museum visit

I chose to go to the De Young museum. I had a good time at the museum looking at all the artwork from different periods in time. I especially liked all the glass work at the museum. Some of the pieces were so colorful and amazing to look at. I remember seeing one piece and it was a bunch of fruits made of glass in this bowl and they looked so good and realistic I wanted to pick one up and eat it. I have always liked seeing art made out of glass and I think the art of glass blowing is really cool. I think it would be awesome to learn how to do that. I always like going to museums and looking at things from the past, it kind of gives you a feel for how things were back then or at least what the time period valued.

blog 8: role of art in society

I believe art definitely has a role in society. To me art is what people use to express themselves. I think art can be anything- it can come in so many forms as well such as music, drawings, photographs, anything. Art can be used to show something that is going on in today's times or in the past or what can even come in the future. Art is all around us. In the newspaper there are comics that relate to the world in the whole political sense. In the past I think art was also used as propaganda because there would be posters of certain things around to try and get people to believe something or do another thing. There are so many murals out there also to describe certain parts of history. I know I've seen murals on the walls of buildings. I use art to escape from whatever stress I have going on in my life and I like to paint and sketch different things.

blog 7

I chose this painting to talk about in this weeks blog because I like the subject matter and I like how it is very colorful. It keeps the viewer captivated. The painting is called The Meeting by Jean-Honore Fragonard. The painting shows a man and a woman and by looking at the setting they are in, the viewer can see that they are meeting in secret perhaps. This painting kind of reminds me of modern times and lovers meeting in secret away from everyone else. I do not know if there is any symbolism in the painting but I think its interesting how the man is wearing red and the girl is in a light white-ish yellow color. Maybe that signifies innocence and purity for her and the red could possible mean love? I also think this painting demonstrates fete galante which means elegant outdoor entertainment. I definately think the subject of this painting is entertaining to the viewer.

blog 6

This is a painting by Peter Paul Rubens and it is called Garden of Love. I like this painting a lot because of the colors used and the overall feel of the painting is a happy feeling to me. I like how he used lots of people in the painting and they are all happy and having fun. The artist uses yellows and reds and blue and there is a nature aspect in the painting too. It would be nice if our world today was like this painting...where everyone is happy and loving each other instead of everyone panicking about the economy situation and being stressed out all the time. I think it is important for everyone to be concerned about these things but people also need to take out a little time for themselves and focus on the little things in life.

chapter 22: blog 5

This painting is called Mary Magdalen with the smoking flame. It was interesting to read about this painting. I like how the artist conveys symbols in the painting. When I first looked at the painting I noticed the skull and the expression on the woman and how the painting has that sad somber mood. I also like how when I look at the painting my eyes get drawn to the candle first and then to the expression on her face. This painting does not really remind me of anything special but I know that when I light a candle in my room or anywhere I can just kind of stare at it and zone out. It kind of reminds me of how when sometimes people pass on, their loved ones light candles. The painting has a somber feel to it but in a way it kind of has a peaceful vibe to it too when I look at it and I think its because of the flame.

chapter 20: blog 4

On the left is Corregio's "Assumption of the Virgin". I found this work of art amazing. First of all it is incredible how artists were able to paint all these images on a ceiling and make them very detailed at the same time. I find it interesting how a lot of the cathedrals and churches at that time have paintings and art all around the ceilings and other places as well. I have never been inside a cathedral with art like this on the inside but I would definately like to visit. Seeing this work of art reminded me of my trip to India a few years ago and how on the ceilings of some of the palaces and temples there was very detailed carvings and art. One place that I went to had little mirrors in detailed shapes all over the domed ceiling. It is quite amazing to see the amount of work that these artists put into their masterpieces and I give them lots of credit for what they do and have done.

chapter 19: blog 3

This is the painting "Birth of Venus". It has a lot of important detail. I think this is an interesting painting because it shows a mythological figure and as the reading says it represents the idea of divine love and its based on an antique statue type which is known as the "modest Venus". Also in the reading it says that this painting has been interpreted as the birth of the idea of beauty. Maybe the people looked to this painting to see what beauty is. It kind of reminds me of how in our times now there are magazines with pictures of models and things like that for people to look at and see what the definition of beauty is. The media portrays someone who is super skinny and tall and whatever else as beautiful and people try to be like that because that may be the trend now.