Landscapes - Martin Constable

Transcription

- Landscapes Martin Constable
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- Landscapes Martin Constable
Content
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The Pre-History of Landscape Painting
Painting from Observation / in the Studio
How a Landscape Painting is Constructed I: Depth Planes
How a Landscape Painting is Constructed II: 2D Space
How a Landscape Painting is Constructed III: Skies
Hudson River Painters
1: The Pre-History of Landscape Painting
‘Landscape with scene from the Odyssey’
Around 60 – 40 b.c.
Unknown artist
Painted 2,000 years ago, the landscape in this
painting serves as little more than as a support for a
classical narrative.
‘Landscape with scene from the Odyssey
Around 60 – 40 b.c.
Unknown artist
‘No. 36 Scenes from the Life of Christ: 20. Lamentation (The Mourning of Christ)’
Between 1304 and 1306
Giotto (1266–1337)
painted 1,000 years later, here the classical
narrative has been replaced by a biblical one.
‘No. 36 Scenes from the Life of Christ: 20. Lamentation (The Mourning of Christ)
Between 1304 and 1306
Giotto (1266–1337)
‘The Tempest’
1508
Giorgione (1417 - 1510)
Giorgione’s ‘Tempest’ is very formalised, exhibiting
a strong diagonal divide:
Left: male, culture, conquest, straight forms.
Right: female, nature, family, curvy forms.
‘The Tempest’
1508
Giorgione
Just about visible: a stork! Then (as now) this bird
represented family, childbirth and the love of
children.
Though this painting (as most other pre-modern paintings)
can be read as some sort of dialogue between male and
female, we are not sure exactly what it means. Its title was
‘given’ by scholars and its figures do not correspond exactly
to any known male / female pair (e.g. Adam and Eve, Paris
and Oenone etc).
This opacity to clear reading perhaps accounts for its
lasting appeal.
This, and the preceding Roman wall paintings, can be
understood as being ‘proto-landscapes’: early progenitors
before the genre had fully developed.
‘Landscape with Saint Jerome’
1516
Joachim Patinir (1480 - 1524)
Joachim Patinir was the first person to use the term
‘landscape’.
‘Landscape with Saint Jerome
1516
Joachim Patinir
‘St Christopher Bearing the Christ Child’
c1525
‘Crossing the River Styx’
c1525
All of his landscapes support some sort of classical
/ biblical narrative.
‘Crossing the River Styx’
c1525
Joachim Patinir
‘Icarus’
c1560
Pieter Bruegel (1525 - 1569)
Bruegel was the germ of what we now know as ‘realist’. Realism
claims to present to the world an unvarnished truth, without
idealism and not an illustration of any classical / biblical reference.
The figures in this painting are dressed as people would have
dressed at the time it was painted. They are also not ‘notable’ (i.e.
not rich, powerful, or known people).
‘Icarus’
c1560
Pieter Bruegel
Despite being titled ‘Icarus’ there appears, at first glance, to
be no overt visual reference to Icarus himself. However, if we
look carefully…
‘Icarus’
c1560
Pieter Bruegel
Here!
‘Icarus’
c1560
Pieter Bruegel
It seems as if this artist went as far as he possibly could in ‘doing a
landscape for its own sake’ yet can not quite let go of the need for
it to have overt content.
‘Icarus’
c1560
Pieter Bruegel
‘Danube landscape near Regensburg’
c1522 – 1525
Albrecht Altdorfer (1480 - 1538)
Altdorfer was probably the first to do a landscape ‘for its own
sake’. This painting contains no humans, however like most of his
landscape paintings, it features traces of human activity (in this
case a castle).
It is relevant that the title of this painting refers directly to a known
place. In this sense, it is a true ‘painting of a place’.
‘Danube landscape near Regensburg
c1522 – 1525
Albrecht Altdorfer (1480 - 1538
‘The Battle of Issus’
c1522 – 1525
This is a bit of a cheat. Whilst not strictly speaking a landscape
painting, Altdorfer’s ‘The Battle of Alexander at Issus’ is so dam
good it deserves a special mention.
