76 Object data - Detroit Institute of Arts

Transcription

Object data:
Lady in Black, 1895
Oil on canvas
William Merritt Chase
American, 1849-1916
72 x 35 in.
DIA no: 43.486
Object label text
This object has no text in the gallery
Additional Information
o Chase was influenced greatly by Whistler’s tonal compositions.
o The sitter for the painting is anonymous but believed to be one of Chase’s
students.
o Chase painted the lady with a sense of determination.
o The pose and determined expression set the painting apart from typical women’s
portrait painting of the time.
o Chase was even particular about his frames and used with bronzing powders to
match the chair in the painting with the frame.
o Chase wanted the painting and the frame to be a total package.
o She is wearing a black, high collared dress black beading, short sleeves and a
tightly sashed waist.
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Object data:
Mosquito Nets, 1908
Oil on canvas
John Singer Sargent
American, 1856-1925
22½ x 28¼ in.
DIA no: 15.12
Object Label Text
Look for signs of quick brushwork in the black skirts, wall decoration and wispy
mosquito nets. Sargent's decision to leave visible brushstrokes makes this painting feel
spontaneous—it freezes a brief moment in time. He painted his sister and their friend
while vacationing on the Spanish island of Majorca.
Additional Information:
o This is an example of a “plein air” painting.
o The painting contains a sense of intimacy since Sargent is painting his sister
Emily along with a family friend/traveling companion Eliza Wedgwood of the
Wedgwood pottery family while they vacationed together.
o Emily invented the mosquito nets as a protection against insects that could lead to
malaria.
o Sargent selected reading materials for the trip.
o The pair is sitting at the Villa Mossenya on the island of Majorca.
o Sargent captures the fabric of their black dresses, normal wear for older upper
class women at that time.
Plein Air –PLANE Air
Plein Air - French term meaning "in the open" - This term is used to describe paintings
that have been done outdoors, or directly from the subject, rather than painter later from
sketches in a studio. This became a central aspect of Impressionism.
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Object data:
The White Veil, 1909
Oil on canvas
Willard Leroy Metcalf
American, 1858-1925
36 x 36 in.
DIA no: 15.12
Object Label Text
Metcalf’s dabs and strokes of white paint help to convey the feeling of a cold, snowy day.
And by using the green of the pines as a contrast, he is able to define sky, trees, shrubs
and snow-covered hills using mainly grays and whites.
o Asian Influences influence the square composition.
o Japanese art prints, which had originally come into France as wrapping paper for
imported goods influenced impressionist compositions.
o The cutting off of edges much like a “snap shot” was due to the growing
popularity of photography at the time.
o The painting was not intended to be varnished the varnish would have added a
layer of separation between the viewer and the painting much like the glass of a
window; here the artist preferred that the strokes of the paint and the scene be
viewed without such a barrier.
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Object data:
Pewabic Niches, c. 1927
Oak with traces of polychromy
Mary Chase Perry Stratton
American, 1867-1961
[note: Pewabic tile installations are not accessioned objects]
Object Label Text
Pewabic Tiles at the DIA
Lining the walls behind the glass shelves are Pewabic tiles, famous for their iridescent
glazes. Ceramic artist Mary Chase Perry Stratton created the two tiled niches in this
gallery in 1927, when the DIA building was new.
Stratton founded Detroit’s Pewabic Pottery in 1903. Pewabic tiles grace the Detroit
Public Library, the Guardian building downtown, and homes throughout Detroit. For
other Pewabic tile installations at the DIA, look at the Great Hall's floor medallions and
the water fountain between the Great Hall and Rivera Court.
o Pewabic is an Ojibwa word for the color of copper metal and a place name in
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where Stratton was born
o Stratton thought the word was appropriate for her unusual irridescent glazes
o The DIA also has several vases designed by Stratton
DIA Niches
o Cret designed the niches and Mary Chase was commissioned to add tiles
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o Originally framing the entrance to special exhibition galleries, both niches were
covered over in 1969, and uncovered in the 1990s
o Late 1800s silver, glassware, and ceramics will be displayed in the niches, on
rotation
Other Pewabic tile in the DIA
• Great Hall central floor medallion, 1927
• Rivera Court floor medallion replicated Great Hall design, added in 1988
• A water fountain by Mary Chase Perry Stratton stands in the transition area
between the Great Hall and Rivera Court
o A water fountain in the DFT Auditorium lobby
o Tile on both stairs leading down to lobby from the Crystal Gallery
o A large feathered serpent winds around the ceiling of a Promenade gallery north
east of Rivera Court. The gallery was designed for ancient American art in 1927,
and the tiles represent Quetzalcoatl (KE tsal KO wa tl) an Aztec sky and creator
god. The fired ceramic tiles are a smoky white with a blue-green glaze selectively
applied. These tiles were recently uncovered during museum renovations.
In Michigan, Pewabic installations can be found in countless churches (including Christ
Church at Cranbrook, Holy Redeemer Church and St. Paul Cathedral in Detroit), schools,
commercial buildings and public facilities (such as the Northwest Terminal and Comerica
Ballpark,) public spaces (Detroit People Mover Stations) and private residences.
Pewabic Pottery can be seen throughout the United States in such places as the National
Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., the Nebraska State Capitol,
the Science Building at Rice University in Houston, and the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.
Mary Chase Perry Stratton
Stratton was born in Hancock, Michigan in the Upper Peninsula, and later moved with
her family to Detroit. She attended her first art classes at the Art School of the Detroit
Museum of Art. She followed that up with two years of studies at the Cincinnati Art
School from 1887 to 1889.
An important figure in Detroit's artistic and cultural life, Mary Stratton was a founding
member of the Detroit Arts & Crafts Society and later served as a trustee of what is now
the Detroit Institute of Arts. She established the ceramics department at the University of
Michigan, taught students in Wayne State University's ceramic program.
Note: The Pewabic Pottery is still operating as a museum, studio and gallery in Detroit.
For more information see their Web site Pewabic.com
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European Cret Galleries
European art is also located in the South Wing, second and third floors. Visitors wanting
to see those galleries should take a South Wing adult tour.
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Object data:
Chapel from Chateau de Lannoy, about
1522–24
Limestone
Unknown artist
French (Herbéviller, Lorraine)
481 cm. vault height to keystone
295 cm width of inner walls
331 cm length of inner walls
189 in.
DIA no: 23.147
Object Label Text This object has no text in the gallery
•
•
•
•
•
Was originally part of a chateau owned by noble family in the small village of
Herbéviller chateau in eastern France
The only part of the chateau made of limestone, a costly material
Characteristic of Gothic architecture with its ribbed vault, pointed arches—this
architectural style gives the illusion of grand space and soaring heights even in a
relatively small physical area such as this chapel
At the highest point in the center of the ceiling are keystones decorated with the coatof-arms with symbols identifying the family that commissioned the chapel’s
construction; the symbols are a crowned lion and a bent arm with fist closed around a
ring with crosses in the background (see Fig. 1). The same coat-of-arms appears in
the quatrefoil (4-petaled flower shape) stained glass in the window on the far right.
By the 14th century, individual chapels for private devotion were increasingly
common among the aristocracy.
Private devotional enclaves such as this were meant to convey the status, wealth, and
prestige of the family as well as the piety of its owners
Background information on how Chapel came to the DIA
European medieval architecture was actively sought by American collectors between the
World Wars.
The buildings or architectural fragments were often found neglected or damaged in war,
or the owners were desperate for cash after WWI and sold family heirlooms. As a result,
European proprietors sold architectural elements to American public and private
collections.
This chapel was acquired by the Arts Commission, gifted by Ralph Booth and his wife to
the museum, at an opportune moment when the DIA was still under construction and
architects could incorporate the chapel into the building plan.
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Fig. 1 Coat-of-arms at apex of vaulted ceiling
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Object data:
Twelve Old Testament
Prophets and Psalmists
about 1470
Pot-metal glass,
uncolored glass with
silver stain and paint
After woodcuts in the
"Biblia Pauperum," mid1400s
Saint Cecilia Workshop
German (Cologne)
13¼ x 11¼ in. (detail)
DIA no: 49.535-546
Group theme text
Stained glass = the people’s bible
For medieval Christians who couldn't read, images such as these helped them learn
biblical stories.
Deep, intense colors enhanced by sunshine created a special ambiance for prayer and
worship.
• chapel has sixteen stained glass panels
•
•
•
•
•
Windows fill openings in ornamental, carved stonework, or tracery, in elaborate
patterns, including
An example of an architectural style referred to as French “flamboyant” because of
the flame-like shape of the stonework at the top of the middle and right windows (see
Fig. 2)
The stained glass in the windows’ upper tracery is believed to be from glass found at
the site of the chapel
When the DIA first installed the chapel, clear panes of glass filled the lower portions.
The DIA later acquired the 12 panels of stained glass from another church in order to
fill the lower windows
These 12 panels depict Biblical prophets and kings and were probably made in a
workshop in Cologne, Germany, which was one of the most productive artistic
centers in the late Middle Ages.
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Flame-like tracery
characteristic of
“flamboyant” style
of architecture
Fig. 2 Stonework tracery of windows
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Object data:
Madonna and Child, about 1350–60
Marble with paint and traces of gilding
Nino Pisano
Italian, about 1315-68
30 x 11 x 6¼ in.
DIA no: 27.150
Object Label Text
A masterpiece of Italian sculpture
The elegant and courtly Mary looks lovingly at her son Jesus. Conveying such tender
emotion in a Madonna and Child figure was a new trend in art during the 1300s.
