Artists of Note
Throughout the summer, I will be referencing a number of artists. Here's some short biographies for the noteworthy ones. If there is one you want to learn more about, go ahead and leave a comment. I'll do my research and report back.
RAPHAEL
Raphael lived a very fine, fancy life. He was great at PR and could make connections in order to get the commissions he wanted. Unfortunately, he was promiscuous and had many affairs. He died very young, probably to syphilis.
Notable Works of Art: The Transfiguration, The Baker's Daughter, The School of Athens.
MICHELANGELO
Michelangelo was a prominent artist during the Renaissance and was the leader of the Mannerist period (a precursor to the Baroque). He was a tempermental guy who didn't really have a lot of friends. He would outlive something like 11 popes (this is a big deal because popes would be the source of major art commissions). He was a sculptor but got roped into doing the fresco of the Sistine Chapel Ceiling (the pope's private chapel). This really upset him because he had just bought the marble for the pope's tomb (which the pope hadn't paid for), so he ran home from Rome to Florence (this would take about 3 days). The pope got angry and sent many people to get Michelangelo to report for duty. After the pope sent an angry message to the leaders of Florence, who forced Michelangelo to do his job, he went to fill the request of the pope. Right before he had the chance to really get started though, the pope decided he wanted Michelangelo to do a bronze-cast statue of himself. Michelangelo is a sculptor so doing a bronze statue is not his forte, so he threw another fit. Regardless, he worked really hard and ended up doing a great job on the sculpture. Then he did the Sistine Ceiling which he obviously did an incredible job. The human figures he painted on the Sistine had a major impact on his sculpture and he started doing figures in weird proportions and crazy poses which are honestly just not possible. That's called Mannerism. In case you were wondering, Michelangelo finally got to work on the pope's tomb but it wasn't nearly what it was planned to be. Since he outlived that pope by a lot, he just got like, the bare minimum. Anyway, Michelangelo lived to his 80's and changed the art world dramatically. Honestly, we can attribute the honorable name of artists to him because he fought to be recognized as a respectable man as an artist. Thanks, dude.
Notable Works of Art: The David, Pieta, Sistine Ceiling, Moses.
BERNINI
GianLorenzo Bernini was a sculptor of the Baroque. He was taught by his father, who designed the fountain which is located at the Spanish Steps in Italy. By the age of 8, he had bypassed his father in skill and by the age of 9 he was recognized as a child prodigy. When he was older, he held the monopoly for sculpture. He had many people working in his workshop who didn't get paid nearly what they deserved and they didn't get the credit either.
Notable Works of Art: The Ecstasy of Saint Theresa, The David, Pluto & Proserpina/Rape of Persephone, Apollo & Daphne.
CARAVAGGIO
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was an early Baroque painter. He lived a very troubled life. He got in fights often and would get in lots of trouble with the law. Luckily some major cardinals really liked his art so they had his back more than a few times. I did my seminar paper on Caravaggio's mental state and worked on diagnosing Caravaggio with a mental disorder, using the DSM-5. Anyway. He often would do the subject matter requested by those commissioning the work of art; however, he did art in a completely unexpected way. He would use extreme darks and lights; Caravaggio would use people on the street as well as prostitutes as his models since profession models were expensive. This would make his work extremely controversial. After wounding someone in a fight who would later die, Caravaggio went on the run. While he was on his way back to Rome, he got sick and died; Caravaggio was buried in an unmarked grave.
Notable Works of Art: The Calling of Saint Matthew, Judith & Holofernes, David & Goliath.
ARTEMISIA GENTILESCHI
Artemisia is one of the first female artists referenced in history books. She really took after the style of Caravaggio. When she was a student, one of her dad's peers sexually assaulted her. This continued for quite some time; however, her father, Orazio, pressed charges but only because he wouldn't marry her. During the trial, she was subject to great humiliation and torture as they required her to undergo examination in front of the court to verify if she truly had been taken advantage of. This definitely sucked. She ended up going to the north where she married some nice dude. She continued creating art; however, she would put her assaulter's face as the face of Holofernes when she painted Judith cutting off his head. The appearance of Judith was a self portrait. He deserves worse than that, in my opinion, but whatever.
