25 Pieces That Inspire Me

With a deep appreciation of all things art, here is Madame Oyler's AP Art History Project in which I chose 25 pieces to discuss in this blog. In this brief yet all encompassing glance at pieces from around the world we will look at paintings, sculptures, photographs, and (my favorite) architecture. Each piece spoke to me in some way, and some of these pieces I've even been honored to see in person. With all of history before me, it was difficult to choose just 25 pieces to include. The process in trying to narrow all the world's pieces to a mere 25 that i found the most interesting was tremendously challenging. However, without further ado, I'll begin our discussion and delve into the beautiful, inspirational, and magnificent world of art. 

25 Pieces That Inspire Me (Banksy)

Boy With Marker by Banksy

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• Banksy is known for Graffiti art.  The allure of a Banksy piece is always high, due to the fact that no one knows when or where he will strike next.  His images are usually a sardonic view of society and of 21st century culture.  Banksy has become ever more popular, and his graffiti art is admired by many.  In the movie "Exit Through The Gift Shop," viewers are given an inside look into the under ground world of Pop art and Graffiti art.
• The Banksy image above is a simple portrayal of a boy with a marker.  Like most Banksy pieces, the Graffiti image blends in with the surroundings and the pre-existing graffiti.  During a time when seemingly anyone can make "art," Banksy takes popular art to a new and symbolic level.  Banksy's very nature is ambiguous, mirroring the ambiguity of art in today's society.  By not revealing his identity, Baksy does not put a face to his art, making his art for the masses and not for his own fame. 
• Yes, Banksy's art is graffiti. No, that does not make it any "less art" than a piece painted on canvas or board.  In fact, I chose a Banksy piece because I wanted to go beyond what a book or a website says about art.  In all of his pieces Banksy includes an underlying message or symbol.  His graffiti paintings are exciting and wildly fun to hunt down and find.     

25 Pieces That Inspire Me (Basin of San Marco from San Giorgio Maggiore)

Basin of San Marco from San Giorgio Maggiore by Antonio Canaletto; 1740. Oil on canvas. Located in The Wallace Collection in London.

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• This naturalistic landscape and cityscape painting was completed during the 18th century in Venice.  The painting was a product of the Enlightenment.
• The appreciation of nature is clearly seen in this piece.  However, Canaletto also used minute detail to portray the human life around the landscape as well.  The natural view and the care of detail are characteristically Romantic.  The painting also represents a new way of thinking introduced by Rousseau and Voltaire.  The Enlightenment was clear inspiration for this piece.
• I chose this piece because it is a tribute to free thinking and new ideas.  There is no hidden message or deep emotional value, the image exudes a sense of thought and knowledge.   

25 Pieces That Inspire Me (The Execution of Lady Jane Grey)

The Execution of Lady Jane Grey by Paul Delaroche; 1833. oil on canvas. Located in the National Gallery in London.  

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• This portrait is a "romantic" portrayal of the execution of the young Jane Grey.  She kneels, desperately awaiting the moment of her death. 
• This image is so visually and emotionally stunning.  It is one of the most captivating paintings in the National Gallery in London, capturing viewers in its dramatic scene.  The lightest part of the painting is Lady Grey.  The darkness of the rest of the painting slowly encloses around her, eventually ending in her death.
• I chose this painting because of its stunning emotional effect on me as a viewer.  Lady Grey exudes such innocence, yet her head is just inches away from the chopping block.  The drama of the event enters the minds of every viewer, engaging them in another world and time.   

25 Pieces That Inspire Me (Nike Alighting on a War Ship)

Nike Alighting on a War Ship; 190 B.C.  Marble. Located in the Louvre in Paris.

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• Nike belongs to the Hellenistic period of Greek art.  Characteristic to the Hellenistic style was a further humanization of figures and ideals.  The visual differences between Hellenistic statues and early Greek statuary are striking and great.
• Nike is the epitome of Hellenistic art.  Her wings still beat in motion, the wind sweeps her drapery, and her himation bunches in thick folds around her right leg.  The statue gives off a very theatrical effect, similar to that of Baroque pieces.  This statue, along with other Hellenistic statues, interacts with its environment and is an intensely dramatic portrayal of human movements.
• I chose this piece because it perfectly illustrates the evolution of Greek art from an Egyptian style of art to a highly emotional expressive style.  Hellenistic art set the precedent for the ideal form, its reach influenced the Renaissance, Baroque, and Enlightenment movements. 

25 Pieces That Inspire Me (Still Life with Oysters, Rum Glass, and Silver Cup)

Still Life with Oysters, Rum Glass, and Silver Cup by Willem Claesz Heda.  Located in Museum Boijmans-Van Beuringen in Rotterdam.

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• "Still Life With Oysters" was completed during the Baroque period. Still life paintings were characteristically northern.  This piece portrays the wealth and abundance of the Dutch.  Images of accumulated material goods were a source of pride and a way to establish one's place in society.
• In "Still Life With Oysters" Heda portrayed the wealth of the Dutch, but at the same time incorporated a religious message.  This sense of religious piety was central to Calvinist beliefs in the north.  Heda was able to accomplish this religious message by including references to death and the fragility of human life.  The oysters, partially peeled fruit, broken glass, and the tipped silver cup are symbols of mortality and death.
• This is one of my favorite Baroque pieces because it portrays a new outlook towards material items, while at the same time incorporating a moral question.  Paintings that make me look beneath the surface are the ones that will become, and stay, my favorites.  The message within this still life is the heart of the entire piece.   

25 Pieces That Inspire Me (Political Rally)

Political Rally, Robert Frank; 1956. Photograph. Currently not being exhibited (I saw his exhibit at MOCA: Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles).

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• Robert Frank is an important figure in American Photography.  His portrayals of American life in "The Americans," is a thorough representation of many life styles and American scenes.  His array of pictures are taken as if from an outside skeptical view of American society.  
• Political Rally, one of the most well known pieces of his "Americans," captures the audience by not revealing the man behind the instrument.  The photograph is able to capture American life, but with an ambiguous twist.  Frank went on a road trip for two years capturing 28,000 scenes; only 83 of those were actually used in his exhibit.  His quest to capture all facets of the American life caused him to engage himself in many sticky situations.  He ended up in jail twice.
• I fell in love with Robert Frank's blunt portrayal of America when I saw the exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.  I like the simplicity with which he captures people and places, and how at the same time he turns that simplicity into something engaging and captivating.