Art In Titian's "Venus of Urbino," a nude woman reclines provocatively on a day bed, her shoulder propped up on pillows, her eyes staring directly ahead. A controversial painting because of its overtly sensual imagery, "Venus of Urbino" is inarguably stunning. The whiteness of the pillows and sheets contrasts sharply with the densely dark background behind them. Even the landscape outside of the window in the background displays a darkened sky,

Monet's painting "Garden at Sainte-Adresse" depicts a seaside scene in France, in which two couples enjoy a leisurely afternoon in the sun. According to the description offered by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the couple in the foreground is Monet's own father Adolphe and to his left, Monet's Aunt Madame Lecadre. The woman standing by the sea wall is apparently Monet's cousin Jeanne-Marguerite Lecadre, but the man beside her remains

Visual Imagery and Qualitative Dimensions of Life & Consciousness in Visual Art Throughout history all cultures have produced works of art. The impulse to create as a means of personal expression and to stimulate the imagination of viewers is universal and perpetual. In their various manifestations, the arts play an important role in defining culture by presenting intelligent viewpoints of our present state of being, and by serving as a record

Art Futurism brashly and boldly embraced new technology, celebrating even the bellicose. In Marinetti's "Manifesto of Futurism," he states, "We will glorify war -- the world's only hygiene -- militarism, patriotism, the destructive gesture of freedom-bringers, beautiful ideas worth dying for, and scorn for women," (p. 148). This peculiar statement reveals the nature of futurism as it was manifest at early twentieth century. Futurism was all embracing, rejecting nothing based on

Art and Architecture Architecture and Art In a recent visit to Chicago, I observed the Chicago Picasso which was a gift to the city by the famed artist Pablo Picasso. Located in the downtown Chicago loop, the monument stands 58 feet tall, weighs 162 tons and is constructed of Cor-Ten (corrosive tensile) steel. Pablo Picasso gave this massive work of art to the city of Chicago, even though he'd never been to

The concept of color value may be better illustrated by impressionist artists like Renoir. In "The Skiff," Renoir depicts a boat on a placid pond using different shades, or values, of blue: http://smphoto.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/renoir-the-skiff.jpg Capitalizing on color value in this case adds considerable depth and nuance to the painting, as well as texture. Texture: Texture is most obvious in three-dimensional and especially in multimedia artwork. Sculptor Giacometti molded metal, preserving its naturally bumpy texture