Unit/Project 5 -

Text on an annotated image -
Jan Van Eyck’s ‘The Arnolfini Marriage’

The painting is a marriage portrait and shows the married couple as the central feature.

The man is dressed in a heavy and dark outfit with a big black hat. His expression is quite sombre and standing nearest the window with his back to it, he is dark and shaded. He appears to have no shoes on although his feet look like they may have been repainted, as they are not clearly defined, a feature that is unusual in comparison to the clarity of the brushwork found throughout the rest of the painting.

The lady stands next to the bed and is dressed in rich vibrant coloured clothes although they also appear to be of quite thick and heavy fabrics. Her outfit appears to be lighter by the use of delicate decorations on her accessories such as the white headdress and the fabric textures. She also benefits from having light from the window shining onto her. Her expression is slightly pensive, one hand clutches at her clothing, drawing them to her chest as if for protection or comfort.

The room looks to be a bedroom, which is an unusual setting for a wedding portrait. The room itself has elements that are quite drab; some of the window shutters are missing, a sweeping brush left hanging off the bed and the shoes left in view. These again make the setting for a wedding portrait quite odd. Contrasting these drab elements are the sumptuous bed, the elaborate chandelier and the decorative wooden carving on the headboard.

A sense of perspective into the centre of the painting is achieved using the lines of the floorboards, window and furniture. Although the couple are the centrepiece, the perspective leads towards the mirror on the back wall. This in turn brings the viewer back into the room with its reflection. The details on the mirror edge show Biblical scenes and this, with the mirrors position, implies that religion is central to the marriage and its portrait. This is also reinforced with the positioning of the couples hands underneath the mirror; the curve of their arms helps to give movement in the picture and to lead the viewers’ eye around. The chandelier points downwards, once again towards the mirror and the couples hands.

Holding hands is the only way in which the couple are connected, although this does not look natural for either people. He has control in the hold while she keeps her hand open stiffly. They both have their gazes averted and avoid eye contact with each other and the viewer. Their expressions are not joyful, and along with their outfits - mainly his - they do not seem to be celebrating their marriage. They do both appear to be wearing very similar, if not matching, metal cuffs with a lattice pattern, possibly a wedding gift to them.

Overall, the image is both beautiful and strange. Despite the lack of celebration, there is an air of calmness and serenity to the picture and it has an obvious beauty from the use of colour and the high standard of skill in the paintwork. Looking beyond this, the peculiar is noticed in the choice of setting and the objects left included. Symbolic interpretations could be used to explain some, or even all, of the peculiarities, and this I feel could only add to the beauty of this painting.

Reflections on Project 3 – Studies of free standing Classical figures

During my visit to London, I visited The British Museum to look at and draw various free standing Classical figure statues.

I enjoyed this project much more that I had anticipated as figure drawing has never been by strong point and something I tend to try to avoid. However I surprised myself at how they were fairly decent drawings!

I didn’t allow myself to choose sculptures that would be ‘easy’ to draw. Instead I forced myself to draw the first four that I came to. I did only move onto another sculpture once as it was very similar in dress and pose to one that I had already drawn.

I find it slightly difficult to assess the sculptures in skilful representation as anything like this is good in my eyes, purely because I am no good at it! I did pick up though on one of the sculptures, a Greek youth, that his head seemed to be too small and his neck overly thick in comparison to the rest of his body. However, I would hesitate in saying that this was a poor representation as we will never know without having met the subject.

I also noted how some statues were obviously idealised, others had slight individualities and the portrait bust was definitely a portrait! The use of drapery in the statues, especially the one of the sea nymph, also had the appearance of having been stylised for aesthetic effect.

I would not say that by drawing the sculptures I have a better understanding of them. I am naturally a person who is very observant and visually analytical. Also my drawings are not brilliant copies for future reference as I have potentially introduced more errors into the image. I feel that in circumstances like this, as much as the sketching is good for developing my skills, annotating from a photo would be more beneficial, especially if they are to be used in the future for reference.

Some interpretation (or application of knowledge learnt from study work) could be made to make a judgement on the status of the person especially by looking at the pose and dress, which I feel has the most significance. The youth is naked and stands tall and confident. The nymph is clothed revealingly and free from rigid poses, free from any restrictions and restraints. The lady is demurely dressed and conservative, standing in an elegant yet semi-relaxed manner.

London visit review

I arrived in London earlier than scheduled as traffic and trains were all running well. I visited the British Museum first and as I was early, I had time to look at the postcards on offer whilst waiting for the actual museum rooms to open, thus saving time allocated for looking afterwards.

I had already obtained a map and along with my research into which rooms to visit and what was on display, I very quickly found what I was looking for.

