Artworks*:
- Michelangelo Buonarotti, “Creation of Adam” (Sistine Chapel ceiling; Italy, c.1510)
- Pablo Picasso, “Demoiselles d’Avignon” (France, 1907)
Discuss the assigned works with respect to their unique visual qualities, general contexts (historic circumstances), and in relation to the assigned theme – each artist’s ambition toward “visual (and cultural) innovation” within their respective contexts.
Please incorporate the following elements into your comparative essay:
- Formal analyses: Describe visual details specific to each painting (aspects such as the compositions, unique characters – their behaviors/actions, adornments, and symbolism). Also consider that:
- Although the subjects chosen by each artist would have been familiar to their respective audiences, these paintings are unique in their presentations of these themes; what stands out to you as distinctive in these artworks?
- Contextual analyses: Describe the specific historic circumstances that influenced the development of the paintings under the directions of these artists. Consider:
- How the piece by Michelangelo reflects the interests of an artist working during the “Renaissance” period in Italy; recall that this painting was part of a larger program of imagery accessible to an elite Christian audience – what is the “message” conveyed by
the specific event depicted? How is the perspective of “Humanism” also conveyed in this
situation? - How the work by Picasso reflects the interests of an artist working in France at the beginning of the 20th century; what is innovative about this painting’s style? What references are made to art history? How can you connect this presentation to interests that are unique to “modern” society?
- Discuss the artworks in relation to the assigned theme of “visual (and cultural) innovation,” describing how each represents the artist’s intention to affect change through artistic and thematic experimentation – ultimately offering new perspectives on art and society within their unique contexts.
*Please do not describe or interpret the pieces using resources outside of the textbook and what has been presented in class; I am interested only in your instinctive responses to and analyses of these artworks.
Textbook: Art: A Brief History (at least 6th edition [2016]) by Marilyn Stokstad and Michael Cothren
Sample Solution