#art historian

[f1ght-me]

angelic sunshine☀️

[theatrum-tenebrarum]

Painting by the Japanese illustrator and designer Ayami Kojima, made for Akumajō Dracula Best Music Collections BOX

This macabre work, showcasing a duality play between light (gold) and dark (red), is heavily inspired by Byzantine icons.

Byzantine art is a term for art produced in the Byzantine Empire in the time span between about c. 330 to the fall of Constantinople in 1453. This art is primarily characterized by rigid forms of expression and characters presented in static postures, which is a way of communicating their divine, heavenly nature. The more static they are, the further they are from mortals regarding them. Such is the logic of Byzantine art, where in this way each figure on the panel is situated in the higher planes of existence.

Simon Belmont is shown in a saintly manner, on a background of gold, which was in Byzantine art created from real gold leaves. His garments are crosses and he is surrounded by six-winged Seraphim angels, considered to be closest to God.

On right there is the antithesis, Dracula, on a background of blood-red. A simple stylized city is shown behind the theatrically dark-clad Dracula, and a many-tailed dragon roars before his feet. In this way he is presented as the saint of death, as the Dragon is a mythical being most closely associated with evil and destruction. In the Biblical book of Revelation, a seven-headed dragon appears in sky, being one of the heralds of the End Times.

-Heidi (@theatrum-tenebrarum)

[apinchofm]

♡ ULTIMATE SHIPS MEME ♡:  Current OTP's

↳ Marcus Whitmore & Phoebe Taylor in A Discovery of Witches (2018 - 2022)

“But here’s the thing, Phoebe.” Whitmore lowered his mouth until it was inches from her ear and dropped his voice to a whisper. “Unlike the men who have taken you out to dinner and perhaps gone back to your flat for something afterwards, your propriety and fine manners don’t frighten me off. Quite the contrary. And I can’t help but imagine what you’re like when the icy control melts.”

[artzonestuff]

Differences Between the Southern and Northern Renaissance: A Study Through Jan van Eyck's "Portrait of a Man" (self portrait?)"

Written by ArtZoneStuff, 2024

The Renaissance, a period of cultural rebirth and revival of classical learning, manifested differently in the southern and northern regions of Europe. While both regions shared a common interest in humanism, art, and science, the way these ideas were expressed varied significantly due to differing cultural, social, and economic contexts.

The Southern Renaissance, centered in Italy, emphasized classical antiquity, proportion, perspective, and human anatomy. Artists like Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Michelangelo (1475-1564), and Raphael (1483-1520) focused on idealized beauty, harmony, and balanced compositions.

In contrast, the Northern Renaissance, which flourished in regions such as the Netherlands, Germany, and Flanders, focused more on meticulous detail, naturalism, and domestic interiors. Northern artists like Jan van Eyck (1390-1441), Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), and Hieronymus Bosch (?-1516) were known for their detailed and realistic depictions of nature, landscapes, and everyday life. Their work often contained rich symbolism and a focus on surface textures and fine details.

Jan Van Eyck's self portrait

Jan van Eyck's "Portrait of a Man" (Appendix 1), also known as his Self-Portrait from 1433, is a small-scale Dutch portrait measuring 25.9 x 33.1 cm (Google Arts and Culture, n.d.). The man in the painting emerges from a dark background, with his body depicted in three-quarter view. On his head, he wears a red chaperon, often mistaken for a turban, styled upward rather than hanging down (Nash, 2008, p.154). His dark fur-lined garment resembles the attire in "The Arnolfini Portrait" (Appendix 2), indicative of wealth during an era when textiles were extremely costly (ArtUK, 2019). His detailed face features a faint stubble, white highlights in his eyes and on his cheekbones, non-idealized features such as wrinkles and veins on his forehead, showcasing the Northern realism (Hall, 2014, p.44).

As described by the English art historian James Hall, the painting appears almost fleeting and alive - with the gaze seeming to capture the viewer before the face, and just like that, the penetrating stare turns away, perhaps followed by the light streaming from the right (Hall, 2014, p.43). The portrait conveys that the artist scrutinizes everything closely, including himself, without losing sight of the bigger picture (Hall, 2014, p.43). All these naturalistic details clearly indicate a Flemish painting.

The work is considered a self-portrait due to the frame. Jan van Eyck often used frames he designed and painted to enhance understanding and add meaning to his works (Hall, 2014, p.43; The National Gallery, 2021, 4:45-5.15). The gilded original frame of "Portrait of a Man" is crucial for interpreting the piece. Inscribed at the top of the frame is Jan van Eyck’s motto: "Als Ich can," translated to English: "As I can." At the bottom is his signature, and the date in Roman numerals: October 21, and in Arabic numerals, the year 1433. This results in the inscription: "Jan van Eyck made me on October 21, 1433" (Hall, 2014, p.43). He capitalizes the "I" in "Ich," playing on the pun Ich/Eyck. The motto can be interpreted as either boastful, "As I can," or modest, "As best as I can" (Hall, 2014, p.43).

The inscription highlights the relationship between words and image, indicating his awareness of his talent. His skill in painting surpasses that of a craftsman, which painters in this period was considered as. "As I can" suggests he is the only one capable of achieving such stylistic naturalism which cannot be imitated (The National Gallery, 2021, 5:10-5:58). "Jan van Eyck made me" also reflects a high degree of self-awareness, as he claims a painting of this quality, emphasizing that he created it and is conscious of his own abilities (The National Gallery, 2021, 5:10-5:58). All of this, along with his signing of his works as one of the first artists to do so, demonstrates a desire not to remain an anonymous craftsman (Hall, 2014, p.43; Farmer, 1968, p.159; Blunt, 1962).

