A trip to any type of historical place is a great recreational activity for anyone. We can come across different types of cultures of different eras. The museum is the only place where we can come across various types of cultures and eras at once. In the modern world, we should plan such recreational activities to enlighten ourselves with the history of different cultures. Art museums play a significant role in our academic life. This report revolves around the explicatory details of our visit to the “Sarasota Museum of Arts”.
The “Sarasota Museum of Art” is considered to be the first museum of the region Sarasota which is dedicated to contemporary arts. The vision of this art museum is dedicated to project new ideas for education, exposure, and experimentation. Viewing images online or in textbooks is extremely different from viewing the artistic works in person. When I first saw a picture in the exhibition gallery, I got deeply involved in the intricate details of the artwork. Every minute detail was conveying its meaning. I could never analyze these artistic creations in a textbook or a website in the way I analyzed them in the museum. The atmosphere matters a lot to boost the cognitive abilities of students. We can never get the feeling of the in-person visits by just sitting in the classrooms. By visiting a museum, we learn to critically analyze and appreciate different artworks of different eras.
The “Sarasota Museum of Arts” is based on contemporary arts and is working in collaboration with the “Ringling College Museum Campus”. When we entered the museum, I was left breath taken and astounded by the grandeur of this museum. I have never visited this museum before which made every moment exceptional for me. This museum is constructed on 15,000 square feet. It comprises of exhibition gallery space, shop, Bistro, a sculpture courtyard, and auditorium. the auditorium is used for educational events and seminars. The building is full of different contemporary artworks. We all first visited the exhibition gallery. The exhibition gallery area comprises different artistic works belonging to different eras. (Home – Sarasota Art Museum)
Figure 1: “The Young Ladies of Avignon”(Anatomy of a Masterpiece – The New York Times)
The first artistic creation which truly mesmerized me in the whole exhibition gallery space is “The Young Ladies of Avignon or The Brother of Avignon ( Les Demoiselles d’Avignon)”. This is a large oil painting created by the famous artist Pablo Picasso. This artistic masterpiece reflects the cubism painting style. This painting instigated the Cubism art movement. Picasso created this oil painting in 1907 in the Rose period. This was the time when Picasso settled himself in Paris. The “Rose Period” came after the “Blue Period”. The major themes of the Blue period were anxiety and poverty. However, In the Rose period, the paintings of Picasso were largely based on sensuality and sexuality. The core themes of the Rose period are opposite to the Baroque era of artistic creations. The Baroque era started in the early 17th century and finished in mid-18th century. The baroque art focused on exaggeration, drama, and exuberance. The Baroque paintings focus on religious themes such as Catholicism. Churches and worship were the primary themes of baroque paintings.
On the other hand, “The young ladies of Avignon” reflects the major themes of the Rose period. The painting style of the respective painting resembles more Cubism painting because of its nude picture and fragmented figures. This painting has an immense influence on modern art and its forms. The naked women are distinctly painted with sharp geometric corners. Picasso uses abandoned perspective. Some parts of the paintings are heavily painted. For instance, the woman pulling the curtains is painted with intense colors to show that the woman is drawing the curtains for privacy. The group of women reflects the idea that they belong to a brothel. The title of the painting also sheds light upon the meaning of the painting. This painting is created in a two-dimensional style. When I looked closely at this painting, I analyzed that the rough and sharp brush strokes reflected aggression and the outrage of Picasso. This in-depth analysis and interpretation could never have come from me if I was viewing this painting in the textbook or online. Therefore, I was amazed at my interpretations and critical skills which were unveiled during the visit to the museum.
The second painting which got my attention is “Fides Catholica (The Triumph of the Catholic Faith)”. This artwork came into existence during the 17th century designed by Paul Rubens. The medium of this painting is wool and silk. The respective painting belongs to the Baroque era. When I first looked at the painting, I had made my opinion that it must belong to the baroque era. The figures in this painting are used as a personification for faith, science, philosophy, and nature. The overall theme of this painting is the power of faith which is standing on the chariot with victory. However, all the other personified figure are bowing their heads and standing on the land.
Figure 2: Fides Catholica (Fides Catholica)
The third painting which grabbed my attention is “Madonna and Child with Saints Sebastian and Roche”. This artistic painting was painted in 1522 by Berardino Luini. It is an oil-on-panel painting. This painting provides us the cruel circumstances of the black plague and its victims. It reflects upon the famous story of St. Roche and the dog which saved his life after contracting the disease. Luini is known as a Renaissance painter. Therefore, this painting is from the Renaissance era.
Figure 3: Madonna and Child with Saints Sebastian and Roche
Overall, I truly enjoyed my experience at this jaw-dropping museum. The atmosphere of the museum is so refreshing and welcoming that it propels its visitors to admire the creativity of all the artistic works. The major reason for my enjoyment of this museum is because it was my first visit over here. Hopefully, I will be visiting this museum soon because I want to explore more about artistic paintings and sculptures. The time was very short for our trip to this museum. The only thing which may have improved my trip would be increasing the time duration for the trip. Probably, this is the reason that I will soon be visiting it again to explore all the areas of the museum which are left in this trip. Our critical and observational skills truly enhance after taking a recreational trip like this. Furthermore, this trip will be a huge incentive for me during my academic course. I highly recommend everyone to visit this museum to expose themselves to contemporary arts, sculptures, and historical paintings.
Works Cited
Anatomy of a Masterpiece – The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1995/04/30/books/anatomy-of-a-masterpiece.html. Accessed 4 Aug. 2021.
Chave, Anna C. “New encounters with Les Demoiselles d’Avignon: Gender, race, and the origins of cubism.” The Art Bulletin 76.4 (1994): 596-611.
Fides Catholica. http://emuseum.ringling.org/emuseum/objects/24272/fides-catholica;jsessionid=04110633130F4094FE157D5842465FB6. Accessed 4 Aug. 2021.
History of Art:The High Renaissance, Mannerism – Bernardino Luini. http://www.all-art.org/early_renaissance/luini3.html. Accessed 4 Aug. 2021.
Home – Sarasota Art Museum. https://www.sarasotaartmuseum.org/. Accessed 4 Aug. 2021.
