The Influence and Artistic Intent of Caravaggio Essay Example for Free

The Influence and Artistic Intent of Caravaggio Essay Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, an Italian painter, known to be one of the most influential painters of the Baroque period. Known for his realistic portrayal of the human state, along with the use of dramatic lighting and intense use of tenebrism. While Caravaggio’s dramatic lighting is very iconic, he was most notorious for his naturalistic and raw approach to portraying his subjects. With Caravaggio’s homicidal tendencies aside, this raw and uncensored approach that he took led him to become an infamous painter of 89 pieces during his lifetime. Evidence can be seen from future painters and even in photography, that Caravaggio is one of, if not the most influential painter to have come out of the Baroque period. Caravaggio did not acquire this status easily and, as a matter of fact, lived a rather tempestuous life. Born in Milan to Fermo Merisi and Lucia Aratori, Caravaggio lived an unfortunate life early on. He was orphaned at a young age, and as a result, ended up as an apprentice to Simone Peterzano, to happened to have been a former apprentice of Titian. This eventually led him to become an assistant to various artists in Rome, before setting out on his own. Caravaggio’s first main commission was a series of three monumental canvases devoted to St. Matthew that he painted for the Contarelli Chapel in San Luigi dei Francesi. The most notable piece of art in this series is The Calling of St. Matthew. Caravaggio’s naturalistic style really came into its own in this piece. Caravaggio painted the world how he knew it, and his pieces reflected that. The subjects in his art were not idealized, such as the figures in High Renaissance art. Neither were they distorted, elongated, or overtly elegant like the figures commonly seen in Mannerism art. This naturalistic depiction of people was shocking and seen as radical. Specifically, in The Calling of St. Matthew, Caravaggio took a religious scene and turned it into a piece depicting common looking people. Up until this point, people had never seen a sacred subject depicted in the context of contemporary low-life. This piece had elements of genre scenes in it, meaning it looked like a scene from everyday life. However, what is special about this work of art is that it does not easily become mistaken as secular or a simple genre scene. Cleverly, this is because of the gesture that Jesus is giving to Matthew. The relaxed hand is reminiscent of God’s hand in Michelangelo’s piece The Creation of Adam. Every aspect of this piece is done in such a beautiful manner that it bridges the gap between the highly idealized and religious artwork of the High Renaissance and the common lowlifes of the contemporary period. This execution makes this work of art accessible and appreciated by the common man. Not only was Caravaggio’s naturalistic style becoming apparent in this work, but also so was his dramatic and tenebristic style. Caravaggio establishes a certain amount of intensity and drama as a result of his dark and high-contrast style. Not only does he establish a certain atmosphere, but this style also includes within it. Through his Caravaggio’s use of tenebrism, Christ’s face becomes illuminates in the dark scene to allow the viewer to see the moment that He calls Matthew. If Caravaggio did not include this dramatic use of lighting, it would lose its sense of divineness. His goal was to make the Christian mysteries accessible to every person. While Caravaggio’s unorthodox approach to sacred stories was generally well received, not all works of his were appreciated during his time. A notable work of art that was not appreciated by many during his time was â€Å"The Death of the Virgin†. Laerzio Alberti commissioned Caravaggio to paint this piece for his family chapel in Sta. Maria della Scale, the newly constructed church of the Discalced Carmelites. He was given a year to finish it, but in the end, it was rejected. Modern scholars as to why the picture was rejected. One reason was that the Virgin was improper. Her legs were exposed, her ankles and belly were swollen, and also, she was studied from the bloated corpse of a prostitute whom Caravaggio had relations with. This painfully naturalistic approach caused him trouble with ecclesiastical authorities. Other forms of speculation explain that, notably, the Virgin was shown as dead instead of dying, with not transition of going to heaven. This went against Caravaggio’s contract, which required that he include the conventional rendition of Mary’s passage from her death to her Assumption. Various hypotheses are given as an explanation as to why Caravaggio took the approach that he did, but all are merely speculation and nothing has been confirmed. The general assumption an be made that Caravaggio took this approach because it is merely the manner in which