Friday, October 01, 2021
20 Famous Artists Everyone Should Know, From Leonardo to Frida Kahlo
mymodernmet.com: Museums and textbooks are full of names of artists who've left their mark in history. Certain names, however, still stand out from the rest. Whether it is through their distinctive style, their participance in a pivotal art movement, or their eccentric life, these artists have achieved astounding fame. And while these creatives are well-known in popular culture now, many of them were not recognized for their talents until decades after their death.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
To be honest I didn’t know most of these artists. I wish this article showed some of their works rather than just linked them, because I feel like I would recognize some of their works and then I would be able to put a face and name to the art. Also not surprising, but only three of these artists are women and the large majority of them are white and European. While I do think these artists are influential and important to art history, I wonder if just a list of these majority white men saying “you should know who these people are” is the kind of article we need to be reading and writing in 2021. A quick google search of most famous artists gives me pages of articles exactly like this with the same lists of people, so I wonder if there was something different the writer could have done with this space. At what point do we need more of the same articles?
I actually already knew all of the artists on this list already. I have also seen many of these artists’ works in person. I believe that fundamentally, as designers, it is so important to be familiar with art history. I plan on taking additional art history courses over the next four years. In my opinion, having a strong knowledge of art opens an entirely new collection of visual references to your design process and an additional line of dialogue between you and the rest of the creative team. However, there is always more work to be inspired by. I think to limit this list to twenty of the “most popular” artists is bizarre. What’s considered popular, is most likely not what will inspire you directly. Its important to acknowledge smaller artists and art. I learned that Pablo Picasso was a stage designer, and I did know that before, however.
I have noticed that when interacting with fellow arts students, I recognize famous names of artists, but I do not quite remember what that artist represents or what their art looked/looks like. This article provided useful because it allowed me to get a crash course in some famous names that I tend to recognize without knowing why. In the theatre industry, designers will sometimes want to reference or represent these artists in their work which is another reason why I find education about artists outside of my discipline so important. For example, I once saw an opera about Frida Kahlo at which point I didn’t really know much about her, however, after reading this little blurb about her, I am now able to make more connections and gain more respect for the piece. Through simple blurbs of information, this article is able to educate a reader about a variety of artists in a low-pressure format.
In reflection of this list, I think I have realized that what makes these artists significant is not their work itself, but rather the impact or its context within that period of time. Upon first inspection to us it may seem confusing why the abstract shapes of Henry Matisse were so significant, but in the context of the early 1900s his impact on impressionism as a whole is unfathomable. The same thing goes for the studies of Leonardo Dqa Vinci and Michelangelo: they both were breaching the connection between scientific research in medicine and art. This was revolutionary in all fields, and also cannot be overlooked. What I have grasped from my very surface experience with art history is how shockingly common it is for these artists to learn from each other or even compete with each other. Frida Kahlo first met her on-and-off husband Diego Rivera (another very well known artist) when he was working on a mural and she wanted to learn from him.
Fine arts people please don't come for me but I definitely thought Boticelli was a composer before reading this article. It took me a long time to really learn to appreciate art. (I think in large part because oftentimes what makes art intriguing or beautiful is subtle and also oftentimes requires a certain amount of background knowledge.) Without the context of the artist's life, experiences, styles, time period, or thoughts my understanding of art was broken down into two categories: this stirs emotions in me and I don't get this. I still don't have a very strong understanding and knowledge of art, but I was surprised how many of these names I have heard, or at least whose work I have seen even if I didn't know it at the time. I was not at all surprised, however, at how much I didn't understand the references to the styles of art and artistic "time periods" if that's the right term... some of these people used/were part of.
I really found this article super informative, and just like the beginning of the article talks about how everyone know Leonardo and Michelangelo, that was me too in that these are the first two names my brain picks when talking about artists.
I am honestly a fan of articles that talk about a list of things, in this case, artists, in a fun way where the reader does not want to instantly fall asleep. I feel like a lot of that style of writing comes from what is the most interesting thing to talk about the list item and how to build up to it and do justice to the interesting part. I think writers who can take something like a list and turn it into a fun chapter are so rare but where they are, they just shine through. I think after reading this article that I can confidently say that I know more artists than Leonardo and Michelangelo and that I even have a favorite in my list: Caravaggio !!
Not coming for you but to respond to Magnolia, I think it's hilarious that you thought Botticelli was a composer before reading this. No shame, though, regimented art history is not for everyone (certainly not me), and I think it's a fair assumption to associate an Italian name with composition; not entirely out of the question. Anyways, pleased to say I am familiar with each of these names, some just because of how absolutely famous they are, and some from taking art history courses. I will say, a lot of these names/this collection of names are very much associated with a Western view of art history, but it is not unmerited. They are considered greats for a reason, it's just that one can only hear these names so many times. There were many small artists of great talent, but wrong place wrong time, I suppose, and their messages never got quite as out.
I’m proud to say I’ve known of all 20 artists mentioned in the article and have even studied some of them deeply in high school. I think, as Viscaya has pointed out, the impact of the artists’ works on human art history is what makes these artists so outstanding. Through their works, you can really gain an understanding of the art movement the artists are involved in, or just the general idea of what the artist style of that time period is. I would say Leonardo Da Vinci is definitely one of my favourite artists. Apart from his art works, his dedication in studying science, maths, astronomy and other fields are also groundbreaking and of high importance in human history. In his works, you can really see an interdisciplinary combination across his researches and arts. His anatomical drawings, for example, have massively pushed the understanding of the human body. As an artist, I’ve always believed that the incorporation of other fields in artworks is the key factor that separates a good looking artwork from a history-marking artwork.
If I’m being completely honest, I was incredibly disappointed with this article. I knew all the artists on the list and it takes a heavily male and western approach to art, and although I believe everyone should know these artists, there are those such as Tomioka Tessai who was one of the fathers of the Nihonga style. Potentially one of the problems with this article is that there are many styles of art that art important to know, however the artists are unknown so they do not make it into an article like this. The other question is when speaking of Botticelli, Da Vinci, and Michelangelo, there is no reference to Rapheal or Titan. Although not as famous as Da Vinci, they definitely rival Botticelli. Raphael's The School of Athens is one of the most notable examples of perspective projection. And when you mention one of these artists, aside from Da Vinci, you must mention them all, overall this article seems rather lacking. Understandably, it is a hard topic to cover, I just think they should have done 20 artistic movements rather than 20 artists as artists are quite limiting and biased.
Post a Comment