Monday, November 26, 2007

Garden of Earthly Delights - Bosch


Triptych of Garden of Earthly Delights (left wing - detail)
Hieronymus Bosch
c. 1500
Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain

This is a detail from the left panel of the famous Bosch triptych. This panel depicts Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden.

The Expulsion from Earthly Paradise - Pontormo

The Expulsion from Earthly Paradise
Jacopo Pontormo (Jacopo Carucci)
c. 1535
oil on wood
43 x 31 cm
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence, Italy

Pontormo was an Italian Mannerist painter known for his use of contorted poses, distorted perspective and unnatural colors.

Expulsion from Garden of Eden - Michelangelo


Expulsion from Garden of Eden
Michelangelo
1509-10
Fresco
Cappella Sistina, Vatican

This is Michelangelo's version of the expulsion from Eden.

The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden - Masaccio


The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden
Masaccio (Tommaso Cassai)
1426-27
Fresco,
208 x 88 cm
Cappella Brancacci, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence


Believe it or not, this image was on the cover of a Gynecology medical text in the 1970's.

The Fall of Man - Goltzius

The Fall of Man
Hendrik Goltzius
1616
oil on canvas
104.5 x 138.4 cm (41 1/8 x 54 1/2 in.)
National Gallery of Art
Washington, D.C.

I love this depiction. Dutch painter Hendrik Goltzius shows the couple as lovers, not shameful fools.

Adam and Eve - Cranach



Adam and Eve
Lucas Cranach the younger
after 1537
Oil on lime wood panel
171 x 63 cm (each)
Gemäldegalerie, Dresden

In Cranach's version of Adam and Eve, Adam looks positively perplexed. Eve looks confident, as always.

Adam and Eve - Domenichino

Adam and Eve
Domenichino (Domenico Zampieri)
1623-25
Italian Painter, Baroque

Sorry, but this painting is funny. Adam seems to be saying, "Hey, it was her, not me!" and God is just giving him the finger.


Adam and Eve - Lempicka

Adam and Eve
Tamara de Lempicka
1932

Polish/American Art Deco painter Tamara de Lempicka created this deco version of Adam and Eve. In this work Adam looks like the seducer, although Eve still has the apple.




Adam and Eve - Dürer and Grien



(first painting)
Adam and Eve
Hans Baldung Grien
1507
Oil on wood
212 x 85 cm
Uffizi, Florence


The first painting is the copy, by Dürer's student, Hans Baldung Grien, of Dürer's original work. He added a bit more wildlife.


(second painting)
Adam and Eve
Albrecht Dürer
1507
Oil on panel
Each panel 209 x 82 cm
Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain

Even in Dürer's work, which at least shows Adam with an apple too, he looks a bit hesitant. Eve, on the other hand, looks confident.


Adam and Eve - Titian and Rubens





Adam and Eve

Titian

c. 1550

Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain


Again, Eve is tempted to eat the forbidden apple. And again, Adam looks to be trying to stop her.

(second painting)

Adam and Eve

Peter Paul Rubens

1628-29

Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain


Titian's painting simply has to be accompanied by Ruben's copy of his work. He made a few changes. Mainly he made the baby smile at Eve, and made Eve smile back at him. That makes her look even more evil. And he changed Adam's leg position so he wouldn't need the leaves covering his genitals.

Adam and Eve in Paradise - Gossaert


Adam and Eve in Paradise
Jan Gossaert
c. 1525.
Oil on panel.
Gemäldegalerie, Berlin, Germany.


In Gossaert's work, it appears that Eve is about to enjoy a yummy apple from the forbidden tree.


Adam, on the other hand, looks to be warning Eve not to eat the apple. This seems to show that the fall of humankind from paradise is due to woman.


As an aside, I have no idea what is going on with Adam's pubic area.

Creation of Adam - Michelangelo


Michelangelo's Creation of Adam from the Sistine Chapel.

Michelangelo shows God creating Adam, with Eve in His arm. Obviously this differs from other Biblical accounts of Eve being created from Adam's rib.




Sunday, November 25, 2007

The Creation of Eve - Füssli


The Creation of Eve
Johann Heinrich Füssli
1793
Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany

Eve appears to be emerging from Adam's side in this painting.

Füssli was a British painter, draughtsman, and writer on art, of German-Swiss origin.


