Curated Exhibition:Shape: Circle

By: Kristina RouzanArt 102

West Los Angeles College

Why is shape important? Shape is used in art to express ideas and

emotions.

Open shapes allow symbolize a willingness to exchange ideas and a flexibility.

Closed shapes symbolizes closed minds and an unwillingness to accept new ideas.

Circles have grown in meaning throughout artistic periods.

Pre Renaissance The circular halo above Mary, baby

Jesus and the Saints symbolize their holiness and purity.

Halos in a circular shape were a common symbol of divinity during this period.

The halos do not move with the heads, which is also a common characteristic of this period. I believe this represents the everlasting presence of God, no matter which way we are shifted.

Giotto, Madonna Enthroned. c. 1310. Tempera on wood; 10 ft. 8in.

Renaissance During the Renaissance period a circle was the ideal shape

for churches and religious buildings. Many buildings were not constructed in this shape, but have influences of the circular theme.

The dome on the Florence Cathedral shows how circular shape greatly influences the architecture of the time.

This continued inside the Cathedral as well with the rounded arches and circular windows.

Filippo Brunelleschi (dome), Giotto (bell tower), Arnolfo di Cambio, Francesco Talenti, Florance Cathedral, c. 1296 to 1462 502 ft. length, 125 ft., width, 376 ft. height, made of marble and brick

Baroque

This grand piazza can hold over 250,000 people.

Its shape continues the idea that circles represent divinity and holiness.

Bernini created the open circle to represent the arms of the Mother Church open to the faithful.

Gianlorenzo Bernini, piazza of Saint Peter’s, Rome, c. 1656-1657. Travertine; longitudinal axis approx. 800 ft.

Romanticism During the romantic period artists like

William Blake drew a lot of their influence from Christianity.

His work shows his desire to infuse some of the mysticism back into Christianity that was lost during the Reformation.

The circle that surrounds God represents his divinity and strength.

The juxtaposition of the perfect circle surrounded by the loose clouds and light represent God’s constant stability despite the ever-changing world.

William Blake, God Creating the Universe (Ancient of Days), frontispiece of Europe: A Prophecy, 1794. Metal relief etching, hand-colored with watercolor and gouache; 12 ¼ X 9 1/2 in

Nineteenth-Century Impressionism

Rodin was inspired by Michelangelo’s, Jeremiah.

The curvature in the piece creates the feeling that the man is containing his thoughts and energy.

Just like in Jeremiah the man is posed in a way that is strong but vulnerable to his own internal thought process.

Auguste Rodin, The Thinker, 1881. Bronze; 23 in. high

Michelangelo, Jeremiah, ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Vatican, Rome, 1508-1512 Fresco; 5,800 sq. ft.

Post Impressionism

Van Gogh’s Starry Night displays how circular patterns can be used to create movement in a piece.

The contrast in color and the circular pattern creates energy that flows through the piece.

The village was inspired by Dutch and French villages.

Vincent van Gogh, Starry Night, 1889. Oil on Canvas; 28.5 X 36.5 in.

Matisse

Dance I, also shows how a circular shape can create movement in a piece.

There is a constant continuum of movement that is created by the linked hands and the various positions the figures are in.

The circle created by the linked hands also create a feeling of unity and positivity in the piece.

Henri Matisse, Dance I, 1909. Oil on Canvas; 8 ft. 6 ½ in X 12 ft. 9 ½ in.