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Saint Francis in the Desert
Saint Francis in the Desert is a mixed oil and tempera painting by Giovanni Bellini. He painted it in Venice, Italy around 1477-1479. The painting portrays Saint Francis standing on a rock, facing the sky with his palms face out and toward the sky. Saint Francis is depicted to be communing with God in a landscape filled with references to the crucifixion and to Moses, whom the Franciscans identified with their founder. The building behind Saint Francis is believed to be a monastery. There is some speculation as to what exactly Saint Francis is doing however. Many say the scene is of religious ecstasy and that Saint Francis is having some sort of worldly experience: receiving Christ’s wounds. At the time, monks were known as humble people and those who renounced worldly goodsThis painting is interesting because it demonstrates the access to materials the Venetians had. This is one of the earliest paintings in oil, and the Venetians were one of the first to have access to oil due to their central location around other nations. The funny reason why this painting was the most interesting for me is because I had just learned about it in my Art History class about two weeks prior to visiting the Frick Collection. I had studied in depth the art of the Renaissance in Quattrocento Italy so at the Frick I was actually able to recognize the painting immediately.
Comtesse d’Haussonville
The oil painting by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres titled Comtesse d’Haussonville really surprised me because it was one of the first portraits I ever saw that incorporated the use of a mirror to give the spectator a glimpse at the backside of the subject. Because of the mirror, you can see how her hair is beautifully braided and held together by some sort of hair pik. The mirror also brings light to the details of the lace collar as well as the buttons that run down her back, which I would assume she buttoned to secure her dress on. In a way, this gives this 2-D painting has a 3-D feel since you have a relatively complete view of the girl. I was also really shocked by how realistic the dress looked. The sheen of the fabric was so carefully painted, and every fold, wrinkle, and ruffle was given so much attention. I almost wanted to reach out and touch the dress.
The painting continues to tease my memory because of the girls facial expression. I want to know what she is thinking about; the expression she has is rather neutral, but it is clear that something is on her mind because of her hand placement. Her eyes look right into the viewer’s, and they seems a little tired and distressed, which can be deduced from her blue-gray tinted under eye bags.