Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez

Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez was completed in 1656. This painting is particularly interesting because the setting is in the artist’s own studio in the palace of King Philip IV of Spain. The title means “the ladies-in-waiting” and the painting depicts the daughter of the king, Infanta Margarita Theresa, being attended to by the eponymous ladies-in-waiting. To the right are two dwarfs. Behind them is the princesses’ nurse and a body guard. The artist himself is at the far left. And lurking in the background is Don Jose Nieto Velázquez, an attendant to the queen. The king and queen themselves can be seen reflected in the mirror.

This painting is a good example of the influence of royalty on arts that persisted into the Baroque period. Velázquez stayed at the royal palace in Spain and painted many portraits of the royal family. Although the power of the merchant class and their demand for art was growing, royalty was still very important for the arts. Because Velázquez was patronized by the king he was secure enough to focus on honing his art skills, resulting in him becoming known as the greatest Spanish painter of the Baroque era. His skill can be seen in the portrait. The reflection of the king and queen is faint enough to be realistic but skillfully painted enough that it seems like a real reflection. The fact that he included the king and queen shows how important they were. Even though the main subject of the painting is not them, they still hold a presence in the art, because it is  their support of him that enabled this portrait to exist in the first place. By painting himself into the painting, Velázquez makes himself a symbol of the relationship between royalty and art. The princess is in the center of the painting and dressed and white and lit by  light, making her a symbol of purity and goodness. Through such symbolism, Velázquez portrays the royals as good people because they support the arts.

I like this painting because it seems very realistic, as if we have just stumbled in the room and the scene is enfolding in front of us. Some of the subjects look right at us, inviting us to join in while others look away, maintaining the feel that this a real event. I also love the small details, like the mirror reflecting the king and queen, the mysterious man in the back,and the disgruntled look on the dog’s face as the dwarfs prod it. The way that light is used in the picture, coming from several directions and drawing our attention to the princess, is interesting.

 

Kahr, Madlyn Millner. “Velázquez and Las Meninas.” The Art Bulletin, vol. 57, no. 2,June 1975, pp. 225-46. JSTOR, doi:10.2307/3049372. Accessed 26 Sept. 2016. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3049372

“Las Meninas.” Museo del Prado. Accessed 26 Sept. 2016. https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/las-meninas/9fdc7800-9ade-48b0-ab8b-edee94ea877f

David by Michelangelo

 

         Although Michelangelo is well known for his paintings, he was also an accomplished sculptor. He finished his marble sculpture, David, in 1504 and it was displayed in a public square in the city of Florence. It was originally meant to be placed on the roof of the Florence Cathedral but at several tons it was too heavy.

         David is a good example of the concept of humanism that became popular during the Renaissance. Humanism believes in the worth of the individual person, rationalism,physical beauty, and Greek and Roman influences.David is a prime example of rationalism. In the Bible, David does not use brute strength to defeat the much larger Goliath but rather thinks and comes up with a plan to use a well placed stone. If we look at his expression we see that he looks thoughtful and slightly scared rather than aggressive. Also, David is physically beautiful. In humanism it was believed that physical beauty indicated moral goodness and was a blessing from God and this is evident on the statue. David is muscular and has a classically handsome face. When we look at him it is immediately evident that he is a hero.

Humanism was derived from the theories of Greek and Roman philosophers and this esteem of Greek and Roman ideals extends to art as well. Many Greek statues featured a standing male nude. In the Middle Ages, statues were not depicted nude so Michelangelo took inspiration from ancient times. Despite previous Davids being displayed with Goliath’s head, Michelangelo chose to keep David alone in following with Greek tradition. His pose also mirrors ancient statues. Also, by depicting David alone Michelangelo places importance on the worth of the person. Despite being a story from the Bible there are no religious symbols in the sculpture to suggest that David was helped by divine intervention. Instead, the emphasis is placed on the solitary, strong David who was able to defeat Goliath by his own will.

Personally, I think David is a very beautiful work. I love how David looks like he is ready to spring into action at any moment. His tense muscles and the way his body is twisted achieve this impression. If you take a closer look at the statue, you can see the veins bulging on his hands that show you how tense he is. It is easy to forget that this is made out of stone because he looks like he could easily become a real person. Another close up detail that I enjoy is the expression on his face. It is a very subtle expression, suggesting he is scared. All these details add up to a lifelike, beautiful sculpture.

McClinton, Brian. “Michelangelo’s David.” Humanism Ireland, vol. 117, July-Aug. 2009, pp. 12-13. http://www.humanistni.org/filestore/file/david%20michelangelo.pdf

“Michelangelo’s David.” Accademia.org.http://www.accademia.org/explore-museum/artworks/michelangelos-david/

Wallace, William E. "How Michelangelo Made David into a Giant." Art New, 14 Apr. 2014, 
www.artnews.com/2014/04/14/how-michelangelo-made-david-into-a-giant/. Accessed 13 Sept. 2016.

Introduction Post

Hello, welcome to my blog, my name is Emily and I am glad you are here. I am currently attending UAF and pursuing a Bachelor’s in Social Work. When I am not busy with school you can find me running, gardening, and reading. I have lived in Fairbanks, Alaska for almost my entire life. Despite my aversion to cold I really do love it here. In the winter I am able to ski, ice skate, and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate afterwards.  In general my favorite subjects are history and psychology but I am excited to learn more about art because I have always admired it from afar.

My masterpiece

             The purpose of the above photo is to showcase why I have mostly admired it from a distance. My relationship with art is not a hands on one. I took one art class in high school, Ceramics, and the above bowl is one of my better pieces. It is more than a bit lopsided and lumpy. I have never had the patience, nor the talent, to make art. My interactions with art are all as an observer. I love reading and watching plays. Like many, I love music. It would be great to learn piano someday. I traveled to France last summer and saw everything from ancient cave paintings to strange modern conceptual art sculptures. Despite my ineptness at creating it, I love art because it is not only beautiful but can tell us so much about its creator and the society they lived in.

         If you are like me and do not know much about the history of art but would love to know more, The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a nice timeline of art here.