James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Nocturne in Black and Gold

This oil painting is very abstract. It's almost looks as if there is not a story behind it and just a bunch of random brush strokes. However, if you look close enough you can see the picture of a firework show in a park. I think what I like most about this painting is the abstractness, and that you have to really concentrate on it in order to make out the scene.

Claude Monet, Impression Sunrise, 1872. Oil on canvas

Monet's painting, Impression Sunrise, is by far one of my favorite pieces. I love the blotchy brush strokes and the way it looks very abstract/surreal. The coloring is beautiful and I really like the way that the orange contrasts with the softer blue hues in the rest of the painting.

Caspar David Freidrich. Abbey in the Oak Forest. Oil on canvas

I really like the eerie feeling of this picture. The contrast of the different light draws you in and makes you really focus in on the cemetery scene. It also makes you wonder where the strange light source is coming from. The vertical lines of the trees and the towering brick structure, automatically bring your eyes down to the creepy tomb stones below.

Caspar David Friedrich. Wanderer above a Sea of Mist

In Friedrich's oil painting, Wanderer above a Sea of Mist, the view alone is very realistic and breathtaking. The way that Friedrich ingeniously make the point of view from the top of the man's head, gives the viewer the sensation that they are hovering behind the man and viewing the scenery from afar. The mist around the jagged rocks, the fog around the distance mountain, and the soft clouds all give the painting a very dreamy feel.

Jean-Honore Fragonard, The Swing. 1766. Oil on Canvas,
Wallace Collection, London

In this painting, the glowing pastel colors and soft light in the foreground convey the theme's sensuality. The light colors on top of the dark background give it a very ominous feel, as well as portraying the contrast in perspective. I like the lightheartedness of the story depicted. The fallen man in the bushes portray the painting's comical story and resembles a stage scene from an actual comic opera.

Francois De Cuvillies, Hall of Mirrors, Munich Germany.
Early 18th century

I really like the way the light blue walls contrast with the silver-bronze of the stucco relief. The relief has a somewhat lively effect that gives the appearance that it is growing upwards toward the ceiling. I also love the the mirrors and the concept of them. On sunny days the light will reflect off of them, lighting the room without the need for artificial lighting. This is something that I would love to see for myself someday.

PETER PAUL RUBENS, Consequences of War,
 1638–1639. Oil on canvas. Palazzo Pitti, Florence

Much like Rubens' other paintings, the realism and structure of each individual's body is amazing in Consequences of War. The way the light reflects off of the muscle tone an defines each curve makes the painting look very realistic and almost jump of the page at you.

PIETER CLAESZ, Vanitas Still Life,  
Oil on panel. 
Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg. 

I find the assortment of items in Claesz', Vanitas Still Life, very interesting. The cluster of random objects really catch my attention, especially the globe and the glass goblet. The way the light reflects off of both are very realistic. I also like that you can see a man's reflection in the background through the globe, as well as a scale of the room and a small window to the left.

Pietro Da Cortona, Triumph of the Barberini, ceiling
fresco in the Gran Salone, Palazzo Barberini, Rome , Italy.

My favorite thing about this fresco painting in the view of it. Looking up at a painting gives it a whole new perspective, and Cortona's  use of realism and 3D imagery make the image seem more than just a painting. It appears as though you are actually looking up at an actual event, not just a still image.

Giovanni Battista Gaulli, Triumph of the Name of Jesus, ceiling fresco, Rome, Italy

Just like Pietro Cortona's Triumph of the Berberini, I really like Gionanni Gaulli's Triumph of the Name of Jesus because of the perspective of looking upward at the image. I find the colors brilliant, especially in the center where there is a glimpse of heaven, and I love the 3D effect that this fresco portrays.

Albrecht Altdorfer,  Battle of Issues, 1529.
Oil on wood. Pinakothek, Munich

In Albrecht Altdorfer's work Battle of Issues, I really like the amount of detail he put into painting each individual troop, as well as all of their weapons. The color pallet really pops out at me. The way the color scheme goes from cool blues and grays at the top, to warmer hues of browns and reds towards the bottom really draws my attention to every part of the painting. The bird's-eye view of this this painting shows off Altdorfer's love of landscapes. In the distance, rocky mountain peaks rise next to a still body of water. The sight is almost surreal.

