Art

Unlike popular interpretations about his work at the time, Jean-Francois Millets views of the world leaned toward the fatalistic rather than the political as he believed that man was doomed to carry his  burdens. Like much of his artwork, Millets famed oil on canvas painting, Man on a Hoe, aptly reflects the gritty and poverty stricken life of the French peasants who lived and worked in the French countryside.

At the time of this painting, the Industrial Revolution was booming in France and, as a result, thousands of people deserted the farms to chase the promise of better times in the cities. Paintings such as Millets Man with a Hoe, disturbed those members of the French upper class with its focus on the mans larger figure and almost frightening face as well as the threatening thorns which were interpreted to connect the man with his life of emptiness and pain.

Millets paintings, because they showed the life of the peasants, were used by those people who wished to bring awareness of the social inequities of that time period. Contrary to other artists paintings of the same era, Millets showed his peasant subjects in laboring against the unyielding earth. His use of the  impasto style of painting showed, in Man with a Hoe, the depth of despair and hardship that was felt by the peasants. The images that Millet displayed on his paintings showed the starkness of the peasants surroundings as well as their dignity by his use of dark colors, vague coloring that showed little of the mans features.

Adrift is the title I would like to give to the painting I would make. The painting will feature a sailboat several miles from the seashore and seagulls flying across the sky. To create the painting, I will be needing oil paint, a canvass, paintbrushes with varieties of thickness and sizes, a canvass stand and linseed oil. There are several skills that I need to use. These skills include the abilities to create shadows and to make proper color combinations. The duration of the painting process will take about two weeks. This timeframe shall cover the basic oil painting procedures such as letting the oil paint on canvass dry before painting another layer for the visual objects. It shall also cover the time needed to make certain adjustments or amendments to the painting with regard to its colors and shadows.

A majority of the lines that shall be used will include fine curved lines. These lines shall make up most of the sea waves, the sailboat and the seagulls. Due to the nature of the subject of the painting, the predominant shape will be triangles, particularly as regards the sailboat and the sea waves. Also, the main color of the painting shall be blue. Different hues, values and intensities of the color blue shall be used on the sea and the waves, the seagulls, the sky as well as parts of the sailboat. The image of the distant shorelines shall also be shades of blue. As regards form, the painting shall feature organic forms such as the form of the waves. Needless to say, the painting shall also include geometrical forms particularly the triangle with regard to the sailboat. The texture of the subjects of the painting shall simulate the smooth gliding of the waves as well as the hardness of the sailboat clashing with the waves.

As far as the principle of unity is concerned, the painting shall be made complete by placing the sailboat in the middle of the canvass while the sea waves shall comprise the lower half of the painting. The distant shorelines shall be a little above the middle horizontal section of the canvass. Apparently, emphasis shall be given to the sailboat as well as the sea waves. The sailboat shall be situation at the center of the canvass. Less emphasis shall be given to the fading distant shorelines. The sailboat shall be larger in proportion as compared to the shorelines so that the effect of distance can be created. That is, the sailboat shall be made to appear closer to the viewers perspective and the opposite shall be of the shorelines.

As regards pattern, the sea waves shall be painted in such a way that they reveal several patterns that differ in terms of movement and direction. Waves proximate to the sailboat shall be in an upward direction to emphasize their collision while waves distant to the sailboat shall be in a seemingly consistent horizontal flow in order to emphasize the lack of external disturbance from other objects.

To achieve balance, the horizon line shall be positioned right across the middle line of the canvass. Also, the sailboat shall be painted at the center of the canvass so that it does not alter the weighting of the objects in the painting. Seagulls flying in the light blue sky shall provide a counterbalancing effect to the movement of the sea waves in the lower half of the canvass.

After the painting is done, it should look like this the predominantly white sailboat is at the center, the sea gulls are flying in the morning sky, the sea waves are moving peacefully in the distance while those close to the sailboat are moving more forcefully, and the horizon line equally divides the upper and lower portion of the canvass. The colors shall be composed of the different hues, intensities and tones of blue. The shadow of the sailboat shall reflect on the sea while the distant shorelines shall appear like a faint sheet of bluish cloth spread from left to right of the painting.

