Human Emotion and Identifying Expression

The exhibit will talk about the evolution and evoking of human emotion in art from the Medieval period to the Expressionism period. The way human beings were art has evolved greatly over these periods, and a flair for drama has also influenced art in the depiction of human emotion and storytelling to create the concept of evoking human emotion in artwork. This exhibit also uses a lot of portraits, to show the differences in each period and to focus on the human face, but also statues and other paintings.

5 artworks 12 views Walk Through in 3D

Artworks

Vincent Van Gogh, Portrait of Dr. Gachet, oil on canvas (1890) — Using color and texture, the painting of “Portrait of Dr. Gachet” portrays the homeopathic doctor, Dr. Gachet, who resided with Vincent Van Gogh when he was in an asylum. The use of bright and contrasting colors of blue and orange make the portrait stand out, and Van Gogh uses more muted colors on Dr. Gachet, opting for yellows, creams, and navy blues. The use of texture in the thicker brushstrokes from the coat to the blue background are varied and emphasize the use of the oil paint.
Gustave Courbet, The Clairvoyant, oil on canvas (1865) — “The Clairovoyant” is a Realism artwork with the use of elements of value created by the Realism painter Gustave Courbet, who aimed to paint what he could see with his own eyes. A woman stares forward with a slight smile and shadowed eyes, giving a mysterious look, and the values from the darkest parts of her hair to the shadowed parts of her eyes that may show she is under a trance or spell. The use of symmetry brings the portrait forward and gives a good balance to the artwork overall. “Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.” ~Leonardo da Vinci
Giambologna, Abduction of a Sabine Woman, white marble (1583) — “Abduction of a Sabine Woman” is a statue based on an early Roman legend, and an older man sits at the bottom reaching for his wife at the very top of the statue as a younger man wraps his arms around her. The statue uses balance and texture to make the figures feel likelike and also to emphasize the older man’s terror and the woman’s desperate body language to get away from the younger man.
El Greco, The Fable, oil on canvas (1580) — A young boy blows on a hot ember as a monkey watches him over his right shoulder, while a man in a yellow coat and a red hat watches on the boy’s left side. “The Fable” by El Greco uses the contrast of shadow and light to bring an intensity to the artwork, while also keeping the young boy as the focal point in the canvas. It also uses color, from the man’s clothing and an asymmetrical balance to bring the warning of “vice and folly” about the consequences of lust. El Greco uses the story from “Naturalis Historia” to create the painting.
Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Madonna and Child, tempera on wood (1319) — Ambrogio Lorenzetti is a religious artist that works for the Italian church. “Madonna and Child” is an artwork of the Virgin Mary, Madonna, staring directly at the audience while the baby child gazes up at her. Using contrast, he creates a spatial depth with Madonna’s dark green cloak, the Child’s bright red cloth, and the background blends seamlessly with the rest of the frame. The artwork’s purpose is to invoke a sense of holiness and her facial expression is kept rather simple. “Madonna and Child” is the earliest artwork out of the five choices, and focuses on religious imagery. Artwork served a different purpose within the church, which was meant to educate and inform the churchgoer of holy figures.