#doing body contours as drapery…

[stellaluna33]

I love the way Mucha draws Bodies. You know? I don't know if I can say they're "not idealized" EXACTLY... because it's very stylized of course... But I love the way he doesn't smooth away all the contours of bone and fat and muscle. Do you know what I mean? Like, there's that divot between pelvic bone and hip bone. The protrusion of wrist bones. Women have double chins, especially when looking down. The breasts look like they have real weight, and change shape with movement the way soft flesh does. They look like real, human bodies, even with that spareness of line. The hair and draperies may not be subject to the laws of gravity, but the bodies ARE, and I love that.

[casskeeps]

aphrodite of the agora

basic information

name: aphrodite of the agora

date: 425-400

artist: unknown (probably school of agorakritos)

function: monumental statue of aphrodite

size: 1.83m (slightly over life-size)

original, reconstructed, or copy: marble original

subject

the statue is significantly damaged, but we can see a female figure wrapped in heavy drapery. she wears a chiton of very fine cloth and a himation of a much heavier material wound around her legs.

context

coming towards the end of the high classical period, sculptors are starting to lean more towards expressive and sensitive sculpture, instead of the highly restrained archaic poses and the dynamic action of the early classical period. the drapery of the aphrodite of the agora demonstrates a lean back towards the expressive and bold, moving slightly away from the subdued high classical period.

composition

she is depicted in a polykleitan contrapposto - her feet are angled and her shoulders are tilted. this pose adds more variation into the compositional lines of the structure, adding an emphasis to diagonal and curved lines, but also makes the pose appear more naturalistic.

there is very little musculature or body shown in this statue, due to the prevalence of the drapery over the sculpture as a whole, but there is still detail to the form underneath the drapery. the stomach curves outward, and we can see the detail used in the depiction of her left foot that is visible under the drapery.

anthropomorphisation of the gods was a relatively new subject - it would become much more common in the late classical period, with statues such as hermes and dionysus, and eirene and ploutos becoming popular examples of this theme.

the drapery is one of the most remarkable aspects of this statue; not only do we have the depiction of thin, finely crinkled drapery over the right side of the chest, but also the thicker wrapped himation that winds around the body. we see vertically falling drapery above the right foot, modelling lines all over the himation as it follows the contour of the body, and the very fine folds as it gathers on top of the right foot.

stylistic features

the more expressive depiction of the drapery and subject of the sculpture are indicative of the transition into the late classical period, although the depiction of a draped female figure has been common for centuries.

scholars

woodford: "virtuoso rendering of exuberant drapery"

[erotetica]

Hi! For sketch requests, maybe something with Nienna? Thanks anyway, have great day!

@irleughlivelyatalanteangodfan when I think of grief I don’t get tears so much as…fabric pooling dejectedly��shroud…

Anyway here she is weeping over the trees, offscreen bc I didn’t want to draw her pale man handeyes

I do commissions

[arthist0rian]

La Baigneuse The valpinçon Bather or La Grande Baigneuse, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres 1808, oil on canvas , Louvre - Paris

French painter. Director of the french academy in Rome, he exercised a profound influence on french art and painters such as Degas, Cèzanne and Renoir.  He pursued the ideal of formal purity and elegance of line and was considered by contemporaries the champion of the classical order again the romantic passion portraited by Delacroix. He preferred classical subjects, medieval french history, Persian miniature iconography, and nude studies.

During his stay in Italy for 18 years, he studied the classic painters, such as Raphael, aiming to achieve a supreme purity form rather that the grater of effect. All the works sent to the salons, however, did not aroused great impression, but he obtained vast success because he opposed the romanticism of Delacroix. Baudelaire wrote that the contrast between the two tendency was concentrated in the antithesis between drawing and color, between intellectual and passionate elements and Ingres was never cold of academic.  His portraits are intensely characterized, despise the idealization of the character, his nudes are full of sensuality although the image ends in pure linear rhythm and in a perfect and abstract plasticity; the great composition instead are colder and more detached.

