LANDSCAPE II

1. LANDSCAPE II Masaccio (Italian, 1401-1428) The Tribute Money, 1420, fresco, 247 cm × 597 cm Following on from our discussion of linear perspective, there is another painting technique that adds a sense of depth and illusion to a work. Use of atmospheric perspective was rediscovered in Renaissance Europe, after being lost or disregarded during the Middle Ages. (It was used in China from the 8th century.) The image above uses both techniques.

2. Both linear and atmospheric perspective served to increase the sense of reality, or illusion, within a work. The idea with these works was to ‘create a window on the world’, that is, to create the illusion that the picture frame is like a window, and you are looking through this window onto a scene of the world. The Netherlands was the first place where artists began to paint Landscape for its own sake, rather than necessarily connected to History Painting (painting Biblical, or mythological stories in a landscape.) Part of the reason for this is that, unlike the important art centres of Italy and France, the Netherlands were Protestant. They wanted artworks which were more secular. This was somewhat unique at the time. Jacob van Ruisdael (Dutch, 1628/9?-1682) A Panoramic View of Amsterdam looking towards the IJ,1665-70, oil on canvas, 41 x 40cm

3. Landscape painting is a way of representing, or describing your world.It’s about more than simply observing a scene (or making one up.) The way an artist creates and composes a work – the choices they make - influences how an audience responds. Looking at works, we can consider what the artist may have regarded as important. This may reflect the values of the artist, or of their world at that point in time. Or, it can reflect the values or interests of their patron. One very influential painter was Claude Lorrain (French, 1600 -1682.) Claude painted mostly in Italy, which is where the money was. The countryside in Italy had many ancient ruins, which were popular to include in landscapes. (Ancient ruins reminded people of the civilizations from Classical times.) As well there were generally figures in the foreground, to create a History Painting. Claude Lorrain (French, 1600 -1682.) Pastoral Landscape: Roman Campagna, 1639, Oil on canvas 101 x 135 cm.

4. Here Claude has chosen a theme from Ancient Greek poetry (Ulysses, by Homer.) We see several figures in the foreground and plenty of classical architecture with the effects of light on water, and the Sun low in the sky. Note the linear and atmospheric perspective, giving us a sense of depth and a ‘window on the world.’ Claude’s landscapes are ideal, or idealised. This means that whilst they are realistically painted, everything is just a little more beautiful than it would be in real life. He has amped up the beauty. This idealisation was a feature of Classical Greek and Roman art as well. The beauty of this afternoon (?) is a symbol of something more than simply an afternoon with sun on the water. What could it be about? Claude Lorrain (French, 1600 -1682) Ulysses returns Chryseis to her father, 1644, oil on canvas,119 x 150cm.

5. JMW Turner (U.K. 1775-1851) Norham Castle, Sunrise, c. 1845, oil paint on canvas, 90 x 122 cm Romanticism Romanticism was a movement in art during the first half of the 19th century. In art, the word ‘Romantic’ has a different meaning from our contemporary understanding of the word. The Romantic movement was interested in the drama, power and terror that could exist in the Natural world (called the sublime) or else peace and harmony, as in this beautiful image. Romantic art lends itself to the Subjective frame. The beauty or terror of the Natural world speaks to the senses and the emotions.

6. JMW Turner , (U.K. 1775-1851) Snow Storm: Hannibal and his Army Crossing the Alps, 1812, oil paint on canvas, 146 x 237 cm Hannibal was a true historical figure who lived around 200 BCE. He was a famous military commander, and really did drive his soldiers, complete with elephants, over the Alps into Rome and won several victories there. Turner has used this dramatic and well-known story as a basis for this image, but Hannibal is not truly what the image is about. Rather, it is the power of Nature and how puny we humans are in comparison.

7. During the 19th century, landscape painting finally really came to be a favoured genre in France (one of the main centres of art.) Up till now, painters such as Claude Lorrain looked back to Classical times. Gradually however between 1800 and 1900, painting became less traditional and more forward looking and experimental. The idea of idealising a landscape was changing in favour of an image that was more naturalistic (true to what it actually looked like.) Camille Corot (French, (French, 1796–1875) Fontainebleau: OakTreesat Bas-Bréau, 1832 or 1833, oil on paper laid on wood, 39 x 49cm.

8. Corot is still using Ancient Roman mythological subjects here (History Painting) but his descriptions of the landscape are much more naturalistic. They are not as idealised as Claude’s paintings we saw earlier. These gradual changes in the way landscape could be described, and what was considered correct, were very much influenced by the fine art Academies of France, England and Italy. (They were the ones who had made the hierarchy of genres.) However as the 19th century progressed, the power of the Academies to dictate what was considered good taste and ‘true art’ began to dwindle. Camille Corot (French, 1796–1875) Diana and Actaeon, 1836, Oil on canvas 156 x 112cm)

9. So…what? Why these historic figures and this old art? Do we need this stuff for our HSC?  Contemporary practice is built upon this history, and often refers to it. The more we understand of the history of Western art, the better we can understand contemporary practice. As with today, tastes and fashions within art change, along with cultural values. Art reflects the values of the world the artist (or the patron) live in at the time of creation. As we look at various artworks we can see changes in the way the world is represented.