Depicting an historical battle, the painting is magnificently
detailed…
‘The Battle of Issus’
c1522 – 1525
2: Painting from Observation / in the Studio
Like any observational artist, the landscape painter has to
negotiate a relationship to the thing that they are painting.
In the case of landscape, this requires that the artist has to
leave the studio. This constitutes part of the ‘special case’ of
landscape painting.
For most of art history, artists would construct a landscape
whilst they were in their studio, using the observed
landscape as a distant reference.
As stated, these landscapes were mere backdrops for a
theme, usually derived from the Bible or classical literature.
‘Road through an Oak Forest’
1646
Jacob van Ruisdael (1628 - 1682)
Flemish and Dutch painters, like Jacob van Ruisdael, offered a
very ‘realistic’ view of nature. However, these were still very
idealised, being made in the studio from reference drawings and
sketches.
‘Road through an Oak Forest
1646
Jacob van Ruisdael
‘Flatford Mill’
1820
John Constable (1776 – 1834)
Landscape painting was very popular with the Romantic painters.
Most of them featured the usual traces of human activity.
‘Flatford Mill
1820
John Constable (1776 – 18
‘Wanderer above the Sea of Fog’
1818
Caspar David Friedrich (1774 – 1840)
‘Petworth Park’
1830
Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775 – 1851)
‘A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt. Rosalie’, 1866, Albert Bierstadt (1830 -1902)
‘A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt. Rosalie’, 1866, Albert Bierstadt (1830 -1902)
The Hudson River painters were an exception, with much of their
work being of known places in the US, often devoid of humans or
any human trace.
However, the implied narrative was almost as strong: that it was
the ‘manifest destiny’ of Americans to ‘conquer’ this new territory.
‘Valley of the Yosemite’, 1864, Albert Bierstadt (1830 -1902)
Frequently animals served as proxy humans, being placed in exactly
the position a human would have been placed.
What they lacked in overt content, they made up for in
meteorological excess. They were glorious in their lighting and
color, and frequently depicted sunsets or storms (more Hudson
River paintings later).
In response to increasing urban development and industrialisation,
the landscape was seen more as a special place in which God
lived. Something that was larger and more powerful than humans.
‘The Bridge at Narni'
1826
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot
(1796 - 1875)
Corot was (probably) the first artist who placed landscape front
and centre, independent of any supporting human narrative and
unmediated by the studio.
They were painted directly from observation and not altered in the
studio, a very unusual practice at that time.
‘The Bridge at Narni'
1826
Jean-Baptiste-Camille
(1796 - 1875)
‘Civita Castellana'
1826
(1796 - 1875)
‘A Rising Path'
1826
(1796 - 1875)
John Constable deserves a special mention in this context.
His observations from nature were meticulous to the point of
obsession.
He kept a regular weather diary, noting the temperature, air
pressure and suchlike. He also made many oil sketches
purely as research, with no intension to directly incorporate
them into his paintings.
‘Landscape in Suffolk'
1750
Thomas Gainsborough
(1727 - 1788)
From the other side of the hill comes Gainsborough. His
landscapes were very synthetic things, being heavily invented
within the studio.
1750
Thomas Gainsborough
(1727 - 1788)
He had an interesting technique: to arrange a table with coal,
broccoli, cabbage and rocks. Then to invent a landscape
based upon what he was looking at.
1750
Thomas Gainsborough
(1727 - 1788)
This is a recreation done as a student exercise:
This is a recreation done as a student exercise:
‘Drawing of a Landscape'
1920
Pierre Bonnard (1867 - 1947)
Bonnard had an interesting technique. He would first draw the
landscape from observation using no more than pencil and
note pad paper. he would then move to his studio and
produce a full color painting using no more than the drawing
as reference.
The color would come from the variety of lines he employed:
the variance being in their weight, the marks he employed,
the angle he was holding the pencil, how sharp the pencil
was etc. In essence: he was drawing color.
I set this as an excersise for my students. Only around 1 in 10
are able to satisfactory respond.
