Nature

Question 1

Henri Rousseau ‘Surprised’ 1891, oil on canvas

Answer 1

• French post impressionist painter (real life subject matter, distorted forms, bold colours)
• worked as a toll inspector till his 40s- no formal training
  -tiger illuminated in flash of lightning in midst of raging gale/storm
  -tiger perched In gravity defying manner, wide eyed and staring out at prey beyond edge of canvas
• dark and ominous sky, illumination of lightning creates a sense of drama
  -paintings built up meticulously in layers using large number of green shades to capture the exuberance of the jungle
  -devised own method of depicting rain, trailing strands of silver paint diagonally across canvas
• Rousseau, had actually never left France, it is thought his inpiration came from the botanical gardens of Paris

Question 2

Turner’s Rain Steam and Speed, the GWR 1844

Answer 2

• dominant ridge- maidenhead viaduct, crossing thames on newly laid GWR between Bristol and Exeter
• hare bounds on track, skiff in river below- confrontation between man and nature and contrasts between old and rural England
  -diagonal recession to vanishing point in centre, influence of Claude
  -steep foreshortening of viaduct suggests speed at which train Is travelling
• only thing with real clarity and form is black iron chimney of train, man made mechanical power is dominant
  -1840s, period of railway mania, way of connecting cities and people, one of most potent symbols of industrialisation
• virtuoso swirls, smashes and smears of pain stimulate speed

Question 3

Canova’s ‘Pauline Borghese as Venus Victrix’ 1805-08

Answer 3

• depicts Napoleon’s wayward sister, married to Camilo Borghese an Italian prince
• sculpted, pauline was 25, living at the height of her social power. depicted in the guise of Venus, goddess of love
  -Venus/Aphrodite judged to be more beautiful then all her rivals, victorious over mens hearts
  -semi nude, unusual of subjects of high rank, fingers of right hand are connected with nape of neck, quite suggestive
  -couch carved from different type of marble, cushions and linens rendered with great naturalism
  -Canova was leading of neoclassical style (influenced by archeological discoveries in Pompeii and Herculean, looked back to achievements of greeks and roman with renewed interest)- based work on greek statuary, sensors pose and semi nude body recall Hellenistic work
• original meant to be depicted as Dinana (goddess of moon and hunt), however she claimed nobody would believe she was a virgin
• high quality marble used for sculpture
  -canova worked with precision, numerous sketches, modelling form into life size clay, cast a plater model before carved into marble
• meant to be seen In candlelight, on a roaring base so that she could be seen from all angles without people even having to move

Question 4

Marc Quinn, self 1991, blood, liquid silicone, stainless steal, glass, perspex and refrigeration

Answer 4

-self portrait of artist, cast of quinces head, 10 pints of his blood- amount contained in human body
- first cast in series of 5- over 20 years, captures aging, human evolution ‘frozen moment on life support’
- reliant on built refrigeration, live on after quins death. Theme of dependancy- done at time when Quinn was an alcaholic
- life sized of human propoaritions, highly polished base reflects viewer, self portrait of every man
-bio art- hyper realism- head seems like detached specimen
- calm expression, closed eyes like death mask, moment mori
-father a scientist, mother a potter, contains both
- Quinn concerned with intrinsic meaning of materials, interest with blood linked to concern to investigate interior/exterior of body
- blood taken over 5 months, frozen to -70, mould removed and barrier of silicone created

Question 5

The Armada Portrait, unknown English artist (by or after George Gower) 1558

Answer 5

-Elizabeth in 3/4 view, seated on elaborate chair staring out at the viewer, high point in reign
- Armada depicted in 2 scenes on either side of her head, on left English ships outnumbered by Armada, on right a raging storm, traces of sinking Spanish masts
- hand on terestrial globe, fingers crossed over new world, symbolic of her desire for empire
- made when she was 52, representation is idealised, looks much younger than she actually is
-pearls on her symbolise ‘virgin queen’- unique almost goddess like figure. Suns symbolise power and enlightenment, may suggest her control over the storm
- Tudor crown, comparable in quality to crown of Roman Empire- connections to Henry VII and VIII

