Concepts of the Canon and Authority Flashcards
(32 cards)
What is the canon for the discipline of Art History?
The term is: Body of works that are considered by relevant authorities to embody the highest standard of artistic achievement.
Who are the authorities who decide what counts as great art?
Art Museums Art Galleries Artists Scholars Critics Collectors
How does the National Gallery influnce the canon of art?
National Museum has 2000 works of art on display, can’t see all in one visit - so they offer a “must see”, this is a reflection of the canon of western painting before 1900 (also an influence on the canon).
The National Gallery ensure those 30 paintings get more attention. A painting in a gallery is likely to be better known that one is a less prominent museum or private ownership. This means National Gallery has power to shape the canon. As they decide which paintings to acquire and display. It is gallery’s director and curators who has this power, together with wealthy art collectors who have enriched collection over the years through gifts and bequests. 1924 textile magnate established a trust fund to aquire French Impressionst and Post-Impressionist paintings help to consolidate canonical status of these works.
What are some influencers and properties influencing the the canon of art?
Must see lists in Museums.
The pedigree of the instituion showing art (Gallery>smaller museum/private ownership)
Certain National “schools”
Period of creation
Canon of art does change
For Caravaggio to enter canon dominace of classic ideals needed to give way to new set or artistic values.
Artists, scholars and otheres challange the authority of classisism, because of political, economic and social change of the period.
19th Cent assessed artists modern concerns with orginality, self-expression, and innovation.
Canon of western art changed and expanded to include many artists who were neglected and disdained, which classicism held sway and modern art didn’t conform to its standards.
Modern art now has its own canon, extending from Manet in late 19th Cent to Pollock 1950 and beyond.
Classical italian renaissance still hold place in canon, but also some modern artists such as Cezanne partly depend on classical values.
Royal Academy and french government.
Impressive, dramatic and spectacular buildings like Tate, together with brand give objects displayed special status.
Institutional, social and economic factors.
Association with specific gallery.
In art what two element combine to shapre meaning?
Form and content.
What is meaning in art?
it is not the same as subject or content, but depends on the effect made on the viewer by formal elements such as the composition, use of colour and so on.
How does Caravaggio convey meaning in Supper at Emmaus?
Depicting it is such a dramatic and naturalistic way, convey wonder of the disciples at resurrection of Jesus from dead. Impression these events are happening before our very eyes, we are witnessing/participating. Reinforced by unconventional appearance of Jesus, no beard young looking - why they didn’t recognise him.
How does the viewers reaction to the painting contribute to its meaning?
Since it takes the viewer a moment to work out who the central figure is, we share the same experience of recognition as they disciples. Burden of responsibility with us to make the picture meaningful as we have to accept Jessus resurrection.
Describe Caravaggio’s The Supper at Emmaus’s lifecycle and his role in the canon over the years.
Commissioned by Roman Nobleman, Ciraco Mattei.
Soon aquired by leading art collector of the time Cardinal Scipione Borghese - showing how highly valued Caravaggio was at the time.
National gallery exhibition: Caravaggio: The final Years (2005) (Featured art painted after 1606 fled Rome to avoid tried for murder).
Caravaggio not always highly regarded - low ebb 19th Century.
Painting came to Nat Gall in 1839 - Donated by Baron Vernon couldn’t sell it.
Carravaggios work reassessed around 1900.
Since 1951 major exhibition to his work held in Milan that artist gained current canonical status.
Today Caravaggio is one of the most popular of the ‘old masters - because of his dark and dramatic paintings and his equally dramatic and sensational life story.
What shaped the canon of Renaissance art?
Vasari (1511-1574) who wrote Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors and Architects, first published in 1550. Argued art has been brought to a new perfection in recent times, thanks to Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. Contemporary artist had made a breakthrough, leaving behind stiff manner of recent past. Because rediscovered statues, such as Laocoon and Apollo Belveder - possessing the appeal and vigour of living flesh and derived from the finest features of living models. Regarded as the standard all other works of art should be judged, known through Europe plastercasts and prints. Inspiration for artists and tourists until 19th Cent recognised not Greek originals but Roman copies.
Explain sculptor Polykleitos role in the canon.
In 5th century BCE Greek sculptor wrote (now lost) treatise known as the Canon, set out mathematically based principles for creating a perfectly proportioned and balanced human figure. Exemplified in his sculpture Doryphoros ‘Spear Bearer’.
Expand further on the perfect proportioned human body in ancient greek - for painters and philosophers.
Painters Zeuxis and Parrhasios used several models for a single figure, selecting most beautiful parts - achieve perfection not found in nature. Plato 427-347 BCE theorised that ideal forms where physical manifestation of abstract quality such as reason, truth and virtue. Considered to have a timeless, universal validity.
Describe the antiquariand and art historian who published a book about the canon after Visary.
