Reclining Nude

Faith Kim Prof. Hight Introduction to Visual Arts 4 June 2012 Reclining Nude The artwork is called Reclining Nude by Jean-Antoine Watteau and I found this artwork in the Norton Simon Museum. I was captivated by the sensuality and the delicacy in the painting. I first noticed in the painting was her robust ivory figure contrasting with the dark chocolate background because I felt that these contrasting colors evoked a sense of purity and light against the mysterious darkness. She seems to have turned around and noticed something. Perhaps someone just entered the room and surprised her or she could have been waiting for her lover.I also noticed that in this painting, that there are only three objects: the bed, the girl, and the dark background. This painting seemed so simple to me and yet I felt there was so much more to it. What was it about her that was so special? Why was she painted? These thoughts whirled in my head as I looked at this masterpiece. I studied this painting’s importance by researching the important formal elements that composed this artwork such as color and light, the historical context in which the artwork was made, and Watteau’s intent for this artwork.These factors have contributed in the Reclining Nude’s significance not only for me, but in art history. I first analyzed the usage of the formal elements-the color and shape- and Watteau’s skill sets in the Reclining Nude. The woman’s â€Å"creamy pink flesh is wonderfully warm and sensuous against the ivory-white of the bedclothes and the dark, chocolate-brown of the background† (Posner 385). The creamy color adds life to the woman and distinguishes her from the pale white bed sheets, thus giving the effect that her skin has â€Å"a marvelous translucency† (Posner 385).The translucency of her skin could possibly imply her innocence and purity. The rosy blush gives the young girl a sense of modesty that even though she might be alone and lying comfortably on her bed; she is aware of her nudity. Her â€Å"shape [and] weight†¦of the breasts and the firm flesh of [her] stomach†¦are exactly defined by varying values and densities of the paint surface† (Posner 385). Watteau must have applied a certain amount of weight in applying the paint, to give the painting life. This made â€Å"the boldly painted bedding seem buoyant and responsive to the weight of the lithesome figure† (Posner 385).His â€Å"brushwork is free and broad,† especially around the woman’s right elbow where there is apparently â€Å"a lack of clarity about the relationship of weight support† (Posner 385). Despite these irregularities, â€Å"the picture’s handling and description of forms are typical of Watteau† (Poser 385). Watteau was known for his â€Å"freedom of the hand, the lightness of touch, a subtlety in the profiles of heads and the drawing of hair, the expressiveness of the figures and com positions, [and] the pervasive feeling of [his artworks]† (Oxford).Watteau used the Rococo style in the Reclining Nude and this certain style reflected the change in mentality during 18th century France. According to Art: A Brief History, â€Å"The Rococo style may be seen partly as a reaction at all levels of society, even among kings and bishops, against the Grand Manner of Baroque art, indentified with formality and rigidity of seventeenth-century court life† (Stokstad 412). The Baroque style prior to the Rococo style magnified the grandeur of the powerful-the royalty and nobility.They were portrayed as godlike and were painted in a formal and rigid manner. Rococo was a much more relaxed notion and is â€Å"characterized by pastel colors, delicately curving forms, dainty figures, and lightheartedness† (Stokstad 412). The Reclining Nude represents these ideas of the Rococo style. Her body has a delicate curve especially around her hips adjacent to the dark back ground and her fingers are so delicate, it seems as if she has never used them before.During this time was the early emergence of the Enlightenment when â€Å"radical technological advances† and changes in philosophy were happening (Stokstad 469). People were starting to become curious, questioned their surroundings, and were thinking more realistically. The change in France’s notion is reflected in the Reclining Nude. The woman is more humanized with her lying comfortably than posing like a goddess in stupendous fashion. Also, the details of her anatomy, such as the indent of fat between her left breast and hip, give her a more realistic look as well.The Reclining Nude carries the characteristics of the Rococo style and embodies the cultural shift of France. No one knows for certain the true meaning behind Watteau’s Reclining Nude. There are theories that Reclining Nude has no meaning and is a simply a copy of Watteau’s other artwork, The Remedy. The Rem edy â€Å"shows the same reclining nude woman who appears in the painting. But in addition, it includes a maid with a syringe approaching her mistress to administer an enema, and also a night-table at the left and more of the bed at the bottom of the composition† (Posner 386).Only difference is that in the Reclining Nude, the focal point is not the action between the woman and her nurse, but just the woman. However, Watteau might have intended for the painting to be an erotic artwork. Watteau might have portrayed her as the ideal woman and to make love to this woman is as beautiful as her. This type of work would have reflected the â€Å"intellectual and social libertinism†¦ especially in France† (Posner 387). Expressing eroticism such as this was radical, but so was the culture and time period of France.The woman has also been noted to be a pagan goddess for she is â€Å"wonderfully seductive† and shares the modesty of a pagan goddess (Posner 388). Unlike what art historians and theorist say, I believe that Watteau’s intent was for us to just relax like her and enjoy the beauty of life. I think he would have wanted us to unwind and shift our focus from materials and more into the natural beauty. Watteau definitely displayed characteristics of the Rococo style and might have meant to use this style to display some very simple and yet beautiful forms of life.Instead of the opulence of the rich like in the Baroque style, he focused more on the natural beauty. He points out the delicacies and the loveliness of the woman that further attribute to her exquisiteness. Although there are many things I would love to know more about the Reclining Nude, I have learned a lot from my research. I feel satisfied of my discoveries and researching the Reclining Nude has reminded of the great importance art history is in our society. Studying art history gives us glimpses of life during those time periods.They show us their people, cultures, sty les, etc. Utilizing art, we are able to study from past people, cultures, and styles and therefore, apply this knowledge for the future. Jean-Antoine Watteau’s Reclining Nude provides history and meaning to society and can be studied to understand the mentality then, compared to how we are today. The visual techniques, the historical context, and the meaning of the Reclining Nude have helped enlighten me about this painting’s significance on myself and in art history.