Nino Pisano carved, painted, and gilded this sculpture. The graceful s-curve of the pose
was inspired by French Gothic art.
o Nino is the famous son of Andrea Pisano, also a sculptor
o Nino was influenced by new art from France.
o The figure of Mary is posed in a graceful S-curve typical of the international
gothic movement.
o This is a more human form of Mary with more weight and substance
o She holds the Jesus in her left arm.
o Her expression is a sweet smile and she gazes at the Jesus
o Jesus also has weight and substance
o He gazes to the right and in his hands he holds a bird
o The garments of both figures are deeply carved and flowing and reveal body form
beneath.
o This is one of only three sculptures signed by Pisano.
Summer/2007
CRET- EUROPE (adult)
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Object data:
Lamentation over the Dead Christ, about 1460 Oak
After a design by Rogier van der Weyden
South Netherlandish, 1399-1464
Carved by the artist known as the Master of the Arenberg Lamentation
South Netherlandish (Brussels), active 1460s
34½ x 55 x 9½ in.
DIA no: 61.164
Object Label Text: This object has no text in the gallery
o Seven figures are lamenting, or mourning, the dead Christ who is at center.
o At the left, St. John the Evangelist leans forward towards the Virgin Mary as she
reaches out to hold the body.
o Behind the head of Christ, is the bearded figure of Joseph of Arimathea
supporting the upper part of the body.
o To the right of Joseph, is the figure of an angel with flowing hair but without
wings, holding Christ's left arm.
o Nicodemus holds Christ's legs, to the right of the angel.
o A holy woman, possibly Mary Salome, gazes down at the kneeling Mary
Magdalene on the far right.
o The circular mark of the Brussels sculptors' guild appears on top of Nicodemus'
head.
o This scene was popular in Byzantine art in the 800s and in Western Europe in the
900s.
o Shows a new gravity and human tenderness.
o The carefully carved scene reveals tears on the face of Mary, Mary Magdalene
and Nicodemus.
o After a design by famous painter Roger van der Weyden.
o Roger van der Weyden was one of the most important painters of the era.
o One of the most important Northern gothic sculptures in the United States.
o Originally painted
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Earlier Medieval
Gallery Summary Panel
Sample a thousand years of early Christian art
This gallery presents Christian art from the 300s into the 1400s. Many pieces are
architectural sculpture from churches. They range from simple crosses to more elaborate
carvings and paintings. You'll see art and architectural elements in the following styles:
• Byzantine works from the eastern Mediterranean, such as the bowls and small
bronze crosses
• Romanesque works from Italy and elsewhere, inspired by ancient Roman and
later Venetian architectural sculpture—notably the carved marble reliefs and
animal roundels
• Early Gothic works from Italy and Spain such as the large crucifixes
The design of this room enhances the art
In the 1920s, when this building was being designed, DIA director William Valentiner
worked with architect Paul Cret to create an architecture that complemented the style of
the art displayed. This room's barrel vaulted ceiling, attached columns, and chandelier are
modern interpretations of Romanesque art and architecture.
Summer/2007
88
Object data:
Madonna and Child Enthroned, between
1200 and 1250
Painted poplar with gilding
Unknown artist
Italian (central)
62½ x 21¼ x 20 in.
DIA no: 30.383
Object Label Text
Mary as the throne
Mary's formal pose with her straight back is called sedes sapientae (pronounced SEH-dis
SAH-pee-EN-tay-ee), meaning the seat of wisdom in Latin. She serves as the throne for
her son Jesus.
This rare sculpture from Urbino in central Italy shows Byzantine and French
Romanesque influences.
o A frontally posed, seated Madonna, wearing a long gown and a mantle, holds the
seated Christ Child on her lap.
o Christ right hand is lifted in a gesture of benediction, and his left hand is held
outward, palm upward.
o The Madonna supports the child's right elbow with her right hand, and her left
hand is placed at his side.
o The figure was covered in a fine linen and then a layer of gesso (a white ground
for painting made of gypsum, glue and water) with several layers painted over
that and gilded and the entire surface has been impregnated with wax to protect
the paint.
o The style is very formal with hieratic iconic pose like that seen in early
manuscripts in the Byzantine style
Pronunciation
Gesso jess soh
Summer/2007
89
Object data:
Corpus of Christ, 1200s (Cross is later)
Wood with painted decoration and
gilding
Unknown artist
Spanish (Catalonia)
94 x 66 in.
DIA no: 28.3
o Suffering shown with deep carving of the torso and the limbs and overall
anatomy.
o The sculpture creates a less idealized Christ that shows human suffering.
o This Christ reveals pain and his wounds with his closed eyes knitted brow and
tilted head
o The stark carving and extreme lines fell out of fashion in other parts of Europe but
they persisted in Spain.
o This Christ is from the transitional period between Romanesque and Gothic eras
around 1250.
Summer/2007
90
Object data:
Book Cover with The Crucifixion, about
1200
Champlevé enamel on gilt copper,
mounted on oak core
Unknown artist
French (Limoges)
11 3/4 x 7½ in.
DIA no: 62.96
Object Label Text
Group Theme Text
Medieval Metalwork
Most of the objects in this display were created to serve a Christian religious purpose.
Several, such as the large cross, the chalice, and the covered bowl or pyx were used on an
altar in celebration of the Catholic Mass.
The objects highlight the craft of metalworking in Western Europe during
medieval times. Thin sheets of gold applied to surfaces make objects gleam. The altar
cross combines finely decorated metal mounts with precisely carved rock crystal. A
complicated enamel technique created the colorful, highly detailed designs on the book
cover.
o Champlevé enamel technique is displayed here. Enamel is applied as a paste
(made of ground glass) onto hollowed out portions of a metal surface that is then
heated to eight hundred degrees, fusing the enamel to the metal. The enamel is
then polished down to the level of the metal.
o The term Champlevé comes from the French for ‘raised field’. When fired, the
field is raised above the metal but is then polished down so that it is one surface.
o The figures that are non enamel have appliquéd heads that are in relief and have
dimensionality.
o Most of Detroit’s Champlevé enamel is from Limoges.
o Limoges produced most ecclesiastical enamel.
Pronunciation
Limoges lee mohje
Champlevé shamp luh vay
Summer/2007
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Object data:
Diptych with Scenes of the Lives of
Christ and the Virgin, about 1320-30
Ivory
Unknown artist
French (Paris)
9 3/4 x 10 3/8 in.
DIA no: 2002.159
Group Label Theme Text
Intricate Ivories
These ivory carvings were made in medieval Western Europe between 1100 and 1500.
Though small, they are filled from edge to edge with intricately carved scenes. Many
have Christian subjects and were used for private devotion as reminders of biblical
teachings.
Why ivory?
Elephant ivory was a rare, expensive material. It arrived in Western Europe through long,
difficult trade routes from the African interior. Ivory’s density allowed fine carving in
elaborate detail. Carvers cut along the ivory’s grain and curve; in Virgin and Child
Enthroned on the top shelf, you can just make out the curve of the elephant tusk.
o
o
o
o
o
The DIA has the third largest collection of Gothic ivory.
Ivory gained prominence and began to replace enamel.
Ivory carvers like woodcarvers prefer to go with the grain rather than against it.
Ivory diptychs were easily transported with their owners.
The piece is to be read left to right and from the bottom to the top.
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Explore Fifteenth-century Italian Renaissance Art
The Renaissance style was inspired by intellectual discovery—scientific
observations of nature and studies of ancient Roman culture.
The Renaissance started in Tuscany
From the 1300s on, Tuscan families, especially in Florence and Siena, grew
rich through banking or trade, and competed for prominence. Families hired
architects to build ever-grander palaces and churches. They filled homes
with fine paintings, sculptures, and luxury objects. Fueled by intense
demand, art and architecture flourished and spread the Renaissance style
beyond Tuscany and throughout Europe.
The Renaissance art in this room emphasizes human tenderness in a new
way
Renaissance artists combined their inspiration from ancient Roman art with
Christian teachings of compassion. As a result, human figures are
represented as natural and realistic; they are solid and three-dimensional
with expressions and gestures conveying a range of emotions, including
tenderness.
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Object data:
Madonna and Child, about 1410–20
Painted terracotta with gilding
Attributed to Donatello
Italian, 1386-1466
26 5/8 x 14 7/8 x 13 1/8 in.
DIA no. 40.19
Object Label Text
Christian imagery influenced by ancient Rome
Donatello’s representation of Jesus and his mother Mary was innovative and
unprecedented. The energetic, powerful pose of Jesus tugging robes taut echoes ancient
imagery of the Roman hero Hercules. Jesus’ strength is emphasized in contrast to Mary
who gazes tenderly and meditatively at her son.
o Donatello carves Mary with not only tenderness but also monumentality.
o Donatello was one of the first artist to model and fire his terracotta and then paint
it.
o This is probably one f the earliest works of Donatello that retains its gilding and
polychrome.
o There are exceptional animated drapery folds.
o Madonna has elongated fingers, hair, and facial type similar to other works of
Donatello found in Florence.
o This is a new way of approaching Madonna and child. Madonna has tenderness to
her face and Christ is in a Herculean child pose.
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Object data:
Madonna and Child, about 1435
Painted terracotta with gilding
Attributed to Lorenzo Ghiberti
Italian, 1378-1455
46 x 23 1/2 x 9 in.
DIA no. F76.91
o Ghiberti was the only artist to fully transition from the Gothic style into the
Renaissance style in a single career.
o Still has the original polychrome and gilded surface.
o Here the animated Jesus is shown touching Mary’s cheek in a display of
tenderness and human affection.
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Luca della Robbia, Madonna and Child, inv. 29.355)
Object data:
Madonna and Child (“The Genoa
Madonna”), about 1445–50
Enameled terracotta with gilding
Luca della Robbia
Italian, 1399-1482
19½ x 14½ in.