The painting

We are looking at a young woman back, who is sitting on a bed. On the left a curtain occupies a vertical band of the painting. At the bottom, behind the decorated edge we can see the corner of the tub. The girl sits on a sofa covered with white sheet with a wide embroidered border. Ate her feet there is an orange and white slipper. The background is a light stretched cloth.

This is an early example of a female nude, we are looking at her while she in her rooms, the woman appears to us reserved and modest. The figure and the composition are greatly influenced by the work of Raphael especially the elegance and balance. In addition, the nude expresses a formal grace that avoids its confrontation with reality.

This subject is later reproposed in other two artworks: the little bather and the Turkish bath.

Overall, during the 1800 the figures of young bathing woman were among the preferred subject for rooms paintings.

Ingres modeled the figure of the woman with a slight chiaroscuro, in fact giving more importance to the contour of the form and the drawing, so that we have more harmonious and elegant line.

The background, this light gray, highlight the warm complexion of the subject. Sheets and pillows do the same. The curtain on the other hand, dark green, creates a contrast of complementarity that highlight the red color of the decoration of the decoration such as the turban and the slippers. The right side is illuminated by the drapery of the sheet and the embroidery is highlighted by the dark shadow under the sofa.

The three-dimensional space of the closed environment is thus built by the drapery of the left curtain and the one stretched in the background. The depth of the scene is therefore limited to the little intimate space that is captured between the figure and the white cloth.

The structure of the work is organized on the four orthogonal sectors of the rectangular surface. At the top left the background the tent prevails. On the right the bust of the young woman. At the bottom left the legs of the girl, the corner of the tub with the jet of water, the decorated edge of the tent and the red slipper. Finally, on the lower right, the dial is occupied by the drapery of the sheet at the top and the embroidery at the bottom.

Almost the left half of the work is occupied by the large tent. The model's body creates an arch that is generated by the encounter between the neck and the right shoulder. A contrary arch is then created coincides with the bent left leg. Finally, the body of the young woman creates an elegant S-shaped line that ends with her face turned to the right.

[pizzahutchan124]

A Comprehensive List of Things to Draw Based on My Highschool Art Assignments

These were made by my art teachers to push our art skills beyond our preconceived limits at the time. Here are the rules you need to apply when drawing these things - 

Draw these every week. Each drawing should take between 45 mins to an hour to do. This is to make you look hard @ the subject matter use your imagination and explore ideas and techniques that will interest, challenge and simulate you. With more practice, effort and care towards your drawings, your confidence in your abilities will grow.

All drawings must be enlarged to fill the whole space with no empty spaces. 

