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Japan: Edo Period

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 Japan: Edo Period 1615-1868 C.E.   The Tokugawa shogunate ruled for a period of 250 years with relative peace and prosperity during this time. Urban culture developed with artisans and merchants in the city of Edo (now Tokyo) and this era of art is referred to as Japan’s early modern era. The Edo period is divided into sub-periods, beginning with Kan’ei and Genroku eras, from the 1620s to the early 1700s. (Coman) Kanō Tan’yū,  Landscape in Moonlight , after 1662, one of three hanging scrolls, ink on silk, 100.6 x 42.5 cm. The signature mentions the painter’s Hōin title, “Seal of the Buddhist Law.” ( The Metropolitan Museum of Art ) The Kanō school of painting flourished due to the three prominent painters: Kanō Tan’yū, Kanō Sanraku, and Kanō Sansetsu. The three painters took different directions, they were influenced by style of Eitoku, as well as a return to Chinese models and earlier style of the school. Tan’yū spearheaded this change, he painted landscapes in monochrome ink a
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Propaganda and Protests: Vietnam War

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   Vietnam War      The Vietnam War was between 1954 and 1975. This war took place in Vietnam and was the North Vietnam communist government and its allies in the South called the Viet Cong against the government of South Vietnam and the United States. By 1969, there were more than 500,000 American military personnel stationed in Vietnam. The Soviet Union and China were giving weapons and supplies to the North. The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died in the war. In 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was inscribed with the names of 57,939 members of the armed forces who died or were missing in the conflict. (Spector)        The Vietnam War was one of the first televised wars in History. Camera crews could see the horrors in real time. Censorship had waned since WW2, and this allowed the media to portray this war negatively. Protests began of the war, drawing in hundreds of thousands of people. What started as a handful of people
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Early Modern

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  Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen (French [born Switzerland], 1859–1923).  Mobilization , or  La Marseillaise , 1915. Etching, sheet: 25 11/16 x 19 11/16 in. (65.2 x 50 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1924 (24.58.31)   This etching by Steinlen depicts when France mobilized their troops for World War 1 in August of 1914. The assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the catalyst for the war. This is such an exciting piece of art because the masses of people all blur together; there aren’t a lot of definite shapes or details on their faces. Yet, you can feel the emotion in this mob, the shouts and raising of their fists and hats, all guided by a being in the sky. Many straight lines in different directions create this piece; it's quite simple, primarily grey-toned, with simple windows and flags adorning the buildings. Such a simplistic work, and it still exudes such vigor. “La Marseillaise / the Mobilisation | Graphic Arts.” Pri
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Romantic Era

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   Romanticism in Germany Caspar David Friedrich,  Monk by the Sea , c. 1809, oil on canvas, 43″ x 67 1/2″ / 110 x 171.5 cm   (Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen, Berlin) Friedrich,  Abbey in the Oak Forest , 1809 or 1810, oil on canvas, 110.4 x 171 cm (Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin)      German painter Caspar David Friedrich was labeled as Hitler's favorite artist. His work was also considered too meticulous, precise, and finely detailed compared to the fathers of modern art, the impressionists. However, that opinion has now changed about his brilliance in his work. The picture of the Abbey in the Oak Forest is a companion piece to the Monk by the Sea. The placement of the Monk in the photo is about a third of the way over, to a ratio of 1:1.6, considered the golden ratio. Friedrich deliberately changed the style of his work from that of the typical German landscape paintings of the time. He didn’t use cheap tricks like a river snaking off into the distance and trees in the foreg
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Revolution and Art – 1700’s

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 Revolution and Art – 1700’s     Detail, Benjamin West,  The Death of General Wolfe , 1770, oil on canvas, 152.6 x 214.5 cm (National Gallery of Canada; photo:  Steven Zucker , CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)   Benjamin West was born in the United States and sent to Italy to learn European art. West was a founding member of the Royal Academy of Art which was established in 1768. West was known for this painting because it was uncommon to have a painting that depicted a contemporary event. They were typically reserved for Bible stories or from the classical past. This painting depicts an event from the Seven Years’ War when General James Wolfe was mortally wounded outside of Quebec. West also challenged social norms with his paintings by the type of dress, which was historically accurate, but he was instructed to use togas instead, but he refused. (Zygmont) Jean-Antoine Houdon, George Washington , 1788–92, marble, 6′ 2″ high (State Capitol, Richmond, Virginia, photo:  Steven Zucker ,  CC
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Baroque

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  Apollo and Daphne   Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1622–24; Galleria Borghese, Rome)      Apollo and Daphne is a sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It was commissioned by Cardinal Scipione Borghese at the beginning of Bernini's career. The statue depicts Phoebus (Apollo), pursuing Daphne, the daughter of Peneus, who denied the love of men. This statue is captivating, the flowing movement of their bodies, the curves and features of their lithe movements, the details of their bodies and their curves adding to the passion of the pursuit. It makes me feel like I glimpsed a moment in ancient history of the gods. I wish the statue had color to it, but the solid white makes it seem like a ghost of a memory of times past. The energy, movement, the flowing diagonal movements of their bodies, the intensity and the feeling that you're glimpsing a moment in time are all indicators of the Baroque art style. (Harris and Zucker)        Bernini was greatly influenced by royalty since they commiss
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  ANDREA MANTEGNA (1431-1506) 'The Triumph of the Virtues - Minerva Expelling the Vices from the Garden of Virtue', 1502 Fit for a King: Slave To Nothing album cover  October 14, 2014  Solid State Record Label The top artwork is by Andrea Mantegna, an Italian Renaissance painter who was a proponent of humanism. His work showed detailed humans and a 3D feel to the work. (Foundation) I smiled as soon as I saw this work because it had the same energy as a metalcore band's album cover that I listened to. The second piece of art, the album cover for Fit For a King, shows a being breaking its chains from its vices. Their whole album is about killing what kills you, freeing yourself from vices. I get the same feeling from Triumph of the Virtues, the battle to overcome vices and the things corrupting us. Every time I look at the artwork, I see greater details, colors, and more of the story. I am amazed by the clouds, sky, background elements of the hills, and what appear to be moun
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