Photography As Fine Art – a lecture by Brian Slater

Brian introduced his lecture by telling us that Britain is the most photographed country in the world. We are bombarded with photographs every day. He asked the question ‘Can the very best photographs be regarded as fine art? ‘ It was a question he was planning to answer in the lecture.

In Britain he told us it is still very confusing. David Bailey is quoted as saying ” The British don’t understand photography and don’t give it the space it deserves.”

The Oxford dictionary says photography is not art but a montage using photographs is Art.

A series of articles in the Times written by their art journalist ‘Rachel Campbell Johnson’ looked at the 20 best art examples and neither photography nor sculpture was included in any of the categories.

Brian said he would address each of the categories used by Rachel .

He described a good photographer as ‘knowing when not to press the shutter. ‘

He gave us two definitions of Art. The first by Longfellow ‘Nature is a revelation of God. Art is a revelation of man” The other was from the Concise Oxford Dictionary ” Fine Arts are those appealing to our mind and to our sense of beauty’  Brian said that he would be using these quotes to consider photographs.

Brian began with the category of Portraits

The first photograph he showed us was Arnold Newman’s photograph of Stravinsky.

He showed how this was a beautiful example of pure black and white with tones between, and how contrary to most portraits, Newman has placed his subject to the side.

Brian’s next example was another photograph by Newman of Moses (the developer and planner of Manhattan )

which has the same sense of unorthodox composition – opening up the vista behind and moving Moses to the right with a stance similar to that of Holbein’s Henry viii.

He showed a photograph by Robert Doisneau of Picasso and pointed out that the humour in this would not work as a painting.

in Newman’s photograph of Picasso he has the subject off centre again and through the rooms  can  be seen  the paintings  by  Picasso

Brian then showed us a photograph by Anita Corbin of betty Boothroyd which is in a collection in the national gallery. Colour is so important in this photograph as it speaks of power and charm.

Brian compared it to a painting of Betty and asked us which we felt had the greater impact.

The next photograph he showed was the very famous ‘Girl with Green Eyes’ by Steve McCurry showing a the image of a  refugee in Afghanistan

The next category Brian addressed was Landscapes and began with Ansel Adams’ photograph of Yosemite  – explorations of perfection in the American Wilderness.

Adams would reduce all blemishes and create a crystal clear photo. He wanted to show a portrait of innocence unsullied by man and denying the activity of man. However the irony of this was that as a result of seeing these photographs people went in hoards to visit these places. !!

Brian compared the work of Adams the that of Bill Brandt who also explored the wilderness ( this time of Skye) but Brandt’s ethos is not to include every rock tree etc but to  simplify the scene.

He also showed us Brandt’s photograph of Cuckmere River which has the same ethos of simplification and reduced to its elements. He also showed man’s contribution with the two buildings.

Brian concluded this category with Andreas Gursky’s ‘Solar Panels in Provence in which he explores the distopia of what we are doing with our landscape.

The next category was Still Life and Brian went back to the work of Ansel Adams with his photograph of the Leaf  where again Adams is intent on showing us every minute detail and then compared it to the work of Ernst Haas  ‘Leaf in a Puddle’

Ernst began to work in colour in the 50s at a time when it was considered vulgar

.The final two photographs in this category were both by Haas  and were both very beautiful – Tulips

and Bowl of Flowers

In the category The Human Condition Brian began with Martin  Parr’s  photograph  of Hebden  Bridge  in the 70s

a photograph which is full of understanding and compassion.

The simplicity in Clarissa Leahy’s – ‘Francis’ Reflection in Water ‘is part of its elegance and shows a world reduced to its elements – sky/water/land. with a girl on the threshold of her life.

Andreas Gursky’s ’99 Cents in 1919 explores that which we think benevolent but which has a dark side. – the poverty of affluence.

Brian discussed in detail the photograph by Henri Cartier Breson ‘ Wall St.’ showing the rhythm between the strong upright pillars and the brokers in front; the guy on the steps – is he really a pillar ? he also showed how the photograph has been so cleverly split with the one third line coming directly through the man at the top of the steps.

Another of Cartier Breson’s works ‘ Trafalgar Square ‘shows the tolerance between conformity and non conformity.

and his ‘Provence 1999

seems to show the end of the day with the shadows of the setting sun on the trees and Bresson himself and his awareness that he was also close to the end of his life.

In  the final category – Narrative he showed Herbert Mason’s photograph of St. Paul’s 1940 which showed Britain alone and defiant . Churchill asked for it to be published in America to engender support.

Stuart Franklin’s photograph of Tiananmen Square shows the bravery of the individual

Brian closed this fascinating lecture with the photograph by Larry burrows of Vietnam where optimism was cutting through cultural taboos.

After this  lecture  I don’t think many of us were in any doubt that Brian had presented  his case admirable and we were left in no doubt the photography is indeed a Fine Art. Thank you to Brian for opening our eyes and sharing with us such beautiful and thought provoking images

Everything is Art, Art is Everything. – Ai Weiwei.  -a lecture by Frank Woodgate

Frank returned to the New Forest for the fifth time to lecture us on Ai Weiwei, artist and activist.

