HOW WE RELATE TO THE IMAGES
Images are hierarchical, they do not the viewer any agency. Images of
Christ are a whole body experience that promotes the viewer to grateful
good behavior out of fear and guilt.
-These prejudice societies are still alive in many places
around the world
MODERNITY
-Globalization
-Instant Access to International Media
-Fashion
-Transportation & Export
-Its power depends on being new, 15th century: The World doesn’t need
to be remade and we don’t want it to be
-Renaissance-Scientific, Social and Philosophical Revolution
Image:God as Architect/Builder/Geometer/
w/ his Compass)
Cosmic ideas that are comparable to man
By 18th Century the idea of God as an Architect
(Theology & Science
combined) is replaced by scientific experiment
Image: A Philosopher lecturing on the Orrey by Joseph
Wright of Darby, 1766
-Capernicous: God created the Heavens and the Earth, The Word is part
of God’s own creation, is challenged by concept that Earth is not the
center of creation
-Denis Diderot replace Bible w/ his Encyclopedie, no longer Truth as
final but truth to be debated by organization called The Republic of
Letters
-Republic of Letters (Standard: Mapping of the Republic of Letters)
Communication Network between elite educated classes in primarily
Paris, London, and then in Madrid, across the Atlantic. Incredible,
exchange that previous couldn’t have happened as either they had
nothing to communicate or they politically & religiously could not
-Exchange of ideas is dangerous to regimes
-1789-Birth of Modernity-Modern Liberalism is Born w/ French
Revolution w/ the eradication of Aristotelian and Platonic
theory-Individual worth, best government is that which intervenes the
least. Louis XIV, Sun King, declares himself a God, his Grandson’s
head is chopped off. The Bastille is also s a hostage as part of the
King’s Body Politic
Worshipped the Goddess of Liberty & Reason (found a whore to play
her) who replaced Mary in Cathedrals that were now the temples of
wisdom. Children were baptized as enlightened
Nations are imagined because the members will never know or, meet or
even hear of the majority of their fellow members
-Civic religion replaces a religion of God
Capitalist Revolution-fixed wage & consumerism replace hereditary landed wealth
Urban Culture-wealth and manufacturing potential of factories blended
cultures and replaced dominance of rural cultures
Technological Advances-Industrial barons rule this society
Modern world was optimistic and people viewed changes as positive
Only a few places could maintain discourse and whoever does leads and
hold modernity and all others follow (i.e. high school)
Oath of the Horatii -Neoclassicism (Classic order) vs Romanticism (temporal)
Going back to the 60’s because America was dominant and secure, stable
(our current vison because we won the arms race and the cold war) and
therefore elevating
What is classical?? Too loose a term -Midnight in Paris (Adriana
“I’m from the 20’s and I’m telling you this is the Golden Era)
Latin America wants to be modern but cannot on its own terms
Catholics see bloodied Christ as fully engaged with his body and is
meant to inspire viewer to be fully engaged with their body.
Catholics believe their are saved through their body, through physical
good works. Also, Christ is movable to be reenacted & placed in
center most building surrounded by exterior chapels through which
pilgram processionals witnessed life size 3-D sculptural scenes of
Christ’s Passion. Church of Bom Jesus do Matosinhos Congonhas Do
Campo (1772-1805) copied from Church of Bom Jesus Braga, Portugal
(1772-1805). Fountain representing salvation portrays women who are
saved through your sight (water pouring out of eyes), Your taste,
water pouring out of mouth, Your scent (water pouring out of nose),
hearing (water pouring out of ears) etc. etc.
3 Christian Virtues, Faith, Hope & Charity obtained through physical
senses and once you have them you are ready to enter the church and
partake of the sacrament.
Protestants state that you cannot save yourself from corporeal experience
as you will fail. Therefore it is a spiritual redemption through grace
alone.
Republic of Letters (Between England and France)- Enlightened
Philosopher’s frustrated by imperfect application of ideals in a Euro
Feudal/Medieval world and saw New World as the only place for
philosopher to come to full bloom. Very Little communication between
emerging world w/ Portugal and nothing with Brazil. Does Portugal not
want to be part of the Enlightenment (peripheral & not free to do so
under Dom Joao {The fortunate because of wealth but he doesn’t invest
in Enlightenment but sends money to England to pay for what is
modernized and builds Palaces (Place convent of Mafra, Portugal
Various architects, 1717-1755) Combination of Spanish Palace El
Escorial Spain de Toledo et al Begun 1563 & Palace of Versailles,
France Mansart et al begun 1661 (coping a 14 & 15 century
palace-backwards-behind times)
1755- Earthquake (often called the Holocaust of the 18th century on
Nov. 1st, All Saints Day Mass (world taken back from Devil (Halloween)
by the Saints) churches full of people, water recedes from the ports.
