Paul Gustave Dore Essay Example for Free

Paul Gustave Dore Essay While accompanying his father and older brother in Paris, Gustave discovered the allure of Paris and made known his intention to remain and pursue his career as an artist (Hubbard 5-8). His work is generally considered as Romanticism and he has been labeled one of the greatest illustrators of his time. His lack of formal training created both derision among art critics and a cult following among common people who could relate to his work. He possessed a grasp of what would be popular among the common folks of his time and a flair for the dramatics in his works. It could be said that the Parisian Art world did not side with him because he did not struggle or starve as most artist did and his financial success was a threat to the very core of Art (McWilliam 829-830). His was a time of great discovery, both scientific and artistic, and an industrial revolution the likes of which gave wealth to the very few. When he abandoned caricature work, he did try to redeem himself but, could not break the yoke of commercial production and its promise of wealth (Hubbard 5-8). His inability to sway his critics and peers in his birthplace and formative city (Paris) forced him to ply his wares in England and across the Atlantic to the United States. Gustave Dore became the darling of England and America, and managed to make millions during his half century of life and produced a staggering amount of sketches. At one point of his career as an illustrator, he employed forty blockcutters (WebMuseum 1). Gustave Dore dabbled in both painting and sculpture during his later years and was purported to be a violinist and tenor singer (Hubbard 5-8). The work of Gustave Dore is both loved and spurned during his lifetime but, he certainly maintained a life of wealth his father could not have made and he owed it all to his prodigious pencil. The following works by Gustave Dore, we will examine his favored subjects and themes that showed the suffering of poor people and presented these in surrounding treatment that emphasized those suffering. . Extracted from a book by Blanchard Jerrold and illustrated by Gustave Dore. The book was commissioned as a type of guide through the many streets and venues of London, in essence a Tourist Book (Spartacus. choolnet. co. uk). Instead it became a rendition of the lower class and their plight. A story in the Port Cities: Leisure, health and housing Social conditions in the 19th-century Website cites the following: An artists impression of poverty For those whose imaginations could not be stirred by social commentators like Booth and Mearns, the French artist Gustave Dore (1832-1883) visited Lon don and produced horrific illustrations of life in the port areas that shocked public opinion. Although a commercial success, many of the critics disliked his work. The critics reaction Several critics were angry that Dore had appeared to focus on the poverty that existed on the waterfront, rather than on the finer aspects of life in the metropolis. He was accused by the Art Journal of inventing rather than copying. Completely missing the point, The Westminster Review complained that Dore gives us sketches in which the commonest, the vulgarest external features are set down. (PortCities London. org) Analysis of Formal Elements – One of the most fundamental elements of art is line. [Sayre 82] 1Variety and Quality of Lines Homeless people of London deadened on a bench, third quarter 19th century Figure 1 – Museum of Louvre department of the Graphic arts,  © Museums of France, 1998 Dore’s pencil drawing shows a clear outline of each figure with the use of a heavier line and the details using lighter lines. The implied and contour lines in the garments indicate worn use and filth. The vertical and horizontal rendering on the bench enables the viewer to perceive a seating area made of stone thereby heightening the plight of the homeless and impoverished that is depicted here. The development of each subject is made through the use of foreshortening and perspective. The foreshortening implies a reclining figure surrounded by seated figures. The perception of three dimensions is brought about through the use of reserve, or white background of the paper, on the standing baby and the face of the sleeping girl with a hat. The darker rendering of the other subjects suggest repose while the highlighted baby is awake. The cross hatching and hatching of the garments in uneven manner depicts clothing that is disheveled, worn, and filthy. Couple and Two Children Sleeping on a London Bridge Figure 1 – http://www. bergercollection. org/artwork_detail. php? i=167# Dore in Figure 2 now uses a more expressive line in the treatment of the subjects and dark heavy graduated in weight to specify large folds in the clothing and the edge lip of the bench, shown as details in Figure 3 and 4. A sepia wash is used to introduce as a possible element of a darkening sky dotted with white spots indicating stars. To the upper left of the figures is a depiction of crosses faintly visible implying the mast of tall ships thereby implying a port in the distance? The stone bench is still presented by straight vertical and horizontal lines but as opposed to Figure 1, it now shows details such as cracks that normally propagate in stone material. All the figures are dark and disheveled in appearance. Their clothing is depicted in an unkempt appearance and the scene shows a sense of separation from the upper class society because of the way they are lying on the bench, even though they are presented in a manner of dress inure to the upper class. My first impression was a family waiting for transportation to where I do not know after a night out on the town. Normally figures, during that century, waiting for transportation are sitting upright. Dore does not address in his drawing here the same condition as Figure 1. When I first saw this work, I chose not to look at the title and make some preconceived notion as to what was being depicted. When I noticed the implied ship mast in the background, which setup the next perception as a port, it inherently supported my theory of awaiting transportation. Alas, it was not correct and this may shed some light into Dore’s eventual illustration in Figure 5 of the same scene depicting a more impoverished set of subjects on a bench awaiting the light of day. Included as a reference to the depiction of poor vs. wealthy is Figure 6, one of just a few of the drawings the publisher thought would be prevalent in the book. Figure 1 – http://www. bergercollection. org/artwork_detail. php? i=167# Figure 2 – http://www. bergercollection. org/artwork_detail. php? i=167# London: A Pilgrimage, Asleep