Eddie's ART F200X Blog

       Hello, everyone. Today, I decided to showcase Mid Modern artwork created during the time of the Vietnam War. Vietnam sparked the first major war that was publicized to the American public, and much of the public realized they did not like what they saw. This includes many artist who criticized the war with pointed art pieces and outspoken anti-war sentiment. I have chosen six artist of the time, each with a very different approach to how they use their art to communicate their perspectives on the conflict. We shall start with... Immolation By Judy Chicago     Photographed in 1972 by American artist and famous feminism activist Judy Chicago, this photo was part of a series of photos depicting women draped in smoke in various dramatic ways. This one, however, is meant to parallel a specific photo from 1963. In one of the most famous pictures associated with the Vietnam War, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, Thich Quang Duc, set himself on fire in p...

 Hello, everyone. Today, I wish to take you through the wild world of art post-World War I, as well as go over my opinions on it. So without further ado... Eclipse of the Sun by George Grosz       Painted in 1926 by German artist George Grosz, this painting is considered to be part of the Dada movement. Now, the thing about Dada is that it was not so much an art style as it was a philosophical and political movement influenced by the horrors of a post-WWI world. Many traditional and old-world values were shattered beyond repair, and many found themselves disgusted by what was traditionally though of as art. Because of this, much of the Dada art you may find usually has some deep meaning relating to the state of the world at the time and is expressed through this "artistic anarchy". So, you may be wondering, what is this painting supposed to be? Well, it's mainly a criticism of the German Wiemar Republic.     One of the first things that stands out...

    Hello, everyone. This week, I decided to tackle two of the most opposing movements during the Romantic era. Post-Impressionism and Realism. Now, I have my opinions on both of these movements, and you'll read those soon. Let's start with... Post-Impressionism Wheat Field with Cypresses by Vincent van Gogh       Painted in 1889 by Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh, this painting is actually a series of three identical paintings, all made in the same year. This is the one currently displayed in New York. This painting is also part of a long series that van Gogh had painted, known as the "wheat fields" series. Can you guess what he painted a lot of? Regardless, van Gogh is a classic example of post-impressionism, with his focus on what the painting makes you feel rather than the focus on depicting something accurately. In my opinion, I feel the main goal of my art is to evoke emotion, so this is something I share with Van Gogh.     I love th...

      Hello, everyone. This week, I decided to take my historical knowledge out of the cupboard, dust it off a bit, and show you all some relevant art during a very tumultuous time at the end of the 18th century. An age of revolutions, if you will. The most famous of which being both the French Revolution (1789-1799) and the American Revolution (1775-1783). Of course, art was still being made during these times, and the artists of the time were undoubtedly influenced by the events around them. So without further ado, let us start with... The Death of Marat by Jacques-Louis David     Also known as La Mort de Marat, and painted in 1793 by French artist Jacques-Louis David, this dramatic scene depicts the assassination of Jean-Paul Marat. Marat was a leader of the Montagnards, a faction that was active during the French Revolution. He was assassinated by Charlotte Corday, a political enemy of his, though not a loyalist to the crown. Marat was said to have...

       Hello, everyone. Unlike last week, it did not take me long to find a painting I wanted to talk about. I knew that I wanted to talk about a tronie, because those are my favorite baroque paintings. And after just a bit of searching, I found the one I wanted. Self-Portrait with Magic Scene By Pieter van Laer      Painted circa 1635-1637 by Dutch artist Pieter Bodding van Laer, this piece certainly elicits a reaction at first glance. For me, that was laughter. And this is exactly why I wanted to talk about a tronie. Though, whether this fits the modern usage of the word or not because it's a self-portrait and not an unidentifiable person, I'm not sure. Regardless, this painting is amazing. But what exactly is going on here? Analysis     This painting is a self-portrait of Pieter van Laer. Despite the seemingly comical nature of his expression, it is actually a look of horror as he gazes at the claws of the devil. Around him are many a...

    Hello, everyone. For this post, it took me a while of perusing various works of Renaissance art that fulfilled the requirements. Mostly because I didn't want to just go for something obvious like the Sistine Chapel, which isn't bad by any means, I just wanted to look for something, perhaps, less well known. And I came up with... Ezekiel's Vision By Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino      Painted circa 1517-1518 by Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, known more often as Raphael, it is an expressive piece that depicts the Biblical story of Ezekiel and his vision of God's glory. " Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord ." (Ezekiel 1:28)     The first thing that this painting tries to inspire is a feeling of awe or power. As it is meant to depict a divine vision of God himself, this is not surprising. You get this...