In devising ways of communicating with the right hemisphere ,RW Sperry won the 1981 Nobel Prize for medicine , by showing the right hemisphere is " indeed a conscious system in its own right, perceiving, thinking, remembering & reasoning, " —Roger Wolcott Sperry CALTEC
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ARTISTS
Da VinciLeonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was one of the greatest painters and most versatile geniuses in history. He was one of the key figures of the Renaissance, a great cultural movement that had begun in Italy in the 1300's. His portrait Mona Lisa and his religious scene The Last Supper rank among the most famous pictures ever painted. His scientific work includes accurate drawings of human anatomy. Leonardo, as he is almost always called, was trained to be a painter. But his interests and achievements spread into an astonishing variety of fields that are now considered scientific specialisms. Leonardo studied anatomy, astronomy, botany, geology, geometry, and optics, and he designed machines and drew plans for hundreds of inventions. Because Leonardo excelled in such an amazing number of areas of human knowledge, he is often called a universal genius. However, he had little interest in literature, history, or religion. He formulated a few scientific laws, but he never developed his ideas systematically. Leonardo was most of all an excellent observer. He concerned himself with what the eye could see, rather than with purely abstract concepts. Leonardo's works Drawings and scientific studies. Leonardo used drawings both as a tool of scientific investigation and as an expression of artistic imagination. He changed forever the art of drawing. He made drawings in much greater numbers than any artist before him, and he was one of the first artists to use sketches to work out his artistic and architectural compositions. Drawing was indispensable to Leonardo's processes of observation, creation, and invention. Physical sciences. Leonardo was interested in mechanics (the science of motion and force), and many of his ideas and designs were far ahead of their time. For example, he drew plans for aircraft, including a helicopter, and for a parachute. Like many Renaissance artists, Leonardo sometimes worked as an engineer or military architect. He produced designs for a variety of war machines, among them tanks, machine guns, and movable bridges. Life sciences. Leonardo studied anatomy by dissecting human corpses and the bodies of animals. He made scientific drawings that clarify not only the appearance of bones, tendons, and other body parts, but also their function. These drawings are considered the first accurate portrayals of human anatomy. Leonardo tried to understand the human body as a mechanism. As his studies progressed, he also tried to understand the forces of life that animated the body. His drawings of anatomy, for example, extended to investigations of human reproduction and embryology and the circulation of the blood. None of these things were understood at the time. His anatomical drawing of a female, which he made about 1508, is his attempt, partly erroneous in detail, to illustrate the body's circulatory and other systems in a single image.
DaliDali, Salvador (1904-1989), was a surrealist painter. His unusual pictures made him one of the most publicized figures in modern art. Dali called his surrealist paintings "hand-painted dream photographs." The pictures show strange, often nightmarish combinations of precisely detailed figures and objects. Many of his paintings have strong sexual associations. The barren landscapes and fantastic rock formations of the Spanish region of Catalonia, where Dali was born, appear in a number of his works. Dali's Gala and the Angelus of Millet Immediately Preceding the Arrival of the Conic Anamorphoses illustrates his realistic technique and his use of complicated, puzzling symbols. Dali also created many etchings and lithographs. He designed many of these prints to illustrate books. Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dali was born in Figueras, Spain. He was also a sculptor and jewellery designer. Dali worked with the Spanish film director Luis Bunuel on two surrealist feature films--Un chien andalou (An Andalusian Dog) (1929) and L'Age d'or (The Golden Age) (1930). Surrealism. The artists who became the surrealists gathered around poet Andre Breton in Paris in the 1920's. The first Surrealist Manifesto was published in 1924, declaring the artistic goals of the organization, especially as conceived by Breton. For Breton, surrealism was a creative method that employed many of the ideas of Sigmund Freud, the Austrian doctor who developed psychoanalysis as a method of treating mental illness. The basic strategy for Breton was automatism, a process for tapping the unconscious by writing in a trancelike state and recording the involuntary images that emerged. Taking his cue from the writings of Freud, Breton believed that dreams were the natural expression of the unconscious mind. Automatism, irrational thought associations, hallucinations, and the recollection of dream images offered a way to liberate the creative mind from the bonds of logic and reason. Surrealism, like dada, began primarily as a literary movement. However, artists did organize themselves under the name of surrealism and staged a series of exhibitions. Gradually, the artists moved away from the influence of Breton and developed a broader appeal to artists and viewers alike. Two branches of surrealist painting developed in Paris in the mid-1920's. Abstract surrealism included the work of Andre Masson of France and Joan Miro of Spain. Illusionistic surrealism included the work of Salvador Dali of Spain, Max Ernst of Germany, Yves Tanguy of France, and Paul Delvaux and Rene Magritte of Belgium.
