Katelyn's Exploration In Art

  Philip IV in Brown and Silver , 1632 Diego Velázquez      Diego Velázquez was a famed portrait artist from the baroque period who was in high demand. At 23 after painting his first portrait of King Philip IV the young king made him a painter of the court and only had his portraits done by Velázquez thereafter. I love this portrait of the king because of its realism and detail. The portrait, done in 1632 Oil on canvas, is titled “Philip IV in Brown and Silver”, and features the king wearing an elegant brown outfit with silver threading detail. The king displays his Badge of the Golden Fleece and the golilla collar, he is said to have created and popularized. Velázquez shapes the infamous “Habsburg chin” a prominent feature found in the Habsburg line, from royal inbreeding, with slight changes in skin tone and shading. Excellent shadowing and shading in this portrait can be seen throughout the whole painting, in the folds of his clothing, shape of his legs and shoes, even in the backgr

                                Sandro Botticelli’s Birth of Venus 1484-86   Sandro Botticelli’s Birth of Venus was one of his many paintings done for the Medici Family in Italy sometime between 1484 and1486. Botticelli depicts the story of the birth of Venus as told by Homer, the Ancient Greek poet on tempera on canvas medium. The attention to detail only brings more life to this painting’s storytelling, using dark lines around Venus’ body to contrast her almost alabaster skin, and beautiful definition in the hair and cloth. Even the waves create a sense of two dimensions. It all creates a whimsical illustration of the famed birth of Venus, and as most old art is, its content and medium tell a story themselves. Canvas was not commonly used for most formal paintings at this time. While canvas was gaining popularity, wood was still the most common medium for painting and especially for ones that would have been kept in a more formal setting. This and the nudity depicted hint at this pi

     I wanted to share this oil painting by Katsushika Hokusai titled “Shimotsuke Kurokamiyama Kirifuri no taki” (“Kirifuri Waterfall at Mount Kurokami in Shimotsuke Province”) that I found a couple of years ago that has stuck in my mind since. Hokusai was most famous for his “Thirty Six Views” collection featuring 36 different views of Mount Fuji in 1832, but I find a lot of his other works far more interesting. I Love Hokusai’s use of repetition to show movement in the water. The eyes are also drawn up and down the piece following the flow of the water and the use of the space vertically, adding depth and contrast. His ability to capture the calm tranquil feeling that waterfalls elicit while still depicting the violent and rapid nature of the waterfall itself is only strengthened by his choice in colors, bringing a softness to the sharp lines and details. Hokusai’s Ukiyo-e prints and paintings are some of the most famous in the world, and many would recognize his famous piece “The Gr