he approached all of his pieces. He did not desire to idealize anyone or anything and chose to present all scenes in such a naturalistic manner that it was approachable from all levels of society. Caravaggio’s naturalistic and dramatic style inspired many, and his influence can easily be seen in many future artists’ wor ks. After Caravaggio’s untimely death, many artists came to be considered his â€Å"followers† even though they never met or worked alongside the artist. While some artists imitated Caravaggio for a brief time, others remained committed to Caravaggio’s style for the duration of their lives. These painters, labeled as the Caravaggisti, emulated aspects of Caravaggio’s style and technique. These followers were intrigued by Caravaggio’s gritty realism and intense use of lighting. A notable Caravaggisti would be Artemisia Gentileschi. Gentileschi personally knew Caravaggio, and evidence can be seen in her work that he influenced her to a certain degree. One of her more famous pieces, Judith and Her Maidservant With the Head of Holofernes, has influences of Caravaggio’s style in it. Most notably is the strong use of tenebrism to create a very dramatic atmosphere to the piece. Moreover, the figures are not idealized and the subjects appear as common lowlifes. Gentileschi was not the only artist to show influences of Caravaggio. Artists such as Rubens and Rembrandt can also see slight influences of Caravaggio’s style in their work. It can be seen that Rubens adopted the religious themes and physicality of figures in his work. Along with that, it can be seen that Rubens also adopted Caravaggio’s tenebristic style to a certain degree. This can most notably be seen in his piece, The Descent from the Cross. Rubens uses dramatic lighting to focus on Christ to create a striking focal point. Rembrandt uses this technique in a similar manner as well. A notable piece in which influences of Caravaggio can be seen in Rembrandt’s work is in the piece, The Blinding of Samson and The Nightwatch. Both pieces can be seen utilizing forms of tenebrism to create dramatic atmospheres. Not only are these atmospheres dramatic, but Rembrandt also uses the light in a manner in which he creates a strong focal point, similarly to Rubens. Caravaggio did not only influence the painters that came after him, but also in photography of future centuries. Despite playing a key role in defining the 17th century, Caravaggio was largely forgotten until interest in him renewed in the 20th century when emerging artists were adopting techniques and imitating his style. The greatest reason for this was the popular emergence of the camera. Because of the spontaneity and directness of photographs, people began to realize the greatest of Caravaggio’s art again. Also, Caravaggio had such a naturalistic approach to his paintings that the realism as a result appealed to many photographers. Along with this, art critic Roberto Longhi brought Caravaggio’s name to the foreground, praising him and saying, â€Å"With the exception of Michelangelo, no other Italian painter exercised so great an influence. † These two factors revived Caravaggio’s name in the early 1900’s and made people realize his greatness. Also, there has been much speculation with historians that Caravaggio even incorporated early photographic techniques into his paintings. They say that he illuminated models through a hole in the ceiling and the image was projected on a canvas using a lens and a mirror; an early form of camera obscura. Along with that, Caravaggio supposedly â€Å"fixed† the image, using light-sensitive substances for around half an hour, during which he used white lead mixed with chemicals and minerals that were visible in the dark, which he used to paint the images. Also, one of the elements that were used in these mixtures was mercury, which prolonged exposure to it can affect the central nervous system, which can potentially cause irritability. Historians trace this back to potentially factoring into Caravaggio’s temper. While this is highly improbable to be the cause of Caravaggio’s temper, it can be argued that it could very well have been a direct factor. Regardless, these innovations of Caravaggio show the obvious talent that he had and why he had so much influence of future artists. From what was explained, conclusions can be drawn that Caravaggio was one of the, if not the most influential artist of the Baroque period. With Caravaggio’s potent combination of naturalism and intense tenebrism, he created a style of gritty realism that appeal to many people and inspired the work of future artists. While Caravaggio’s unorthodox approach to his work was rather shocking, it also inspired just as many. Evidence can be drawn from future painters that Caravaggio’s style inspired many works of art. Even in today’s art, we can see hints of how Caravaggio’s raw and dramatic art has rippled forward through time and continues to influence art today.

