I'm Kenney Mencher. I'm an artist who left a tenured professorship in 2016 to pursue making art full time. This blog is about art, art history, with a emphasis on human rights. I make homoerotic art featuring bears, otters & other gay wildlife.
Tuesday
Agnolo Bronzino, Venus, Cupid and the Time (Allegory of Lust) 1540-45 Oil on panel, 57"x45" 147 x 117 cm National Gallery, London Italian Renaissance, Mannerism
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| Agnolo Bronzino, Venus, Cupid and the Time (Allegory of Lust) 1540-45 Oil on panel, 57"x45" 147 x 117 cm National Gallery, London Italian Renaissance, Mannerism |
| Form: Bronzino's painting exhibits the Mannerist flair for an intense distortion of anatomy, space, and color. The figures, particularly that of the cupid on the left, exhibits an almost grotesque distortion. Cupid is simultaneously showing us his rump and his head. The fingers of Cupid's hand, which grasp Venus's breast (his mother!) is posed in a very unnatural manner. (Try holding your hand in such a manner.) The pose of the hand and his incredible twist are almost impossible. Likewise, the two hands of the figure behind the small child at right, are reversed. The space all of these jumbled figures exist in is almost incomprehensible. Where are they are? What are they standing on and why does it appear as if the picture plane is tilted forward and that they will all tumble out of the picture towards us. The color is also very high key. The blues and purple tones are almost garish and the flesh tones of the figures range from an almost greenish hue (the figure grasping his head in the background) to a naturalistic copper (Father Time pulling back the curtain) to a pale unnatural vampirish glow of the figures in the foreground. Context and Iconography: Even Bronzino's name is a kind of mannered twist. His original name was Agnolo, or Agniolo, Di Cosimo but because his skin was a dark olive, his contemporaries nicknamed him "Bronzino" which is the Italian word for bronze. |
The picture is almost certainly that mentioned by Vasari in his 'Life of Bronzino' of 1568: "He made a picture of singular beauty, which was sent to King Francis in France; in which was a nude Venus with Cupid kissing her, and Pleasure on one side and Play with other Loves; and and on the other, Fraud, Jealousy, and other passions of love."The figures of Venus, and Cupid, together with the old man with wings and an hourglass on his shoulder who must be Time (not mentioned by Vasari), are all clearly identifiable by their attributes. Agreement on the identity of the other figures, and on the meaning of the picture has not been reached.According to the Brittanica:
The howling figure on the left has variously been interpreted as Jealousy, Despair and the effects of syphilis; the boy scattering roses and stepping on a thorn as Jest, Folly and Pleasure; the hybrid creature with the face of a girl, the back and tail of a reptile and the haunches of a lion as Pleasure and Deceit; and the figure missing the back of its head in the top left corner as Fraud and Oblivion.
The composition was influenced by the work of Michelangelo, especially his famous cartoon showing Venus and Cupid kissing, from which a painting was made by Pontormo, Bronzino's master. Bronzino was an accomplished poet as well as a painter. The picture seems to reflect his interest both in the conventional oppositions of Petrarchan love lyrics as well as more bawdy poetic genres.London National Gallery
School of Fontainebleau,
Venus and Cupid, c1559
oil on panel,
transferred to composition board
37 3/4 x 27 3/4
(95.9 x 70.5 cm) inches
French Renaissance, Mannerism
Bronzino was greatly influenced by the work of his teacher, the Florentine painter Jacopo da Pontormo. Bronzino adapted his master's eccentric, expressive style (early Mannerism) to create a brilliant, precisely linear style of his own that was also partly influenced by Michelangelo and the late works of Raphael. Bronzino served as the court painter to Cosimo I, duke of Florence, from 1539 until his death. His portraits, such as "Portrait of Eleanor of Toledo with Her Son Giovanni" (Uffizi, Florence), are preeminent examples of Mannerist portraiture: emotionally inexpressive, reserved, and noncommittal, yet arrestingly elegant and decorative. Bronzino's great technical proficiency and his stylized rounding of sinuous anatomical forms are also notable. He also painted sacred and allegorical works of distinction, such as "The Allegory of Luxury," or "Venus, Cupid, Folly, and Time" (c. 1546; National Gallery, London), which reveals his love of complex symbolism, contrived poses, and clear, brilliant colours."Bronzino, Il." Britannica 2001 Standard Edition CD-ROM. Copyright © 1994-2001 Britannica.com Inc. November 9, 2002.
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Sunday
Renaissance Mannerism in Painting
Renaissance Mannerism in Painting
Italian MANIERISMO (from maniera, "manner," or "style").
Mannerism is a weird overly "stylized" style that is a subset of the Italian Renaissance style and period. Its main qualities are that it is a bit shocking in terms of the subject matter. Often, although the themes are classical they are "sexy." However, although they are a bit shocking and risqué, Mannerist artists still seem to know the basic rules and get away with staying inside the boundaries of good taste. So another quality of Mannerism is that Mannerist artists seems to know the etiquette or "manner" of good taste but they also bend the rules a bit.
They tend to bend the rules also in terms of the formal qualities. Mannerist art takes many of its schemas from Michelangelo but they tend to exaggerate the qualities found in his art. The figures always seem to be perched on the edge of action. Often they are portrayed in the moment just before they rise up from a chair. They are nether seated nor are they actually moving. Often the figures' anatomies are weird, twisting and distorted. Heads are too small, figures seem to float in ambiguous space and the color and value structure are often over emphasized or exaggerated unnaturally.
Italian MANIERISMO (from maniera, "manner," or "style").
