This piece is called "The Three Crosses". He etched this onto copper which became one of his favorite mediums. This medium is so unique because it is able to hold color and texture and value such expressive ways. This was fitting for Rembrandt who found great drama in the Biblical texts and used those as the majority of his inspiration. When his wife died, he found a new passion for religion which he continued to display in his works. Though this piece does not have color other than grey scale, the use of light and dark create the mood of the scene. And the use of line gives emphasis exactly where it was intended.
EMIL NOLDE: WOODCUT
This piece is called "The Prophet" by Emil Nolde. It uses the medium of woodcut. This was not his primary medium, but this piece is a religious icon and he did do quite a few woodcuts altogether. This is an interesting medium because it holds such a deep, rustic, heavy feel in the tone of the piece. This, no doubt, was the intention of Nolde. He didn't paint a smiling person or a colorful happy scene. Instead with this woodcut he displays emotion through the medium itself. After learning to be a furniture maker and a craftsman, he took to art. He gained great fame but, though he supported the Nazi Party, Hitler banished all of his works and was told he was not to create anymore. He continued to in hiding, but this piece was possibly a prophecy of his pain to come.
This piece is called "Full Fathom Five" by Jackson Pollock. It uses the medium of oil paint on canvas. Oil paint is a versatile medium but one of its greatest qualities is that its reflective nature makes the image appear quite realistic. This is ironic because very little of what Pollock painted depicted something realistic. In fact, he was as abstract as ever in his best works. But the oils seem to make the colors stand out more. In this piece, he uses many colors, as shown above. He layers his strokes and colors to create his image. This truly mirrored his life, which had become a literal mess with his raging alcoholism. His unique technique made for some of the greatest paintings with oil.
DIEGO RIVERA: FRESCO
This piece is called "Detroit Industry" and is a mural wall painting, or a fresco, by Diego Rivera. He did many of these using this medium which are unique because large scale depictions can be shown on them. Great detail could be shown and saved on these large wall paintings of still life which used plaster generally, making it quite durable. This is actually only part of the set of murals he constructed for inside the Art Institute in Detroit. His life seemed to be aristocratic and he was a member of the Communist Party, both of which he showcased in many of his frescoes.
CHARLES BURCHFIELD: WATERCOLOR
This piece is called "February Thaw" by Charles Burchfield. He uses the medium of watercolor for this piece. Watercolor holds the quality of being one of the most expressive of the mediums. It also allows the painter to work quickly and spontaneously. This would be important in a piece such as this with the amount of water, reflection, and light he uses. It makes for a realistic and powerful piece about something quite simple. Burchfield had considered becoming a nature writer as a young man, but turned his focus later to his creativity and love for art. But the nature passion never left him, as is apparent in this painting. He clearly understands the properties that water, snow, and ice hold, making this painting remarkable. He also lived in Buffalo, NY so this was obviously a familiar scene for him.
JASPER JOHNS: ENCAUSTIC
This piece is called "Map" by Jasper Johns and uses the medium of Encaustic painting. This uses hot wax and pigments. This forces the painter to work quickly, but the quality that makes it special is the high level of luminosity it holds. Colors are brighter and seem to be lit, in portraits this makes something feel very real, and in something such as this, it it highly eye-catching. Jasper Johns used flags and maps as his main themes in his prime during the 1960's. He came from a broken home with barely any so-called childhood to speak of, which could be in part why he uses such playful colors in this piece.
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