Question 6

Frida Kahlo ‘Self portrait on the borderline between Mexico and the US’ 1932

Answer 6

• Frida stands on plinth inscribed ‘carmen riviera painted in 1932’- formal married name
• wears a full length European style pink dress, long lace gloves, stares out at viewer hair braided and pulled of face
  -figure divides painting, caught between 2 cultures
• on left, loud speaker, wires drilling into ground, factory pumping out smoke framing the American flag, skyscrapers
• on right is a fecund landscape; luminous flowers indigenous to Mexico, ruins of mayan temple, dark fertility God
• travelling US with ex for 4 year, Kahlo isolated in alien culture, during this time Frida suffered a miscarriage, due to the trauma her body induced after a car crash at 18, this happened whilst husband was painting murals for ford complex a river rouge. Ford symbol in sky of America framed by smoke
• draws from surrealism, aztec belief, Mexican folklore and medical imagery
• ex voto panels would traditionally include specific objects, textiles and decorative elements, all seen here, they also lack perspectival depth and employ landscapes and architecture as backdrops
  -allegiance to Mexico- holds Mexican flag

Question 7

Zaha Hadid MAXXi 2010

Answer 7

• national museum of contemporary art and culture, Flaminion neighbourhood, outside city, space for new development
• won design competition 1999, made for ministry of culture
• influenced by brutalism, raw exposed concrete, blockish fortress like
• facades metallic columns, remind us of St Peters Basilica. Overhang which creates shade at entrance is warped version of classical portico
• emphasis on public space, no steps into building, civiv and open. low lying horizontal emphasis fits with ‘low rise’ area it inhibits
• operates on 3 levels, Hadid wanted to create modern interpretation of the many layers out of which Rome is built
• limited materials- steel, concrete glass, curvilinear walls made of concrete made possible by Roman invention of arches
  -stairases moving in all direction- likened to Carter prints of Piranesi
  -imprtance of seeing minaret at Samara (city in Iraq)- structure emphasises stark geometric lines which creates ‘ribbon’ for people to walk up
• loved maths, obtained a degree in mathematics

Question 8

Zaha Hadid Heydar Aliyev Centre, 2012, Baku Azerbaijan

Answer 8

• located in Baku, capital and largest city in Azerbaijan, primary cultural centre for promoting contemporary Azeri culture
• Heydar Aliyev was secretary of soviet Azerbaijan, after Azerbaijan declared independence alive reformed and became modern nationalist, elected president
  -symbolic of new global forward looking modernised state. white colour sets apart from other building in Baku and curves can be seen as rigid reaction against architecture of Soviet era
• references to Middle Eastern Islamic architecture in approach from city centre, series of traces, steps and zigzagging pathways up slope interspersed with waterfalls (linking to traditions of calligraphy)
• interior continue curvaceous flowing forms, curve of walls join ceiling and stairs- like traditional households in middle east where carpets flow form wall to seat to floor
• mud volcanoes, mountains and sand duns of Hadid’s Iraqi childhood reflected in organic lines of auditorium and silhouette like an artificial mountain range
• parametricism (style which emphasises use of advanced tech to create complex non standard forms) reflected in continuous shell like structure with no columns
• ‘queen of the curve’

Question 9

Self Portrait at the age of 63, Rembrandt 1669 Oil on canvas

Answer 9

• last self portrait in ouvre, painted when he was 63, had a 40yr career, painted over 75 self portraits
• man depicted in this picture was debt ridden and had endured a period of personal tragedy, wives and child Titus had died
• compared to self portrait at 34, sitter is much less brazen, but no less dignified, connection between poses- reference to renaissance portrait of Titan and Raphael. Rembrandt however no longer pushes his body out at the viewer, hand are now gently clasped
• strips away almost everything that interested other dutch artists, to convey a sense of immaterial. darkness is his friend becuase in darkness one is isolated
  -colours are earth and subdued , warmth comes form soft lighting upon his face, by obscuring body and presenting himself in front of dark background attention is on face
• X-radiographs show number of changes to composition, originally held a paintbrush and white painters cap
  -paint applied much more thickly on face evoking texture of aged flesh
• use of chiaroscuro, typical or Rembrandt’s work, yet here very soft and delicate ‘last light’ of life
  -great honesty of human condition in paintings as he aged