Notable Works of Art: Judith & Holofernes, Susanna & the Elders.
This page may get updated from time to time. Hold on tight.
RAPHAEL
Raphael lived a very fine, fancy life. He was great at PR and could make connections in order to get the commissions he wanted. Unfortunately, he was promiscuous and had many affairs. He died very young, probably to syphilis.
Notable Works of Art: The Transfiguration, The Baker's Daughter, The School of Athens.
MICHELANGELO
Michelangelo was a prominent artist during the Renaissance and was the leader of the Mannerist period (a precursor to the Baroque). He was a tempermental guy who didn't really have a lot of friends. He would outlive something like 11 popes (this is a big deal because popes would be the source of major art commissions). He was a sculptor but got roped into doing the fresco of the Sistine Chapel Ceiling (the pope's private chapel). This really upset him because he had just bought the marble for the pope's tomb (which the pope hadn't paid for), so he ran home from Rome to Florence (this would take about 3 days). The pope got angry and sent many people to get Michelangelo to report for duty. After the pope sent an angry message to the leaders of Florence, who forced Michelangelo to do his job, he went to fill the request of the pope. Right before he had the chance to really get started though, the pope decided he wanted Michelangelo to do a bronze-cast statue of himself. Michelangelo is a sculptor so doing a bronze statue is not his forte, so he threw another fit. Regardless, he worked really hard and ended up doing a great job on the sculpture. Then he did the Sistine Ceiling which he obviously did an incredible job. The human figures he painted on the Sistine had a major impact on his sculpture and he started doing figures in weird proportions and crazy poses which are honestly just not possible. That's called Mannerism. In case you were wondering, Michelangelo finally got to work on the pope's tomb but it wasn't nearly what it was planned to be. Since he outlived that pope by a lot, he just got like, the bare minimum. Anyway, Michelangelo lived to his 80's and changed the art world dramatically. Honestly, we can attribute the honorable name of artists to him because he fought to be recognized as a respectable man as an artist. Thanks, dude.
Notable Works of Art: The David, Pieta, Sistine Ceiling, Moses.
BERNINI
GianLorenzo Bernini was a sculptor of the Baroque. He was taught by his father, who designed the fountain which is located at the Spanish Steps in Italy. By the age of 8, he had bypassed his father in skill and by the age of 9 he was recognized as a child prodigy. When he was older, he held the monopoly for sculpture. He had many people working in his workshop who didn't get paid nearly what they deserved and they didn't get the credit either.
Notable Works of Art: The Ecstasy of Saint Theresa, The David, Pluto & Proserpina/Rape of Persephone, Apollo & Daphne.
CARAVAGGIO
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was an early Baroque painter. He lived a very troubled life. He got in fights often and would get in lots of trouble with the law. Luckily some major cardinals really liked his art so they had his back more than a few times. I did my seminar paper on Caravaggio's mental state and worked on diagnosing Caravaggio with a mental disorder, using the DSM-5. Anyway. He often would do the subject matter requested by those commissioning the work of art; however, he did art in a completely unexpected way. He would use extreme darks and lights; Caravaggio would use people on the street as well as prostitutes as his models since profession models were expensive. This would make his work extremely controversial. After wounding someone in a fight who would later die, Caravaggio went on the run. While he was on his way back to Rome, he got sick and died; Caravaggio was buried in an unmarked grave.
Notable Works of Art: The Calling of Saint Matthew, Judith & Holofernes, David & Goliath.
ARTEMISIA GENTILESCHI
Artemisia is one of the first female artists referenced in history books. She really took after the style of Caravaggio. When she was a student, one of her dad's peers sexually assaulted her. This continued for quite some time; however, her father, Orazio, pressed charges but only because he wouldn't marry her. During the trial, she was subject to great humiliation and torture as they required her to undergo examination in front of the court to verify if she truly had been taken advantage of. This definitely sucked. She ended up going to the north where she married some nice dude. She continued creating art; however, she would put her assaulter's face as the face of Holofernes when she painted Judith cutting off his head. The appearance of Judith was a self portrait. He deserves worse than that, in my opinion, but whatever.
Notable Works of Art: Judith & Holofernes, Susanna & the Elders.
This page may get updated from time to time. Hold on tight.
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