DIA no. 29.355
Object Label Text
It’s not marble—it’s enameled terracotta
And Luca della Robbia invented it. He shaped wet red clay, which he fired to make
terracotta. He then added enamel for the white and blue colors and fired the piece a final
time. The technique achieves the subtle sheen and hard appearance of marble. Painted
blue eyes on his white sculptures are a della Robbia signature.
o Della Robbia created a new kind of enamel in which the piece goes through two
separate firings. The second firing gives the look of marble in a less expensive
material
o This is one of his first successful multiple castings.
o The piece radiates sincerity and humanity with the mother and child embracing
one another.
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96
Object data:
Tobias and Three Archangels, 1471
Tempera, oil (?), gold, and silver on
panel
Neri di Bicci
Italian, 1418-1492
96 3/8 x 92 x 8 1/2 in.
DIA no: 26.114
Story
• The painting depicts a scene from the story of Tobias, from Jewish apocrypha and
Christian tradition; story generally relates to the protection and good fortune of
travelers
• The youth Tobias, represented here wearing deep blue robes, was sent to another
town to collect a debt for his ailing father.
• He is surrounded by three archangels: Raphael, known as a healer of illness, holds
Tobias’s hand and leads him, Gabriel (right) is considered to be God’s messenger; he
is shown here holding a lily, a representation of his annunciation to Mary of her
virgin pregnancy. Michael (left) wears armor representing him as the slayer of evil,
which is represented by the dragon beneath his feet.
• Tobias holds a fish, which attacked him while he was bathing in the river. On
Raphael’s advice, he guts the fish for its heart and gall to use later. The organs are
stored in the box Raphael holds.
The protected Tobias collects the debt, uses the fish heart later to defeat a demon,
returns home safely, and used the gall to cure his father’s blindness.
At the bottom is a painting within the painting of the crucifixion, which appears
between miniature kneeling angel figures.
The title is a misnomer; Tobias is really a minor character and the painting is about
the angels.
Artist
• son of a painter; came from long family line of painters
• successfully ran the family workshop, one of the most successful in Florence during
the 15th-century Renaissance, catering to wide variety of patrons
• received numerous commissions, many for altarpieces that still exist in situ in Italian
churches today
• kept a detailed journal during the creation of this work
Technique
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•
•
•
This painting reveals di Bicci’s innovative combination of paint, gold, and gold leaf
Considered by scholars to be the most opulent of the artist’s altarpieces with its
vibrant blues and reds, glowing from the gold leaf.
Di Bicci’s workshop would have worked on this altarpiece in various processes. The
gilding may have been done by another guild workshop. The surface of layered gilded
silver and gold was then painted and again gilded to achieve a luminescent effect that
would have made this altarpiece glow in a candlelit chapel.
The painting was recently conserved in a 2 year project undertaken by the DIA
Conservation labs
The entire frame is from the 1800s and has nothing to do with the original frame and
the original commission.
Tobias holds a fish which originally would have been very silvery has turned black
because gold leaf was used and oxidation has taken hold.
The painting would have taken years to make and by the time it was completed it
would have been seen as an old-fashioned painting.
Commission
A wealthy Florentine merchant Mariato de Marco de La Palla commissioned the
painting in the year 1471.
• He commissioned the work for his family chapel in the Church of Santo Spirito in
Florence, Italy
• the commission offered detailed description of what elements of the Tobias story
should be included
• The figure of Tobias might represent de Palla’s son, so the angels may serve as his
protectors
.
Pronunciation
Neri
near • ee
Di Bicci dih • bee • chee
Summer/2007
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Object data:
Virgin and Child with Angels, about
1460
Tempera on panel (transferred)
Benozzo Gozzoli
Italian, about 1420/22-97
Framed: 41 x 32 1/4 x 4 5/8 in.
DIA no. 77.2
o Gold leaf has been used throughout to represent this since of royal splendor which
is enhanced by Mary’s ultramarine blue robe which was the most expensive color
n artist would have used at the time.
o Mary is depicted as the mother of God and the Queen of Heaven. She is young
and meditative, looking to the future and knowing of Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice.
o In very good condition
o Jesus holds a bird that symbolizes the human soul while blessing with his other
hand.
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Gallery Panel
Communion of Saints
Christian saints were the heroes of the Middle Ages
In much of fifteenth-century Europe, saints were an integral part of everyday life. People
imitated them, honored them, and called upon them in times of need. Churches, guilds,
cities and nations all had patron saints. At the time, believers often felt unworthy to
appeal to God directly and prayed to saints to intercede with God for them.
The Catholic Church recognizes as saints virtuous people to whom miracles
are attributed.
The mother of Jesus has a special role
Many Christians hold Mary in special regard, above even the saints.
Believers consider her, as the mother of Jesus, the closest to God and the
most important assistance in communicating their prayers.
Aids to Prayer
This room is filled with sculpted and painted images of saints and Mary that
helped fifteenth-century Christians in prayer. A believer might have lit a
candle or laid flowers in front of an image in respect and honor.
Summer/2007
100
Object data:
Virgin and Child on the Crescent Moon,
about 1480
Limewood with traces of paint
Circle of Michel Erhart
German (Ulm), about 1440-1522
64 x 17½ x 13 in.
DIA no. 22.3
Object Label Text
Imagine these figures in vibrant color
This sculpture was part of a large altarpiece for worshippers to honor Mary, mother of
Jesus. Marks scored on the wood sculpture prepared it for primer and colorful paint that
made Mary look lifelike and inviting.
o The carving was done in southern Germany where there is a tradition of wood
carving. The strength of the German economy lead to a prolific sculptural
production at this time
o Style has deep folds of the drapery.
o Jesus interacts with the viewer more than with his mother.
o In this period much of the wood sculptures would have been painted.
o There is scratching on the surface for the application of a primer of gesso (a white
ground for painting made of gypsum, glue and water) which would then be
painted over.
o Mary was the principle intercessor between the saints and believers.
o Mary is the virgin of the Apocalypse which is typically shown as a mother figure.
She is described in Revelations as a mother protecting her child and a
personification of the church.
Here the virgin Mary stands atop the moon.
Pronunciation
Gesso jess soh
Summer/2007
101
Object data:
Saint Sebastian, about 1500–1510
Painted and gilded wood
Unknown artist
Possibly Austrian
31 3/8 x 9 1/8 x 6 5/8 in.
DIA no: 2002.159
Object Label Text
This sculpture show arrows that symbolize the saint
In 3rd-century Rome, Sebastian was caught helping jailed Christians and converting
fellow officers to Christianity. As punishment, he was shot with arrows, but his wounds
miraculously healed.
Sebastian is the patron saint of archers, soldiers, and plague victims.
o He was caught converting officers and treating Christian prisoners. To punish him
Sebastian was shot with arrows. He miraculously recovered and was then beaten
to death.
o The paint of the figure is still intact and visible. His skin is painted white against
the dark color of the tree. Gilding has been used in the folds of the drapery and as
highlights in his flowing curls.
Summer/2007
102
Object data:
Saint Jerome, about 1500–10
Pot-metal glass, uncolored glass with
silver stain
Unknown artist
German
34¼ x 14¼ in.
DIA no. 31.310
o St. Jerome holds a book in one hand and a staff in another. His halo and the book
in his hand are blue while his robe is red.
o St. Jerome is a comparatively well documented historical figure. He was born
around 340 and made voyages to the holy land and acquired a command of the
near east languages and was a monk for some time. He was an advisor to Pope
Demascus the 1st who commissioned him to write a Latin translation of the sacred
scriptures, which is now known as the Vulgate addition of the Bible. He died
about 420.
o St. Jerome began to be depicted as a Renaissance cardinal.
o St. Jerome was seen as a model for humanists and learning.
o St. Jerome’s main attribute was the lion. Jerome healed a lion whose paw had
been injured by a thorn. The awkward stance of the lion appearing to float in front
of St. Jerome may be because the image of the lion may have been taken from a
print source.
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Looking Back, Around and Elsewhere
Renaissance artists looked back, around, and elsewhere
From about 1400 to 1530, European art experienced a renewal called the Renaissance.
The movement was spurred by interest in…
Looking Back—to ancient times
Archaeological discoveries in Italy, primarily from ancient Rome inspired the rise of
humanism, the study of writings and art from antiquity. Humanists searched for moral
lessons and beauty by exploring ancient culture, architecture, and sculpture.
Looking Around—scientifically
Artists incorporated into their work the new widespread interest in natural phenomena.
They observed the natural world and depicted animals and plants in detail. They worked
to map the land accurately and to experiment with perspective and depth though color,
light, and mathematics.
Looking Elsewhere—to cultures beyond Europe
Through trade in new materials and costly goods, Europeans drew inspiration from the
Islamic world and beyond. European ceramics show borrowed motifs and methods.
Artistic innovations from many cultures beyond Europe spread across the continent, north
and south.
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Object data:
Virgin of the Rose Garden, about 1475–
80
Oil on oak panel
Artist known as Master of the Saint
Lucy Legend
Netherlandish, active about 1475-1505
31 1/8 x 23 5/8 in.
DIA no: 26.387
Object Label Text
Looking Around—in the garden
Mary and her infant son Jesus, surrounded by saints, sit within an enclosed garden
symbolizing the biblical garden of paradise. The artist incorporated details from his own
time and place. Daisies and pansies dot the lawn; grape vines arch overhead. The artist
includes an accurate view of the Belgian town of Bruges (pronounced BROOJ).
Subject
Depicts the Virgin Mary holding Christ surrounded by virgin saints.
