JDunlap

      The first work in this discussion of morality in the classical era of art, I chose a painting by Jean Baptiste-Martin. It it titled A Meeting of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture at the Louvre, created in 1712-21 using oils on canvas. (Berman, 2020) This painting is described as a room full of finely dress men meeting to teach and share painting techniques. It functioned as a place for these men to share their work, expand their artistic knowledge, and utilized hands on lessons.         The second work fits a similar theme as the first work I discussed. This painting titled, The School of Art, created by  Benoît-Louis Prévost in 1763. This depicts the evolution of the art school and how each artist would progress to different levels of drawing practices. Tracing the image from left to read, we see artists starting at the beginning level using drawings and engravings to copy from. Then to the right is the increase in level util...

Baroque        This painting was created by Rachel Ruysch in 1711 in the Netherlands, using oils on wood. Ruysch was a Dutch artist who specialized in flowers and still-life paintings. This piece is titled  Flowers and Insects and is one of Ruysch's more lively and expansive paintings. Instead of flowers, she includes various fruits, insects, naturalistic items, and other creatures. What I find to be the most interesting aspect of this painting and a few of her others, is that she does not use real still-life items to reference when painting. Rather she uses sketches and composites from studies she and her father had done on these various specimens. This piece truly caught my eye with all the vibrant colors intermixed and the attention to detail is absolutely astonishing, which is one of the reasons why it inspires awe in those who view it. Around the time this painting was created, scientists had just perfected the invention of the microscope which increased th...

  Landscape with the Flight into Egypt   This piece is called Landscape with the Flight into Egypt,  created by Annibale Caracci using oils on canvas. It was made in 1604 and was created for the Palazzo Doria Pamphili in Rome, Italy. This piece is one of four other "lunettes," half-moon-shaped surfaces. The composition offers an atmospheric perspective with increased blue tones, supporting the illusion of space within the painting. This technique also reduces the level of detail in order to maintain the illusion of space. Another interesting detail is found in how the rooves of the building are drawn. The rounded roof in the center, also known as the oculus, is meant to represent the recall of ancient architectural techniques.   The painting tells a biblical story of Mary and Joseph fleeing to Egypt with the child of Christ amidst an increase in violence toward their people.            Caracci began his practices in Bologna, I...