Oscar Wilde once wrote, “All art is useless, except that it is intensely admired”. If so, then what is the use of painting? Sculpting vases, panels or jewelry? What makes them so special that The Museum of Metropolitan Art would exert so much of their resources into obtaining almost over 150 pieces for an exhibit?

The answer lies quite simply in the title of the exhibit. “Love and Romance in Renaissance Italy. All these objects were created as everlasting symbols of status, piety and love. As I trembled in the slightly chilly marble hall where most of the exhibit was housed I could not help but embrace how aptly titled it was.

  The painting of a beautiful woman probably commissioned by a doting husband stared across a blue and white ceramic vase. Celestial cherubs and gods like Venus, commissioned by those who tried in every way to be closer to God were recurring motifs. It is difficult not to generalize or to be overly sentimental in analyzing Renaissance art because the artists themselves deliberately exaggerated the subjects. Immense oil paintings of partially nude women of impressive proportions gazed the viewer out of countenance. This was considered beauty! Past tense is used because standards of what stands for love or beauty has drastically changed in a society that is so insecure.

            Historically, the High Italian Renaissance was a period where the pursuit of perfection was channeled through the skill of artists and their craft. Looking at their preindustrial era surroundings they saw potential for beauty and divinity reminiscent of the grandeur that was Rome. One such man was Fra Fillipo Lippi. He was a painter and monk. I recognized his style instantly as I my eyes skipped across the room. He specialized in profile paintings of Italian nobility and mostly couples as seen in the painting “Portrait of a Woman and a Man at a Casement”. In his pursuit of idealization he focuses on the details of an elaborate headpiece and dress rather than the woman that wore it. Her exaggeratedly high forehead, lack of eyebrows, and wan pallor though disconcerting the viewer was considered beauty. On her right arm he wrote the word “Leal” in Italian. Understandably to further emphasize her perfection as a loyal wife. Lorenzo Lotto also undertook to paint in this time and his portayal of “Venus and Cupid” is awe inspiring. Venus as the godess of beauty reposed and completely at ease with cupid at her feet gives and indescribable sense of serenity and peace. This was art and love in renaissance Italy.

This romantic idealization went beyond the human form. In the artist’s eyes and in my minds eye it transcended into human nature itself.

In the world we live today, we often ignore what is surrounding us, even if it’s free of charge. I had the opportunity to visit the exhibition Art and Love in the Italian Renaissance, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Though the Renaissance occurred hundreds of years ago, the values of marriage and family were preserved through the paintings and jewelries at the exhibition. Though I had limited knowledge of the culture during that time period, the exhibition guided me to learn the culture not from words but with my own eyes.

From the Portrait of a Woman and a Man at a Casement, painted by Fra Filippo Lippi, I noticed a common trend among all the paintings. They were not only about the artificial life of the upper class; instead the Italian Renaissance focused on the private life as well the customs of marriage. The portrait of a couple was one of the earliest surviving double portraits, and it emphasized the details of the  clothing of the newlyweds as well as the element of the unknown.  The woman was covered in gold accessories, with the word loyalty placed on her flowing drapery.  Contrasted to the clear usage of the clothing to symbolize the importance of marriage, the portrait left many questions that continued to puzzle me. While the painter placed the woman in the middle of the portrait, he intentionally placed the man in the left corner, with his head sticking out of the window. Though I did not what the painter intended to achieve by placing the woman in the middle, I believed that it represented the fidelity of the wife to the husband. With the wife occupying more space than the husband, I believed that the painter was trying to show that the husband, on the contrary, was unfaithful to the wife. While the wife looked at the husband, he looked away at something else.

With keen observation, I found the paintings at the exhibition to be engaging. For most of my time at the exhibition, I focused on a few paintings and tried to interpret the real essence behind them. I think what makes history special is that we can always have a different interpretation on of it.

Works of art such as this one by Giulio Romano, don’t make me think of that time after the dark ages, don’t make me think of knights or blossoming science.  It makes me think about beauty.  It makes me think about how beauty has changed with the passing years, how it’s different for each person, each continent each era. Especially with the female image.

Back when this guy was big plump and pasty was the thing.  If you were stick skinny you didn’t get the prince or the pretty dresses.  If you were skinny it meant you were some poor working slob because you couldn’t afford enough to eat to put some meat on your bones.  Now we love the skinny and the tan.  Current western society loves defined curves and hints of muscle.  Because if you’re tan it means you have the cash to hop on a plane and fly to Aruba.  But not everyone thinks that’s beautiful.  Which means not everyone thought the lady above was beautiful in her heyday.

