#9 Matisse v.s. Picasso

Matisse v.s. Picasso

Henri Emile Benoît Matisse was born in a tiny, cottage on the rue du Chêne Arnaud in the textile town just north of  France near the Belgian border, on the last night of the year, 31 December 1869. In 1887 he went to Paris to study law,  Although he considered law as tedious, he nonetheless passed the bar in 1888 with distinction and began his practice. Matisse’s discovery of his true profession came about in an unusual manner. Following an attack of appendicitis, he began to paint in 1889, when his mother had brought him art supplies during the period of recovery. He said later, “From the moment I held the box of colors in my hands, I knew this was my life. I threw myself into it like a beast that plunges towards the thing it loves.” Matisse’s mother was the first to advise her son not to adhere to the “rules” of art, but rather listen to his own emotions. His drastic change of profession deeply disappointed his father. The Dinner Table (1897) was Matisse’s first masterpiece, and he had spent the entire winter working on the oeuvre. Though the Salon displayed the piece, they hung the work in a poor location, disgusted by what they considered its radical, Impressionist aspects. The decline of the Fauvist movement, after 1906, did nothing to deter the rise of Matisse. From 1906 -1917 he lived in Paris and established his home, studio, and school at Hôtel Biron. Among his neighbors was the sculptor Auguste Rodin, writer Jean Cocteau, and dancer Isadora Duncan. Many of his finest works were created in this period, when he was an active part of the great gathering of artistic talent in Montparnasse, even though he did not quite fit in with his conservative appearance and strict bourgeois work habits. In fact, the aim of Matisse’s art was something less than revolutionary. In 1908, in a famous statement drawn from “Notes of a Painter,” Matisse declared as his ideal an art “for every mental worker, for the businessman as well as the man of letters, for example, a soothing, calming influence on the mind, something like a good armchair which provides relaxation from physical fatigue.” Matisse died of a heart attack at the age of eighty-four, on November 3, 1954.

      

Portrait of L.N. Delekorskaya

 Henri Matisse

1947

 portrait

 oil on canvas

     

Henri Matisse

Joy of Life

1905-1906

oil on canvas

   

Henri Matisse

La danse

1909-1910

oil on canvas

  

Woman with a Hat 

Henri Matisse

1905 

Oil on canvas

Born on October 25, 1881, in Málaga, Spain, A serious and prematurely world-weary child, the young Picasso possessed a pair of piercing, watchful black eyes that seemed to mark him destined for greatness. "When I was a child, my mother said to me, 'If you become a soldier, you'll be a general. If you become a monk you'll end up as the pope,'" he later recalled. "Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso." In 1899, Picasso moved back to Barcelona and fell in with a crowd of artists and intellectuals who made their headquarters at a café called El Quatre Gats ("The Four Cats"). Inspired by the anarchists and radicals he met there, Picasso made his decisive break from the classical methods in which he had been trained, and began what would become a lifelong process of experimentation and innovation.Picasso's early Cubist paintings, known as his "Analytic Cubist" works, include "Three Women" (1907), "Bread and Fruit Dish on a Table" (1909) and "Girl with Mandolin" (1910). His later Cubist works are distinguished as "Synthetic Cubism" for moving even further away from artistic typicalities of the time, creating vast collages out of a great number of tiny, individual fragments. These paintings include "Still Life with Chair Caning" (1912), "Card Player" (1913-14) and "Three Musicians" (1921). Pablo Picasso continued to create art and maintain an ambitious schedule in his later years, superstitiously believing that work would keep him alive. He died on April 8, 1973, at the age of 91, in Mougins, France. His legacy, however, has long endured.

