Exploration_Document_Draft
docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Southern New Hampshire University *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
200
Subject
Arts Humanities
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
Pages
7
Uploaded by SargentSummerAntelope68
Exploration Document Draft
Zaquawn Harris Southern New Hampshire University
HUM200: Applied Humanities
Jennifer Gatlin November 7, 2023
1
Exploration Document Draft
Cultural Artifacts
My first work is a piece of art called "Mona Lisa" created by Leonardo da Vinci. This piece of art
was painted during 1503-1517 in the Italian Renaissance era. This piece of art can be found at the Louvre Museum in Paris. My second work is a piece of art called "Gold Marilyn" created by Andy Warhol. This piece of art was painted in 1962 during the pop art movement. This piece of art can be found at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Common Theme
The common theme shared by both of these pieces is iconic women. Although it isn't clear who Da Vinci was trying to identify in the Mona Lisa painting. Many believed that Mona Lisa portrayed Lisa Gherardini the wife of Francesco del Giocondo (Kemp,2017). Da Vinci painted Mona Lisa, and it became a famous piece that is still recognized today. The painting Gold Marilyn depicts the iconic Marilyn Monroe, and captured a painting of her face with a golden background. The painting also depicts intimacy and isolation. Warhol painted this image of Marilyn as a memorial after the death of Marilyn Monroe (Enger, 2017).
Personal Experience
The them of iconic women is all around me, as I live in the United States of America where iconic women have made significant contributions to society. Examining the impacts of the iconic women have helped me overcome challenges, and helped me pursue my goals. Iconic women have helped make the world a better place for all ethnicity's included African-Americans.
By Iconic women impacting the world it allowed for me as an African-American to be able to pursue better education and careers. Profession
2
Iconic women have existed for hundreds of years, and are considered to be symbolic. A profession that could be impacted by my theme is the field of politics. Throughout history many different iconic women made a significant contributions to the field of politics. These women can
help the field of politics with leadership, activism, advocating for gender equality, and intellectual contributions. A general understanding of humanities is beneficial for the field of politics because it allows for the field of politics to enhance critical thinking skills, and foster empathy and cultural understanding.
Humanities Resources
My first resource is an analysis of “Mona Lisa” by Martin Kemp and Giuseppe Pallanti. The resource is titled, “Mona Lisa: The People and the Painting.” Complementing that resource is one titled, “Andy Warhol: Gold Marilyn Monroe: 1962 by Museum of Modern Art.” My third resource is called “Famous Works of Art- And How They Got That Way by John Nici.” My resource “Mona Lisa: The People and The Painting” and “Famous Works of Art- And How They Got That Way” are similar because they both describe the piece of “Mona Lisa”, but they different perspectives: one describes the family and the painting and the other describes the painting and how it became a famous piece. My second resource is unique in that it represents an
image and a description of the painting “Gold Marilyn Monroe” and provides details into the creation of the painting. The process of selecting these resources involved combing through and sometimes discarding resources for “Mona Lisa” that I found from various searches. Finding a good resource for “Gold Marilyn Monroe” was difficult at first because my initial Google searches only led me to articles about the painting being auctioned, but after trying a few different keywords, I encountered resources with more depth. Historical Context
3
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
The historical context of “Mona Lisa” is inseparable from the Italian Renaissance. According to Marin Kemp and Giuseppe Pallanti (2017), “Leonardo was documented as working on Mona Lisa in October of 1503, but it was not publicly premiered until 1804 after Napoleon was elected emperor.” Andy Warhol’s painting, Gold Marilyn Monroe, was painted in the U.S. at Warhol’s home in New York City in 1962, “after Marilyn Monroe’s tragic death Andy Warhol created a series of paintings to pay her tribute” (Museum of Modern Art, 2004). Similarities and Differences