And finally, feel free to experiment with any kind of artistic media 

-Yourself or your persona -Someone you like -One, some or all of your friends -An animal you think is really cute -Your favorite outfit -Something you've never drawn before -Your family or family member -Something with your favorite color -Your favorite cartoon/anime character -Something you couldn't live without -Your favorite food -An inanimate object -A group picture -Your favorite book character -Someone from your favorite board or video game -Something that represents your favorite song -Your favorite holiday -Something you're afraid of -A comic -Something you dont like -Your favorite season -Something that makes you happy -Something that represents your favorite culture/country/language -Someone or something from mythology -Your favorite sweet food/candy/etc -Your favorite scene from a movie -A room -Your favorite weather -Something you'd like to share with your followers + friends -Illustrate your favorite poem -Illustrate the word balance -Draw the contents of a trash can -Drawing of a house plant (real or artificial) -Draw an object with a surface texture -Draw tools used in certain professions -Draw a tennis shoe -Draw a grouping of leaves -Draw some you might find in a department store display -Draw a large jar and fill it up with something (candy, toys, rocks, etc -Design a school desk -Draw your favorite snack food -Draw an object melting -Draw a bowl of fruit, shade it -Draw hands holding something -Draw a mechanical object -Word picture: select a word that bring to mind a mental picture, and then complete the picture with synonyms and associations with that word Draw a word as a shape of an object (ex, the word apple in the shape of an apple, or apples spelling out the word -Draw popcorn -Draw what you could see through a keyhole -Draw a portrait using light and shadow-place the light from different angles then you normally would, such as under the chin, behind the head, in front of the face, etc -Study your feet and shoes. Draw them in different positions and from different angles + views -Draw studies of your hands. Try a variety of positions or over lapping them -Draw a figure in an environment from your observation- in motion and standing still -Draw an imaginary place- remember to show rich details -Do a self portrait. This can be full body or face only. -Gesture drawings of people, things or animals in motion -Contour line drawings of figures or objects -Draw several studs of your eyes, nose, and mouth in a variety of positions and poses -Focus on drapery and pattern: a shirt over a chair, a sheet around a banister, etc -Draw everything you can see from where you are positioned, whether it be real or imaginary. Dont forget to include details! -Draw a man made object -Draw a metallic object and everything you see in it -Draw or design any kind of vehicle -Draw an object of interest from 3 different views -Draw using 2 point perspective -Draw the inside of a mechanical object -Filling the page with them, overlap two dimensional forms and pick a direction for the light to hit them. Draw accurately and shade accordingly -Draw your reflection on any shiny surfaced area -Draw a landscape from observation; remember to show foreground, middle ground and background -Draw your home and what's around it -Draw family members with things they cherish -Draw the interior of your room and whats in it from your vantage point   Study the forms, shapes lines, textures and colors of trees -Draw animals from life (or from a reference book -Draw a plant with as much detail as possible using line contour and line variation Arrange a still life and draw it with shading -Draw bottles and cans- have the cans crunched up for lots of details in contrast with the bottles smoothness -Draw dishes in a drainer, with shading -Create a fantasy building and landscape -Create a series of positive and negative space designs -Draw a piece of furniture and use color to show the texture and shadows -Draw a still life with one to three pieces of patterned clothes in it. Show color and patterns -Focus on textures in a drawing of your choice

[lankonu]

drapery

If you study drapery enough, musculature should be a breeze If you understand how cloth works, then skin should be easy

Taut cloth, tight skin Silk string, smooth skin

For drapery is the rendering of a fluid screen as it contours the body it covers The level of air between the woven epidermis and the flesh adds to the illusion The appearance of musculature and form Where they may or may not be authentic or accurate

And so if air enters our bloodstreams Do muscles not breathe?

And if air is to drapery What muscle is to skin Then I dare say that if you understand the life cycle of the muscle And how age can rage the struts and sinews to a stage where they can no longer perform

[rome-antic-city]

Santa Cecilia in Trastevere and Excavations Underneath

For those of you who obsess over everything Basilica-related, the first thing you’ll notice with this church is that it does not have a transept or a north tower. But the medieval bell tower makes up for this. The exterior is made entirely of brick and the entrance contains a portico that includes an architrave and numerous inscriptions and fragments of different architectural elements. There are a few side chapels and aisles around the nave once you enter, and the choir towards the end is raised, giving a view of the crypt that holds St. Cecilia's tomb beneath. In front of the choir is a sculpture of St. Cecilia’s allegedly incorrupt body. Although we can’t see her face, the sculpture is incredibly emotional and heartbreaking. Her body is twisted and the drapery shows the contours of her rested body but the pose itself, especially the way the arms are draping over the body, illustrate the pain of the saint before she was martyred. The apse right above the choir depicts a mosaic of the Second Coming, with Christ in the middle as saints flank Him on both sides. The background is a beautiful meadow landscape with flowers, trees and even some clouds. Below this scene stand the Lamb of God surrounded by other sheep that do not have halos around their heads like the sheep in the middle. Below this row is a long inscription made of gold.

