Chicago the movie (2002)

INTRODUCTION

Chicago is a 2002 American musical film adapted from the satirical stage musical of the same name.  It explores the themes of celebrity, scandals, and the corruption in Jazz Age Chicago. It was directed and choreographed by Rob Marshall. The main stars of this production include Catherine Zeta-Jones, René Zellweger, and Richard Gere.

SUMMARY

Chicago is centered around two murderesses, Velma Kelly (Zeta-Jones) and Roxie Hart (Zellweger), who find themselves in the same jail while awaiting trial in Chicago during the 1920’s flapper period.

MOVIE TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IxcfbldgBY

BROADWAY VS. THE MOVIE

Seeing this show live would most definitely leave you with goose bumps; however, having the movie allows you to watch it over and over again without paying admission! Personally, I have not seen the theatrical production so I will not say it is the best show if I have never actually seen it, but I have seen the movie dozens of times and I can attest that this movie is one of the greatest and most abstract films I’ve ever seen.

BEST FILM OF THE YEAR?

Chicago was a huge success and won many of the 2003 Golden Globes’ Awards and made off with many Academy Awards as well. These awards included Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Costume Design, Best Picture, and Best Editing. It was nominated for other awards such as Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Screenplay Adaption. During the Opening Weekend, in the United States alone, the film made $2,074,929 playing on 77 screens nationwide. The total gross income of the movie was $306,776,732 worldwide- over 14x the film’s budget!

WHY CHICAGO?

I chose this film because it is one of my personal favorites. I first saw it right when it came out in December 2003 with my family. I was nine at the time and simply fell in love with the music, the costumes, the drama, and the characters. Even when I watch it now I still think back to when I first saw Chicago and how I desperately wished I could dance just like the girls in the movie could.

FOUR MEN AND ONE WOMAN:

Writers of this masterpiece include Bill Condon, Bob Fosse, Fred Ebb, and Maurine Dallas Watkins. The film adaption of Chicago was based on the 1926 Broadway play by Watkins. Fosse was born in Chicago in 1927 and died in 1987. He was to make a film of Chicago after he directed and choreographed the original 1975 Broadway production. Though he was not personally involved in the making of this film, he is thanked in the credits. Condon was born in 1995 and is an American screenwriter best known for Chicago, Dreamgirls, and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn- Part 1 and 2 (though that shouldn’t be held against him). In 2003, he was nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay of Chicago. Last but certainly not least, Fred Ebb was the lyricist for the film.

The screenplay has brilliant and sometimes erroneous lines. The colloquialism that would have been used in 1920’s Chicago is definitely apparent in the film and the actors speak with the right accent too.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

This film possesses many different camera angles.  The picture above is from a scene where both close up and far away camera shots are utilized.   When the camera is zoomed in on the actors, you can see the details in their make up and facial expressions.  When the camera is far away, you can see a full body shot for the dance number that takes place.  The cinematographer of the film Dion Bebe said, “As a choreographer, Rob wants to see what the dancers are doing. We didn’t stay wide with head-to-toe framing all the time, but he likes to establish and hold the geography of the number. He was also able to be very specific; we could really dissect the dance. For example, when a hand clasps Velma’s wrist, Rob might say he wants an insert at that beat. He had a strong sense of the rhythm of the beats, and through our discussions we would make those exclamations in close-ups” (Pavlus).

The fusion of cinematic and theatrical techniques that the filmmakers used to create these transitions – including storyboarded camera moves, live lighting cues, match cuts and scrim walls – became the guiding ethos for the entire production (Pavlus).   Considering transitions, fade ins and outs are used frequently to take the story from one scene to another.

In this clip from Chicago, you will notice sound over being employed as a transition between two scenes happening at the same time.  One, in Roxie Hart’s imagination, and the other happening in real life.