Looking at those giant beautiful oil paintings is like being stuck between this time and that one, knowing what it really was like to be on this world then, yet still having your feet planted firmly in the 21st century.  Realizing that beauty then was just as important and glorified as it is now made me stand stick still and just think of all the words and hours behind those paintings.  The women behind that beauty.

Historians argue as to what were the reasons for the world’s separation into seven continents.  Some historians, however, spend more time arguing why it became necessary for the worlds to meet once again.  Regardless of why it happened, different cultures around the world developed on their own, only to collide with others.  The result was that the people saw confusion, rulers saw gold, and artists saw a new medium of expression.
The Babylonian art sees many influences that are a direct result of coming into contact with other states.  During the Middle Bronze Age, roughly 2000-1600 B.C., trade between Babylonian societies greatly increased and ambitious rulers such as Hammurabi of Babylon created drastically larger states.  Then, to further the cultural diversity, an alliance was formed between Babylon and Egypt during the Late Bronze Age, roughly 1600-1200 B.C.  During this time, the trade often involved newer metals, jewelry, pottery, and statuettes, which resulted in a much larger palette of influences for later generations when creating artworks.
If one were to look at any of the artwork at this time, they would find that the origins were never singularly of any one region.  Take, for example, the Gold Diadem carved somewhere between 1680 and 1560 B.C.  This diadem from the Eastern Nile Delta dates back to the time when the northern half of Egypt was ruled by pharaohs with Semite personal names, whose center was Avaris.  Looking at the design of the diadem, the more accentuated features of the animals show a Canaanite background but the structures themselves, more akin to sensitive realism, are clearly inspired by Egyptian fashions of carving.
Then, we come to Master of Animals Pendant.  Made of gold, somewhere around 1750 to 1550 B.C., this piece of jewelry is an ideal example of a commonly traded commodity.  Jewelry was easy to carry, allowed a good amount of artistic expression, and easily appeased traders, so it was not an uncommon sight for jewelry from one area to often reach another.  The frequent trade and its resulting cultural influences are made visible in this pendant.  The pendant is carved in Minoan fashion but the details on the kilt resemble Egyptian symbols while the dress itself resembles other Canaanite pendants.
Finally, we take a look at the Standing Male.  This statuette, carved out of bronze somewhere between 18th and 17th century B.C., contains both Syrian and Mesopotamian influences.  The carving is clearly that of a ruler but the ruler seems to be of two lands.  If one was to look at the dress the royal member was wearing, it is a dress of Syrian kings.  However, the headdress adorned by the king is the headdress of Mesopotamian nobility, something that clearly shows the duel influences.
While it isn’t always preferable for cultures to cross over, seeing as how they don’t always click and the result is sometimes bloodshed, one can’t deny that some of our world’s best art is really a hybrid of two or more forms.

The “Magical Wand” may sound like a cheesy attempt to sell the wand that Daniel Radcliffe used in Harry Potter. However, made of hippopotamus ivory in Egypt, this wand incorporates detailed artwork of mythical creatures and deities such as Taweret and Bes. The inscription reads “protection by night and protection by day” to refer to the journey that the sun god makes. Divine kings protect him while he is traveling over the sky by day and through the underworld by night. When placed in a tomb, this wand was also believed to help the deceased adult to be resurrected at sunrise. Not only was the wand used to protect the sun god, it was also believed to protect sleeping infants.

Although we cannot travel through time to experience the artwork and beauty of the era In Babylon, the Met brought the past to the present instead. Through these artifacts, we are able to understand the trade, manufacture, and beliefs of society in Byblos.

I had never been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art before and when I heard there was an Italian-based exhibit, I couldn’t wait to get there.  I didn’t see this journey to the MET as a mandatory assignment for a grade; I saw it as a way to learn about the art of my own culture.  As soon as I entered the exhibit I felt right at home.  I was surrounded by countless paintings of Bible scenes and Italian settings that reminded me of my early childhood.  As a child, my family and I would journey to Church every Sunday and learn about such scenes as the priest delivered his sermon.  All throughout my time at the Art and Love in Renaissance Italy Exhibit, memories and emotions surged through my body as I walked past each gigantic oil painting.

