Tag: artist

The Anthropomorphism of Satan

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Early Christians did not personify Satan, in fact it was not until the Medieval period that Satan became anthropomorphized into the image which is commonly understood during the modern day (e.g. red skin, horned head, tail etc.). Initially, Satan was predicated upon pagan mythological figures who Christian’s then viewed as demons and/or part of a larger demonic evil outside the boundaries of Christianity. Prior to this, there was no consensus among artists and theologians as to how Satan should be depicted within religious artwork. Often throughout history, Satan has been illustrated as a blue angel, a male figure with blue skin and white hair. The color blue was chosen as it is symbolic of the night and the unknown, adding emotional and spiritual ambiguity, intended to inspire fear not through grotesquery but rather through an uncanny yet elegant emulation. In addition to this portrayal, Satan has also been represented as a figure with 3 goats, designed as a direct counter balance to Jesus Christ who is often portrayed within religious artwork in possession of 3 lambs which represent humanity. More specifically these 3 lambs represent purity, sacrifice, and redemption. In contrast to this, the 3 goats of Satan were meant to represent demonic entities, more specifically rebellion, deception, and spiritual corruption. This triadic symbolism was intentional as it created a theological and visual counter weight for Christ, casting Satan not only as the antithesis of Christ, but as a distorted reflection of him within the mirror of divine structure and purpose

The Advent of Oil Paint Storage Changing Artwork and the First Artist to Begin Painting Outdoors

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Tubed oil paint became available in 1841, superseding the traditional methods of storing paint in pigs bladders and glass syringes, which made traveling to a location and/or painting outside, suddenly possible, so that aspects of light and shadow would not have to be manufactured as with classical paintings, but rather they could be painted exactly as the artist laid witness to them. Claude Monet was the first Impressionist artist to start painting outdoors during the mid 19th century, often painting in the public’s view, outdoor scenery like The Manneporte which he painted in 1885

The Defiant American Natural Landscape Art Form and Luminism

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Artists in the America’s who continually pushed further west, pioneered the technique of “luminism” which used light effects and concealed brush strokes to create paintings which were considered so overwhelming detailed that opera glasses were needed to fully appreciate their true beauty. The American landscape was psychologically bore out of feelings of inferiority and competition with the European continent, as the Americas at this time were not the industrialized indomitable power they are today, but rather a fairly poor country still developing itself and not yet having reached the same milestones which Europe had already accomplished. During the 18th and 19th century, those living in the Americas rejected the notion that Rome, Italy was the center of art and that the best landscapes with the highest and most spectacular mountains were only found in places like France and Switzerland, as the west had its own mountains and its own unique monoliths and animals which could be depicted and celebrated to create American pride within the American landscape

Christie’s Practice of Fraudulent Art Auction Bids and Investment in Modern Art

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Creating the illusion of a bid in the room by an auctioneer to ensure a reserve price is met is perfectly legal and is often done so that Christie’s turns a profit because they are solely commission based and without a sale, Christie’s actually loses money when factoring in storage, transport, and the brokering of the piece which involves many people behind the scenes as well as the auctioneer. Antiquities of the art world tend to sell at bargain price points so Christie’s has put much of its resources into living artists whose works sell in the millions of dollars instead of hundreds, thousands, or hundreds of thousands of dollars. Most of these newer works have been created within the past 20 – 30 years and provide commentary upon a specific moment in time often one which the purchaser remembers during their own lifetime (e.g. tank man in Tiananmen Square, China)

The Difference Between Art and Fine Art

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The difference between “art” and “fine art”, is that “art” is a “piece which moves the observer” whilst “fine art” is a “piece which moves the observer without directing them where to go and allows the observer to feel as though they understand the artists intention when creating the piece”. Fine art can relay messages across generational time gaps accurately, with force and measure. This is why many fine artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Pablo Picasso are so famous across decades and centuries; everyone who views their work, appreciates their work, and understands that their work is not just a picture, for the sake of creating a picture