Heroes, Heroines, and Narrative in Paintings at Yale

Introduction by Pam Franks

• Pam Franks: Deputy Director for Collections and Education at the gallery
• Lecture series: By John Walsh, titled Let This Be a Lesson: Heroes, Heroines, and Narrative in Paintings at Yale
• Focus: Close observation of specific works of art, prolonged engagement with the collection
• Collaboration: John Walsh with the gallery’s education department, particularly Jessica Sack
• Innovative Program: Gallery teacher program setting new standards in pedagogy of teaching from original works of art
• Lecture Details: John Walsh's series will extend the educational focus to a broader audience
• Practical Information:
  • Series schedule available at the back of the room
  • Website: artgallery.yale.edu for schedule, readings, and lecture videos
  • Upcoming close-looking sessions with the worldle Gallery teachers
  • Questions to be held until the end of the lecture

Introduction to John Walsh

• John Walsh: Director Emeritus of the J. Paul Getty Museum, Yale alumnus
• Professional background: Curator at the Metropolitan Museum, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, taught at Columbia, Harvard, and Yale
• Role: Seven years at Yale training students in art observation and teaching
• Contributions: Instrumental in the museum’s teaching missions and planning

Lecture by John Walsh

Purpose and Approach

• Aim: Provide a careful look at powerful and interesting art at Yale, focusing on context and narrative subject matter
• Comparison to opera: Painting narrative pictures akin to writing an opera
• Chosen artworks: Illustrate stories from history painting tradition
• Historical Context: Most elevated art form for 400+ years till 19th century
• Decline: Lost prominence with rise of abstract art

The Tradition of History Painting

• Origin: Defined during the Renaissance, highest purpose in art to instruct on sacred duties
• Medium superiority: Regarded higher than daily life, landscape, still life paintings
• Radical Change: Shift in art preference by WWI to abstract art
• Example: Emphasis on design over narrative; abstract elements over storytelling

Evolution and Survival of Narrative Forms

• Surviving Forms: Altered and revived, especially for social justice themes
• Limits of Scope: Focus primarily on European and American tradition

Ancient and Renaissance Influences

• Early Examples: Mesopotamian reliefs, Egyptian painting, Christian miniatures, Chinese/Japanese scrolls
• Greek and Roman Contributions:
  • Vase paintings and wall paintings (e.g., King Phineas vase, Villa of the Mysteries)
  • Rediscovered traditions influenced the Renaissance despite being lost for centuries

Key Figures

• Leon Battista Alberti: Intellectual father of history painting, principles detailed in De Pictura (1435)
• Important Guidelines: Perspective, decorum, dignity, engaging viewer’s emotions
• Artistic Inspirations: Greek/Roman texts, Renaissance painters like Giotto and Masaccio

Noteworthy Artists and Works

• Giotto: Innovations in human expression, narrative clarity (Presentation of Christ)
• Antonio del Pollaiuolo: Complex body studies and local relevance (St George)
• Flemish painters: Integration of painting in contemporary settings (Roger van der Weyden)

Challenges and Techniques in Narrative Painting

• Single vs. Sequential Images:
  • Compressing a story into one image is challenging but rewarding
  • Examples: Masaccio’s Presentation of Christ vs. Gentile da Fabriano’s Adoration of the Magi

Drama and Narrative in Painting

• Shared Techniques with Theatre:
  • Blocking movements, body language, scenery, lighting
  • Example: Benjamin West’s dramatic use of gestures and settings
• Influence on Modern Media:
  • Contributions to silent movies and set designs (e.g., DW Griffith’s Intolerance)

Role of the Spectator

• Interpreting Narrative: Viewer’s responsibility to understand the painting’s story
• Artist’s Techniques:
  • Creating vantage points, including characters to guide the viewer
  • Example: Peter Bruegel’s landscape approach vs. Gallo’s closeup depiction
• Comparison within Tradition: Ezekiel’s paintings compared to others for contextual understanding

Historical Context and Propaganda

• Explicit Messaging: Paintings often carry intended moral or political messages
• Specific Examples:
  • John Trumbull’s Battle of Bunker Hill vs. Ari Scheffer's retreat from Russia
  • Augustus Egg’s moral paintings on virtues and downfall

Conclusion and Invitation

• Importance of Historical Fiction in Art
• Theme and Message Analysis: Uncovering the purpose behind historical paintings
• Invitation to Next Lecture: Analysis of significant works, particularly focusing on the art of Hercules