IngnesIngres, Jean Auguste Dominique (1780-1867), was a leading French artist who painted in the style known as neoclassicism. Ingres painted many historical, mythological, and religious subjects. However, he is probably most admired for his portraits and female nudes. Ingres's style emphasizes orderly compositions, smoothly painted surfaces, and accurate drawing. Ingres ranks among the finest draughtsmen in the history of painting. Although Ingres is identified with neoclassicism, he painted in a variety of styles. For example, his painting The Dream of Ossian resembles works painted in the romantic style. Several of Ingres's works reflect the influence of one of his favourite artists, the Italian Renaissance painter Raphael. Ingres was born in Montauban. He studied in Paris with the famous neoclassical artist Jacques Louis David for four years and then studied and worked in Italy from 1806 to 1824. His altarpiece The Vow of Louis XIII was exhibited in Paris in 1824. From 1835 to 1841, Ingres directed the French Academy, an art school in Rome supported by the French government.
MonetMonet, Claude (1840-1926), a French painter, was a leader of the impressionist movement. He influenced art by trying to paint his personal, spontaneous response to outdoor scenes or events. Earlier artists had also painted outdoor studies rapidly--almost in shorthand. But they used such studies as "notes" for more elaborate pictures painted in the studio. Monet was the most important of the artists who first allowed their initial impressions of outdoor scenes to stand as complete works. He was especially concerned with the effect of outdoor light and atmosphere. This concern can be seen in his La Grenouillere (1869). Monet was born in Paris. In 1874, he exhibited a landscape called Impression: Sunrise (1872) in an exhibition. This patchily textured work caused one critic to sceptically call the entire show impressionist, which gave the movement its name. Monet's fascination with light led him to paint several series of pictures showing the effect of sunlight on a subject. For example, he painted views of a cathedral or of a haystack under changing atmospheric conditions and at different hours of the day. In 1883, Monet settled in Giverny, near Vernon. There, at his country home, he painted garden scenes and a series of large pictures of water lilies. The swirling colours of the lilies influenced later abstract painters.
RembrandtRembrandt (1606-1669) was the Netherlands' greatest artist. Rembrandt's output was tremendous. Scholars credit him with about 600 paintings, 300 etchings, and 1,400 drawings. Many other works have been lost. Unlike some other great artists, he wrote almost nothing about his art. The range of Rembrandt's subjects is extraordinary. His works include landscapes, nudes, portraits, scenes of everyday life, animals and birds, historical and mythological subjects, and works inspired by stories from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Throughout his career, Rembrandt also made about 100 known portraits of himself. They form a unique autobiography. Rembrandt's reputation rests on his power as a storyteller, his warm sympathy, and his ability to show the innermost feelings of the people he portrayed. His use of light and shadow creates an atmosphere that enables us to share his sensitive response to nature and profound understanding of the individual's inner life. Few artists match his genius for showing the human aspect of Biblical characters, yet on the other hand, he was equally capable of suggesting the divine spark which rests in every human being. Early years. Rembrandt was born in Leiden on July 15, 1606. His full name was Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn. He first studied art with an obscure Leiden painter from about 1621 to 1624. Then he studied with Pieter Lastman in Amsterdam. About 1625, Rembrandt returned to Leiden to paint on his own. Leiden years: 1625-1631. Most of Rembrandt's early works are small, precisely finished pictures of Biblical and historical subjects. The influence of Lastman can be seen in the lively gestures and expressions of his figures and also in his use of vivid colours and glossy paint. However, Rembrandt rapidly surpassed his teacher's ability to tell a story. He used light and shadow better than anyone else to heighten the drama of his works. Light and shadow became his principal means of pictorial expression. Rembrandt