SUPPORTING ACTOR

There are so many supporting actors and actresses in this film it was hard to choose just one. I selected Taye Diggs, the shadowy and mysterious master of ceremonies (as well as piano player) who introduces all the songs in Roxie’s daydreams. The Bandleader is in almost every scene where there is a musical number, when Roxie fantasizes about a scene, he is the one who introduces the performer and he plays the piano for all the numbers. His role is small, but I feel that it is very important form the film. This film is not a collection of songs chained together with spoken lines, nor do the characters spontaneously break into song. Each number is introduced by the production’s bandleader.

SYMBOLISM

This film is bursting with symbolism. For instance, Mary Sunshine, a naiveté journalist, symbolizes the biased and one-sided journalism that took place during this age.

Out of all the women in the Cook County Jail, one is innocent. At the end of the movie, she is hanged while Velma and Roxie go free. She represents those who really are innocent but are too poor to afford good lawyers.

There is a song titled “When You’re Good to Mama” which shows the corruption in the American Criminal Justice System during this time when a pack of cigarettes or a couple of dollars to the warden would get you special privileges. These are only a few of the many symbols in the movie.

ALL THE FEELS

This film produced a great range of emotions for me: anger, desire, frustration, sadness, etc. I almost never feel happy persé watching the movie, but the movie brings me joy.

My favorite scene in this movie is a musical number called “The Cell Block Tanog” where the viewer learns how the other inmates got in jail.  Take a look at the scene below.  I like this scene because it shows the many different reasons why these women killed.  Annoyance, jealousy, anger, frustration… All those emotions are strongly represented.  I like setting because even though they’re in one jail cell, the scene and story tells so much.

CELL BLOCK TANGO CLIP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrrz54UtkCc

GIVE ‘EM THE ‘OL RAZZLE DAZZLE

As you have seen if the previous clips, costumes play a huge role and they are certainly impressive.  They are correct for the time period, flashy, and diverse.  The makeup is also really overdone, but it’s show business.  With the harsh lighting that takes place during the film, actors and actresses would be washed out if it weren’t for their extreme makeup.

MUSIC

Chicago: Music From the Miramax Motion Picture is a soundtrack album featuring all of the original songs of the 2002 Best Picture Academy Award-winning musical film Chicago.  The track list includes songs such as “And All that Jazz”, “Funny Honey”, “When You’re Good to Mama”, and “Mister Cellophane”.  However, not all original songs made it into the film.  “Class”, a song sung by Queen Latifah, did not make the final cut into the film but is on the special features section of the DVD.  “I Move On” is another song that was written specifically for the movie adaption and thus is not featured in the Broadway musical.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

“Chicago (2002 Film).” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Nov. 2014. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_(2002_film)>.

“Chicago – Official Site – Miramax.” Miramax. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. <http://www.miramax.com/movie/chicago/>.

Tsai, Peggy. “CISSP Study Guide.” 2013.2 (2013): n. pag. Theatre Under the Stars. Web. <http://www.tuts.com/images/seasonshowdocs/chicago_study.pdf>.

Pavlus, John. “Chicago.” American Cinematographer: Chicago. American Cinematographer, n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2014. <http://www.theasc.com/magazine/feb03/razzle/>.

Graffiti Art

The theme: graffiti art

————————————————————————————–

Artist #1: “Banksy” is the name of a famous graffiti artist whose real identity was unknown until about one month ago.  He is an English graffiti artist, political activist, film director, and painter.  One month ago, the famous Banksy was arrested and identified as Paul Horner.  Horner has been a long-time fugitive for his graffiti work since it is against the law in London.

Another graffiti artist known as Space Invader said, “He’s just doing art, spreading joy and making political statements the best way he knows how.  I do not agree with his arrest or with the outing of his identity.”  What do you think?  Should the police have arrested him and made his identity known to the public?

Piece #1: “Flower Thrower” by Banksy in Jerusalem 2003

This piece blurred the lines between vandalism and art while making a political statement.  This graffiti mimics a rioter with a bouquet of flowers in place of his molotov cocktail.  Take a look at the picture below taken in Ferguson, Missouri during one of the many riots this year (please note that the photographer is unknown and Paul Horner did not take this picture.)