I managed to sketch 4 free-standing figure sculptures for project 3 in various poses, states of dress etc. I also quickly found an alternative portrait bust to annotate as the one suggested, Antonia, had been taken off display and the website not updated (explains also why I couldn’t find it on my last trip!).

Ahead of schedule, I moved on to the National Gallery where I had at least 2 paintings to annotate. If I had time I was hoping to also see some pictures for future units.

Arriving at the National Gallery, they had run out of English maps so I took my chances with a French one, the room numbers at least would be the same. I did find however that the map didn’t show all of the intermediary rooms; twice I found myself in what I thought was the correct room when it should have been the next room along.

The first piece for me to see was Duccio’s ‘Mary & Child with Saints’ altarpiece. I am very glad that I had looked this up on the internet and made a sketch before visiting as there were several in the room that looked similar, and I was able to quickly find the one that I needed without having to read the labels. I spent over an hour at this piece which did surprise me as it isn’t very big at all. I have found when annotating that it suits me better to draw/sketch on one page and to make notes and detailed sketches on another page. I have tried to draw a frame on the page to limit my drawing size but always spill over and leave no room for anything other than short annotation notes.

The second painting I needed to see was Jan Van Eyck’s ‘ Arnolfini Marriage’. I was really looking forward to this as I had first studied it several years ago at college and had been very impressed with the detailing and symbolic references. It turns out that lots of people want to see this, as there was a constant stream of viewers congregated around it. This meant that I struggled to get a clear view and I felt rushed in my viewing and sketching. Even when I did manage to position myself directly in front of it, people were crowding around and even standing straight in front of me.

I managed to get a fairly detailed sketch done and I tried to make as many annotations as possible using my own observations rather than relying on what I had been taught previously in college. Obvious as it may seem, but I did really find that actually looking at the picture rather than textbook/internet images, was much better.

I managed to spend about 45 minutes here and I am very pleased with what I did achieve.

A quick stop for a late lunch and I decided to look at one of the pieces required for the next unit, Titan’s ‘Bacchus and Ariadne’.

By this point my legs were aching from standing for so long and also my arm from supporting my sketchbook while I worked. I was very pleased to get to Titan’s painting and find that there was a bench in front of it for me to rest my weary feet and look at the painting comfortably. Especially as the painting is much larger and there is a lot to look at.

I had quickly looked at the following units in case I did have time to view paintings. Even so, I wasn’t sure what I was meant to be looking at or for, especially as it is a mythological painting. I have made a sketch and some initial observations but feel it would be best to leave this for another visit once I have studied the chapter and can understand the relevance. Based on this I decided not to look at the other pieces until I have done the linked study work so that I don’t confuse myself.

Overall, I am very pleased with my visit this time. My planning ahead has certainly paid off as I had finished ahead of schedule. This is definitely what I will be doing for my future trips.

Next London visit - planning

I have planned my next visit to London to view several paintings for various annotations and projects. Learning from experience of my last visit to London, my planning for this trip is quite a bit more in depth and detailed.

I have used the suggested images for each/unit project (except for one, more on this later) simply for ease, and also as several of the suggestions are images that I have always liked and would like to see.

Especially now that I have read about the background and the era they were painted in and can better understand the piece and to put it into context.

I am planning to set off earlier this time so that I am in London for when the galleries open and this also allows for any delays in transport. Other commitments mean that I have to be left London by 4pm so the early start will help.

I have checked out where the paintings are, gallery addresses and opening times, which rooms the pieces are in, and also the best means of transport within London.

I have made a few notes about each painting (and a little thumbnail sketch for the pieces I haven’t heard of before) and a little about the context from my study notes. This reminder will be helpful for the annotations needed for units I haven’t looked at for a while and hopefully it will stand me in better stead to analyse the pieces.

I have created a rough itinery of the day so that I am planned and have a focus for the day. I have allowed approx 45 minutes at each specific piece and approx 15-20 minutes for quick sketches of classical statues for project 3. I have even estimated and allowed for time between pieces for getting from one room/gallery to another.

Also, I have made a list of the postcards required for each unit. I have so far been finding appropriate images from the internet but I do like the idea of having actual postcards. I will look in the gift shops at each gallery to see if there are any suitable postcards there.

Pieces I must see:

‘Antonia’ marble bust at The British Museum for Unit 3’s annotation
Variety of Classical free standing figure sculptures at the British Museum for Unit 3’s project
‘Virgin & Child with Saints’ Altarpiece by Duccio at the National Gallery for Unit 5’s annotation
‘Arnolfini Marriage’ by Jan Van Eyck at the National Gallery for Unit 6’s annotation

Pieces I would like to at least see, time permitting:

‘Bacchus & Ariadne’ by Titian at The National Gallery for Unit 7’s annotation
‘Nymph with Satyrs’ by Nicholas Poussin at The National Gallery for Unit 7’s project
‘Triumph of Pan’ By Nicholas Poussin at The National Gallery for Unit 8’s annotation
‘Allegory of War & Peace’ by Rubens at The National Gallery for Unit 9’s annotation

Unit 5 - Chapter and film

Chapter 10 (The Fifteenth Century in Europe) & Film 5 (Early Renaissance in Italy)

I was not able to read this chapter in one go and kept getting distracted! I struggled to get into the flow of reading and making notes and felt that I spent too much time re-reading sections. I do not feel that this chapter has made much of an impact on me and even going over my notes again, I struggle to feel or be enthusiastic about the subject.