Mannerism is a weird overly "stylized" style that is a subset of the Italian Renaissance style and period. Its main qualities are that it is a bit shocking in terms of the subject matter. Often, although the themes are classical they are "sexy." However, although they are a bit shocking and risqué, Mannerist artists still seem to know the basic rules and get away with staying inside the boundaries of good taste. So another quality of Mannerism is that Mannerist artists seems to know the etiquette or "manner" of good taste but they also bend the rules a bit.
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| Correggio (Antonio Allegri) Jupiter and Io 1532-33 oil on canvas 64x28 in Kuntshistorisches Museum, Vienna Italian Renaissance, Mannerism |
| Form: Correggio's style of painting is almost a shopping list of what a Mannerist painting should look like. Correggio paints the fantastic in an illusionistic and believable manner. The cloud, which is Zeus in disguise, is rendered in a believable manner. The figure of Io's anatomy is distorted. The head is a bit too small and the torso is elongated but on first glance it seems believable. The pose is somewhat improbable but again it looks real.The space he creates is also a twist on earlier depictions of space. Here Correggio foregoes the illusion of deep space and pushes the whole scene up against the picture plane and the space around it is strange. The viewer after a closer look at the painting is forced to ask themselves, "where is this taking place?" Iconography: Correggio even takes the idea of classicism and the depiction of classical mythology and puts a spin on it. Io was a priestess of the Roman goddess Juno. Juno was the jealous wife of Jupiter, the king of the gods. Jupiter was indeed very unfaithful. When Jupiter fell in love with Io, he transformed himself into the shape of a dark cloud to hide himself from his jealous wife. However, noticed the small cloud and suspected that the cloud was one of Jupiter's tricks. Thus, she approached to check the true nature of the cloud. As soon as Juno arrived, Jupiter immediately transformed Io into a white cow to avoid his wife's wrath. But Juno guessed the intrigue and asked if Jupiter wanted the cow as a gift. Jupiter could not refuse such a little gift without giving himself away.
This tale is not a moralizing one but rather an excuse to show a semi erotic scene under the disguise, much like Titian's Venus of Urbino, of a classical or humanistic theme. Context: Correggio and other Mannerist artists of his day were catering to the new, somewhat controversial tastes of his clients. "At the height of his career while working for the Duke of Mantua, Frederigo Gonzaga (1530-33), Correggio painted a group of works for presentation to Emperor Charles V representing the loves of Jupiter ("Leda", "Antiope", "Ganymede", and "Io")." To learn more please visit: https://www.udemy.com/ |
Friday
Jacob Wrestling the Angel The Vienna Genesis,
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| Jacob Wrestling the Angel The Vienna Genesis, Probably made in Syria or Palestine. Early 6th century. Tempera, gold, and silver paint on purple-dyed vellum, approx. 9"x12" Osterreiche Nationalbibliothek, Vienna Byzantine Style |
The page was conceived of as a whole composition in which the words at the top, packed tightly and uniformly across the surface, balance with the almost frieze like image beneath. The narrative beneath starts at the left and continues around in a reversed "C" like shape. Multiple scenes with the same characters inhabit the same space. This convention referred to as a continuous narrative, run throughout the entire manuscript and mimic the paintings of Dura Europos.
Iconography: Color and the materials used to adorn the book are iconic. The silver and gold paint elevate the physical and therefore highlight the spiritual value of the text. The same is true of the expensive purple dye of the page which is also symbolic of royalty. (Note the purple robes of Theodora and Justinian above.) The decorative qualities of how things are written, called calligraphy (calos- beautiful graphy- to write) is symbolic in and of itself. The beauty and care in which the letters, words, and decorative forms are written is symbolic of the beauty of the meaning of the words and phrases. Figures are represented very much like Christ figure from Hagia Sofia, which exists from the 13th century. The drapery stylization and face are the same.
The story here is important Read Mencher Liaisons 15-21 (Selections from Genesis-Jacob and Esau)
Context: Early Christian artists or calligraphers, borrowed and developed the decorative forms of calligraphy from the Romans, Greeks and sacred books of the Jewish Torah, in order to decorate and honor the words of the Old and New Testaments.
To learn more please visit:
https://www.udemy.com/
Thursday
Wednesday
architects: Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus
Istanbul, Turkey (Byzantium)
Byzantine
Form: This is a central-plan design that expands on the original basilican design. The design incorporates the use of pendentives, buttressing half domes, and arch and dome technology creating a large many storied central area. Expands on the concept, engineering and design function of the Pantheon by adding cross vaulting technology that the Romans had developed. A good example of this cross vaulting technology is in the Basilica of Constantine. Decorative forms (in terms of two-dimensional designs) inside the Hagia Sofia reflect early Byzantine Style, which means that even up to the 1300's they are still using many of the same things in the Hagia Sofia to depict people.
Iconography: The name Hagia Sofia can be translated as "Holy Wisdom." The plan has the form of a Greek cross surmounted by a dome which as in the Pantheon is a symbol of the dome of heaven. The engineering used is also symbolic of the power and intelligence of Constantine's empire.
Context: The geographic location of Hagia Sofia places it in the region of Byzantium. The city where they moved the empire to is called Constantinople that is in modern day Turkey, and is also now called Istanbul. The four minarets that surround it were built later. They were added by the Muslims to them to call the faithful to worship after the church was transformed into a mosque. A mosque is an Islamic place of worship. The ornamentation of the interior is Islamic looking.
To learn more please visit:
https://www.udemy.com/
Tuesday
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