The Hawk Blog

  Mid Modern Art      The longest war in American history prior to 2002 was the Vietnam war, and it was the only war that was ever considered a loss. From 1954-1975 the United States and many other countries from the Southeast Asia Treaty fought alongside the Republic of South Vietnam against the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army. This war brought many changes and effected many people. The art from this time reflects that. Attack at Twilight, by Roger Blum 1966      Roger Blum served the Vietnam War and painted Attack at Twilight in 1966 while in Hawaii. He was part of the Vietnam Combat Artists Program that was established through the United States Arm Art Program. The program was meant to pictorially document the Vietnam War. The painting shows a burning hut during twilight. Blum used acrylic paint to show dramatic lighting to emphasize the emotion of the painting. The cool blue colors mixed with the dark red does a great job to depict the vi...

  The Early 20 th Century: The Age of Anxiety      The early 20 th century has been referred to as “The Age of Anxiety”. There was very little stability throughout the world between the years of 1900-1939. There were so many things going on during this time frame, which included World War 1, the Great Depression, mass migrations, continued industrialization of economies, and the Roaring Twenties. The effects of “The Age of Anxiety” can be seen though the art that was created during that period.      World War I occurred during the years of 1914 and 1918 and was one of the deadliest wars to take place. Over 16 million people were killed during these years, including both soldiers and civilians. The use of machine guns, grenades, tanks, airplanes, and poisonous gas lead it to be considered one of the first modern wars. Traditional styles of art were rejected during this time frame and art became more abstract and art began to defy social norms. ...

  Romanticism vs. Realism         Romanticism and Realism both came about in the 1900’s and they were greatly influenced by the Industrial Revolution.   Romanticism artists set out to try to portray their emotional connection to the world around them. While Realism artists wanted to create scenes of the world around them with great accuracy. Romanticism           Romanticism paintings were often created out of pure fantasies. Artists wanted to show emotion and feelings within their works. They also were free to express themselves in any way they wanted and were able to use their imaginations. In the beginning of Romanticism, the paintings focused on seascapes or landscapes and included people and animals. They also included Gothic aspects and figures from Greek or Roman mythology and a world of dreams. They show intimacy, spirituality, and color.           French Romantic paintings can...

  Morality and the Art of the Classical Era      The Classical Era consisted of the Rococo and Neoclassical styles of art. Many great art pieces came from this period. There were many changes going on during this era throughout Europe and America. Two of which were the French Monarchy and the creation of the United States. Through the period of Enlightenment there was an emphasis put on reason, intellect, and secular concerns. There was also an emphasis on the common man and less on religious undertones. The first two paintings I have selected are of the Rococo style, and the sculpture is Neoclassical. The Stolen Kiss  Fragonard, Jean Honore. Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia The Stolen Kiss was painted by Jean Honore Fragonard in the 1780s. Fragonard was a student of Boucher and when he painted, he used rapid brushstrokes. His paintings contained overtly erotic subject matter. This painting relates to the era because it appears to be a painting of ...

      Baroque Era                                                                                                                     Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1599 by Caravaggio           The painting, Judith Beheading Holofernes was painted by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. Caravaggio was an Italian painter who painted in Rome most of his life but also painted in Naples, Sicily, and Malta. He painted from 1593 until the year he died, in 1610. This art piece was created in 1599 while he was in Rome. Caravaggio (Study.com)           I find this piece to b...

  Robert Campin Master of Flemalle Portrait of a women and Portrait of a man                                                                            Portrait of a Woman. c.1430. National Gallery London. (s)                                                                       Portrait of a Man. c.1430. National Gallery London. (s) These paintings were painted by Robert Campin, or Master of Flemalle, as he was known.   He was a Flemish painter of the northern Renaissance and was one of the first artists to depict realistic interpretations of th...