Art History Final Essay

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Art History Final Essay
Question 1
Throughout time the human body has inspired photographers, sculptors, painters, and other artists. The human body gives a representation of its creator’s religious and social standards. The representation is spontaneous and plays an important part in art. The renaissance period portrayed the body in a celebratory, naturalistic, and anatomically clear way. During this time, the artist portrayed their work through architecture, sculptures, and paintings.
“David” is a masterpiece sculpture by Michelangelo. It was done during the renaissance period in the years 1501 and 1504. It is a marble statue based on the biblical figure David. “David” stands at 5.17 meters, and he was a favored subject in Italy. It was created in marble and commissioned as one of the statutes of prophets that were to be position along with the Florence cathedral. This masterpiece symbolized a defense to civil liberties in the Republic of Florence. The republic was threatened by powerful rivals on all sides. “David's” eyes looked to Rome with a warning glare. The work is interpreted as when David looked tense and ready for battle with Goliath. The nudity represents the story wherein the bible it is stated that Saul armed David with armor, but David chose to go with only a sling and five stones (Yang et al. 58). The sculpture gives the viewer the impression that he is about to move as his whole body weight is rested on one leg. The depiction of young David is a representation of youthful beauty and strength. It is perceived that David was perceived as a political figure where this figure caused political implications.
The neoclassical period was one where art was inspired by antiquity (Palmer 126). The artist in this period was more inclined to specific qualities, which included line over color. It is the kind of art that drew inspiration from the art of Rome and Greece in antiquity. It invoked restraint, clarity, and idealism. “Daphis Running toward Chloe” is a piece done by Baron Gerald during the neoclassical period. It was done in 1700-1837 in France. It is a drawing done on light tan wove paper drawn with black chalk, brush with gray and brown wash.
Another neoclassical work is the "Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss" done by the Italian artist Antonio Canova. It is a marble sculpture commissioned in 1787. It is located in Paris, and it represents the cupid god who kisses and awakens the lifeless Psyche. It depicts the lovers showing great emotions and also a representation of the new movement f romanticism. The story of cupid and Psyche is a representation of a Latin novel, "The Golden Ass." The artist's unique way of illustrating the smooth skin of the elements by carving marble (La Russa et al. 4). The loose drape on Psyche's body shows the texture of drapery and skin. A rough texture is a depiction of the rock in which the subjects lie. The fine curls give a depiction of realistic wings, and the lines add up to the hair of the landing cupid. It is a masterpiece of the neoclassical era, which reveals the emerging movement of love and tenderness. The romanticism period was an artistic period where intellectual, musical, literary, and artistic movements emerged. It placed emphasis on aesthetic beauty and the acceptance and awareness of emotions.
Modern art began in the late nineteenth century. It was accompanied by a combination of art and culture. The photograph “I am training don’t kiss me” is a piece by Claude Cahun. It was done in 1937 in France, and it expresses the fluidity of gender (Murylne et al. 220). It expresses the boundaries of gender, body, and identity and explains that masculinity and femininity depend on one's perception. The photographer portrayed herself as an androgynous person. Her self-portrait shows the free personas and identities. The artist was able to deconstruct gender and was able to break down the fetish female beauty. The artist revealed a defiant side which was a huge part of the literary movements. Cahun was able to trigger a movement where people built their own conceptions of their gender instead of giving in to the male view of femininity. She was the onl...