Counter Reformation Art

 Art History  No Responses »
Sep 252011
 

Reformation and the Counter Reformation periods are notable periods and as tempting as it might seem for me to comment, state and discuss these moments, I will only elaborate upon the definitions and meanings so that we can thoroughly enjoy Counter Reformation art and also the Reformation art.

Reformation and Counter Reformation

Before we know anything about Counter Reformation art, we need to find out the answer to the questions, ‘what was the Counter Reformation and Reformation’. The two movements are very closely related to each other and the Reformation or the Protestant Reformation started with criticism of some incidences of corruption by some members of the clergy. This criticism turned into a wide scale movement and the Christian faith was split into two parts, that is Catholic and Protestant Church. There are several points where the differentiation line can be drawn even today, and in the days of the Reformation the difference was drastic, for one, Catholics followed the Holy Church and the teachings of the Pope whereas, the Protestants followed the Holy Bible. In the years of the 14th century, there were several reforms that changed some of the churches in central and Northern Europe and Great Britain. With an eminent change in some of the regions, the Holy Church of Vatican launched a series of Counter Reformation movements to win over of the reformed churches. Apart from that, the drawbacks of the Holy Roman Catholic Church were also resolved, and within a short span of a couple of decades, the Catholic church won over several of reformed churches and regions in mainland Europe, though several other regions and their people such as North European regions and Great Britain remained Protestant. The Counter Reformation timeline starts with the Council of Trent in 1545 and ends with the 30 Years War in 1648, lasting for about a decade.

Catholic Counter Reformation Art

A very important meeting that started off Counter Reformation was the Council of Trent, which was summoned by Pope Paul III. This council existed from 1545 to 1563 and councilmen met periodically in this time span. The first objective of the council was to rectify the drawbacks of the church and then start the actual counter movement. Apart from literature, one very good form of getting people’s attention was art.

The art that was painted in this time was largely religious and depicted Jesus Christ and Mother Mary. Often this period is credited to be a time where Mannerism was at its finest. In the times following 1520, several artists, painted incidences from the life of Jesus Christ and Mother Mary. The Church and the Inquisition which was set up by the Church, made a detailed examination of the paintings. Mannerism, in that period involved depiction of Christ and Mother Mary, plus an added sense of spirituality and a very, very in depth expression by Holy figures within the painting. The Virgin and Child Adored by Angels and the The Elevation of the Cross, are two paintings by Peter Paul Rubens, which are known for their energy and a highly realistic depiction of Biblical events. The Massacre of the Innocents are two famous paintings by Alte Pinakothek and Peter Paul Rubens, depicting an incidence from the Gospel of Matthew. El Greco’s works such as The Assumption of the Virgin and The Disrobing of Christ are two very fascinating and interesting works of time period. The color play, is simply wonderful. Adoration of the Magi and The crowning of the Virgin, were two favorite themes of the artists of the time.

The Holy Roman Catholic church and the Inquisition took measures wherein against the doctrine of prevalent themes of paintings. For example, Paolo Veronese was ordered to change, The Feast in the House of Levi, a depiction of the Last Supper which was on the wall of a refectory.

Another dynamic style of painting and art creation that originated in this era is Baroque art. The Baroque art is basically piece of work that tends to have a serious motion in it. Adoration, by Rubens shows the scene of Jesus and Mary, and the entire scene is a significant snap shot that captures a certain motion from every character. Ecstasy of Saint Theresa is a well-known sculpture of Baroque art in the Cornaro Chapel, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome. There are countless examples of Baroque art in the post Counter Reformation period and several churches that were built post this period depict Counter Reformation art.

One certain thing about Counter Reformation art is that since it was post the Renaissance in Italy, it was highly evolved, not to mention the sophistication and accuracy level that is signified. I hope that the elaboration on Counter Reformation art is resourceful. Good luck.