Question 10

Hokosai, under the Great wave of Kanazawa, 1831, woodblock print on mulberry paper

Answer 10

• one of 3000 colour prints designed during his 70 year career, part of the 36 views of Mount Fuji
• example of an ‘ukiyo-e’- floating world. The views placed Mount Fuji at the still centre of a human landscape, showing how form of it varies from place to place
• huge wave threatens 3 small skiffs and oarsmen, they crouch ready to battle heroically. Oshikuri-bune - taking first bonito fish to market
• thrashing claw like peak gives sense of violent movement- juxtaposes with stillness of fuji. Nature looms, man is small
  -Mount Fuji is highest mountain In Japan, dwarfed by wave- visual joke
• extreme stylisation with graphic quality- prominent use of line emphasised by woodblock technique
• after founding of Edo cults, fuji became focus of popular cults which aimed to bring peace, Hokusai used Fuji as a symbol of an inextinguishable life force
  -prussian blue imported from Europe, less sensitive to light there faded less quickly & printed with more saturation
• borrowed conventions of European perspective to push Fuji into distance
  -cheap and popular, profitable when printed in quantities

Question 11

Frank Llyod Wright, Solomon R Guggenheim museum, 1943-59 concrete and steel

Answer 11

• Guggenheim was a member of wealthy mining family- collected works since 1890, collection grew, commission Lloyd wright to design a permanent structure
• building composed of 3 formations, large rotunda, small rotunda and rectangular annex
• organised around expanding spiral ramp- visual metaphor for growth and change in nature, nautilus shell inspired ramp and radial symmetry of spider web informed design of skylight (biomorphic forms)
• building complete contrast with rest of city rectangular vertical buildings
• geometric forms hold significance- circle (infinity), triangle (structural unity), spire (aspiration), spiral (organic process) - provides means of harmony between individual, society and universe
• art remains mostly hidden, before you get to them you must experience building itself
  -building was an ‘organism’ of a kind, antidote perhaps to brutality and uniformity of American industrial city
• insistent on use of gunite, new building material, evidence his advanced means and methods of construction

Question 12

Angkor Wat c 1116-1145 laterite and sandstone

Answer 12

• city of Angkor ‘capital city’ wat ‘temple’ was royal capital from which Khmer kings ruled
• Suryavarman II, king of Khmer empires identified with Hindu God Vishnu, preserver but also God of war and victory, built a residence for Vishnu, paving claim to the throne. Angkor wat was to serve as portal to the heavenly world, at death his body would be cremated and ashes put in casket under central tower with offers to Vishnu of, gold and white sapphires
• temple oriented to the West, both associated with Vishnu and death. Sited so that form outside Western entrance the sun could be seen rising above the central spire at the begining of the solar year, appropriate for Suryavarman whose name means ‘shield of the sun’
  -geometric and symmetrical in structure, approached across the moat, tiered platforms that ascend to central tower, towers resemble closed lotus buds/pinecones- lotus represents purity, they grow out of turkey waters
• towers arranged in quincunx, sanctuaryy tower flanked by 4 subsidiary prasats, quinux represents 5 peaks of mount meru, mythical centre of Hindu world
  -coveres 500 acres, largest temple in empire - god like in scale
• inner decoration meant as homage to Gods, bas reliefs carved into sandstone mainly illustrating scenes from Indian mythology, churning sea of milk is most famous relief sculpture
• laterite, local stone used for outer walls

Question 13

Turner Norham castle sunrise 1845, oil on canvas

Answer 13

• view over the river Tweed towards Norham castle in early morning light, ‘pastoral’ subject matter, animal drinks at water, response to the real world not an abstraction
• sun dominates the scene, reflects turner’s concept ‘the sun is god’, said to have no religion turner became religously obsessed with the sun, staring at it every morning
• mans transience shown through crumbling architecture
• castle is infront of the sky, yet as warmer colours are pushed forwards form cooler ones, illusion created of light streaming through solidity of castle and thus nature triumphs over mans achievements
• areas of impasto, particularly yellow give prominence to sun and sunlight
• turner fascinated with the castle becuase its timescale was way beyond any humans
• painted in the studio, based on drawings in his sketchbooks and previous watercolours
• pure colours rather than contrasting tones express the blazing light
• turner’s palette incorporated newly invented pigments as soon as he could get hold of them

