Artist at Social Power Establisher

Art & Performance Communication - PBRL 3022 - Lecture ThreeSeptember 23, 2014 3:30 p.m.- 5:30 p.m.

Seton 503, Mount Saint Vincent, Halifax, NS

Class Agenda - Lecture 3

A brief slideshow of the images in syllabus

Introduce: *Artistic symbolism is an effective power tool* and *Artists as designers of visual power*

Detailed re-examination of a few of the most notable images of the height of portraiture

What would yours look like? Discuss the elements of your portrait

Discuss the rise of the “power portrait” as well as idea of patronage and the art collection as symbols of status, wealth and power within society

Artist as powerful public communicator during the era of power portraits

Discuss the history and prominence of Da Vinci

We will also discuss the ability of the artist to “rewrite” history

Class discussion regarding the blog post assignment

Let’s look at the following images and

see what we can share...

Image 1Who is this?

What is their role?

What could you say about the era they lived in?

What tells you when this was painted?

What’s the purpose of this portrait?

Image 2 - Who am I?Look at my clothes - what do they tell you? What story

am I telling? What is my role? What am I carrying?

Image 3Who am I?

What is my place in history?

What am I trying to say with my body language?

What’s the purpose of this portrait?

What does this mean?

Image 4

Why am I making this face?

What do the colours used in this portrait say? Why were they chosen?

Image 5 - Who’s the focus?

Look at my gesture and position - what story am I telling? What is my role? What am I doing?

What is the theme here?

Artist as power establisher - How?

Body Language (stance, look, position of face)

Material possessions (crown jewels, expensive clothes

Background (lavish furnishings, mythical beauty)

Size of the painting (physically imposing, complex content

Historical references in the paintings (historical moment in time)

Semiotics and Symbolism (What colours are used? What things are added to the portrait which seem odd?)

Elizabeth I•First Tudor Queen•Unmarried•Had to establish a powerful image to retain her throne•Used what techniques?

Image 6Image 7

Roderigo Borgias - Pope Alexander VI•Head of “The Original Crime Family”•Priest with three acknowledged, illegitimate children with a prostitute and many concubines•Killed for the papacy; waged “Holy War” v.s. France

Image 1Image 8

American Presidents•They both are American leaders•Both steered Americans to revolution (independence and emancipation)•What elements are used to exemplify their glory?•What is different in each portrait?

Image 9Image 10

Power PortraitsWhat are Power Portraits?

What Semiotics and Symbolism are employed?

Setting: reinforces role, region, persona and title

Colour: indicates societal wealth, societal role and patron wealth

Pose: Profile, 3/4 profile, full body, half body, nature of the stance, body location, size within portrait setting, angle they face others

Size: Physical size of the scene/portrait, additional family (hier apparent)

Clothing, objects & jewelry: embellishments, material type, colour, style, design, crowns, jewels, swords, staffs, desk, writing materials, books, globes or maps, models, flowers etc.

Animals: dogs, horses, cats, birds (specifically the type), bears, lions, snakes, owls, etc.

What is this?

What do you see?

What are the symbols?

What are the signs?

Image 11

Image 3 Image 12Henry the VIII

Image 13 Image 14Charles the First

The proliferation of various subjects matters but also the status of the

artist designing and executing your portraits. Just like with present day

designers - you are wearing is important, who designed your

painting mattered.

Da Vinci - The Master

A man of many talents: architect, inventor, author, theorist and artist

In high demand - prolific

High status by all demographics: religious, political, monarchial and received many patronages

Image 15

Image 16 Image 17

If you had a portrait commissioned of you -

What would it look like?

Artists can increase and heighten your image BUT

they can also detract from your established image

Image 18 Image 19

Image 4

Image 20

Image 21

Questions?

Let’s talk about your guest blog post assignment..!

