Christopher Mittelstadt's Blog

Happy Lovers Jean-Honor é  Fragonard (1751)       The Classical Era was mainly characterized by two art styles of the time, being the Rococo and Neoclassical styles. Depicted above is Happy Lovers, a Rococo piece by Jean-Honor é Fragonard painted in London under a commission. This style of art was often put to use in depicting lavish pastimes of the nobility, as well as demonstrating a level of indulgence and comfort. As shown in the above painting, a woman dangles a birdcage above her absolutely transfixed lover, illustrating how captivated he is by her beauty. This kind of painting, with its garden setting, vibrant colors, and curving lines, is unmistakably Rococo. These paintings were often commissioned by aristocrats for display in more intimate areas of homes and properties. The general moral consciousness of the time would find something like this hung in the open for guests to see to be risqué or indecent. Despite this, works such as these flourished...

  The Denial of St. Peter Caravaggio (1610)     This piece was painted by Caravaggio in 1610 towards the end of his artistic career while living in Naples. The painting depicts St. Peter, bathed in light, being accused of being a disciple of Christ by a woman and a Roman soldier. This piece was made by Caravaggio solely for his own desire, not because of a commission from any religious or noble figure.     The Baroque era came with certain changes in religious imagery. Whereas the Renaissance may have shown grandiose scenes of heavenly bounties or celebrated the achievements of humanity, religious art during the Baroque period took a far more realistic and dramatic approach as shown above. With the Counter Reformation in full swing following the Council of Trent, works like these became the norm, as a way to convey intended spiritual emotions. With the piece above, St. Peter is not portrayed as a virtuous, angelic follower of Christ, but merely a man, just as Ca...

The Last Judgement Hieronymus Bosch (1504-1508)       The triptych above is The Last Judgement, one of Bosche's most famous paintings. Art historians believe that Bosch painted this piece in Bruges as a commission for Philip the Fair around 1505. The triptych depicts the fall of humanity across its panels, beginning with the original sin in the Garden of Eden.     The Triptych      Along the first third of the piece, God is depicted casting out Lucifer and the fallen angels from Heaven. Adam and Eve are also shown succumbing to the temptation of the serpent and being cast from the Garden in a similar fashion to the angels falling from grace.      The second third of the triptych is gruesome and appalling with a fantastically horrifying depiction of Limbo. Within, humans are tormented by the sins they commit and numerous demons.     The third panel descends further into the depravity of the second, with its display of hell...