James Miller's Blog

The Effects of World War 1 on Art Tunnellers , 1916   Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson. London, England Tunnellers relates to World War 1 by the tunnel worker wearing a gas mask.  He is holding out a Canary, which acted as a warning sign for dangerous gases.  Marek Pruszewicz from bbc.com stated that Germans in WW1 had pressurized gas canisters that released chlorine gas.  The main cause of death from mustard gas was asphyxiation (Pruszewicz).    The art elements I like about Tunnellers is the line work, especially on the tunneller himself.  I also like the pattern on the wooden supports holding up the tunnel.  I also like the contrast between the illusion of light and the darkness of the tunnel.  This painting stirs up a sense of dread and fear, not knowing if the tunnel is free of deadly gas. The Christmas Truce of 1914, Unknown photographer.  12/25/1914, Aisne Valley, France. On Christmas day, 1914, the allies and the Germans ...

  Starry Night Over the Rhone Vincent Van Gogh in 1888. The location inside the painting is Place Lamartine (totallyhistory.com).  The only Starry Night painting to include humans (totallyhistory.com).     A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grand Jatte by Georges Seurat in 1884-1886 Georges Seurat spent two years making this painting (enacademic.com).  The island inside the painting takes place on the Seine river in Paris (enacademic.com). The art elements I like is the different hues of green within the environment.  The element I like the most is the shapes, they're not as well defined as neoclassical but it gives each impressionist painting it's own style.  Another element is contrast between light and dark,  for example, between the sunlight and shade inside A Sunday Afternoon of the Island of La Grand Jatte .     Zodiac   by Alphonse Mucha in 1896   La troupe de Mlle Eglantine   by Henri de Toulouse-Laut...

   An Eruption of Vesuvius by Moonlight by Pierre-Jacques Volaire in 1774.  I like the texture of the lava and the hills.  I also like the value on the clouds next to the moon, the illusion of light appears brighter on the clouds based on how close they are relative to the moon.  The right half of painting looks calm and peaceful.  The left half gives a glimpse of the immense power of a volcanic eruption.  You can see the lava flowing from Mt. Vesuvius, which dooms the city of Pompeii.  The presentation of Mt. Vesuvius is awe-inspiring and I would like to own a copy.   Eruption of Vesuvius with Destruction of a Roman City.  Painting by Sebastion Pether in 1824. The illusion of the reflected moonlight across the water is amazing, the brightness is centered around the middle and tapers the further it travels from the center.  The texture of the smoke from the eruption and the city smoke is incredible.  The presentation shown...

    The oil painting Atlas holding up the celestial globe above was done by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri in 1646.  Atlas is having to bear the weight of the world on his shoulders.  This painting is a symbolization of scientific knowledge.  Mazen Asfour, from the University of Jordan, claimed Barbieri drew inspiration from the Greek myth of Atlas and correlated him to Galileo.  Galileo was persecuted and punished for claiming the Earth orbited the sun, thus Galileo alone had to endure the weight of his discovery (Asfour).  The art elements I like about the Atlas painting is the linear perspective, it is like Atlas is leaning over right in front of me.  I also enjoy the Illusion of light creating a shadow across Atlas and the bottom portion of the sphere.  There is also tenebrism present in this painting,  the background has a darker value, which brings more focus to Atlas and the sphere.  I feel crushed just looking Atlas. Woul...

      The painting above is the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. The picture above is the restored version, completed in 1999 (Zelazko).  Ludovico Sforza commissioned Leonardo da Vinci for the Last Supper in 1495 (Zelazko).  The painting takes place on Holy Thursday, right before Jesus is crucified.  Jesus is having one last meal with his 12 disciples. The Medici family did commission Leonardo da Vinci for paintings (Art and Patronage). Art Elements,  I really enjoy the linear perspective that is presented,  it has a sense of depth even though it is a two dimensional painting.  The painting has balance with the background and the table, however, there is subtle differences on the left and right side.  The table cloth pattern on the left side is faded and the left table legs look weathered.  The patterns between the black rectangles are also different on each side.  I also noticed that the clothing that most of them are weari...