Under the Stars Figure 1 – http://www. cf. ac. uk/encap/skilton/illustr/index. html London: A Pilgrimage, A Ball at the Mansion House Figure 2 – http://www. cf. ac. uk/encap/skilton/illustr/index. html 2Spatial Strategy A Whitechapel Coffeehouse Figure 3 Use of a frontal recession, street level linear perspective is tantamount to depicting the main figures in this almost monochromatic painting. Dore’s lines are generalized and are meant to capture immediately the scene in its moment. The central figures show a more upright and important stance than the outlying supporting subjects. Their turned bodies show an intense attention to the entrance of these key figures. The key figures wardrobe is straight and the outlying figures show crumpled clothing which may imply poverty. It is not until the illustration in Figure 7 that the sense of desperation among the non-central figures is clearly delineated. It is also in this illustration that the claustrophic effect that Dore is famous for is in full effect. The painting shows a more elevated perspective than the illustration. I have started to question Dore’s intent in the production of these illustrations. Even though his name is clearly on the lower left corner on most prints, the blockcutters name is on the lower right. This clearly implies an employer to employee relationship and does not necessarily imply apprenticeship. The distinct change from study or conceptual drawing to print supports this remark. London: A Pilgrimage, A Whitechapel Coffeehouse Figure 4 – http://www. cf. ac. uk/encap/skilton/illustr/index. html 3Light and Color The Charity of the fishmongers: study in a district of London, 4th quarter 19th century Figure 1– Museum of Louvre department of the Graphic arts,  © Museums of France, 1998 Dore produced this work five years after the release of the illustrated book London: A Pilgrimage. His rendering of color does not lend itself well to translating key formal elements. Why he chose to color the gathering of men in red is in contradiction to the clear shaft of white light shining on the fishmonger and children. The gathering of men looks to be outside due to the street pole with what may be gaslights. It is reported that Dore was color blind and was not adept at color shading (Malan 1). If it were not for the title I may have mistook this as a gathering of children at a fish market with their caretaker. Under closer scrutiny it shows the children as lacking shoes and wearing torn soiled clothing. 4Texture and Pattern London: A Pilgrimage, Houndsditch Figure 2 – http://www. f. ac. uk/encap/skilton/illustr/index. html London: A Pilgrimage, Found in the Street Figure 3 – http://www. cf. ac. uk/encap/skilton/illustr/index. html Here again his lack of training shows through on the use of light, shading and shadows. His surrounding treatment is far below his work illustrating Dante’s Inferno or the Bible. Looking at Figure 10 gives th e impression that the candle is giving off more light than it is truly capable of producing. There is also an imbalance to the scene because of the light. Artistic license aside, I prefer George de la Tours rendering in Joseph the Carpenter [Sayre 175]. The Figures clearly show the impoverished condition that has befallen the subjects in the picture and shows, as if in a photograph, the dire predicament that requires immediate intervention 5Comparisons The well meaning Dore did have influences during his formative years and it came about through his beginnings as a caricature artist. Artist like Grandville was admired enough by Dore that he went to him for advice on matters concerning his art. Dore studied closely the work of the first comic strip artist Rodolphe Toepher and this may have created a caricature memory strategy that was difficult to overcome (Duncum 97, 98). Lion Devouring a Rabbit Figure 1 – Eugene DelaCroix DelaCroix’s lion bears a more realistic representation of the animal than the one Gustave Dore’s illustrated on the cover drawing (Figure 15) for the book London: A Pilgrimage. Dore’s lion seems to melt into the surrounding environment and the foreshortening of the front paw and rear paw are not in keeping with the rules of perspective. Hercules at the Crossroads Figure 2 – Albrecht Durer (Germany) circa 1498 London: A Pilgrimage, Gustave Dore Figure 3 – http://www. cf. ac. uk/encap/skilton/illustr/index. html Albrecht Durer’s treatment of the muscular human male may seem to fall within the same realm as Dore’s human male in his cover drawing but, it shows Dore’s lack of formal training in the way the back muscles are rendered. Durer studied human anatomy extensively including bone structure, which I believe Dore did not fully grasp. London: A Pilgrimage, Newgate Exercise Yard Figure 4 – http://www. cf. ac. uk/encap/skilton/illustr/index. html There have been questions in the art world as to the influence of Dore on other artist; one in particular is Van Gogh who referred to him as the Artist of the People (Study Light Org). † Van Gogh had produced a picture called â€Å"Prison Yard† and it was presented without reference to being after a major artist and this was not acceptable. The critic clearly states the resemblance of the picture to Dore’s above in Figure 17 and describes it as â€Å"a tolerably literal rendering of an illustration by Gustave Dore. † He does continue to deride Dore with the continuing remark â€Å"It seems as if Van Gogh had discerned, as others have, an occasional article of value in the rubbish-heap of Dore’s production (R. S. 250). This is but one example of Dore’s place in the Art Critics of his time. His development of the illustrations for the book London: A Pilgrimage brought about the issues of the paupers and homeless (Smith 997-1032). Smith projects the impression of France’s workhouses as being equal to the dreadful pictures of London in Gustave Dore’s book. In conclusion Gustave Dore succeeded in presenting to the populace at hand on the issues of poverty through study sketches that were transformed into illustrations. His rendered illustrations clearly showed the large divide between the wealthy and the poor. His handsomely paid commission did not affect what he saw as blight in society. His participation in this particular commissioned work allowed him to perform a service that could not be ignored, and his focus on the plight of the paupers created a controversy that most artists during his time could afford (Grew 204). The many sketches he made for this project is not readily encompassed by this study and many scholars are still building a repertoire of research into a man who turned a commercially paid venture into a social statement, which will provide students and teachers with questions still unanswered.

