Running head: ART EXHIBITION 4 1

Art Exhibition 4: The Natural World Art

Rebecca Tiernan

Baker College

July 15th, 2018

ART EXHIBITION 4 2

The Natural World Art Timeline

Which one theme from chapter 3 in the Living with Art text book have you selected for the focus of your art exhibition?

The Natural World

Artwork 1 from 30,000 BC to 1000 BC

Small image of work of art:

Website address: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/chav/hd_chav.htmTitle of the work of art: Chauvet Cave, Ardèche; Lions Hunting BisonArtist: Unknown Date of work of art: ca. 30,000 B.C.Artwork Materials: Ocher, Charcoal and RockRegion: FranceHistorical Art Movement: Paleolithic Art (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2017).

Artwork 2 from 1000 BC to 0 AD

Small image of work of art:

Website address: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/04/wam.html

ART EXHIBITION 4 3

Title of the work of art: Panel with Striding LionArtist: Unknown Date of work of art: ca. 604 – 562 B.C. Artwork Materials: Ceramic and glazeRegion: MesopotamiaHistorical Art Movement: Neo-Babylonian (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2017).

Artwork 3 from 0 AD to 1000 AD

Small image of work of art:

Website address: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/466653Title of the work of art: Mosaic with a Peacock and FlowersArtist: UnknownDate of work of art: 3rd – 4th Century (301 A.D. to 401 A.D)Artwork Materials: Tesserae mounted in metal frameRegion: North AfricaHistorical Art Movement: Byzantium Art (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2017).

Artwork 4 from 1000-1400 AD

ART EXHIBITION 4 4

Small image of work of art:

Website address: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1973.121.4/Title of the work of art: Cloudy MountainsArtist: Fang CongyiDate of work of art: ca. 1360 – 1370Artwork Materials: Handscroll; Ink and color on paperRegion: ChinaHistorical Art Movement: Daoist Art (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2017).

Artwork 5 from 1400-1600 AD

Small image of work of art:

ART EXHIBITION 4 5

Website address: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/41.59.1,2/Title of the work of art: Landscape of the Four SeasonsArtist: SoamiDate of work of art: Early 16th CenturyArtwork Materials: Pair of six-panel folding screens; Ink on paperRegion: JapanHistorical Art Movement: Muromachi (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2017).

Artwork 6 from 1600-1800 AD

Small image of work of art:

ART EXHIBITION 4 6

Website address: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1158839/h-beard-print-collection-drawing-gallegro/Title of the work of art: UnknownArtist: GallegroDate of work of art: 17th century to late 18th centuryArtwork Materials: Pencil and water color on paperRegion: Great BritainHistorical Art Movement: Romanticism (Victoria and Albert Museum, 2017).

Artwork 7 from 1800-1850 AD

Small image of work of art:

Website address: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1299709/landscape-with-pond-and-mountains-watercolour-havell-william/Title of the work of art: Landscape with Pond and MountainsArtist: William HavellDate of work of art: ca. 1800-50Artwork Materials: Water colour drawingRegion: Great BritainHistorical Art Movement: Hudson River School Art – An outgrowth of Romanticism (Victoria and Albert Museum, 2017).

ART EXHIBITION 4 7

Artwork   8 from 1850-1900 AD

Small image of work:

Website address: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O128310/llanddyn-island-north-wales-oil-painting-hayes-frederick-william/Title of the work of art: Llanddyn Island, North WalesArtist: Frederick William HayesDate of work of art: Late 19th CenturyArtwork Materials: Oil on paper laid on canvasRegion: Great BritainHistorical Art Movement: Suffolk Art (Victoria and Albert Museum, 2017).

ART EXHIBITION 4 8

Artwork 9 from 1900-1979 AD

Small image of work of art:

ART EXHIBITION 4 9

Website address: http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/52184/louis-fleckenstein-landscape-with-boulders-american-1907-1943-/Title of the work of art: Landscape with BouldersArtist: Louis FleckensteinDate of work of art: 1907-1943Artwork Materials: Gelatin silver printRegion: United States of AmericaHistorical Art Movement: Pictorialist Art (The J. Paul Getty Museum, n.d.).

Artwork 10 from 1979 AD to present

Small image of work of art:

Website address: http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/219989/robert-adams-summer-nights-american-1985/Title of the work of art: Summer NightsArtist: Robert AdamsDate of work of art: 1985Artwork Materials: Gelatin silver printRegion: United States of AmericaHistorical Art Movement: New Topographics Art (The J. Paul Getty Museum, n.d.).