The Creation of Eve - Michelangelo



The Creation of Eve
Michelangelo
1509-10
Fresco
170 x 260 cm
Cappella Sistina, Vatican

This is Michelangelo's The Creation of Eve, a fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. It shows God creating Eve from the side of Adam. This is one of the most famous depictions of the creation of Eve in Western art.

The Birth of Venus - Redon


The Birth of Venus
Odilon Redon
1912
Oil on canvas
56 1/2 x 24 1/2" (166.4 x 86.4 cm)The Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Odilon Redon was a French painter and graphic artist, one of the outstanding figures of Symbolism.

Venus Rising the Star - Gérôme


Venus Rising the Star
Jean-Léon Gérôme

I'm afraid I don't know much about this work. I'll add information as I come across it.

Apparently you can buy a copy of this painting at Target.

Birth of Venus - Duval


Birth of Venus
Eugène Emmanuel Amaury Duval
1862


French painter Eugène Emmanuel Amaury-Duval did a beautiful version, as you can see.
You may also note that she has no pubic hair, which seems typical of the time period.

Aphrodite Anadyomene - a terracotta sculpture


This is Aphrodite Anadyomene (rising from the sea) in her sea shell. Terracotta, made in Amisos (Pontus), late 1st century BC/early 1st century AD, found in Kertch (ancient Panticapaeum).
15 cm (5 in) tall.
Musée du Louvre, Paris, France.

Venus Anadyomène - Ingres


Venus Anadyomène
Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres
1848
Oil on canvas
164 × 82 cm
Musée Condé, Chantilly, France.


This is a gorgeous work from French painter Ingres.

Venus Anadyomene - Chasseriau


Venus Anadyomene
Théodore Chasseriau
1838
65x55 cm
The Louvre, Paris, France.

Another beautiful image, this one from French painter Théodore Chasseriau

Birth of Venus - Boucher


Birth of Venus
François Boucher
1750

Boucher's version is also beautiful. He was a French Rococo painter known for his idyllic and voluptuous paintings on classical themes, allegories of the arts, or pastoral scenes.

Venus Anadyomène - Lombardo


Venus Anadyomène
1516
41 x 23 cm
Antonio Lombardo
marble
Victoria and Albert Museum, London.


Inscribed on base: NVDA VENVS MADDIDAS EXPRIMIT IMBRE COMA. I have no idea what that means.

The Birth of Venus - Genichiro Inokuma

The Birth of Venus

Genichiro Inokuma

1940

Oil on canvas



I just came across this lovely modern work by Japanese artist Genichiro Inokuma.

Aphrodite fountain in Mexico City


This is a photo of the Aphrodite fountain in Mexico City, Mexico.

Venus Anadyomene - A Pompeian mural



This is a fresco from Pompei, Casa dei Venus, 1st century AD. It was dug out in 1960. The artist is not known.

The Birth of Venus - Cabanel


The Birth of Venus
Alexandre Cabanel
1863
oil on canvas, 130 x 225 cm.
Paris, Musée d'Orsay


I love this version by French Academic painter Alexandre Cabanel.
There is also a smaller version of this work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City

Venus Anadyomene - Titian


Venus Anadyomene
Tiziano Vecellio (Titian)
1525
Oil on canvas
National Gallery of Scotland
Edinborough, Scotland.


Titian's version just includes the shell as an accessory, rather than as a mode of transportation.


The color titian is derived from the artist's name because he used a brownish orange color in a lot of his paintings.

The Birth of Venus - Bouguereau




The Birth of Venus
William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1879
Oil on canvas
300 × 218 cm
Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France.




One of my favorite versions of the Birth of Venus is this one by the French Academic painter Bouguereau.
Bouguereau used his influence to open many French art institutions to women for the first time, including the Académie française.

The Birth of Venus - Botticelli



The Birth of Venus
Sandro Botticelli, c. 1482–1486.
Tempura on canvas
172.5 × 278.5 cm, 67.9 × 109.6 in
Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy.


Lots of artists painted the birth of Venus. Botticelli's is probably the most famous.


The classical goddess Venus was born fully grown, and rose up from the sea on a shell. She was then blown towards shore by the Zephyrs, symbols of spiritual passions. She is joined by one of the Horae, goddesses of the seasons, who hands her a flowered cloak.


In classical antiquity, the sea shell was a symbol for a woman's vulva.


Venus was the Roman goddess of love, and was borrowed from the Greek goddess Aphrodite.