With just a handful of lines on a flat plane the artist can simulate the curvature of the human body. What draws your eye? For me, it’s her waistband. What that means in practical terms is that after all the preliminary sketches and drafts were completed the final version was carved into a block of wood with a knife and chisel, resulting in a form we would recognize as very similar to a photo negative. Melancolia I was a wood print, carved for use in early printing presses. What are we looking at? Well, on first glance we’re looking at a drawing, but we’re really not. You can almost hear the dissatisfied groan escaping her lips as she pouts, eyes glazed and fixed on the middle distance. Perhaps she’s a muse? The geometer’s shapes and the artist’s tools have been cast aside, all of the customary distractions meant for idle hours of self improvement, along with familiar evocations of peace (the lamb), justice (scales), and time (hourglass). The winged figure is unmoved, surrounded by symbols of learning and culture. It’s a recognizable human emotion despite the classical framing.

She looks to me as much annoyed as anything else, impatient. How about Melancolia I (1514)? If you haven’t seen it in a while, it’s the one with the winged woman sulking in a pile of symbols, her expression purportedly difficult to parse. Scan the wiki five minutes before class like a normal person.Īnyway. Oh, gosh, I hear you say, shuffling your feet, clutching your felt cap in your hand, I didn’t know there was gonna be homework. Perhaps we shall begin with Albrecht Dürer? Digital image provided by The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Tegan O'Neil | AugMelencolia I, Albrecht Dürer 1514. Features As If By Chisel: Barry Windsor-Smith’s Monsters

Barry windsor smith monsters