Episode 96: Exiled Artists

Probably as far back as written history artists have exiled from their homeland for being subversive, political activists, out spoken or just a little bit to much of a free spirit. Some artists have fled their homeland due to death threats while others, like David, were officially exiled by their government. War is another reason artists have left their homes, like Walter Gropius who left Germany and moved to the US to teach at Harvard University. 

Jacques-Louis David

Jacques-Louis David, Self portrait, 1794

Jacques-Louis David, Oath of the Horatii, 1784

The fact that David made it through the French Revolution with his head still attached to his body is amazing, but he also managed to get his King beheaded, become known as the "Art Dictator of France", become the court painter to Napoleon and still died a natural death in Brussels. Although his heart can still be found in Paris. 

David's headstone at Pere Lachaise Cemetery, Paris

Michelangelo Merisi o Amerighi da Caravaggio

Ottavio Leoni, Chalk portrait of Caravaggio, circa 1621

Caravaggio, David with the Head of Goliath, 1610

When Caravaggio was attacked by his enemies in Naples, his face was so disfigured that he was almost unrecognizable. The Head of Goliath is Caravaggio's self portrait after the incident. You can listen to Episode 15 on Caravaggio on iTunes. Our Caravaggio post is here.  

Walter Gropius

Bauhaus Building

Harvard Graduate Center or “Gropius Complex”. Commissioned in 1948

John F. Kennedy Federal Building, Boston, MA, 1963

Pan Am Building, now the MetLife Building, Manhattan, NY 1958-1962

Gropius House, Lincoln, MA 1937-38

Walter Gropius fled Germany during WWII. He took at job at Harvard's Graduate School of Design and went on to design many of the US's familiar modern structures. 

We hope you enjoyed this episode! Come back next week for our St. Patrick's Day episode with Jo and Alisha! Have a great week!

Episode 92: Classical Revivals in Art and Architecture

In today's podcast Lauren and Alisha talk about Classical Revivals in Art and Architecture. 

Some of the main characteristics of classical revivals are, the revival of Humanism in philosophical thinkers, interest in classical themes in art work, like Greek and Roman mythological and historical drama, and usually a political background, like Napoleon and the Napoleonic wars.

Italian Renaissance

Donatello, David, 1430-40

Raphael, School of Athens, 1509

Andrea Palladio, "La Rotonda", Villa Almerico Capra

British Neoclassical revival

Reynolds, Portrait of Mrs. Siddons as the Tragic Muse, 1789

Stourhead Estate, Wiltshire, UK

Pantheon, Stourhead, Wiltshire, UK

Temple of Apollo, Stourhead, Wiltshire, UK

French Neoclassical

David, The Sabine Women, 1796-99

Classical Revival in America

Thomas Jefferson, The Monticello, 1772, Charlottesville, Virginia

Back to Italy

Canova, Psyche Revived by the Kiss of Love, 1793

Thanks for joining us today. We hope you enjoyed this episode on Classical Revivals. Next week Julia and Carrie will be discussing Abstract Expressionism! See you next Wednesday!

Episode 75: Michelangelo

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni or just Michelangelo a famous sculptor, painter, architect and poet. He was born March 6 1475 in Caprese, Italy and grew up in Florence. 

At the age of 13 he was apprenticed to Domenico it was at this time that he really excelled as an artist. and later joined the Household of Lorenzo de’Medici, the Medici Family was one of the primary patrons of the arts in Italy.

Michelangelo, Pieta, 1498-99

Michelangelo, David, 1501-04

Listen to Episode 25: The Davids to learn more about Michelangelo's statue of David, as well as Bernini and Donatello David's.

Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel Ceiling, 1508-1512

Michelangelo was commissioned to paint the Sistine Chapel in 1508 by Pope Julius II. Michelangelo didn't want the commission and turned it down at first. He really did not like to paint and much preferred sculpture. He would have had to complete one figure every four days in order to finish the ceiling in the four years it took him to finish painting it.

Michelangelo, The Last Judgement, 1537-41

Michelangelo, Medici Chapel

Michelangelo, Medici Chapel detail.

Tune in next week to hear Julia and our newest member Alisha, talk about Photorealism.

Episode 71: The Male Nude

Believe it or not, the female form at first, in the history of figure art, was not the predominant form, but instead it was the male. We are looking at the male form in the Western Hemisphere, particularly starting with the Greeks.

With the Greeks, like the roads for the Romans, it all leads back to Apollo. He is one of the most important gods to these Ancient peoples, and performs as their god of music, rationality, sun, light, and primary male beauty. Let’s take a look at this guy. Be prepared, he starts out a little bit gruesome:

Kouros from Tenea, near Corinth (ca. 575-550)

Apollo, West Pediment Olympia. Munich, copy from original, 460 BC at the Temple of Zeus, Olympia, Greece

This is what we call the HEROIC male nude, or your typical macho male. He is ripping with muscle, and like a good Last Judgement rendition of Christ, isn't taking any of your funny business.

Apollo Citharoedus

This is what we call the Mythological or more effeminate male nude. He expresses the more lyrical and artistic side of the god. As such, he is frequently posed in a passive, calm manner that is exactly opposite to his rather smit-ey counterpart.

These two binaries compose what we consider to be the male nude.

Apollo Belvedere, ca. 120 -140 BC

Laocoon and His Sons, c. 25 BC

Donatello, David, 1430-40

Michelangelo, David, 1501-04

Apollo and Marsyas

Michelangelo's Last Judgement

David, Oath of the Horatii, 1784

Girodet, Sleep of Endymion, 1791

Tune in next week when Julia and Jo will be talking about Impressionism vs. Post-impressionism! If you liked what you heard today please rate and review on iTuneU or leave us a comment!

Episode 25: The Davids

Donatello, Michelangelo, and Bernini are three master sculptors from three very different times. One thing they have in common? Subject matter. During all of their times, religous topics were well loved by patrons, including the story of David. As in David and Goliath.

There are a few differences in their approaches, including what moment of the story they depict, how David seems to feel about it, and in what manner to emphasis his youth.

Donatello, David, c. 1440

Michelangelo, David, 1504

Bernini, David, 1623-24

Episode 17: War and Peace

There is something about art that can move us to action: for both good and bad. We've talked about in various episodes about many times when art was used as propaganda, but here's some examples that have been examples we found where art either worked towards bringing peace, or incited some kind of outrage.

David by Michelangelo

In an incident during a riot, the hand of David was hit. The mob immediately calmed and dispersed, showing the value the people of Florence put on their art.

Death of General Wolfe by Benjamin West

Benjamin West, while trying to glorify the death of a British soldier. For several reasons, the British hated it... including King George, who refused to give Ben his paycheck.

Statue of Liberty

Liberty Leading the People by Eugene Delacroix

 Lady Liberty has been a symbol to both the French and the United States. The statue has become a symbol for peace, while other depictions (such as Delacroix) helped to fuel the French Revolution.

Second of May by Goya

Third of May by Goya

 Another depiction of war, Goya is celebrating the Spanish Spirit based on events in 1808. The first is the riot that was started by the Spanish against the French invaders, the second image is when the French went back to the village and massacred the men there.

Man at the Crossroads... by Diego Rivera

Unlike Benjamin West, Diego Rivera was paid for this mural... Rockefeller  just decided to tear it down a year later. With the money Rivera made, he recreated the mural several times over.

JR

This is a piece that is discussed on JR's Ted Talk (which we highly recommend you listen to here).

We also talked about a student whose work had the same humanity and works to promote the idea that for all our differences we are the same. To see more of this project and Maria Corona's work, go here.

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.