Art Analysis

Painting, n: the art of protecting flat surfaces from the weather and exposing them to critics.

If one wishes to get an impression of the artworks produced in the Renaissance, Baroque, and Impressionist eras, there are three works at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, which help with this goal. The three works of art to be analyzed herein are: 1) Portrait of a Young Man (Bronzino, c. 1550); 2) Juan de Pareja (Diego Velazquez, 1649-1650); and, 3) Rouen Cathedral – façade (Claude Monet, 1894). Respectively, these three works give us a sense of the styles, themes, and moods of the Late Renaissance, the Baroque, and the Impressionist eras.

Portrait of a Young Man by Bronzino was created in approximately 1550, which makes this work a product of the Late Renaissance period. More specifically, the oil on wood portrait is representative of the Mannerism period in art in the Late Renaissance. In a broad sense, the Mannerists closely followed and adhered to a distinctive manner “One could say that whereas their predecessors sought nature and found their style, the Mannerists looked first for a style and found a manner” (Tansey 631). Unlike artists of the Early and High Renaissance, instead of looking to nature for their inspiration and styles, Mannerists looked to other works of art, like those produced by Michelangelo and found in Roman

. . .
s 33” x 28” and the naturalistic presentation of de Pareja is amazing to the beholder. The composition is as simple as simple gets, for we view de Pareja just standing before a completely neutral background of circular brush work. Unlike Portrait of a Young Man, there is no haughty disdain emanating from this figure. Juan de Pareja stares out at the beholder with quiet unassuming calm and dignity, a man who appears self-contained with perhaps some measure of pride. He is as far in the foreground of the work as it is possible to make him, helped in this matter by his level gaze, erect carriage, and the casual gesture of his arm and hand. The overall work has a softness to it with the most distinct and sharply drawn features being reserved for de Pareja’s face. His hair, hand, the background, and his attires are all neutral and muted by circular brush strokes, with his white lace collar being the only real value contrast that stands out, save for some white used on his forehead, cheeks and around his eyes. While the figure is not dramatically presented, there is an visual realism to this portrait that is pure naturalistic Baroque. IMPRESSIONISM The unique style of the Impressionists caught many in the art community off-gu
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Rouen Cathedral, Late Renaissance, Unlike Portrait, Baroque IMPRESSIONISM, Innocent Velazquez, Shakespeares Hamlet, Claude Monet, Portrait Bronzino, Velazquez Juan, Portrait Juan, de pareja, juan de pareja, juan de, rouen cathedral, late renaissance, human form, geometric shapes, circular brush, value contrast, color scheme, renaissance baroque, completely neutral background, monets rouen cathedral, renaissance baroque impressionist, baroque impressionist eras,
Approximate Word count = 1705
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

More Essays on Art Analysis