![]() The development of economical high speed printing and an increased literacy built a tremendous audience for the only available forms of mass communications at the time: Books, papers and magazines. The Golden Age is conveniently placed from 1880 to 1920, although there are arguments which can take it from the end of the Civil War until World War Two. Once printed materials were available to a vast public, the Golden Age of Illustration was said to begin. The birth of photography soon after provided new techniques for printing and the adoption of the offset method at the turn of the twentieth century allowed for larger, faster and better quality print jobs. Lithography was invented in the end of the Eighteenth Century. The intersection of economics and technology would provide an improved means of distribution over the last two centuries. Even the development of printing didn't democratize illustration because of the small scale and painstaking process in producing graphics. What good is a work of art if only a select few can view it? The middle ages offered illuminated manuscripts, available only to wealthy patrons. The Arts and Crafts and decorative Art Nouveau movements in Europe also contributed to the artistry and styles of the times. Dean Cornwell (1892-1960), John La Gatta (1894 - 1976) and Andrew Loomis (1892-1959) were also major forces in magazine and advertising illustration. While their strict adherence to Renaissance styles did not last long, their works were very influential on the Golden Age of Illustration.Įarly American influences in magazine and print illustration include Howard Pyle (1853-1911), his Brandywine school and students such as N. Also in the 19th Century, Classicism was taken to an extreme by the English movement called the Pre-Raphaelites. An odalisque, or harem concubine was a popular subject. Orientalists could display nude alegorical figures in lush exotic settings without reproach. Neoclassicism was formalized in Europe as an outgrowth of Academic Art and again the popular characters from the past were represented by mostly nude models, such as Paul Thurman's 'Psyche'. In Europe during the 1800s, there were movements to escape the excesses of the Baroque and Rococo periods and return to classical simplicity. Such classical values were imparted by Da Vinci (1452-1519), Michaelangelo (1475-1564), Titian (1485-1576) and others. All facets of science and secular humanism were brought to bear in creating the great body of works known as the Renaissance. Leda and the Swan, the birth of Venus and other fables provided convenient excuses to display comely nudes. With municipal buildings and private villas to decorate in the city states of Italy, the myths and historical figures of ancient Rome provided ample material. When a merchant class could support artists instead of just The Church, a new definition of feminine beauty could be commissioned. Beyond religious artifacts and decorative arts, there was scant representation of sacriligious pleasures of the flesh during Medieval times. ![]() Thus, unless you have a fetish for Mary Magdeline, the Dark Ages had begun. Once Christianity became the official religion of the state under Emperor Constantine in the Fourth Century, immoral 'pagan' imagry was banished and driven underground. Frank sexual depictions were found in public marketplaces, murals and sculptures. In Pompeii and the Roman world, erotic art was woven into the fabric of everyday life. Depictions of these sorts of encounters call for a degree of audience participation, understanding and involvement. The Greek Gods also had a tendency to interact with mere mortals in many carnal stories. Still, there are many examples of Hellenic Godesses, all in fashionable dishabille. ![]() The original Olympics were contested by naked athletes. ![]() These Venuses served a need or the common good somehow, even if they don't follow our strict definition of pin-up.Īncient Greeks were unashamed by modern standards in acceptance of the nude figure. Anthropologists are unsure if they symbols of fertility or erotic talismans passed around by horney hunters. Prehistoric man obviously had some degree of veneration for the female form, judging by Paleolithic sculptures of well endowed women. This Website is Best Viewed Using Firefox ![]()
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