Clark Metzger - Standing in the Shoes - Leonardo Da Vinci

I drew simple tetracubes in my sketch which appear in both the foreground and background. The geometric shapes provide several orthogonal lines which all align with the vanishing point roughly in the center of sketch. I attempted to shade the platforms and and the tower in the background to show they are farther away. The shading of the background was the last element added and greatly enhances the perception of perspective, making the two foreground blocks seem far more 3-dimensional.

Allen Mihecoby - Standing in the Shoes - Leonardo Da Vinci

In order to demonstrate the contrast between the foreground and the background, I attempted to show the mountain on the far left as being closer and the mountains behind it further away. I attempted (very crudely, I admit) to show the distance by shading the mountains that were further back.

To demonstrate the perspective, I showed a bush closer to the viewer’s field of vision and to the right of the road. In the further background I showed a smaller tree and smaller bush.

The vanishing point is where the road ends at the horizon, in between the mountains.

It was an interesting exercise in attempting to adapt the text of our readings about da Vinci into an actual piece of “art.” (I use that term loosely as I realize I have NO artistic talent). Believe it or not I tried several times to make something presentable as my art drawing. The one I ended up posting was the best one in my opinion. This assignment did allow me a greater understanding and appreciation for those in this field.

Garrett Montgomery - Standing in the Shoes - Michelangelo Buonarroti

After doing my own sculpture I now have a better idea of how Buonarroti felt sculpting the David. He took over 3 three years to make this massive sculpture and is one of the most recognizable pieces of art today. The detail in the David is remarkable, just trying to sculpt a simple design in my bar of soap was very difficult. I tried to sculpt my piece using screwdrivers, thumbtacks, and knives. I believe Buonarroti only used a hammer and chisel. Also trying to imagine doing a sculpture to the size as he did, all in marble, is hard for me to imagine.

Amy Morris - Standing in the Shoes - Leonardo Da Vinci

This assignment used different aspects of linear perspective including aerial perspective, objects in the foreground and background and a vanishing point. To show aerial perspective some shading had to be done to the sketch in order to show the objects were not flat. Also more detail was given to the objects that were in the foreground than those in the background.

Putting objects in the foreground was easiest because they were up close so size was not an issue there. However the objects in the background were harder to draw because they were further away and depth perception was not as clear. This part of the sketch was more likely to be estimates than objects being drawn to scale. These had to be drawn as seen in the view.

This assignment was mainly difficult because of the choice of vanishing point(s). If the vanishing point was not chosen correctly then the sketch would not look balanced. This was hardest because the orthogonal lines coming from this point had to seen clearly.

Picasso Biography

Pablo Picasso is viewed as one of the most influential artists of the 20th Century both in terms of individual contributions and overall impact on the world of art. Moreover, Picasso was a prolific artist who enjoyed a long life span, passing away at the age of 91. This Spaniard was a versatile artist working in various media including ventures in paint, sculpture, print work, and writing. He would, however, garner the most acclaim as a painter. Perhaps Picasso’s most famous works, or those for which he won the most critical acclaim, are from the genres of the Cubist and papiers colles (McQuillan N.p.). Through his body of work Picasso would challenge the contemporary notations of art and further expand upon avant garde styles. A prime example of is his extension of the Cubist movement into both “synthetic” and “analytic” Cubism (Langton N.p.). His penchant for challenging boundaries would also manifest in his combining the conventional materials such as oil and paint with sand or sawdust. These concepts will be more fully explored later in this paper.

As widely studied, Picasso’s artistic life would evolve through several “periods.” Most of these periods were influenced by events in his life and were named for the colors that dominated his works at the time. While his life may be viewed episodically, this paper will focus on three pieces and the contextual period from which each arose. The first work to be examined will be “Self-portrait” from the Blue Period, next will be “Guitar” and the conclusion will culminate with “Woman with Guitar”. By reviewing such a diverse set of works, a greater understanding of the depth of this artist can be reached.

