The theme of this collection is past vs present culture, where in the past, art was focused on nobility/status and religion. Now, displayed art is more rebellious, it isn’t created for the subjects to view, it is created by the artist. It is a lot harder to figure out the message, almost as if the artist themselves doesn’t have much to say. Showing off culture by being proper and boastful, vs showing culture through freedom of expressing, where the message of the art is not the art itself but the freedom to create it without rules.

The art no longer adheres to a specific group due to the ability for it to be widespread. It doesn’t have to follow a format. That ideal is the creativity expressed in modern paintings. You have the freedom to give something meaning, it could be a simple black square or it could represent something. With traditional works, the meaning was already there be it power, faith, or beauty.

Vanity by Auguste Toulmouche, 1890

Vanity by Auguste Toulmouche is an oil painting that displayed Victorian women’s obsession with their beauty and status. It is thought that Toulmouche was inspired by Romanticism, which was a surge of renewed passion for Greek mythology and classical literature. The painting references the story of Narcissus, who fell in love with his reflection. I picked this piece because it shows what classic European art looked like: a wealthy aristocrat showing off her silky pigmented ball gown, with golden flecks embedded in blue fabric occupying the background. All of these small details show the viewer how this young lady views herself, and her pride in her possessions. 

                           

  The Letter by Auguste Toulmouche, 1879

In this oil on canvas painting, a young aristocrat lady stands by a fiery red, table cloth on which lie fresh flowers and her white curly wig. She is wearing an elegant day dress with a focus on her femininity. This is another representation of the type of art popular during the 19th century. All of the things that surround the girl are her or her family’s possessions. She has the luxury to send and receive letters while elegantly grieving at bad news. 

The Explosion of the Spanish Flagship during the Battle of Gibraltar 

by Cornelis Claesz van Wieringen, 1621

The Explosion of the Spanish Flagship during the Battle of Gibraltar conveyed the chaotic battle that was started by the Spanish Armada in an attempt to end Protestantism in England. As a counterattack to the Spanish, English fire ships rammed into their enemies, causing explosions that threw people and ship materials into the air. The feeling of battle and aggression is conveyed through the dark ocean, cluttered with many ships, which contrasts the bright orange fire. The rampant waves and storms were not only artistic, they were also the reason for the Spanish defeat. This piece showed a bit of history when the Royal English Navy and the Spanish Armada where both in conflict. This occurred during a time of colonialism and hunger as to who can obtain the most territory from the other. I thought it was fitting to the theme of European dominance and wealth. 

Still Life with Peaches and Grapes on a Table by Emilie Preyer 

Still Life with Peaches and Grape on a Table explains exactly what the painting is all about in the title. It is a simple oil painting that shows different peach and grape varieties. The interesting aspect of this piece is that it was most likely drawn from an artist’s own home rather than an aristocrats. The selection of fruits and color is not overflowing the table. This piece adds to the theme of European culture expressed in paintings. 

The Triumph of Galatea by Corrado Giaquinto, 1752

The Triumph of Galatea reveals the moment that Galatea, a sea divinity, turned her dead lover into the river after he was killed by a jealous rival. This oil painting was one of the many mythological recreations made in the 18th century. A love for the classics related to higher status. I was drawn to this image because of the contrast in colors and how dramatic everyone looks. It is also interesting to see that the woman is in a position of wrath and power instead of seeming delicate. 

[Untitled] by Martin Kippenberger, 1981

This untitled photograph taken by Martin Kippenberger caught my attention with the immediate reaction of ‘wait, this is art?’ I was curious at how far art expression developed from self portraits to photographs with controversial aesthetics. I decided to include this in my collection to show the contrast between the past and present art forms. It might be that because we are in a capitalist society, artists have more freedom to be abstract in their concepts and not adhere to an audience. 

Black Square by Kazimir Malevich 1915 

Kazmir Malevich described The Black Square as the first painting about truly nothing. A 100 years ago, this painting would probably have been ignored. The reason why I decided to include it in this collection is the stark contrast it provides in relation to the past. The sense of showing off wealth and having objects all occupy space and invoke emotion. The exact opposite would be minimalism, or in this case minimalist art, where the artist doesn’t give a meaning to his piece. When looking at a portrait, you can see ‘it’s a portrait, that’s a young lady’. When looking at this box there’s a feeling of ‘well it could be an abyss, or it’s a window, or it’s just a black square…I really can’t tell!’ 

The Son of Man (all three paintings)  by Rene Magritte, 1946

The Son of Man is famous for being peculiar. Many people have probably seen the middle painting, but there are two more paintings that compliment the famous one. When all three are side by side, it creates a dynamic (almost comic book) flow to the storyline. At first we are introduced to a giant green apple that obscures the entire torso of the figure standing behind it. My initial reaction was that it was some sort of abstract concept or personification of a fruit. The second painting in this series added a little clarity. We can now see that the same apple shrinked in size, which gave a sense of movement in the picture. However, the second painting is still just as odd as the first one: the man is wearing a formal outfit outside on a stormy day, with his eyes peeking out from behind the apple and his left elbow is bent backwards. I was personally unsettled at the suspense of the flying apple built up by the first two paintings. The final painting in this series delivers the dramatic blow and blood spurt. Everything is distorted. A small apple caused enough damage to push the man into the brick wall, losing his hat and some blood in the process. The reason why I decided to include all three of these paintings in this collection was to contrast the past and present art culture. In these paintings, we can see dynamic movement happening on a stationary surface. The topic is very abstract and has little to no purpose. On top of everything else, this is a self portrait and an odd one at that. The emphasis on glamorous prestige is immediately dismissed in many modern abstract styles. This piece was literally a guy getting smacked by an apple.