And other art questions we've answered this year
Looking at Irises by Vincent van Gogh
What do you say when you walk through a museum?
If you’ve been reading the answers to this year’s Frequently Asked Art Questions, it’s curator-quality commentary. In this new series, we’ve been defining interesting art terms, discovering hidden secrets in paintings, and exploring new ways to look at art.
Here are some of our favorite factoids from the series:
Medici Venus, 1722–1724, Pietro Cipriani. Bronze, 61 1/8 in., Getty Museum, 2008.41.1
What can you tell about a work of art by the way that it’s standing? Sometimes, it's letting you know who they are, or retelling a complicated awkward moment in art history.
Portrait of Pope Clement VIII, 1600–1601, designed by Jacopo Ligozzi, produced in the Galleria de’Lavori in pietre dure, executed by Tadda (Romolo di Francesco Ferrucci). Marble, lapis lazuli, mother-of-pearl, limestone, and calcite (some covering painted paper or fabric cartouches) on and surrounded by a silicate black stone, 38 3/16 × 26 3/4 in. Getty Museum, 92.SE.67
What looks like a painting, but is something else entirely? That’s the story behind “commesso,” a fascinating art term, and a fashionable method for capturing your own likeness in 17th-century Europe.
If you’ve walked through a museum gallery of portrait busts, it’s easy to feel judged. Almost every head has a grim visage. But it’s not because they’re mad. It’s because they want you to know that they’re very important.
Venus on the Waves, 1769, François Boucher. Oil on canvas, 107 1/2 × 34 1/8 × 2 1/2 in. Getty Museum, 71.PA.54
“Cupid” is only right some of the time. Here’s how to spot the different kinds of adorable mythological beings, and how to call them by their correct names.
Still Life with Apples, 1893–1894, Paul Cézanne. Oil on canvas, 25 3/4 × 32 1/8 in. The J. Paul Getty Museum, 96.PA.8
Sometimes what looks like a painting of fruit on a table is really so much more. The Hidden Meaning In Cézanne’s Still Life looks closely at this work of art and its unique perspective on space and time.
Display Cabinet (Kabinettschrank), about 1630, Dutch. Ebony and other tropical and European woods, porphyry, gemstones, marble, pewter, ivory, bone, tortoiseshell, enamel, mirror glass, brass, and painted stone, 28 3/4 × 22 13/16 × 23 1/4 in. Getty Museum, 89.DA.28
A surprising amount. This kabinettschrank is one of Getty’s most intricate works of art. This year, we learned how to pronounce it, and how to talk about more than one at a time.
Are there art terms that you’re still curious about? We’re still answering. Let us know your questions on Instagram, Twitter, or stories[at]getty.edu to have them answered.
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