Question 14

Shiva as Lord of the Dance (Nataraja) 8th-9th century

Answer 14

• God depicted is Shiva form the hen-theistic Hindu faith, shiva is the ‘destroyer’, believed that all things must come to an end so they can begin a new, Shiva brings about this cycle
• made during Chola dynasty, new kind of sculpture being made that combined expressive qualities of stone temple carvings with rich iconography possible in bronze casting
• Shiva is doing the ‘dance of bliss’ after defeating the ignorant sages, frozen with cosmic circle of fire that is the simultaneous creation and destruction of the universe
• left arm crosses body, reminds us of Ganesh (remover of obstacles) elephant trunk
• asura ‘ego’ under Shiva’s foot represents crushing of ignorance and forgetfulness of the right way to live, which block us on our path to enlightenment
• shiva referred to as 3eyed lord, 3rd eye symbolises power of knowledge and detection of evil
• mounted on elliptical petal lotus pedestal, metal rings allow It do be secured on palanquin in processions
• large amount of jewellery on shiva symbolises status and is a sign of royalty

Question 15

Benin plaque; the Oba with Europeans- 16th-17th century

Answer 15

• Benin empire was founded by the Edo people, Oba both spiritual+secular head of the kingdom.
  -Benin prospered in 16th-17th century- trade with Portugal, Britain and netherlands
• been bronzes are from golden age of Benin kingdom, relief brass plaque that were used to decorate the Oba’s palace, proclaiming and glorifying the prestige of the king, his status and achievements
• bronzes show one sided view, dont show lives of ordinary people, n woman or children shown in plaques, depict variety of events- historical, wars
• Oba flanked by 2 attendants in pictorial composition, hierarchal nature of royal power and authority, Oba physically taller to show status
• Oba wears elaborate coral bead regalia, cylindrical crown and ceremonial axe
• attendants wear pendant masks in form of crocodiles, suspended from waist, emblem of those licensed to trade with the Europeans
• on either side of kings head Is a bust in relief of europeans - becomes a document of trade, Oba and officials are ones who control trade with Europe
• trade with Portuguese probably encouraged the growth of brass casting in Benin, plaques were produced by guilds, cast in lost wax technique

Question 16

Louise Bourgeois Maman 1999, stainless steel and marble

Answer 16

• depicts a massive spider sheltering a sac full of 17 precious marble eggs beneath her abdomen in a steel like cage, awe and fear
• maman means ‘mummy’ in French, metaphorical sculpture. Father had many infidelities, mother died when Bourgeois was 21. mother was a tapestry restorer, parallels spider who is a repairer, repairs web is someone bashed into it
• in later 1930s Borgeous feared she may not be able to have children, marble- fragility of eggs
• 4 legs over 9 metres, not realistic or mimetic, thin vertical stick like legs evoke very movement of spider whilst also conveying poignant vulnerability
  -meshed sac allows viewer to look up at eggs that hang above the head, gleaming in the darkness of the underbody cavity

Question 17

Rachel Ruysch, flowers in a vase c1685, oil on canvas

Answer 17

• still life painting, typical flower piece by Ruysch, a bouquet in a glass vase on a stone ledge against plain background
• Lish variety of flowers, roses, peonies and honeysuckle, form different seasons and all in different stages of flowering
• vanities still lie or memento mori, designed to make the viewer contemplate the vanity of all worldly things, decaying flowers- transience of life
• largest flowers in the centre with the most light, outer flowers in shadows
• curving forms dominate and there is subtle curve, anticipates rococo style
• rich colours of the flowers contrast dark background, also use of complementary colours which creates harmony
  -1648, Netherlands beomce independent form Spain, enter period of rich cultural economic and social development, new affluent middle class who wanted new kind of art- still lifes
• Netherlands also became largest importers of new and exotic plants- luxury goods and status symbols
• invention of magnifying glass and microscope in 1609
  -father was head of Amsterdam botanical gardens, owned on personal collection of species
  thin brush for minute details, remarkably realistic textures

