8th Grade: 3D Landscapes

HISTORY:  Renaissance Landscapes

Landscape is such a common subject in art that we take it for granted. Yet landscape as a category of European painting emerged only during the Renaissance.

The depiction of landscape in art has its roots in Greek and Roman times, with murals of landscapes painted on the walls of expensive villas. However, it was in the Renaissance when landscape gained in popularity. The ‘Classical’ vision of the land as a place for pleasure was reborn and people looked at the landscape with renewed interest.

Landscape painting was not produced in its own right at this time with early Renaissance painters presenting landscape as a backdrop to religious scenes and portraits.

As landscapes became more accurately portrayed, it became easier to integrate figures within them to be shown in proportion to the rest of the picture. Artists also started to use colours and forms in the background that mirrored the mood and the figures of the events depicted in their religious and mythological paintings.

Albrecht Altdorfer

Altdorfer was the pioneer painter of pure landscape, making them the subject of the painting, as well as compositions dominated by their landscape. He believed that the human figure shouldn't disrupt nature, but rather participate in it or imitate its natural processes.

His Landscape with Footbridge of 1518–1520 is claimed to be the first pure landscape in oil. In this painting, Altdorfer places a large tree that is cut off by the margins at the center of the landscape, making it the central axis and focus within the piece. He uses anthropomorphism to give the tree human qualities such as the drapery of its limbs. 

 

 

 

HISTORY:  Modern Landscapes




Fauvism - An early twentieth century art movement and style of painting in France. The name Fauves, French for "Wild Beasts," was given to artists adhering to this style because it was felt that they used intense colors in a violent, uncontrolled way. The leader of the Fauves was Henri Matisse (French, 1869-1954).

 

 

WHAT IS DIFFERENT BETWEEN FAUVIST AND RENAISSANCE PAINTINGS?

.....COLOR
.....LESS FOCUS ON REALISM
.....BROAD, CRAZY BRUSH STROKES

WHAT IS THE SAME BETWEEN FAUVIST AND RENAISSANCE PAINTINGS?

.....OVERLAPPING OBJECTS TO SHOW SPACE
.....FOREGROUND, MIDDLE GROUND, BACKGROUND
.....CONTAINS IMAGERY FROM NATURE

YOUR PROJECT:

You are going to paint an "impossible" landscape in a Fauvist style.  You will be graded on your Use of Space (depth), Color, Experimental Brush Strokes, Neatness/Craft, and Complexity of Project.

1)  Draw 4 different landscapes!  Pick your 2 favorites and figure out how to 'melt' them together to create an "IMPOSSIBLE" landscape.

Example:  Arctic landscape + Egyptian Pyramids

  

  -When 'melting' them together, you must put something in the Foreground, Middle Ground, and Background

2)  Redraw large on your Final Draft

3)  Using a larger brush, fill in large areas with flat, bright colors.  Be sure to get ALL of the paper covered!  Check the edges, around objects, etc.  You may need to do 2 coats of paint to get everything evenly covered.

4)  Using smaller paintbrushes, using tints/shades or analagous colors, paint Experimental brush strokes on top to add the Fauvist technique.