Not meant to be an interpretation of a Biblical scene nor a historic interpretation
depicting Mary and Christ at the time they lived
The setting is Bruges, the capital city of Flanders (now part of present-day Belgium) in
the late 1400s
The artist brings the Christian figures into his contemporary moment and incorporates
Christian beliefs related to the worship of the Virgin Mary, which were cultivated mainly
in medieval times (from the 1100s to the late 1300s)
Story
• Tells three stories simultaneously:
• Mary attended by Virgin saints. The artist shows the Virgin (seated at center)
surrounded by the saints; Barbara (upper right), Cecilia (lower right), Ursula
(lower left), and Catherine (upper left).
• The mystic marriage of the St. Catherine to Christ; Catherine is a legend from the
4th century and is said to have dreamt of her marriage to the infant Christ. The
artist shows Christ placing a ring on her finger.
• The coronation of Mary; the faithful believe that after Mary’s death and her
ascension to heaven, she was crowned queen of heaven and the angels by God;
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the artist depicts two angels at the top of the composition about to descend to
crown Mary.
Symbols:
• Enclosed garden refers to paradise; flowers, reference purity and the ephemeral,
represent the joys and sorrows of the Virgin
Landscape in background is purely fictional but conveys idea of the all-encompassing
(from the mountains to the sea—all is represented)
Spire of Notre Dame (tallest building in background) is a symbol of the church
Belfry of the cloth hall (second tallest building in background) represents civic
prosperity
o St. Barbara’s gown has little towers to symbolize the tower she escaped from after
being locked away by her father.
o St. Ursula has little arrows at her feet and Cecelia simply has her name
embroidered in her bodice.
Historical context
Bruges was very wealthy city when this painting was made. It was a center for wool
cloth production, and traded for raw materials with England to produce extremely
high quality cloth products such as tapestries for export.
• The artist depicts elaborate Bruges fabrics, especially in dress of the seated woman in
the foreground on the left.
• The wool exchange took place in the city’s belfry, depicted here in the background—
it is the second tallest building topped with a blue-green belfry.
It has been thought that the reason the city of Bruges was represented is because the
city was in crisis.
Artist
• This painting is attributed to an unidentified artist named by a twentieth-century art
historian who identified an altarpiece depicting scenes from the life of St. Lucy.
• Virgin of the Rose Garden and many other works were convincingly attributed to the
artist who created the St. Lucy altarpiece.
• The artist likely was the head of a large workshop. He may have had connections to
Spain and the Netherlands, though scholars are still unsure.
• The painting was probably made for a (Christian) religious institution in Bruges. The
intended audience would have been nuns that had given up their secular lives to
become brides of Christ.
Pronunciation:
Bruges brooj
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Object data:
Madonna and Child, 1509
Oil on panel
Giovanni Bellini
Italian, 1431/1436 – 1516
44 1/2 x 52 1/2 x 4 in.
DIA no: 28.115
Object Label Text
Looking Around—at land and sky
Bellini's realistically painted hillsides reflect the subtle play of clouds and sunlight on
land. Here he captures the diffuse light of the Venetian countryside.
Bellini places Jesus and Mary in the landscape of his own Northern Italy, rather than
historic Jerusalem, to express the belief in an eternally present God.
o The virgin is seated with the Christ child standing on her thigh. She also holds the
scriptures which bear the artist’s signature and the date in Roman numerals.
o Here the virgin is painted very young and pensive knowing the future of the
Christ child.
o Bellini creates the hilly landscape that recalls the hill surrounding towns around
the Dolomite Alps.
o He creates something timeless and universally present rejuvenating the Christian
images and relating them to the real lives of the devout people that would be
viewing the painting.
o He captures a bucolic landscape with a chapel and a shepherd with a flock and
other objects that could easily be found in the landscape in reality.
o Bellini is the first to fully adopt the oil paint style using linseed oil and building
up the layers of color.
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Object data:
On ceiling:
The Dreams of Men, mid 1500s
Oil on canvas
Tintoretto (Jacopo Robusti)
Italian, 1519-94
149 x 85 ¾ in.
DIA no: 23.11
o This gallery of the Cret building was actually designed to accommodate this
ceiling painting in 1927 (it has not been on view for several years)
Subject
o In the foreground a youth poised on a rolling glass ball is a personification of a
dream; behind him is Kronos (Time) with an hour glass; about him lie sleeping
human beings; the youth points upward at the floating figures of the gods who
symbolize the things of which men dream.
o Saturn’s son known as Opportunity stands on a clear glass sphere. There are
dozing figures which represent sleep.
o What’s important about the painting is that the figure of Opportunity joins the
sleeping figures at the base of the painting with all of the allegorical figures in the
heavens and serves as a means of self glorification for Jacopo
o Reveals all that man is capable of, from the earthly to the heavenly
o At the bottom left is a figure of Saturn reclining.
o Above are personifying figures of Fame holding a trumpet, Venus and Cupid
personifying love, and at the upper right is a third female figure that is
problematic– either Juno the dispenser of wealth or Urania the muse of
astronomy.
o Jupiter is surrounded by a zodiac denoting the full passing of time.
o In the center Jupiter appears in the distance above the clouds as ruler of the world.
Commission
o Was probably commissioned by Jacopo Barbo
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Object data:
Dish, about 1520
Tin-glazed earthenware with enamel and
luster decoration
Unknown artist
Italian (Deruta)
3½ x 16¼ in.
DIA no: 21.196
o The tin glaze technique originated in Mesopotamia or modern day Iraq during the
800s by potter trying to imitate the whiteness of Chinese porcelain clay body.
o White tin glaze provided an excellent surface for colored decoration.
o Maiolica is done in two firings. First clay is fired at a low temperature. Then
dipped in a liquid glaze containing tin oxide. This becomes the white background
to apply other colored enamel glazes and then the piece is fired again.
o The cavetto or well of the dish is decorated with a standing naked figure with a
bow and arrows (probably Apollo), with a low brick wall on top of which are two
columns supporting an arch in the background. Plants are seen behind the wall.
o The plate is glazed in yellow with blue designs;
o the surface also has a golden iridescent luster glaze that imitates a metallic effect
o Deruta was one of the principle Maiolica lusterware locations
Pronunciation
Maiolica my YAL uh kuh
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Wing-Handled Vase with the MediciOrsini coat of arms, about 1470
Tin-glazed earthenware (maiolica) with
enamel decoration
Unknown artist
Italian (Florence)
Anonymous
Italian
15 x 11 1/8 x 8 in.
DIA no: 37.74
o Maiolica (also spelled majolica) tin-enameled earthenware pottery (see previous
object)
o Islamic form with a long neck and winged handles.
o The pattern here is bryony the six pedaled flower pattern.
Pronunciation
Maiolica my YAL uh kuh
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Object data:
Bowl, 1400s
Tin-glazed earthenware with enamel
decoration
Unknown artist
Spanish (Valencia)
3 1/2 x 6 3/8 in.
DIA no: 23.142
o This bowl has a pattern of a flower with six petals, based on the bryony flower
o Bryonia Any of various Eurasian tendril-bearing vines of the genus, having red or
black berries and tuberous roots formerly used as medicine
o Attributed to an Islamic workshop in Valencia, Spain.
o The bowl has a cream colored glaze and is decorated with a flower and leaf
design in tones of blue, green and golden yellow.
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North Italian Collection Segment
Explore Renaissance art from Northern Italy
Venice and its surrounding areas were major contributors to the Renaissance when
intellectual interest in science and culture expanded in new directions. Northern Italian
artists took the pursuit of learning seriously yet enjoyed it, sometimes creating playful,
even witty objects. Art of the region is most notable for sensuous forms and glowing,
resonant colors.
Private collectors marveled at bronzes
Renaissance scholars, called humanists, delighted in advances in science and discoveries
about ancient Greece and Rome. Bronze sculptures displayed here reflect these interests.
Small bronze sculptures in particular allowed for intimate study.
Painters demonstrate their skill with color
The rich, deep colors oil painters used in Venice were inspired by the warm, sensuous
atmosphere created by light reflecting off the waters surrounding the city. Here, look for
paintings by Titian whose brushwork and use of glowing color influenced artists
throughout Europe.
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Object data:
Judith with the Head of Holofernes,
about 1570
Oil on canvas
Titian (Tiziano Vecellio)
Italian, 1485/1490 - 1576
55 x 47 1/4 x 2 3/4 in.
DIA no: 35.10
Story
o Represents the beautiful widow Judith who under her own initiative snuck into the
enemy camp at night and ingratiated herself to the enemy leader Holofernes.
o During the Assyrian siege of her city Judith took action.
o Assisted by her maid she beheaded Holofernes stashed his head into her sack and
snuck it back into the city.
o Holofernes head was stuck on a pole on the ramparts of the city where his men
encountered it and retreated.
Symbolism
o Judith came to personify civic heroism and pride.
o Florence has major examples of Judith personifying civic heroism.
o Titian represented the subject of Judith at this time because the eastern parts of
Italy and the Christian world were under assault by the Ottomans. In 1571 a
Venetian navel battle was won and the Christian league celebrated this victory of
the Ottoman Turks and therefore Judith may in this painting personify the city of
Venice.
Technique
o The only work by Titian of Judith.
o Judith’s face and her bosom are painted very smoothly with no sign of brush
strokes. However the curtain itself is painted simply and is almost certainly done
by workshop painters.
o Here Titian’s handprint can be seen in the painting revealing the act of painting.
o The work captures the act of painting and the artist’s talent which was
revolutionary.
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Object data:
Neptune: Allegory of Winter and Water,
about 1540–50
Bronze
Attributed to Danese Cattaneo
Italian, about 1509 – 1572
48 x 23 1/2 x 23 in.
