Flashcards for:
Heroes, Heroines, and Narrative in Paintings at Yale

Techniques such as blocking movements, body language, scenery, and lighting enhance the drama and narrative in painting by creating a dynamic and engaging visual story.

Pam Franks, as Deputy Director for Collections and Education, collaborated with John Walsh and the gallery’s education department. Jessica Sack contributed significantly to the innovative Gallery teacher program.

By World War I, history painting lost its prominence with the rise of abstract art, which emphasized design over narrative elements.

Compressing a story into a single image is challenging because it requires conveying a clear and comprehensive narrative in a static medium. However, it is rewarding as it allows for deep, prolonged engagement from the viewer.

Giotto innovated in human expression and narrative clarity, while Antonio del Pollaiuolo focused on complex body studies and local relevance in his works.

According to Renaissance guidelines, perspective was crucial for creating a realistic spatial illusion, while engaging the viewer’s emotions was essential for making the narrative compelling.

Greek and Roman traditions, including vase paintings and wall paintings, influenced the Renaissance despite being lost for centuries. They provided historical precedents that Renaissance artists sought to emulate and expand upon.

Viewers have the responsibility to actively interpret and understand the painting’s story, often guided by vantage points and characters strategically placed by the artist to lead the viewer’s interpretation.

Narrative paintings influenced modern media, such as silent movies, by contributing to set designs and the use of dramatic gestures and settings, exemplified by DW Griffith’s 'Intolerance'.

The tradition of history painting began during the Renaissance and was considered the highest form of art, meant to instruct on sacred duties.

John Walsh compared the creation of painting narrative pictures to writing an opera, highlighting the complexity and importance of storytelling in art.

The primary educational aim is to provide a careful look at powerful and interesting art at Yale, focusing on context and narrative subject matter.

Leon Battista Alberti was the intellectual father of history painting and in 'De Pictura' (1435), he outlined principles such as perspective, decorum, dignity, and engaging the viewer’s emotions.

Historical and moral context can be explicitly conveyed through intended messages such as moral or political themes, exemplified by works like John Trumbull’s 'Battle of Bunker Hill' and Augustus Egg’s moral paintings on virtues and downfall.

Early Mesopotamian reliefs, Egyptian painting, Christian miniatures, and other such artworks laid foundational techniques and conventions that later influenced the narrative techniques developed during the Renaissance and beyond.