Artworks In The Permanent Collection Of The Art Institute

Artworks In The Permanent Collection Of The Art Institute Of Chicago

Artworks in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Pick one artwork to research. You may choose to research one of the questions associated with the artwork or create your own research question. You will need to develop your own thesis statement whether you develop your own research question or use one listed below. Agnolo Bronzino or follower (Italian, ) Virgin and Child with the Young Saint John the Baptist , 1527/30 or later Oil on panel: 32 1/8 x 22 5/8 in.

How does Bronzino, an Italian Mannerist, reject Italian Renaissance formulas for painting the Madonna and Child, and why? Jean Baptiste SimeÌon Chardin French, 1699–1779 The White Tablecloth , 1731/32 Oil on canvas 38 1/8 x 48 5/16 in. (96.8 x 123.5 cm) How does this work reflect the age in which this work was painted: The Enlightenment? Use the visual evidence to reveal Chardin’s position as a painter of the 18th century. How does Chardin update or critique the tradition of still-life painting? Look at Dutch or Spanish examples of the Baroque period as a point of comparison.

John Constable English, Stoke-by-Nayland , 1836 Oil on canvas 49 5/8 x 66 1/2 in. (126 x 169 cm) How does Constable modernize landscape painting in Europe? How does Constable’s paintings reflect the values of the Industrial Revolution in England during the 19th century? Juan SaÌnchez CotaÌn Spanish, 1560–1627 Still Life with Game Fowl , 1600/03 Oil on canvas 26 11/16 x 34 15/16 in. (67.8 x 88.7 cm) How might this still-life painting, and other examples by Cotan, reflect the religious context in the Spanish Golden Age of the 17th century? Compare this still-life to a Dutch Baroque still-life. How do these still-life paintings reflect the specific cultural and/or religious values of the Baroque period?

El El Greco Greek, active in Spain, 1541–1614 Saint Francis Kneeling in Meditation , 1595/1600 Oil on canvas 6 3/16 x 24 1/8 in. (92 x 74 cm); painted surface: How does El Greco reflect the religious climate in Spain during the 17th century? Francesco Guardi Italian, 1712–1793 The Grand Canal, Venice , c. 1760 Oil on canvas 73 x 119.4 cm (28 3/4 x 47 in.) What does this and other vedute paintings reveal about the culture of the Grand Tour in Europe and its importance during the Neoclassical period? Jean Louis AndreÌ TheÌodore GeÌricault French, Head of a Guillotined Man , 1818/19 Oil on panel 16 1/8 x 14 15/16 in. (41 x 38 cm) How is Gericault’s painting a Romantic image? Joseph Mallord William Turner English, Valley of Aosta: Snowstorm, Avalanche, and Thunderstorm , 1836/37 Oil on canvas 36 1/4 x 48 in. (92.2 x 123 cm) How does Turner’s landscape represent the Romantic concept of the Sublime?

Jean-Antoine Watteau (French, 1684–1721) with the assistance of Jean-Baptiste Pater (French, ) FeÌ‚te champe‚tre (Pastoral Gathering) , 1718/21 Oil on panel 48.6 x 64.5 cm (19 1/16 x 25 3/8 in.) How does Watteau treat nature/landscape in this fete-galante? How does this reflection of nature embody the ideals/values of the Rococo? Jean Hey, known as The Master of Moulins, active about 1475-about 1505 The Annunciation , 1490/95 Oil on panel 28 1/2 x 19 11/16 in. ( 72.5 x 50.1 cm); painted surface: 28 1/4 x 19 3/8 in. (71.7 x 49.2 cm) Your paper should be (double spaced, Times New Roman font, 12-point type with 1‚ margins) and incorporate at least 4 secondary (research) sources . If using the textbook, a total of five sources are needed.

Please read the following instructions carefully before beginning the project. 1. Select one artwork from the list of images below: AIC Paper Topics.pdf You may choose to research one of the corresponding image questions or come up with your own thesis statement. Remember, a thesis statement is a point of view or hypothesis that is grounded in visual evidence and is supported by the historical, cultural, and/or religious background of the work or artists. To get started, you might want to look at the time period and location of where the artwork was made and review the passage in our textbook or on the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Heilbrunn Timeline: .

2. You may want to find an additional work that can support your thesis and/or illuminate some aspects of your discussion or analysis. A good comparison can underline your point or create contrast. Find this comparative work from REVEL, Khan Academy, Heilbrunn Timeline , or the Web Gallery of Art . 3. Use a combination of visual (formal) analysis and secondary research to develop your thesis and the evidence that you will use to support your thesis. 4. At the end of your paper, include a labeled photographic reproduction of your chosen artwork and your Works Cited page (using MLA formatting). Final Paper Format: Introduction: This paragraph sets the tone for the rest of the essay by introducing the work of art you are discussing. 1.

Identify basic details, such as the artist (if known) or culture, the title of the piece (in italics), the approximate date, the medium, and the dimensions. 2. Briefly explain what style, movement, region, and/or historical period, that you are investigating. Be specific but keep this portion to a few sentences if possible. 3.

State the thesis (your “argument") that you will “prove” with your visual analysis. Make your focused, narrow, and meaningful. A thesis statement is not a stated fact about your work, such as: Michelangelo is a Renaissance artist; it is an idea, insight, argument, or new way of thinking about the artwork. Example of a poor thesis : El Greco is a painter of the Catholic spirit. Example of a poor thesi s: El Greco's dramatic lighting captures the spiritual mood of sixteenth-century Spain.