Is Global Warming a Hoax? Essay -- environmental issues, climate change

Is global warming a hoax? Anyone who listens to the news for sure very often comes across a news anchor stating how the Earth’s climate is changing. Global warming is a term that creates fear among many. But with all the open and uncensored media out there how do we know that this is not a lie or cover-up? So what does global warming actually mean and is it really true? If global warming is such a big deal why are we taking our time to act? The climate of the Earth has been changing way before the industrialization era began; way before we started to dig up fossil fuel, burn it and put carbon into the air. So if this has been happening for a long time, what is the huge fuss about it? Many believe this is just a fuss. Looking at the financial perspective, many beneficiaries have popped up due to the investment in green-friendly materials. One of the notable people who made sky rocketing financial gains after his investment within the green-industry riches is Al Gore, an American politician, advocate and philanthropist, who was the 45th Vice President of the United States, under President Bill Clinton. Larry Bell states: In 2004, Gore co-founded London-based Generation Investment Management (GIM) with Senator Feinstein’s husband, former Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. Managing Director David Blood to invest money in businesses that were â€Å"going green†. Public filings show that GIM raised profits of nearly $218 million between 2008 and 2011, split among 26 partners. By 2008 Gore was able to put together $35 million into hedge funds and private partnerships through Capricorn Investment Group, a Palo Alto company founded by his Canadian billionaire buddy Jeffrey Skoll, the first president of EBay Inc (Bell). One main blow comes from the co... ...ources Defense Council (NRDC), â€Å"Four global warming impacts alone—hurricane damage, real estate losses, energy costs, and water costs—will come with a price tag of 1.8 percent of U.S. GDP, or almost $1.9 trillion annually (in today’s dollars) by 2100† (Akerman 4). Climate change or global warming is neither today’s nor tomorrow’s problem. It is a long term problem that has been affecting us, is affecting us, and at an even much higher rate will affect us. Works Cited Ackerman, Frank, and Elizabeth A. Station. â€Å"The cost of Climate Change: What We’ll Pay if Global Warming Continues Unchecked.† nrdc.org. Natural Resources Defense Council, May 2008. Web. 26 April 2014. Bell, Larry. â€Å"The Greening of Gore’s Bank Account.† Forbes. 21 May 2013. Web. 25 April 2014. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Future Climate Change. Epa.gov. n.d. Web. 25 April 2014.