The Truth of Thanksgiving Essay -- American History Thanksgiving Essay

The Truth of Thanksgiving While children are growing up in America, they are told several tales of America’s establishment and history. However, these stories are generally not told as they actually happened. An instance of this is the story of the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is explained as this elaborate ceremony where the Pilgrims and Indians gathered in harmony at this large harvest in celebration of their coming together. According to the primary document of William Bradford’s journal, Thanksgiving didn’t pan out quite as it is explained to Americans today. In the film, The Addams Family Values, the Addams children take part in a traditional, yet misconceived celebration of the first Thanksgiving. This film in comparison to Bradford’s testimony proves how Americans view their history as they please; giving America the official Thanksgiving ceremony even if it never actually happened. In the film, Addams’ Family Values, the Addams’ are depicted as an odd American family. They practice magic, dress in all black, worship the dead, etc. In this specific film, the Addams children, Wednesday and Pugsley, are sent to summer camp. The camp is a Native American activity based camp named Camp Chippewa. At camp, Wednesday and all of her friends are considered â€Å"losers†. Wednesday and Pugsley have black hair, wear all black clothes and, along with all their friends, don’t enjoy typical kid activities, such as watching Disney movies and playing with dolls. All the other children are blonde, rich girls, who are considered the â€Å"cool kids†. They are all apples of their parent’s eyes and truly enjoy being at summer camp. The children partake in typical â€Å"Indian† activities such as shooting bow ... ...to Bradford’s, â€Å"Of Plymouth Plantation†. Americans have such a need to be exceptional and different that they are willing to risk their true history for a celebration that comes only once a year. It is important for American children to learn their true history rather than the alternative in order for them to understand the struggles the original founders went through to create the America we have today. Works Cited The Addams’ Family Values. Dir. Barry Sonnenfeld Perf. Angelica Houston, Raul Julia, Christopher Llyod, Joan Cusack, Christina Ricci, Carol Kane, Jimmy Workman. Paramount,1993. Bradford, William. â€Å"Of Plymouth Plantation.† Ed. Nina Baym. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. New York: 2003. 156-195. Newman, Andrew. â€Å"William Bradford, the ‘Pilgrims’, Thanksgiving†. American Literature I. EGL 217. 06 Feb. 2006. (cited as â€Å"Lecture†)

Foundations of Mythology Essay

Myths have been a great part of history, from the very moment humans roamed the green marble we call Earth. Therefore, mythology has become just as relevant in attempting to answer life’s greatest questions as any scientific method. Myths have shaped our world from the very beginning to the world we live in today. We will explore the common meaning of myth versus the academic meaning of myth, what are some of the common mythological themes, and the relationship between belief, knowledge, mythology, and religion. Myth is a word commonly used to describe â€Å"a widely held but false belief or idea,† (Google, 2014). As an example, when someone says ‘that’s a myth,’ they are commonly referring to something being false, untrue, or nonfactual. It is in this context that the majority of the population would use and have used the word myth. In an academic context, a myth is an ancient narrative that attempts â€Å"to answer the enduring and fundamental human questions,† (Leonard & McClure, 2004, pg. 1). I would define a myth as a statement or  event that is believed in without factual basis. Just because the facts elude us, does not make something untrue or false, merely unproven. If something remains unproven, it should not be considered or perceived as false. After all, if it is not proven to be false, it does not make it true and vice versa. The most common mythological themes are of creation, the birth of order, and secretion themes. Many diverse culture around the globe address such similar and universal themes because they are all attempting to answer the most profound questions. Questions that deal with our existence, the existence of all around us, as well as what occurs upon the death of our bodies. These themes tend to cover the creation of all that exists, the order and mechanics of everything, and why things are the way they are. One commonly overlooked creation myth is that of the big bang theory. There is no factual data that indicates that the big bang occurred ‘millions of years ago,’ or that it occurred at all, let alone that it will repeat the cycle of condensing all material into a sphere (the size of a period on this page, up to marble sized which is the source of another debate). Truth is that there is more data that points to a young earth, solar system, and universe than there is for ‘millions of years’ (Creation Today, 