Do you see the similarities between a real life rioter and a graffiti representation of a rioter?  The substitute of the flowers for a weapon portrays peace and hope in place of destruction.  Banksy wishes to make the statement “throw peace, not bombs”.

Piece #2: “I Don’t Believe in Global Warming” by Banksy in Camden, North London 2009

Some say Banksy is the spokesman of this generation.  Who do people listen to?  Global Warming is a highly controversial topic, and it does not matter what your opinion on it is because Banksy sees it as a problem, which needs more attention.  This piece is a highly sarcastic and one of the most understood pieces by Banksy.

Piece #3: “Moblie Lovers” by Banksy in Bristol, United Kingdom 2014

We see people out on dates these days who are more interested in what’s on their phone rather than the person they are on a date with. This piece is about love, but love for our phones, not each other.  The glow you see is from their smart phones and not from all the romance in the air.  Banksy’s piece is a witty reminder of how technology invades our everyday lives, even the most intimate moments.

————————————————————————————–

Artist #2: “Above” is a street artist who has chosen to keep his real identity concealed.  He was born in California in 1981 and started creating public art since 1995.  Above is known for his color and full social and political stencils.  His artworks usually have a strong message or awareness about social, political or international current events. In the past 16 years, Above has painted artworks in the streets of over 100 cities and in 60 different countries around the world.

Piece #1: “Giving to the Poor” by Abvoe in Lisbon, Portugal 2008

This work of art addresses the issue of homelessness.  Above is quoted on his website, “Every day I walked by this bank ATM machine and this particular homeless woman was sitting in the same place every day begging for money.  I found it sadly ironic that just six feet away from here there were people lining up to withdraw money.  The obvious social and economic clash inspired me to make this piece.”  You can see the ATM machine to the left and the homeless woman to the right sitting on her belongings.

Piece #2: “Characters” by Above in Havana, Cuba 2010

Cuba is less than 90 miles away from Haiti, making them very close neighbors.  The young and courageous character is setting on a voyage to Haiti to help out those who were victim to the earthquakes in Haiti, which took over 230,000 lives, wounded 300,000 and made 1,200,000 people homeless.  Notice Above’s signature in the upper right corner of the work.

Piece #3: Celebrity Arrows by Above in Sydney, Australia 2011

In 2010, Above lost his brother due to an accidental car crash just 3 months before 2011 when Above flew to Sydney, Australia for his first solo show titled Here Today, Gone Tomorrow in light of his brother’s recent passing.  Above translated his theme of living life to the fullest into his artworks by making large wooden arrows with a collage and printed image of a celebrity that had died at an early age.

Graffiti artists use their skills to grab attention, bring light to social and political issues, remember those we have lost, and just to fulfill their inner desire to make the world more beautiful by spreading art.

————————————————————————————–

Works Cited:

Rubics, Darius. “Graffiti Artist Banksy Arrested In London; Identity Revealed.” National Report RSS. N.p., 20 Oct. 2014. Web. 20 Nov. 2014. <http://nationalreport.net/banksy-arrested-identity-revealed/>.

McCormick, Megan. “Banksy’s Newest Mural Delivers A Powerful Message About Love, But Not In The Way You’d Expect.” Distractify. N.p., 14 Apr. 2014. Web. 20 Nov. 2014. <http://news.distractify.com/culture/arts/new-banksy/>.

“Above (artist).” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Above_(artist)#A_chronological_list_of_Above.27s_travels_and_artworks>.

The Harlem Renaissance

Background:

The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement that took place during the 1920’s, also known as the “Roaring Twenties”.  An area of New York City called Harlem was predominately a African-American residential, cultural, and business center.  Though the Harlem Renaissance was primarily centered around the Harlem neighborhood in New York City, many black French-speaking writers from African and Caribbean colonies who lived in Paris were also influenced by it.  The Harlem Renaissance is said to have spanned from 1918 to the mid 1930’s.  When the Great Depression hit America, life in the marvelous Roaring Twenties came to an abrupt end.