‘Drawing of a Landscape'
1920
Pierre Bonnard
(1867 - 1947)
‘Mr. and Mrs. Andrews’
c1750
Thomas Gainsborough (1727 - 1788)
Here the couple have been painted in front of land that they
own. Clearly in this case some sort of verisimilitude is
necessary, with the painting serving as evidence of ownership.
‘Mr. and Mrs. Andrews’
c1750
Thomas Gainsborough (1727 - 1788
‘View of Halliburton's Hills'
1818
Captain Robert Smith (1787-1873)
Here the ownership is larger in scale. Captain. Robert Smith’s
paintings were done as testament to one nation’s ownership of
another.
1818
Captain Robert Smith (1787-1873
That having been said, he did not just paint regions of economic
or cultural relevance. He clearly knew the region well (Penang)
and always chose his locations very well.
1818
Captain Robert Smith (1787-1873
‘The Chinese Mills'
1818
This sensitivity did not extend towards the denizens of the
region, who he typically exited with bizarre and / or inaccurate
costumes.
‘Glugor House And Spice Plantations'
1818
‘View From Convalescent Bunglow'
1818
A photo taken by me from the same vantage point. Not relevant,
but kinda interesting.
‘View of Singapore, from Dr Little's garden'
1870
Marianne North (1830 - 1890)
Mariam North was similar, but took a special interest in the
botany of the region.
‘View of Singapore, from Dr Little's garden'
1870
Marianne North
The Mariam North gallery in London’s Key Garden.
3: How a Landscape Painting is Constructed I:
- Depth Planes -
3: How a Landscape Painting is Constructed I:
- Depth Planes Warning: this
section a bit
technical!
Space in a painting is organised according to depth planes.
These planes are simplifications of real space. In the case
of portrait painting these planes are simply the foreground
(the figure) and the background (everything else).
First I must briefly introduce the three
perceptual components of color: hue,
saturation and lightness.
H
Hue
S
Saturation
L
Lightness
Lightness is the ‘master’ component of
color, being the skeleton of a painting and
also essential to the act of perception.
H
Hue
S
Saturation
L
Lightness
Hue and Saturation are the chroma
components of color. They are nonessential yet carry a lot of the emotional
weight of a painting…
H
Hue
S
Saturation
L
Lightness
Hue is the ‘name’ of the color (the ‘color
term’)…
H
Hue
S
Saturation
L
Lightness
Whist saturation is the intensity of the
color…
H
Hue
S
Saturation
L
Lightness
‘An Extensive River Landscape With A Castle On A Hill Beyond’
1880
Frederik Marinus Kruseman (1817 - 1882)
In a landscape painting the planes are more
numerous. The traditional planes are: background,
middle ground foreground and sky.
Sky
MG
BG
FG
Foreground:
This is usually where the action is in a painting. If the
painting features figures, this is where they are likely to be
found.
It also usually contains the darkest and the lightest regions
of the painting which are usually black and white
respectively.
Additionally, it contains the sharpest and clearest edges:
e.g the perimeter of a tree or building.
Middleground:
This has a wide tone range but not as wide as the FG.
Though it might contain white regions, it is unlikely to
contain black regions.
Background:
This is usually very pale and blue. It has so little congrats it
is likely to be monochrome. It’s edges are very diffuse and
soft and there is little in the way of definition.
Sky:
Strictly speaking the sky is not a plane, but the curved face
of a dome that extends over our head. However, we may
treat it as if it is a plane.
The sky is special for several reasons. It has a huge
influence over the emotional impact of the landscape. It can
be gloomy, celebratory, dramatic or (should it be so
needed) entirely neutral.
Is is more likely to contain the highest hue variety of all the
regions. It is also usually the most exaggerated of all the
regions, bearing the least resemblance to that which is
found in nature. Given its importance but also it’s mutable
nature and the ease with which skies may be invented, this
is no surprise.
