Explorations in Art

Art and Scientific Discovery in the 1700s Georg Dionysius Ehret (1708-1770) In the 1700s, many new plants and flowers were discovered, named, and drawn. This time period was when Carolus Linnaeus developed his classification system for naming plants and animals. Artwork specific to botany flourished because many artists were creating pieces based on Linnaeus' classifications. Through this artwork, scientific knowledge spread. Georg Dionysius Ehret was a German-born botanical artist that was very influential during the Enlightenment because he illustrated many of the plant findings of Carolus Linnaeus. Ehret combined beautiful artwork with scientific elements found by Linnaeus. Above is one of Ehret's works called Methodus Plantarum Sexualis in sistemate naturae descripta.  Made in Leiden, Netherlands in 1736, this piece of art is one of many created by Ehret to show Linnaeus' botanical findings. It's very important because the art allowed people to visualize the new spe

History The Art of Painting by the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer was created in 1666-69. There is no information on where this piece was made, but after his death, Vermeer's wife tried to keep the piece, but it eventually was bought by Adolf Hitler and is now held in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. This piece of art is very special because it's about transformation. The painter turns the subject into an allegorical figure, representing the model and Clio, the Goddess known as the muse of history. There is also a rare view of the work that goes into making a painting. Normally, we see finished art products, but here a point is made to show the intimacy behind the actual creation of the piece. Personal Opinion Although I would not buy this piece, I really like it. The details from the light bring a lot of beauty to the painting. The model also stands out very well because of the neutral colors around her. I also noticed how the artist is dressed up even though there is n

Background The Tempest is an oil painting on canvas created by the Italian painter Giorgione between 1506-1508. This piece was one of the first to be considered a landscape painting during the Renaissance. Giorgione emphasizes the dark areas of the painting, which is very contradictory to the typical light paintings. I really love how the dark seems to swallow everything around it because it emphasizes the lighter parts. The most pulling part of this painting is the visual triangle. The man looks at the woman, who looks at us, while we look at the man. As Smarthistory points out, you become part of the painting. The interaction is very impressive because it makes the art feel like more than just a painting.  My Thoughts I don't think I would own this piece, but it does pull my attention. I think the tension between the man, woman, and baby really captures my eye. Looking farther out, the lightning and seemingly windy weather are beautiful but worrisome at the same time as if saying

Background Georgia O'Keeffe's oil painting  Blue and Green Music  was created in 1919/21 in New York. O'Keeffe's inspiration for this painting stemmed from her desire to turn music into something that can be seen rather than heard.  Artistic Elements This painting uses techniques of light and shadow, line, and color to emphasize the translation of music to painting. In this work, blue and green work in harmony to create a visually pleasing piece. This is symbolic of voices or instruments working together to create beautiful sounds. Dark and light tones also come together to evoke a stimulating contrast. The flowing, wavy lines as opposed to straight, almost jagged lines work with each other almost like an orchestra, with violins playing a flowing melody and bass keeping a steady tempo.  Personal Reflection When I came across this peace, I knew right away that I wanted to analyze it. Often when looking at art, only a select few stand out to me (I like to say they speak t