Live from New York it’s SATURDAY NIGHT:

The painting below was done by Archibald J. Motley Jr in 1935.  It is titled Saturday Night.  Notice the expressions on everyone’s faces: they’re all happy and entertained.  You can see the orchestra playing wild, upbeat music in the back.  The dancer in the middle getting her swing on.  The clusters of people all smoking, drinking (which recently became legal again), and having a good time.  The style Motley used was abstraction.  The people aren’t each proportionally drawn, but the fantastic use of color and movement makes up for that.   Motley developed a strong use of contrasting lights and darks, as well as a skewed perspective and the dominance of a single hue (here it is red).  Motley said in 1978, “…forget about this damned racism, to hell with racism … That means nothing to an artist. We’re all human beings. And the sooner that’s forgotten and the sooner that you can come back to yourself and do the things that you want to do.”  In this piece, the club patrons appear to have forgotten racism and are making the most of life by having a pleasurable night out listening and dancing to jazz music.

Tune Up:

Jazz took elements of music from Africa, such as syncopation,  “call and response”, and timbre and then were played on traditional European music.  Syncopation is the shifting of accents to where they are not “supposed” to be.  In European music, music falls right on beats 1, 2, 3, 4 without missing a beat (pun intended).  Playing off the beat, syncopating, is what gives the music the drive and excitement.  Call and response refers to a defining characteristic of African music.  This is when the leader calls out to the chorus, band members, and audience and they respond back to the leader. This type of music is meant for interaction, one cannot just sit and watch from afar.  Timbre associated with the sound quality.  Noisy, complex, and interweaving parts give the music a dense, rich quality.

The video below is one of Duke Ellington and his orchestra preforming the song “It Don’t Mean a Thing” in 1943.  The song was composed in 1931 by Ellington and lyrics were by Irving Mills.  See if you can pick out the typical Jazz characteristics.

Move it or lose it:

Dancing has always been a form of entertainment for many generations.  During the 1920’s, it seemed that all young people wanted to do was dance; the Charleston, the cake walk, the black bottom, the flea hop, you name it!  Jazz music went hand in hand along with a type of dancing known as “swing dancing”.  Swing dance is a group of dances that developed with the swing style of jazz music during the 1920’s-1950’s.  The best known of these dances is the Lindy Hop, a partner dance that originated in Harlem in 1927.  This dance is based on jazz, tap, breakaway, and the Charleston.  The majority of swing dances began in African American communities.  Swing Dance features syncopated timing, quarter notes, and eighth notes.  The dances are fast paced and use a lot of energy.  Take a look at the video below and bare witness to the skill this dancing style requires.  This clip is from a Universal Pictures movie titled “Hellzapoppin'” made in 1941.  The group you will see dancing is known as Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers, a professional preforming group of Savoy Ballroom swing dancers started in 1935.

Works Cited:

1. “The Influence of African Rhythms.” North by South. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2014. <http://northbysouth.kenyon.edu/1998/music/rhythm/rhythm.htm>.
2. “Harlem.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 May 2014. Web. 07 Nov. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem>.
3. “The Roaring Twenties.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2014. <http://www.history.com/topics/roaring-twenties>.
4. “Archibald J. Motley Jr.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Motley#Skin_tone_and_identity>.

Impressionism.

I personally like the Impressionistic style very much.  The use of pastel colors is really easy on the eyes so the whole piece can be judged as a whole instead of one specific part being on display.  From every era we have discussed so far, every visual art seems to be emotionally intense.  That’s the main reason why I like Impressionistic art more- Impressionistic art has a very light feel overall.  Impressionism is all about the nature of fleeing light reflecting on surfaces (Gersh-Nesic).  Consider this piece titled Dancing Under the Rain by Leonid Afremov.