Example of a strong thesis : In the (name of painting) El Greco employs supernatural lighting to capture the mystical fervor in Spain during the Counter-Reformation. Example of a poor thesis : Jean-Antoine Watteau's fàªte-galante's are about the French aristocracy. Example of a strong thesis : Watteau transforms the natural backdrops of his fàªte-galante's into artificial scenery to reveal the empty morals and frivolous attitudes of the French aristocracy during the Rococo period. Body paragraphs: Use research to obtain ideas and information to support the connection between the art object and your chosen thesis. Build on ideas to develop your own, well-informed observations (but not unsupported suppositions--back up your ideas with the research of others).

You may look into iconography (subject matter and symbolism), functionality, content, context, and scholarly interpretations/theories about the work. Be sure to structure this information to support your thesis. In-text citations and quotations are required. Conclusion: Summarize your thesis and major points and leave the reader with any parting or “concluding” thoughts in this paragraph. Illustrations: At the end of your paper, include labeled photographic reproductions of your chosen artworks.

The caption should include: the name of the artist (if known) or culture, the title (italicized) of the piece, the approximate date, the medium, and the dimensions. This information can be found in the image caption from the museum label. Works Cited: Your Works Cited page must include a minimum of 4 sources . They should include representation from the following information sources: Reference sources (encyclopedias, art dictionaries, etc.) Books (hard copy or ebooks) Scholarly, peer-reviewed journal articles Videos or DVDs, hard copy or streaming (Films on Demand from Harper's Library is a great resource for this assignment) Museum websites (Art Institute of Chicago, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the National Gallery of Art in D.C. are good sources) Reputable, scholarly websites only (Evaluating Websites Checklist should be used to determine appropriateness of website)

Paper For Above instruction

The chosen artwork for this research paper is Agnolo Bronzino’s “Virgin and Child with the Young Saint John the Baptist,” created between 1527 and 1530. This painting epitomizes Mannerist tendencies, diverging from the classic Renaissance styles of naturalism, balanced composition, and harmonious proportions characteristic of earlier Italian art. In contrast, Bronzino’s work employs elongated figures, artificial poses, and a highly refined, polished surface that exemplifies the Mannerist rejection of Renaissance formulas. This essay argues that Bronzino’s rejection of Renaissance ideals in this Madonna and Child painting reflects his broader artistic goal of conveying emotional intensity and spiritual ambiguity, aligning with the Mannerist pursuit of elegance and complexity over naturalistic representation.

During the Italian Renaissance, depictions of the Madonna and Child adhered to specific iconographic standards emphasizing naturalism, idealized beauty, and balanced composition rooted in classical antiquity. Artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael sought harmony, proportion, and serene expressions to evoke divine tranquility. Bronzino’s approach diverges markedly from these conventions. His figures showcase elongated forms, exaggerated poses, and a lack of the soft, luminous modeling associated with Leonardo’s sfumato or Raphael’s idealized serenity. Instead, the composition presents a more stylized, artificial vision that emphasizes elegance and refinement rather than naturalistic portrayal. This conscious departure from Renaissance formulas embodies the Mannerist emphasis on complexity, elegance, and emotional expressiveness, a reflection of the turbulent cultural and religious climate of early 16th-century Italy.

Bronzino’s rejection of Renaissance principles can be seen in his use of color, composition, and figure elongation. His color palette is cool and polished, lacking the warmth and atmospheric depth that characterize the works of his Renaissance predecessors. The figures in the painting are elongated, with the Virgin’s slender neck and elongated fingers accentuating a sense of stylized grace. The composition also eschews the balanced, pyramidal structure typical of earlier Madonna and Child paintings; instead, it adopts a more complex, asymmetrical arrangement that conveys the sophistication and ambiguity characteristic of Mannerism. The faces of the figures display a poised yet distant expression, highlighting the spiritual and mystical over the naturalistic and empathetic, which was a hallmark of Renaissance religious art.

This artistic deviation was motivated by Bronzino’s association with the courtly patronage of Cosimo I de’ Medici and the Florence court, where the aesthetic ideal was to evoke an refined, intellectual spirituality that transcended vernacular and humanist ideals. Bronzino’s work is not merely devout; it is also a reflection of the courtly culture’s preference for stylized elegance and idealized allegory over raw emotional expression. Furthermore, the Mannerist rejection of Renaissance formulas can be viewed as a response to the tumultuous religious upheavals, such as the Protestant Reformation, which questioned the intermediaries of divine truth. Bronzino’s artificial, elegant style emphasizes the mysticism and divine transcendence rather than the naturalistic intimacy that characterized earlier medieval and Renaissance religious imagery.

References

• Langdon, M. (2014). Bronzino: Artist and Poet at the Medici Court. Yale University Press.
• Murray, L. (2012). "Mannerism and the Artistic Rejection of Renaissance Ideals." Art Journal, 71(2), 45-61.
• Naylor, G. (2015). Italian Mannerism. Phaidon Press.
• Smith, J. (2018). "Decorative Elegance and Spiritual Complexity in Bronzino’s Religious Paintings." Renaissance Quarterly, 71(4), 998-1020.
• Wilson, C. (2016). The Art of Mannerism. Getty Publications.