Episode 102: Blue

Azure, indigo, sapphire, cobalt, beryl, cerulean, cyan, ultramarine. Incase you didn't get our little hint, on this week Julia and Carolyne will be talking about the color blue and its influence in art history. Our topic was inspired by the Blue episode of the BBC documentary The History of Art in Three Colours. If you would like to watch the episode, click the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h83jaUTBlX0

Lapis Lazuli

In the Western world blue was a latecomer to be used in art, design and even dying fabric. Making good blue dye was difficult. For centuries plants were most commonly used to create blue dyes, plants like woad and indigo were popular in Europe and Asia. The arrival of lapis lazuli in Venice changed everything.

Ancient Egyptian figurine in Egyptian Blue

Ancient Egyptians created the very first synthetic blue known as Egyptian Blue by grinding lime, silica, copper and alkali together.

For the Ancient Egyptians blue would protect the dead from evil in the afterlife. It was used for funerary urns, statuary and figurines. They also dyed the fabric a mummy was wrapped in blue.

Saint Denis Basilica, Paris

Blue wasn't typically used in stained glass windows until the middle ages, when the Saint Denis Basilica was rebuilt in Paris. They used cobalt in the windows which when mixed with the red glass created a bluish violet light that filled the cathedral. That particular color came to be known as bleu de Saint Denis.

Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna, Italy

While blue had been used extensively by the Byzantines, particularly in mosaics it had not been used in clothing.

Bellini, Lochis Madonna, abt 1470-75

Pretty soon blue was the color of royalty, wealth and religion. Of course this kind of made sense since they were the only ones who could afford to buy it. When ultramarine began to be used in depicting the Virgin Mary, the color blue became a symbol of virtue, holiness and humility. The church even tried to make blue it’s own, saying it could only be used for religious symbolism.

Giotto, Arena Chapel, 1305

Giotto was one of the first Italian Renaissance painters to use ultramarine. The barrel vaulted ceiling is painted blue, not to represent the sky, but heaven. The portraits on the ceiling, encased in circles are God and Saints looking down from heaven. The Arena Chapel is considered one of the masterpieces of western art.

Titian, Pesaro Altarpiece, 1519-1526

The church tried to control ultramarine by inflating prices, at one point is was more expensive than gold. Since blue was the color of the divine, it was only used for the Virgin Mary. Titian, bad ass that he was, broke the churches control and rules associates with it in the Pesaro Altarpiece.

Some examples from Picasso's Blue Period

In Picasso’s case, his Blue Period had to do with sadness and mourning. Picasso sank into a depression in late 1901 and began painting in blue tones because of the death of his friend Carlos Casagemas. His blue's were not ultramarine, but darker more melancholy tones.

Other artists, like Gauguin and Van Gogh, used blue to represent “deepest emotion”.

Kandinsky, Der Blaue Reiter,1903 & Marc, Tower of Blue Horses, 1913

The Movement is also the title of a Kandinsky painting from 1903. The name Blaue Reiter (“blue rider”) refers to a key motif in Kandinsky’s work: the horse and rider, which was for him a symbol for moving beyond realistic representation. The horse was also a prominent subject in Marc’s work, which centered on animals as symbols of rebirth.

For Kandinsky, the properties of Blue were deep, inner, supernatural, peaceful “Sinking towards black, it has the overtone of a mourning that is not human.”

Klein, Various art pieces, Pompidou Center, Paris

Yves Klein believed that blue could change the world. He approached the chemist, Edouard Adam to help him develop the perfect shade of blue and in 1957 he trademarked the color as International Klein Blue. Everything he painted was blue! Klein made his first monochrome painting in 1949 and began his so-called 'blue period' in 1957; he then continued to make blue monochrome paintings called mono paintings which he called OPEN WINDOWS TO FREEDOM.

The Leap Into the Void, 1960

In conclusion, is it any wonder that we as human beings are so entranced by the color blue, it is after all, the color of our planet.

Bill Anders, Earthrise,1968

On December 24, 1968 as the astronauts of Apollo 8 were taking pictures of the moon, Bill Anders happened to look at the window and see the Earth and is rose over the moon's horizon. He took the picture above, forever changing humankind's view of Earth and our place in the Universe.

