forms the covering of the tomb depicts a man executing a high dive from a platform between two trees. According to Walter Penrose, Department of History, City University of New York, The painting on the inside lid depicts a diver leaping into a body of water which scholars have suggested signifies the passage from life to death. (Screen) The figure of the man is suspended between sky and sea, creating an implied line as well as a sense of motion. The trees located on either side of the painting span the horizon line, as does the ladder climbing to the platform from which the diver leaps. A new style to the artists of classical Greece is that of depth and perspective. In the painting of the Tomb of the Diver, this is achieved by the presence of a low mountain range in the distance, giving a sense that the diver is in the forefront of the painting. Joan Miro was one of the most original painters of the twentieth century.

Although he is often associated with the Surrealist movement, it is impossible to categorize his works in one particular style. His early works around the 1920 s use bright colors and patterns representative of folk art from his native Catalina, Spain as well as broken forms commonly associated with the cubist style. Both of these elements appear in his famous landscape, The Farm. (Illustration 10) The painting consists of an infinite abundance of details. The ground is made of sharp lines and a multitude of geometric shapes similar to the qualities of the cubist style.

The ground tilts upwards making the individual forms in the scene appear parallel to the picture plane. The bright colors and disproportionate scale of the objects in the painting makes the work seem whimsical and fantasy-like. The horizon line of tree topped mountains separates the clear bright blue sky from the cluttered earth. In the center is a tree that spans the horizon line and continues beyond the picture plane. The curved shape of the treetop forms an implied line, and the sparse branches adorned with only a few small leaves may also represent the time of year as being spring. The use of the horizon line as the primary tool in creating a perception of depth is demonstrated in both the Tomb of the Diver and The Farm.

Another similar element is that of implied line, the leaping man in the Tomb of the Diver and the curved treetop in The Farm. Although these two pieces of work have some similarities they are truly different in style and form. The Tomb of the Diver is a fresco and the artwork is very simplistic, monochromatic, and sparse in detail. The Farm, on the other hand, is an oil on canvas painting, it is composed of many lines and shapes, the colors are extraordinarily vibrant, and the landscape is filled with many interesting details. Joan Miros The Farm, is an incredibly interesting and lively painting. The viewer can spend a lifetime observing this work of art and continue discovering something new.

Sculpture and painting has been favored art forms in every culture since the beginning of time. During the classical Greek period artists were commissioned to enhance some of the worlds most beautiful architecture. Temples and tombs were adorned with ornate fresco's and meticulously sculpted statues. Homage was paid to gods and prominent members of society by immortalizing them in marble and bronze sculptures. The bodily structure of these sculptures was realistically detailed depicting man with great strength, resilience, and harmony. During the first half of the twentieth century the artists began to experiment in many different styles.

A changing social and political climate greatly contributed to the quest of a deeper understanding of life. Art became less of a representation of human form and became more of a representation of human emotion. New materials were used such as iron and synthetic paints, surrealism and cubism made its debut, and the Harlem Renaissance brought a new culture and identity to the formal art world. In studying the works of Classical Greek and the early twentieth century, it is quite apparent that humans are capable of creating masterpieces in several different styles and forms. These masterpieces stir our thoughts, pull on our hearts, and fill us with awe. One period cannot be considered more influential or more important than the other.

They have each produced a wealth of artwork and may forever set the standard for beauty.


Free research essays on topics related to: twentieth century, beginning of time, harlem renaissance, oil on canvas, classical greek

Research essay sample on Classical Greece And Early Twentieth Century Art

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