DIA no: 49.417
Object data:
Mars: Allegory of Summer and Fire,
1540-1550
Bronze
Attributed to Danese Cattaneo
Italian, about 1509 - 1572
47 x 18 x 14 in.
DIA no: 49.418
Gallery Text
Mars and Neptune represent Venice’s power by land and sea
The figures represented by the two sculptures flanking this platform are symbols of
Venice—protectors of the Italian city. Mars, Roman god of war, represents the city's
strength by land. Neptune, ancient Roman god of the sea, relates to the water-bound
fortunes of the powerful international port.
Together they symbolize Venice’s command over the elements and seasons
The artists intended each god to symbolize an element—earth, water, air or fire—and a
season. Neptune, draped in a badger's fur personifies winter and water. Crowned with a
floral garland, Mars personifies summer and fire.
o Cattaneo was a poet as well as a sculptor and was very familiar with complex
iconography.
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o Neptune wears a skin of a European badger with the head of a gorgon on the
chest.
o The figure of Mars has flowers and a garland in his hair he holds the handle of a
shield that is lost.
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Quest for Realism
Artists aspired to the real
During the Renaissance in Europe, discoveries in optics, anatomy, and mathematical
proportions gave artists new ways to represent the world. The new interest in accurately
depicting every detail was fueled by a desire for insight into what they considered the
world’s divine creator.
Compare paired objects in this room
The contrasts offer examples of how artists throughout Europe experimented to make
subjects look true to life. You’ll see new tools and techniques artists used to achieve “the
real.”
• Oil paint—artists could saturate linseed oil paintings with varnish to bring out
brilliant color, light, and shadow
• Perspective—close objects look sharp whereas distant ones are blurred, and
atmospheric effects make distant hills look blue
• Detail—look for a rigorous attention to representing the little things in pictures
and sculpture
A good example of all three is Joos van Cleve's Adoration of the Magi on the adjacent
wall to your right.
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Object data:
Adoration of the Magi, about 1525
Oil on oak panels
Joos van der Beke van Cleve
Netherlandish, about 1485-1540/1541
Center panel: 35 x 25½ in
Each Wing: 35 x 11 in
DIA no: 45.420
What we see
• Oil on oak panels
• Center panel: in the foreground, the oldest of the Magi, his gold scepter beside him,
kneels and kisses the hand of the Child, whose Mother sits before the ruins of a
palace with broken porphyry columns. Behind the Virgin, a crowd of men with pikes
and spears burst through the door of the ruined palace and are likely to be part of the
procession following the kings to the stable.
• Behind the oldest king, Joseph, portrayed as an old man, raises his hand
• Landscape in background
• The two younger kings, dressed in rich costumes, fill the two side panels
• This work is unusual in that the subject is spread across all three panels: one of the
wise men appears in each, and a continuous landscape unites them.
Subject
• Artists during the Renaissance often turned to Psalms in the Old Testament of the
Bible for inspiration when painting scenes from stories in the New Testament of the
Bible. The story allowed artists to depict the kings' wondrous gifts and exotic
splendor, making it a favorite subject for altarpieces in the 1400s and 1500s.
• There is hardly anything in this picture to remind the viewer of the humble stable in
which the Bible describes Jesus being born. The story is depicted in a palatial
Renaissance ruin; at the back, to the left, are a miniscule ox and ass. All the attention
is directed towards the foreground, to the baby Jesus on his mother's lap.
• The ruins, symbolizing the old faith, will be replaced by the new Christian church, as
represented by the infant.
• The three Magi (Latin for "wise men") —Gaspar the European, Melchior the Asian
and Balthazar the African—have come to pay homage to Jesus, each bringing a
present. They represent the Christian’s of the world, the three contents known to the
Middle Ages, signifying that faith in Jesus Christ is now worldwide.
• The inclusion of a black king in a painting of this subject, as seen in the right wing of
this triptych, probably first occurred in Germany in the 1300s and became a common
feature of northern European painting starting in the 1400s.
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•
•
The triptych would have been placed on a church altar.
Only on religious feast days would the wings have been opened to reveal this scene of
the Adoration. When closed, images of Mary receiving the Word of God from the
angel Gabriel would have visible.
Artist
• Flemish Northern Renaissance Painter also known as Joos van Cleef, Joos van der
Beke and Master of the Death of the Virgin
• Van Cleve was one of the most influential painters in Antwerp. He received major
commissions for portraits and altarpieces.
• In his paintings he combines a traditional approach with new elements--he was one of
the first to paint broad landscapes in the background, a practice that became popular
among 16th century Flemish artists
• Master in the Antwerp guild in 1511
• Probably between 1529 and 1534 (when he is not mentioned at Antwerp), he was
summoned to the French court, where he painted portraits of François I and his queen
Eléanore
Technique
• Following the Netherlandish tradition, Joos van Cleve painted minute details, jewellike color, and distinct physical types
• The classical-style architecture and the effects of distance are characteristic of the
work of Netherlandish artists of this period
• The ruins also refer to the demise of the old, pagan world and the rise of the new,
Christian world
• Only fully signed work by the artist
• Joos would grind his own pigments and all of the colors are all secret formulas he
created.
• The colors are built up layer upon layer of translucent paint.
• Joos did a great deal of under drawing.
• Joos uses aerial perspective.
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Object data:
Madonna and Child, about 1520-1530
Oil on oak panel
Quentin Massys Netherlandish, 1465/6 - 1530
21 3/4 x 15 5/8 in.
DIA no: 89.60
Group Theme Text
Compare this pair of paintings for approach and technique
In the second painting at right, Jesus and his mother Mary appear as a holy vision to two
saints. Massys used gold leaf extensively to enhance the otherworldly effect. To the
immediate right Massys brings the pair down to earth, placing them in a realistic setting
to emphasize the tender bond between mother and child.
Massys’ egg tempera consists of ground pigments mixed with yolk. The resulting
dry, chalky colors smooth and flatten the image. Massys used the newer oil paint
technique, mixing pigments with linseed oil. Varnish added over dried paint creates a
jewel-like intensity, bringing out realistic details.
o The artist centered the large figures on the panel to help viewers feel they are in
the presence of the infant Jesus and his mother.
o The fruit, placed on a table or ledge in front of the Madonna, may have symbolic
meaning. Grapes often refer to the wine used during the Christian Mass.
o What appears to be an apple may be a reference to the fruit of knowledge
described in the biblical story of Adam and Eve. Taken together, the fruit could be
meant to suggest the sense of taste.
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o At the time this painting was made, prayers, hymns, and religious pamphlets
equated the soul's union with God to that of taste. For example, the soul "tastes"
God's sweetness. Placing the fruit between the viewer and the Madonna and Child
implies that such sweetness can be shared with the viewer.
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Object data:
Bust of a Scholar or Prelate, 1545
Terracotta with painted decoration
Italian follower of Pietro Torrigiano
Italian, 1472-1528
15½ x 16½ x 10½ in
DIA no: 1986.1
o Old man, possibly a prelate (a high-ranking member of the clergy) has heavy
lidded eyes, high bridged prominent nose, high cheekbones and slightly receding
chin and a wart on his left cheek and lower lip.
o He wears a tightly fitting black biretta (a square cap with three or four peaks,
traditionally worn by Roman Catholic clergy, also the term used for a similar cap
worn by those holding doctoral degrees from some universities) and a black gown
over a white shirt.
o Pietro was a rival of Michelangelo.
o This sculpture is made from a death mask.
o On the back is an inscription is Latin noting when the prelate died.
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Medici and Courtly Living
The Medici had a passion for art
From the 1400s to the mid 1700s, the Medici (pronounced MEH-dih-chee) family
dominated the art, culture and politics of Florence. In 1530, Duke Cosimo I became the
head of the family. He and his wife Eleonora commissioned new buildings and
redecorated older ones with grand sculptures, paintings, and other works of art. Cosimo
and his heirs elevated Florence to a major center of culture.
Art as a political tool
Through art, the Medici strengthened their reign and profoundly influenced other
European courts. Other powerful families also commissioned art to glorify themselves,
but the Medici set the standard. In this room, you’ll find
• Art that shows knowledge of ancient Roman civilization, meant to demonstrate
cultural sophistication
• Art from workshops that the Medici founded and supported to create
extraordinary sculpture, porcelain, painting, and more
Art as propaganda, proclaiming a ruling family’s hope to be a long, powerful, and
prosperous dynasty
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Object data:
Eleonora of Toledo and Her Son, c. 1545-1550
Oil on panel
Agnolo Bronzino
Italian, 1503-72
47 7/8 x 39 3/8 in.
DIA no: 42.57
Object Label Text
A message of power and longevity
Duchess Eleonora, wife of Grand Duke Cosimo I, wears dazzling satin, velvet, and
jewels reflecting the Medici family’s courtly status and wealth. The pomegranate pattern
on her dress symbolizes fertility. Her pose—one arm around one of her eleven children—
declares her to be the matriarch of a powerful and thriving dynasty.
What we see
• Eleonora of Toledo depicted with her son, one of eleven children she bore with
Cosimo I de’ Medici, the Grand Duke of Florence
• With her arm around her young son, Eleonora is portrayed as the bearer of sons who
would continue the Medici dynasty
• The cool formality of this portrayal was appropriate for state portraits
• With astonishing detail, the artist portrays the duchess with an emphasis on fertility
and power: she sits rigidly, as if imprisoned by her opulent dress, which is decorated
with black velvet arabesques against the white satin background. The gold
decorations of the dress are pomegranates, which, because of their many seeds,
sometimes represent fertility and often represent the loyalty of many to the church.
She is bejeweled in pearls, not only in her necklace and hairnet but also on her belt
and as part of her dress.
