I never do this but god, I am steamed. Okay so, i’m only writing this because I saw something that made me really angry and I can’t get my mind off it. So I do art at university and I have a tumblr, I draw skeletal figures because i’m interested in bones and veins and other things to do with the…
Bibliography
Is art history of any use to artists? Using two or three examples, discuss how an understanding of High Renaissance or Baroque art may help - or hinder - the practice of art in the present.
Caitlin McKeegan
The Guardian.co.uk, “Trying to revive the Renaissance”. http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2010/jun/03/leonardo-michelangelo-renaissance-mattered. (1st April 2012)
v I’m unsure about how reliable the Guardian is, however, this source is useful in that it provides a certain viewpoint (especially toward the end) about the renaissance impact on art today. It is trustworthy in that he author clearly knows a fair bit about the subject, It is based heavily on opinion which could be a problem when considering if what he is saying is valid. Also the website is not an academic journal but an article in an online newspaper. “the very idea of art is born in renaissance Italy” is the most poignant thing in the article, as I see it, even if not terribly accurate, the fact that it is considered by some to be so says something in itself. The article positions the artists spoken about as those who birthed art, this opinion would sit on the side of renaissance art helping rather than hindering modern art practices.
McKnight-Abrams, Amah-Rose. Through a Glass Darkly. London: Useful, 69-85 Tabernacle Street EC2A 4BD, 2011.
v Another source that is not quite as reliable as a scholarly journal may be; but the words come from the artist themselves which is about as reliable as you can get. This article provides an example of a contemporary artist not only heavily influenced by renaissance art practice but also questioning renaissance art, it’s meaning and value on the art world and on their own life and art practice. Although questioning the renaissance artists, the fact that she is so heavily informed by their art style would add weighting to renaissance art helping the practice of art in the present. It shows we can be aware and cynical but take advantage of the skill demonstrated by the old masters. Numerous artists have used the positioning, symbolism, colour, etc in renaissance art to inform their work. This artist has a more striking similarity to the renaissance painters, Her works at first appear to be true to classical renaissance art, but after completed she rips or smears the paintings, adding a destructive element to each piece, we question why she does this to such beautiful paintings.
Davis, Robert C and Lindsmith, Beth. “Renaissance People. Lives that shaped the modern age” Los Angele: J. Paul Getty Museum, 1011.
v A very reliable source. This book focuses on specific artists, what they did and touches on how they impacted art. Two artists contained in the book Albrecht Durer and Giuseppe Arcimboldo seemed the most outstandingly innovative and forward thinking. The book was of the opinion that the renaissance provided new ideas about art Arcimboldo barely look like they are from the same time period as other artworks in the book, expressing a different way of approaching artistic subject matter with non literal and non religious paintings (his works on the seasons) being some of his most famous. Albrecht Durer’s works appear strikingly modern, He was of the opinion that Germany at the time was stuck in a medieval rut “for they lack all real art theory and must learn to better their work” These artists would have been greatly influential for changing the art world, allowing art to evolve.
Haughton, Neil. Perceptions of beauty in Renaissance art. Journal of cosmetic Dermatology.
v A reliable source. I found this article to be both interesting and insightful. They attempt to pinpoint motivation behind renaissance paintings and to explain their fascination with perfection and aesthetic beauty. It mentions not just one countries involvement in renaissance art and how they differ from each other and why. Given that Art is a visual medium and that aesthetic beauty is and always has been a big part of our culture the article would give weighting to the perspective that maybe it’s not helping or hindering modern art practice but it can inform it by looking at the past with intrigue. This article also discusses realism vs. idealism; a topic which I find particularly important when assessing the renaissance influence on contempory art.
Kubovy Michael. “The Psychology of Perspective in Renaissance Art” USA: the Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge, 1986.
v This source talks about “the invention of perspective” and focuses mainly on the innovativeness of artists of that time. I find that it was helpful in the realms of renaissance artists impact on the whole world of art and how it functioned. What it meant to be an artist and creating things, why and how. There is no distancing modern art from renaissance art because of it’s profound impact, it’s not something one can just forget about. Although we may feel constricted by this; modern artists find ways to break this down. Art students still look to the old masters when learning to paint. This may stifle creativity or give it a firm ground to enhance it; it’s up to the individual. A Reliable and thought provoking source.
Agoston, Laura. Concepts of Beauty in Reaissance Art. USA: The Art Bulletin, 2000.
v Seemingly Reliable and from the library catalogue . Another article about desired aesthetics in renaissance art, as I find it to be one of the most interesting facets of renaissance art while relating back to my essay topic. Although useful it may not be to the same extent that the Haughton journal was on a similar note. That said; it remains well written and interesting. “Beauty, expressed in highly crafted and rarefied forms, seems so central a concern of the art and architecture of Northern and Southern Europe during the period called the Renaissance that it is easy to forget how elusive the topic is, how resistant to scholarly articulation.” The whole article made me feel that if something is still valued so highly for the talent or beauty that went into making it and inspired it; then it was clearly positively influential to the art world as a whole. It also speaks about modern artists that have been informed or are commenting on renaissance art through their own art practice; a factor that I expect to provide a wealth of information for my final essay.
