Episode 79: Top 10 Apocalypse Art

Hello hello dearest listeners and blog-goers! Today we present to you our special: Top 10 Apocalypse Art pieces. For those of you who haven't had their Ancient Greek lesson, here's a quick look at what our word comes from:

From Latin apocalypsis, from Ancient Greek ἀποκάλυψις (apokalupsis, “revelation”), from ἀπό (apo, “away”) and καλύπτω (kaluptō, “I cover”).

Alrighty, with that done, let's move to Contestant Number 1:

Kris Kuksi, An Opera for the Apocalypse, 2009

 A piece rife with political, spiritual, and material conflict, this is a beautiful and haunting commentary on our view of the apocalypse.  http://kuksi.com/

Aaaaaaand Number 2:

Michelangelo, Last Judgement, 1537-1541

Alright, if you didn't see this coming, we'd be dissapointed. What strife and expression in this piece, but  espeically lovely is the artist's self-portrait in the skinned figure of St. Bartholomew.

Number 3:

Attrib. to Gislebertus, Last Judgement Tympanum at Autun Cathedrale, France, 1130 CE

Who doesn't like a little judgement now and then? Well certainly not this lot. Take special care to look at this convenient close up we have provided for you, where you can see the Mick Jagger demon on the right.

Mick Jagger look-a-like demon!

 Number 4:

Benjamin West, Death on a Pale Horse, 1817

This man rides on a horse with no name. We'd suggest Gilbert. This was chosen for its delicious violence and mayhem. Look at those gesticulating arms!

Number 5:

Hieronymus Bosch, Last Judgement Triptych, 1482

Was there anyone quite as odd as Bosch? We didn't think so either. This piece was selected for its nightmare inducing demons, and the wonderful progression from light to dark across the painting.

Number 6:

John Martin, The Great Day of His Wrath, 1851-1853

Showing the destruction of Babylon under the wrath of God, this painting will make you a god-fearing soul. This piece was chosen for its wonderful wreckage of a landscape, and the bodies hurtling into the great maw below. Reminds you of Transformers or Star Trek, right?

Number 7:

Joseph M. W. Turner, The Fifth Plague of Egypt, 1800

Although this piece doesn't actually depict the fifth plague of Egypt (it's really seventh, how embarrassing!), it does a great service in its rendering of a destroyed land. We particularly like the fallen corpses in the foreground, it's giving us the spooks as we write this.

http://www.imamuseum.org/collections/artwork/fifth-plague-egypt-joseph-mallord-william-turner

Number 8:

Dragons of the Apocalypse, 1377-1382

AREN'T. THEY. CUTE? This has to be the most adorable apocalypse image up to date. Aside from its innate charming factor, we chose this because it has simply lasted so long. It survived being cut up, frost, and, worst of all, horse stables.

Number 9:

John Hendrix, Doomsday from Disasters

Chosen for its awesome combination of text and illustrative technique. And who doesn't love the bird? http://drawnhendrix.tumblr.com/

Number 10:

Tibor Kovacs, Riders of the Apocalypse

Haunting, and yet also something endearing, this piece marks our final selection! http://www.kovacsart.hu/#p=main

Leave your thoughts and comments! Do you know of any better apocalytic images? Leave them in your comments below! Muchas gracias!

Tune in next week when Chloe and Carrie discuss French Baroque!

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 53: Art Restoration

Join Julia and our newest cast member Lauren as they discuss the scandalous world of art restoration! In this episode you will encounter wonderful artworks and architectural structures such as the Palace of Knossos on Crete, Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescoes, the Elgin marbles, and da Vinci’s Last Supper! Learn about the process of restoration and what differentiates it from preservation, and decide for yourself where the line needs to be drawn on this controversial topic.

The Toreador Fresco, Minoan, found at Knossos, ca. 1550 BCE

Eligin Marbles, British Museum

Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel Ceiling, 1508-12

da Vinci, The Last Supper, 1495-98

Michelangelo,  foot of the figure the Prophet Jonah, Sistine Chapel Ceiling, High Renaissance/Mannerism, 1508-1512.

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.