The illusion of depth is maintained by:
The contrast within each region (intracontrast)
The contrast between each region (intercontrast)
See how the tonal intracontrast of the FG region
is high, with extremes of light to dark. More
distant planes have less tonal intracontrast
See how the hue intracontrast of the FG region
is high, with extremes of green to red. More
distant planes have less hue intracontrast
The illusion of depth is managed by the
intercontrast between these regions ...
The intracontrast of a painting expresses so
called ‘atmospheric perspective’.
This is an exaggeration of the atmospheric
perspective found in a natural scene.
Space in a painting is rarely as simple as
that of a portrait (where the space is simple
figure/ not-figure).
The depth regions are sometimes difficult
to discern and frequently interact with each
other in odd ways.
For example… see how in
this painting the background
wraps around the foreground.
For example… see how in
this painting the background
wraps around the foreground.
The different values of a landscape perform
different tasks.
See how the dark tone is
predominantly aligned along a
diagonal...
See how the mid tone is
predominantly aligned along a
horizontal...
See how the highlight is scattered
yet predominantly horizontal...
See how the darks enhance
the ‘root’ of the image...
See how the point of highest
saturation is held by the centre
of interest (the figures)...
See how the hue is spilt along
a red / green axis (i.e. high
antagonism)
Here within a predominately green region,
warm and cool greens have been employed.
4: How a Landscape Painting is Constructed II:
- 2D Space -
As well as going into the depth of a picture,
space also ‘sits on top of it’
This is the picture plane or 2D space
See how their is a ‘spiral’ into
the depth of the picture.
But see how there is also a flat
snake form down the face of the
picture plane.
The edges and corners are important parts of the picture
plane. The four edges constitute the frame of the painting. As
a landscape crosses these edges, they play a far more
significant role in the painting than a portrait or still life.
Placement of the landscape within these borders is especially
difficult when the artist is painting from observation.
Van Gogh made a sighting mechanism to aid in this placement.
See how in a painting the
centre is intentionally
brightened. This is the
typical ‘vista’
!
Average lightness distribution of paintings
!
Average lightness distribution of photos
The vista can be
understood as being a
spiral hole drilled down the
axis of the depth.
!
!
Usually, one top corner is
lighter than the others. This
enhances the spiral form of
the vista
!
!
!
For some reason, it is more
often the case that the top
right corner is the lightest
corner.
Why? I don't know.
!
!
!
See how there is a hard border on the left and
a soft border on the right. This enhances the
spiral of the vista.
See how there is a hard border on the left and
a soft border on the right. This enhances the
spiral of the vista.
Soft edge
Hard edge
‘Morning in Riesengebirge’
1810
The horizon line of this painting is exactly
along the centre line. This is surprising rare in
landscape paintings, the norm being…
‘Morning in Riesengebirge’
1810
… to place it quite low on the picture plane.
This corresponds to ‘human normal’ (humans
tend to look up slightly, which lowers the
horizon line).
‘Dedham Mill’
1820
John Constable (1776 – 1834)
However, high placements are not unknown,
their strength being to place the viewer more
directly ‘in the action’.
‘Landscape with Philemon and Baucis’
1625
Peter Paul Rubens (1577 – 1640)
‘The Red Vineyards in Arles’
1888
Vincent van Gogh (1853 – 1890)
We look at the points where major forms
intersect the edges. These points rarely lay on
the corners or the exact middles.
‘The Red Vineyards in Arles
1888
Vincent van Gogh (1853 – 1890
4: How a Landscape Painting is Constructed II:
- 2D Space -
5: How a Landscape Painting is Constructed III:
- Skies -
Skies in paintings are either very dull, to act
as a neutral backdrop for the landscape...
...or wildly exiting. Either way they have a
huge influence on the emotional impact of
the landscape.
Despite the precedent set by Giorgione, for most of art
history the skies in landscapes were pretty dull…
…Serving as little more than neutral backdrops assist which
the human drama was placed.
‘Landscape With Funeral Of Phocion’
1648-1650
Nicolas Poussin (1774 – 1840)
In contrast, the Romantic painters placed a high importance
on the sky as an active part of the painting: setting and
enhancing the dramatic potential of the scene.