quickly achieved local success. He began to teach in 1628, and his strong personality continued to attract students and followers throughout his career. The last years: 1640-1669. Rembrandt's most famous picture, The Night Watch, was painted in 1642. According to a legend, the people who commissioned the portrait were not satisfied with it and refused the painting because Rembrandt would not change it in any way. Because he would not change to please public taste, the tale continues, he soon lost patrons and friends and spent his last years penniless and in total obscurity. However, evidence proves that Rembrandt received a high price for The Night Watch, and that he continued to receive important public and private commissions during the last years of his life. These commissions included Portrait of Jan Six, Conspiracy of Claudius Civilis, and The Syndics. However, tragedy did strike Rembrandt in 1642 when his beloved wife, Saskia, died. Also, the mature Rembrandt did not enjoy the wide popularity he had as a young painter. Although he still ranked as one of his country's leading artists, he ran short of money. The house he purchased in 1639 was too expensive. Rembrandt also collected works of art on a scale he could not afford. Most important, he began to paint more and more for himself. His late majestic Biblical paintings were not commissioned works. During this period, Rembrandt's art gained steadily in spiritual depth and pictorial richness. His wonderful light now seemed to glow from within his works. The shadows became more intense and vibrant. In place of earlier sensational effects, his work shows solemn restraint, calmness, and tenderness. When humanity is represented, the thoughtful rather than active side of human nature is stressed. Rembrandt's landscape etchings and drawings during these years have an unmatched sense of space and fresh air. Rembrandt was forced to declare bankruptcy in 1656. His house and possessions were sold at auction in 1657 and 1658. But when he died on Oct. 4, 1669, he was nevertheless able to leave his surviving relatives a fairly large inheritance.
LowryLowry, L. S. (1887-1976), a British artist, became famous for his paintings depicting industrial towns in Greater Manchester. His striking use of white and greys gave his work a highly individual style. Laurence Stephen Lowry was born in Manchester. He was elected to the Royal Academy in 1962.
DurerDurer, Albrecht (1471-1528), was the most famous painter and printmaker in the history of German art. He also became famous as a scholar and author. Durer was the first writer to describe the concept of artistic genius and he was the first to publish scientific literature in German. Durer's published works include books on geometry and perspective, civil defence, and the measurements of the human body. In his studies on artistic theory, Durer tried to explain idealized beauty as well as ugliness, and differences in personality. Durer was born in Nuremberg. Between the ages of 13 and 40, he painted and drew a remarkable series of revealing self-portraits. Durer's most famous oil paintings include Self-Portrait (1500); an altarpiece for the Church of the Germans in Venice, called The Feast of the Rose Garlands (1506); and Four Apostles (1526), painted for the Nuremberg city hall. One of his most popular pictures is a brush drawing called Praying Hands (1508), which was a study for part of an altarpiece for a church in Frankfurt.
CannalettoCanaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal) (1697-1768) was an Italian painter celebrated for his views of Venice, where he was born. He learnt theatrical scene-painting from his father, Bernardo Canal. Together, they prepared opera sets for the composer Alessandro Scarlatti in Rome. Canaletto returned to Venice in about 1720. For the next 20 years, he was among the most influential and sought-after landscape artists. His work in oils shows a rare appreciation of light and shade. Canaletto explored the tones of colour on land, reflected in water, and in shadows. He often worked directly onto canvas. Canaletto worked with a camera oscura, which uses a lens to project an image of a scene onto a flat surface, providing an outline for the artist's drawing. After 1742, Canaletto travelled to Rome, and then to London, where he produced notable studies of the River Thames. But many of his wealthy patrons considered these below his best. He returned to Venice in 1756.