ART EXHIBITION 4 10

The Natural World Art

From the beginning of time, people have found a deep connection with nature. They have

sought out various ways to capture the essence of its beauty and mystery. The natural world art

theme was born out of this fascination, trying to seize a single moment of magnificence that our

Mother Earth has provided, and capture it in artistic design for others to enjoy for lifetimes to

come. In this exhibition, one can take a glimpse at the natural world as portrayed by various

artists throughout the course of history. A myriad of materials were used to create these images

in the exhibition such as stone, tile, ceramics, oil colors, watercolors and even photography. One

can also note that there are several varying artistic movements within the exhibition such as

Paleolithic Art, Neo-Babylonian Art, Byzantium Art, and Daoist Art, as well as several others

throughout the exhibit. It is hoped that through this brief journey of selected art pieces, one can

grow a new-found understanding and appreciation not only for the artists, but also their works in

the natural world art realm.

The first selection to be discussed is a rare paleolithic art piece found in the Chauvet

Caves of Ardèche Valley, France titled Lions Hunting Bison (The Metropolitan Museum of Art,

2017b). It was created between 30,000 B.C. to 1,000 B.C. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art,

2017b). Unfortunately, artistic credit cannot be given as no artists name was provided. When

looking at this piece, one will notice a pride of lions on the right encroaching on a heard of bison

to the left. The art was created using charcoal and ocher which creates a drastic contrast of black

and gray against a light sandstone colored background. The shapes of the animals are

impressively realistic with the striking curves of their bodies as well as very distinct facial

features. Movement can almost be realized by the use of half figures and size variances ahead of

the full body figures. There is a sense of excitement as a great hunt is about to ensue. This

ART EXHIBITION 4 11

prehistoric and paleolithic piece is an extraordinary work of art for its time and shows the human

connection to nature and appreciation of nature in all its glory as discussed in the Public

Broadcasting Service blog titled Art, Beauty, and the Natural World. (Public Broadcasting

Service, 2017).

The second work of art to be discussed was created between ca. 604 – 562 B.C. in the

region of Mesopotamia titled Panel with Striding Lion. As with the first piece, no artist name

was provided so proper credit for the artistic work cannot be given. The piece is a wonderful

example of Neo-Babylonian art (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2017e), and was created

using ceramics or baked clay and various colored glazes. Glazes are pigments mixed with a type

of binder that fuse into a form of glass when fired (Getlein, 2017, pp. 265-268). The panel

displays the complete profile of a single, adult lion, striding down what appears to be a road or

path. There is tremendous detail in the mane and the face of the animal right down to individual

whiskers on its face. The lion was a symbol of protection in those times (The Metropolitan

Museum of Art, 2017e), which would explain the fierce and snarling expression on the face of

the lion along with its exposed teeth. The colors of the lion are natural looking with a light tan

body and a golden mane and tip of the tail. The background is a darker bluish, aqua sort of color

which makes the lighter toned image of the lion stand out as the powerful creature that it is. This

is a lovely piece of art for its time.

The third selection to be analyzed dates back between the 3rd and 4th century. This

particular work of art originates from North Africa, is titled Mosaic with a Peacock and Flowers

(The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2017d) and is a beautiful tesserae or mosaic, which is an

image made of small tightly spaced particles imbedded in cement or mortar (Getlein, 2016, p.

174). In this case, the tesserae is mounted in a metal frame. Similarly, to the first two art pieces

ART EXHIBITION 4 12

discussed, the artist for this design is also unknown. This selection is a wonderful representation

of Byzantine Art which used the peacock to represent both an earthly and heavenly paradise (The

Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2017d). This image was likely part of a much larger piece that

may have been part of a floor or wall which is characteristic of Byzantine art (Khan Academy,

2018a). The peacock itself is done in varying earth tones consisting of browns, blacks, tans and

grays with a few tiles of white. The peacock is surrounded by snow white tiles which make up

the background, and the two flowers in the upper left and bottom right corner are done similarly

in the same earth tones as the peacock. Though the colors are muted and not very bright, they

certainly do pop against the bright white background. Such a gorgeous representation of the art

from its time.

The fourth piece selected for discussion is a creation by Chinese artist Fang Congyi

which was designed between ca. 1360 – 1370 with the title Cloudy Mountain. This is a perfect

rendition of the Daoist Art movement. Within this handscroll, ink and color were used to create

this incredible mountain landscape (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2017a). It is clear that

the artists Daoism beliefs had an impact on the geometric shapes he used when drawing the

images in this scene (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2017a). Congyi turned shapeless

structures into shapes and returned the things with shapes to shapeless forms (Khan Academy,

2018b). The mountain range is unusually shaped with many points, peaks and dips unlike the

realistic mountains we are used to. The colors he chose were black, gray, brown and possibly

dark green, with red and black stamps and lettering. It is a very interesting art piece that

resembles a dragon rather than a mountain range and has almost a Zen type quality to it (The

Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2017a). Truly this is an amazing piece of art.