Tsunami, Fires and Flooding. Volcano image used as symbol for
savagery, Artists created many images of earthquake and the ruins.
Opera house is completed one week before earthquake and hadn’t had a
single performance, romantic view. Art vs Historical Truth (not
really scenes you could have seen but romanticized, dramatized, not
fashionable to go beyond fact to why and to tell story of grandeur of
event-sense of impact)
John D’Agata “the lifespan of a fact” - discourse of event becomes an
event-historical truth, when do we want it and when do we not?
Candid (Voltaire is huge in enlightenment and republic of letters)
writes inspired by Lisbon earthquake and asks the question Does God
exist if he allows such things to happen? in response to Gottfried
Leibniz’s argument of Optimism that this is the best because if God
could create better he would have. Concludes that God does not exist
and we must be our own gardener’s in creating and tending to our
world.
Lisbon earthquake forces Portuguese to face Modernism, how will we do
it and who will be in charge? Aristocrats vs Enlightenment thinkers,
Sebastiao Jose de Carvalho e Melo, Marqui de Pombal (educated in
France & England who brings Enlightenment to Portugal) and rebuilds
Lisbon no longer twisting small medieval streets but wide organized
Broadways. Building Lisbon in image of Enlightenment, Clear,
Geometric, Ordered, No Churches or Palaces but city surround around the
Square dedicated to capitalism and exchange.
Enlightened Despots (Catherine the Great, Gustave of Sweden, modern
but maintaining old values of power)
Even decorative arts such as tiles were dictated by Pombal’s
enlightened values, new ideology and world view. Change pivots on
earthquake. Neoclassical brought to Portugal mainly from France
(David) but is not coming from Portugal. Trains in Italy at Crown’s
expense, comes back, takes on students who all work for Napoleon.
Jean-Baptist Debret, student of David,
Napoleon, unifies much of Europe which had not been done since Rome,
Invades Iberian Peninsula, takes Spain and invades Portugal. Napoleon
invades and royal family moves to Rio.
1808: first book published in Brazil, must go to Europe for University
Simone Bulivar (South American George Washington, fighting for freedom
as Spain has been taken by Napoleon, so Colonies are free to choose if
they align with Spanish crown, Napoleon or independent)
Enlightenment ideas start ideas of liberty and allegiance
1860-Artistic mission in Rio de Janerio- intentions are to stay in
Brazil, even though Napoleon is no longer a threat -art would support
a reign (also using Napoleon’s own artists) Portuguese are upset and
are going to declare indepence if King doesn’t come back, he does, but
leaves son to rule Brazil, Son promises to be King of Brazil but 6
years later goes back to Portugal to rule.
Pano de Boca (Stage Background) jean-baptiste Debret, 1822
2/29/2012
Authenticity: verifiable original-extremely subjective-unmediated
Primitive: authentic is rooted in the origin of things by going back in time
Industrial revolution-crisis of authenticity-world is now one of man
removed from nature- now coalbrookdale is our paradise lost
--People begin to collect antiques and the handmade which is now rare
and nostalgic (before everything was handmade and you used it until it
wore out when you’d make
another one)
Brazil is where scientist and pseudo scientific theories could
research the origins of the world, where we came from, why we are here
and where are we going?
Alexander Von Humboldt: Einstein of his day, wrote about the cosmos
(romantic ideals) fascinated by volcanoes
Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species (1859)
Cartoons by Thomas Nast
Josiah Clark Nott and George R Glidden- Polygenism theory- Many kinds
of humans as argument against Origin of Species w/ concept that God
made many kinds of people. (White Euros, Negros, Monkeys--high,
middle & low)
Louis Agassiz-hundreds of drawings of fish (pro-polygenism) God
created different types of fish to inhabit different types of
environments-same with humans.
Costumbristo -categorizes images (peoples, clothing, flora and fauna)
as authentically Brazilian or whatever- Outside perspective.
Organized, theorized, understood and therefore controlled
Costumbrismo: desire to capture an authentic categorical description
of costume and dress in a vernacular aspect
Jean-Baptiste Debret -gluttony -savage Portuguese towards blacks
Powerless portrayal of Collection for the maintenance of the church of
our lady of the rosary of porto alegre
DeBret’s art style varies with patron and agenda of image
Why is this piece chosen? How does this piece out of everything else
that could be show describe the time and place and circumstances. How
does this image network with other images we have seen?
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