Pablo Picasso 

Guernica 

1937

Oil on Canvas

                                                                                         Pablo Picasso 

                                                               Ciencia y Caridad (Science and Charity) -

                                                                                                1897

 Oil on canvas

The Old Guitarist

Pablo Picasso

                Oil On Panel 

         1903

Pablo Picasso

 Les Demoiselles dAvignon 

1907

                                                                  Oil on canvas 

#4 Paramount Logo

Paramount Pictures Logo

The company was first called Famous Players Film Company, which merged in 1916 with Feature Play Company. Before their merger they both released their movies through Paramount Pictures Company, which was founded by William Wadsworth Hodkinson. The two merged companies acquired Paramount Pictures Company, which would be the first nation-wide film distributor in the US. The unique Paramount Pictures logo depicting a pyramid shaped mountain has been the main emblem of the company since its existence. The emblem is the oldest surviving and the most known Hollywood film logo in history. The mountain is inspired by a sketch drawn by W. W. Hodkinson, which he sketched during a conference with Adolph Zukor. The pyramidal mountain in the logo is said to be a depiction of the memories of his early life in Utah. It is also said that the mountain drawn by Hodkinson is the Utah’s Ben Lomond Mountain, and that Peru’s Artesonraju is the mountain in the live-action emblem that is shown before the start of a Paramount picture. The Paramount Pictures logo was initiated as a representation of the mountain surrounded by twenty-four stars. In the 1970s, it was made simpler and the number of stars was reduced to twenty-two. The logo was redesigned yet again in 1987 on Paramount’s 75th Anniversary, in collaboration with Apogee, Inc. With lake and stars, the design utilized computer technology for the first time. In 2002, a fresh new computer-generated logo was produced for the second time, commemorating the 90th anniversary of Paramount Pictures. This logo has changed a lot since the Paramount company first began, but the idea behind the logo has stayed the same, 'the mountain of dreams” .

Famous Players Film Company

1912–1916

Paramount Pictures Corporation

1914

1914–1917

1917–1967

1968–present

1968–1975

1975–1982

1982–1989

1986–1987

1989

1989–1995

1994–2010

2002-2003

2010–present

2011–2012

#6 Leonardo v.s. Michelangelo

Leonardo v.s. Michelangelo

Leonardo da Vinci can easily be referred to as the renaissance man; he was regarded as more or less, the most skilled painter in renaissance times, and a highly accomplished scientist. Among other things, Leonardo was well schooled and grew up as an apprentice under other great artists. He mastered music by playing the lute and filled notebook after notebook with ideas theories, and fascinating concepts of the world around him. Though Leonardo was also an artful sculptor, he regarded painting as the highest form of art, and he did so for many reasons. As a scientist, Leonardo could not be idealistic, he looked at the world as it was, and found reason in how it worked and how things appeared, such as depth and perspective. He used these observations to depict realism in his art, and he used his imagination and skill to make his paintings as real and lifelike as humanly possible. With sculpture Leonardo believed there were limits, with painting, he had endless possibilities, and with these endless possibilities at his fingertips he could add certain symbols, and characteristics.

Michelangelo on the other hand, much preferred sculpting over painting, his belief was that sculpture was the highest form of art. For Michelangelo, sculpture was much more gratifying, and he loved getting his hands dirty and laboring in his works. He could apply his beliefs of neoplatonism to sculpting simply by creating something amazing and great, out of what began as a meaningless piece of marble. Two of his greatest sculptures are his David, and Pieta. Both of these sculptures are awesome in their own right, and for many reasons, like Michelangelo’s use of idealism. You can see this in his portrayal of David; when David triumphed over Goliath, he was merely a boy, though Michelangelo depicted him as the strong but steady king he would become. Michelangelo also fused Pagan and Christian beliefs by portraying the biblical David as being entirely nude. Though Michelangelo preferred sculpture he also painted when commissioned to, and his idealism, neo-platonic ideas, and fusion of Pagan and Christian beliefs showed here as well. All of these ideas can be seen on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in nude figures, and the overall way some of the pieces are painted. Because of the vaulted ceiling Michelangelo had to paint so that at ground level looking up, the paintings would appear to the eye, to be flat. Though Michelangelo’s style and approach to art was much different than Leonardo’s, his love for sculpting, and supreme abilities in both sculpting and painting proved him to be one of the top artists of his time.