Antiquarian and art historian Giovanni Pietro Bellori (1613-1696) published Lives of the Modern Painters, Sculptors, and Architects in 1672 - contins the artists he considers the most important of recent times. Follows example of Vasari endorsing Renaissance art, though differ in who most imporant - Vesari put Michelanglo 1st, but Bellori put Raphael first. Bellori’s canon dominated by Italians, but also Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) and Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641). Forword : Noble painters and sculptors form in their minds an example of higher beauty and by complating that they emend nature without fault of colour or line.
What does Bellori say about Caravaggio?
Hes says his art if deficient because he fails to select the most beautiful forms in nature.
Caravaggio depcts nature just as he sees it, without any idealsation models at all.
He suggest Caravaggio was dependent on this models and just copied them. Without models he could not paint. (his hand and mind became empty).
He admires his use of colour though and describes it as truthful.
He also says Caravaggio’s naturalism has beneficial effect on art countered tendency towards too artificial style (maniera).
Including him in the book makes him important artist, but not in the canon. As he is bad exmaple, leading astray other artists, should have known better than to copy him. Poussin hated him too, saying he had come into the world to destroy painting.
How was Caravaggio different in his work to other artists of masterpieces?
What Bellori says can’t be true as Caravaggio didn’t just paint what he saw. Picture is down to earth but Caravaggio was aware of precedence provided by other artists. Carefully calculated all of the elements of composition in order to achive the desired effect. Didn’t do preporatory drawings but did change composition on canvas seen in Xrays. His refusal to use sculptures are models and darkness of background figures stand out so forcefully, made him utterly different from most revered masterpieces from Renaissances.
How does British artist and critic Roger Fry (1866-1934) describe Caravaggio?
Highly favourable account.
The aspects of Caravaggios work that Bellori didn’t like Fry likes, like challanging authority and tradition. Saying he is is the first ‘modern artist’. He says he is true to himself and has sincerity and originallity. Bellor didn’t like that he didn’t idole, Fry celebrates this as ‘first realist’, Compare to Velazques and Rembrandt so must have been canonical by 1905. For Caravaggio to enter canon dominace of classic ideals needed to give way to new set or artistic values.
What is the hierachy of genres and who created it?
Andre Felibein
What is the background to hierachy of genres and who created it?
Andre Felibein (1619-1695) a scholar and administrator in preface to Conferences of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture published 1669 (presumably in France). The Royal academy was founded in Paris in 1648 - official institution of powerful French monarchy, and so highly authorotative. Aim to raise the status of the artist by defining art as a serious minded intellectual activity. Provided members with theoretical debate about art, and training for young male artists. Paint drawing naken human body or sculptures - produce classic idealised works of art.
What does Felibien say about hierarchy of genres?
Gain pleasure not only from an artists knowledge of drawing, the beuty of colour and value of the materials but also from the grandeur of their ideas, creation of prior pictures in the mind. Just representing lines is mechanical and not artistict by just copying nature.
- Historical and legendary subjects. Humans are good greatest creation, so best painted. Pictures should tell a story - moral or religious character. Allegorical composition - complex symbolism to covey message - difficult and noble - hard to create - groups of figure. Other subjects inferior less intellectually demanding.
- Portraits/Genre
- Landscape
- Animal
- Still life - only dead matter
What is the defintion of a history painting?
Category include mythological and religious scenes and historical subjects. Therefore Caravaggio’s The Suppoer would have been considered History, but Felibien would not have rated it highly, because of the unidolised way that the sacred subject is depicted. He had very low opinions of Caravaggios work.
What is genre painting?
It is 17th Century Dutch painters like Pieter de Hooch painting scenes of everyday life. Ranked below history painting as it doesn’t involve more than copying of the world around us. Could be considered higher than portrait but didn’t get a mention by Felibien.On other had could be seen as inferior to Portrait as it had oridnariy people, wheras portraits had important people.
What was Britains Royal Academy of Arts history and opinion on genre painting?
Founded in 1789, the first president Sir Joshua Reynolds delivered lectures that upheld academic values, including hierarchy of genre. However like most British artists he made a living as a portrait painter. More over in France and Italy painters produced work that didn’t fit onto one category neatly.
What is the impact of the challenge of dominance of classic idealism in the 19th century?
Classic idealism had provided the rationale behind the hierarchy of genres in the first place. As a result history paintings ceased to be automatically ranked above other types of picture. During this time, Mona Lisa became one of the most famous pictures in the world.
A more direct challenge to hierarchy of genre came from political and social values that developed during 19th cent.
Artists and critics rejected kings and saints = great art work.
Why did Rembrandt enter canon, with his history painting at a time when it was challenged.
He was considered a democratic artist, who showed sympathy towards poor and suffering in his work.