Soft Skills Inventory

MSF Soft Skills Inventory 1. Communication Skills: For a previous class, I presented a project on alternative fuels to the class as well as the professor. For this presentation, I communicated to the professor my expertise in this subject by presenting the facts and research I conducted. At the same time, in order to communicate to the students most effectively, I used interactive techniques through questions posed to the class to keep their attention throughout the presentation. During my internship, I would call clients to update beneficiary information.I was able to effectively communicate by having all necessary documents at hand and being prepared to answer any question that they may have. 2. Interpersonal Skills: At my internship, I had the fortune of working with many high ranking professionals in the company. I would sit in meetings with people thirty to forty years older than me. I quickly learned that interacting with them was very different from interacting with friends an d peers. I participated in a group called International Student Connection. I would interact with international students and help acclimate themselves to the campus and American cultural.I would spend time speaking with them to help develop their English, most coming in with only a very basic understanding of the language. 3. Leadership Skills: I had a group project for a class, where we wrote up a proposal about the injustice in Zimbabwe to our state senator. I took the lead in this group by delegating different research responsibilities to each member, where we could at a later time present the research that we found to one another. I also made sure that each person was actively researching by emailing them updates about when we would meet, as well as stay on track with the timeline that we set.During my internship, I had a task to set up a marketing event. I built a team of a couple interns to help in preparing for this event. I took on the main responsibilities of setting up a l ocation and clientele list. I knew however that I needed the other interns’ help in building a full list of potential clients that would attend. Even though this was a event that I was spearheading, working as a team best utilized the different resources that they offered. 4. Teamwork Skills: My pledge class for my business fraternity needed to create a professional, service, and social event for the whole business fraternity.It was clear that we could do this most efficiently by breaking our class up into smaller teams, who in turn would primarily be responsible for one of the event. We would then come together to schedule these dates together. Participating in athletics best exemplifies teamwork, in my opinion. Teamwork was crucial in winning my business fraternity basketball tournament. It also proved to be essential in winning events in the Business Olympics held across campus. 5. Time Management Skills: My part time job during my undergraduate years required working thro ughout the night.I would work from 12 am to 5 am two or three times a week. I would do this while having class at 9 am every morning. Good time management skills were very important in order to keep pace in class while also working these hours. During my last semester for finals, I had four exams over the course of 3 days. The week leading up to finals, I broke down the possible study time that I had and designated time slots in which I would study for a certain subject. Keeping to this schedule as well as being very disciplined was the only way I was able to survive that week. 6. Analytical and Problem Solving Skills:For my project on alternative fuels, I researched all the different technologies that have currently been developed, and those that were still being developed, and then I cross referenced this information with the university’s initiative on going â€Å"green. † I did this in order to find the best ways for the university to become more environmentally fri endly in a cost-effective way. I used my knowledge of the game of basketball in order to run a basketball tournament for a club more efficiently. I used the resources that I had available to run the tournament at a quicker pace, and also saving money, by being charged less time for the gym.