Ai Weiwei was born in 1957 and was raised in the Gobi Desert under harsh conditions. His poet father Ai Qing was exiled there for sixteen years for his left-wing views.

In 1978, Weiwei enrolled in the Beijing Film Academy. And became interested in Western Art and belonged to an avant garde group called ‘The Stars’. Some of his colleagues were imprisoned as western spies.

Weiwei went to the USA in 1981 and learned English. He moved to New York in 1983. He dropped out of school and made a living from his drawings and menial jobs.

Ai Weiwei gave up painting in his 20’s and became interested in conceptual art, influenced by Jasper John, Marcel Duchamp and Andy Warhol.

1. ‘Untitled’ 1983, which represents despair.

2. ‘Self-portrait in profile’

 

3. ‘Hanging Man.’ Homage to Duchamp.

4. ‘According to What’ travelling exhibition put on by University. Homage to Jasper Johns (1964)

5. ‘Mao 1,2,3.’ Homage to Andy Warhol. (1985)

 

“Ready Mades”: ‘I am an artist, and I chose them.’ Some were controversial.

6. Violin (1985) Two items which don’t work: violin can’t be played, and spade handle useless.

7. ‘5 Raincoats holding up a star’ this is a play on the stars in the Chinese flag.

8. ‘Safe Sex ‘(1986) Thick sou’wester with condom

9. ‘One man shoe’ (1987), which can’t be worn. Weiwei made the brogue himself, had learned how to fix shoes during his youth.

10. ‘Chateau Lafite’ (1988) Play on words.

Weiwei returned to China in 1993 to visit his sick father. He produced art works that were controversial:

11.Below is an early work that possess Ai’s characteristic mix of hard edged critique, bravery and humour is this untitled photograph taken of his soon to be wife Lu Qing in Tiananmen Sqyare lifting her skirt up to the camera on the fifth anniversary of the 1989 massacre.

12. ‘Study of perspective’ (1995), middle finger extended in front of a picture of the Eiffel Tower, he did several more in different locations including China.

13. ‘Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn’ (1995), this was in a series of three photos to demonstrate how appalled he was by the destruction of China’s ancient culture. The vase was his own and the photos cost more than the cost of the urn now!

In 2014, Weiwei had an exhibition in Miami. A local artist protested by smashing one of the vases on display. The problem was it was not his own!

In 1999, Weiwei set up an architects studio called ‘Fake Design’, which has produced 40 buildings worldwide. He produced three books about Western art, which were circulated secretly.

14. ‘Coca Cola Vase’ (1997) – ubiquity of American brands.

15. ‘The Wave’ (2005) Weiwei’s version of Hokusai’s ‘Wave’ (1823).

16. ‘Pillars’ (2006)

17. ‘Oil Spills’ (2006) : Puddles were made out of porcelain and ‘alludes to the noxious environmental pollution caused by human activities at sea’.

18. ‘Ruyi’ (2012) Talking stick.

Weiwei made some pieces around metaphors using furniture:

19. ‘Table with 2 legs on the wall’ (1997) – inaccessible.

20. ‘Table and Beam’ (2007) representing oppression of state over proletariat.

21. ‘Tree’ displayed at the RA in 2009/10, different parts of the tree make a nation.

22. ‘China Log’ (2005) consisting of pillars from disused Chinese temples. It contains a map of China.

23. ‘Untitled’ (2006) This relates to the drawing by Leonardo Da Vinci on peace and harmony.

24. ‘Descending Light’ (2007). A vast red chandelier on the ground. In the film ‘ October’(1928) a chandelier vibrates representing Revolution.

He continued in this vein with ‘Fountain of Light’ (2007) and Cube Light ‘(2008)

25. ‘Marble Arm’ (2006)

26. ‘Marble Door’(2007) there is no handle on the door, it symbolises being trapped in a totalitarian state.

27. Junkyard (2006) The doors represent the a massive nation with the individual (a door) versus the state.

28. ‘Template’ (2007) At first, it was a standing sculpture, an octagonal standing snowflake shape made of cascading Chinese antique doors and windows. A windstorm blew the sculpture over and for some time, it rested that way outside. Weiwei decided to retain the collapsed form. It represented his uneasy relationship with his country.

A live Artwork: ‘Fairytale’ (2008) Weiwei invited 1001 Chinese to Kassel Germany to take part, (he helped with passports).

In 2008, there was an earthquake in Sichuan, which caused multiple deaths (90k). A contributory factor was the modern buildings not designed to withstand earthquakes(jerrybuilding). The older buildings remained in situ.

Weiwei interviewed the local people. At this time China had a policy of one child per family. He drew up lists of the names of those who died. He produced a live artwork called ‘Remembering’ (2009) which consisted of 9k school rucksacks and another ‘Snake Ceiling’.The authorities were not pleased. He got beaten up by the police resulting in a brain injury. His brain was operated on later in Germany.

In 2009, renowned artist Ai Weiwei published an image of himself nude with only a ‘Caonima’ hiding his genitals, with a caption (“cǎonímǎ dǎng zhōngyāng”, literally “a Grass Mud Horse covering the center”). An interpretation of the caption was deemed offensive to the government.