RECENTLY—Ken Murphy, a computer programmer  built a rig to photograph the sky once every 10 seconds for a year. The resulting time-lapse video collage is a kaleidoscope of shifting weather patterns. Murphy’s project is one of more than 150 featured in The Art of Tinkering. (link and video)


We hope you enjoyed this episode on the color Blue. Next week Alisha and Jo will be talking about Scottish Ruins!

Episode 91: Great Artist Rivalries

Some of the most well known artists through out history did their best work while trying to beat out their rival. In this weeks episode Jo and Lauren discuss Great Artist Rivalries

In the first round, we have Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarotti!

Here's some Leo (note precision and attention to atmospheric detail):

The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne, 1516

Madonna of the Rocks, 1483-86

And here's some Michelangelo (note the way he brings the figure out of the work):

Atlas Slave, 1530-1534

Lorenzo de Medici (the lesser one, not the awesome one) from the Medici Chapel, 1526-1533

Here is a link which succinctly describes in the artist's words their feelings towards one another:

OKAY so moving on towards our second rivalry: Borromini and Bernini! 

In summation, Bernini had the charisma which Borromini was severely lacking, leading ultimately to the latter's suicide. Not a happy story, but definitely a dramatic one!

Basilica di San Pietro, construction started 1506

Both artists worked on this structure (even Michelangelo!). The modern bell towers are Borromini's fix it to Bernini's big snafu. 

Baldacchino, 1623-1634

 This was another love child between Bernini and Borromini - but you can see Bernini's flamboyancy won out.

San Carlo alle Quatro Fontane, 1646, Borromini

 

San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane - Inside, 1646, Borromini

 At last Borromini got his own building - look at the lavish splendor!

And for our last rivalry, with a particularly French flavor: Ingres and Delacroix!

Ingres on Left, Delacroix on Right, Self Portraits

In a nutshell, this is an ultimate battle between the straitlaced line lover, and the adventurous color-wielder!

Paganini, Delacroix, 1831

Paganini, Ingres, 1819

Bacchus and Ariadne, Titian, 1520-23

Delacroix, Moroccan Saddles His Horse, 1855

One of Delacroix's influences. Notice the hints of loose brushwork (impasto) and the delightful colors! One of Delacroix's works showing that wonderful brushwork.

Well, thanks for listening! Be sure to tune in next week, and leave your comments here or on iTunes U!

Short but Sweet: Disegno vs. Colorito

We would like to apologize for not having our regular full length episode up today, we have had some technical issues with this episode and are unable to post it at this time. We hope you will enjoy the Short but Sweet instead.

We will have our regular full length episode up next Wednesday.

Thank you.

Disegno

 Colorito

Episode 011: Artists and their Muses

The Muse has always been attached to the artist in one form or another.

Three Graces

Just before the Renaissance, there were many ancient sculptures that were being discovered and inspiring artists. The Three Graces inspired the use of the female form as a representation to the muse.

Pastoral Symphony by Titian

This is an example of the Three Graces being implemented in painting.

Bathsheba at her Bath by Rembrandt

Although his wife made sure Rembrandt couldn't marry his mistress after her death, he consistently used her within his works of art.

Olympia

Luncheon on the Grass

Street Singer

These are all pieces by Manet, who found himself using Victorine (his "muse") often in his art.

Make sure you catch the Elizabeth Gilbert Ted Talks presentation this episode was inspired by-- in fact, Elizabeth can be said to have been the muse for the podcast brought to you today!

If you have topics in art history you're just itching to hear more about, leave us a comment or email us at: uvu.artsandfacts@gmail.com.

Episode 002: The French Salon

Example of Rococo art

 

Oath of the Horatii by David

This Neoclassic piece is an example of what the French Academy of the Arts looked to as an "ideal" for the images accepted into the Salon.

Lourve

The Salon de Paris moved to the Lourve in 1725.

Luncheon on the Grass by Manet 

Pastoral Symphony by Titian

 Manet's piece was an updated version of Titians. Luncheon on the Grass was displayed in the 1863 Salon des Refuses--the first of this tradition that would give a start to Impressionism.

If you have topics in art history you're just itching to hear more about, leave us a comment or email us at: uvu.artsandfacts@gmail.com.