art-appreciation2024

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John Ringling Art Museum

The artwork I have chosen today, Judith with the Head of Holofernes, was illustrated by Francesco Cairo, an Italian artist from the 17th century. Upon entering the Ringling art museum, my gaze was constantly moving around the room: Giving minimal attention to each artwork as they all blended together seamlessly on the museum walls. As I continued through the Baroque paintings, Cairo’s painting displayed below immediately caught my attention. The deep gaze of Judith and the emphasis on her face stood out in the artwork surrounding it and I could not find myself looking away. The first thing I noticed was Judith and the intensity in the eye contact she maintained with the viewer. As I continued inspecting the painting, other important details stood out to me as well. Judith is holding a daggered head, and behind her shows a distraught woman trying to catch the attention of Judith. However, I found myself wondering, why is Judith looking at us? Why are we, the audience, what she’s focused on? After extensive research, I discovered that Judith was holding the head of Holofernes, an individual in which she had history with in the Catholic Bible. Judith had a motive for murdering Holofernes, and she is focusing on the viewer as to make sure we understand the severity of the situation she is in and to ensure we know to keep her secret. The woman depicted behind her was a maid to Judith, feeling the urgency and the severity of the situation as she attempts to grasp the attention that Judith refuses to break with the audience. Cairo did an absolutely magnificent job at capturing the viewers' attention and making us feel like the center of attention in his artwork, rather than the painting itself. 

When inspecting details and elements of Cairo’s work, the most important and noticeable principle in Cairo’s painting is the use of emphasis on Judith’s face. As mentioned previously, the focal point of the painting is on Judith’s face, rather than the act we’ve caught her in, Judith’s surroundings being used as negative space due to the lack of lighting surrounding Judith. Cairo utilized value throughout the painting through extensive and detailed shading in the rippled clothing and shadows on Judith’s face. Cairo also effectively utilized movement in the maid's face as she attempts to speak to Judith to capture her attention from the viewer. Cairo effectively utilized the principles of art in portraying not only emotion but also leaving an impression on the audience! 

Below I have attached a picture of the painting I have chosen, the plaque next to it, and proof of attendance to the Ringling Museum!

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Painting

I will add both my reference photo and my final project:

This photo is very important to me as it is a photo of a beautiful sunset where the Green Bridge is. As I've been going through a rough and confusing period of my life, I cherish the beautiful sunsets I see as I've become more consistent with walking the bridge! Beautiful photos like this give me hope as I continue through these tough times :)

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Contents of Photography Discussion Post

Image 1: The Countess of Exeter by Cornelius Janssen van Ceulen displayed in the Milwaukee Art Museum. This is a portrait of a woman named Elizabeth Drury from the Renaissance era who was the second wife of William Cecil, and in the portrait she's shown to be wearing flattering and flashy clothing and jewelry. The intended purpose of this portrait, from my perspective, was to demonstrate Elizabeth's beauty and style and her representation of the Renaissance era.

Source: https://blog.mam.org/2017/10/24/from-the-collection-the-countess-of-exeter-by-cornelius-janssen-van-ceulen/

Image 2: A Winter's Tale Winter Photography in Vanderbilt Museum by Alissa Rosenberg. This landscape image gives a gray and cold impression to the viewer when they first inspect the photograph. The photographer expresses that they're not the most fond of Winter and the snowy season brings a pit to their stomach and they associate Winter with sadness, and I believe this photograph greatly depicts the feelings the photographer associate with Winter. This image captures the dreary and dark side that comes with the snowy season. 

Source: https://www.alissabethphoto.com/blog/a-winters-tale-winter-photography-at-the-vanderbilt-museum-in-centerport-new-yorkLinks to an external site.

Image 3: Still Life with Cake by Raphaelle Peale displayed in the Brooklyn Museum. The food that this artist chose was an apple, a set of raisins, and a piece of cake. I believe the artist chose these food items to depict their impoverished lifestyle and the way they lived. The artist associates the blemished apple with their poor and unlucky life to which they were given. The cake in this piece of work is labeled as "poor man's pound cake" and the food is utilized the artists depiction of the way he was brought up.