Question 18

Ai Weiwei ‘Sunflower seeds’ 2010 porcelain- 100 million handmade seeds

Answer 18

-sunflower seeds is a large scale installation consisting of 100 million hand crafted husks
- seeds look real- illusionistic, each is hand painted, simulates nature, objects together create an infinite landscape
-precous nature of material, efforts of production and narrative and personal context make installation a powerful contemporary on the human condition. Metaphorical in subject matter alluding to the globalisation and mass production in China that caters to western consumerism
- powerful mtephaor for the precious nature of individualism and collectivism, each is unique yet one is synonymous with the whole
born in 1957, father was a famous poet denounced as a rightist during cultural revolution, Weiwei deeply interested in individuals need to express themselves freely
- sunflower seeds are a common street snack started with friends in china and during childhoods in poverty, gesture of human compassion
- used a dedicated team of artist sans in jingdezhen ‘the porcelain city’
- due to grey colour of turbine hall, from a far look like a sea of grey seeds

Question 19

John Constable, the Hay Wain 1821, oil on canvas

Answer 19

• based on a site in Suffolk, shows the river stour, cottage on the left belonged to Constable’s father, whips of smoke curl from chimney, woman beside the house drawing water, harmonious domesticated atmosphere
• haywain crossing the river, haymaking season
• cloudy sky, possibility of rain- English summertime weather, pastoral subject matter (depicts rural environment free from corruption of city life)
• area of impasto catch dewy freshness of nature
• constable was born and lived in Suffolk, homely and nostalgic feel pervades the painting- inspiration from childhood in area
• constable is helpful in understanding the changing meaning of nature during the Industrial Revolution (many people found themselves out of work, farming became industrialised by machines) . as cities and problems grew urban elite began to view the countryside as a place of ones childhood, good air and water, contrasting with corruption of modern life
• created in studio, used open air sketches
• loose brushwork reflecting textures he saw in nature, used palette knife for impasto

Question 20

Vincent Van Goghs ‘ A wheat field with cypresses’ 1889, oil on canvas

Answer 20

• one of 3 almost identical versions, executed whilst Van Gogh was a voluntary patient in saint rem provenance, works were inspired by views towards the Alpilles mountains
• painting depicts golden fields of ripe wheat, dark towering cypress tree, light green olive trees, mountains and white swirling clouds in sky above
• Van Gogh was committed to working from nature yet strove to render the ‘inner character’ of the landscape rather than to reproduce its superficial appearance
• colours and forms used to evoke emotion, exaggerated depiction
• ominous green cypress trees, clouds swirling furiously, sense of movement
• began to single out motifs he saw as being the ‘essential that makes up the enduring character of provenance’ cypress trees were symbols of immortality, long lived and evergreen
• ‘devil of a mistral’ focus on swirling forms in the sky, mistral wind responsible for giving people of provenance ‘sudden fits of anger’
• original likely to have been painted en plan air
• impasto heaviest in clouds, used white zinc for clouds, French invention which became commercially available in 1840s
• wet on wet resulting in intermingling colour

Question 21

Monet’s Water Lily Pond 1899, oil on canvas

Answer 21

• 1892, Monet bought piece of land to build a water garden, surrounding it with flowers, reeds, willow trees and bushes
• over he built an arched footbridge in Japanese style, Monet was influenced by Japanese prints and garden design, he collected Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints with images of bridge
• Japonisme- at end of 19th century all things Japanese were highly popular in Paris, Japan had only recently opened up borders
• water garden became the main theme of his last 30 years
• typical impressionist painting (impressionists depicted modern life and painted en plan air), heavy impasto of paint, colour harmonies throughout painting
• flattening of the picture plane and tightly cropped obtained view display a compositional debt to Japanese artist Hokusai
• greatest influence was poet Stephen Mallard- invited Monet to illustrate his poem ‘white water lily’
• Monet was at ease in natural floral surroundings- some reckon he sought to create a utopian healing dream state for France
• painted en plan air, invention of paint tube in 1841
  -small commas of pure colour one next to the other, capture the essence of each thing rather than detail, gives impression of movement