Notice the light that seems to “fall” like rain drops.  It’s really just the artist’s way of showing that it’s raining outside and light from the street lamps is reflecting off the wet pavement.  I love Afremov’s use of colors- it’s literally a rainbow of colors.  This painting shows a here in the now moment of two people in love.  It isn’t glorifying war or depicting timeless moments.  Impressionism is all about temporary moments in time.

Contrary to the Impressionistic art movement, the visual arts of the Baroque era are characterized by drama, exaggerated motion, and evident detail.  The Baroque style was encouraged by the Catholic Church so many pieces included divine figures.

Keep Impressionistic characteristics in your mind as you look at the next piece of art:  Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne by Annibale Carracci completed in 1602.

 Greek and Roman mythology play a big role in this visual art piece, which clearly means that Gods, Goddesses, nymphs, and satyrs are going to play a key role in the piece.   It’s obvious that this piece is not Impressionistic.  The strong contrasts of light and shadow are a defining characteristic of the Baroque period.  There is one source of light, the sun;  whereas in Impressionistic art, there is once source of light followed by reflected lights everywhere.  Though this piece is beautiful in its own way, I prefer Impressionism.  Personally, I find almost all art before the Romantic era to be harsh and i find Impressionistic art more moving and meaningful.

Works Cited

1. Gersh-Nesic, Beth. “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Impressionism.” About. About Education, n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2014.
2. “Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne.” Annibale Carracci. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2014. <http://www.wikiart.org/en/annibale-carracci/triumph-of-bacchus-and-ariadne-1602>.

Revolution: swords, war, and art, oh my!

Introduction: In Europe, the French Revolution inspired many artists.  Nicolas Poussin was the center of their inspiration, thus the promotion of Poussiniste painting began.  These particular artists who stemmed away from Rococo paintings believed that strong drawings were rational and therefore morally better.  It was believed that art should be analytical rather than pleasing.

Visual Art #1:

This painting is called The Day of Titles created by Alexandre Debelle in 1889.  (I realize this is not from the classical era per sé but it reflects an event that happened during that period and has some characteristics of classical art.)   It depicts a real event that took place in Grenoble, France on June 7, 1788.  It was one of the first revolts that preceded the French Revolution.  Many historians argue that it was the start of it.  Neoclassical paintings involved an emphasis on linear design as well as a depiction of classical events, characters, themes, settings, and costumes (Neoclassical Painting).  Notice in this piece all persons are painted at the same degree of incline, meaning that they are all parallel.  Even though this painting was painted a century after the fact, the costumes, settings, and I would assume characters   are consistent with that of the real late 1780’s.  This painting also tells a story of the French struggle for liberty by showing the events that happened that day.  I feel that this painting is a great classical piece even if it was a few decades too late.

Visual Art #2: 

This photo is titled The Intervention of the Sabine Women painted by Jacques-Louis David in 1799 in Paris, France.  David was a famous neo-classical painter whose paintings during the 1790’s were aimed around the French Revolution, glorifying the leaders and martyrs (Campbell).  This work is meant as a pendant to Poussin’s earlier work, Rape of the Sabine.  In this painting, the Sabine women throw themselves in the middle of all the fighting and weapons, in which they separating their own fathers and husbands (the Romans vs. the Sabines).  This painting was created just a few years after the Reign of Terror: a period of mass executions of enemies of the French Revolution in 1793-1794 (Spillan).  Thus this painting is really about reconciliation, not just for the families in the painting, but for France itself.  The country was torn at this point and civilians of France wanted it to become whole again.  This painting is a stellar example of neoclassical characteristics.

Theater:

It surprised me to learn that during the American Revolution, plays were banned in most of the states by the Continental Congress.  Since America was a new country, all plays were written by European-born authors.  The Revolutionary period was a boost for dramatists, where heroism and satire played a leading role (Theater of the Untied States).  That being said, there were no professional dramatists until William Dunlap who was so named “The Father of American Drama”.  (Side note: “Cato” was a play about revolution performed by George Washington and his troops at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777 which I think is really cool.  Even George Washington broke the rules sometimes!)