Quinten Massys, Money-Changer and His Wife, Oil on wood.
Musee du Louvre, Paris

I like the darkness of this painting. The clutter in the background and on the table make it seem really realistic, as well as the reference to the painting by Petrus Christus, A Goldsmith in His Shop. The convex mirror on the table reveals a reflection of the window, giving a glimpse of the outside world and creating a broader perspective of the room around them.

Leonardo Da Vinci, Mona Lisa, ca 1503-1505,
Oil on wood. Musee du Louvre, Paris 

Leonardo's Mona Lisa is probably the world's most famous portrait. I really like the realistic qualities in this painting. Leonardo gives her a gentle grin, rather the the normal serious, emotionless face in many other portraits. I also like that there is little symbolism in this painting. Mona Lisa is a convincing representation of an individual. It does not serve solely as an icon of status. She does not wear fancy robes and expensive jewels. Leonardo's portrait of this self'assured woman without exposing great wealth or a higher power, is truly quite remarkable.

Sistine Chapel, Vaticon City, Rome, Iltaly. Ceiling and
altar wall frescoe by Michelangelo Buonarroti.

Michelangelo Buonarroti is not only one of my favorite

artists, but his brilliant piece in the Sistine Chapel is one of my all time favorite works of art. Michelangelo focuses mainly on the realistic expressions on the human figure. To him, the human body is beautiful in its natural form, as well as its spiritual and philosophical significance. He made sure to capture this realism in his paintings. In the Sistine Chapel, many of the figures appear to be "painted sculptures."

Fra Filippo Lippi, Madonna and Child with Angels, ca. 1460-1465.

I really like the way Lippi used different expressions in the painting. Normally, people in this style painting look so serious and emotionless. It's like a "breath of fresh air" to see a smile on the young boy's face. Even Madonna has more emotion in her face than she does in the previous paintings of her. Compared with Duccio's and Giotto's earlier version of Madonna, Lippi's representation shows how far artists in this time had carried the humanization of the religious theme. Overall, Lippi's painting of Madonna and Child with Angels is much more realistic and full of life.

Sandro Botticello, Primavera. ca. 1482. Tempura on wood, 6'8" X 10'4".
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

Primavera (Spring)

Out of all the works that we have looked at so far, this is one of my favorite pieces. I love how the transparent garments flow around the Three Graces to the center/left, as well as on the nymph Chloris (who is later transformed into Flora, goddess of spring) on the right. These see-through garments show the shape of each figures body, which I feel is very different from the usual, baggy clothing we have observed in previous paintings.

My eye is immediately drawn to Venus (center). Botticello drew attention to Venus, the goddess of love, by opening the landscape behind her to reveal a portion of sky that forms a kind of halo around her head. Also, her red draped garments immediately catch my attention.

I love the story that this painting tells, as well as the meaning behind it. Several aspects in the painting suggest the occasion for the painting was Lorenzo's wedding in May 1482. However, the painting also depicts the Neo-Platonists' view that earthly love is compatible with Christian theology.

Assumption of the Virgin, center panel of Creglingen Altarpiece. I really liked this piece by Tilman Piemenschneider, mainly because of the framework and the sharp/rigid detailing. The figures look very troubled rather than having the emotionless expression that you see on many sculptures in this Era. This emotional strain helps bring the piece to life, as well as heighten the spirituality of the figures.

Last Supper, center panel of the Altarpiece of the Holy Sacrament. This oil painting by the artist Dirk Bouts is very different from the more well known version by Leonardo Da Vinci. I really like the way Bouts uses very neutral colors with pops of red to catch your eye. This painting demonstrates his use of a vanishing point. All of the converging diagonal lines lead to the vanishing point in the center of the mantelpiece right above Christ's head, causing him to be the main focal point in the picture.

I was very intrigued with Giovanni Pisano's Annunciation, Nativity, and Adoration of the Shepherds (1297-1301). Normally I'm not exactly interested in sculptures. However, the vivid detail on this 13th Century, French Gothic style work really catches my attention. The story that this piece tries to portray seems a little busy, but I love that the bold images are extremely realistic and basically jump off of the panel at you.