My Museum JAzmin K. Nojadera
Museum Description
For my theme I chose: Great Depictions of Romance. I chose this theme simply for the fact that it interests me. Rom-coms are my favorite genre of movie so to see old depictions of love through paintings or sculptures really appeals to me. I feel like you don't hear many epic love stories from back then, so works of art is the next best thing!
Impact statement
I want my vistors to see beautiful love stories through art. I'd want my vistors to be touched by the paintings and hopefully they enjoy the art as much as I do. I hope they feel the love and passion through these works of art.
The Late 1800's
This sketch was drawn by Paul-Albert Besnard, he completed it in 1887. Paul remained in academic and impressionistic style through out his career. This picture depicts a woman embracing a man who is leaned against a door. You can see a balcony behind them that overlooks the water. In the water you can see a tiny sail boat going towards the horizon.
A Romance
A Romance by Santiago Rusinol is an impression style painting that was made in 1894. In this scene we can see French composer Erik Satie and his friend, Stephanie Nantas. He's admiring her as they have an intimate moment during their music making. Rusinol painted Stephanie a number of times.
Carlisle Wall was created in London in 1853 by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Rossetti was an English poet, illustrator, and painter. The story behind this painting is tragic. It's about the tale between two doomed lovers who can be seen swallowing each other in each other's arms. They embracing each others in their arms leaned against a wall. This story comes from Albert Graeme’s song in Walter Scott’s 'The Lay of the Last Minstrel', it's a love conflict tale. The lady's brother hates the fact that his sister is going to marry this Scottish Knight and hand their English land into his Scottish enemy's hands. So instead of leaving his sister to be happy with the man she loves he poisons her and she dies in the arms of her lover.
This piece was Gustav Klimt's second portfolio work for Gerlach's Allegories. It was made in 1895. The scene in this painting is two lovers who are linked to the mysterious heads above. These heads symbolize the different stages of life. Looking at this painting you can see a radical change of the style that was popular at this time, to modernism. The influence of impressionism and symbolism can be seen in this painting as well.
Different Works of Art
Here We Make Love by Paul Gauguin was made in 1893, it's from his Noa Noa series. He used the technique of scratching and gouging lines onto a surface of boxwood. The Noa Noa series is when Gauguin spent his time in Tahiti. Every piece of art from this series was inspired by the people, culture, and lifestyle in Tahiti.
Casket with Scenes of Romance
Ivory composite caskets are tokens of affection. This casket is one of the 8 ivory caskets that survived. The caskets played a material role in medieval courtship, they were given as gifts from one lover to another and it was made between 1330 and 1350.
Wedding of Zenobia and Odenatus
This beautiful 1690s tapestry was made by Justus Van Egmont. Van Egmont had a history of being a painter, he also used to make tapestries with scenes from Roman history. It depicts Odenatus and Zenobia's lovely wedding. After years of Odenatus fighting on behalf of the Roman empire he was made into the king of Plamrya. He and Zenobia then had a son named Vaballathus.
1750's and UP
Coresus Sacrificing Himself to Save Callirhoe
This rococo style painting was illustrated by Jean-Honore Fragonard in 1765. The story behind this painting takes place during a time of plague. Citizens of Greece looked for answers. They ask the oracle at Dodona how they can stop more spreading of the plague. The oracle tells the people that they have to sacrifice a beautiful girl named Callirhoe, if not then they must find someone to die for her. Callirhoe is brought to the temple where the head priest, Coresus, must slay her to save the city of Calydon. He's always loved Callirhoe, so Coresus is seen plunging himself in the chest with the knife to save his love.
There is four paintings in connection to this one. They are one of the most powerful demonstrations of love in the history of art made by Jean-Honroe Fragonard. She illustrated these paintings between the years of 1771-1773, there four pictures were ordered from Fragonard to depict the 'four stages of love". This particular picture is the second one in the order. First it's a flirtatious proposal, a young man offers a rose to a girl, second he scales the wall of her garden (as seen in the photo), third paintings depicts marriage the girl crowns her lover with roses. Lastly, the last scene shows her reading his love letters.
Happy Lovers by Jean-Honroe Fragonard
A young couple can be seen enjoying each others presence. Branches, leaves, and flowers are bordering them as the boy is giving the girl all his affection. This painting was finished in 1755 in a Rococo art style. The woman dangles a already opened bird cage above his head symbolizing moralizing and erotic.
This piece was painted by Francois Boucher in 1750. This painting was part of a pair, the other one being named "The Love Letter", they were made to be hung on a pair of overdoors at the Bellevue Chateau. You can see a shepherd tickling the nose of a sheep herdness with a piece of straw while she takes a nap. The painting is combined with innocence and seductiveness.
I hope you all enjoyed my museum. I hope you left feeling like you know more about the love coming from these different art pieces. The passion, seductiveness, and intimacy is what I really wanted to portray to my visitors. I know there's not many epic love stories that we know of from ancient times so I hope some of these pieces really made you feel the love people shared back then.