Towards the end of the chapter my interest picked up slightly. The text on paintings and artists rather than the architecture was more appealing and I particularly liked the mythological references to the images. I am thinking once again that I like learning about these hidden messages and meanings in art. They make a piece much more enjoyable to study and investigate.

Also, I like the idea of progress in art and architecture. Durer’s printing accomplishments, and also general developments in architecture and engineering (as seen in the previous chapter on Gothic architecture) are more enjoyable to me, as opposed to the Renaissance trend of going back to Classical styles.

It may also be the simpler ideals and lack of detail of the Classical period are just not as intriguing to me as the intricate work of the Gothic period.

Although this chapter has not been one that I especially enjoyed studying, it has helped me to understand a bit more about what it is in an image that draws my attention and interests me.

This time, however, the film was very useful. I made a lot of notes and found it to explain the subject much better than the textbook. I liked how concise and direct the information was presented along with the corresponding imagery. It really helped me to understand the era and the changes that took place.

Unit 4 - Visit

I finally got around to seeing St. Mary’s church in Warwick town centre for my visit requirement. I went early on a Saturday morning hoping to avoid Saturday shoppers and although sunny, it was very cold and windy.

I started by spending time walking around looking at the exterior and making sketches before going inside. I could immediately see obvious differences in styles where various sections had been built at different times. It was good to see these next to each other and be able to make comparisons. The nave has some decoration to it and these were mainly Classical references. The roofline had classical balustrades and urns but the windows had got the beginnings of the pointed arches, although the inner stonework of the window was still very much a rounded arch.

The tower has lots of recesses with plinths on it going up either side of the tower faces, although the statues they may once have held have all gone. The arches on these are rounded where as the central decorations on the tower face again have a slight point. The stonework at the very top of the tower though has similar decorations to the Beauchamp chapel (see below) and could be described as higher gothic in style.

Generally, the nave and tower only have the windows and recesses as forms of decoration. The rest of the walls are plain brickwork.

Moving round the church I came to a section that was suddenly very ornate. The roofline was lower than the nave and apse behind it and this was obviously a later addition. There is very little of the wall that has not been decorated in some way. The arches are definitely pointed although very wide still, and the decorations are slender and intricate. External buttress supports have been built; they are solid at the base but again have a lot of carving to make them less clumsy looking and they are topped by flying buttress vaults, although the roof isn’t that high so I’m not sure if they do serve a support purpose or are merely decorative. There are still distinct horizontal lines in use which would lead me to say that this section isn’t quite of the high gothic period yet which tried to ‘blur’ any horizontals for a ‘heavenward’ effect. This section I found out to be the Beauchamp Chapel, which was built in the mid fifteenth century.

Continuing around the church even more, the apse has a massive window full of stained glass. The level of decoration on the walls is less than the last section but more than the nave and tower. I would have said that as the church was built, possibly starting from the tower end and working towards the apse, the gothic style had developed to become more decorative and this was implemented into the design. There is here though the use of solid buttress vaults with no attempt to decorate them or make them appear less ungainly.

The other side of the church generally mirrors the first side. However, whereas the first side has had the beautiful Beauchamp Chapel addition, this side is very plain with only a few windows breaking up the brickwork and the whole effect is of a functional addition to the Church. These rooms turn out to be the oldest part of the church and are the vestry rooms.

I made several sketches of the overall building and also some of the stonework details. I also took some photos from a distance for a general view. Taking photos was also helpful to be able to see more clearly the details in the stonework that was higher on the façade and out of clear visibility.

Once inside, I again took a little while to look around and think about the layout and styles. The nave has tall and slender columns going into rib vaults. Between the vaults, the ceiling has been filled with plaster and the centre of the vaults has a decorative stone circle, some displaying a coat of arms.

The church is obviously based on the shape of the cross and has a central aisle leading to the altar and two side aisles. Similar to the outside, the only structural decoration is on the windows, with the exception of some coats of arms that have been mounted.

Moving into the apse, the level of decoration increases greatly, again like the exterior. The wooden choir stalls are carved almost all over and the walls are covered in stone tracery. Fan vaults with subsidiary and flying ribs are in use and the windows go right up to the ceiling and almost fill the walls width-wise. There is a high altar here and in the centre is a large tomb for Earl Thomas Beauchamp I and his wife who had much involvement in the building of the church, and it is their coats of arms that can be seen around the church. Almost filing the floor space in front of the high altar are numerous grave and memorial stones.