‘Among the Sierra Nevada Mountains’
1868
Albert Bierstadt (1830 - 1902)
Starry Nighty
1889
Van Gogh (1853 - 1890)
Sunset on the Plains
1966
Frederic Whitaker (1891 - 1980)
Street View
1896
Claude Monet (1840 - 1926)
Here the painting has been desaturated, leaving only the
Street View
1896
lightness
values.
See
how the sun is practically invisible?
Here the saturation (color intensity) values of the painting
Street View
1896 See how noticeable the sun now is?
have been
isolated.
In other words: the object boundaries have been defined
Street View
1896
throughClaude
color
intensity
(saturation) and not lightness.
Monet (1840 - 1926)
This is a uniquely modern strategy, favoured heavily by the
Street View
1896
impressionists.
Sunset on White Mountains
1861
Louis Rémy Mignot (1831 - 1870)
Mignot was an American artist who died tragically young
(aged 39). Ironically, his favourite subject was sunsets. He
was associated with the Hudson River painters.
Sunset on White Mountains
1861
Louis Rémy Mignot (1831 - 1870
Lagoon of the Guayaquil
1863
Church at Dusk
1863
Twilight on the Passaic
1861
The Japanese Footbridge
1899
6: Hudson River Painters
- Hudson River Painters Because they
were good!
The Hudson River painters were a coherent group of American
Romantic painters who frequently painted around the Hudson
River area, New York state. In my estimation, they represent
the apogee of landscape art.
I shall show a small selection of paintings by the following
artists:
Albert Bierstadt (1830–1902)
Frederic Church (1826– 1900)
Thomas Moran (1837–1926)
Sanford Gifford (1823-1880)
Thomas Cole (1801–1848)
Albert Bierstadt
California Coast
unknown
Here Bierstadt is painting directly into the light. Such a thing
would not have been attempted before the advent of
Romanticism.
The color is very monotone: variants of orange / brown.
The depth plane is very shallow: a simple FG / BG / Sky.
Albert Bierstadt
California Coast
unknown
Albert Bierstadt
Day’s Beginning
c.1854-1856
Again, painting into the light. Different to the previous
example, there is strong and clear depth plane separation:
FG / MG / BG / Sky
Albert Bierstadt
Day’s Beginning
c.1854-1856
Albert Bierstadt
Study for Yosemite Valley Glacier
Point Trail
1873
Here the light is blooming, with the light hazing in the
distance. Again, a single monotone is employed.
Albert Bierstadt
Study for Yosemite Valley Glacier
Point Trail
1873
Fredrick Church
The Andes of Ecuador
1855
The sun is placed centrally, a very rare strategy. Also, a
strong red / green axis has been employed.
Fredrick Church
The Andes of Ecuador
1855
Fredrick Church
Sunset
1856
A band of strong saturated yellow across the middle.
Fredrick Church
Sunset
1856
Fredrick Church
Scene Among the Andes
1854
Thomas Moran
On the Berry Trail Grand Canyon of
Arizona
1903
Again, a very strong red / green. Such complementary pairs
are very popular with artists, with red / green being the most
popular.
Thomas Moran
On the Berry Trail Grand Canyon of
Arizona
1903
Thomas Moran
Green River Wyoming
1878
Here the complementary pairs used have been yellow /
purple. This is a rare combination in art.
Thomas Moran
Green River Wyoming
1878
Thomas Moran
The Grand Canyon Hance Trail
1904
Sanford Gifford
Lake Scene
1861
Sanford Gifford
Road Scenery near Lake George
1849
Sanford Gifford
Mount Mansfield
1859
Thomas Cole
The Subsiding of the Waters of the
Deluge
1829
Here the vista is ridiculously strong and overt.
Thomas Cole
The Subsiding of the Waters of the
Deluge
1829
Thomas Cole
Prometheus Bound
1846-47
There is a very strong tilted diagonal that terminates away
from the exact corners.
Thomas Cole
Prometheus Bound
1846-47
Thomas Cole
Romantic Landscape with Ruined
Tower
1832-36
- END Martin Constable

Landscapes - Martin Constable

Transcription

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