The Last Supper, by Leonardo da Vinci is an oil and tempera on plaster, and depicts Jesus and his twelve disciples sitting at a table, at the moment where Jesus announces that one of them will betray him. Jesus and his disciples are all shown on one side of the table facing the viewer, with Jesus seated in the middle and two groups of six disciples at each of his sides. The way the disciples are grouped shows perfect mathematical division, as well as the four tapestries on each side that lead to the back of the room. The shape of Christ’s body is in the geometric shape of a triangle, depicting the holy trinity, and the three windows behind him show the same thing. The windows were painted with a shading technique called sfumato, making them look as though they are at a distance, which once again conveys the feeling of depth and realism in the painting. Leonardo also showed a great deal of individualism and humanism, by giving each disciple their own facial features, and distinct facial expressions. If Michelangelo would have painted the Last Supper, it would with no doubt, have a different look and feel. There would be little or no depth to the painting, and without the use of linear perspective, which Michelangelo did not use, it would appear to be flat. The way the painting is divided mathematically would be completely different. Instead of having equal division, there would probably be some amount of flawed mathematics, with the painting somehow still looking correct to the eye. The disciples would all look much more masculine, but would not have any individual traits, and the image of Jesus would be idealized, to look bigger or higher than his disciples.

Even though Leonardo and Michelangelo had different styles and approaches to art, they both were amazing artists for their time. They had their rivalries, but in the end they both created amazing works of art in their own way, and revolutionized painting and sculpture. Their works of art can hardly be matched, even in modern times.

Michelangelo

Creation of Adam

1510

Fresco

Cappella Sistina, Vatican

Michelangelo

"David"

Marble

1501-04

Michelangelo

Pietà

Marbel

1498–1499

Leonardo Da Vinci 

The Last Supper 

1494-1498

Tempera on gesso 

Leonardo Da Vinci 

The Mona Lisa 

1503-1506

Oil on paper 

Leonardo Da Vinci

Sketches

On paper

#3 Leonardo v.s. Jacob Lawrence

Leonardo v.s. Jacob Lawrence

Leonardo showed genius in many things. Eventually, his father was worn down by the boy's undeniable talent, and took him to Florence to study painting, sculpting and engineering under the great Andrea del Verrocchio. Leonardo quickly outstripped his master and was admitted to the Florence painters' guild in 1472. He lived long enough to be appreciated and well-paid, a rarity among artists. Throughout it all, he kept notebooks, in "mirror" writing, to keep track of his ideas, designs, and numerous sketches. Only about a dozen paintings can be definitely attributed to him, there is however hundreds of drawings, weather he was working on his engineering or designs of military weapons he was always drawing or sketching. In a notebook that was published after his death that we call Treatise on Painting you see an array of drawings he had done for numerous jobs or ideas he had. Drawing may not have been the career Leonardo wanted but its what he became more known for. In my opinion Da Vinci was a fine painter but had extraordinary talent when it came to drawing and sketching. When I look at his drawings I feel like I know what he was feeling and thinking, I feel as if i'm getting an insight into who he really was. But with his paintings they seem dull and done for the wrong purpose. To be excellent at anything you have to let your heart do the talking and that is what Da Vinci did when he would draw. Much like Leonardo Da Vinci, Jacob Lawrence was able to put his heart on the page, but not with a drawing, Lawrence excelled in painting. Both artists produced work because they loved doing it, so in that sense they are very much alike, but when it comes to their styles they are almost polar opposites. Leonardo is very structured in his drawings, making every muscle and vein placed in the correct anatomical position. Whereas Lawrence is much more abstract, and since he works in paint he utilizes color. Leonardo worked during the Italian renaissance, and Jacob Lawrence produced his work during the Harlem Renaissance, a period in which African American were having an artistic and cultural awakening. As a young boy Jacob Lawrence attended an after-school program at Utopia Children's Center where he would paint on cardboard boxes, and whatever else he could find to paint on. He kept up painting when he could, but was forced to drop out of school to help support the family after his mother lost her job during the Great Depression. Luck, and the persistent help of sculptor Augusta Savage, got Lawrence an "easel job" as a part of the Works Progress Administration. His love of art, reading and history, combined with his quiet determination to show that African Americans, too, were a major factor in the history of the Western art, led him to embark on his first important series, The Life of Toussaint L'Ouverture. In the year 1941 Jacob Lawrence broke the "color barrier" when his seminal, 60-panel The Migration of the Negro was exhibited at the well known Downtown Gallery. Lawrence spent the rest of his life painting, teaching and writing. He is best known for his representational compositions, full of simplified shapes, and bold colors and his use of watercolor and gouache. Unlike nearly any other modern or contemporary artist, he always worked in series of paintings, each with a distinct theme. He will forever be known as the visual artist who "told" stories of the dignity, hopes, and struggles of African Americans in American history. Both These amazing artist have made huge impacts in the art world and to this day they affect the way artists go about making a piece that people respond to.

