Tuesday, January 25, 2011

!00 paintings that painters should know. 1-3

I have several ideas for series of posts, I will begin with 100 paintings an artist should know. I will choose representative samples by an artist even though that artist might put 10 into the top one hundred. I will also err towards the American. This is not a scholarly list and I am sure to forget your favorite, let me know if I do. They are going to be arranged from the most important to the the lesser (sort of). I also have a series in mind called THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DUMB DESIGN IDEAS. I will interweave those with whatever else jumps into my mind day to day. OK here we go..................................

Raphael 1483- 1520 Raphael is called the prince of painters. This is

1)The school of Athens, painted in 1509. I could have used a number of different Raphaels but this will do. This is a fresco, which is painted into wet plaster on the wall and done in sections that can be covered in a day, before the plaster dries.. A masterpiece of drawing and perspective from the Vatican. It contains an assemblage of the great philosophers of history. Below is a detail. This is probably Euclid with his students.

The perspecting lines of the piece lead to Plato and Aristotle. Here they are.

Below is
2) Titian"s Venus of Urbino. Titian 1490?-1576

This glowing nude was painted in oil. Titian lived in Venice and made fortunes there. His work is known for its color and relaxed naturalism. Painted in Rome this was one of several similar pictures. It is a nod to classical sculpture.

3) The assumption of the Virgin is considered his masterpiece. So lets count two for Titian, sacred and profane.

Titian was killed by the plague and his magnificent mansion was plundered by thieves.
images from artrenewal.org
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I have a spot left in the second snowcamp. if you want it go here
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21 comments:

  1. RICHARD ANDRYSIAKJanuary 25, 2011 at 12:47 AM

    Hi Stape,

    I thought you might be interested in this Indiana Guy.

    Richard Andrysiak
    andrysiak@comcast.net

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  2. RICHARD ANDRYSIAKJanuary 25, 2011 at 12:55 AM

    Hi Stape,
    I forgot something. The link to the web page.

    http://rompedas.blogspot.com/2011/01/brown-county-art-colony.html

    Richard

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  3. barbara b. land of bozJanuary 25, 2011 at 2:04 AM

    Thank you Stapleton, let my lessons begin....two great painters to start the series. Oh to have the light hand of Titian and the patients of Raphael.

    About the bridges, when did the key stone come into use? I love stories.

    Keep on keeping on Stape.......

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  4. UnknownJanuary 25, 2011 at 2:31 AM

    I am looking forward to this! The encyclopedia of dumb design ideas sounds like great fun as well.

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  5. Philip KochJanuary 25, 2011 at 7:53 AM

    Yeah, I too am chomping on the bit to hear the encyclopedia of dumb design ideas (it just sounds cool). I have no idea whether you're talking about mistakes to avoid in designing one's paintings, or misguided ideas about design commonly presented to artists as must-do principles of artistic achievement. Guess I'll have to stay tuned.....(though I'd wager you're talking about the former).

    About Raphael- I personally could never warm up to his full blown formal paintings, but his drawings are nothing short of amazing. If one want's to just spit with envy, Raphael figure drawings will get you frothing.

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  6. Julie RikerJanuary 25, 2011 at 7:56 AM

    Boy I have forgotten my art history from school. It's great to have a refresher!

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  7. Deborah ParisJanuary 25, 2011 at 9:03 AM

    Just finished reading a biography of Titian by Mark Hudson (pretty good and available on Kindle!). Titian's wonderful portrait of a young man in the Frick was one of the the first Renaissance paintings I ever saw "in the flesh" but I have to agree about the Venus- saw it in the Uffizi and pratically had to be dragged from the room!

    Bring on the design disasters!

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  8. Manatee WritersJanuary 25, 2011 at 9:31 AM

    I'm really looking forward to this too

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  9. RichardJanuary 25, 2011 at 9:58 AM

    from Wikipedia
    In his 1880 travelogue A Tramp Abroad, Mark Twain called the Venus of Urbino "the foulest, the vilest, the obscenest picture the world possesses". He proposed that "it was painted for a bagnio, and it was probably refused because it was a trifle too strong", adding humorously that "in truth, it is a trifle too strong for any place but a public art gallery".

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  10. RichardJanuary 25, 2011 at 9:59 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  11. mariandioguardi.comJanuary 25, 2011 at 12:16 PM

    Ive spent time with some of these works in Venezia and Roma.Yeah! You are off to a great start. Thank you.

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  12. Stapleton KearnsJanuary 25, 2011 at 11:03 PM

    Richard;
    Yes I know T.C. Steele. Do you know Paul Sawyier from Kentucky?
    .............Stape

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  13. Stapleton KearnsJanuary 25, 2011 at 11:03 PM

    barbara:
    I will get back to you on keystones, that's a later post.
    .............Stape

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  14. Stapleton KearnsJanuary 25, 2011 at 11:04 PM

    Jeremy;
    Thanks, the design ideas will be dumb but explain common errors.
    .................Stape

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  15. Stapleton KearnsJanuary 25, 2011 at 11:05 PM

    Philip;
    You had it in the first guess.
    .............Stape

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  16. Stapleton KearnsJanuary 25, 2011 at 11:06 PM

    Julie;
    This is going to be an armchair tour. It would probably seem too informal and biased to your art history teacher.
    ..............Stape

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  17. Stapleton KearnsJanuary 25, 2011 at 11:07 PM

    Deborah;
    That sounds like a good book. I will begin interweaving the encyclopedia soon.
    ...........Stape

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  18. Stapleton KearnsJanuary 25, 2011 at 11:07 PM

    Barbara;
    Thanks
    ...............Stape

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  19. Stapleton KearnsJanuary 25, 2011 at 11:08 PM

    Richard;
    I love Twain. But i don't think he was right about this painting.
    .............Stape

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  20. Stapleton KearnsJanuary 25, 2011 at 11:09 PM

    Marian;
    I have seen some paintings in Venice but I need another trip.
    .............Stape

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  21. UnknownJanuary 27, 2011 at 10:39 PM

    Perhaps you should add a disclaimer.
    "Art History" is really the history of western European art, painted by males, and promoted by professors who have never lifted a paint brush in their entire lives.

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