Source: https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/268

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How Has Color Affected Me

Color is an important aspect of life, not only does color add individuality and unique qualities to different objects and experiences but it also affects us in our day to day lives!

For me personally, color can impact your mood and state of mind depending on it's intensity and it's level of saturation. For example, my favorite color is pink! Yet, hot pink (a more intense pink) makes me feel alive and more energized. Light pink (a less intense pink) makes me feel more calm and comfortable.

With my favorite color being pink, you'd think I'd choose this as my color scheme. However, lately, my color scheme for my life would be transitioning from a dark blue to a more yellow-greenish color as I shift from a dark period in my life to a more hopeful point in my life as I continue to find myself gradually coming to a point of clarity. I would associate the yellowish-greenish hue to represent a state of happiness as I continue building new relationships and reconnecting with nature.

:)

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Unity is the appearance of being one or united. I believe a good example of unity in my everyday life would be the design in my living room. I utilize color to compliment my future and the way it appears as one.

Variety is an element that provides diversity and difference. A prime example of variety in my life would be my 5 kitty cats! They all have different colors and personalities therefore they boldly represent diversity.

Balance is equal distribution or equilibrium in art. A prime example of that in my life is my wine cabinet, as we organize our cups by size and height- giving a a balanced appearance.

Emphasis is an element that is utilized to draw attention to a specific area. An example of that would be the layout of my home, as we have it organized in our dining room for your attention to be drawn to the dining table upon entering our dining room!

Subordination is the opposite of emphasis. They both go hand in hand, as subordination neutralizes certain aspects so more attention is drawn to the point of emphasis. A prime example of this is a continuation of my example for emphasis, as we have the surroundings of my dining room appear less interesting so your focal point is our dining room table.

Directional forces in art are pathways for our eyes to follow in a piece of art. An example of that would be in Van Gogh's painting "The Starry Night" as the waves in the night sky create a path for our eyes to follow throughout the painting.

Repetition is the usage of one or more elements in a repetitive pattern. An example would be my floor as the tiles are all the same size and color, and repeat through my home.

Rhythm is quite similar to repetition and utilizes different elements in sequence. Van Gogh's "The Starry Night" is another prime example of rhythm with the patterned waves in the starry sky.

Scale is the size difference of one object to another. An example would be "The Wheat Field of Cypresses" by Van Gogh as you analyze the size different between the trees.

Proportion is the relationship between sizes and the overall scaling of different objects within a piece of art. Same as the scale element, a prime example of this would be "The Wheat Field of Cypresses" by Van Gogh among the trees.

Links of artwork examples:

"Starry Night" by Van Gogh:

"Wheat Field with Cypresses" by Van Gogh: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436535

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My self-portrait!

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My Perceptual Profile-

Art is subjective as everyone knows, and what truly appeals to me when viewing artwork is the amount of effort you put into your art. Does everything look well put together? Is there meaning and emotion behind your work? These are all key components that make up artwork and impact the message you are trying to send.

I am a 20 year old woman born and raised here in Bradenton, Florida! I am entirely white with a bit of Irish heritage with a very bubbly and outgoing personality! I like to consider myself to be a kind and considerate individual. I am currently employed as a Universal Banker at Ameris Bank during the mornings and at night I am a grocery clerk at Publix (Yes, I work two jobs and attend college). When I rarely find myself having free-time, I really enjoy walking the bridge during sunset and enjoying the view :) I love walking 5+ miles a day (when the opportunity arises) and spending time with my kitty cats! I am not a part of any groups- and I believe that my forgiving and bubbly personality makes me unique. Despite the hardships I have faced, I refuse to let it define me and I continue working hard to achieve the goals I wish to achieve! :)

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Woman with an Umbrella - Louis Anquetin

This beautiful artwork among many other paintings I have displayed in my room is certainly my favorite! This painting displays a woman going for her evening stroll. This is a pastel painting meant to emphasize this woman’s individuality and beauty.