This Aesthetic Encounter report is all about my trip to High Museum of Art in Atlanta. It was my first time to be in a museum, so I was kind of lost during our tour inside the majestic building. I was amazed at the grandness of the museum that I momentarily forgot what I came for. The museums vast array of collections of artworks from different time overwhelmed me. I never imagined that a single building contains virtually countless number of artefacts, most of which are parts of cultures that defined the history of many nations. After a while, though, I felt the hang of it and got comfortable in exploring the museum.
The High Museum of Art stored thousands of art pieces created using different media. Some of these dated earlier than the first civilization. Its collection included the works of Rodin, Monet, Van Gogh, Cassat, Degas, Raphael, Da Vinci, Michelangelo and other famous artists. After several moments of surveying around the museum, I decided to pick only three artworks for my discussion. These three were the Madonna and Child, St. Sebastian, and Madonna and Child with Two Angels, St. Francis and St. Louis of Toulouse.
There were several variations of the Madonna and Child done by different painters, and they all had one common characteristic a woman figure carrying an infant. Among these variations, one that stood out was the work of Giovanni Bellini, an Italian painter, in 1510. As far as I know, Bellini was known for his piousness, gentleness and unusual fascination on the bond between the mother and her child. This was shown in his version of the Madonna and Child, which was painted using oil in a panel. The mastery of Bellini in mixing color pigments was visible in the picture, giving depth and a higher degree of realism to his work. The green drapery in the background, as well as the balustrade in front of the human figures, served to separate the divine world of the woman and her child from the mortal realm. The landscape, on the other
hand, symbolized Marys attachment to humankind, proving that she did not stop caring for us.
The St. Sebastian, on the other hand, was a masterpiece statue by the Italian sculptor Giovanni Minelli. Although Minelli was not as talented as Donatello or Raphael, his St. Sebastian, in a contapposto position, showed a remarkable human anatomical proportion. The muscles and visible ligaments were in harmony with the size of the body and the extremities. There were curves and bulges in the right places. His body and facial expression displayed obvious pain and suffering. This was again in accordance with the history of the statues subject Sebastian was accused of committing a religious offense, tied to a tree and shot with arrows. By just looking in his eyes, I could feel sympathy for St. Sebastian.
The last art object was the Madonna and Child with Two Angels, St. Francis and St. Louis of Toulouse by Paolo di Giovanni Fei, another Italian artist. Paolo was famous for experimenting with different pigments and his fondness for fanciful combinations of colors, and this was shown in most of his works. His Madonna and Child with Two Angels, St. Francis and St. Louis of Toulouse was dominated by colors and figures compressed in a tight frame. It also illustrated the artists consciousness for small details, like the decorative design on the womans clothes and on the cape of St. Louis. The painting displayed a serious tone, and only the child appeared to be communicating with the viewers, giving a welcoming gesture towards the world of divinity. All the attention of the figures around the child seemed to focus on him. The kneeling figure on the right with a crown and a staff was St. Louis. In front of him was St. Francis of Assisi, whose hand exposed stigmata.
As I left the museum, I could not help but to be amazed again by the thought that I had just explored a wide array of timeless art pieces. It was once-in-a-lifetime experience. Seeing
those artefacts was like visiting thousands year old civilizations.
The High Museum of Art stored thousands of art pieces created using different media. Some of these dated earlier than the first civilization. Its collection included the works of Rodin, Monet, Van Gogh, Cassat, Degas, Raphael, Da Vinci, Michelangelo and other famous artists. After several moments of surveying around the museum, I decided to pick only three artworks for my discussion. These three were the Madonna and Child, St. Sebastian, and Madonna and Child with Two Angels, St. Francis and St. Louis of Toulouse.
There were several variations of the Madonna and Child done by different painters, and they all had one common characteristic a woman figure carrying an infant. Among these variations, one that stood out was the work of Giovanni Bellini, an Italian painter, in 1510. As far as I know, Bellini was known for his piousness, gentleness and unusual fascination on the bond between the mother and her child. This was shown in his version of the Madonna and Child, which was painted using oil in a panel. The mastery of Bellini in mixing color pigments was visible in the picture, giving depth and a higher degree of realism to his work. The green drapery in the background, as well as the balustrade in front of the human figures, served to separate the divine world of the woman and her child from the mortal realm. The landscape, on the other
hand, symbolized Marys attachment to humankind, proving that she did not stop caring for us.
The St. Sebastian, on the other hand, was a masterpiece statue by the Italian sculptor Giovanni Minelli. Although Minelli was not as talented as Donatello or Raphael, his St. Sebastian, in a contapposto position, showed a remarkable human anatomical proportion. The muscles and visible ligaments were in harmony with the size of the body and the extremities. There were curves and bulges in the right places. His body and facial expression displayed obvious pain and suffering. This was again in accordance with the history of the statues subject Sebastian was accused of committing a religious offense, tied to a tree and shot with arrows. By just looking in his eyes, I could feel sympathy for St. Sebastian.
The last art object was the Madonna and Child with Two Angels, St. Francis and St. Louis of Toulouse by Paolo di Giovanni Fei, another Italian artist. Paolo was famous for experimenting with different pigments and his fondness for fanciful combinations of colors, and this was shown in most of his works. His Madonna and Child with Two Angels, St. Francis and St. Louis of Toulouse was dominated by colors and figures compressed in a tight frame. It also illustrated the artists consciousness for small details, like the decorative design on the womans clothes and on the cape of St. Louis. The painting displayed a serious tone, and only the child appeared to be communicating with the viewers, giving a welcoming gesture towards the world of divinity. All the attention of the figures around the child seemed to focus on him. The kneeling figure on the right with a crown and a staff was St. Louis. In front of him was St. Francis of Assisi, whose hand exposed stigmata.
As I left the museum, I could not help but to be amazed again by the thought that I had just explored a wide array of timeless art pieces. It was once-in-a-lifetime experience. Seeing
those artefacts was like visiting thousands year old civilizations.
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