Select a community concern and address the problem and findings in a Essay

Select a community concern and address the problem and findings in a report - Essay Example The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed that â€Å"cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, accounting for approximately 443,000 deaths, or 1 of every 5 deaths, in the United States each year† (CDC, 2012, par. 2). Likewise, statistics revealed that more than 68% of smokers have signified intentions to stop (CDC, 2011) and that â€Å"the combination of medication and counseling is more effective for smoking cessation than either medication or counseling alone† (CDC, 2011, p. 1). Government agencies have acknowledged that a coalition between the state and local communities would assist in helping smokers control and ultimately lessen or stop smoking. Accordingly, â€Å"communities need to work toward transforming the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of users and nonusers by changing the way tobacco is promoted, sold, and used† (CDC, 2011, p. 1). The solution to stop smoking is a collaborative effort that starts with the smoker, the family members, and the local community where he or she is an active part

Principles and Practices of Effective Leadership (Apple Inc) Essay

Principles and Practices of Effective Leadership (Apple Inc). Leadership Portfolio - Essay Example Each leader adopts a unique approach and style, through the interplay of one’s traits, intelligence, behavioral set, authority, power, temperament and charisma. Within an institution, there develops an emphasis on implementing leadership skills and abilities that are relevant across the organization. This cultivates the ‘leadership style of the organization’. Let us delve in to an analysis on leadership at Apple Inc. (formerly  Apple Computer Inc.), an American  multinational corporation that designs, develops and sells  consumer electronics, computer hardware, software and personal computers. The powerful visionary, Steve Jobs, was the co-founder of Apple Inc. along with Steve Wozniak. They went on the establish Apple as one of the world’s giants, with an unconventional approach and leadership style that was starkly different from conventional business wisdom. The predominating leadership approach at Apple Inc. was that of ‘Transformational Lea dership’, wherein Steve Jobs (the leader),  identified the need for  change,  created  a vision amongst his people to enforce the change and  finally, ensured its enforcement with the  unfailing commitment  of the  members  of his company. (Bryant S., 2012)... At a review session, Jobs was quick to grab a ‘Magic Marker’ and draw a two-by-two grid on the board, labeling each quadrant sequentially as â€Å"Consumer†, â€Å"Pro.†, â€Å"Desktop† and â€Å"Portable†. He insisted that Apple focus on just four great products (one for each quadrant), cancelling all other products. Steve Jobs is known to have said to Walter Isaacson, â€Å"Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do. â€Å"That’s true for companies, and it’s true for products.† (Issacson, 2012). The Apple Company under Steve Jobs, developed a ‘perfectionist style’ with an eye for great detail. The success of the company lay in the fact that Jobs recognized his own strengths and delegated areas suited to other people’s strengths, so that only the best product emerged from its shores. Steve Jobs was a driven leader and the products and services he directed his company to develop and commercialize changed the way many of us live, as well as the course of a diverse set of industries, including computing, publishing, movies, music and mobile telephony (Katzenbach, 2012). Undoubtedly, the success of Apple Computers under Steve Jobs stemmed from his creativity in decision-making, charismatic leadership and the ability to take risks in order to adapt to changing market conditions. As testimony to Apple’s creativity, Steve Jobs himself famously said â€Å"innovation distinguishes a leader and a follower†! Both, situational factors and the leadership approach of Steve Jobs contributed to Apple’s success. By selecting Steve Jobs to lead the company, Apple was not only able to improve its performance, but also position itself to take advantage of the opportunity

Enculturation research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Enculturation - Research Paper Example According to the dictionary Enculturation is the process by which people learn the requirements of their surrounding culture and acquire values and behaviors appropriate or necessary in that culture. As part of this process, the influences that limit, direct, or shape the individual (whether deliberately or not) include parents, other adults, and peers. If successful, enculturation results in competence in the language, values and rituals of the culture. Discussion Respecting one’s elders was highly emphasized, the family was of utmost importance and the Children are taught that no matter how old you are, respecting your parents is mandatory. The other respondent was Ann Clawson who grew in a culture where they were taught true blue American values like hard work and education, and her parents made sure that she came up knowing how important it was to work hard for my education. Her parents had been extremely strict in terms of school: anything less than an A was unacceptable, and that was definitely the way they were with me. From the interview it is evident that the Society and family plays an important role on personality. The self does not exist on its self but has a direct and continuous relation with others. From birth onward, the social surrounding shapes and defines individuals, whether it is through family, school or peers. Through the process of socialization, the person acquires a set of behaviors, values and perceptions passed on by her d culture, yet there is still debate as to what extent nurture may outdo nature. History of interviewees Sarwat was born in 1961 in Cairo town. He had both parents where Father was a carpenter, mother was a homemaker. His life was influenced by Local history/events that influenced life choices and Muslim vs. Christian politics affected desire to leave the country, despite having comfortable financial circumstances ,he also Wanted to get away from religious discrimination and come to a western country, in order to be able to practice his faith. In 20 years, he only worked for two companies. He respects his parents’ culture which resulted in a very strict upbringing. , He first worked at Burger King for two months then a friend offered him a job in southern California, and began working as a mechanic’s assistant. , and eventually applied at Amdahl Corporation due to his passion on engineering. . He realized that if he got an education he’d be able to progress in the company and went to college, acquiring an AS in the field of Electrical Engineering. Later He wanted to become a real estate agent, but didn’t excel in it because in his mind, good work is work that is both profitable and enjoyable, whereas bad work is work that he dreads going to. To him, enjoyable work is work you’re passionate about. He also believed that an ideal family cares about each other, and accepts each member for who they are, without judgment. They stand by one another and is cent ered around Go Anna Clawson was born May 7, 1964 in Johnson City, Tennessee was born in the error of intergration.her family was set up in a way that the mother was a stay at home mom, and my father was a banker. The father bordered on being a workaholic, and she didn’