Weiwei was placed under House Arrest in Beijing in 2011 for 81 days on trumped up tax charges. There were protests from all round the world. Donations were sent to him to offset the alleged debt. He hung a traditional lantern on the surveillance cameras outside his home.

29. ‘Sunflower Seeds’ (2010) This was exhibited in Tate Modern Turbo Hall but had to be closed after the first day. The sunflower seeds were made of painted ceramic, which unfortunately produced carcinogenic fumes when crushed. He built a studio in 2011, which was pulled down after his arrest.

30. ‘He Xie’ (2010) means harmonious but infers internet censorship.

In July 2015, Ai Weiwei was allowed to travel abroad. He produced an art exhibition at the Royal Academy.

Napoleon and His Artists – a lecture by Barry Venning

This thought-provoking and informative lecture by Barry Venning had been particularly chosen by our lecture secretary as last Wednesday was the 200th anniversary of Napoleon’s death on St. Helena.

Barry took us on a journey through Napoleon’s career through the work of artists, many of whom were chosen and directed by Napoleon for propaganda purposes. In fact, as Barry told us, Napoleon was the first leader to use visual arts for this purpose. As Anne-Louis Girodet ( whose painting below is of Napoleon’s father ) said ‘We were all enlisted but not all wore the uniform’

Napoleon’s father was Louis XVI ‘s representative in Corsica and Napoleon grew up speaking Italian.

This portrait by Robert Lefevre shows Dominique Vivant Denon who became Napoleon’s spin doctor’ .

The portrait by Louis Charles Auguste Couder shows Napoleon visiting the Louvre. In fact the Louvre was built to house all the objects that Napoleon had ‘acquired’ during his campaigns. Barry told us the if it wasn’t bolted down Napoleon took it !!

Napoleon won his first battle at Lodi and the drawing below celebrates this moment and is by Bacler D’Albe who became Napoleon’s cartographer.

Napoleon hated sitting for portraits but Appiana managed to paint this portrait of Napoleon in 1796

The paintings commissioned by Napoleon didn’t always correspond to reality or likeness, for example the painting by Baron Gros of Napoleon after his second victory at the Bridge at Arcola shows him bearing the standard but in fact he had slipped as he began to cross the bridge and was very muddy and therefore someone else was appointed to carry the standard !

The British now are starting to see Naploleon as a fascination but also as a danger as depicted in this cartoon by Cruickshank

Napoleon couldn’t invade Britain because of Nelson so he decided to invade Egypt to cut off the British link. One of the items stolen was the Rosetta Stone which in fact was finally brought to Britain by the British.

There were then two disasters – one was the slaughter of all the people who had surrendered and the other was an outbreak of the plague amongst the troops and his orders to kill all the infected troops. Napoleon commissioned a propaganda painting by Baron Gros (1804) of Napoleon visiting the sick in the Plague Hospital designed to make the French forget the two disasters.

Vivant had said exactly what should be in the picture and rather than showing Napoleon carrying a patient ( which is what happened ) Napoleon is seen touching a stricken man suggesting a likeness to Christ healing the sick. This was an engraving and hundreds of copies were made and circulated around France. Some of the troops were captured by the British and recounted what actually had happened.

Josephine introduced Napoleon to many artists including Antonio Canova who was the greatest artist of the time.

In 1799 Napoleon left most of his troops in Egypt and returned to France to stage a coup to become the First Consul, as shown in this painting by Baron Gros in 1802

Barry pointed out the  interesting details – for example Napoleon pointing to a sheet of paper on which are written the names of treaties and battles he had won and underneath is the battle plan for the Battle of Morengo – known as Napoleon’s greatest achievement.

In 1800 Napoleon crossed the Alps to surprise the Austrians who had taken parts of Italy. the David painting shows a very heroic Napoleon but has no link with reality. Barry pointed out the names on the rocks – names of earlier heroes.. Apparently the instruction from Napoleon was ‘Just show me calm , on a fiery steed.’

The famous artist Canovo did not follow instructions from Napoleon with his sculpture ” Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker” and Napoleon was not pleased to be depicted in the nude and with a body far better than the reality!

By this time much memorabilia was being made in Britain to allow people to express what they thought of `Napoleon!!

By now Napoleon was not being successful yet as Barry demonstrated, the propaganda paintings were there, as in this painting by baron Gros of ‘The Aftermath at the Battle of Eylau” A battle which really neither side won but strict instructions were given that it should show napoleon walking across the battlefield with the enemy reaching out to kiss his uniform, and wounded enemy soldiers being tended by the French.

In 1804 napoleon crowned himself Emperor as shown in this painting by Gerard

and in 1812 David painted a picture of Napoleon in his Study where he is shown as a man working for French civil society. Barry pointed out various details to show how hard Napoleon was working-  the ruffled carpet that indicated the Napoleon had just stood up, the candle and the clock indicating that he was working through the night and the document to show he was working on the Napoleonic code.

By 1814 Napoleon had lost many battles and was forced to abdicate-shown in this painting by Delaroche  ‘Napoleon at Fontenbleau 1814

and in Britain the cartoonists had a great time as this Wilkie cartoon shows of ‘Chelsea pensioners receiving the news after Waterloo.’

