Ginger Nelson's Museum Visit

The Anger of Achilles by Jacques-Louis David

The Anger of Achilles by Jacques-Louis David was inspired by the Greek story of Iphigenia in Aulis. In the painting, Achilles has just been informed by Agamemnon, king of the Greeks, that he will not be allowed to marry his daughter Iphigenia. Instead, Iphigenia is to be sacrificed to the goddess Diana. Iphigenia’s mother, Clytemnestra, looks on in sorrow. This painting is currently in the possession of the Kimball Art Museum.

The Anger of Achilles is approximately 3 ½ ft. by 4 ¾ ft. in size. There is virtually no empty space seen. The figures of Agamemnon, Achilles, Clytemnestra, and Iphigenia occupy most of the space. There is little background area. In the background that does exist, there are a couple of structures and some hills in the farther distance. Depth is created by the layering of images. Although all four human figures are in the foreground, the women are positioned behind the men. The structures in the background are small in relation to the people. In turn, the hills are smaller still in relation to the structures. The background is hazy or blurry which also gives the impression of depth and distance.

The main focal point is the human figures and the confrontation between the two men. However, there is tension because the eye is also drawn to the actions of the two women. The eye is drawn from one figure to the next by their gazes in different directions, which makes it difficult for the eye to find a resting place.

Bold bright colors are used throughout the piece. The men are clad in the strong colors of red and blue. The women are also in bright colors, but are a bit softer. The bold colors indicate strong emotion in the figures. Warm, bright colors are used in the foreground and colors are used receding to create a blurred background.

Although the right side of the painting is open to the outdoors, a light source is implied to be coming from above. This is evident by the presence of true to life shadows under the figures chins, on Achilles’ forearm and by the shadows in the folds of their clothing. A large shadow is also cast across Achilles’ face, caused by his helmet. The light reflects on Achilles’ helmet creating the impression of a rounded shape.

There are both geometric and organic shapes present. There are geometric motifs on both men’s clothing. The shape of Achilles’ helmet is also somewhat geometric. Most other shapes are organic in nature. The human figures are full and soft. The men look strong and assertive while the women look more timid and beautiful. While all figures are in the foreground, the women are placed just behind the men. This was possibly to have the men in the stronger role and women in the more submissive place. Iphigenia looks slightly smaller than other figures; she is presumably the youngest person in the group.

There are many lines, both actual and implied in The Anger of Achilles. The tilt of Iphigenia’s head and the direction of her gaze form a line that goes down and to the right. The strap across Achilles’ back and his right arm reaching across and back for his sword also form diagonal lines. Another set of diagonal lines is the motif on the right hand side of Agamemnon’s clothing and his right arm and hand that are pointing down and to the left.

Vertical lines are formed by Achilles’ sword and the feathers on his helmet. The folds in the draperies, those in the clothing of Agamemnon, the scepters that are held by Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, and the points on Clytemnestra’s headpiece all also form vertical lines.

All of the figures in this piece are gazing at different points forming many horizontal lines. Achilles is looking to the right toward Agamemnon; Agamemnon is looking to the left back at Achilles. Clytemnestra is also looking horizontally toward Achilles, while Iphigenia’s gaze is more diagonal. The motif on the front of Agamemnon’s clothing, the point of Achilles’ helmet, the wreath of flowers on Iphigenia’s head, and the folds across the back of Achilles’ clothing also form horizontal lines.

Jacques-Louis David worked The Anger of Achilles in oil. Oil paint remains wet longer that many other types of paint. This enables the artist to change colors, textures, or forms of the figures. At times, the painter might even remove an entire layer of paint and begin again.

Longino Alex Nunez Museum Visit

The painting Rock, Rock by Richard Lindner is a painting of a sixties Rock and roll Performer. The oil painting done in 1966 is on display at the Dallas Museum of Art in the Performing Arts Exhibition. The Painting uses many forms of lines to define and emphasize objects. The curving lines on the border of the guitar seem to join the man with his instrument, almost as if the guitar is part of the man’s shirt. The vertical lines that make up the neck of the guitar split the man perfectly in half, keeping with the conformity that binds the man and his guitar. Small lines also play a role within the painting. At the bridge of the guitar lines create an upside down triangle creating what could be seen as a tie out of the chords, further creating the idea of man and guitar as one figure. Another way in which the artist has brought together the man and the object is by including similar lines on both. The horizontal line formed by the changing colors on the man’s sleeve run parallel with the frets on the guitar, and likewise the vertical lines on the man’s turtle neck run parallel with the neck and strings of the guitar. The lines behind the man move from horizontal to vertical making the flow between lines within the man and guitar seem very natural, and conforming. These lines that appear to be “shining” from the background put an almost Saint-like appearance on the guitarist. The Yellow in these lines give it sun-like beams that radiate all around the rest of the painting bringing the Rock star out and pushing him seemingly closer to the audience. I would describe the use of colors in this painting as very appropriate for defining the times and feelings of rock and roll music. The artist’s use of complementary colors on the sweater creates a very groovy and psychedelic mood. The use of red on the guitar gives emphasis on the guitar almost separating it from the rest of the painting, but the bright colors on the man keep the two subjects bound together. The dark vest and the dark sunglasses seem to create some mystery of the man. The dark vest and the glasses give the musician a persona that can be portrayed as cool, or possibly even as bad. The Beams of light shining behind the man create an emphasis on him as well. So in the painting both the man and the guitar are central focus points, only further bringing the two together as one. There is also a use of repetition shown in the sleeves of the man. However, the pattern is interrupted by the black vest along with the guitar again creating a strong emphasis on the guitar. I would definitely say that within this painting the guitar has defined the man, and would also come to the conclusion that the man is probably a magnificent musician.