The period of 1901 to 1904 is known as the Blue Period and featured such work as “Self-portrait”. Self-portrait was one of the earliest works at the beginning of this particular period. The gist of his work during the Blue Period focused on “…outcasts, beggars and invalided prostitutes” (McQuillan N.p.). By using the cool, somber blue colors, he was able to further draw the audience into the melancholy of these featured groups. Perhaps the genesis of this period can be traced to the suicide of Carlos Casagemas, which seemed to have affected Picasso greatly. During time period, Picasso made his home during this time in both Spain and France (Langton N.p.).

Another important event that transpired was the production of his first collage in May 1912. This new genre of painting featured “… [a] painting or drawing that incorporates pre-existing materials or objects as part of the surface” (McQuillan N.p). As previously mentioned, one of Picasso’s more famous works was in this medium as represented by the Guitar. By incorporating various printed materials, such as newspapers, Picasso added a dimension of symbolism to his art. As Melissa McQuillan would succinctly state, “His invention of this radical new sculptural form was to have enormous repercussions..for his own later work…but also for later developments in modern sculpture” (N.p.).

Around 1911, Picasso began a relationship with Eva Gouel. This relationship would cause Picasso to take his art on a bit of tangent. Rather than producing portraits of Gouel, Picasso would work the words “ma jolie” into the piece – as an homage to his then current love interest. The term was borrowed from a popular song of the day. “Woman with Guitar” would be a prime example of this particularly period of his life and this particular convention (McQuillan N.p.).


Works Cited
Florman, Lisa. "Picasso, Pablo." Encyclopedia of Aesthetics. Ed. Michael Kelly. Oxford Art Online. N.d. Web. 9 Feb. 2010
Langton, John. "Picasso, Pablo." The Oxford Companion to Western Art. Ed. Hugh Brigstocke. Oxford Art Online. N.d. Web. 9 Feb. 2010
McQuillan, Melissa. "Picasso, Pablo." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. N.d. Web. 9 Feb. 2010

Las Meninas

As mentioned in Lesson I, Diego Velazquez painted “Las Meninas” in
1656. Picasso held Velazquez and his body of art in high regard. Picasso would produce over 50 variations of Velazquez’s original work. Each derivative work would show very different styles of art such as the influences of cubism and abstract art. However, in each rendition the characters would remain static. The intent behind Picasso’s endeavors was more of a tribute to Velazquez than an attempt to belittle his work. Velazquez had defined a world in Las Meninas and Picasso was attempting to explore that world through the varied uses of “form, rhythm, colour and movement” (“Las Meninas”). These efforts would allow Picasso to become more introspective about his artistic processes.

“Las Meninas, 1957.” Museu Picasso de Barcelona. N.d. Web 18 Feb. 2010 “http://www.museupicasso.bcn.es/eng/collection/cont_collec.htm#p12

Guernica

Picasso painted Guernica in 1937 using newspaper clippings in addition to the more traditional oil and canvas. It was meant to bring attention to the city of Guernica and the bombings that took place by the Germans. Picasso used black and white tones to set a depressing tone and the news paper clippings he put in the picture were to represent on how he heard about the bombing. When Picasso was asked to describe his newly painted Guernica he stated, “this bull is a bull and this horse is a horse... If you give a meaning to certain things in my paintings it may be very true, but it is not my idea to give this meaning. What ideas and conclusions you have got I obtained too, but instinctively, unconsciously. I make the painting for the painting. I paint the objects for what they are”.

“Guernica reference.” Bing. Bing. 17 Feb. 2010. Web. 12 Feb. 2010
“Baroque and Rococo.” All- art.org. All Art. 17 Feb. 2010. Web

Nude in Black Armchair

Picasso painted this piece in 1932 of his mistress Marie Therese Walter using oil on canvas. In 1999 it sold for over 45 million dollars. This peice was one of several that Picasso painted as part of a rivalry with his contemporary, Henri Matisse. A very abstract picture, Picasso used smooth lines and bold colors to emphasize the women, elements that he borrowed from Matisse. This painting is important because of the external influences reminding us that even a painter with as distinct a style as Picasso does not exist in a vacuum.

Lacayo, Richard. "Art: When Henri Met Pablo." Time. 24 Feb 2003. Web. 18 Feb 2010. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1004290-2,00.html