Tag Archives: michelangelo

Jul 01 2016
Art

so modest

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Believe it or not, this is an allegory of “Modesty.” It was carved by Antonio Corradini in 1750, two years before his death. People aren’t sure about his exact birthday, so I’ll guess he was in his sixties at the time of this work.

GOOD. I was really getting tired of seeing exceptional sculptures created by BABY BOYS (Michelangelo was like, six, when he carved Pieta; Bernini was maybe a toddler when he carved the Rape of Europa, here).

Though I will most certainly applaud Corradini’s take on modesty. Gives a good argument to anyone trying to challenge business casual with short skirts and high boots.

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Apr 30 2016
Art

cangiante

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Cangiante is the third installation in this series on Italian Renaissance painting styles. WAHOO!

Michelangelo‘s Sistine Chapel is a particularly miraculous example of cangiante (it’s Italian for “change”). It means to use lots of tints and shades of color, even if it means using different colors completely to achieve a realistic shadow. For example, mixing red into the shadow of yellow to make it appear darker on canvas (or, in this case, plaster).

Note: I’ve already covered this, but ICYMI: The Prophet Isaiah, pictured above, was the influence behind Norman Rockwell‘s Rosie the Riveter. 

Boom! Drop that tidbit on a girl over burgers tomorrow and see what happens!

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Aug 20 2014
Art

pieta, part deux

pieta

Michelangelo carved these two out of the same stone. You know what I did today?! Cut construction paper into equal segments.

Awhile ago, I made everyone feel terrible about their twenty-something to-do list when I said Bernini’s carved Persephone at the age of twenty-three. Well, I’ve already written about the masterpiece that is the Pieta, but here’s some more trivia with which you can impress all yo’Tinder dates.

The Vatican released the work to be on display for the 1964-65 World’s Fair in New York. Crews made sure the priceless sculpture was well-equipped for the long journey by cushioning it with millions of microbeads inside a wooden box which was then place inside a metal outer shell. Mary and Christ were also packed with a flotation device for their Transatlantic journey, just in case! Though, these two clock in at three tons, sooooo that’s a lotta swim floaties.

The crew members responsible for packing and delivering the Pieta were under pretty strict orders to keep it under maximum security, so what do they do? Put a huge “P I E T A” stamp on the side of the stainless steel case. Swell, boys, no one will ever guess what’s in there!

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Jul 29 2014
Art

laocoön

laocoon

The agony, the pain, the anguish. I feel this way whenever anyone mentions Monday on a Sunday or Paul Gauguin EVER.

Laocoön (lie-oh-kwahn) was a Trojan priest who, with his sons in tow, were attacked by all sorts of sea serpents. (Note: This is what happens when you try and spoil the Trojan Horse and Poseidon finds out.) It dates between 27 BC and 68 AD.

Uh, I don’t know about you, but I can’t do anything without electricity and I’ve died about a bazillion times on the Oregon Trail and that’s a GAME. I mean, that’s not even the same time period and I’m still a goner.

Michelangelo was present during its excavation from a vineyard in 1506. You know who else was?! Francesco da Sangallo, the architect of the Duomo in Florence.  In his description of the excavation, he writes:

“They dug the hole wider so that they could pull the statue out. As soon as it was visible everyone started to draw [or “started to have lunch], all the while discoursing on ancient things, chatting as well about the ones in Florence.

I mean, I don’t know about you, but I always celebrate centuries-old discoveries with food.

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Jul 25 2014
Art

left-handed artists

Maybe you haven’t heard, but being left-handed is a major accomplishment (it’s right up there with being able to French braid your own hair and making Jacob’s Ladder with string). Today, we will celebrate some of our most cherished southpaw artists.

escher

M.C. Escher

durer

Albrecht Dürer

da vinci

Leonardo da Vinci

Now go out and do something incredible, left handers! No, actually, try and make that Jacob’s Ladder thing happen.

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Jul 20 2014
Art

rosie and isaiah

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Rosie the Riveter stands on Hitler’s Mein Kampf during her lunch break while Michelangelo’s Isaiah from the Sistene Chapel nonchalantly acknowledges what is a very possessed angel. Same sitting pose (three cheers for art appropriation!), but Rosie wins this contest, hands down.

I mean, obviously, she had me at those muscles alone, but don’t even get me STARTED on those loafers. *swoon*

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