 Posted by at 3:16 am  Tagged with:

The Concept of Minimalist Art

 Art History  No Responses »
Sep 202011
 

The earlier artists that were regarded as minimalist stood against anyone who tried to brand them as self-expressionists. Indeed, minimalistic art had much contrast to Expressionism. The art revolved around mostly simple geometric figures – uniform and symmetric, often cubic, stripped from their complex surroundings and thrown onto the canvas, using unmixed paint right from the tube.

Minimalism – The Masters of Less

Black Square
One of the earliest art that came to be defined as ‘minimal’ came from Kazimir Malevich, known as the Black Square. The painting describes just that – a black square on a white canvas. Originally derived as a concept in Russian Suprematism, the oil on canvas, as described by Kazimir, depicts the purity of an emotion. The black square represents the feeling, while the white background is the void that lies beyond this feeling, waiting for the feeling to end, to take hold of you once it does.

The Movement
In the words of one of the greatest in the Minimalist Movement, Frank Stella’s, “What you see is what you see” quote can be considered as the way to look at minimalist artworks. Of course, what you deduce from what you see is the result of opinions. His work, “The Marriage of Reason and Squalor, II”(1959) hinted at his commercial influence. Ad Reinhardt explains the Minimalism as, “The more stuff in it, the busier the work of art, the worse it is. More is less. Less is more. The eye is a menace to clear sight. The laying bare of oneself is obscene. Art begins with the getting rid of nature”. David Burliuk, a Russian Avant-Garde artist, wrote: ‘Minimalism derives its name from the minimum of operating means. Minimalist painting is purely realistic – the subject being the painting itself.’

A View of the Minimalist Movement, 1960

Origins
The real Minimalist Art Movement can be believed to have originated around the late 60′s in New York City. This can also be considered around the same time as the beginning of Literary Minimalism. The art depicted an extreme form of simplicity, often coming with a bare-all-without-baring-much attitude, giving minimalist artworks the hard-edge look that defines them. The main characteristics of minimalist art are what separate them from expressionist art – no form of cultural gestures, no representation of any strong public opinion, and absolutely no point of self-explanation of the artist through the painting or the sculpture.

The Names
Through time, the art came to be known as “ABC art”, “literalism” and “Reductive art”, with “Minimalistic” as the most prominent. The word was, however, rejected by most artists in the Movement. One of these was Donald Judd, the man famous for his ‘box art’ structures and installations. One of the people on the forefront of the Minimalist Movement of the 1960s, his work featured at “Primary Structures”, a historic group exhibit held at the Jewish Museum in New York, 1966. Alongside him were Carl Andre, Dan Flavin and Sol Lewitt, other important names of the Movement.

Other Art Forms
Although minimalism can be related to other art forms like Pop art or Land art (it may be debated on which is a derivative of which), minimalism holds its own style of headstrong artwork that is simple to see, yet provides a view into the human minds as heavy as (maybe even heavier than) the others. It still adheres to the concept of beauty being in the eyes of the beholder, but it does so in such a simple manner that we can discuss the effect of the work for hours.

The Passing of a Movement
It was at the end of the 1960s that the Minimalist Movement came to a slow and steady pace, if not been disbanded altogether. Artists moved on, critics fangs bared, attacked all minimalism, calling it frugal, confused and sometimes, ‘minimal’ in the derogatory sense. The most noteworthy critical remarks about the Minimalistic Movement can be found in an essay written by Michael Fried, “Art and Objecthood” (1967).

Towards the end of the 60′s, minimalist artists ended up redefining the concept of minimalism, using sculptures and Land art to almost eliminate the difference between object and the art of that object. This includes the “Light and Space” movement influenced by John McLaughlin. The works often included installations with materials like glass and resin. All works that pertained to the idea of minimalism, created after the Movement came to be known as “Post-Minimalism”.

To a minimalistic artist, less will always be more. They would refrain from an object having to share space, along with the viewers interest, with another object in the same canvas. They believe this to be a cause for unwanted confusion. It was, is, and hopefully will still continue to be, the belief that changed Modern Art.

 Posted by at 3:08 am  Tagged with:
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