Artist
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•
•
•
Leading court painter for Grand Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici in Florence
Was taught by the master Pontormo
A refined elegant painter renowned for his attention to microscopic detail, especially
in the face, hands, and garments
• Was sensitized to court behavior and political responsibilities associated with
representing members of the court
• Another very similar version of this painting is now in the Uffizi gallery in Florence
• In the DIA’s version, Bronzino didn’t use ultramarine blue, but a blue made from
ground glass called smalti, to save money. The color faded over time and now the
background is nearly gray.
History
Cosimo I cultivated arts as propaganda; as a result, Florence became recognized as a
major cultural center in Europe
This is the finest of several similar state portraits created by Bronzino with the
participation of artists in his studio. The state portraits were sent to other powerful
European courts to demonstrate the wealth, prosperity, refinement, and power of the
Medici house.
Eleonora
• Despite arrangements for other marriage partnerships that his advisors were
arranging, Cosimo I chose to marry Eleonora of Toledo. As the daughter of the
viceroy in Naples for the Holy Roman Empire, Cosimo allied himself with the most
powerful court in Europe.
• Not only did Eleonora increase the Medici wealth with her dowry, but she was also an
astute business woman, having purchased the Palazzo Pitti, a grand estate that would
become the official Medici residence (now a museum).
• Eleonora was a patron of the arts in her own right. Bronzino, the artist of this portrait,
was her favorite. She also supported the literary academy and poets such as Laura
Battiferi.
• Contrary to previous information, Eleonora (who died of tuberculosis) was not buried
in this dress
Pronunciation Guide:
Agnolo
an • yo • lo
Bronzino
bron • zee • no
Toledo
tol • ay • doh
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Object data:
Bust of Cosimo I, Grand Duke of
Tuscany, about1572
Marble
Giovanni Bandini
Italian, 1540-1599
32 x 28 x 10 in.
DIA no: 1994.1
Object Label Text
The Grand Duke was inspired by an ancient Roman emperor
This is a larger-than-life, state portrait of the Medici Grand Duke, Cosimo I. Cosimo's
armor and demeanor are modeled after that of celebrated ancient Roman Emperor
Augustus. But features such as the receding hairline, mole, and lines of age convey
characterize Cosimo as a wise, elder statesman.
The Medici embraced the ancient
Nearby sculptures by Cosimo's favorite artists portray figures inspired from ancient
Roman sources. Notice the Putto and Two Geese in marble, and bronzes of the god
Jupiter and hero Hercules. By studying antiquity intensely, European courts demonstrated
learning and sophistication.
o His head is turned slightly to his left in a pose influenced by ancient Greek and
Roman sculpture.
o His hairline strongly recedes, his hair is closely cropped, and his beard is full.
o He wears a Roman cuirass (armor) over which is a carved draped cloak clasped
with a fibula.
o A remnant of the original iron securing ring is still imbedded in the roughly-hewn
back of the bust.
o The original cartouche is integral with the bust; the separate marble plinth is a
modern replacement.
o Cosimo sought to use arts, culture, and politics to ensure Medici power in
Florence.
Pronunciation
Cuirass Kweer as
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Object data:
Ewer (brocca) with the MediciHabsburg coat of arms, about 1575–78
Soft-paste porcelain with underglaze
blue decoration
Medici Grand Ducal Workshops
Italian (Florence)
Design and modeling attributed to
Bernardo Buontalenti
Italian, about 1531-1608
14 x 9 in.
DIA no: 2000.85
Object Label Text
You're looking at one of Europe's first porcelain objects
Europeans strove to recreate China's translucent white porcelain. In 1575, artists in
Medici court workshops successfully produced their own formula.
This ewer, or pitcher, is one of the most refined Medici workshop porcelains to survive.
Below the spout is the coat-of-arms of Francesco de’ Medici, the founder of the porcelain
workshop.
o The ewer is among the largest of 59 surviving pieces of Medici porcelain
produced in Florence between 1575 and 1587
o The coat of arms are those of the Grand Duke Francesco I de' Medici of Tuscany
and his consort Johanna of Austria.
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Object data:
Table Cabinet, about 1620
Pearwood, ebony, with hardstone (pietre
dure) inlay, alabaster
Medici Grand Ducal Workshops
Italian (Florence)
24 x 41½ x 13 3/4 in.
DIA no: 1994.77
Group Label Text
This table cabinet was produced in a Medici workshop
It's decorated in pietre dure (pronounced pee-EH-trah DOO-rah), Italian for "hard
stones." The Medici grand dukes supported many artistic workshops, providing space,
materials, and wages for the artists. Court workshops created luxury products in pietre
dure, tapestries, and rare porcelain like the blue and white ewer nearby.
Pietre dure artists make pictures from stone
On this cabinet, precious and semi-precious stones form each animal. On the central door,
Orpheus from ancient Roman mythology tames beasts with music. Notice how the
natural veining and color variation of the stones represent distinctive physical qualities of
the animals.
What we see
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cabinet made of black varnished pear wood, precious ebony for the façade, and
precious hard stones in a range of colors
Describes Medici’s prized menagerie collection of Italian domestic animals (e.g. the
horse and dog) as well as animals from distant lands (e.g. the camel, monkeys, and
elephant)
The animals surround a central panel showing Orpheus, the poet and musician from
Greek mythology, recognized for his ability to delight and sooth wild beasts with his
music
The cabinet has 18 drawers, each decorated with a different animal, including three
more drawers behind the Orpheus panel
All of the shapes are made with carved semi-precious stones and gems (including
lapis lazuli); the artisans paid meticulous attention to the markings and character of
the stone in order that its particular striations and mottling serve to color and shade
each figure and scene
Stones came from all over the world indicating far-reaching trade
It would have taken several craftsmen several months or even a year to complete this
cabinet.
The central panel opens to reveal three drawers, each faced with animal plaques.
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Technique
• This cabinet was made in the Grand Ducal Workshops for pietre dure, or hard
stones, workshops founded by the Medici, the ruling family of Florence that actively
promoted the arts
• sophisticated examples of the use of hardstones to create ‘stone paintings’
• During the 16th and 17th centuries, Florentine hard and soft stoneworks were used to
decorate sumptuous furnishings of various kinds, including table-tops, ebony
cabinets, jewel caskets, clocks and reliquaries
• The preferred subjects were compositions of flowers, fruit and birds
Hard stone carving and inlay work still continues today in Florence
The Medici
• During this period, Orpheus was often used in art to symbolize Grand Duke Cosimo
I; though Cosimo I ruled with a repressive iron fist, he brought prosperity to the land
and promoted growth in all the arts, so often has been portrayed as Orpheus, referring
to the character’s ability to calm and bring peace to wild animals
• Cosimo’s son Grand Duke Francesco I created a fashion for works in hardstones and,
taking a personal interest in experimentation with materials and techniques, fostered
their production in Florence
Pronunciation guide:
Pietre pee EH trah
Dure DOO rah
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Northern Renaissance
Northern cities grew rich trading luxury goods
In the 16th century, travel and trade fairs brought art from northern Europe to buyers
throughout Europe. Weavers in guilds in Brussels turned wool and silk into exceptional
tapestries fit for royal courts. In Augsburg and Nuremberg, artists crafted fine metalwork.
Newly wealthy people used art to immortalize themselves
Renaissance art reflected a philosophy that valued the individual. Rich and powerful
clients commissioned artists to create their portraits. Some arranged for grand tomb
monuments to be made. Donors commissioned altarpieces with themselves kneeling
reverently, witnessing biblical scenes.
Northern Europeans owned the objects in this room
Look for some notable types of art from this period:
• Bronze sculpture influenced by the Italian Renaissance style
• Paintings that include the person who commissioned the art
• Tapestry, more valuable than painting or sculpture in the sixteenth century
• Fine goldsmith objects from German cities
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Object data:
Saint Paul Before Porcius Festus, King
Herod Agrippa and his Sister Berenice (from
the "Life of Saint Paul" Series), about 153035
Wool, silk
After a design by Pieter Coecke van Aelst
Netherlandish, 1502-1550
Weaving attributed to the tapestry
workshop of Jan van der Vyst
Netherlandish (Brussels), active mid1500s
DIA no: 24.29 Rotated Object
Group Theme Text
Portable splendor
Sixteenth-century aristocrats demanded high quality tapestries, driving production to new
heights in Brussels and Bruges (pronounced BROOJ), now cities in Belgium. Three
weavers might spend more than six months on a single tapestry, making it one of the
most expensive art forms.
Though sumptuous, tapestries were easily transportable so owners were able to
create lavish interiors wherever they resided.
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Object data:
The Triumph of Spring (from the "Triumph of the Seasons" Series), about 1537–38
Wool and silk
After a 1537 woodcut by the Netherlandish artist known as Master A.P.
Unknown tapestry workshop
Netherlandish (Bruges)
110 x 158 in.
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Object data:
Charity (from the "Virtues and Vices" Series), about 1500–10
Wool, silk
Netherlandish (probably Brussels)
152 x 250 in.
o Composition is divided into seven compartments by ornamented slender columns.
In center sits Christ with crown and scepter, symbolizing Charity.
o On his right sits Justice, on his left, Wisdom with book, and Mercy with lily.
o Below is Vanity holding a mirror.
o In upper left compartments is Christ attended by Charity and Humility, receiving
Mary Magdalene who is conducted by Mercy holding a lily.
o In upper right compartments appear David bringing the Arc of the Covenant to
Jerusalem, Wisdom attended by the Virtues, Esther and Ahasuerus.