André is probably the most famous play written by William Dunlap.  It was first performed at the Park Theatre in New York City in 1789 by the Old American Company.  This play relates to the case of Major John André, the British officer who was hanged as a spy in 1780 for his role in the treason of Benedict Arnold.  The play is a fictionalized account of the American debate over whether to spare or hang André (“André”_play).  The play has three real historic characters: Major André, George Washington, and Honora Sneyd who was engaged to André ten years earlier.  This play was one of the first about America’s history and it was very dramatic filled with betrayal and hard moral decisions.  The story, though it is fiction, captures the anguish felt by many Americans over the hanging of a brilliant young officer.  The play is also considered America’s first tragedy written on an American subject.  The American Revolution was hard on all parties involved and this play shows that.

Works Cited

1. Gersh-Nesic, Beth. “Neo-Classicism.” Smarthistory. Khan Academy, n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2014. <http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/neo-classicism.html>.
2. Campbell, Wendy. “Neoclassical Art.” Daily Art Fixx. N.p., 30 Aug. 2011. Web. 17 Oct. 2014. <http://www.dailyartfixx.com/tag/neoclassical-art/>.
3. Spillan, D. “David’s The Intervention of the Sabine Women.” Smarthistory. Livy, n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2014. <http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/davids-the-intervention-of-the-sabine-women.html>.
4. “Theater of the United States.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 27 June 2014. Web. 17 Oct. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theater_of_the_United_States>.
5. “André (play).” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Aug. 2014. Web. 17 Oct. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/André_(play)>.
6. “Neoclassical Painting.” Neoclassical Painting: Definition, Characteristics. Visual Arts Cork, n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2014. <http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/neoclassical-painting.htm>.

If it’s not baroque, don’t fix it.

The Painting: 

Vanitas Stilleben by Harmen Steenwijck (1640) in Delft, Netherlands.

The whole title is “Still Life: An Allegory of the Vanities of Human Life” according to the National Gallery in London.

The interpretation:

In this painting, the books represent human knowledge, the recorder represents pleasures of the senses, the shell and samurai sword represent wealth, and the watch represents how short life is.  All of these items are placed around a dominating skull which represents the end of human life (death).  This painting is suppose to symbolize the temporality of life and the vanity of wealth (The National Gallery).

Inspiration:

I feel as if this painting was inspired by the rise of the merchant class.  Merchants and the rich supported the arts so they could sponsor artists, whereas the Church started to make strict rules saying what could and could not be in art.  The painting as a whole is a prime example of realism.  Art was now more wide-spread and cheaper so it wasn’t just for the rich anymore, it was for everybody (Vermeer).  Englishmen John Evelyn wrote, “pictures are very common here [in the Netherlands], there being scarce an ordinary tradesman whose house is not decorated with them.”

Deviced useds

Notice Steenwijck’s use of light.  During this period, extreme uses of value (also known as chiaroscuro) were very popular in the visual arts.  Still-lifes and portraits were also adopted at the time.   The colors used in this selected work I would not call rich; however, when they are all composed together, the brights stand out and the darks and lights contrast each other.   The objects in the painting have texture and detail.

Works Cited:

“Still Life: An Allegory of the Vanities of Human Life.” Harmen Steenwyck. The National Gallery, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2014.<http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/harmen-steenwyck-still-life-an-allegory-of-the-vanities-of-human-life>

“A Brief Overview of the Dutch Art Market in the 17th Century.” A Brief Overview of the Dutch Art Market in the 17th Century. Essential Vermeer, 2014. Web. 07 Oct. 2014. <http://www.essentialvermeer.com/dutch-painters/dutch_art/ecnmcs_dtchart.html#.VDOCkSldWfs>.

The Renaissance

The Visual Arts Piece:

The visual art piece I chose is from the Italian Renaissance period.  The above painting is by Raphael and is titled The Triumph of Galatea.  (Below you will find a short video summarizing the painting.)  This fresco masterpiece was completed in 1513 and was inspired by the following poetic excerpt, as well as Greek mythology.