Question 22

Seurat’s Bathers at Asnieres 1883-4, oil on canvas

Answer 22

• painting portrays a popular bathing spot on the left bank of the seine, near the 2 bridges that cross the river between Asnieres and Clichy
• men and youths of working class bathe and relax on the banks of the river at ease in environment. Asnieres evolved from a once rural idyll into a dormitory town for a working population
• in background a steam train can be seen roaring across a bridge (encroaching ubanisation). As Seurat work on painting, urban development was occurring at a rapid place. cost of rent in Paris increased after Houssmannisation, many working classes encouraged to move to suburbs
• light and colours of painting suggest oppressive heat of summer afternoon. Background and foreground fuse- tension unity
• group of workers have a rhythmic unity in the repetition of their limbs, gazes and angled heads
• unlike the impressionists Seurat prepared his work meticulously, recorded the landscape and figures on the spot
• new style of flat paintbrush enabled Seurat to develop the Balaye technique, brush is used to apply colours using strokes in criss cross formation, suggest the flickering play of sunlight
• Neo impressionist: special interest in colour optics, eg placed complementary colours next to each other to enhance eacother

Question 23

Richard Long ‘ A line made by walking’ 1967

Answer 23

• walking always an activity central to longs art, work shows a path made by the artists feet as he walked back and forth in straight line
• work explores the relationship between time, travel, distance and movement, about transience and lack of permanence- by using his body to make an organic relationship with the urban environment- long emphasis symbolic link with the earth
• photograph- allows work to be documented
• open composition makes it evoke an infinite line, we the viewer are standing on the line as if we have made It
• working directly with nature and landscape is a very British tradition, harks back to 18th century landscape artist Capability brown
• sculpture links to his interest in Einstein’s theory of relativity, time has 4th dimension in longs piece
• simplicity of his work can be linked to minimalism
• 1960s was. period of ecology and conservation where people became more equations of the enivornmental impacts

Question 24

Richard long Southbank circle 1991, delabole slate

Answer 24

• a circle, nearly 2 metres in diameter, composed of 168 pieces of slate, lying close together on the floor, every stone touches, becoming ‘locked’ and stable
• slate form Cornwall, roughly cut to retain as much natural character as possible. Aesthetic function is not to beatify illustrate or represent, but instead to communicate the close relationship of the artist with nature
• circular shape is an imposed order but the flatness of each piece is a characteristic of slate
• according to Plato the circle is perfect, most beatiful shape, it symbolises eternity and the universe
• long is influenced by his study of the theory of relativity ‘my stones are like sub-atomic particles In the space of the world’
• doesn’t identify himself as a land artist, but sees more in common with conceptual art (where idea is more important), minimalism and Arte povera
• stone is one of the earliest materials used by man to fashion tools, contract dwellings, create monuments and mark territory. One of the Long’s preferred materials ‘I like the idea that stones are what the world is made off’

Question 25

Frank Lloyd Wright, Falling water 1936-39, bear run Pennsylvania, Pottsville sandstone, concrete, steel and glass

Answer 25

• built as a retreat for millionaire Edgar Kauffman, father of one of Wright’s apprentices at Taliesen fellowship
• grows out of rocks and trees, situated above a waterfall. Huge slab of rock from which water falls is echoed by projecting terraces, harmonises the building (heard throughout house), immediate surrondings and locally quarried stone, reflect Wright’s interest in making building more ‘organic’. Limited colour palette also adds to ‘organic’ facade- 2 colours used throughout, light ochre for concrete and red for steel
• for throughout via interconnecting spaces- like rhythmic flow of water, also encourages people to be more social, small bedrooms and low ceilings, encourage propel out onto balconies
• long lines of windows lift you into the treetops, allows views of nature. Where glass meets stone, their is no metal frame- integration with setting
• interior furnishings are bright coloured, evoking flowers our autumn leaves
• passion for Japanese architecture reflected in design of falling water, each construction detail of a Japanese house is an expression of Osamari, ‘unity’, ‘integrity’ or ‘effortless fit’
• Pottsville sandstone (local to site), exploited modern materials eg concrete, pouring of material allowed Wright to round edges of balcony- harmony with curves of natural environment
• floors tend to create an almost wet appearance, mimicking waterfall