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132
Object data:
Fortitude (from the "Virtues and Vices"
Series), about 1500–10
Wool, silk
152 x 260 in.
o Composition is divided into seven compartments by twisted slender columns.
o In center is the enthroned figure of Fortitude armed with a lance, attended by
numerous figures, one of whom holds a globe, one a molded fortress, others
swords and lances.
o In foreground stand Charlemagne and Hercules. In upper left compartments
appear Intellect and Learning, Gluttony and Temperance.
o In upper right compartments appear Essau and Jacob, also Piety and Fear.
o In lower left and lower right compartments are figures symbolic of Desire,
Courage and Cowardice.
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Object data:
Pride (from the "Virtues and Vices"
Wool, silk
148 x 264 in.
o The composition is divided by slender twisted columns into seven compartments.
o In the center is the enthroned figure of Pride holding a scepter, and attended by
other vices of which Vanity, Hypocrisy and Curiosity are named.
o The two upper left compartments show Daniel kneeling before Nebuchadnezzar,
and Abraham receiving the three angels.
o The two upper right compartments show Wrath, Luxury and Piety.
o The lower left and right compartments contain figures emblematic of Humility
and Fear.
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Object data:
Wrath (from the "Virtues and Vices"
Wool, silk
150 x 264 in.
Object Label Text
o Composition is divided into seven compartments by ornamented slender columns.
o In center is the enthroned figure of Wrath, in full armor and brandishing a sword
and accompanied by armed attendants, alders and pages in rich garments.
o In upper left compartments appear Luxury and her attendants, among them a pair
of lovers.
o In upper right compartments is Ambition symbolized by a kneeling young man
receiving a crown from a woman and surrounded by ladies and courtiers.
o In lower right compartment is a bearded and aged man in ermine-trimmed cloak
kneeling at the feet of the enthroned Savior who is attended by Chastity and
Humility.
o In lower left compartment is an enthroned female figure with attendants.
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135
Object data:
The Wedding Dance, about 1566
Oil on oak panel
Pieter Bruegel the Elder
Netherlandish, 1525/30-69
57 1/4 x 72 x 3 1/2 in.
DIA no: 30.374
What we see
• Painting depicts peasants celebrating a wedding scene in a village. The bride is just
left of the painting’s center and wears a black dress with her red hair loose about her
shoulders. She’s surrounded by villagers celebrating with dance and music.
• Though scholars are not certain who the groom is, he may be the figure wearing a
black hat and coat dancing near the bride.
• It was customary at this time to try to confound the bride and groom by keeping them
apart during the festivities.
• The figures are flatly modeled and composition gives a sense of perspective with
figures in the foreground distinct and large; as eye moves back into the painting,
figures become blurred and smaller.
The artist
• One of the great artists of his age; while his contemporaries were emulating Italian
Renaissance painters, Bruegel established his own style
• A learned man and powerful observer of human behavior
• Considered somewhat of a radical satirist, using it for political and social commentary
• Exaggerated and parodied human behavior in his work
• Didn’t paint for an art market; had patrons and was well received
On his deathbed, Bruegel instructed his wife to destroy much of his work because he
satirized everything including the church, and did not want his family to suffer if he
were accused of being a traitor and heretic.
“The Elder” in Bruegel’s name is like the modern day designation “Sr.” His painter
son is called—Pieter Bruegel the Younger.
History
Though it appears to be a straightforward depiction a joyful event, Pieter Bruegel's
painting is a craftily disguised commentary.
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The mid-1500s were a troubled time; Catholicism was being imposed in areas where
the Protestant Reformation had taken hold. Bruegel saw atrocities committed around
him and stepped up his commentary.
•
•
Bruegel believed peasants to be the simple and honest examples of human behavior;
he often used them in his paintings to remind his wealthy patrons of traditional
values—not of the obvious bonding and solidarity seen here—but against excesses
that could lead to sin.
Bruegel also likely saw peasant rituals as representing deeply held traditions in
Netherlandish culture that were threatened with displacement by the Spanish crown.
The Spanish authoritarian, centralized government attempted to revoke existing
Netherlandish systems of medieval rights and charters.
Technique
The artist disregarded the more realistic style of painting popular in his time: his peasants
appear flat and caricatured in comparison to many of the other painted figures in this
room.
The thinness of the paint is partly a result of chemical changes in the paint over time. In
many areas the see-through quality of the paint makes visible the artist's initial drawing
on the panel, called an under drawing.
Pronunciation
Pieter
Peter
Bruegel
broy gell
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137
Object data:
Double-Cup, (Doppelpokal), 1596
Silver gilt
Hans Petzolt,
German, 1551-1633
21 1/4 x 7 1/8 in.
DIA no: 2003.65.1-2
Object Label Text
This towering metalwork is two cups fitted together
One cup fits upside-down over the other. Wealthy townspeople in Nuremberg gave such
rare double cups as gifts for special occasions.
Outstanding craftsmanship is evident in the ornament, symmetry, embossed spheres, and
gilding. Deep inside each cup is a silver portrait medallion of a prominent Nuremberg
city councilman and his wife.
What we see
•
•
Each cup is adorned with an applied, continuous band of nine detachable cast
and applied Renaissance jewel-like ornaments, each centering on a caryatid
beneath a corded band and a broad border.
The borders are finely engraved with a band of birds and insects among
scrolling flowers and foliage.
Who owned the cups
•
•
In the bowl of 2003.65.1 is the portrait of Jacob Starck (1550-1617), who was
from an important Nuremberg family; underneath the cup's foot are his family's
arms.
In the bowl of 2003.65.2 is the portrait of Starck's wife, Elisabeth, née Usler von
Goslar, and her family arms.
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Art as Theatre
The curtain rises on art as theater
In this 17th-century European art, people were made to look like actors on stage. Look
for theatrical touches.
•
Life sized figures
•
Emotional facial expressions
•
Grand postures and emphatic hand gestures
•
Spotlighting against deep shadow
Dramatic art met the needs of the Church
After Protestant groups splintered away, the Catholic Church worked to defend, reinforce
and spread its beliefs. Popes and the Catholic Church in Rome commissioned art to
appeal to believers' emotions. Straightforward, powerful religious stories set in extreme
light and shadow could move hearts and teach without words.
The theatrical style swept through Europe
Intense artistic rivalries erupted in Rome—the success of a grand commission for the
Church could launch or cap a career; a failure could derail it. As this new dramatic style
called the Baroque (pronounced bah-ROWK) became embraced more widely, it reflected
the bold energy of much of 17th-century Europe.
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Object data:
Martha and Mary Magdalene, about
1598
Oil and tempera on canvas
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio
Italian, 1571-1610
51 x 64 x 3 in.
DIA no: 73.268
o Mary, wearing a dress of purple and red over a white embroidered blouse and a
green cloth draped over her left arm, holds an orange blossom in her hand.
o She turns to face Martha who wears a red garment over a white blouse and a
brown cloak.
o Toilet articles on the table include a bowl, a comb and a mirror.
o A brilliant light is reflected in the mirror and illuminates the face and bodice of
Mary and the right hands and shoulder of Martha.
o Chiaroscuro (the treatment of light and shade in painting) is used here and adds to
the drama of the image.
o Here Mary has already experienced her conversion to Christianity.
Summer/2007
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Object data:
The Fortune Teller, about 1616–17
Oil on canvas
Bartolomeo Manfredi
Italian, 1582-1622
62 ½ x 75 x 4 in.
DIA no: 79.30
Object Label Text
A simple palm reading?
Two gentlemen and two gypsy women are involved in a palm reading. The artist uses
spots of intense light against deep shadow to draw the eye around the picture—and to
show there's more going on than meets the eye. Notice where everyone's hands are. Now
how do you interpret the picture?
o Gypsy woman stands in left profile at the center of horizontal composition.
o A young dandy in a double-plumed hat, facing right, holds up his right hand for
the gypsy to read.
o Another gypsy woman behind him picks his pocket.
o A second young man stands behind the fortune-telling gypsy at the right. He
wears a red feather in his hat and is picking her pocket.
o Figures appear at half-length before a dark neutral background.
o It is as if the figures are projecting into the viewer’s space.
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Object data:
The Angel Appearing to St. Jerome,
about 1638
Oil on canvas
Guido Reni
Italian, 1575-1642
91 x 71 x 4 1/2 in.
DIA no: 69.6
o St. Jerome, partially covered with a red cloak, sits before a cave, left hand holding
an open book (the Bible).
o He looks up at an angel with golden hair who has appeared to help him with his
work by bringing him inspiration.
o A skull rests on a shelf of stone next to the saint, representing the passing of time.
o St. Jerome translated the Bible from Greek into Latin, at that time a language
more Europeans could understand
o The Bible and the ink pen are the attributes of St. Jerome.
Summer/2007
142
Object data:
The Flight into Egypt, about 1647–50
Oil on canvas
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
Spanish, 1618-82
82 1/2 x 65 1/2 in.
DIA no: 48.96
Object Label Text
Before he was a saint, Joseph was a husband
The Catholic Church named Joseph a saint but wanted people to connect with his
humanity. Here, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus escape from threat of capture and death.
Bartolomé Murillo uses life-sized figures that rise above the viewer to bring the drama to
life. Joseph’s concerned expression casts him as a man protecting his family.
o Joseph has a staff on his shoulder and a basket of tools on his back
o In the background are some landscape elements - trees, and to the right a view of
trees and hills.
o The cult of St. Joseph was established in 1481 and becomes particularly popular
Summer/2007
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Object data:
Model for the Chair of Saint Peter, 1658
Terracotta, tinted stucco
Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini
Italian, 1598-1680
23 x 11 1/2 x 11 in.
DIA no: 52.220
What we see
• Only surviving sculptural sketch/model for the Chair of Saint Peter monument in St.
