Analyzing the Content of 2D Visual Art - CLEP Humanities

Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828) was one of the very first well known American painters. During the Revolutionary Era, Stuart became essentially the "court painter" of the early American government because of his portraits of leading figures. Stuart's work includes the most famous portraits of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and many other of America's Founding Fathers.

During the American Civil War, the medium of photography was still relatively new, having only been invented a few decades before the outbreak of war in 1861. The photographer Matthew Brady was the pioneering figure in developing photography throughout the war. By capturing war in the realistic medium of photography, Brady both helped people see war in a different manner and appreciate the possibilities of photography.

Paul Gauguin was an important Post-Impressionist whose early work experimented with color and symbolism, but Gauguin's work took on a new form after visiting Tahiti in the 1880s. Gauguin began capturing the culture of Polynesia and started using symbols of Polynesia and images of Polynesians themselves in his art. In the 1890s, he permanently moved to the island of Punaauia in French Polynesia, and painted more and more symbolic paintings that played with color and structure.

Saint Sebastian was a martyr of the early Christian church who died in the Diocletian persecutions of the third century CE. He became a popular figure in medieval art, usually shown as being tied to a tree with arrows in his sides. This image was to convey what an appropriate Christian martyr should look like.

This painting is by the Medieval artist Fra Angelico and known as the Cortona Annunciation. Painted from 1433-1434, it depicts the archangel Gabriel telling the Virgin Mary that she is pregnant with the Christ child. The Annunciation, as a key moment in the Bible, was a very popular theme in Medieval European art. This particular painting was part of an altarpiece in a church in Cortona, Italy, and painted by a priest.

As one of the most revered figures in Christianity, the Virgin Mary was a constant theme of medieval religious art. In order to function as a highly visible symbol in a mostly illiterate culture, many different symbols were used to distinguish Mary. Most important was her robe, which was typically a bright blue color, which denoted expensive silks.

Saint Stephen is traditionally considered the first martyr of Christianity, and his death by stoning is told in the biblical book of Acts. Due to the circumstances of his death, he was usually depicted with a stone implanted in his skull. Thanks to his position as "the first martyr," Saint Stephen very commonly depicted in Medieval art.

While Christian iconography and themes feature as the most common subjects in Western art, certain periods were more heavily indebted to Christian tradition. During the period of Gothic art, which was roughly synonymous with the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth centuries in Europe, Christian themes were almost the only ones used. Even in royal portraits, such as the Wilton Diptych from England, featured saints and angels next to the King.

This painting is by the Medieval artist Fra Angelico and known as the Cortona Annunciation. Painted from 1433-1434, it depicts the archangel Gabriel telling the Virgin Mary that she is pregnant with the Christ child. The Annunciation, as a key moment in the Bible, was a very popular theme in Medieval European art. This particular painting was part of an altarpiece in a church in Cortona, Italy, and painted by a priest.

Saint Sebastian was a martyr of the early Christian church who died in the Diocletian persecutions of the third century CE. He became a popular figure in medieval art, usually shown as being tied to a tree with arrows in his sides. This image was to convey what an appropriate Christian martyr should look like.

As one of the most revered figures in Christianity, the Virgin Mary was a constant theme of medieval religious art. In order to function as a highly visible symbol in a mostly illiterate culture, many different symbols were used to distinguish Mary. Most important was her robe, which was typically a bright blue color, which denoted expensive silks.

Saint Stephen is traditionally considered the first martyr of Christianity, and his death by stoning is told in the biblical book of Acts. Due to the circumstances of his death, he was usually depicted with a stone implanted in his skull. Thanks to his position as "the first martyr," Saint Stephen very commonly depicted in Medieval art.

While Christian iconography and themes feature as the most common subjects in Western art, certain periods were more heavily indebted to Christian tradition. During the period of Gothic art, which was roughly synonymous with the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth centuries in Europe, Christian themes were almost the only ones used. Even in royal portraits, such as the Wilton Diptych from England, featured saints and angels next to the King.

Sandro Botticelli's The Birth of Venus is one of the signature paintings of Early Renaissance art from Italy, and as such deals with many themes prominent in the era. Botticelli chose the ancient goddess of love, appearing nude and fully formed from the ocean on a clam shell, instead of a Christian theme. Additionally, the picture's symbolism and color focus more on Platonic ideals than the Christian symbolism that was so prevalent in late Medieval art.

During the American Civil War, the medium of photography was still relatively new, having only been invented a few decades before the outbreak of war in 1861. The photographer Matthew Brady was the pioneering figure in developing photography throughout the war. By capturing war in the realistic medium of photography, Brady both helped people see war in a different manner and appreciate the possibilities of photography.

Paul Gauguin was an important Post-Impressionist whose early work experimented with color and symbolism, but Gauguin's work took on a new form after visiting Tahiti in the 1880s. Gauguin began capturing the culture of Polynesia and started using symbols of Polynesia and images of Polynesians themselves in his art. In the 1890s, he permanently moved to the island of Punaauia in French Polynesia, and painted more and more symbolic paintings that played with color and structure.

Ansel Adams (1902-1984) was a famous photographer and technical innovator who developed a process of developing film known as "the Zone System" and used the newest photographic technology of his time. The ability of Adams and his technology was seen through his many photographs of National Parks, particularly in the American West. Adams' photographs were most well known for their sharp focus and deep shading in black and white.

Piet Mondrian was a Dutch artist who belonged to the artistic movement known as De Stijl ("The Style" in Dutch.) The principles of De Stijl were to reduce artistic forms to their simplest, most functional forms. Mondrian's specific form, which he developed in Paris between the World Wars and called "Neo-plasticism," featured mostly white canvases, which were bisected at various parts by perpendicular black lines and had fields of color only in the three primary colors.

Wassily Kandinsky was the most influential expressionist of the early twentieth century. Kandinsky's style, which was dominated by abstract forms, expressive lines, and flowing brushstrokes, would prove to be immensely popular among fellow artists, while his theoretical writing, which connected art to music, also proved influential. Kandinsky had to flee both the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the Nazis in the 1930s because of his controversial artwork.