Ceramics 1
Ceramics 1
Unity-Principle of Design
Unity-Principle of Design
Unity-Principle of Design
Unity-Principle of Design
Unity-Principle of Design
Unity-Principle of Design
Line- Element of Art
Line- Element of Art
Classwork & assignments
Presentation slideshow
Presentation slideshow
Classwork & assignments
Classwork & assignments
Lines are everywhere. You can see lines in the grain of a piece of wood or in the cracks on a sidewalk.
In art, Line is an element of art that is the path of a moving point through space.
Lines are used to:
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Create boundaries between shapes
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Create boundaries between colors, textures or values
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Lead the eye from one space to another
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Create textures
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Suggest emotional qualities
Lines are everywhere. You can see lines in the grain of a piece of wood or in the cracks on a sidewalk.
In art, Line is an element of art that is the path of a moving point through space.
Lines are used to:
-
Create boundaries between shapes
-
Create boundaries between colors, textures or values
-
Lead the eye from one space to another
-
Create textures
-
Suggest emotional qualities
Classwork & assignments
Grid drawing is a very old technique of transferring images (from sketches to a full size canvas or fresco, etc...)
Always make sure that the number of squares on the original picture and your working area are exactly the same (even if the size of the squares are bigger on the paper). This is because no matter how many times bigger (or smaller) you make the drawing, the proportions and dimensions can only stay the same if the number of boxes (squares) matches exactly.
Make sure you follow all steps below.
2.3.2 The Van Eycks and Rogier van der Weyden
International Gothic Style
Elegant medieval kings and queens out with their attendants. Curving, graceful saints. Landscapes, houses, and tiny details of everyday life.
By the 14th century, artists hadn't yet learned all the techniques to fully create three-dimensional paintings, but they were enthralled by human life on earth.
Expanding trade networks and growing cities of the 14th century helped circulate a new manner of art throughout Europe called the International Gothic style.
Complete the questions on your study guide as you work through this activity. Reviewing your notes before quizzes and tests will help you succeed. You'll be able to check your answers once you've completed the study activity.
Conrad von Soest's Wildungen Altar, painted in 1403, shows the gentle curves of the International Gothic style.
Raising of Lazarus, a scene from Giotto's masterpiece in the Arena Chapel, circa 1305
Grounded in Reality
The International Gothic style took place in the 14th and 15th centuries during the late Middle Ages. The church was still the dominating power, but wealthy citizens also began hiring artists for portraits and other works.
Suddenly, artists did not only have to work for the church. This is part of what made it an important period of artistic development, mostly in Italy and France.
Portable altarpieces, illuminated manuscripts, woven tapestries, and portraits of royals and nobles were some of the more common works commissioned during this time.
Heavily influenced by Giotto, artists of this period painted the same religious subjects as before, but this time grounded them in the real world.
They wanted to envision the Virgin Mary and the saints as people who once lived on earth, not as spirits who inhabited the heavens. They wanted to paint people going about their daily lives and performing normal activities, such as sewing or gardening.
Using Giotto's techniques, artists learned how to create solid and round figures, add accurate shading on softly draped cloth, and place their subjects inside buildings and other interiors.
Although techniques to convey three-dimensional perspective were still very basic, the International Gothic style allowed artists to explore a new and exciting territory: the world around them.
Small Implications
Art of this time tended to be small and therefore portable. But it was a practical instead of stylistic decision. Why do you think artists deliberately made smaller works?
1.) Why do you think art from this time period was considerably smaller than art from other eras?
2.) What primary effect do you think traveling art and artists had on the art of this time?
3.)How does art travel these days? What effects might this have on modern art?
What do you notice?
In 20 words or fewer, what is different about this painting compared to other artworks you have been studying?
In 20 words or fewer, what is different about this painting compared to other artworks you have been studying?
Elements of the International Gothic Style
The International Gothic style developed primarily in France and Italy and traveled to other parts of Europe from there.
As you learned, the art was portable, which contributed to common features across western Europe. But what were some of those features?
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The art from this period can be identified by a focus on elongated figures, rich and colorful decoration, and soft lines.
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In some cases there is a return to the Byzantine style, especially in the colorful clothing worn by nobles and religious figures and the uses of reds, blues, and golds.
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Whereas during the early Middle Ages, only the human form was considered important, during the International Gothic style, there was a focus on creating realistic-looking plants and animals as well as humans.
The groundbreaking work Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry by the French Limbourg brothers is a perfect example of this style.
The enchanting illustration of the month of May, for example, with its lively parade of nobles, brightly colored garments, and lush vegetation, captures the style of International Gothic artists.
Les Très Riches Heures by the Limbourg brothers was painted sometime between 1412 and 1416 for their patron, the Duke of Berry. This book features 200 pages, including a beautiful calendar. Pictured here is the month of May.
God's-Eye View
As you saw on the last page, artists of the International Gothic style tended to show graceful, swaying movement by shaping their figures in the same pattern as the letter S. Art historians often refer to these elegant subjects as S-shaped figures.
During this era, paintings no longer focused exclusively on important individuals. The "God's-eye view" that dominated gave equal attention to everything in the painting. Animals, plants, and buildings received the same emphasis as the face of the Virgin Mary.
In Italy, the Lorenzetti brothers's works depict magnificent architecture, horses, landscapes, and people going about their daily routines. The figures in Giotto's earlier paintings, by contrast, always stand out from their rather simple surroundings.
