Jan Van Eyck

Jan Van Eyck is an early Netherlandish painter. He was born in Maaseik. He lived from 1390 bc to 1441 bc. He is well known for Northern Renaissance Art and he is a founder of Early Netherlandish painting. One of my favorite pieces of his is the Arnolfini Portrait which we viewed in class. It depicts a young man with his wife featuring a mirror with the same image replaced with his other wives who have died. This painting is so intricate that I could look at it for hours and find something new. A lot of his work was like that and that’s why I appreciate it so much

Giotto was a well known and respected Italian Renaissance artist. He was born in c1266 in Florence Italy. He was a big part of the Proto Renaissance movement.  He is famous for breaking from the traditional Byzantine style and introducing artwork influenced by real life. Two of his most famous works are the frescoes and The Lamentation, as shown below.

The Lamentation depicts Jesus after he was taken off the cross. Mary and his family/friends gathered around him to mourn his death. The colors used by Giotto are a darker tone, making the bright halos stand out on the the angel’s and people’s heads. This painting is very well balanced. While Jesus is the main focus of this painting, there isn’t much of a focal point. This image captures the union between Jesus and his people. Giotto did a lovely job expressing this part of the Bible. 

gargoyles are SPOOKY fictional creatures. they look like a mix of gremelins, bats, and dragons.
here are some pictures...



some are not as spooky...




grotesques are funny looking monster creatures. they dont shoot water and they look a lot cuter and friendlier...

Early medieval Celtic designs

Roman mosaics:





Byzantine mosaics:

The Byzantine Empire was highly religious and  inherited this
 artistic tradition of mosaics.
Almost all of these mosaics were influenced by religion. Here are
Some pieces that are inspired by Christianity.







Islamic mosaics:

These beautiful mosaics are made up of tesserae which
are small, flat pieces of stone or glass. Islamic mosaics
are extremely colorful and decorative. They were often used
for interior decoration. Some of them resemble mandalas.





Roman mosaic description here: during the Roman Empire
mosaics became a very popular form of art. Floors of buildings
We’re often covered in mosaics. Many mosaics captured
everyday life and expressed the rich history of the Roman Empire.

On Monday i took a trip to the Boston Museum of Science. There were many amazing exhibits. The museum was full of nature and animal information. My favorite part was seeing a 4D shark movie. While learning about these amazing creatures we got to experience water splashing in our faces and real life effects. I enjoyed how hands-on this museum was because i love to touch things. Another part i liked was the dinosaur exhibit. Real dinosaur bones were displayed and they were ginormous. it is crazy that a creature can be so big. I learned a lot at this museum and would love to go again and see the parts i didnt get a chance to see. The food was also pretty good. It was a good experience.