Peter’s Basilica in Rome
• This terracotta demonstrates the artist’s working method
• Reliefs in the model show significant scenes in the life of Saint Peter
o
on the seat back, Jesus is shown telling Peter to teach his word, saying “Feed my
sheep”
o
below the seat is the draft of fishes, depicting the story of Jesus preaching from
Peter’s boat, which leads to a miraculous catch of fish
o
on the left side of the chair, Peter is given the keys to heaven and earth from
Christ
o
on the right, Christ washes the feet of his disciples including Peter
The arms are flanked by two full length angels leaning forward.
Two putti are supporting a sea shell at the base.
Artist
• sculptor, architect, draftsman and painter
• considered the most outstanding European sculptor of the 17th century, known for his
remarkable skills as a marble carver and as an inventive genius
• formative influence on the development of the Italian Baroque style
• supported by successive popes, he was a controlling influence on most aspects of
artistic production in Rome
The Commission
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•
•
•
•
Bernini was commissioned to design the magnificent throne in gilded bronze as a
shrine to encase the Vatican’s most prized possession—the wooden and ivory chair
said to have been used by St. Peter himself as he preached
The sculptor created this as one of several models to show his patron for design
approval
Bernini presented a model, most likely this terracotta, to his patron the Pope on Palm
Sunday in April 1658
The finished bronze chair is the focal point of the apse in St. Peter’s and is Bernini’s
crowning achievement
Chair of St. Peter
St. Peter’s Basilica
Rome, Italy
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o
Object data:
Saint Peter, about 1645-50
Terracotta
Alessandro Algardi
Italian, 1598-1654
11 x 8 7/8 x 5 in.
DIA no: 81.2
o Bust of Saint Peter, his hair and beard consisting of soft gentle curls, his head
tilted backwards.
o The drapery is inspired by classical Greek and Roman sculpture
o The bust rests on a plaster support which is attached to a marble base.
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146
Object data:
Christ at the Column, 1754
Limewood with painted decoration
Franz Ignaz Günther
German, 1725-75
29¼ x 17¼ x 7½ in.
DIA no: 1983.13
Object Label Text
The sculptor represents Jesus after his lashing, hours before his death.
Notice the carving emphasizing defined muscles and the painted surface showing veins
under pale skin. Ignaz Günther was known for evoking intense emotions through
masterful carving enhanced with color effects.
This important early eighteenth-century sculpture is Günther's only signed and dated
work in the United States.
o The nearly nude figure of Jesus forms a contrapposto pose (asymmetrical pose in
which one part of the body twists away from the other, resulting in an “S” curved
body)
o His hip juts to the left; arms reach to the right; his right foot is placed slightly
forward.
o cloth around his lower body is gathered at his left hip and furls out.
o He looks to his left, eyes downcast, mouth open, lips parted slightly.
o The surface is realistically painted, showing wounds and blood on the bare flesh.
o The bands on his arms are made of leather (or possibly parchment) and are
connected by carved wooden chains to a short pillar which is painted to resemble
marble.
Pronunciation
Günther GOON ter
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RIVERA COURT
Summer/2007
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Rivera Court
Object Label Text
The Detroit Industry Murals
Diego Rivera came to Detroit during the Great Depression and, in the very center of the
DIA, created a tribute to industry and workers. These murals reveal Rivera’s fascination
with industrial processes—and his critique of the political and social realities of capitalist
enterprise.
The murals assert the benefits of industrial processes, but warn of their destructive side
effects. The aviation industry produces planes for war as well as for travel. Scientific
discoveries allow us to fight disease - and create poison gases.
Rivera also reminds us that all human endeavor is rooted in the natural world. The
scenes of Michigan industry - from chemical production to car manufacturing – are all
accompanied by images of natural structures and processes. And in a prominent position
facing the museum’s Woodward entrance, Rivera painted an infant in the bulb of a plant,
nourished by the earth.
THEMES
- Detroit industries in the larger context of industrial development
- All of human industry linked to earth; reliant upon nature
- Historical moment: labor movement in Detroit; The Depression
- Cautionary message as well – potential for destructive as well as constructive purposes
Every step “forward” – “advance” in technology as down side as well
Relationships between panels
- directly across the room, panels relate thematically
o Vaccination and Pharmaceutical panels – medical advances
o East wall earth, West wall water and sky – totality of the planet
o South wall volcano – North wall pyramid – natural and manmade
landscapes
- on either side of the main panels
o e.g. Vaccination and Poison Gas Production – beneficial and destructive
examples of scientific research and industry
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Grades 3 – 12 MUSEUM TOURS
Object Data:
Detroit Industry, East Wall, 1932-33
Fresco
Diego Rivera, 1886- 1957
Mexican
43 x 50 ft.
DIA no. 33.10
EAST WALL
Baby in the bulb of a plant
Fertility symbols – two large female nudes
Below, “still lives” of produce of Michigan
Themes:
The first industry = agriculture
Every thing we do is ultimately linked to the earth
Curriculum Tie-in
Humans benefit from plant and animal resources
Women symbolize abundant resources of both North and South America
The plow symbolizes agriculture, the first industry
Rivera was skilled at painting using the fresco technique
Spanish language students can identify the contributions of Mexican artist Diego
Rivera
Fresco is a method of painting on wet plaster causing the pigments to chemically
bind with the lime-based plaster and become part of the wall
Fresco is an Italian word meaning fresh
The panels on the East Wall are symmetrical, if the wall was divided in half
vertically; each set of panels mirrors the other
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Object Data:
Detroit Industry, North Wall, 1932-33
fresco
Mexican
43 x 67 ft.
DIA no. 33.10
NORTH WALL
Upper: “Red Race” and Black Race”
Also geographic references - the Americas and Africa
With volcano in between – natural landscape
Upper right: Vaccination = advances of scientific research
Based on Christian image – Nativity
Below: growing fetus, surrounded by healthy cells
Upper left: Manufacture of Poison Gas – destructive use of scientific research
Reference World War I – and the gassing of enemy troops
Below: damaged cells, suffocated by poison
Main panel – factory scenes
Feel of the vast factory – pockets of space with different work stations
Blast furnace – analogy with volcano – the blast furnace heat transforms metals
into steel to form a car, just as heat below the surface
Below: “predella” scenes = “a day in the life of the worker” - beginning with punching in
at the beginning of the day; this continues along South Wall
NOTES
The murals were conceptualized and painted during the depression
There was not full production at this time
Meant to be a kind of “essay” on the social and political realities of industrial
development
Curriculum Tie-in
Between 1870 and 1930 the United States changed from an agricultural nation to
an industrial and urban nation
Technology and the automobile industry changed life on the farm and in cities in
the US and Michigan
Immigration to the US led to diverse communities
-
The murals illustrate the core democratic value of Diversity
Volcanoes are major geological events resulting from movement of the earth’s
lithospheric plates
Students will understand analyze and describe this work in its historical, social
and cultural context
Summer/2007
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151
Object Data:
Detroit Industry, South Wall, 1932-33
Fresco
Mexican
43 x 67 ft.
DIA no. 33.10
SOUTH WALL
Upper: “White Race” and Yellow Race” – also Europe and Asia
With Mesoamerican pyramid in between – manmade landscape
Upper left – Pharmaceutical Industry - The Davis Company
Upper right - Chemical Industry – located down river
Main panel – final assembly
Lower right: Edsel Ford and William Valentiner (museum director) = patrons
Foreman – on left side: presented as negative image
Historical context of labor organizing – Ford not unionized at the time
Below: “predella” scenes ending with pay wagon ($5 dollar day) and crossing Miller
Street bridge at end of the day
Reference to Miller Street incident during the Hunger March, when a crowd of
demonstrators at the Rouge complex was fired on by Ford security and 5 people
were killed
Curriculum Tie-in
The murals depict significant people in United States history including Henry
Ford, Father Coughlin and others
Science and technology affect society through transportation, energy distribution
and medicine
The geosphere includes earth’s surface and geological processes
The large figures symbolize the Caucasian and Asian races
Rivera referenced art from civilizations of ancient Mexico
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Object Data:
Detroit Industry, West Wall, 1932-33
Fresco
Mexican
43 x 50 ft.
DIA no. 33.10
WEST WALL
Top – aviation industry – Willow Run plant
Left - airplane in a hangar being maintained
Right - war planes being readied for takeoff
Below – horizontal panel in “grisaille” (painted to look like it’s carved)
½-skull, ½-face = concept of dualism – cautionary message
Dualism – notion held by indigenous cultures of the Americas
The world is cyclical; all phenomena contain both beneficial and
destructive potential. Here, the message is that industrial development has
potential to benefit humanity, but also can be used for destructive purposes
Cultivation of rubber in Brazil on the right, workers at docks at Rouge complex on left –
In between, a ship on Amazon/Detroit Rivers transporting raw materials
On either side of doorway
Labor – to the left, Worker with hammer and red star
Reference to communism – though workers actually wore such gloves
Management – to the right, composite portrait of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison
Turbine shaped like an ear, reference to management surveillance in
unionizing time
Small panels above labor and management
Steam production – to the left (south side)
Production of electricity – to the right (north side)
Pronunciation
grisaille GRIZ eye
Curriculum Tie-in
A transportation system (including planes, ships and automobiles) allowed
movement and trade of natural resources from South America and finished
products from North America
The growth of an industrial and urban America included the rise of corporations
and labor organizations
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-
-
A growing crisis of industrial capitalism led to a global economic depression in
the 1930s
Rivera compares and contrasts positive and negative effects of technology
Grisaille is the French word for grayed tones and is used to describe a
monochrome painting technique that represents relief sculpture
Summer/2007
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76 Object data - Detroit Institute of Arts

Transcription

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