Even though there were about twenty paintings I could write about, I narrowed my search down to three.  “The Crucifixion” by Gerald David was one of the paintings that really caught my attention.  In this graphic scene from the Bible, Jesus Christ was mocked, ridiculed, and spat upon for being the supposed “Son of God.”  At the end of his journey carrying the cross, nails were driven through his hands and feet.  Religion is a huge part of my life and this painting had a significant meaning for me.  It reminded me that God gave his only son to save mankind.  The vivid colors of the painting allow the viewer to truly see what occurred and the amazing sacrifice Jesus made for us dying on the cross.  Also, the fact that this painting was so large made it seem like the audience is witnessing the Crucifixion first hand.  It was unlike any other representation I had ever seen.
Following my mini-theme of religion of the Art and Love in Renaissance Italy Exhibit, there was another scene from the Bible that jumped out at me.  “The Annunciation” by Luca Giordano was a truly breathtaking piece.  In this painting, the angel Gabriel is delivering the joyous news to the Virgin Mary that she will bear the Son of God.  This is one of the most famous moments of the Bible and this painting truly does it justice.  Giordano does an excellent job of using bright, shiny yellows to represent the angel Gabriel’s wings and halo.  It was almost as if the angel was standing there before you.  Also, similarly to “The Crucifixion,” the size of the painting was another significant factor.  It was so large it almost took up an entire wall.  The size of the painting allows the viewer to almost hear the sacred message from Gabriel to the Virgin Mary.  It was a magnificent sight.

Finally, the third painting that caught my attention was titled “Wolf and Fox Hunt” by Peter Paul Rubens and Workshop.  This painting veers away from the other two previously mentioned because it has nothing to do with religion.  There was something about this huge painting that called to me.  The vicious looks on the wolves and foxes had me wondering why anyone would ever hunt these vicious but beautiful animals.  One portion of the painting had a German Shepherd pinned to the ground by a wolf.  I found myself saying, “What’s the point of this?”  The humans are the mindless animals in this painting for letting this occur before their eyes.  The chaos in the painting was unimaginable.  Animals were ripping and clawing at one another as humans watched high on their horses, safe from the danger so close to them.  It looked like something out of a horror movie.

My adventure to the Art and Love in Renaissance Italy Exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art was one that I’ll never forget.  I didn’t know much about paintings before my trip and I am proud to say that I can name and describe some pieces from this exhibit.  This wasn’t just a school assignment; it was the beginning of a new interest in Italian Art and culture.

            This exhibition covered many different facets of romance and beauty in the Renaissance. These included: courtship, marriage, childbirth, and erotica. One particular aspect that was very interesting was in the section based upon marriage. For a woman to be married to a man, the woman’s family had to give a sizable gift or a dowry. There were many examples of these on display such as intricately decorated plates and even some small musical instruments. As the wall information mentions there was a certain double standard because the man was allowed to just rent jewelry for the brides and then return it, while the bride had to spring for really expensive un-returnable gifts.

There was also a section regarding childbirth. This section was very interesting as it had on display several real cribs that were used back then. There was also a room devoted to erotica. There were several portraits of nude women that were painted by various artists. There was for example a portrait of a woman who was widely believed to be the mistress of Raphael himself. There were also pictures that were dubbed belle donne or “beautiful women.” These women were considered very attractive at the time but their true identities were never discovered.

            This exhibition was very interesting and taught me many new things about the Renaissance time period. I feel that these works of art are timeless and this is my favorite artistic period. I feel that the artists of the Renaissance are the quintessential artists of history. I learned much about love at this time and how it is different from today. The concepts were essentially the same but it was expressed through masterful works of art and creations of sheer beauty.

Glass Ingots from Uluburun Shipwreck

Falcon Pendant

Standing outside of the Met for the first time, I wondered what lay ahead.  Despite the construction near the steps, the museum still appeared majestic.  The large scale of the pale sandy colored building reminded me of many of the museums I have been to in Washington, D.C., of which if I had never visited before, the Met may have appeared like a castle to me.  Of course, the inside of the museum was even more beautiful.  The high ceilings and the Greek columns gave the museum an open and airy feeling, and the lighting, which overall was bright but not harsh imbued the impression of a place not to be missed.  My friends and I even noted the elegance of the staircases, which were simple and sleek, and I haven’t even gotten started on the Met’s art.

I thought that the Babylon exhibition seemed interesting because I have always been intrigued by cultures of the ancient Egyptians and the other lands nearby.  I for one am thankful that the Babylonians, well known for their rich history, beautiful art, and intricate artifacts, left behind plenty of treasures for us to cherish.  My favorite part of the exhibit was of the Uluburun Shipwreck and the items salvaged.  There were samples of Glass ingots, which are truncated cones of stone that are fired up to become glass. There was 770 pounds of ingots on the ship.  I found the colors of the glass they used in Babylon quite attractive: deep cobalt, rich turquoise, vibrant purple, and stunning ambers.  I learned from the exhibition that blue glass is actually a substitute for precious stone.