The motto "Als Ich can" appears on several of his works, but the self-portrait is the only one where it is so prominent and clear. Additionally, the motto is placed at the top of the frame, where he would usually write the model’s name, thus, the motto can be seen as the model's identity (The National Gallery, 2021, 5:15-6:25). This, along with his direct gaze at the viewer, suggesting it was painted from a mirror, are the strongest indicators that the portrait is a self-portrait (Hall, 2014, p.43).

However, this can be taken with some skepticism, as other portraits by him, such as "Portrait of Margaret van Eyck" (Appendix 3) and "Portrait of Jan De Leeuw" (Appendix 4), share the same penetrating gaze (Pächt, 1994, p.107). This might instead indicate his realism, where the painter’s position does not function as an observer but rather takes an active role. The model’s direct gaze towards the viewer shows that the model has looked at Jan Van Eyck. This shows Jan Van Eyck possessing an active role, which was very different from painters in this period, and by doing so, creating a new respect for the painter as an artist, again showcasing his self-awareness of his position and talent (Pächt, 1994, pp.106-108).

Literature

Books and Journals:

Hall, James (2014). The self-portrait, a cultural history. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd 

Nash, Susie (2008). Northeren Renaissance Art. New York: Oxford University Press.

Blunt, Anthony (1962). The Social Position of the Artist. Artistic Theory in Italy, 1450-1600. Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press 

Farmer, David (1968). Reflections on a Van Eyck Self-Portrait. Oud Holland. S. 159 

Online

Google Arts and Culture (n.d.): Portrait of a Man in a Red Turban (selfportrait). Found at: https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/portrait-of-a-man-in-a-red-turban-selfportrait/SAFcS1U8kYssmg?hl=en  

ArtUK: Butchart, Amber (2019). Fashion reconstructed: the dress in Van Eyck's Arnolfini portrait. Found at: https://artuk.org/discover/stories/fashion-reconstructed-the-dress-in-van-eycks-arnolfini-portrait 

The National Gallery (2021). Jan van Eyck's self portrait in 10 minutes or less | National Gallery. Found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMJK1EDG2X8&t=1s&ab_channel=TheNationalGallery 

[art-thropologist]

8/31/24

As an art historian who specializes in Indigenous arts, and was trained in Canada, I am having reverse culture shock now that I’m back in US academia. Everything is ‘Native’ and ‘Indian’ and I’m the weird one for saying ‘First Nations’.

It’s going to be an interesting five years.

[ilostmyheartintokyo]

Look at all the details of the High Cathedral of Saint Peter in Trier, Germany. It’s the oldest church in Germany and had multiple renovations during the centuries.

[pictures taken in June 2024]

[empirearchives]

Élie Faure, Napoleon

[tackysapphic]

okay this might be a longshot, but does anyone have ANY information on the cubist Wallace Harrison? He keeps being mentioned in things I read about Charlotte Park and Helen Frankenthaler, but I cannot find a single thing on this man whatsoever. The only information I have is that he was an australian-born cubist and worked with prominent artists in new york. aside from that, nothing. Literally the only time he is mentioned in something that i’ve seen so far is “{insert artists name here} studied with australian-born cubist Wallace Harrison, before blah blah blah”. what in the hell.

[xvarenah777]

Commonplace book 2020-2023

[abwwia]

Brenda Kuhn (1911-1993) Original 1948 Photograph | Brand: East Coast Books

Brenda Kuhn (born June 13, 1911 in New York City -1993) Art Historian, amature photographer, Co-manager, Kuhn Estate, New York City, 1949-1956.

On the back she writes - To Deatrest Dad from Brenda. Washington Square, November 1948. Approx. 2.5 x 3.5 in. Accompanied by a 1967 bank check signed by Brenda Kuhn. Provenance: Kuhn Estate.

[theatrum-tenebrarum]

Hi, this is my weekly journal! This week has been a really tiring one, as I was trying to finish writing my first thesis, the art history one (succeeded since yesterday 😅🙌🏻).

For those interested in how I'm using this notebook: On the left page I write short entries for each day about the things I did and how I felt, it's basically memory keeping. On the right page I track some habits for each day (these are prone to change, depending on what I'm focusing on or trying to be more consistent in), and underneath it I keep a simple, general weekly to-do list, which I try not to make too big because I'd never do anything 😅

On another note, I've been really enjoying this ice tea I made out of a mix of local herbs and Pukka's 'Love' tea blend full of rose & lavender. Perfect for summer 🌊🍵

[ch4rl13-ch40s]

Being in an art history class is hilarious because you're supposed to act like you're giving an in depth analysis of a painting when in reality you're just saying "look at this stupid dumb idiot in his stupid dumb idiot pants" but in fancy talk so it comes out as "It appears that the people of this time period had a very particular and impractical fashion in order to showcase their status in society."

[ochipi]

For the first time in my life, I’ve been accused of mansplaining. As an art historian, if you say something like “this artist is famous for other stuff too”, does that fall under the umbrella of mansplaining?

Because I don’t see it.

[flowersfrombefore]

Moodboard of me after looking at Michelangelo’s David for the 5 billionth time

[bugslutthings]

My favorite current little trinket about tumblr is that classical art blogs have been struggling to find paintings for YEARS and argue the meanings of all the silly little demons and skelies while actually getting a degree for it. AND THEN a fucking BL SHITPOST BLOG dumps out all their life’s work, fitting perfectly to the aesthetic and character themes of their blog, never saying A FUCKING WORD. Chad behavior.

[xvarenah777]

“[Islamic Art] would be like a special overlay, a deforming or refracting prism which transformed, at times temporarily and imperfectly, at other times permanently, some local energies or traditions.”

Oleg Grabar, The Formation of Islamic Art