Napoleon was taken to Plymouth and everyone was eager to see him as Chalon showed in his painting ‘Scene in Plymouth”

Locke Eastalake painted Napoleon on the ship Belaphron bringing him to Plymouth from a genuine sketch he had made.

Barry concluded this lecture with the painting of the death of Napoleon by  Isabey   

Barry told us that the French were still divided about Napoleon , however those of us who had listened to his excellent lecture were certainly united in our appreciation of  the knowledge that we had gained about Napoleon’s use of artists of the time. Something that I certainly had had no previous idea about. Thank you Barry for a most enjoyable morning.

Bhutan – Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon.    – a lecture by Zara Fletcher

Zara began her fascinating lecture by introducing  Bhutan to us as it was 60 years ago when there were no roads, no towns and no currency,(the only currency being textiles) and how, though there have been such big developments in all these areas in the last 60 years they have still managed to hold on to their cultural inheritance.

Zara then introduced us to the three key  figures in Bhutan’s history  who have been responsible for shaping the country as it is today.

The first was Padmasambhava

the second was Nawang Namgul

and the third –  the 4th king – Jigme Wangchuk

Bhutan, she told us is a small country the size of Switzerland but with a population of only 80.000. It has Tibet to the north and India to the south. It is divided into 3 different landscapes – in the north are the Himalaya, in the centre are terraced fields and this is where most of the population live  and in the south the land is very fertile and there are a few industries.

The country is home to a wealth of flora and fauna . The national animal of Bhutan is a takin – a rather strange looking creature

 

There is also great ethnic diversity in Bhutan – speaking 23 different languages , though the main one is English.

The earlier  religion in Bhutan was based on nature.  Budhism was introduced in the 6th. century  with its goal to eliminate suffering and attain enlightenment. The wheel of life is divided into 6 sections into which you can be reborn –  gods, demi-gods, humans, animals, hungry ghosts and hells.

When Budhism arrived in Bhutan art – in the form of murals, paintings or sculptures, was used to enlighten the people as most of them were illiterate. They work as a focus of faith and therefore had to be drawn following strict codes. For example the hand gestures would convey different meanings.Once these works were completed they would be consecrated with prayer.

At the centre of their beliefs is Avalokitesvara – the earthly manifestation of Buddha and shows compassion with many heads to see the suffering and many hands to comfort.

Shabdrung (1594-1651) brought peace and unification to Bhutan.He built dzongs across the country which were both religious and secular centres and are still in use today.

 

During the 17th  century Tibet made many attacks on Bhutan so Shabdrung  instigated codes of behaviour including dress and etiquette to create a difference between Bhutan and Tibet. It was known as the Driglam Namzha code and included such rules as the colour of the scarf (The Kabney) which must be worn indicating status, with yellow indicating the highest status

The women wear a kira with horizontal stripes

and the men wear vertical stripes – the Gho

He also set up the Zorig Chusum which comprised 13 Arts and Crafts  which are symbolic and represent certain principles of Budhism – including weaving, sculpture and dance.

Creating Tashigomang – portable shrines. They  are  part of the Zorig Chusum and were  temples which consecrated and blessed the land around them and were resting places.

Another element was Jimzo – sculpting – as seen in this mask

and Shingzo – carpentry – shown on this building

One very important piece of art are the Thongdrels or banners which were rolled down at festivals before sunrise ( so they would not be damaged by the sun ) and would be touched by the heads of worshippers.

When Shabdrung died they kept his death secret for 50 years partly to maintain the unity of the country  but also because they were waiting to see the reincarnation. Much of what Bhutan is today is as a result of  Shabbdrung’s work.

In 1774 Britain sent a trade mission to Bhutan , which was rather inaccurately recorded in a painting by Tilly Kettle

 

At the end of the 19th century Bhutan was racked by civil war and the British suggested the idea of monarchy. Ugyen Wangchuk became the first king , reigning from 1907-26 and he restored peace and stability. In the picture he is shown wearing   the  raven  crown.

The raven is the national bird of Bhutan and at one time it was illegal to kill one. The raven represents the form of Mahakala – Bhutan’s guardian deity

The third king implemented his father’s dying wish and moved the capital to Thimphu as it was suitable for all year round living.

He was succeeded by his son – the fourth king – Jigme Wangchuk who developed the policy – ‘One Nation one Principal ‘ Wangchuck stated that it is the “distinct identity of our country”, and not the nation’s “wealth, weapons and armed forces”, that is the vital instrument in securing the sovereignty of the nation.  He said that everyone should wear national dress and speak their language.  As a result of this many of the Nepalese who had moved into Bhutan decided to return to Nepal.

He also made the  statement

Gross National Happiness 

is more important than 

Gross national Product

As part of this they were committed to :

Sustained economic growth and development

The preservation and promotion of their cultural heritage

The conservation and sustainable use of the environment

Good governance

Bhutan has free medicine, free healthcare and free education . The schools teach the Zorig Chusum ( the 13 arts and crafts)

They are constantly refurbishing temples to keep them fresh and bright.

 

Any new paintings must contain something Bhutanese and houses are built by the whole community

 

Weaving in Bhutan is a very important craft(textiles had been the only form of currency in the past)

Thimphu -the capital of Bhutan has a National Textile Museum.

