JOURNAL. MONDAY, 8th OCTOBER 2012.

Hello! 

The Night Watch

Today it was Gonzalo's turn to write the journal, but as he is ill I’m doing the journal now. First, Paqui has commented that we have to read the Roxana’s journal because it’s very good and it is the way to do all the journals.


Then we have finished Baroque painting. Paqui has talked about the painting of Rembrandt: Anatomy Lesson of Dr.Nicolaes Tulp which is characterized by the chiaroscuro, creating, etc. Paqui has shown us more paintings of Rembrandt, such us Syndics of the Drapers’ Guild, The Slaughtered Ox and The Night Watch. The last one represents a group of people with all the members of the guard.

Anatomy Lesson of Dr.Nicolaes Tulp

Then we have seen Vermeer’s paintings which are characterized by the use of light, they are illuminated for one size and they typically represent ordinary life scenes. Some Vermeer’s painting are: The Lacemaker, Girl reading a letter at an open window, The Milkmaid is the favourite painting in the Low Countries, Girl with a Pearl Earring (there’s a film based on this painting), Allegory of the Art of Painting and The Geographer. All these paintings are illuminated from the left and this light illuminates all the painting.

The Milkmaid

When we have finished this, we have started with Baroque in the Hispanic Kingdoms.

Paqui has explained that the characteristics of the Architecture are: decorative exuberance in buildings, main works of art: churches and squares and there was an overelaborated style created by José de Churriguera which was called “churrigueresque”. Some of these architecture works are: Salamanca’s Main Square, Old Hospice of Madrid, Murcia Cathedral, Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, etc.

Murcia Cathedral

Then she has explained that the characteristics of the Sculpture are: religious themes, material was polychromed wood and realistic and dramatic scenes (wounds, blood, expressions of pain and suffering). Example of sculpture works are: Penitent Magdalen (Pedro de Mena), Pietà (Gregorio Fernández), Lying Christ (Gregorio Fernández), etc.

 

Pietà

And also we have learnt that the characteristics of Painting are: exceptional paintings in the 17th century: Golden century of painting, realism and religiosity, they main commissioners were: kings and the Church, oil on canvas, contrast of light and shadow, foreshortened figures and complex composition. There were a lot of painters in this era but Paqui has talked more about Velázquez, she has said that he was more important or something like that. Other painters are José Ribalta, Claudio Coello, Francisco Zurbarán, etc. There are a lot of paintings such as: Martyrdom of Saint Philip this painting has all the Baroque features in painting: predominant of colour, chiaroscuro, foreshortened figure, complex composition, etc. Clubfooted Boye, Archimedes, Saint Serapion, Saint Hugo of Grenoble in the Carthusian Refectory this painting represented a miracle; The Holy Family with a Bird it’s a Christmas painting; Boys Eating Grapes and Melon, Charles II this man had physical and psychological problems, he didn’t walk until he was eight years old because his father married his niece. These are some of the paintings that we have seen.

Martyrdom of Saint Philip

Then we have talked about Velázquez. There are a lot of Velázquez’s paintings, such as: Christ in the house of Mary and Martha, which represent a very common way of Velázquez. He made complex compositions and the secondary themes were in the foreground and the main theme was represented in the background. Because Baroque painters wanted to surprise. Old woman cooking eggs, The Water Seller of Seville, Luis de Góngora, Philip IV he made a lot of paintings for Philip IV; Joseph’s Tunic, Christ on the Cross Paqui has told us the history of these painting, which is that Philip IV had a lot of lovers and he wanted to conquer all the women who didn’t want to be with him, so, he went to a convent and raped a nun. So for penance he had to give this painting to the convent. We have seen the Jesters’ paintings. Equestrian Portrait of the Count-Duke of Olivares and Paqui has explained that if the horse looked to the right, the figure was a king, but if it looked to the left, it wasn´t a monarch. Also she has explained why many paintings are not in the country of the painter and it’s because of the wars and plunders. Pope Innocent X didn’t like his portrait because he said that it was too much real. Paqui has explained how Velázquez painted The Meninas, the real name of The Meninas is Philip IV´s Family. And the last paintings we have seen are two portraits of Infanta Margarita.

 

Christ in the house of Mary and Martha

And finally, Paqui has posted some of the projects the students of 4th year made about Baroque art. Among these works of art are The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp and The Night Watch.

And that’s all what I remember; today we have seen a lot of paintings ! I can’t put all the images !

At the end Paqui has said that for homework we have to summarize what happened with the Iberian Peninsula in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries.

  I will write some words I have written in my glossary:

- Corpse - cadáver

- Survey - encuesta

- Imbreeding - endogamia

- Clubfooted - patizambo

- Duarf - enano

- Lying Christ - Cristo yacente

- Still-life - bodegón

If you want to review what we have seen today you can click here and here.

Bye, bye. I hope you like my journal!