Portrait of a Lady

Rogier Van Der Weyden's Portrait of a Lady is an example of private portraiture from 15th century Italy. In the portrait, Van Der Weyden portrays the young woman with a personality, unlike some formal Italian portraiture to come. Her lowered eyes and the way her hands are on top of one another, almost in prayer, suggest that she is a private woman and perhaps very religious; her dress shows that she is of noblility.
The dark background of the portrait puts all of the attention on the young woman and contrasts with some other artists' work in which there is a setting behind the people depicted. The slim woman's upper half is elongated and light in color, perhaps having been influenced by the Gothic period.

Kleiner, Fred S.. "Gardner's Art Through the Ages." 2009. Print.

Milan Cathedral

Milan Cathedral is one of the largest in Europe, and is often compared to Notre Dame in Paris and St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The cathedral was completed within 5 centuries, the façade being finished by Napoleon Bonaparte in the 19^th century. Before Milan, the church of Santa Maria Maggiore was in its place until 1386. Because it took so long to construct, many styles influenced the cathedral—it is built in a “classic-baroque style with classical and neo gothic elements” (Duomo of Milan). The gothic cathedral took five centuries to construct and has about 135 spires and 3,400 statues, each topped with a statue of an important person in Milan’s history or from the bible. The highest spire reaches 357 feet tall and holds the symbol of Milan, Little Madonna, and no other building in Milan may be built higher than the golden statue. The massive interior, shaped like a Latin cross, contains four aisles and can hold as many as 40,000 people. The walls are covered with stained glass windows, and the interior is much more somber than the bright exterior.

"Milan Cathedral History." N.p., 2010. Web. 3 Dec 2010. .

"Milan Duomo." N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec 2010. .

"Duomo of Milan." N.p., 2010. Web. 3 Dec 2010. .

Rainy Day

“Paris Street; Rainy Day” is set at an intersection near the Gare Saint-Lazare and people are seen walking across the street. Caillebotte paints out of focus figures and buildings to show that they are farther away; it shows his interest in photography. The piece is another example of his paintings of urban life, similar to “The Floor Scrapers”.

In the painting, Caillebotte uses muted yellows, blues, reds, and grays to depict a dreary day of rain. The man and woman in the center of the painting are wealthy; the man wears a top hat and a tuxedo. The woman wears a nice dress, which she is holding to keep it from getting wet, a coat and pearl earrings, her hair up in a neat bun. The woman has her arm linked with the man’s; they appear as if they are a married couple. The man, with his right hand in his pocket, seems to be casually strolling to dinner with his wife, in no hurry at all. The man has a somewhat somber expression while there is a small smile appearing on his wife’s face; perhaps they are observing a scene or another person across the street. It could also show the story of the woman sneaking a glance at the man while he looks away, excited to be with him. The two women to the left of the man’s head in dresses and the men in suits and overcoats suggest that most people in the area are well off. It is almost as if the rain has stopped and the pedestrians are still holding umbrellas because they do not want to be hit with water dripping from a building or mist still in the air. Caillebotte paints a very realistic picture; the man crossing the street’s shadow can be seen in the wet cobblestone street; the shadow of the lamp post falls across the sidewalk.

"Gustave Caillebotte - Jour de pluie à Paris." N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov 2010.

Les Raboteurs de Parquet

Due to construction at the Musée D’Orsay in Paris, a few of the works from the impressionist exhibit are currently on display at the Frist Museum in Nashville, TN. This weekend I went to the museum to see the exhibit and was pleased to see Caillebotte’s piece “Les raboteurs de parquet”. The first time I saw this work was years ago when my mom bought a print to put up in my dad’s office; it has always reminded me of him.

“The Floor-Scrapers” was painted in 1875 in the Batignolles area in France. The piece is one of the “first representations of urban proletariat”, many peasants or country workers had been painted before, but rarely city workers. The painting is not an unusual piece of Caillebottes’, as he often depicted scenes from modern life; he was a more realistic painter than some of the impressionist painters. He is realistic because of the mens’ gestures, tools and the lack of any sort of political message in the work.

My dad, very familiar with hardwood flooring, looked at the painting and noticed the hammer lying on the floor between the two men in the center of the piece. He wondered why there would be a hammer there; one is not needed to strip a floor. Perhaps Caillebotte isn’t such a realist after all?

"Gustave Caillebotte The Floor Planers." N.p., 2006. Web. 29 Nov 2010. .

Reims Cathedral

Where French kings from Louis VIII to Charles X were once crowned, and built on the basilica where Clovis was baptized, Notre-Dame de Reims is the Roman Catholic cathedral of the city of Reims in France. Before being used for the coronation of kings however, Reims was named after a Gallic tribe in Reims, Reims being an important urban center during Roman times. The cathedral, built in 1211 (after it burned down) by architect Jean D'Orbais, is modeled after Chartres, its portals are covered with statues, Chartres being the only cathedral with more than Reims. The west facade of Reims was constructed in the 14th century though displays 13th century styles with three portals, pointed arches, rose windows, and towers surrounding it. As a visitor at Reims you can see the 56 stone effigies of the French kings at the western façade or the rose window dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Sources:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/496515/Reims-Cathedral
http://famouswonders.com/the-reims-cathedral/

The Vikings

The name Viking derived from an early Scandinavian word "vikingr", meaning pirate. These Vikings settled in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, then made their way through Europe, raiding the coasts of France and Britain for two centuries; their culture flourished from around 800 to 1000. These raiders developed the Viking ship and left behind many folk tales, names and archaeological remains. The Viking ships were one of the reasons for their success, they were excellent seamen and great craftsmen with wood. The ships were fast, light and could easily be maneuvered onto the beach. The Viking art, like this Animal Head Post, showed how delicate and detailed their art was, in contrast to barbarians. These Norsemen were woodworkers, making many weapons and ship timbers with animal heads with interlacing patterns. This intricate carved piece was discovered in the Oseberg ship burial find in Norway. The purpose of this animal head is not known, but it could have been used to ward off evil. Slots at the edge of the neck of the animal head suggest that it may have been used in a procession.

Sources:
http://www.viking.no/e/heritage/index.html
http://www.pbase.com/image/87690309

St. Sernin

The Basilica of St. Sernin was built in Toulouse, France in 1080. The St. Sernin got its name from the first bishop and martyr, Saturnin, who refused to worship pagan gods. Because of this, he was dragged down the main street by bulls until he was dead. St. Sernin was one of the churches on a main pilgrimage route and saw many visitors each year, partly due to its relics.
The cruciform church is in the Romanesque style, made of brick like basilicas in the Late Roman period. The front of the church appears Roman, a solid and sturdy structure. This basilican plan is much larger than earlier Christian churches and it was not constructed in stone like most Roman structures. The vaulted ceilings also stray from the first Christian churches. There is a tower that was added after its construction, which stands above the transept and the crossing square. There are five tiers on the tower, the bottom three are Romanesque arches, the top two are from a later period, and the spire on top gives it a Gothic style. St. Sernin consists of nine different chapels, five off of the apse and four in the transepts. The relics that were given to the church by Charlemagne are housed in radiating chapels off the side of the structure and there are double aisles on each side of the nave. The double aisles serve as an ambulatory, a walkway around the nave so that people can view the relics in the side chapels without interrupting a ceremony.

Sources:
http://pmaude.free.fr/Sernin/Anglais/presentation.htm
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/toulouse-st-sernin