Musée d'Orsay

The museum originally a railway station until 1939 is the home to French art that shows mostly Impressionism, Realism, and Post- impressionism. There are sculptures housed there as well, but it is mainly known for showcasing artist such as Van Gogh, Gauguin, Manet, Monet, and Degas, to name a few. It became a museum and historic site in 1986. 

Chaumes de Cordeville à Auvers-sur-Oise

Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890), a Dutch master- artist, is still known as one of the most unique and important artistic figures in post- impressionism. Van Gogh was said to have been talented in art from his early years, but was not focused on becoming an artist himself. I was shocked to learn (because of his mental state) that he in fact was interested in becoming a minister, following after his father. But through a series of events he found his way to art, but not very successfully in his time period; which may help explain his decaying mental state. He was influenced by Japanese art that was introduced during the impressionist time, but still was able to make his work into something that was ahead of his time. He was known for his mental illness though more than his work during his life. Of course the famous story of him cutting his ear off, shooting himself, and many other episodes occurred that proved just how ill Van Gogh really was. This particular piece that I am taking my selfie with was done in his final weeks of his life. I have seen many Van Gogh's before (in books and now in person) and have always wondered about his method of swirling his figures and structures. I wonder now though, if that had more to do with his mental state than the subject of the painting? Or if the subject that is painted represents something in his mind that is skewed? This piece caught my eye because of those questions running through my head. I may be putting too much thought into the painting, but when I saw the painting it just made me wonder about the place being depicted and what was the story behind it.

 

Femme à l’ombrelle

  Paul Signac (1863-1935) as most other great artist was not initially training to become a painter, but instead an architect. He was first influenced by impressionist artist Claude Monet, then he later became greatly influenced by George Seurat and his technique of studying the science behind color and perception. Seurat and Signac are the leaders of the pointillism movement in art, where they applied small strokes or dots of paint that formed together to create an image; pointillism is also known as neo-impressionism. The movement started around 1886 and it was based on the artists eye, and the viewer's eye from a distant. This painting that I choose, although not considered his most famous pieces, it still shows his craft of being able to create an image from a mass of colors and dots. The model, Berthe Roblès, was his wife, and although the model herself was not the important factor, the use of shadows and light to add depth to her physical features is a distinguishable. His emphasis on the details of her clothes is also an element to the piece that adds to the complexity of pointillism itself.

Manet, Édouard 

 Monet, Claude 

Saint Denise

Perhaps my favorite moment in visiting Saint Denise was seeing the Marie Antoinette statue and burial site. The interesting aspects of her life and the hatred that was shown during her reign as queen of France interested me because I wanted to understand why she was disliked so much. In researching her life I have come to feel as though it was a misinterpretation between her status and her personal life. I was also interested in the history behind the buidling itself and wherebit was built. The story is that it was built on the burial site of Saint Denise. He was martryed for religious reasons and was said to walk holding his head after being beheaded and that was his greatest contirbution. Of course I do not completely believe that this is the full story but it was interesting to learn. So when learning about the church being built in this spot and understanding the time period that gothic style took root it made the details and dramatics of the church more important. 

Saint Denise

Flying Buttresses

Flying Buttresses 

The flying buttresses are a sign of original Gothic architecture, made to help reinforce the vaulted walls and ceilings. There are several types of buttresses, but 'flying' buttresses are unique because they are not directly connected to the building, they extend as another form and act as pushing the main building upward. These flying buttresses at Saint Denise were an interesting component to see and understand after the lecture in the previous class. It made the architecture that much more interesting because of the understanding that these parts of the building signified a change from Romanesque art to Gothic art.

Rose Window

Rose Window

 Rose windows (also known as stained glass) are sometimes seen as the center piece of the church. They generally are made to represent a story of religious figures, and is probably the most distinguishing and beautiful installation of church art. The window reflects the sunlight from inside, but has a feature were from the outside of the church the images in the window cannot be seen. The window is usually placed in a central location of the church where the light can reflect into a halo effect on an area. But again the most important aspect of these rose windows and stained glass around the church are the stories told within them.

Louvre Blog

David and Goliath

Daniele da Volterra (1509-1566) was a friend of Michelangelo and was said to use his style as inspiration for his personal paintings. This unique use of space to creates a 3D effect of a painting showing both sides of the same scene. The biblical reference to the battle of David and Goliath is being shown after David slings his rocks and is about to behead the giant. This painting was a personal favorite for two elements that it illustrates: the use of space and color. The 3D effect that this painting illustrates by showing two sides of the story is fascinating to me because it isn't a method that is common.  It gives two pictures displaying the same scene, such different depths, by emphasizing some elements on one painting and shadowing others on the reverse. Also the vibrancy and emotion painted on David's and Goliath's images is so alluring, it drew me back to the painting twice. The story in the bible is one of my favorites and this painting just amplified my appreciation of that moment in history.

Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519), notably one of the greatest painters of all time, is most known for his painting Mona Lisa. The most famous woman in the world is displayed in a a composition that is so realistic, that (for the time period) was beyond belief to be achievable. It is thought to be a portrait of Lisa Gherardini, with there being no real importance to who the woman in the painting was and more so how the portrait itself was painted. It is custom that when visiting the Louvre to go see the Mona Lisa, even if that is the only thing that is seen. I am one of the masses of people that had to fight my way forward to have a look at the original painting. And that was an experience that will last a lifetime, because the portrait really does give off this life-like illusion that even behind a glass case can be seen.

The Wedding Feast at Cana

Personally this painting is my favorite of any that I did get a chance to see at the Louvre. The Wedding Feat at Cana, Galilee is where Jesus performed his first monumental miracle of turning water into wine. Paolo Veronese (1528-1588) illustrated the feast of many will accomplishing the task of emphasizing the main figure, Jesus. His use of light and shadows was excellent, because when looking at Jesus he is portrayed with a halo of light. His use of vibrant colors matches the story of celebration without the colors overpowering the painting.