This fresco by Pietro Lorenzetti depicts the entrance of Christ into Jerusalem and can be found in the lower church of the Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi in Italy. Note the great attention to architecture.
Check Your Understanding
Northern International style
The International Gothic style was initially influenced by Giotto and his naturalistic depictions of figures and scenery. It was popular throughout Europe, but it had a particularly significant influence on the development of northern art.
By 1400, the northern regions of Europe — consisting primarily of modern-day Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France — headed in a different artistic direction from Italy and southern Europe.
Northern artists drew on the International Gothic style's love of depicting the present-day world and put great emphasis on creating realistic people and scenes.
Beginning in the early 15th century, northern artists would spend 300 years paying very careful attention to even the smallest details of everyday life.
Oil's Well That Ends Well
The realistic details from this time period would have been nearly impossible without one of the most important developments in the history of art: oil paint.
Previously, tempera paints were used. Although tempera is very durable, it dries rapidly and in opaque or dark layers. This makes it difficult to produce subtle changes in a color's value.
Oil paints, on the other hand, take a long time to dry, so a painter can rework the colors, even scrape them off completely and reapply them. Dark, velvety shade and light, glowing tint, previously impossible with fresco or tempera paints, were easily achieved with oils.
On the Web...
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Check out a map of Europe from the 15th century. Click on the map to look at a bigger version. Does any of it look familiar to you?
An untitled painting by the Northern International style artist Robert Campin, completed before 1430, is a perfect example of the style's focus on daily life.
The Mérode Altarpiece by Robert Campin, the "Master of Flémalle," circa 1425. Can you identify any potential religious symbols?
The Northern Master
Robert Campin lived between around 1375 and 1444 in the city of Tournai, Belgium, in the Flanders region. While art historians have had difficulty connecting many paintings with him directly, it is commonly agreed that he produced many works under the title "The Master of Flémalle."
Campin's great attention to detail and the incredibly realistic way he portrayed his subjects is a perfect example of the Northern International style.
His piece The Annunciation Triptych, also called the Mérode Altarpiece, was completed around 1425. This triptych has the first fully equipped domestic interior seen in the history of painting. (The room in Duccio's Annunciation, painted a hundred years earlier, seems empty in comparison.)
The Symbolism Is in the Details
Remember, artists are always trying to communicate a message to their viewers. Campin's domestic details are not there simply to decorate the space. He uses symbolism extensively.
Nearly every homey detail painted by Campin is a religious symbol in disguise. The lily stands for purity, for example, while the candle is the eternal flame of Christ.
Why Symbolism?
Why do you think Campin gave such extensive symbolism to the common details of his paintings?
1.) Why might Campin have included so much symbolism in the ordinary details?
2.) What do you recall about the other example of symbolism in art that you learned about in the previous lessons?
3.) Do you think symbolism is used in modern art?
Depth in the Mérode Altarpiece
Robert Campin is believed to be the first artist to use oil paint in his work. His works are full of details and luminosity, nearly impossible to create with tempera, which was the only paint used for panel painting in the past.
The Mérode Altarpiece stands out for its ability to convey a sense of unlimited depth. The viewer can look far beyond the room out the window to the sky or to a charming view of a town, thanks to the flexibility of oil paints.
The impression of depth is enhanced by Campin's attempt at linear perspective, which was done by the eye rather than with the mathematical precision that would soon be perfected in Italy.
The tables are just slightly tilted, for example, and the Virgin is unable to lean easily upon the bench. Campin's perspective appears a tad skewed.
A closer view of the central panel from the Mérode Altarpiece shows the depth and detail that could be achieved with oil paints.
What Would Change?
The paintings of Campin and other International Gothic style artist are truly well rendered. These painters showed great advancements in artistic techniques. But what major characteristics were missing when comparing this art era to that of the mathematically inspired Renaissance?
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Even though 15th-century artists attempted to create perspective, they didn't quite understand the mathematics needed to create accurate buildings and interiors.
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Because they did not have accurate perspective, artists were often unable to correctly use foreshortening on their figures. This is why the bench in the Mérode Altarpiece doesn't extend back the way it should.
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Many northern painters had problems with scale and proportion. For example, if the kneeling people in the Mérode Altarpiece were standing up, they would be much too large to enter through the tiny doorway.
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For most pre-Renaissance painters, lighting doesn't consistently come from one source, so shadows are sometimes a bit skewed.
On the left panel of the Mérode Altarpiece, the two kneeling pilgrims would be way too tall to fit through the door. Proportions were not the strong point of Northern International style artists.
Check Your Understanding
Make sure you understand the differences between the various styles of art you have studied. Match each item into the correct art style or time period.
In Review
Before moving on, review what you have learned in the study. Go over the notes you wrote on the study sheet. Ask your teacher any questions you might have.
If you have not filled out your study sheet, do it now before moving on to the next activity.
Study sheets are a very useful tool to help you study for quizzes and tests.
What Did You Learn?
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Following the lead of late medieval artists, International Gothic style artists began to situate religious subject matter in real-world settings. There was increased interest in realistic-looking plants and animals, not just humans.
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These artists retained the vibrant Byzantine color palette.
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Figures were realistically rendered, usually in an S-shape position.
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Robert Campin was the first artist to use oil paint, which allowed for even more compelling colors. Additionally, he attempted linear perspective.
Take this opportunity to check your work.