Despite one work being Italian and the other being American both “Mona Lisa” and Gold Marilyn manifest the theme of iconic women in similar ways. Both works are tinged by cultural symbols, the “Mona Lisa” painting created during the Italian Renaissance and the Gold Marilyn being created during the Civil Rights Movement. According to Martin Kemp (2017), Da Vinci’s painting was believed to be “Lisa Gherardini an Italian noblewomen and the wife of Francesco Del Giocondo”. Mona Lisa has become a respected symbol from the Italian Renaissance and make a massive impact on its culture. Warhol’s painting was similarly influenced by cultural impacts; he included a portrait of a women who had a cultural impact during the 1950’s (Britannica, 2023). According to Britannica (2023) “Marilyn was an American actress during the 1950’s who is a pop culture icon”. These works also have their differences: while Da Vinci’s work “embodies an Italian noble woman” (Kemp, 2017), Warhol’s painting is a memorial of the pop icon. Da Vinci’s depiction of “Mona Lisa” sitting in front of a landscape with a smile on her face creates an iconic women idea of enigmatic expression. Gold Marilyn on the other hand depicts the renowned American actress Marilyn Monroe, presenting her glamorous image (Museum of Modern Art, 2004). Medium
4
To create meaning in “Mona Lisa”, Da Vinci makes the unusual technique of sfumato on the mostly traditional oil painting. He fuses the “sfumato technique with the oil painting to create a smoky effect with subtle contours and contrasts that captures the face of the iconic women” (Louvre, 2013). Da Vinci used a “wooden panel of 30 inches by 21 inches with multiple layers of oil paint” (Louvre, 2013) to capture the face of the women in a realism manner. “The work Gold Marilyn is a monumental proportion of approximately two hundred and eleven centimeters in height and one hundred and forty-four centimeters in length” (Modern Museum of Art, 2004). According to the Modern Museum of Art, “Warhol painted the image on a canvas with one color and then used a silkscreen printing with 3 colors to capture Marilyn Monroe.” Thesis Statement
Despite utilizing completely different mediums and having creators separated by decades of time
and leagues of ocean, both “Mona Lisa” and Gold Marilyn evoke the theme of iconic women through their cultural influences. Audience
The ideal audience for my presentation would include anyone who has (or is interested in developing) a sense of iconic women and their impact on their culture. This presentation may also appeal to people interested in historical events surrounding the creation of my works. These history buffs can benefit from learning how culture events informed the works of iconic women, while anyone else could develop a stronger sense of (or at least an appreciation of) iconic women
and how their impact on cultural shifts. Message
To tailor my presentation for my audience and make it more understandable and relatable, I will try to connect the iconic women evidence in my works to positive examples of recent iconic 5
women activity, such as Kamala Harris being elected as the first African American female being elected as vice-president. I will be cautious and respectful when discussing delicate topics such as the Civil Rights Movement related to the creation of Gold Marilyn. These edits should be made to make my presentation relatable and accessible to anyone in my audience regardless of their views or heritage. 6
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
References
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2023, October 29). Marilyn Monroe. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marilyn-Monroe
John Nici. (2015). Famous Works of Art—And How They Got That Way
. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Louvre. “From the “Mona Lisa” to “the Wedding Feast at Cana.”” Le Louvre
, 2023, www.louvre.fr/en/explore/the-palace/from-the-mona-lisa-to-the-wedding-feast-at-cana. Accessed 7 Nov. 2023.
Martin Kemp, & Giuseppe Pallanti. (2017). Mona Lisa : The People and the Painting
. OUP Oxford.
Reed Enger, "Gold Marilyn Monroe," in Obelisk Art History
, Published September 18, 2017; last modified October 22, 2022, http://www.arthistoryproject.com/artists/andy-
warhol/gold-marilyn-monroe/.
Warhol, Andy. “Gold Marilyn Monroe.” The Museum of Modern Art
, MoMA, 2004, www.moma.org/collection/works/79737. Accessed 7 Nov. 2023.
7