Question 26

Rembrandt Van Reign, The Elevation of the Cross, 1633, oil on canvas

Answer 26

• painting shows the elevation of the cross, one of the most important moment in the passion of Christ. In the painting 3 roman soldiers, one in shining armour, 2 in the shadows heave the cross into position
• at centre of aproning is illuminated figure in blue beret, identified as a self portrait of Rembrandt. directly behind is a towering centurion who looks directly out at viewer, implying us all in the ‘shared guilt’ of Christ’s crucifixion
• figure of Christ on the cross is also illuminated as if by a Holy light- divinity
• christ is not idealised, he looks like real man enduring real suffering, blood dripping from crown of thorns on head. Underpinned by Calvinist doctrine which emphasises Christ’s humanity. Calvinists affirm the belief that Christ is eternally one person with a divine and a human nature
• uses Chiaroscuro with bold lighting effects to create a dramatic intensity in the scene- baroque technique which he admired in the work of Venetian painters in the 16th century
• majority of composition painted in earthy tones, dark ochres, bones an grey- sober mood.
• oil medium allows for variety of textures and effects, gleaming os soldiers armour
  -painting uses more traditional techniques of dutch masters of the day, small invisible brushstrokes rather than heavy impasto like his later works
• part of passion series, 5 paintings of similar size and format commissioned by Frederick Hnedereick, practicing member of Calvinist reformed church

Question 27

Marc Chagall, The White Crucifixion 1938

Answer 27

• depicts Christ on cross being crucified, christ wears a short headcloth rather than a crown of thorns- variant of Jewish ritual prayer shawl. Jewish facial features, such as side curls
• in work Chagall tries to remind Christians that Jesus was a jew and that the persecution of Jews was also an anti-christian act (becuase Jesus was a Jew but established christianity)
• painting is modernist, characteristcs- rejection of realistic depiction of subject, innovation and experimentation with form, swirly background- stylised
• on left- town and houses on fire, people (maybe Nazi soviets) invading, could reflect Jewish persecution
• on right, attack on synagogue and religious symbols such as Torah ark, flag above and on mans arm bore inverted swavstika- Chagall feared to draw symbol correctly, also wanted painting to be more relatable and less literal
• Judaism as a theme runs through Chagall’s work- painted this as events of suffering and pain were taking place- wanted to be seen by christian audience, by using their symbolism, felt Jews already knew what was happening
• optimistic colours of surrounding figures and events contrast with he sombre subject matter

Question 28

No Woman no cry, Chris Ofili 1998, mixed media large scale

Answer 28

• Chris ofili interested in deconstructing powerful discourses on ethnicity, his work offers an experimental enquiry into his sense of ‘blackness’
• painting depicts Doreen Lawrence (phosphorescent inscription), other of Stephen Lawrence who was murdered as a teenage boy in a racially motivated attack
• title of work, song by Jamaican reggae musician Bob Marley
• women is shown in profile- associations with nobility and dignity, portraiture traditions
• she has blue eyeshadow, red lipstick and a pendant necklace made of elephant dung
• elephants in Africa represent power, ofili also wanted to ‘bring their beauty and decorativeness together with the ugliness’, so that people can never feel comfortable with what happened to Stephen
• series of pale blue tears descend from each of her eyes, each contains a tiny collage portrait of Stephen
• background painted with a mixture of pale green and bright yellow, contrasts sombre subject matter and maybe indicating claustrophobia of grief
• painting is example of Ofili’s physical and metaphorical altering, builds up materials, layers, play with patterns and symmetry, could relate to the many different layers of Stephen’s murder case

Question 29

Grayson Perry, I am a man, 2014, patinated brass, small and intimate

Answer 29

• bronze sculpture of female to male transexual, Jazz. Poignant story of alexanders personal struggles tracked in documentary ‘who are you’
• depicts Alexander as his favourite childhood fictional character, Peter Pan, a permanently pre-pubescent boy traditional played on stage by an adult woman- also recalls sculpture of Peter Pan In Kensington gardens
• draped around figure are ‘miniature versions of the symbols of cliched masculinity’- beer bottle, sword, penis. also includes book of ‘jazz’s poems’ allusion to poetry sitter writes to escape and express himself
• proud bare chested pose- Alexander triumphant in male identity following his top surgery
• like Benin bronzes its created using the lost wax technique- clay model- additive, allows for fine details
• by casting in bronze- drawing parallels to power, kingship and heroism associated with Benin bronzes. also only work in exhibition is this medium, gives long last dignity and status to his subject and what he represents
• having started exploring gender through transvestitism at 12, Perry is naturally and personally fascinated by issues of gender

