Apollo and Daphne -Bernini

Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who was a baroque sculptor gave the Borghese Museum collection many of his works including Apollo and Daphne. He sculpted this along with some help from his workshop between 1622 and 1625. This marble sculpture was commissioned by Cardinal Scipione Borghese. It depicts the nymph Daphne who is being chased by Apollo, the god who was struck by Cupid's arrow and fell in love with Daphne who unfortunately doesn't love him back. Bernini creates the very moment of her morphing into a laurel tree as to stop Apollo from getting what he wants. We can see Apollo with his one arm around her torso as her fingers sprout leaves and branches and the bark climbs up her leg and her toes become roots into the ground, Apollo is too late. Bernini skilfully creates this exact moment where we can see the momentum as if she will transform before our eyes. This defines the baroque period; the exact moment of optimum action and the movement captured, with such grace and elegance. It is appreciated at many angles. This is Pagan sculpture if you haven't noticed already but it is justified be a moral rule that reads: Those who love to pursue fleeting forms of pleasure, in the end find only leaves and bitter berries in their hands." Which means that we shouldn't chase the pleasurable things in life, we should rejoice in the love of god, because if we don't we won't be satisfied in the end.

Caravaggio- The Calling of St. Matthew

The Calling of St.Matthew Caravaggio, 1597-1601, Oil on Canvas

The Calling of St. Matthew is one of Caravaggio's early paintings and is one of two paintings he did of St. Matthew. Caravaggio's was a Baroque artist and his well known style of the sharp contrast between light and dark are  clearly shown in this painting. Christ, who we can hardly recognize without the subtle glowing of his halo, enters from the right and what follows him is the beam of light which Caravaggio uses to illuminate the face of  Levi (St. Matthew) and Christ's hand which is very similar to that of Adams in The Creation of Adam done by Michelangelo. This plays upon the fact that many believed that Christ was the second Adam, he was the redemption of mankind. By doing this he emphasizes the higher calling of Levi (St. Matthew). What is interesting about this painting is that Caravaggio setting is very mundane and ordinary . Caravaggio like to portray his religious figures as everyday local people.

Jacopo Pontormo; Joseph in Egypt

Joseph in Egypt, Jacopo Pontormo, 1515-18, oil on wood

According to Vasari this painting is possibly his most beautiful work and that is Joseph in Egypt, this very chaotic work is very much a Mannerist painting in its complex and ambiguous meaning. This particular painting shows many episodes of Joseph's stay in Egypt but we can't really start anywhere, all the space seems to be taken up and we are just confused and overwhelmed with all that is going on. Vasari states "I should venture to say that it would be impossible to see another painting executed with as much grace, perfection and good craftsmanship as that employed by Jacopo in this one. " This painting shows the style of Mannerism by showing the artificial over the natural in the faces and collection of ground levels, and a very intensely ambiguous and complex composition. with this painting we are moving farther away from the principles of classicism and the Renaissance style and we start to discover the more abstruse and conflicting ideals of Mannerism.

The Last Supper....100 years later

Last Supper, Tintoretto, 1594, Oil on Canvas

Jacopo Robusti, better known as Tintoretto painted his version of the Last Supper in his very own style which foresees the pictorial devices of Mannerism. He is a Venetian painter and he claimed to be a student of Titian, we see in his Last supper the combination of Titian explosive colors and Michelangelo's unprecedented drawing. In this painting, Tintoretto shows his knowledge of spiritual depth,  emotional power, Venetian color schemes, and the power of light. Although his subject matter is the same of Leonardo's they are very different in how they express this subject matter. This is very much of the Mannerism Art by the imbalanced composition and visual complexity. Tintoretto's perspective shows the vanishing point far beyond the right side which shows the event of Christ at the table, after(?) he has said "One of you will betray me." Tintoretto also shows daily activities happening around the table which adds to the chaos. We almost find ourselves squinting to see what exactly is going on amongst everything. We can tell where Jesus is because of his bright halo, but if it was a subtle halo like that depicted by Tintoretto's predecessors we might not have recognized him. Jesus still seems to be the center of the painting, but the asymmetrical balance of this painting makes it very complex to read, which in nature is what the Mannerists are about. This is almost a direct contrast to that of Leonardo's spatial equality and balanced composition.

The Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo

The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel , Michelangelo, 1508-12

 The Sistine Chapel is probably one of the most famous works of Michelangelo Buonarotti and it was made between 1508 and 1512. The ceiling is divided accordingly and Michelangelo thoroughly planned which scenes from the bible he thought appropriate and which scenes he could and couldn't paint according to the papacy. There are nine scenes from the Book of Genesis including the Creation of Heaven and Earth, Night and Day, Adam and Eve, The story of Noah, the Expulsion from Eden etc. These were elaborately executed and bordering these scenes are male nude, Michelangelo’s preference when it came to painting subjects. These nudes were in contorted and abstract positions in which he was influenced by ancient Roman and Greek statues, which he saw there in Rome. There are also twelve Prophets who occupy the spaces surrounding the nine scenes and between each prophet are triangular section that depict daily life events and actions. He also painted architectural structures such as orders and columns that help divide each figure and scene and this was also a way to help occupy space because the ceiling is huge! When you see it in person, that is when you can truly appreciate the intensity of detail and grandeur of it all. You can only imagine the tolerance, patience and effort Michelangelo must have had in order to finish this.

Raphael Sanzio

Self-Portrait Raphael Sanzio 1506

Raphael Sanzio was born on April 6, 1483 and died April 6, 1520, he was a high Renaissance artist. One of his most famous paintings is The school of Athens. According to Vasari during his early years he followed in the footsteps and styles of Pietro Perugino, but as soon as he saw the natural and sophisticated style of Leonardo Da Vinci, he became a follower of his style in how he created “his figures and their movements that surpassed all other painters, Raphael was left wholly astonished and amazed.” He also studied the art and style of the famous Michelangelo. With all these influences he his own technique and style evolved that expressed his unique individuality. Vasari quotes his “clarity of form, ease of composition and visual achievement of the Neoplastic ideal of human grandeur” wasn'tlike any other. Raphael was praised as one of the great Renaissance artists along with Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci whom, he admired. Unfortunately, he died on his thirty-seventh birthday, a very young aged Raphael. He was said to be very kind, he loved women and left us with artwork that can clearly be only that of the High Renaissance.

Raphael: The School of Athens

School of Athens, Raphael, 1509-10

Raphaello Sanzio Da Urbino or better know as just Raphael was another artist of the high Renaissance and made the Renaissance worth remembering. He made many improvements in color, perspective, and was known for his clarity and execution. One of his most famous works is the School of the Athens which is located in the Vatican in a Room where the Pope signs documents called La Stanza della Segnatura. It shows many theologians, scientists, and philosophers and what they represent. The two main philosophers are in the middle and that is Plato and Aristotle. Plato represents the dimension that exists outside of our realm and that is why he points to the sky and then there is Aristotle and he points to the ground which means he stands for "our" dimension and reason through the physical realm. Among the others are Diogenes, the great cynic, and even Raphael added himself to the far right. Raphael shows his knowledge of philosophy and the other studies by showing all these brilliant people coming together in conversation. Vasari adds that he "adorned this painting with perspective and many figures completed with such a delicate and soft style." He also showed he knew about roman classicism and culture by placing them in the right setting with the coughed barrel vault above and they seem to be in a palazzo. This represented the minimal requirements of the Renaissance, but Raphael takes it to a whole new level when he expresses his understanding of perspective and executes beautifully.