Audrey Flack and David Hockney have both made acrylic paintworks which have some differences as well as similarities with regard to issues like execution style and subject matter. The two painters have been singularly influential in their individual ways.

For example, paintworks depicting Californian swimming pools have been Davids main focus. Moreover, his works present potent homo-erotic themes.  Regarding style, David employs wider methods that are required by stage designs. He concentrates mostly on naturalistic artworks. In addition, he has tried producing and photography. Davids artworks fall under the pop art category.

Conversely, Audrey Flacks acrylic artworks employ photorealism. Like David, her artworks are in the pop art category.  Flacks works concentrate on paints materiality as the essence of the exterior she paints so as to materially manifest her sensory ability to take in the sparkling profusion of visual incentives that stimulate her. Flack thus differs from David because while she delves under the surface to explore mater, David dwells on surface.

In his 1967 A Bigger Splash paintwork, Hockney uses colors to portray a simplistic world view. In effect, the artist delightfully uses unresponsive pick vertical lines, reflecting Los Angeles settings as well as the sprays liveliness as a diver plunges into the pool. No human form appears in the painting.

Conversely, Flacks 1977-98 Wheel of Fortune painting is a photorealist piece in which the artist uses a profusion of numerous bright colors. Effectively, Flacks paintwork is somewhat confusing  because she uses bright colors which suggest gaiety and at the same time portrays symbols of death such as the 2 human skulls. The items which indicate cheerfulness are the bunch of grapes and the brightly burning candle. In her paintwork , Flack employs curly lines while Hockney uses rather straight lines in his paintwork.

In conclusion, both Flack and Hockney are influential 21st century painters. Hockney is a naturalistic while Flack is a photorealist painter.

The 15th to the 19th century was a moment in the history of art which produced a vast array of themes adopted by high caliber painters and incorporated in their panitings. One of these themes is landscape art. It usually depicts the relaxing and invigorating view of the countryside or nature in its most spontaneous form. It may be a panoramic view from a mountain or the seaside. Picturesque landscapes that include ruins are also among those themes that served as inspirations for a handful of artists.

Artists who have been inspired and captivated by the idea of landscape art talk about their subjects in a very personal way. They are those who felt that they are one with nature and that the pure beauty of what can be seen in their travels are too overwhelming that they needed to put it in canvass. In Maria Grahams Journal of a Residence in India, one can feel how she was taken by what she has observed and seen from the animated way of how she vividly described things.  It is uncanny how nature affects the inner sense of an artist, Carl Carus for example who in his Nine Letters on Landscape Painting said,  In untrammeled nature as we are able to perceive it objectively, we take notice . It is agreeable what he said that when one is on a mountain and views the whole expanse of the splendor that  the viewer sees, a feeling of calm is felt and a realization hits you that God has made this wonder. Passion is one of the fuel that artists need in order to truthfully and faithfully depict what they have perceived. It is through their work that they communicate the beauty that they want to share. In looking at paintings, depending on the elements that are present when it was created, the viewer can have mixed feelings depending on what the painting communicates. It tells stories and brings the viewer into a world that may not be experienced first hand but is made accessible by the painting.

Francisco Guardi on his painting he called  Landscape with Ruins , puts to canvass a work that brings us into an old century ruin. It depicts architecture with using a background of a church and the main feature which is ruins with ancient columns that already have cracks on the sides and growth of some weeds on top. Another such work is by Jean-Honore Fragonard he called  A Fantasy of Ancient Ruins . The theme of the painting is quite similar to Guardis work because it also depicted ancient colums, broken sculptures and growth of weeds. Initially the size of both the paintings was a great difference. Guardis art was bigger than people while Fragonards was as small as a note. This makes the painting by Guardi more overwhelming at hind sight because of its size and grabs more attention from art viewers.

Closely observing both the paintings, Guardis painting was in good condition since the colors are still vibrant and do not seem devaluated by time. That of Fragonards was also still in good condition and was effectively kept sealed. The surface of Guardis work seems a little more polished than that of Fragonards because of the medium used. Guardi used oil on canvass while Fragonard used brown wash over black chalk. Guardis use of medium gave the painting a look that is more detailed compared to Fragonards work. Fragonards medium created the effect of vanishing details on the side giving it a more ancient look.