These grave and memorial stones have been laid on the floor above ‘the bone house’. Down in the crypt, where there are many more such stones, were kept the remains found in graves disturbed by various rebuilds. A section of the crypt has been sealed off and reserved for the earls of Warwick and their families.

The level of decoration increases again in The Beauchamp Chapel, which is even more intricately designed than the exterior. The only areas not decorated are the ceiling space between the ribs of the vaults, and the floor. In here are four large ornate tombs, each with their own distinct designs. This is also the only part of the church to have an original painting, of the Last Judgement, and with so much detail, it is the most colourful part of the church. There is a mix in here of the religious and secular. The stained glass features Biblical scenes and the plasterwork and carving are of Biblical characters. Whereas the tombs are very much a celebration of personal success and status; bearing many coats of arms, with figures of relatives mourning the deceased and even mythical winged creatures.

The Beauchamp chapel has been built for the sole purpose of commemorating Richard Beauchamp whose tomb is positioned centrally and in front of the altar. To the sides, other tombs of relatives have been added at later dates. The feel of this room is very self-indulgent and I would imagine this indulgent style in which they want to be remembered mirrored their style of living very closely.

On the North side of the church, one of the vestry rooms has been turned into a private mausoleum for the family of Fulke Greville. The room is almost completely filled with a black marble tomb in the Classic style. Although nowhere near as decorative as the Beauchamp tombs, it is equally as impressive and domineering. Again, the style of this could be read as a reflection of the persons’ life and demeanour.

The church appears to have been built and used for two main reasons. The first is that of a church of remembrance. The many tombs both inside and outside show this, as well as the area that has been more recently dedicated to fallen war heroes through the ages. There are many other memorial markers for benefactors of the church in various places.

Secondly, the church once had a pilgrimage connection. A list of the relics the church claimed to own included a piece of Jesus’ manger and cross, and part of the burning bush of Moses. The importance of these relics and the crowds they would have drawn can go some way in explaining the obvious wealth the church once had, and of its huge size in comparison to the population of Warwick.

I later found out from the guidebooks I bought, that the nave and south transept, which I thought were the oldest due to their Classical references, are actually the newest parts. They were rebuilt in the eighteenth century after a fire destroyed the originals in 1694. A drawing of the church before the fire shows that the nave windows were more ornate than the ones there now, but the tower was a lot plainer. Why it was decided to rebuild using Classical details on the nave and high gothic on the tower instead of a uniform style is unclear.

In terms of decoration versus devotion, the nave is relatively plain with little to distract the worshipper. Even though it is the plainest part, it still has its own beauty and atmosphere and the small altar does not draw very much attention at all. I imagine many people may find themselves looking past the altar to the apse with its stained glass window commanding attention.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this visit and I was constantly being amazed at the sheer vastness and variety of decoration and the size of the building. I have been past the church many times I the past and never taken notice. Once again, a purposeful visit has opened my eyes to the wonderful buildings and art so close to home.

Unit 4 – chapter & films

Chapter 9 Medieval Christendom (reference chapter 7, Early Christian & Byzantine Art) & films 3, A White Garment of Churches, and 4, The Age.

When I have been reading the textbook chapters previously and references have been given to other parts of the book, I have pretty much ignored them. My theory being that I am very limited on time and constantly flicking through the book to find these references eats up too much time and would be possibly distracting.

When I was reading this chapter then I did not look up many of the references. However, at the end of the chapter I realised that this is how I was meant to reference chapter 7. This then meant that I had to skim read through the second chapter to pick up on the links and connections to the first chapter, which although interesting, was frustrating. One study skill definitely learnt.

This was overall though the most interesting section so far. Gothic architecture has always fascinated me and to learn about the history and reasoning behind it was exciting. It found it really good to learn why and how the developments took place, and also to pinpoint the aspects that do interest me, notably high gothic detailing and decoration.

I found the religious influences and logic for many of the changes to be particularly intriguing as I come from a Christian family and have heard some of the ideas before, especially the ‘distracting decorations’ one and so could relate to this slightly. The idea of the churches being built heavenward and the ‘divine light’ of the stained glass also linked to my interest in symbolisms and hidden meanings.

By the end of the chapter, I do feel very confident in looking at buildings and being able to identify the features that make it Gothic. Also, to be able to use these to determine what part of the period they come from and also what influences they may have had from across Europe.

The film narrative did not give me any information that I considered new and additional to the text. I did enjoy watching it though for the imagery. It helped me to appreciate the sheer scale of the cathedrals especially the aerial views showing them in relation to the surrounding houses and buildings.