References:•Finn, J. M. (2012). Visual communication and culture: Images in action. Don Mills, On: Oxford University Press. 16-20.Henry VII: Patron ... or Plunderer? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9ezB_J5Xq8 last accessed: November 17, 2013.•West, S. (2004). Portraiture. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. pages 21-41, 43-69, 71-103.King, J. N. (1989). Tudor royal iconography: Literature and art in an age of religious crisis. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press. pages 13-22, 54,64, 118.String, T. C. (2008). Art and communication in the reign of Henry VIII. Aldershot, England: Ashgate.Kings of Spain From the Catholic Monarchs to Juan Carlos I: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAYwu5XQQh0 last accessed: November 17, 2013.The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBlGkTTol9E last accessed: November 17, 2013.History Channel: Henry the VIII: http://www.history.com/topics/henry-viii/videos#henry-viii last accessed: November 17, 2013.History Channel: The Protestant Reformation: http://www.history.com/topics/henry-viii/videos#protestand-reformation-english-reformation last accessed: November 17, 2013.The House of Habsburg: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Habsburg and http://www.traditioninaction.org/OrganicSociety/A_019_HumanTypes.html last accessed: November 17, 2013.Ivan the Terrible - biography: http://www.biography.com/people/ivan-the-terrible-9350679 and video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moltBmPc7Uc last accessed: November 17, 2013.She Wolves - England’s Early Queens: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37Tpbkt2FgU last accessed: November 17, 2013.

Image references:1. dell’Altissimo, Cristofano. (unknown date). Pope Alexander Vi. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pope_Alexander_Vi.jpg 2. Eworth, Hans. (1569).Elizabeth I and the Three Goddesses. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eworth_Elizabeth_I_and_the_Three_Goddesses_1569.jpg3. Hans Holbein the Younger. (1536-37). Portrait of Henry VIII. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrait_of_Henry_VIII4. Vasnetsov, Viktor. (1897). Tsar Ivan the Terrible. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vasnetsov_Ioann_4.jpg 5. Carpenter, F.B. (1864). Emancipation proclamation. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Emancipation_proclamation.jpg 6. Artist unknown. (c. 1600). Elizabeth I in Coronation Robes. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_I_in_coronation_robes.jpg 7. Gower, George. (1588). Elizabeth I (Armanda Portrait). Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_I_%28Armada_Portrait%29.jpg8. Titian. (1506-1511). Jacopo Pesaro being presented by Pope Alexander VI to Saint Peter. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacopo_Pesaro_being_presented_by_Pope_Alexander_VI_to_Saint_Peter 9. Stuart, Gilbert. (1796). George Washington (Landsdowne Portrait). Retrieved from: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gilbert_Stuart,_George_Washington_%28Lansdowne_portrait,_1796%29.jpg10. Healy, G.P.A. (1869). Abraham Lincoln. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Abraham_Lincoln_by_George_Peter_Alexander_Healy.jpg 11. Eyck, Jan van. (1434). The Arnolfini Portrait. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Van_Eyck_-_Arnolfini_Portrait.jpg 12.Unknown. (1545). Family of Henry VIII. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Family_of_Henry_VIII_c_1545_detail.jpg13. Dyke, Anthony van. (1636). Portrait of King Charles I in his robes of state. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:King_Charles_I_after_original_by_van_Dyck.jpg14. Dyke, Anthony va. (1633). Charles I (1600-49) with M. de St Antoine. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Anthony_van_Dyck_-_Charles_I_%281600-49%29_with_M._de_St_Antoine_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg 15. Melzi, Francesco. (post 1510). Portrait of Leonardo. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Francesco_Melzi_-_Portrait_of_Leonardo_-_WGA14795.jpg 16. da Vinci, Leonardo. (1503-1506). Mona Lisa. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mona_Lisa,_by_Leonardo_da_Vinci,_from_C2RMF_retouched.jpg 17. Melone, Altobello. (1500-1524). Cesare Borgia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cesareborgia.jpg 18. Unknown. (1520s). Portrait of Richard the III of England. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Richard_III_earliest_surviving_portrait.jpg19. Unknown. (late 1500s). King Richard III. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:King_Richard_III.jpg 20. Unknown. (1500’s). Ivan the Terrible. Retrieved from: http://www.ssqq.com/travel/images/russia2012x064.jpg 21. Repin, Iiya. (1885). Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan on November 16th, 1581. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:REPIN_Ivan_Terrible%26Ivan.jpg