It also has the Tashichha Dzong – half of which is for government and the other half is the Buddhist centre

Dances are now recorded for posterity and are a central feature in the Bhutanese festivals which are attended by many of the Bhutanese.   In an amusing anecdote Zara told us how protective and careful the Bhutanese are of their culture and whilst most tourists respect it – some don’t so sometimes they give out the wrong date for national celebrations so that visitors are not present on the correct date!!!

 

Having strengthened the cultural aspects of Bhutan the 4th king abdicated and  his  eldest  son Jigme Khesar  became the 5th king

Bhutan was facing external problems from China and internal problems largely brought on by the TV and media. Initially he tried to ban some programmes but the worldwide web meant that this was impossible.One of the most important and ongoing works of the King involves Kidu, a tradition based on the rule of a Dharma King whose sacred duty is to care for his people.

Zara concluded this fascinating talk by reminding us of Bhutan’s very proud people, striking architecture and  strong Buddhism – I think we had all seen this through her talk. Bhutan is also understandably proud  of its  bio diversity and is the only country in the world  that is carbon negative.

It is seeking  to evolve as a contemporary buddhist society – a world which could teach us so much.

As we reluctantly came to end of this lecture many of us were already looking out passports and planning a visit to this magical place as soon as we can travel.

Mackintosh and the Glasgow Four – a lecture by Anne Anderson

This link will be live for a few days

The Nativity in Art From Giotto to Picasso. A Christmas lecture by Clare Ford-Wille

Below are the notes that lare kindly sent out to accompany her talk

THE NATIVITY IN ART IN ALL ITS VARIETY from Giotto to Stanley Spencer

 

Introduction

 

Of the four Gospel writers, only Matthew (2:1-12) and Luke (2:1-20) mention and describe anything about Christ’s Nativity and in different ways.  St. Matthew writes about ‘Wise Men’, rather than Kings, following a star and ‘entering the house’, not a stable. Moreover we are not told how many of them there were. St. Luke states that Mary laid the baby in a manger because, ‘there was no room for them in the inn’.  However, in the apocryphal Book of James and Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, the narrative is a little different.  In the Book of James mention of a cave is made ‘And he found a cave there and brought her into it…..And behold a bright cloud overshadowing the cave….The cloud withdrew itself out of the cave a a great light appeared in the cave so that our eyes could not endure it. And by little and little that light withdrew itself until the young child appeared: and it went and took the breast of its mother Mary’. In the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew the ox and ass enter the story: ‘an angel made her dismount and enter a dark cave which began to shine….On the third day Mary left the cave and went to a stable and put the child in the manger, and the ox and ass adored him.’

 

During the 15^th century particularly the Virgin is shown kneeling in adoration and this follows the writings of St. Bridget of Sweden who visited Bethlehem in 1370 and wrote in her Revelations of her vision of the Virgin: ‘When her time came she took off her shoes and her white cloak and undid her veil, letting her golden hair fall on her shoulders.  Then she prepared the swaddling clothes which she put down beside her.  When all was ready, she bent her knees and began to pray.  While she was thus praying with hands raised the child was suddenly born, surrounded by a light so bright that it completely eclipsed Joseph’s feeble candle.’

 

In the Eastern Church there are variations and traditions with Byzantine artists sometimes showing the Virgin on a proper bed, attended by midwives, and with the Christ child being washed.  The Book of James describes one of the two midwives, Mary Salome, denying that the Virgin could remain an intact virgin and examined her for proof, whereupon her arm, which had touched Mary, shrivelled but was made whole again when she picked up the Child.

 

In the 14^th century the writings of the Pseudo-Bonaventura (Giovanni de Caulibus), in his Meditations, described how ‘The Virgin arose in the night and leaned against a pillar. Joseph brought into the stable a bundle of hay which he threw down and the Son of God, issuing from his mother’s belly without causing her pain, was projected instantly on to the hay at the Virgin’s feet.’

 

EARLY CHRISTIAN AND MEDIEVAL ART

EARLY CHRISTIAN           Nativity with Shepherd 4^th Century Sarcophagus.  Arles

PISA                                       Porta di San Ranieri Pisa Cathedral c.1180

BONANNO DA PISA           Detail of the Nativity from above

MARGARITO da Arezzo    Altarpiece c.1250 NG

JACOPO TORRITI             Apse Mosaics Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome 1296

JACOPO TORRITI             Nativity (mosaic) Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome 1296

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NICCOLO PISANO                         Pisa Baptistery Pulpit 1260

GIOVANNI PISANO                       Pisa Cathedral Pulpit 1302-11

ROME                                                Apse Santa Maria in Trastevere, Rome

CAVALLINI, Pietro                         Mosaic Cycle of the Virgin Santa Maria in Trastevere, Rome 1296

The Nativity in Art of the14th Century

 

Some of the depictions of the Nativity introduce new aspects of the story from The Golden Legend. It became the primary source book for painters and sculptors in the later Medieval and early Renaissance periods.  A real knowledge, understanding and appreciation of art from 1300 to 1550 is only possible through a familiarity with The Golden Legend. The popularity of the Golden Legend ended with the Reformation but not completely as is clear from the continuance of some of the stories in paintings of the 17^th and 18^th centuries.  Renaissance scholars tended to attack it for being inaccurate and untrue, particularly following the Council of Trent in the middle of the 16^th century.  Some attempt was made in the 19^th century to reawaken interest in the work, notably by William Morris, who published a limited edition of the Caxton text in 1892. Particularly relevant to the depiction of the Nativity is the general reality and domesticity but also the introduction of the two midwives, whom Joseph goes to find to assist with the birth of Christ.  Of the two, one of them believes the baby is the Son of God, upon finding the Virgin Mary still a virgin, but the other refutes this and her arm which touched the baby withers immediately.  She then changes her mind, and the arm grows back again.