Question 30

Grayson Perry, The Huhne vase, 2014, glazed ceramic, small

Answer 30

• portrait of disgraced formal Lib Dem, imprisoned for 9 months for perverting the court of Justice after encouraging his now estranged wife to take the blame for his speeding offence
• selected as a ‘white middle class man facing a collapse In the power and status he had enjoyed’
• glazed ceramic pot, easily held in hand, notion of vulnerability
• body is embedded with symbols relating to Huhne- his personalised number plate, phalluses, ashamed face, prison bars, speed camera. Repeated motifs inspired by Andy Warhol who depicted icons, implication is that Huhne was one of many in the elite tribe
• Kintsugi ‘golden joinery’- intentionally smashed pot, repaired gliding over cracks. Relates to Japanese philosophy of ‘no mind’ concept of no attachment, acceptance of fate and change as natural aspects of life. metaphor for importance of showing vulnerability
• Perry interviewed Huhne twice on camera, in his home on night before trial and after prion, trouble he saw no remorse in Huhne
• builds coil pot, decorates using Mishima- technique to inlay coloured designs and scrape away excess clay

Question 31

Artemisia Gentileschi, Susana and the elders’ 1610, oil on canvas

Answer 31

• painting represents a biblical story of Susana and the elders. Susana was wife of wealth jew, whilst bathing 2 elders conspired to seduce her, when her maid left they sprang upon her threatening and demanding sexual submissoin
• Artemisias uniquely sympathetic treatment of subject- female, able to relate on emotional level. At time Artemisia was experiencing harassment for Tassi her art tutor, after painting was painted he raped her
• naturalistic figure, awkward pose and nudity convey her full range of feelings- anxiety, fear and shame. Taught muscles on legs all heighten our sense of the victims sense of vulnerability
• vertical format make it seem like the elders press down on her, their darker mass is literally onto of the nearly nude heroine
• sense of entrapment with solid wall, no opening for escape
• bold colour of predatoril figures, contrasts white purity of Susana
• painting Is done in oil medium- influenced by techniques of Caravaggio, particularly in handling of light and subtle chiaroscuro

Question 32

Sinan, Suleymaniye Mosque complex, 1548-59, Istanbul

Answer 32

• An ottoman imperial mosque, commissioned by tenth and longest reigning sultan of the Ottoman Empire, during his reign the empire reached the peak of its fortunes
• by late 1540’s Sultan’s health was deteriorating, he became more ‘sober; and so did his architecture, complex was designed as a centre of higher learning- tomb built
• contains minarets+ serefes- 4 minarets integrated into 4 concerns, rising towards God, signify Suleiman who was 4th Sultan of Istanbul, ten serefes denote that he was tenth sultan of Ottoman Empire
• mosque faces directn of Mecca- birthplace of the prophet Muhammad
• mosque built as a charitable deed and meant to assure its patron a secure place in paradise, contains an elementary school, hospital and guest house
• continuous open and unified centralised space, revealing Islam’s emphasis on law and simple faith where all is revealed to all
• 249 windows, sense of ethereal created
• on stained glass windows words ‘God is the light of the heavens and earth’
• Sinan’s mosques characterised by relatively restrained use of ornaments to accentuate architectural elements

Question 33

Albrecht Durer, The Rhinoceros 1515, woodcut

Answer 33

• Durer never saw animal in real life, based on 2 letters, one by merchant with a description, and other unknown sender with sketch of the Rhino
• not entirely accurate depiction, hard plates covering body like armour, gorget on neck- Durer lived In Nuremberg- important centre of metalwork, small twisted 2nd horn on back
• depicted in profile much like high status portraits, takes up entirety of composition- cage like, its size and importance indicated by ‘filling of frame’
• 16th century- age of discovery- Columbus has just landed in americas, rhino would have been received vt a culture hungry for curiosity, not been seen in Europe since Roman times- something of a mythical beast
• Durer was first artist to buy printing press- labour intensive but a lot could be made
• design drawn on paper then on woodblock, cut, ink put through and pressed