But if the interior of the church is exceptional, the excavations beneath the church are much more impressive. You descend to the crypt through the left aisle where the sacristy is. Once you go underneath the church, you are met with a large and complex structure. There is an ancient baptismal font in the spacious area as well as the remains of some thermal baths and Roman houses, one of which belonged to St. Cecilia and her family. Walking along the tunnel leading away from the baptismal area, you come into view with the rest of the crypt decorated with cosmati. The arcaded vaults with rosettes and seraphs almost make the crypt look heavenly even though it is below the ground. There are frescoes and mosaics decorating the walls, the ceilings and the columns of the area, all of which are remarkably preserved! Also found in this crypt are the tombs of several martyrs include St. Cecilia. The mosaics filling the space of the crypt are indescribable. One final interesting detail is the pagan shrine in one of the nearby rooms that consists of a niche with a relief of a goddess in front of an altar, and a Dionysian scene on the sides of the niche which heavily implies that one of the Roman houses discovered in this crypt much have belonged a pagan family.

[linzym13-blog]

Ancient Greece and Origins Of Modern Beauty

After reading chapter 7, I learned that ancient Greece has made a huge impact on our western culture today and that it has shaped our ideas of what perfection should look like. There is no doubt that Greece has inspired America and the way we built/ran our country. For example, in the text it states that our words are influenced by Greece, like the word “alphabet”, it combines the first two letters of the Greek alphabet (alpha and beta). Also, Greece had an influence on how we built our democracy today. The establishment of “city-states” required males to participate in the government, these “city-states” are thought to be a very important foundation of the modern democracy, which was how Thomas Jefferson was inspired. Another thing we still use from the Greeks is the style of architecture. For example, the pillar. The most famous example from Greek architecture is the Parthenon, which was a huge building located in Athens with numerous pillars. Today, we use pillars in many buildings, including the White House.

Another thing that I found fascinating in this weeks reading was the fact that Greece emphasized the “individual above all”. It states that Greek art rapidly changed from stylization to naturalism. They started focusing more upon a celebration of the everyday human figures, rather than a celebration of the Gods. It stated that Greeks were one of the first westerners that signed their works, which shows that they sparked a new interest with the creators and their pieces of work. Also, new techniques were formed to portray the body in ever more realistic ways than before - in action, erotic positions, and even at rest, also with animals and the believable detailing that depicts something we might see in reality. A great example is the sculpture of “Peplos Kore”. Her pose is less rigid than the earlier “kouros”, the drapery of her upper body reveals contours of her breasts and arms. The most important and the most naturalistic, is the “archaic smile”, which accents on the fact of being alive and her lips are curved upward and her cheekbones are raised in response (p.92). This artwork is almost unrealistic to me. It fathoms me that someone can actually sculpt like this and make a human or any object our of stone. It truly shows how talented and dedicated people of Ancient Greece really were. It also shows how dedicated to the human body they were as well.

Lastly, I have always been really intrigued by the architecture of Greece, ever since my 5th grade Ancient Western Civilizations project. The gracefulness and powerful image just behind the architecture alone, is incredible. The Parthenon located at the Arcopolis in Athens, built in the mid-5th century by Ictinus and Callicrates. This is one of the best known buildings in the world and one of the greatest cultural monuments. This temple expresses classical balance, proportion, and unity and it seemed to be the “role model” for future civilizations throughout Greek culture. I also find it interesting that the Parthenon was dedicated to the Greek Goddess, Athena, for her aspect of being a virgin goddess. This building isn’t like any other building, it has life and dynamics to it. To think that this building was built over 15 years, shows the dedication and the powerful building these architects wanted to portray for the world to see.

“What is beauty?” All together, I believe the ancient Greek art deserves and portrays the word “kalos”, meaning beauty. The Greeks did everything right when it came to accenting on their artwork/sculpture/architect. They didn’t simply build something and want to quickly get it done. They dedicated their time to their artwork and made sure that that it was anything but ordinary. They wanted it to be harmonious and beautiful, and they made sure to put the extra emphasis and accents on their artwork to make it more realistic and great. What does Greek art do for us? It accentuates the attractiveness and the desire we feel towards an object, it makes us feel a strong connection with the artwork. From reading this chapter, I have to say that the Greeks did a phenomenal job in inspiring other civilizations and cultures to portray beauty as well.