2010). There exists an intertwining relationship between belief, knowledge, mythology, and religion whether or not we acknowledge it. Many religions are based on mythology and those in practice of such religions must believe in the knowledge attained from and passed on by centuries of practitioners prior to them. For example, a Buddhist believes he or she will reincarnate to a higher or lower social class depending on their behavior during their current life. This cycle is repeated until enlightenment is attained. This is based on the mythology of Buddha that has become a religion, which millions of people around the globe believe to be truth based on the writings of Buddha himself and the knowledge of all those who came after him. It is this intersection of belief, knowledge, mythology, and religion that has helped countless of people cope with fear of death, or fears in general, with poverty, injustice, suffering, and the unknown. Mythology is still relevant in today’s contemporary culture. Although, the word mythology is not commonly used synonymous with religious beliefs, mythology has shaped the modern social cultures. The majority of people have a religious point of view, whether they believe in a god, many gods, or none at all. It is these belief systems that help them to deal with the unknown, hardships in life, and death. Science has been making leaps and bounds in recent years. Nevertheless, modern science cannot pretend to know half of everything, but given that it did know half of everything, is it not possible to have a creator that dwelled in the half we do not know? I dare to comment that it is quite possible, even more so, that it is inevitable. References Creation Today. (2010, May 12). The age of the earth. Retrieved from http://creationtoday.org/seminar-part-1-the-age-of-the-earth/ Google. (2014). Google search. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=myth&safe=off Leonard, S., & McClure, M. (2004). _Myth & knowing: An introduction to world mythology_. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Byronic Hero In Frankenstein - 1563 Words

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a critique of the Byronic hero, as exemplified in Lord Byron’s â€Å"Manfred.† The Byronic hero is a protagonist who has the following traits: self-inflicted agony, a high self esteem, isolation from society, an exaggerated sense of independence, and genuine guilt. All of these traits Manfred bears, but Victor lacks two of these attributes. The lead protagonists, Victor and Manfred, have two key differences: genuine remorse and independence. Victor’s guilt is false when compared with that of Manfred. Victor relinquishes some of his autonomy to the monster in Frankenstein, in contrast to Manfred’s steadfast hold of complete self government. These differences, seen in Victor’s personality amount to a critique of†¦show more content†¦Lastly, a Byronic hero has genuine guilt. This requires more action than contemplating, and continuously reiterating that a tragedy by his hand occurred. Manfred possesses al l of these traits; however, Victor lacks true remorse and retention of his independence. Manfred’s guilt can be perceived as genuine because of three actions he takes in the play. He verbally takes responsibility for being the cause, he seeks a solution, and he asks Astarte, the one he’s wronged, for forgiveness directly. â€Å"My wrongs were all on those I should’ve cherished—But my embrace was fatal† (II, 87-88). In this line, Manfred voices responsibility for the actions that took place to the Chamois Hunter, confirming his feelings. In the play, Manfred seeks out three sources in the hopes of alleviating his suffering: the seven spirits, the Witch and Arimanes, to whom Manfred requests the summoning of deceased Astarte (II, 79-80). His plea for forgiveness comes during his time with Astarte’s spirit. â€Å"Yet one word more--am I forgiven?† (III, 152). The act of asking for forgiveness is the purest way to express true remorse and regret to those who have been wronged, and this differentiates Manfred from Victor the mo st. His seeking forgiveness also validates Manfred’s love for Astarte is a concept that Victor may not be able to grasp. Victor expresses the misery he feels regarding his actions in relation to the monster with zeal, but his remorse proves to be false when viewed withShow MoreRelatedFrankenstein Byronic Hero Analysis1070 Words   |  5 Pages The Byronic hero as presented in Lord Byron’s â€Å"Manfred,† is a protagonist who has traits, including: a troubled background, high self esteem, isolation from society, an exaggerated sense of independence, and genuine guilt. All of these traits Manfred bears, and Victor shares in a differing form. The differences between Manfred and Victor begin with their feelings of guilt and continue through the amount of control they give up over themselves. The guilt of Victor is false when compared with thatRead MoreMary Shelley s Frankenstein - Romantic Ideology Of A Byronic Hero1270 Words   |  6 Pagesnovel Frankenstein, which was published in 1818, incorporates