30-Second Great Art

From Masaccio to Matisse, 50 artworks that changed the way we see things

Lee Beard

• Publisher: Ivy Press
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9781782405528
• eBook ISBN: 9781782407287
• Topic: Art
• Subtopic: History of Art

The great painting and sculpture of the past is the indispensable backbone of most people’s visual library, but wrangling centuries of wonderful works by thousands of artists into a digestible form that allows you to focus on their detail and direction can be tough. Enter 30-Second Great Art. It takes readers on an engrossing tour of 50 top-flight works by artists from Giotto to Marlene Dumas, including a full-page reproduction of each one, accompanied by text that puts it in the context of the world in which it was created, and adds another piece to the jigsaw puzzle of the history of art. Along the way, special spreads will offer insights into the collectors and critics of the past, as well as its creators, and a glossary for each chapter will explain specialist terms. Succinct, lively descriptions make for speedy and enjoyable reading; it’s like taking a trip round the world’s greatest art gallery.

RENAISSANCE PART 1

RENAISSANCE PART 1
GLOSSARY

antiquities Artefacts or buildings from ancient times. Usually originating from the Mediterranean regions dominated by Greek and Roman civilizations, and pre-dating the fifth century CE.

cameo A gemstone, shell or glass made up of two or more coloured layers that has been carved or moulded in relief. Usually small and intimate in size, and often integrated into jewellery, such as a brooch or pendant.

diptych A painting or relief comprised of two hinged panels. Depicting religious themes, these predominantly devotional objects could be folded shut to conceal or reveal the images at the appropriate time.

Early Renaissance Inspired by the Classical past, the Renaissance – or rebirth – began in Italy at the beginning of the fourteenth century. It was shaped by a growing awareness of humankind’s pivotal position in the world and in the arts this led to a prioritizing of human anatomy and the development of perspective. The Early Renaissance period, from approximately 1300 to 1500, is typified by the works of Giotto and Masaccio.

fresco A wall or ceiling painting in which powdered pigment mixed with water is applied to wet lime plaster. On drying the painted composition becomes an integral part of the plaster. This technique is known as buon fresco, as opposed to fresco secco, where the pigment is applied to the plaster once it is dry.

memento mori Translated from Latin as ‘remember you must die’, a symbol in art intended to remind the viewer of the ephemeral nature of life. Common forms include an hourglass, skull or skeleton.

Middle Ages Period in European history from approximately the fifth to the fifteenth century. The term ‘middle’ derives from the fact that it covers the epoch between the fall of the Roman Empire and the beginnings of the Renaissance.

Northern Renaissance Relating to art and artists active in European countries situated north of the Alps during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, as distinct from the Renaissance in Italy and other southern European countries. Unlike their Italian contemporaries, Northern artists were less influenced by the Classical past.

oeuvre French word meaning ‘work’. In art it refers to the complete body of work produced by an individual artist throughout his or her career.

oil paint Made by binding coloured pigment with an oil medium, such as linseed oil. Due to the richness, range and resilience of the colours, along with its slow-drying and reworkable nature, the development of oil paint in the fifteenth century was seminal to the development of western art.

Passion of Christ The Passion represents the events leading up to, and following the crucifixion of Christ. The distinct sequence of the narrative – including ‘The last supper’, ‘Mocking of Christ’, ‘Descent from the cross’ and ‘Resurrection’ – resulted in it becoming a popular theme in the decoration of religious buildings.

pathos Conveying a sense of sadness or pity.

patron An individual or organization that gives financial support to an artist. This can be by means of commissioning a single artwork, or assisting them over longer periods throughout their career.

perspective The convincing representation of a three-dimensional object, or spatial area, on a two-dimensional surface. In the early fifteenth century Filippo Brunelleschi (1377–1446) was credited with the invention of linear perspective, which would become the bedrock of western art.

portrait The depiction of a person in painting, drawing, sculpture or, in modern times, photography. As well as capturing a physical resemblance, throughout history portraits have been a means to convey the status or power of the individual represented.

sarcophagus A stone coffin that is often decorated with carvings and inscriptions.

tempera A type of paint made by mixing ground, coloured pigment with a water-soluble binder, usually egg yolk. Tempera was used in the painting of panels, manuscripts and murals. Unlike oil paint, which would replace it during the fifteenth century as the dominant medium, tempera is quick drying.

LAMENTATION

GIOTTO (1266–1337)

the 30-second artwork

This scene depicts mourners weeping over Christ’s body after its removal from the cross. Giotto has used a variety of gestures to express the pathos of the moment. Female mourners surrounding Christ hold up his limp limbs and his head, emphasizing the...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Contents
• Introduction
• Renaissance Part 1
• Renaissance Part 2
• Baroque & Beyond
• Neoclassicism & Romanticism
• Realism, Impressionism & Post-Impressionism
• Modernism
• Post-war to Today
• Appendices
• Copyright