snproden

 Romanticism vs. Post-Impressionism

Art and Science  Neoclassical art emerged in the 1760s and continued until approximately the 1840s. It partly arose as a reaction—a revolt—against the Rococo style, which had grown increasingly popular. More significantly, it was fueled by a burgeoning interest in science and its rapid advancements. Theories and philosophies concerning the universe, its forces, and the nature of personal freedom and existence began to gain prominence. Additionally, the discovery of the ancient, buried cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii greatly inspired artists across various disciplines during this period. I personally love science and immediately started searching for science and art. I was thrilled to stumble upon George Stubbs. He was commissioned to illustrate the fauna from the Captain Cook voyages. I could not find anything related art of Alaskan animals, but I did discover this beautiful rendering of a horse called Whistlejacket. George Stubbs  Whistlejacket  c.1762 oil on canvas 296.1x 248 cm

The Choices We Make:  a Baroque Analysis A Boy and a Girl with a Cat and an Eel c irca 1635 possibly made in the Netherlands by Judith Leyster Hanging in The National Gallery, London, England The Boy and Girl with a Cat and an Eel caught my eye immediately. It was one of the first paintings I saw from the Baroque period that had people smiling, and they were children at that! I felt like I had just stumbled upon these two mischief makers and caught them in the act of their mischief.  The boy’s half smile gives us the impression he is contemplating going through with his misdeed, checking the adult to see if he can get away with pushing those boundaries.  How angry or stern does the adult look? The consequence could depend on their demeanor. Should he dare? The little girl even has some mischief, though she appears to be pointing out that they won’t do it! But the gleam in her eyes and smile say otherwise. They definitely will, just when we turn away and are no longer looking.   Judith