Gothic art research and sketch
AIP2, Session 1
GOTHIC ART - a style of medieval art that developed in Northern France out of Romanesque art in the 12th century until the 16th century before developing into Renaissance art.
KEY CHARACTERISTICS
warm colours, mostly yellows with the occasional red/blue/black for clothing
center-oriented, symmetrical balance
heads are often toppled to one side
Christian themes - Jesus, Mary, saints
though it is more realistic than previous styles, there is still a lack of depth, looks very two-dimensional
bodies are finessed, poses are exaggerated (especially in Simone Martini's works)
clothing are draped, creases emphasised
faces and hair are soft, tender, rounded, angelic, and rarely differ from one subject to another (Simone Martini likes to slant eyebrows which create darker emotions). The same goes for fingers and feet, though Cimabue likes to over-define them.
front view/lack of perspective
exaggerated body proportions, especially muscles
the "main character" is always bigger in proportion, compared to "supporting characters", ex: Duccio's painting of Madonna and child with angels, Madonna is giant in proportion compared to the angels by her side.
CAUSES OF GOTHIC ART
The most famous aspect of gothic art is, of course, its architecture, which was inspired by Muslim buildings when the First Crusade captured Jerusalem. Its key features, the pointed arch, ribbed vault and flying buttresses, allowed for more efficient weight distribution and grander buildings. The church had the strongest influence in those days, they believed that God's house should not be bare and poor, and they wanted to remind people of the old legends and superstitions. So churches were adorned with the "latest" designs, and the King liked it so much and the gothic style rapidly gained popularity.
Churches were also adorned with grand paintings and sculptures that depicted saints and other religious figures, as well as grotesque monsters. It was also a prominent style during the rise of hand-drawn illustrated manuscripts.
For my sketch, I wanted to do something that is in theme with the Christianity of the Gothic era, and yet is modern. Here is the result:
However, my mentor commented that the emphasis is not clear---who takes centre stage here? The person or the gadget? So I changed the laptop into an iPad that is placed in front of his torso, his right hand on microwave dinner, as can be seen in the next session.