ART EXHIBITION 4 13

The Landscape of the Four Seasons by artist Soami, is the fifth selected piece to examine.

This art work was designed on a pair of six folding screens and created out of ink on paper. They

represent the Muromachi movement in early 16th century Japan (The Metropolitan Museum of

Art, 2017c). It is said that Zen Buddhism played a large part in the art that Soami created (The

Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2017c). There are no harsh lines or edges in the piece. The grays

and blacks are muted which give the appearance of a washed, softness to the piece which is

commonly seen in Zen artwork. The ink is blended into the paper beautifully giving perfect

highlights and shadowing to the image. The mountains appear to be to scale when looking at the

size of the trees. Even the waterfalls in the background are velvety in appearance and more than

inviting. This piece was created carefully and precisely and is a wonderful representation of

Muromachi art.

The sixth selected art work to be discussed is a creation by artist Gallegro of Great

Britain. It is an untitled image created out of pencil and water colors on paper. The piece is

thought to have been produced between the 17th century and the late 18th century (Victoria and

Albert Museum, 2017c). When viewing this selection, one can clearly see the pencil lines

throughout the piece. They add striking and bold contrast to the soft appearance to the

mountains which were painted in water color. The penciled lines also add dimension to the rocks

and ledges as well as give life to the tree branches and tree trunks. The penciled lines are drawn

in various directions as well and seem to create a sense of texture within the piece. Varying

shades of browns and greens as well as grays were used in its design. Though much is unknown

about this particular work of art, it is thought to be part of the Romanticism art movement where

the attitude toward nature emerged as landscape art (Victoria and Albert Museum, 2017c). The

artist brings his viewers directly into his painting by using the most naturalistic of styles and

ART EXHIBITION 4 14

techniques in such a beautiful setting. There is something to be said about simplicity as it relates

to art and Gallegro did a fantastic job on this selection.

The seventh piece to be analyzed is another beautiful water color drawing by artist

William Havell of Great Britain. It is presumed that the piece entitled Landscape with Pond and

Mountains was created between ca. 1800 – 50. It is believed that this particular selection is part

of the Hudson River School art movement which at that time was an outgrowth of Romanticism

(Victoria and Albert Museum, 2017a). Havell embraced the variances of light and dark in his

piece by portraying what appears to be a sunrise or sunset over the mountains. The mountains

are drawn and painted in lighter shades of grays, golds, yellows and browns. They are much

lighter in contrast to the dark brown, dark gray, black and dark green trees surrounding the pond.

Shading is used beautifully in this piece giving a great deal of depth and dimension to the

creation. The lines are smooth throughout the drawing without harsh edges and lines and the

paint is blended out beautifully to give a sense of calm and tranquility. Havell did a wonderful

job representing landscape art and Hudson River School art, and he did so in a most realistic and

natural of settings.

In the Late 19th Century, artist Frederick William Hayes emerged as an oil painter out of

Great Britain. His piece titled Llanddyn Island, North Wales is a gorgeous oil on paper, laid on

canvas, work of art, and is a representation of the Suffolk Art movement (Victoria and Albert

Museum, 2017b). The painting is infused with bright blues, greens, tans and whites depicting a

warm and sunny climate. Grays, browns and blacks are used to accentuate the rock and land

formations along the coast but also appear to be the darkest areas in the entire painting giving

stark contrast to the sand, grass, water and sky. The lines flow in varying directions throughout

the painting allowing the viewers eyes to move about freely and effortlessly. There is a sense of

ART EXHIBITION 4 15

texture to the piece as well, making the painting seem very realistic and natural. Hayes does a

fantastic job representing his skills as a visual artist and Suffolk Art painter in this piece

(Victoria and Albert Museum, 2017b).

The ninth selection of the exhibition that will be discussed is a photograph titled

Landscape with Boulders which was taken by Louis Fleckenstein between 1907 – 1943 in the

United States of America (The J. Paul Getty Museum, n.d.a). Fleckenstein was a world

renowned Pictorialist photographer who was able to create images rather than simply capturing

or recording them (The J. Paul Getty Museum, n.d.a). In this photograph one can see a very

large mountain beginning on the left side of the photo and extending almost completely to the

other side of the picture. It encompass most of the photo with the exception of small shrubs. The

photo appears to have been taken on a clear day having only wispy clouds visible overhead.

