Choose one of the artworks listed below from Norton Simon’s permanent collection. Your job is to investigate (research) the following aspects of the work and come to a conclusion about whether it is more typical of something made for Protestant patronage or Catholic patronage. You do not have to discover the actual patron, although some may be able to find that information (it isn’t even known for all the works). Investigate the following:
The region of Europe in which the work was made (look at the date and line up with biographical info) as well as the region that is the birthplace (or other significant residence) of the artist (look for elements of the artist’s biography that could be relevant).
Then identify the principal religion of those regions/cities.
The subject matter.
The iconography of the work and overall message.
The style of the work.
Based on the date of the artwork, and the above information, draw a connection between the work and either the Protestant Reformation (1517) or the Catholic Counter Reformation (1545-63), and their impacts on the art world.
How does the artwork represent the ideology or values behind either of these religious movements?
Describe the way in which the style, subject matter, and iconography support this particular religious ideology.
Organize your findings into a PowerPoint presentation. Be sure to include the artwork’s title, date, artist, and a high quality image of the work. Include as many slides as you think is necessary to lay out your evidence according to the above list. The final slide will have your Works Cited with a minimum of three sources. Please try to maintain some basic MLA formatting on the Works Cited, but feel free to be creative on the other visuals. Make sure you give a clear statement about whether it aligns with Protestant or Catholic patronage. There should be no mystery about your conclusions; adding suspense is fine, but not required. You won’t be penalized heavily if you come to the wrong conclusion, so long as you have given ample support for your conclusion.
Before submitting, “save as” a PDF for Canvas to accept it or import from Google Slides.
Pieter Claesz, Still Life with Rummer, 1645 or 1648 https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/F.1972.39.P/ (Links to an external site.)
Aelbert Cuyp, Evening in the Meadows, mid 1650s https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/F.1970.07.P/ (Links to an external site.)
Gerard Dou, Portrait of a Lady, c. 1635-40 https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/F.1969.43.P (Links to an external site.)
Frans Hals, Portrait of a Young Man, 1650-55 https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/M.1972.4.P (Links to an external site.)
Gabriel Metsu, Woman at Her Toilette, c. 1658 https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/F.1972.15.1.P/ (Links to an external site.)
Bartolomé-Esteban Murillo, The Birth of St. John the Baptist, c. 1655 https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/F.1973.38.P/ (Links to an external site.)
Guido Reni, Saint Cecilia, 1606 https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/F.1973.23.P/ (Links to an external site.)
Peter Paul Rubens, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, c. 1620-22 https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/M.1975.03.P/ (Links to an external site.)
Isaak Soreau, Still Life with Fruits and Flowers, c. 1638 https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/M.1979.39.P (Links to an external site.)
Jan Steen, Wine is a Mocker, 1663-64 https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/M.1969.05.P/ (Links to an external site.)
Matthias Stom, Christ Crowned with Thorns, c. 1633-39 https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/M.1977.25.P/ (Links to an external site.)
Francisco de Zurbarán, The Birth of the Virgin, c. 1627 https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/F.1970.13.P/ (Links to an external site.)
Francisco de Zurbarán, Saint Francis in Prayer, c. 1638-39 https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/F.1975.03.P/ (Links to an external site.)
Hendrick van Steenwijck the Younger, The Liberation of St. Peter, 1618 https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/M.1979.58.P/ (Links to an external site.)
Rachel Ruysch, Nosegay on a Marble Plinth, c. 1695 https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/F.1972.43.1.P (Links to an external site.)
Jan Steen, Marriage at Cana, 1676 https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/F.1969.21.P/ (Links to an external site.)
Peter Paul Rubens, David Slaying Goliath, c. 1616 https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/F.1972.05.P/ (Links to an external site.)
Jacob van Ruisdael, Three Great Trees in a Mountainous Landscape with a River, c. 1665-70 https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/F.1971.2.P/ (Links to an external site.)
Rembrandt van Rijn, Portrait of a Bearded Man with a Wide-Brimmed Hat, 1633 https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/M.1977.31.P/ (Links to an external site.)
Giovanni Battista Gaulli, also known as Baciccio, Saint Joseph and the Infant Christ, c. 1670-85 https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/F.1973.36.P/ (Links to an external site.)
Karel Dujradin, Denial of Peter, c. 1663 https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/M.1975.16.P
