Welcome to a brief chronological time line of a theme in art history based on Politics and Social Order depicted in the preservation of land and property, the harsh reality of war, and the emotional conflicts in societies as interpreted by visual art terms in the six photo images - courtesy of
Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art 2000-.
http://www.metmuseum.org/ The compositions range from the mid-sixteenth through the nineteenth century.
The first piece is representative of human suffrage in the scio-political context of societies in Central Europe and was created in gouache on brown paper by Adam Elsheimer entitled, "Seated Young Woman" (German, 1578-1610 A.D.). Elsheimer employs gouache, a method of painting with opaque watercolors, to reflect the solitary mood of the young lady "seated in deep shadow" in the center focal point of this piece. The use of straight line, shade, and layers of hatching and cross hatching adds balance and unity and pattern of design principles to draw attention to the bleak, cold place where she is seated. These visual elements add another value of darkness surrounding the central figure. She is thought to be "Bathsheba, whom King David spied upon and seduced."
The next work of art featured is reflective of the preservation of land in a colorful forest scene by Thomas Gainsborough (Dutch) entitled "Wooded Upland Landscape" (1783). Gainsborough employs oil on canvas to create this composition in linear perspective that draws your eyes directly in the center of the landscape. Its vivid yellow-green hues add warmth value in this symmetrically balanced design. The road divides the piece into two identical views. Contour lines form tops of the trees in the foreground darkened in green and black colored foliage. Texture is emphasized by thick applications of paint that add a rugged appearance positioned on each side of the road colored in brownish-yellow hues with contour-design of the road positioned down the middle. The elements of design include balance, scale and proportion seen in this vast landscape. In the center focal point, two figures walk toward the house in the distant horizon in the foreground. The brightly colored road is emphasized in yellowish-orange hues in color harmonies of "delicate washes of pastel coloring" which were typical of that period. The artist utilized contour lines blending green, green-blue, and green-yellow to add value of sunlight in hues of blue at the top depicting cool, cloudy skies.
The third work of art is entitled "Evening: Landscape with an Aqueduct" (1818) by Jean-Louis-Andre-Theodore Gericault (French) relates to societies preservation of historic buildings. Gericault employs oil on canvas to create this work, "one of four monumental landscapes representing four times of day" for "decoration to be placed within the paneling of a specific room." A painting on consignment, "the aqueduct at Spolato in the Italian countryside was the artists great achievement of David's heroic but intellectualized imagery depicting deep currents of emotion," probably during a political conflict. This piece adds the visual elements of color contrasts in the sublime with shades of brown blended into the darkened landscape in asymmetrical balance. Our eyes are directed to the upper left where a lone tree is lodged outlined in contour line into the dark clouds to the left and a clearing of bright yellow hues that add implied sunlight. The light and dark values of the sky take little attention away from the geometric pattern of the buildings in the foreground, a figure in a red scarf that also adds variety in scale and proportion to the piece.
The fourth work of art entitled "The Lake of Zug" (1843) by Joseph Mallard William Turner (English) is based on the theme of preserving the environment in the public interest based on socio-political theme of art in politics and social order. Turner employs a medium of watercolor over graphite to add visual elements of "successive layers of color -- applied in fluent watercolors, drier washes, and semi-opaque mixtures -- while the hazy mist and glittering reflections were scraped out of already painted areas, recovering the smooth white surface of the paper." An Impressionistic artist, Turner "exhibited controversial technical prowess which he was celebrated... and, this view was commissioned" for solicitations to patrons for a business idea. The visual elements of complementary color harmonies added cooling colors of blue and blue-violet in the center of the piece which is emphasized with a darkened blue shaded area positioned in the focal point adding intensity and lightness (visual) to the lake. The bottom of the canvas is surrounded by vividly colored yellow-orange hues. The figures are positioned by the waters edge in scale and proportion to the massive water landscape. Additional hatching and cross-hatching pattern in straight lines express rugged surface of the hills upward into the horizon, blended with mixtures of yellow, orange and red on one side of the lake blend with blue, violet and orange on the other. The eyes are draw to the top as implied sunlight is added with smooth applications of light yellow-orange hues are thinly applied in the center to add contrast of lightness and darkness of the land and water.
In the fifth work of art depicts the harsh reality of war expressed in oil on canvas by Eugene Delacroix (French) "The Abduction of Rebecca" (1846). Delacroix employs the visual elements of color, contour line, shading, emphasis, and design principles of balance and unity, and variety. The colors are layered and darkened with black paint emphasizing the forest setting. The title character is the center focal point carried away by slaves of a nobleman who has coveted her throughout the war. The eyes are drawn to color pigment of light rosy red face and chest of Rebecca's in contrast to the dark brown faces and dull red, green, and blue attire worn by her captors. In the foreground, a figure is pointing at fire in the woods drawn in contour lines by red, yellow, and orange colors implying flames.
The last work of art is entitled "The Love Song" (1878) by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones (English). The artist created this piece in asymmetrical balance and utilized visual elements of vivid colors of red, orange, yellow on the right and black, maroon, greens and a red shash on the right arm of the young man adds variety to the left side of the piece. The central figure has added value of lightness in her clothing and complexion which stands out as the focal point, and the object of his affection. The duty of society is to protect and provide a healthy home with good quality of life found in the theme of politics and social order here. The figures are in love and the artist portrayed them looking indifferent to issues of any kind. Multi-colored flowers sit at their feet while in the distant foreground is a house in dark shades of green and brown stucco in two-point linear perspective to the three figures in the front which appear larger than the buildings near the horizon.
In conclusion, these issues continue to resonate in socio-political contexts related to human suffrage, romantic affairs, turbulence of war, and the preservation of a way of life throughout today's modern world. I hope you enjoyed the chronological time line in history through the selected compositions which were chosen for their aesthetic appeal as well as to evoke emotional connection with a brief moment in art history. Moreover, we hope your appreciation for the visual art forms were stimulated with the theme of art in politics and social order captured by the artists utilization of the basic elements of design including color relationships, perspective, line, and how their application of the principles of design, including balance, pattern, rhythm, emphasis, and scale operate within the selected pieces are remembered as one of many perceptions of the theme of art in our lives.
WORKS CITED
Getlein, Mark. "Getlein's Living with Art." Eighth Edition. New York, N.Y. (2007). Chapters 3-5.
