In this chapter, the author Craig Harbison discusses the influence of bourgeoisie realism demonstrated by social and religious symbols in Flemish art. He discusses the works of premiere artists of the time who were masters at incorporating realism into their art. First was Robert Campin, a painter whose keen observations of social class and society were prominently displayed in his paintings. Harbison suggests the religious and social implications behind one particular painting of the Virgin and Child. The next artist is Hugo Van der Goes, who was both a Flemish sculptor and painter . His famous work, entitled the Portinari Triptych, was a three dimensional religious scene, depicting the life of Christ. His social perceptions of the time were also evident in the way he created his work, both in the sculpted and painted portion.
Robert Campin, considered one of the fathers of Netherlandish art, painted a famous image of the Virgin and Child Before a Firescreen in the 1420s. Known primarily as an artist of wealth patronage, Campin portrayed the famous duo similarly to a middle class family. However, he employed “disguised symbolism” to justify his “humble realism.” Within the painting, he hid various symbols such as substituting the flame coming from the firescreen above the Virgin’s hair for a halo and the Pentacostal fire of the Holy Spirit. These symbols were undoubtedly reflective of religious influence; however, the painting also exuded the significance of secular life during the time, as several of the objects painted in the picture were superficial or materialistic items of the everyday world. Perhaps this combination of the non-secular and secular as well as their small size precluded the Church from acquiring and displaying works of art like this, as most nobility did not find them appealing either.
The Essay on Audrey Flack Painting Work Art
Audrey Flack Audrey Flack, born in 1931 in New York City, grew up knowing as a child she wanted to be an artist. Although Flack's family did not share her enthusiasm for her dream, she attended the HighSchool of Music and Art in New York. Here her promising future a san artist was beginning to unfold, and she received the St. Gardens medal. Upon graduating from Cooper Union as the top student, ...
Because Campin was considered an artist to the wealthy elite, there has been some speculation that this particular painting was actually painted by a less well-known and respected contemporary. This revelation suggests that not all groundbreaking moments in art were introduced by the most famous artists of the period.
Another famous work of art from the Netherlands is the Portinari Triptych which was designed for Church display. This spectacular structure was created by Hugo Van der Goes. In his grisalle Annunciation scene, a popular subject of the time, the Virgin Mary and Angel Gabriel seem to be portrayed as real people who might be frozen in a moment, absent of the traditional polygonal bases. Goes’s gift of realism may also have been affected by his personal life, which later reveals a mental and emotional vulnerability that seems to have transferred into the honesty of his art. The triptych’s internal view reveals a hierarchy between Portinari and his children and wife who kneel on either side of him, which denotes another element of realism. Behind the figures, however, there looms a giant saint, who is double the size of the others. Like most artists of the time, realism could still be interrupted with moments of dramatic license.
In the central panel of the triptych, Goes utilizes contemporary theatrical realism. First, the stage has been tilted for the subjects much as it is done in real space. They are also posed or blocked specifically without upstaging one another. Again, we are also able to make the connection that the artist was aware of the social conditions of the time, revealing the shepherds faces to be open mouthed, displaying a type of discomfort and strenuousness that is missing from the other noble figures of the piece. Perhaps, the artist is visually showing that the poor must struggle the most in society, despite their good deeds. Through his theatrical study, Goes is able to explore the vastness of human emotion at all social levels.
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Each and everyone of us has a story to tell and share to others, life stories that may serve as an inspiration to other people. Every individual may have a life experience or a moment in his or her life that somehow greatly affects his or her whole life. We often share our own triumphs and travails, our victories and defeats, our happiness and despair that bring alterations to the present life ...
In another painting in the Portinari Altarpiece, he shows the dramatic license of religious symbolism in a still life of flowers. The choice, arrangement, and colors of the flowers all contribute to the overtones of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. For example, the three red carnations, which are also called nail flowers, represent the nails of his crucifixion.
It is without a doubt that both artists hid a significant use of social symbolism into their religious works. Whether or not it garnered praise was a question that art appreciators may still be wondering. For Campin, his acclaim was questioned because of his unusual painting (a stride from the typical pieces commissioned by the elite), while Goes religious symbolism in the still life piece has resonated powerfully throughout the ages. Both artists presented a definitive view of how society could always pervade religious aspects.
