Learning from the old Masters.

Sometimes if I’m in museum and I’m not in the mood I will skip the Renaissance (1400 – 1600ish) galleries in search of something more contemporary, my favourite starting point being somewhere around the end of the 19^th century. During the Renaissance it was more about the artist being paid to complete a specific painting of a religious scene/family portrait that demonstrated the patron/purchasers wealth or faith, the artist following a process to render a suitably desirable image to attract the purchaser.

When looking at paintings from the end of the 18^th century, as an artist, I see more evidence of the artist, their diverse/unpredictable process, intentions and beliefs that gives the painting an energy. I guess it is not surprising as I have this romantic impression of these being exciting times, speed, travel, exotic, technical revolution, multicultural experience for the everyday person, all fuel for the artist making less restricted decisions about what they want to paint.

Now I’ve said this I want to do a complete about turn and not walk past the Renaissance galleries! It’s outrageous of me to make such a sweeping statement. Lets face it it’s not as though there aren’t many contemporary artists that curb their creative intentions to make work that sells and it would be ridiculous to suggest that the 17^th century artist didn’t spend time experimenting freely with their own creative desires. 

Many Renaissance artists were thoroughly brilliant both intellectually and practically, artistry and Richard stamp describe them as having, “a particularly gifted insight onto the world.” They were rigorously trained in drawing, anatomy, perspective. I have often wondered what Rembrandt would have done if they were born into this century. 

So, what am I doing? I am looking at  drawings, studying their techniques seeking out their gems. Pre-Covid, I would be heading to the galleries and museums, In-Covid I have been trawling around the internet. A great place to start is https://artsandculture.google.com where are you can study high resolution drawings, I have also searched museum you can join the Rijks Museum in Amsterdam for free  https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en and download some pretty high resolution works by artists such as Rembrandt and Vermeer.

My brief is to select some artists whose drawing techniques are of particular interest to me and create my own work that draws on elements of their styles. I have cheated as some of these artists are later than the Renaissance but hayhoe it’s my investigation! Here are a few examples:

What is there not to love about Rembrandt? His rapid effortless style using multiple rendering techniques creating focal points, he is my ultimate hero.

Two Women and Winged Boy on Clouds, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

Seated River God Nymph, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

The Visitation, Lucca Cambiaso

Lucca Cambiaso and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo's, economy of line with broadly blocked washes offering 3 dimensionality.

Rubens

Raphael

and the grand classical sensual styles of Ruben and Raphael.

Ingres

Giovanni Battista Piazetta

Isidore Pils

Cheating on the dates but Pils, Ingres and Piazetta are also some personal favourites.

I love how Honore Daumier in 'Don Quixote and Sancho Panza', draws a horses legs in one swift movement criss-crossing to define the joints, bold blocks of wash defining volume and light direction.

Jac also suggested... 'don't just look at artist whose work you like, look at artists work you dislike.' There are things to be learnt in unexpected places. A couple of my least favourite artists would be Albrecht Durer and Pieter Brugel.

Move past the dislike and there is a lot to be learnt in the way Durer models the shape of the face through line and Bruegel through less regimented dot and line. Bruegel delicately dots out a line above the location of reflected light on the bottom edge of the nostril and I love that.

So where is all this going? I can't believe I'm putting this in my blog as it could all go horribly wrong, but my plan is not to copy works by these artists but to render a drawing of one of my favourite paintings by Rembrandt as a response to my musings on these artists techniques. I am unsure what materials I will be using at this stage but I have two beautiful pieces of paper pinned to the wall and a range of charcoal, graphite, sanguine, white chalk and ink to play with.