Romantic Lutheranism: Friedrich’s Landscapes in Analysis
The early 16th Century was defined by a movement away from the religious and political dominance of the Roman Catholic Church in Western and Central Europe known as the Protestant Reformation. Caspar David Friedrich, a 19th century German Romantic artist working prominently in landscape paintings, presented religious references and themes from his Lutheran background in much of his work. Ideologically, both Lutheranism and Romanticism are presented in similar manners with their strong connections to nature and the infinite. In an analysis of five of Friedrich’s oil paintings, the symbolism and composition of his paintings will be compared.
Image: Monastery Graveyard in the Snow, Caspar David Friedrich. 1819, Oil on Canvas.
The Medici Family and The Renaissance: A Research Paper Excerpt
The Medici were known for commissioning great artists to create works we still hold dear today, like Botticelli’s Primavera, as well as convincing their colleagues to commission work as well. Through their personal commissions and direct support of artists, as well as their friend’s commissions, the Medici family of Florence were vital in bringing on the Renaissance, and their influence is still seen today.
Image: Sandro Botticelli, “Madonna of the Magnificat,” 1481. Tempura. Image thought to depict the family of Piero de' Medici.
Artemisia Gentileschi’s “Allegory of Inclination,” and Autonomy: Exploring her Florentine Period
[Artemisia Gentileschi] sought to embody herself in her work, and we can understand her depiction of “inclination,” in an artist as a depiction of herself— a kind of reclamation of her skill, similar to the act of reclamation seen in her biography, wherein she asserts that the origin of her artistic predilection is feminine and therefore separate from her father.
Image: Artemisia Gentileschi, “Allegory of Inclination.” 1615-16. Oil on canvas.