I also viewed another artifact that had to do with glass only it was less colorful.  It was a large Canaanite jar that held glass beads.  The jar was made of ceramic, but the glass beads blended right in color wise, as if they were an attached mass of various sized blobs all in the same shade of off-white.  There were both plain globular beads and decorated beads.  The beads were wire wound, which means they were not on a necklace, but instead strung onto wire, most likely on the ship as merchandise.  I found all of the glass and supplies to make jewelry on the ship to emphasize the Babylonian’s culture as one infused with adornment, and I enjoyed exploring the art, culture, and history that the Met had to offer.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the most beautiful structures in New York City. Every time I go there I am amazed at the amount of ancient works of art and objects this museum holds. Besides the permanent exhibits, the museum often houses special exhibits for a brief period of time. On Friday I went to see the traveling exhibit called, “Art and Love in Renaissance Italy”.

            This exhibit displays works that were created in celebration of marriage. The objects and paintings in the exhibit provide insight into courtship, marriage, and the family during the Renaissance. This gives us a glimpse into the private lives of the people of that time. It is interesting to see Renaissance art that focuses on common life, rather than the usual religious icons or famous people.

            There were many unusual pieces of jewelry displayed as well. The Jewish Betrothal Ring from Venice in the 17^th century is quite unique. It was used in synagogues during wedding ceremonies. The groom would place it on the bride’s finger, but she would not wear it after the wedding. This was a prized possession that was kept in one’s home, not worn in the street. It is clear that this is something that would become a family heirloom, based upon its unusually large size and apparent weight. The gable roof is supposed to be symbolic of the Temple in Jerusalem and it opens up to reveal the words, “good luck”. This ring really gives insight into the importance of marriage in those times. A groom’s family invested the money to purchase such an expensive ring for the bride, so they surely thought this relationship would be a lasting one.

             The section of the exhibit focusing on children explained that during the Renaissance, the main reason people got married was to continue their lineage. Babies would often die during childbirth, so a successful birth caused much joy. There were many interesting portraits of children on display. One painting that stood out is called “Portrait of a Father With Two Children”, by Giovanni Battista Morani. This work is from the mid 16^th century, a time when family portraits were becoming more common. In the picture, a father is sitting on a chair and putting his arms around his two young children. Both the children are wearing long dresses, one yellow, and one red. In the caption, it says that the younger may be a boy, because at the time all small children, boys or girls, wore dresses. This portrait is gripping because it is clear that this father is extremely attentive to his children. It also left me wondering as to the absence of the mother. The image depicted the love and care a father has for his children. This is a universal concept, and it is still quite relevant today.

            The exhibit portrays the fact that despite all the technological, scientific, and cultural advances that have taken place, human emotions remain the same. Marriage, love, children, and family are still important in our lives today, and have not changed too much. 

Love, betrothal, and childbirth were extremely important in renaissance Italy. For men, the taking of a wife was most often an affair predetermined by familial obligation or societal convenience. For woman, marriage was a coming of age (at a very young age,) and one’s inauguration as a caretaker and child bearer. This ritualistic matrimony, often void of sexual attraction, was inculcated by the Catholic Church and considered to be the most important event in a woman’s life. The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s new exhibit Art and Love in Renaissance Italy is a paradox in a sense; the historic marriage of man and woman, loveless and obligatory in nature, was the topic of some of the most handsome works of art in history.
The collection boats approximately 150 pieces from as early as the year 1400. Included are marital paintings, tea sets, birthing plates, and countless gifts given to newly weds. Often these depict the bride and groom standing together, having just been married, and surrounded by Renaissance symbols of hope. Often the couple will have a dog, a symbol of fidelity, or the woman will be painted pregnant to show her fertility. In one painting by Lorenzo Lotto cupid urinates on a reclining Venus to represent fecundity and love. Paintings that illustrate mythical subjects were often used to decorate a wealthy couple’s camera.
Another popular style of painting for the same purpose was the diptych portrait. In most instances, the husband and wife face each other, exposing their profiles to the viewer. This is an allusion to the Ancient Caesars. Whenever a new Caesar would take power, his profile would be minted on the currency. Distinguished Renaissance couples sought to announce their social prominence by having their portraits drawn in the same fashion. The MET exhibit enjoys many of these paintings.
It also breaks ground. Probably one of the most enticing pieces in the whole exhibit is Fra Fillipo Lippi’s Portrait of a Woman and Man at a Casement. The painting is entirely unique in that it transforms the traditionally separate style of diptych portraiture into the single image. The woman, who is adorned with jewelry and furs, stands sideways as she looks out the window. Meanwhile, the man (her husband) looks through the window; however, their gaze does not meet. This painting has engendered much criticism for Lippi’s intrepidity in rejecting the diptych and also for the bride apparent apathy. It seems that this painting expresses the general feeling toward marriage during the Renaissance: instead of love there is insouciance.