Van GoghVan Gogh, Vincent (1853-1890), is one of the most famous painters in modern art. Yet during his lifetime, he received no recognition and sold only one painting. Van Gogh failed in every career he attempted and felt unloved and friendless. He turned to art to express his strong religious feelings and his deep need for love and respect. During the last five years of his life, van Gogh completed more than 800 oil paintings. Van Gogh was born in Groot-Zundert, near Breda, the Netherlands. When he was 16 years old, his parents sent him to The Hague to work for an uncle who was an art dealer. Between 1873 and 1876, he worked for art dealers in London and Paris. But van Gogh was unsuited for a business career. In 1878, van Gogh applied for admission to a theological school but was rejected. He then decided to become an unordained preacher and received his training from a missionary society in Brussels, Belgium. Late in 1878, van Gogh represented the society as a minister in the Borinage, a poor coal-mining district in Belgium. He took his work so seriously that he went without food and other necessities so he could give more to the poor. The missionary society objected to van Gogh's unorthodox behaviour and relieved him in the summer of 1879. Van Gogh began to draw while in the Borinage, and late in 1880 he decided to become a painter. Van Gogh's first pictures were still lifes and scenes of peasants at work. He favoured dark brown and olive colours and heavy brushstrokes. The Potato Eaters (1885) is his finest and most ambitious work of this period. In 1886, he went to Paris to visit his brother Theo and was immediately attracted to the impressionist art he saw there. Under the influence of impressionism, van Gogh lightened his brushstrokes and used bright, clear colours. In 1888, van Gogh moved to Arles in southern France. There, he painted his most expressive and original pictures. An example of his work of this period is The Postman Roulin. In Arles, van Gogh suffered from occasional violent seizures, which were diagnosed after his death as epilepsy. The intense colour and slashing brushstrokes of van Gogh's paintings reflect his disturbed mind. An example is van Gogh's picture The Night Cafe. During a seizure late in 1888, he threatened to kill the French painter Paul Gauguin, who was visiting him. Van Gogh cut off one of his own ears during this seizure. He committed suicide in 1890. Throughout his life, van Gogh corresponded with his brother Theo and other people. Van Gogh's Complete Letters, published in three volumes in 1958, provide an intimate view of his life and thought.
PicassoPicasso, Pablo (1881-1973), was the most famous painter of the 1900's. He also became known for his sculpture, drawings, graphics, and ceramics. In some ways, he was the artist most characteristic of the 1900's, because he responded to changing conditions, moods, and challenges so intensely and so rapidly. His searching style made him the leader in expressing the complexity of the 1900's. Picasso's art challenges the viewer's traditional view of life. He appeared drawn to tension and conflict. Picasso seemed to explore the fantastic world of nightmare and deep imagination which modern psychology and modern art cite as great influences on our daily actions. He hoped to arouse and reveal unknown influences that lie hidden in the viewer's subconscious mind. His images radiate the strangeness of dreams, yet have the appearance of fact. Perhaps Picasso was influenced by the art of his native Spain, which often seems fascinated by the visionary and the monstrous. Early career. Picasso was born in Malaga, Spain, but lived in France from 1904 until his death. He was a child prodigy, painting realistic works when he was only 14 years old. Picasso's first personal style, called the Blue Period (1901-1904), focused on the themes of loneliness and despair, and featured mainly shades of blue. The style of this period gave way between 1904 and 1906 to a style that stressed warmer colours and moods. Abandoning the thin, discouraged faces of the Blue Period, Picasso gave his subjects new flexibility and frequently included circus scenes in his works. By 1906, he began painting great figures that are massive, as if to withstand potential shock or fear. In 1907, Picasso painted Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, a landmark in art. This picture marked a decisive break with traditional notions of beauty and harmony. Five monstrous female figures with masks rather than faces pose in a convulsive, jagged array--distorted, shaken, and savagely transformed. Out of this disruptive image grew the style known as cubism. Early in 1912, Picasso began including newspaper clippings, bits of debris, and stencilled words in his paintings. In this way he hoped to break down the distinction between art and nonart and to make viewers rethink their relationship to traditional art. Later career. After World War I, Picasso extended his explorations of form, placing special emphasis on brilliantly coloured dreamlike images. From 1918 to 1924, he painted in a classical style, with huge and stately figures. In the 1920's and 1930's, Picasso portrayed figures as though from the inside out, and the lifeless objects in these works appear to have a life of their own. His Guernica (1937) was painted as a protest against the bombing of the town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). The painting was Picasso's attempt to make a public statement using his personal symbols of rage and despair. The picture is a powerful expression of crisis and disaster beyond individual control. In 1944, Picasso joined the Communist Party because he felt the Communists had been more effective in fighting the Nazis. But Picasso's art was officially condemned as "decadent" and "unacceptable" in most Communist countries. After 1945, Picasso's painting, sculpture, and ceramics developed a more relaxed and gentle feeling. He appeared to make peace with the emotions that had tormented him so often in the past. Some critics feel this new Picasso had outlived the best days of his art. Others feel this represented another advance in Picasso's visual and mental adventures in art. |
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