Leonardo Da Vinci 

Anatomy drawings

:Study of arms and shoulders

(1452-1519 Italian)

Leonardo Da Vinci

Study of a human skull

1489

sketch and study

Leonardo Da Vinci

circa 1474

Study of hands

Silverpoint and white highlights on pink prepared paper

Jacob Lawrence

Forward

1967

Tempera on Masonite panel

Jacob Lawrence

“Play”

(1999)

silk Screen

Jacob Lawrence

Ironers

1943

Citations:

1. Esaak, Shelley. "Art History." Ask.com. N.p.. Web. 30 Sep 2013. <http://arthistory.about.com/cs/namesll/p/lawrence_j.htm >.

2. Getlein, Mark . Living with Art. 9th edition. new York, NY: McGraw Hill, 2010. 141,162. Print.

#7 Inspiration

Inspiration

Salvador Dalí was one of the most eccentric artists ever. He sported a spectacular handle bar mustache, beginning in the 1920’s, and is best known for his achievements in Surrealism Art. He used many methods to reflect his ideas, including paint, charcoal, film, and sculpture, all which were amusing and avant garde in their time.

In 1919, at the age of 14, Dalí’s dad held an exhibition in their own house for him. The next year he attended Academia de San Fernando for four years. Here he learned his technique and skills for all the other mixed medias he was going to use in the future. But, before the final exams were over, Dalí was expelled, for he had proclaimed that no teacher was competent enough to examine him. He left Spain, and went to Paris. There, he met Picasso, who had been his biggest influence up to then. To his surprise, Picasso had already heard of him through another artist, Joan Miró, and that he had spoke favorably of him. Besides Picasso, Dalí was influenced by Raphael, a Renaissance artist, Vermeer, a Dutch Baroque artist, and Velazquez, a Spanish Baroque artist. His work does not reflect their influence on him too much, but those were the artists he appreciated most.

In 1929, he met Luis Buñuel. Together, they made and produced a movie called Un Chien Andalou. It was 17 minutes long, and it incorporated all the Surrealists ideals. In it, ants come out of a watch, which later he painted in his painting, the Persistence of Memory. It is black and white, and in the beginning of the film, a boy on a bicycle is hit by a car, and ants start coming out from his hand. The film has no plot, and is suppose to make the viewer seem like they are dreaming. On the set of making this short film, he met Gala, a Russian immigrant whom he fell in love with. She was eleven years older than him, and she was married to a Surrealist poet at the time. His father disapproved of her and her connection with the Surrealists. Two years later, Dalí met Edward James, who became his new patron. He commissioned several works of art that resembled the Dada era. For instance, the Lobster Telephone. A person would talk into the lobster’s genitals, and listen through the head. Another piece was Mea West Lips Sofa. Dalí had a fascination with her lips, so he made them into a couch. The reason I chose salvador Dali for this assignment is because he was constantly being inspired by new artists, and that is how I am. I have such a hard time telling people who I am inspired by because it is constantly changing.

Salvador Dali

1931

Oil on Canvas

Salvador Dali (1943)

"Geopoliticus Child Watching the Birth of the New Man" 

Painting 

Salvador Dali

 1929

Surrealism

 oil on canvas

Salvador Dali

Self Portrait 

Photograph