Italian Renaissance
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 something bad could be coming.
Analysis and Connection
The biggest controversy about this piece is the flowing interpretations. Many art experts and scholars have debated the meaning behind this painting, but none have been able to agree on an explanation. This piece was made during the High Renaissance, which was when Humanism art flourished. Humanism was a time when artists would try to express the ideal Greek or Roman life in their work, according to MasterClass. To me, Giorgione captures Humanism in his painting; pushing scholars to think deeper about art and what it means, while expressing the beauty and tension between people. The way this piece includes the audience visually and mentally really gives me a new perspective on art.
Bibliography
Dr. James R. Jewitt, "Giorgione, The Tempest," in Smarthistory, April 17, 2020, accessed June 14, 2023, https://smarthistory.org/giorgione-the-tempest/
“Humanism in Art: A Guide to Renaissance Humanism - 2023.” MasterClass, www.masterclass.com/articles/humanism-art-guide.
This painting makes me feel like the man is judging the woman for breastfeeding her infant. Or he is sexualizing her body as she feeds her infant. I like how the artist used dark shades of color, but made it work. Overall, it is a nice painting. But I would not own a copy of it.
ReplyDeleteI would own a copy of this, I'd hang it in my shop. I don't reckon I'd spend my own money on it, but it may end up on a wish list.
ReplyDeleteThis is the same piece I did my blog post on as well. I read about the triangle made between the man looking at her, her looking at the viewer, and the viewer looking at the painting. What struck me most about her wasn't that she was nearly nude, it was her apparent ambivalence to the entire situation. She looked at him with mild concern, as if she might be a bit worried that he'd be a hindrance or could be a help, but like she wouldn't be surprised either way. The way her eyes look at me it's almost like she is asking me for help, but wouldn't be surprised if I didn't.
I'm not sure this painting appeals to me, but it does strike me. The lines of the trees focus me on the people in the foreground, but the lightning, or is it sunshine on the cloud coming through an unseen hole in the clouds, makes me focus on the sky above the city as well, making me rake my eyes across the river and the bridge. Every part of the painting demands my attention all at once. It's not that it doesn't appeal to me, it's that I'm drawn to it.
I'm not sure what's up with the man. He looks a pit puzzled to me. I'd like to know why Giorgioni painted over the woman that was in it originally. It really changes the meaning for me.
I really like this work. I think it is very representative of art in the humanist era. The beauty of the individual is showcased with the woman breastfeeding her child. The decor and image are also very realistic. I'm gonna say that is hard to really figure out what truly going on in this piece though. Overall I don't think I would personally own this piece but I would definitely use it to showcase the art movement in the Renaissance.
ReplyDeleteFor me the humanism in the painting is in the family enjoying a walk through the park. But what makes the scene relatable is the woman feeding her baby. Imagine that you are out on a walk with your family and the baby starts fussing. What do you do? You troubleshoot. The couple stopped so the wife could feed the baby while the husband stands by providing security for his vulnerable family. He is looking towards her as if he's saying, "hurry up, there is a storm coming", but his expression says he's not angry about because he is enjoying his outing with the family. The woman isn't looking at her male counterpart, she is looking at me (the viewer)... annoyingly because I stumbled upon her family's private moment. I can see how an individual's culture, experiences, and biases have caused this painting to have the flowing interpretations that it does.
ReplyDeleteI really like the art you've chosen! You've mentioned that you like the tension between the characters in the painting and I definitely agree. Since the woman is looking at the audience (us), I feel there's some tension between the audience and the painting as well. The painting gives a mixture of emotions when I analyze it. The back of the painting is gloomy and unpleasant because of the color and tone of the clouds. The front is more relaxing and calm since a loving connection between a mother and her child could be observed. I was unable to interpret the story of the painting at first, but as I read other comments, I started to see the possibilities for the meaning of the painting.
ReplyDelete