Change in Documentary Genre Essay

The documentary genre has changed over time. Changes in society have had an impact on the change. There are large commercialist pressures for documentary to become more entertaining and engaging to capture a wider cinema going audience. Documentary has become increasingly popular. Documentaries such as Bowling for Columbine by Michael Moore have been given numerous awards and were widely popular at the box office. The Grey Gardens is a 1975 documentary by Albert and David Maysles. The film depicts the lives of a socialite mother and daughter living in a decrepit mansion. The Grey Gardens uses an observation style of documentary. It uses old style music and the editing pace is slow. The Grey Gardens provides a very different experience than the more recent documentary. The old style of the documentary would have been entertaining to the audience of 1975 as they were more conservative than today’s society and would have been able to relate to the people in the documentary. The changes in society have expanded the documentary genre to make it more interesting for the audiences of today. The documentary Bowling for Columbine by Michael Moor is an example of the change in the documentary genre. It is a powerful documentary for the audience as it addresses a very important issue about gun control in the United States. Michael Moore uses humour within the documentary to make it more entertaining and to attract a wider age of viewers than a documentary such as the Grey Gardens. Michael Moore ridicules many of the events and people portrayed throughout the film, such as Charlton Heston, making it entertaining and humorous. The documentary uses a fast editing pace, with Michael Moore creatively putting shots that seem to be unrelated together, such as the Kosovo bombings and the September 11 attacks. As well as making it more captivating for the audience these shots evoke strong emotion and manipulates them into taking Moore’s side. His intensive use of music as ironic punctuation is able to change the mood of the film from humour, to sadness, to horror. The audience is entertained by the documentary because it is reflecting on an issue that affects the U. S. A, it discusses events such as the Kayla Rowland murder and the Columbine shooting which are well known events to society and manipulate the viewer into taking a negative stance on gun control. Touching the Void uses a different style of documentary than that of Bowling for Columbine. Touching the Void is a moving documentary that uses dramatic reconstruction and interviews, which cut between each other. Unlike Bowling for Columbine file footage was not used as there was no file footage of the actual event. The combination of these conventions is entertaining to the audience as it allows them to connect with the mountaineers. The combination of eerie violin music and the dramatic reconstruction is chilling to the viewer and makes them engage with the mountaineers. The interviews make the story seem more truthful to the audience. The audience connects with the documentary because people in society are interested in other peoples lives and the documentary gives insight into part of the mountaineers lives, with the use of the conventions. Touching the Void impacted on the genre by using this different style of documentary making documentaries more like films. These types of documentaries are called docudrama. The documentary Jesus Camp by Rachael Grady and Heidi Ewing is another example of how the documentary genre has changed over time. Like the Grey Gardens it uses an observational style but has a faster editing pace and uses more modern music such as Christian Heavy metal music. The documentary is interesting to the audience because although it is humorous it is also shocking to the viewer. It uses very moving, spiritual music to relate to the religious theme of the documentary and to evoke strong emotions and opinions of the viewer. The documentary uses shocking live footage and fast paced editing to shock the audience. Like Touching the Void it provides insight into the people’s lives showing societies pre-occupations with other peoples lives. The nature of documentary films has changed dramatically over the past 20 years. The film genre has become increasingly successful with films such as Super-size Me, Bowling for Columbine and an Inconvenient Truth being among the most successful examples at box office. Pressures on documentary to be more entertaining have caused some controversy in documentaries such as Bowling for Columbine where critics have questioned where it can actually be alled a documentary as unrelated shots are put together to create a negative and biased view on gun control in the U. S. A. With the increasing popularity and development of â€Å"reality television†, which veers to the fictional and is often staged. This aspect of documentary makes people more suspicious of the genre and less likely to accept it as the truth. The need for society to be entertained will h ave an affect on documentary as they will have to become more entertaining to continue to attract the wider cinema going audience.

Women During The Civil War - 3240 Words

The American Civil War was a time of pronounced racial and gender role changes. Despite political tension and fighting, many women began to hold a variety of jobs in order to make valuable contributions to the war effort. Moreover, a patriarchal government governed the effects of slavery and the economy. Nonetheless, the influence women had during the Civil War tends to be minimized, especially African American women. Despite facing discrimination, black women greatly influenced the war effort. The discrimination they faced is most prominently seen through wage disparities between white and black female workers and the pensions black women were denied when the war came to an end. One such occupation African American women held were as†¦show more content†¦Approximately 750,000 men died; a death toll greater than those who passed in all other American wars combined. This means soldiers were dying at incredibly high rates and as a result, there was a great need for medical pe rsonnel in both hospitals and the battlefield. Most of these numbers are said to be the result of illnesses such as dysentery, small pox, malaria and typhoid which killed more soldiers than battle wounds. Because of this, many African American women took on different jobs to contribute to the war effort such as becoming nurses. Although most nurses tended to be men during the war, a vast amount of females were joining the effort. According to historians, approximately 2000 females worked as nurses in both the North and the South. Record books show that African American nurses served in both the Union and Confederate hospitals. US government hospitals in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina had as many 181 black female and male nurses. Nonetheless; the Civil War would determine the fate of slavery as a result of the nation’s refusal to compromise on the issue between the North and the South. The dividing factor was indeed the institution of slavery and the effect slavery had on the economy. During the 19th century, the north was industrializing; its economy began to rely more on wage laborers rather than slaves. The South’s farming economy, however, remained to rely