 

PADUA                                              Scrovegni Chapel c.1300

GIOTTO                                            Nativity c.1305

DADDI, B.                                         Triptych 1338 Berlin

DUCCIO                                            The Nativity 1308-11 New York       

MASTER BERTRAM                     Grabow Altarpiece 1379-83 Hamburg

MASTER FRANCKE                      St. Thomas à Becket Altar 1424 Hamburg   

BOHEMIAN                                     The Vysshi Brod Alterpiece c.1360 Prague

AUSTRIAN                                       Nativity 1400 Vienna

KONRAD VON SOEST                  Nativity 1403 Parish Church Bad Wildungen

NETHERLANDISH                         Folding Private Devotional Altarpiece c.1410 Antwerp

FRENCH ILLUMINATOR             Tres Belles Heures de Notre Dame du Duc de Berri c.1390 Bib. Nat. Paris

 

The Nativity in Italy and the North in the 15^th Century

 

GENTILE DA FABRIANO             The Strozzi Altarpiece 1422 Uffizi Florence

ROBERT CAMPIN                          Nativity c.1425 Dijon

FRA ANGELICO                             Nativity (Cell 5) c.1440 San Marco, Florence

FRA FILIPPO LIPPI                       Cycle of the Virgin frescoes 1467-9 East End Spoleto Cathedral

ROGIER VAN DER WEYDEN      The Miraflores Altarpiece c.1440 Madrid

MEMLING                                        The Triptych of Jan Floreins c.1479 Bruges

GEERTGEN TOT SINT JINS        Night Nativity c.1465 NG

HUGO VAN DER GOES                 Portinari Altarpiece c.1478 Uffizi

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GHIRLANDAIO                              Altarpiece c.1483 Sassetti Chapel, Santa Trinita, Florence

 

The Nativity in the Art of the 16^th Century

 

Characteristic of developments in the 16^th century in Northern Europe is the setting of the Nativity in a larger setting which includes the new fascination for nature and landscape.  Northern European painters also become fascinated with night scenes and light in darkness, which culminates at the end of the century with the chiaroscuro of the Italian artist, Caravaggio and the Dutch Caravaggisti.

 

GERARD DAVID                             Wings of Triptych in New York c.1505-10 The Hague

Triptych New York

BOTTICELLI                                   The Mystic Nativity 1500 NG

HIERONYMUS BOSCH                 The Adoration of the Magi Triptych 1492-8 Prado Madrid

GIORGIONE                                    Nativity c.1505 Washington

DURER                                              The Paumgartner Altarpiece c.1504 Munich

BALDUNG                                        Nativity at Night 1520 Munich

CORREGGIO                                   Night Nativity c. 1525-30 Dresden

BAROCCI, F.                                    Nativity in the Stable c.1597 Madrid

 

The Nativity in Art in the 17^th Century

 

By the beginning of the 17^th century fundamental changes came about in the depictions in art of the Nativity and other episodes from Christ’s early life as a result of the reforms instituted by the reforms emanating from the Council of Trent, the meeting so of which took place from 1545 and 1563.  The stories which did not come from the Bible itself were not encouraged and virtually forbidden.  The Adoration of the Shepherds and Kings became more widely depicted, partly because the former depictions of Nativity scenes would prove controversial.

 

CARAVAGGIO                                Adoration of the Shepherds 1609 Messina

CARAVAGGIO                                Nativity with SS Lawrence Francis 1609 (formerly) Oratorio di San Lorenzo, Palermo

HONTHORST                                  Night Nativity Uffizi

LA TOUR, G. de                               Peasant Nativity 1644 Paris

REMBRANDT                                  Adoration of the Shepherds 1646 NG

REMBRANDT                                  Night Nativity etching and drypoint

 

The Nativity in Art in the 19^th and 20^th Centuries

 

WILLIAM BELL SCOTT               Nativity 1872 Edinburgh

GAUGUIN, P.                                   Te Tamari No Atua 1896 Munich

FRITZ VON UHDE                         Holy Night c.1888-9 Dresden New Masters Gallery

PABLO PICASSO                            ‘Mère et Enfant’ or Maternité  1902 Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, USA

STANLEY SPENCER                     Nativity 1912 University College, London

Art Behind Bars : The Role of the Arts in the Cycle of Crime, Prison and Reoffending

A Zoom lecture by Angela Findlay

Angela Findlay is a professional artist, writer, and freelance lecturer with a long career of teaching art in prisons in Germany and England.