different characteristics of Romanticism in many aspects but more directly through the cha racters. With an analysis of Victor Frankenstein, the monster, and Henry Clerval, it is clear that the characters of Frankenstein epitomize ideologies that were embodied during the Romantic Era including the Byronic hero, and emphasis on nature’s significance. Victor Frankenstein s character is an example of the romantic ideology of a Byronic heroRead MoreComparing Emily Brontà «s Wuthering Heights to Mary Shelleys Frankenstein911 Words   |  4 Pagessome of which are debatable as to if they were categorized properly. The Films Emily Bront#235;s Wuthering Heights directed by Peter Kosminsky, and Mary Shelleys Frankenstein directed by Kenneth Branagh are both based on novels. Both films display many different ideas, and are structured differently, but Mary Shelleys Frankenstein is an archetype for the gothic genre. Although the two are very different films, through the use of gloom and horror, film techniques, and heroic traits, both filmsRead MoreEssay about Romanticism in Frankenstein1010 Words   |  5 Pagesher works would reflect the Romantic trends. Many label Shelley ¡Ã‚ ¯s most famous novel Frankenstein as the first Science Fiction novel in history because its plot contains the process of a scientist named Victor Frankenstein creating a living human being from dead body parts, but that is only a part of the entire novel. At its core, Frankenstein is a product of Romanticism featuring the traits of a Romantic hero on a Romantic quest, the embracement of nature ¡Ã‚ ¯s sublimity, intense emotions felt byRead MoreAnalysis Of Emily Bronte s Wuthering Heights And Frankenstein 789 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish 4 Honors Mr. Tindal March 4, 2015 Two Stories, One Hunger: Revenge. In both Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, suffering and love cause horrific events to occur. By observing the personality, life, and actions of the Creature and Heathcliff, there is a revealing of a great similarity. Due to these items, each are categorized as the Byronic hero, which is the center of the similarity, along with love. Each character has an unknown identity. Heathcliff is broughtRead MoreVictor Frankenstein As A Hero1598 Words   |  7 PagesAlthough some critics view Victor Frankenstein as a Tragic Hero because of his one essential flaw, his overambitious desire to discover what cannot be known, he is truly a Byronic Hero by definition. Although Victor is of a higher social class than the average person and his essential flaw triumphs all of his others, he has a deeply troubled past, struggles with integrity, secludes himself away from society, and is a willful individual who seeks redemption by carving out his own path. Victor’s manyRead MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray965 Words   |  4 Pages When looking at Frankenstein and The Picture of Dorian Gray, it is clear that Frankenstein is a novel that can be placed into both the gothic and horror genre, although it is a gothic novel secondary to it being a horror novel; The picture of Dorian Gray isn’t so clear in this regard. On a first reading, one may assume the story to be gothic literature and only gothic literature because of the sheer amount of gothic characteristics and elements that the text presents that include, but are not limitedRead MoreEssay on The Everlasting Dark Shadow of Romanticism2650 Words   |  11 Pagestheir tales of horror and suspense. One of the most notable authors during the Romantic period that is well known today for creating one of the greatest literary icons in history was Mary Shelley. Mary Shelley first came up with the idea for Frankenstein when in the summer of 1816 at Lake Geneva Lord Byron put together a ghost story competition and the participants included Byron, Percy Shel ley, John William Polidori and an eighteen year old Mary Shelley (Huston). Whether Shelley anticipated thatRead MoreThe Imagination Of Europe By George Gordon Byron1588 Words   |  7 Pagesworks† (biography.com). Byron created Byronic Hero, a rebellious romantic character, which left a huge impact on english literature and brought new aspects to Romanticism unlike some authors at the time The literary world used the idea of Byronic Hero as it provided more satisfied impact and sharp impression on readers as a character that lived in an outrageous life of fantasy who broke all restrictions, rules and had outstanding characterics. Byron created Byronic Hero based on himself address his lifeRead MoreThe Gothic Villain Essay942 Words   |  4 PagesThe Gothic Villain Who is the Gothic Villain? Is he a villain/hero? Is he a dangerous lover? The villain is usually dark and handsome, though he might have some tell-tell sign that warns he is wicked. The villains ranged from dark priests to mysterious bandits. Some start out as heroes but turn into villains. The Gothic villain has several identifying characteristics. They are shifty, cunning and can mold their behavior to match the need of the circumstance. Villains will utilize intimidation