Sacred and Profane Love - Titian

Hey

I'm trying to make art posts more regular on the blog as 'arte' is part of the blog's name.  Today's post is on another art work I studied for my exam and is of the similar nature as the Venus of Urbino and was done by the same artist.

Source: http://www.wga.hu/index1.html

 

Like the Venus of Urbino this work relates to the event of marriage with the two women representing the two types of love; Profane on the left in her traditional wedding gown and Sacred on the right which is more classical and represents sexuality. The painting represents both earthly and heavenly love.

 

The painting was commissioned for the Vice Chancellor of the Venetian Republic, his Coat of Arms are on the sarcophagus. The Coat of Arms of his wife are on the silver bowl.

 

The two figures; the bride and the Venus, are thought to represent the same women which represented the ideal women and would have been a model for the bride. The bride looks out, signalling martial consent. Behind the bride an angel is encouraging water from a spout and combined with an image of a Stallion on the sarcophagus represents male sexuality and the importance of child bearing.

 

Hope you all enjoyed this post!

Venus of Urbino - Titian

Hey

It's been a long while since I've done art post on the blog and thought it was overdue.  My last exam was Art History which was last Thursday.  One of the paintings I wrote about in the exam was the Venus of Urbino which was painted by the famous Venetian Titian.  Mythology paintings are my favourite subject of painting, I just have a fascination with the ancient Greek and Roman deities, hence why Ancient History was my minor.

Images source: http://www.uffizi.org/artworks/venus-of-urbino-by-titian/

 

In the Renaissance mythology paintings were only appropriate for domestic interiors, namely bedrooms.  Figures such as the Venus were models of eroticism, fidelity and motherhood for the new brides.  It was also believed that looking at beautiful figures during conception would make the child beautiful as well.

 

This painting, especially the pose, was a tribute to the artist Giorgione who painted the Sleeping Venus which Titian completed after he died.  Both the Venus's have the 'pudica' pose which was derived from ancient classical sculpture.  Unlike Sleeping Venus this Venus is in a interior space, paralleling the setting of the painting. In the background two maids are getting her elaborate clothes from cassone which were common gifts in relation to weddings in the Renaissance.

 

The dog at her feet represents marital fidelity, since it is sleeping it is suggested that it is the husband who is gazing at her which is appropriate through marriage.  She also holds roses which is a symbol of Venus.  The aim of the painting was to instruct the bride to be the perfect Renaissance women, being erotic, fertile and loyal to her husband.  This made them popular gifts for weddings as having children was seen as the most important thing in Renaissance society.

 

Hope you all enjoyed this post!



Cecilia Gallerani - Leonardo da Vinci

Hey

It's been awhile since I've done an art post, when I'm in the middle of uni I get a bit sick of writing about it in essays that I just can't be bothered doing a post about it. I'd either have to be in the mood or be inspired by a painting.  During last weeks lecture when we were introduced into Milan I was inspired by a painting that I had studied before in high school so I was excited to see it pop up.

 

Lady with the Ermine, Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1489-90

 

When I first studied this painting she was nameless but on Friday I learnt her name was Cecilia Gallerani and she was the mistress of Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan.  She was from a well connected family, was smart and a musician.  She has on two veils, her hair is pulled back and is holding an ermine with her hands being very prominent.  Her clothes are in a Spanish style which was fashionable at the time but is not encrusted with jewels such as the clothes the Duchess of Milan would be portrayed in.

 

The ermine is an important symbol with it representing purity and chastity and also because its fur was highly prized and used to line expensive clothing.  While she was the Duke's mistress she was chaste in the fact she loyal to him.  It's thought that the ermine is a substitute for the Duke with it blocking her off from the viewer.

 

My lecturer really likes this painting, she said it's more beautiful than the Mona Lisa and not worth being one of many trying to get a look at it. I still want to see the Mona Lisa but Cecilia is also on the top of my list.

 

Hope you all enjoyed this post! 

Art Inspiration - Italian Patrons and Artists

Hey

It's been a while since I've done an art post and since I had my first lecture for my last Art History course on Friday I thought I might share some images which I found interesting and try to explain what the course is about.

 

The course is called 'Artists and Patrons in Renaissance Italy' and I soon as I saw it was being offered this year I knew I wanted to do it, Italy + Renaissance = <3 The last time I really studied this area was in high school/in my first year so I was really excited for it.  The course focuses on the relationship between the Patron and the Artist and how it reflects on the work.

 

Mantena, Camera degli Sposi, Ducal Palace, Mantua

 

This is the ceiling of the Duke of Mantua's palace and as soon as I saw it I was like whoa. I was amazed at all the detail in the greenery, the architecture and also the use of foreshortening.  The use of gold really enhances the magnificence of the painting and would clearly illustrate the wealth and power of the Duke.

 

Majolica plate with the arms of Isabella d'Este

 

This plate is very magnificent and I'm really amazed about the amount of detail and skill it would have took to create this piece of art.  The plate is thought to be for d'Este's daughters wedding which shows how the elites at the time celebrated events and how it was another opportunity to show off the wealth and power.

 

Hope you all enjoyed this post! I also am taking a course on ancient Greek and Egyptian art which is not as colourful and magnificent as the Renaissance but it's interesting and I might do some posts on it.





Mona Lisa Theft

Hey

So this semester I'm taking a really interesting paper about Art Crime which is basically artworks that have been stolen and most of the time have not yet been found.  For my first assignment we have to write a kind of encyclopaedia entry about an artwork, and of course I picked Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.

 

 

While it was famous for being painted by the Italian master Da Vinci it became even more well-known in August the 22nd 1911 when it was stolen from the Louvre by Vincenzo Peruggia.  Peruggia was angered by the fact the painting was hung in France and believed it should by where it was created, it Italy.  Peruggia hid in a broom cupboard and when the museum closed he took the painting straight from the wall it hung on.  The painting was found in 1913 and before it was returned to the Louvre it toured around Italy which is kind of what the thief wanted. The women is believed to be Lisa Gherardini, wife of a Florentine cloth merchant named Francesco del Giocondo but is not 100% certain. Since then the painting has fascinated people including myself with her mysterious gaze, and the mystical background behind her.

 

Hope you enjoyed this post

      xoxo