Alice Peden, Traci Newberry, Ginger Nelson, and Cuong Nguyen discuss Leonardo da Vinci's "Paragone"

     In his Paragone discussion, Leonardo da Vinci asserts that sculpting is more physically demanding and painting is mostly mentally demanding. While some may find this to be true in some instances, it is not always the case. Both painting and sculpting have the potential to be demanding in each way.
     In sculpting you have to create a vision in a block of stone. You must also be able to have an image of the outcome of every move that you make. When sculpting our blocks of soap, most of us found that it was very easy to make mistakes. It was easy to take off too much in one area, thus throwing the proportions off. Sculpting could also be mentally demanding because of the extraordinary amount of patience that would be required to carve something with such precision out of a block of stone. Sculpting is physically demanding because of the sheer strength it would take to handle the stone and tools and to exert the force you would need to chip away at the rock.
     Painting can also be both physically and mentally demanding. Consider works that are very large or set up in a difficult way (ex. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel). These would most likely prove to be more physically demanding than smaller pieces. When painting, the mental faculties must also be used to imagine the work that you are creating. The painter must be able to work out things like perspective, colors, and texture and patterns. They are trying to use all of these elements to turn something that is 2-dimensional into something that you can see as multi dimensional. There is also a lot more room for error in painting. In most cases, mistakes can be covered up with another layer of paint, whereas if you make a mistake while sculpting, it is much harder to mask.
     To prove that one art form is superior to the other would be difficult. Both paintings and sculptures have their purpose and place. A lot would depend on the intended use of the piece and where it was to be displayed. For example, if you were looking for a piece of art to display in a courtyard or garden, obviously you wouldn’t look for a painting. Likewise, if the intended usage was indoors, you might not have ample space to display a large sculpture.
     A lot also depends on the strengths of the artist and what the artist is trying to express -- both of which are internal factors rather than anything specific to either branch of art. Each artist has his or hers skills and technique when expressing their work. If a person has pride and passion in their work, he or she will be able to create art.
      We do not believe that a discussion such as the Paragone is of much use other than to see the opinion of such an influential artist. Art is in the eye of the viewer. Some people may appreciate paintings over sculptures, just like some people appreciate music over paintings. It is personal preference and appreciation. There is no right or wrong, no one art form that is more or less superior.

Cuong Nguyen Standing in the Shoes of Leonardo da Vinci

In my art work include Atmospheric/aerial perspective by have mountains above the horizontal line and a house, power poles, and street under the horizontal line. I use the street in the foreground to show it leading to the vanishing point. As the street move farther away the street get smaller. As you can see the dotted line on the road get smaller as it move closer to the vanishing point. The power poles also get smaller as it goes toward the vanishing point.

Traci Newberry Standing in the Shoes of Michealangelo Buonarrati

Before I even began my sculpture, I knew that within that white bar of soap was a figure of my beautiful white German shepherd, Diesel.

I had some tools that would work great, from a time years ago I thought clay sculpting would be a fun new hobby. I started with a couple pictures of Diesel, and a couple sketches to get my angles right.

It was so overwhelming to wrap your brain around what pieces you needed to leave and what areas you needed to remove. Proportion was something that I did not expect to be as large of a challenge, but every time I thought I had the back legs the way I wanted them, the head was too small, or vice versa. I found Diesel's ears to be the most challenging because they were both convex and concave in shape, and tiny in comparison. The soap was fairly easy to shape and remove, but if I attempted to take too much off at one time, it would break and crack. I cannot fathom how difficult it would be to create such wonderful sculptures like Michelangelo in something soft, like soap; and he was able to create those works in marble and stone! Truly unbelievable. I added finishing touches on Diesel, with a wire brush, to add the texture of hair, and was somewhat satisfied with the final work. Even more satisfied with my heightened appreciation for what Michelangelo was able to do.     

Longino Alex Nunez Standing in the Shoes of Michealangelo Buonarrati

Before I even started I took into consideration that there is a huge difference between soap and stone. I loved the way that the soap just peels off as I carved making it very easy to get to the figure within.

Pieces of soap quickly began to accumulate on and around me, making me wonder how messy it must be to break up huge blocks of stone. On my first attempt at creating the piece a thin part of the sculpture gave and I accidently decapitate my swan.

This made me wonder if all sculptures should be started at the top. It was very exciting to watch my ugly soapling turn into a beautiful swan.

Ginger Nelson Standing in Shoes of Michealangelo Buonarrati

For my soap sculting project, I decided to attempt a fairly simple shape, a cross. It was a little more difficult than originally anticipated. The first challenge was selecting the best tool for the job. I finally settled on a long, thin paring knife. It took a precise touch to take off the correct amount of material to make the shape. Too much was taken off very easily. It was also difficult to achieve symetry in the shape. There was also a concern that if the soap was not handled gently enough, it might break. The point of the knife was perfect for similating wood grain on the front of the piece. Finally, a passable cross emerged.