Saturday, February 21, 2009
Blog 3 Art1B
I think the Renaissance period in Florence Italy had to be a very exciting time to be alive. The emerging merchant culture seemed to allow for greater experimentation artistically. There were people willing to take things to the limit to overcome and advance art, and particularly architecture, painting is to follow in the next segment. Advancement seems to take a single mindedness that probably leaves behind what might be normally considered a balanced approach to life. I refer to Paolo Uccello who advanced the understanding of perspective reportedly at the expense of most everything else. We owe a debt of gratitude to those types of pioneers. Also the merchant class such as Giovanni Rucellai who stated he supported the arts "because they serve the glory of God, the honor of the city and the commemoration of myself". Humility wouldn't have accomplished as much during this period. The extreme, confident, even obsessed personality has re lit the culture and it is moving forward. I included this photo for simple viewing pleasure, though I believe its probably an excellent naturally occuring example of atmospheric perspective.
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Hi Ted, Nice comments and love the "aerial/atmospheric perspective" snapshot! To add a little more....some artists even went to the extreme- made painful and/or deadly sacrafices-exiled from their homelands or even their life ("to the guilotine,my friend!"). They held on tight to their artistic and religious beliefs and practices. Most people don't realize how much we really owe these "pioneers". I know I hadn't...till now!
ReplyDeleteHi Ted,
ReplyDeleteIn Dec I visited the Da Vinci exhibit at the Tech. It had never crossed my mind that an artist of this time period had to overcome more than just pushing the envelope as they did.. they had to invent the tools and mechanical devices needed to see their work to fruition. Its amazing enough to think of these artists creating domes on churches or carving fantastic sculptures with such precision, but they has to invent the wenches and hoists, the scafolding and other tools to aid in the creation and realization of their visions!
You have a photo of my most inspirational place in the world... the Yosemite valley! I have drawn the walls of that canyon and its falls maybe a hundred times...
Kimberlie