Natural World
Go to Art Through time: A Global view, review “The Natural World” art image of mountains by Artist Hiroshige( suijin shine and massaki on sumida river from one hundred famous views of Edo) and Muybridge (falls of the yosemite). Anwers question:
1. How does each position the viewer in relationship to the mountain in question? How does this impact your response to the work?
2. Use St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Peter’s Square by Artist Michelangelo Buonarro or Benjamin Franklin Parkway by Artist Paul Philippe Cret to support and answer question.
How has the organization of a city (its plan or organic layout) represented the values and beliefs of the citizens within it or their leaders?
3. review the image, Early Spring by Artist Guo Xi (Kuo Hsi) and Art The Penitence of St. by Artist Joachim Patinir. Answer the question:
Mountains are central to both Guo Xi’s Early Spring and Patinir’s Penitence of St. Jerome. What symbolic meaning is tied to mountains for each of the artists? Do you think that there are features of the natural world that carry universal significance?
4. Use the image, The Working Class by Artist José Clemente Orozco and the art Tribute to Jackie Robinson by Artist David McShane to support and answer the questions:
* Who commissioned each of these murals?
* How does the identity of the person, group, or organization behind the work’s creation affect your understanding of the mural’s intended meaning and purpose?
Why should we think about the physical environments for these works?
What do each tell us about the intended audience for each mural?
5. Think about and describe a sculpture garden that you would want to own. A fantasy one with access to limitless resources
Sample Solution
The two paintings, Suijin Shrine and Massaki on Sumida River from One Hundred Famous Views of Edo by Hiroshige and Falls of the Yosemite by Muybridge, position the viewer in very different relationships to the mountains in question.
In Hiroshige’s painting, the viewer is positioned as a participant in the scene. We are standing on the banks of the Sumida River, looking up at the Suijin Shrine and the Massaki Mountains. The mountains are towering over us, but they are not overwhelming. We feel a sense of awe and wonder at their size and beauty, but we also feel a sense of connection to them. We are part of the same landscape, and we are sharing the same experience.
In Muybridge’s painting, the viewer is positioned as an observer. We are standing on a cliff, looking down at the Yosemite Falls. The falls are massive, and they seem to dwarf us. We feel a sense of awe and wonder at their power and beauty, but we also feel a sense of distance. We are not part of the same landscape, and we are not sharing the same experience. We are simply observing the falls from a distance.
The different ways in which these two paintings position the viewer have a significant impact on our response to the work. In Hiroshige’s painting, we feel a sense of connection to the mountains. We feel like we are part of the same landscape, and we are sharing the same experience. This makes the painting more personal and engaging.
In Muybridge’s painting, we feel a sense of distance from the falls. We are simply observing them from a distance. This makes the painting more objective and detached.
Ultimately, the way in which a painting positions the viewer is a key factor in determining our response to the work. The two paintings by Hiroshige and Muybridge offer very different experiences, and they evoke very different emotions in the viewer.
Additional Thoughts
In addition to the different ways in which they position the viewer, the two paintings also differ in their use of color and composition. Hiroshige’s painting uses a limited palette of colors, with blues, greens, and browns dominating. The composition is also very traditional, with the mountains filling the background and the river and shrine in the foreground.
Muybridge’s painting, on the other hand, uses a wider range of colors, with more vibrant blues, greens, and yellows. The composition is also more dynamic, with the falls cascading down the cliff in the foreground and the sky filling the background.
These differences in color and composition contribute to the different ways in which the two paintings evoke emotions in the viewer. Hiroshige’s painting is more serene and peaceful, while Muybridge’s painting is more dramatic and exciting.
Overall, both paintings are beautiful and evocative works of art. They offer very different experiences, but they both succeed in capturing the beauty and power of the natural world.