Ancient Greek Sculpture and the American Cinema Essay

Ancient Greek Sculpture and the American Cinema - Essay Example Sculptures of the Archaic Greek period are characterized by one form in particular: the standing male nude. The artistic style employed by sculptors during that time was heavily influenced by Egyptian sculpture (Richter 2); one can see immediately the similarities in the execution between Egyptian sculptures deities and statues like the Kouros (600 BC, 3 meters high). These sculptures predominantly portrayed athletic male subjects who were very structured in their appearance. Limbs were in pleasing proportion to the entire body, the bust was dealt with similarly and the entire piece might have served as something of an anatomy lesson. Archaic sculpture would be to Classical sculpture what the drawings of an elementary student are to that of a learned sketch artist. The figures lacked life; the stiff effect of the chisels and stone abrasives of the Archaic Greek sculptor meant that aside from quite accurately depicting the human form, statues like the Aristodikos (500 BC, 1.95 meters) could not inspire the mind of the viewer like the next artistic period (Goette 116). What the Classical Greek period of sculpture brought to the world was a celebration of how the body actually functioned; the Classical period brought movement. American cinema has followed a similar path since its inception in the early 20th century. The first films produced in the United States took one of two actions: recreating historical events or recreating classic literature on screen (Slide 151). The very first American movie was Richard III (1912), a remake of Shakespeare's 16th century classic. Three years later saw the release of The Birth of a Nation, a highly controversial film that depicted the events and atmosphere of a divided nation before and during the American Civil War from the perspective of the Ku Klux Klan and its followers. Like Archaic Greek sculpture, it was not the subject of these early films that was lacking, it was the execution. Actors were reminiscent of the Kouros in their rigidity and although the plot and stories of early American films were often of excellent quality, there were few attempts at subplot or undertone; very little existed in these films and many movies of the following decades that was not superficial (Finn 191). The Classical period of Greek sculpture saw the creation of works like the Youth of Anticythera (340 BC, 1.94 meters), crafted in bronze and succeeding in the portrayal of something that its predecessors had failed in: motion (Lullies et all 87). Instead of creation statues that stood straight and perfectly balanced on straight legs and flat feet with arms straight down both sides, Classical sculptors experimented with the movement of the limbs and the portrayal of the human body in more natural positions. In this way human sculpture became more geared towards the expression of beauty and of an essential aesthetic within each work of art. Curves, muscle definition and even subtle body language could be portrayed in this style where before statues were really no more than human figures carved out of stone. Classical Greek sculptures captured the human spirit within their work. American film changed in much the same way, albeit over a much shorter time period. Instead of merely producing historical

Compare and contrast discontinuous change Research Paper - 1

Compare and contrast discontinuous change - Research Paper Example Factors causing the discontinuous change in business can be grounded in different fields that may include but are not limited to politics, religion, technological advancement, and literacy rate. Discontinuous change affects family-businesses more as compared to other types of businesses primarily because the former are less formal in terms of system and organization, and accordingly less likely to increase the resources to help the business sustain as compared to the latter (Kumar, 2012). End of the cinemas and entertainment industry in a region because of a strong religious movement, closure of projects started by the previous government by the new government after it takes the charge, drastic reduction in the scope of manual sewing and embroidery of clothing because of the use of machines for the same purposes, rapid decline in the market value of palmists and magicians with the rise of people’s belief in science and technology as a result of more education and improved literacy rate, and decline in the readership of books with the availability of online reading sources on the