Two shapely dolphins pull a chariot: on it sits
Galatea and wields the reins; as they swim, they
breath in unison; a more wanton flock circles
around them: one spews forth salt waves, others
swim in circles, one seems to cavort and play for
love; with her faithful sisters, the fair nymph
charmingly laughs at such a crude singer.

Angelo Poliziano, Stanze per la giostra, 1:118, 1475, translated by David Quint   (Source 1)

Galatea was painted in the villa Farnesina for one of the richest men in Italy during this time, Agostino Chigi.  (Source 3)

In the painting, sea-nymph Galatea is surrounded by sea creatures whose forms are inspired by Michelangelo.  The bright colors and decoration are supposed to be inspired by ancient Roman painting.  Italian writer said that Raphael did not mean for Galatea to resemble any one person, but rather to represent ideal beauty.  That being said, it appears that Raphael abandoned the old portrayal of nature and instead used an imagined type of regularly beauty demonstrating that the normal human body is beautiful!

Watch the short video describing the painting here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEA30X4ysvg#t=111

Humanism: 

For those who are unaware, humanism is a system of thought attaching prime importance to humans rather than that of divine or supernatural matters.  During the Renaissance, humanism was a cultural movement that turned away from medieval academicism and revived interest in Greek and Roman thought.  This painting by Raphael is a great example of how humanism was portrayed in the arts during this time frame.

When I look at this piece of work,  the first thing I notice is the use of bright colors.  As stated before, the colors were inspired by ancient Roman painting.  Raphael uses his humanistic values to tie this work to the interest in Greek and Roman thought.  The next thing I notice are the bodies; they are done in great detail!  One can see the outline of each muscle, the roll of a stomach, the chubbiness of the angels’ legs.  Even the sea creatures, horses, and dolphins are painted in a way that they are realistic looking based on the muscle groups displayed alone.  This way of painting depicts the realness of each and every being in the work.  Lastly, the piece is very nicely balanced.  Notice how Galatea is being pulled to the right; however, her hair and cloak is being blown to the left.  Not only that, but she is surrounded by three groups of three.  Three angles are directly above her, three sea creatures are to her left, and three sea creatures are to her right.  Every figure corresponds with another figure and for every movement, there is a counter movement.  Raphael managed to perfectly capture the moment of Galatea hearing Polyphemus’s song.

During my research, one interesting thing I learned is that an object’s placement in a picture depended upon the relative proportion of spirit and matter it contained.  For example, the less spirit and the more matter and object contained, the lower down it would appear in the painting. (Source 2)

In this piece, Raphael accomplished the composition of freely moving figures, something every artist struggles with.  I personally think this painting is a great work of art and was crafted with astounding merit.

Works Cited:

1. http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/galatea.html
2. Lexis Art Lover. “Chain of Being.” : Chain of Being. Blogspot, 23 Apr. 2007. Web. 25 Sept. 2014. <http://renaissanceandart.blogspot.com/2007/04/chain-of-being_23.html>.
3. Gombrich, E. H. “Raphael: The Nymph Galatea.” The Story of Art. The Artchive, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2014. <http://www.artchive.com/artchive/R/raphael/galatea.jpg.html>.

Introduction

Hello, all!

My name is Linnea.  I am a life long Alaskan.  I currently attend the University of Alaska, Fairbanks though my hometown is Anchorage.  I enjoy outdoorsy things like hiking and boating and biking; however, I also like to have lazy days inside.  Below is a picture of my kitty, Jamoca- she thinks she’s a dog.

Regarding art, I draw, paint, sing, and play the piano.  My sisters and I (as well as my parents) have always been drawn to the world of art.  Last year, here at UAF, I entered two of my drawings into the Student Art show and both were accepted!  It was a pretty exciting and encouraging time for me.

http://fna.community.uaf.edu/  This is a link to the UAF page of the Festival of Native Arts.