Her time ‘behind bars’ and later as Arts Coordinator of the London-based Koestler Trust, gave her many insights into the huge impact the arts can have in terms of rehabilitation.

In 2016 she was invited by the Ministry of Justice to support the case for the arts to be included in new, progressive programmes of rehabilitation and education.

‘The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.’

Fyodor Dostoevsky 

Angela began this potentially controversial  lecture by stressing that she was expressing her points of view and that she was fully aware that other people would have very different views.

To begin Angela gave us a short resume of her career and how it led to the work she has done in prisons. She began her career by painting large scale murals and had gone into a prison yard to paint a mural with some of the prisoners. This led to her studying art therapy for three years, focussing on using colour and then going to Germany to work with 10 prisoners. At this point she recounted that her German was not good and instead of saying to the prisoners ‘we will do this painting together ‘she had  said ‘ we will go to bed together!!’ Because she wasn’t attached to a prison she was not obliged to report anything the prisoners may say and as a result they began to open up and express their thoughts and feelings. After 9 years she became Art Co-ordinator for the ‘Koestler Trust.’ Her main focus was setting up ‘Learning to Learn’ – using a variety of artists from all around London. They would offer an alternative to conventional classroom activities which had the potential to become the springboard for a new career.

Angela then gave us some very startling data whilst acknowledging that prison serves the public by keeping in custody those who have committed a crime.

67% of under 18s reoffend after 12 months

46% of adults reoffend after 12 months

52% of prisoners are dyslexic

70% suffer from some type of personality disorder

65% have a reading age below 8

50% can’t write

In the Uk we have 86.500 prisoners in the system – more than anywhere else in Europe at a cost of £37.000 per years per prisoner. Reoffending costs the government £18.1 billion.

Angela said that this is a spectacular failure rate and she gave us some of the reasons why she thinks it currently doesn’t work.Her main point was that prisoners are not confronted with the impact of their crime- even that they think the world is a better place as a result of what they have done. She gave the example of a prisoner who had ‘just stolen a handbag ‘ and the prisoner was shocked when the victim said that as a result of the mugging she was frightened to go out so she lost her job which in turn made her depressed and as a result of being depressed she lost her partner.

Prisoners, she told us, are locked in with nothing to do, in overcrowded and understaffed premises. There is no provision for education and drugs are everywhere.

Angela said she was not saying – ‘give them a paintbrush and they’ll be ok. ‘ nor was she suggesting that we don’t need prisons, but prisoners should be on a programme of Confrontation/Challenge and Change.

Victim awareness will lead to empathy ‘ until this day I have never felt so much remorse for what I have done’ She told us of a bank robber who had said to her ‘I have never met a man who committed a crime with evil intent.’

So the question is ‘How can the arts work?’ Angela then shared with us her programme of work with prisoners.

Her first step was to give prisoners just the three primary colours to work with and paint with and then begin to ask them to mix these colours and ask them to describe the colours they had made with sounds and adjectives.

One of the issues is that prisoners had overstepped boundaries and now were in a system of rigid and tight boundaries so she would then have a colour conversation with them – in their paintings some had made definite strong boundaries between colours  whereas others had mixed them totally. What she was aiming for them to do was to mix the colours gently and flowing.

Art projects often led to lightbulb moments with issues addressed through art rather than full on which could lead to totally unacceptable behaviour..Prisoners had to learn to collaborate within their groups, thereby giving them these soft skills which are so helpful in the world outside prison.

Angela gave us examples of how she chose the projects with the needs of the particular prisoners in mind.

Some of them had committed crimes because they wanted instant gratification – ‘I want that car so I’ll take it ‘ so asking them to create mosaics helped them to see that taking things step by step will eventually have very pleasing results – that nothing is instant.

Other prisoners had very low self esteem – possibly with the absence of a father or positive male role model and authoritative figure, but creating a piece of art can raise  their self esteem and also become a focus for talking about how they feel; many prisoners are emotionally illiterate.

Angela concluded this fascinating lecture by reaffirming what arts can offer to prisoners and the prison system. Arts she said, can make a massive contribution to preventing re-offending. The arts demand self discipline and raise self-esteem and can serve as a springboard to a more positive future which impacts on us all.

Her final statement – that the Arts could halve the numbers reoffending, left us  feeling very reflective and questioning  of our current system.

Thank you Angela, you presented your views in a  clear and positive manner and whilst we may not have agreed with everything you said we certainly had much food for thought and consideration

 

 

2020 KOESTLER AWARDS, South Bank Centre, London
NOTE: Angela Findlay, who gave last Monday’s TASNF monthly lecture “Art Behind Bars”, was Arts Coordinator for the Koestler Trust
https://www.koestlerarts.org.uk/koestler-awards/
https://www.koestlerarts.org.uk/exhibitions/annual-uk-exhibition/no-lockdown-in-the-imagination/
The links above are a reminder of a listing given in Section A. NEWS in last week’s email. They give information about The Koestler Arts Annual Awards 2020 Exhibition (for which all the entrants are in the criminal justice system).

 

 

 

 

Titian – The First Modern Artist – a zoom lecture by Douglas Skeggs.

Our second zoom lecture was outstanding. Douglas enthralled us with his presentation  and knowledge. It was our second lecture delivered through zoom and it went extremely well.

