Studies for the Libyan Sibyl

Studies for the Libyan Sibyl

• A prep sketch that highlights the figure that populates the ceiling of the Sisteen Chapel in the Vatican.
• The Sisteen Chapel is the popes private chapel in Rome.
• These drawings are to scale of the finished fresco.
• Michalenago would do many preparatory sketches.
• A sibyl is a female oracle in ancient Greece. Physic and musculature as a man.
• Nude male primary figure of meaning to Michalenaglo. From the Greeks. Thought that the powerful body was the ultimate creation of God. The human person was created by god and was as such a thing of value and at the pinnacle of the natural world.  
• Michalengo had a debate between line vs color. Artists argued at this time about the best way to represent the human figure.
• Posture of the big toe (foot)
• Michalengo said he was “releasing the figure from the stone.
• This sketch contradicts the theory of releasing the figure from the stone.

Hall of Supreme Harmony

• The primary building in the Chinese forbidden city that was constructed in the early 1400s by the Ming Dynasty and was occupied by the imperial government for about 500 years.
• Home of the Chinese emperors. Outer court for important ceremonies. Inner court was the palace.
• Hall of Supreme harmony was the home to the throne room. Dragon throne. In Chinese history the dragon is a very supreme animal. Cultures use animals to portray something about the rulers.
• The Forbidden city is organized symmetrically accordingly a very carefully laid out and balanced grid on a north-south axis.
• Color purple associated with the North Star, which was the celestial home to the ruler.
• One of the largest wooden structures in China and was the largest at the time it was built.
• The walled city was for protection.
• Served as a ceremonial city for the Forbidden city.
• Daoism and Buddhism linger within the Forbidden city. Buddhist temples.

Pendant Mask

• Was used by court artists in Nigeria in the 16th century specifically for the Edo people of Nigeria.
• Large pendant that would be worn by the Oba, or the king who is associated with the divine. A king of very high divine authority. Worn around his neck as a giant pendant. (or maybe waste)
• Almost 10 inches in height but flat on the back. Think about it as a giant medallion that would be worn around the neck or the waste. An image of the queen mother and a portrait of a known woman Idia, the mother of the Oba.
• Idia was very important. Mother and king’s advisor. She was known for helping and advising the king to make important decisions.
• Commemorated the importance of Idia, also served to enhance the status and authority of the living king because of the great fame of the queen mother.
• Served a medicinal as well as a protective role when worn by a king. Liquid medicinal may have been stored in an opening.
• Carved of ivory, iron, and copper.
• The decoration on this headdress is an alternating representation of Portuguese traders (whose white skin was associated by the God of the sea) and the mudfish.
• The mudfish motif. Mudfish had the ability to sting, as a means of protection was associated with the King.

Four Apostles – Durer

• Two paintings hinged together, oil on panel. Diptics.
• A monument to the heroes of the protestant reformation.
• Martin Luther rebelled against the corruption in the Church – Reformation.
• Before reformation, Roman Catholicism ruled. Varieties of Christianity spread after reformation.
• Duher did not openly confess his allegiance to the Protestants.
• Four figures in painting. The dominant figure to the left is John the Beloved, author of one of the gospel books and Revelation. To the right is St. Paul, who was the author of the many epistles in the bible Reformers saw Paul as promoting the idea of the Christian as justified by faith and be baptized.
• Paul looks at the viewer as a strict moralizing gaze, as he is reprimanding the viewer. Contrasted to John.
• Mark is behind Paul, who is one of the four gospel writers. He is physically smaller than Paul. Looking with the wide eyed gaze as he has something to learn from Paul.
• Behind John is Peter with the keys to the kingdom. Peter has a posture of learning as if John is teaching Peter something, just as Mark does.
• Writing is taken from translations that Luther did of the bible into German. All people should be able to read the bible in their own language. Literacy rates increased with the Reformation, as did the availability of printed bibles.
• Wood block print to the right is pro Reformation propaganda, promoting reformed religion. It also takes the shape of a diptic. Left hand side shows a nude figure of a man that represents Catholic humanity being pushed down into the fiery pits of hell by a skeleton. On the right side there is a figure being shown the crucified Christ. Three traditional symbol of the cross on which Jesus was crucified. Three dead on left hand side – catholic church is dead.
• Diptic shows a contrast between the “good” and “bad” side.

Self Portrait - Duher

• Duher was very much aware of the northern tradition and the fact that he was a part of the legacy of this tradition, which specialized and become international well known for OIL PAINT.
• Work controversial in relation to medieval paintings.
• The idea is that medieval icons were on par with relics and the reputation of being miraculous objects. The artist did not sign them.
• Duher very clearly signs this work. He emphasizes his right hand. He made this work with his own hand. Clearly signs date as well.
• Duher purposely fluffed his hair for this painting in order to create a symbolic triangle of hair.
• Images of the holy face of Jesus were common at this time, and this painting can be related to these painting. Viewer is meant to think of Christ.  
• The fur and texture of it is very important here. He could afford a fur line coat.
• Printing press. In engraving, you take a metal plate and the design that has been created by the artist is cut into the metal plate and the metal plate is inked and run through a press.
• In the insert is one of his better known prints. The Night, the Devil, and himself. Chrisitan solider on a horse. Reference to the biblical passage of passing through the valley of the death and not fearing death, as Christ is by your side.

• Very detailed and close observation of the natural world.
• Print is pictorially on par with a painting. Focus on shadow and details and composition.

The School of Athens – Raphael

• Picture of Raphael inside the pope’s signature room inside the Vatican, in the Vatican Palace.
• The pope was a prince and the ruler of the Vatican state.
• Multiple important rules in the palace.
• This room was the popes Oval room.
• Rafael commissioned to paint walls of the room.
• Paintings in this room glorify the pope’s authority.
• Figure to the left with the beard is plate. The figure to the right is Aristotle. Aristotle was younger than Plato and Plato focused on the realm of the unseen ideals or perfections. That is why his hand is pointing up. Aristotle focused on things that can be seen with the eyes, so his hand is pointing down.
• The figure with the globe on the right is Tolimay, an important map maker from the ancient world.
• Thinkers from different disciplines.
• Male and female personification of wisdom. Painting shows history of thought and knowledge in one painted architectural frame.
• Painted on flat wall that goes back into space. Linear perspective! Symmetrical.
• The Pope and the Roman Catholic church saw itself as the protector of this secular knowledge.

The Sistine Chapel Ceiling – Michelangelo

• Roman Catholicism is the largest and oldest Christian denomination in the world.
• Pope’s private chapel. Ceiling covered in Fresco paintings, but was not when it was first built.
• The various pictorial narratives on the ceiling tie together, even though they were painted through different periods of time.
• Michelangelo thought of himself as a sculptor, but was trained in Fresco painting.
• Fresco painting involves laying a layer of fresh plaster daily and painting into it.
• Adam on the left and God the father hovering above on the right. Heavenly bodies, or the court of heaven surrounds God the father. These are angelic figures that surround God the father.
• God the Father has never been seen by anyone, so bringing a physical figure of him challenges artists. Michelangelo portrays him as a Zeus type powerful figure with a long great beard and a muscular active physic.
• Colors he uses have a lot of debate. Small compared to St. Peters. Ceiling is above 30 feet off the ground and bright colors had to be used.

David

• Commissioned in Florence and created by Michelangelo. Donatello created the other David.
• Made of marble, which was one of Michelangelo specialties. He was also a painter and an architect.
• He saw the figure “trapped in the stone.”
• Idealized nude statue of men.
• If you look at the statue in a high location, some of the disproportional elements may have served as optical corrections.