Unfortunately, because the image was captured using gelatin silver print, colors are not able to

be visualized, therefore the image appears in varying shades of gray and black. This is a

remarkable photo for its time and represents Fleckenstein’s style of art beautifully.

The final piece to be discussed in this exhibition is a photograph which was taken in 1985

by New Topographic photographer, Robert Adams. Adams was a major figure in the New

Topographics Art movement and made many contributions to further its progress (The J. Paul

Getty Museum, n.d.b). The image was processed using gelatin silver print similar to the

photograph by Fleckenstein in exhibit nine. In this photo, Adams appears to be standing on a

country road with a fence line directly in front of him. Tall grasses, weeds and trees full of

foliage are also visible from this vantage point. Also similarly to the photograph taken by

Fleckenstein, this image is without color. One must use the imagination to fill in any of the areas

of color known to exist such as green leaves on the trees and the greens of the grass. This

ART EXHIBITION 4 16

photograph was one of many that were taken in the evening hours and depicted a landscape in

near darkness (The J. Paul Getty Museum, n.d.b.). Strangely enough, even though this image is

taken at dusk, one can clearly make out the images within the picture. This contemporary piece

is a reminder of how limitless natures beauty is, even when humans intrude upon it.

Throughout this exhibition there have been several different styles of art, many different

art movements, diverse materials used, and varying methods that artists have adopted to capture

nature in all its glory. Landscapes, wild life and plant life are forever changing and disappearing

from the face of the Earth due the intrusion of humans, erosion, pollution, mining, deforestation

and the removal of various resources from nature (Stone, 2017). Everything we are surrounded

by has come from nature in some way, shape or form (Stone, 2017). Being able to capture

nature for future generations to see and to experience, before our resources are depleted, or even

disappear forever, is a monumental task that needs regular attention. It is hoped that this

exhibition has been enlightening as well as enjoyable, and that it may have deepened ones

appreciation for the Natural World Art.

ART EXHIBITION 4 17

References

Getlein, M. (2016). Living with art (11th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

The J. Paul Getty Museum. (n.d.a). Landscape with Boulders. Louis Fleckenstein Collection. Retrieved from http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/52184/louis-fleckenstein- landscape-with-boulders-american-1907-1943-/

The J. Paul Getty Museum. (n.d.b). Summer Nights. Robert Adams Collection. Retrieved from collection/objects/219989/Robert-adams-summer-nights-american-1985/

Khan Academy. (2018a). A Beginners Guide to Byzantine art. Retrieved from https://www. khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/early-europe-and-colonial-americas/medieval- europe-islamic-world/a/byzantine-artintro

Khan Academy. (2018b). Congyi, Cloudy Mountains. Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy. org/humanities/art-asia/imperial-china/ming-dynasty/v/eternity

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. (2017a). Cloudy Mountains. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Retrieved from https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1973.121.4/

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. (2017b). Lions Hunting Bison. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Retrieved from https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/chav/hd_chav.htm.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. (2017c). Landscape of the Four Seasons. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Retrieved from https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/41.59.1,2/

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (2017d). Mosaic with a Peacock and Flowers. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Retrieved from https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/ search/466653

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. (2017e). Panel with Striding Lion. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Retrieved from https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/31.13.1/

Public Broadcasting Service. (2017, July 26). Art, Beauty, and the Natural World. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/education/blog/art-beauty-and-the-natural-world

This blog discusses the human connection to nature as well as how the imagination is a beautiful gift to be cherished. Through the imagination comes creativity, self-expression and focus. Having knowledge about our natural world is important in understanding our planet and all that dwells upon it. Taking the time to truly appreciate nature in all of its glory is what the natural world art is all about.

Stone, D. (2017, January 11). Pictures Show how Modern Life is Altering the Natural World. National Geographic. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/ proof/2017/01/edward-burtynsky-earth-human-landscapes/

ART EXHIBITION 4 18

This article discusses how everything we use including our technology, came from the Earth. It further talks about how much our landscapes have changed because of everything that we take from nature. Although the photographs that are included in the article are fascinating, they also show the terribly negative footprint we are leaving behind for future generations.

Victoria and Albert Museum. (2017a). Landscape with Pond and Mountains. William Havell Collection. Retrieved from http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1299709/landscape-with- pond-and-mountains-watercolour-havell-william/

Victoria and Albert Museum. (2017b). Llanddyn Island, North Wales. Frederick William Hayes Collection. Retrieved from http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O128310/llanddyn-island- orth- wales-oil-painting-hayes-frederick-william/

Victoria and Albert Museum. (2017c). Unknown. H. Beard Print Collection. Retrieved from http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1158839/h-beard-print-collection-drawing-gallegro/