Douglas began by telling us that critics of Titian have said that all he did was to put paint on canvas, but he did more, so much more.

He was born in Pieve di Catore and went to the local school. The year of his birth is the subject of considerable debate- Titian himself, in a letter to Philip II of Spain, said it was 1474 but modern scholars put it at around 1488.

He was a good scholar but he didn’t learn Latin which meant in later life he couldn’t read stories in their original script. A local priest saw his talents and arranged for him to go to Venice to study with a mosaicist when he was about 11. A few years later he entered the studio of Gentile Bellini. Gentile was the first psychological painter as shown in his painting of  Queen  Catarina  Cornara ( 1500 ) (Fine Arts Museum Budapest ) where. the character  of the subject  comes through.  This  approach  to  painting  greatly  influenced  Titian.

Titian fell out with Gentile and moved to his brother Giorgione Bellini’s  studio. Titian worked with Giorgione but was never his pupil. This is apparent when both Titian and Giorgione were asked to work on frescoes on the Fondaco dei Tedeschi ( the German merchants’ warehouse) but they worked on separate areas – and if Titian had been his pupil they would have worked together.

Titian worked in a way completely different from what then was the current manner. He started with colour and light and the picture was created on the canvas. . It was a completely revolutionary style.

In The Ages of man (1514)(in Nat. Gallery Edinburgh) Titian’s use of dark and light is clear to see.

Titian always preceded his commissions with portraits as in his painting ‘Man with a Quilted Sleeve'(1509)(in Nat.Gallery)

The painting is so simple yet makes such impact- with the contrast of the hard rock background and the soft voluptuous fabric and the play of light across the picture set against the darkness makes it stand out. However the most important aspect of the painting is the psychology and how he conveys the personality. By making the eye line higher than ours he makes him look rather distant and slightly threatening.

In ‘The Assumption of the Virgin  ‘(1516-18 )(in Basilica of Santa Maria) the position of the arms and bodies of the disciples lead the eye  to Mary.

Titian creates an amazing spiral movement as Ariadne sees Bacchus in ‘Bacchus and Ariadne ” (1520-1523) (in National Gallery ) He has also made Bacchus’ followers very specific characters and looking like a tidal wave. This detail of the followers does not come from the original story (which Titian was unable to access as he had not learned Latin,) but came from a different story. The colours also go from warm to cold and light to dark.

In the Bacchanal of the Andrians'(1523-26) (in Prado ) if you start with the wine, your eye is taken into a spiral down through the people to the baby peeing on the reclining lady. It was images such as this that caused the Victorians to dislike him as he was too ‘earthy!’

Pietro Aretino was a friend of Titian who wrote pornographic poems.  And in this painting of him  (1545)(in Pitti Florence)Titian brilliantly shows this man who was larger than life.

At this time Titian was becoming more and more acknowledged and successful. He  copied  a portrait of Charles V by Schleissinger but showing Venetian light and a softer  face.

He then did the same with a portrait of Charles V’s late wife  and Charles is completely bowled over and becomes so impressed with Titian, buying many of his paintings.

Many important people became his patron. In 1542 he painted a portrait of Ranuccio Farnese for his mother,(now in Nat.Gallery Washington) who was so impressed she showed it to the Pope who then asked to meet Titian and to be painted by him (1543) (in Capodimonte Naples)

In 1545/6 Titian painted another portrait of the Pope with his ‘nephews’ (probably grandsons ) in which the Pope looks more brow beaten. This painting was unfinished but still shows how he achieved the amazing colour and texture of the cape. It also shows Titian’s skill at using psychological interpretation  in the manner and positioning of the  nephews and the Pope himself.(in Capodimonte  Naples)

Michelangelo and Titian met and although Michelangelo expressed admiration to Titian for his work ,afterwards he said to Vasari that he liked his colour but not the ‘dessina’ in his paintings.

Charles V had increasingly become concerned that because he was so rich he would not enter heaven so in 1555 he entered a monastery but surrounded himself with Titian’s paintings.

In 1551 Charles V died gazing at Titian’s painting ‘The Gloria’ which Charles had commissioned

(in Prado)

Phillip II who was the son of Charles V became Titian’s patron and Titian spent the rest of his life working on the mythological but rather rather pornographic paintings for Phillip, which he called Poesie. These can be seen  in  a variety  of  museums  around  the world   including  one in the Fitzwilliam Gallery  in  Cambridge

Evidence that Titian changed the figures directly on the canvas is shown in ‘Shepherd and Nymph’ (1570) where the shepherd has three hands!

Pieta by Titian (1570) (Venice) was unfinished as he died before it was completed. It was finished by a pupil. It was the picture Titian wanted hanging above his grave, but this never happened. Titian died of the plague and yet was buried in Ferrari – (the bodies of people who died of the plague were usually burned ) This was quite amazing and showed the status that Titian achieved – he had been raised  to the aristocracy.

Douglas ended this fascinating talk explaining how with the death of Titian it was the end of an era. And that without Titian the whole course of the history of art would have been so very different.

It was indeed a wonderful hour spent learning about and appreciating the skills of Titian. I for one will certainly look with renewed enthusiasm at Titian’s work.