Sherry Clements
American Intercontinental University
Unit 4 Individual Project
Art Appreciation: HUMA 205- 1401A- 07
February 1, 2014
In this work we will be talking about Baroque Art. The three artists I will be talking about are Michelangelo, Rembrandt, and Peter Paul Rubens.
Baroque Art
Rembrandt van Rijn- 1609- 1689, another of the Netherlands famous artist in art history, painted one of his most famous paintings, “The Blinding of Samson” in 1636. He was influenced by Caravaggio’s religious art paintings where Caravaggio took the old bible stories and placed them in modern day settings. A good example is “The Calling of St. Matthew,” 1599- 1602. The setting is the local corner tavern and the main characters are local street people.
Rembrandt used this same story telling device in the famous painting, “The Blinding of Samson,” 1636. Describing the artwork Delilah has deceived Samson, cut off his hair, and robbed him of his great power. Making sure Samson is no longer a “viable enemy” the soldiers are actively destroying his eyesight.
The action is theatrical and dramatic, a mature Baroque art style. Two Philistine soldiers have tackled Samson, holding him on the ground, ready for the spear bearer. Arms and legs are flailing. The intense light is streaming in from outside the tent, almost totally silhouetting the spear bearer, heightening the drama.
Rembrandt became a superstar and died in misery (1606- 1669).
Rembrandt was born July 15, 1606, as a son of a mill man in the Netherlands. He followed latin studies and got his diploma after studying between 1621 and 1623 with the painter Swanenburgh as his professor. After these studies he stayed six months at Pieter Lastman’s workshop in Amsterdam. In 1625 he moved back to Lieden in the Netherlands and opened his own artistic workshop. Six years later he moved to Amsterdam and married Saskia van Uylenburgh in 1634. Saskia...