Guardis work is quite comparable to works made by Thomas Cole who injects color in his paintings making them more alive and realistic. I would say that Guardi is quite a realist observing his work because he depicts the landscape view in a way that is seemingly easy to relate to. His pain tings are faithful representations of what can actually be perceived by the human eye. With the inclusion of a few men in the painting, it shows how the painter is devoted to both men and nature. He recognizes the relationship between these two elements that they co exist in the same dimension. His painting seems to tell a story. Though the main feature of the painting is tha ruins which was beautifully created, the person looking at it cant help but be curious of the details being put into the painting. It seems that men are looking for something in the ruins that probably may have a value for them and that conflict can sometime ensue during these excavations. It communicates across the thought that ruins are places that could contain valuable pieces because the earlier inhabitants may have left something that can be further used. Further complimenting his use of lines and details, it was effective in drawing the viewer to other features of the painting. His details on the bridge, the church, and other sculptures on the painting gives the viewer a lot to look at but are very cohesive in a way that it fully embodies the title given to it.

Another thing quite notable with the painting is how the artist lightened the areas which are hit by the suns rays and his use of the background of the sky is very effective in highlighting the ruins. His technique in using colors definitely achieved his intent of making the actual subject of the painting stand out. I cannot help but go back to letters by George Caitlin and find the same intensity in Guardis work because one can feel the tribute to nature and the emphasis on nature being an element that accentuates the beauty of man made structures. The natural elements in Guardis work such as the sunlight and the sky made the landscape view more appealing and overwhelming. I could personally say that this painting is more visually powerful and stimulating than Fragonards interpretation of a landscape with ruins. Considering the eye as dominant among all the other senses, it is quite important that visual effect on people should be taken into consideration. Guardi was keen on this aspect and has perfected this criteria because of his visually inviting work coupled with its massive size.

Fragonards work definitely lacked the luster and life present in Guardis work. The medium he used, though very artistic, did not give him the opportunity to put in colors to his work. It did not give him flexibility and versatility giving it an appeal that is quite technical and not very striking. I could find similarity in his work with Giovanni Battista Piranesi because they both wanted to achieve a style that is sketch-like in appearance. Also similar in approach is the work of Caspar David Friedrich, the  Abbey in an Oak Forest . Both have the same forlorn appeal to them. This painting is wholly devoted to people because its subject is mainly the ruins. Ruins being man-made structures gives the impression that this painting is a tribute to the works of man rather than something that recognizes both man and the environment. The absence of elements that would symbolize nature expresses the relationship of the artist with nature. It seems that nature does not appeal to him as a subject. Only the weeds would be as close to nature as possible and is quite an effective addition to give the effect of being ancient and which is characteristic in sites of ruins. The artist did not use much lines to accentuate or draw attention to specific elements on his painting. Instead, he concentrated on light and dark values to highlight certain features in his painting. There was emphasis put on the relics and sculptures as well as the details of the ruins. The use of brown to light brown shades did not do much for the visual power of the painting. It only communicated a sense of emptiness and abandonment.

One of the themes discussed that is relevant in the critic of both Fragonard and Guardis work is that of Henri Matisses notes. He says that it is integral for a work to give visual satisfaction to the viewer at the mere sight of it. The work of Guardi has definitely achived this because when the two are put together at the same place, the work of Guardi would definitely be visually attractive to the eyes. To quote Henri Matisse,  Composition is the art of arranging in a decorative manner the various elements at the painters disposal for the expression of his feelings . Both the artists have clearly expressed their feelings through their art. Guardis disposition in life is expressed by how he realistically depicted the landscape in his painting. Fragonards glum painting gives the impression that he is someone who is deep and has a darker disposition in life. Still from Matisse,  The chief aim of color is to serve expression as well as possible . The absence of colors in Fragonards work failed to give a very expressive aspect to the painting as compared to Guardis work.

These works have been highly influenced by Romanticism. This was a time that sparked a romantic enthusiasm in artists. Geroge Caitlin who was very passionate about his work wrote in one of his letters saying,  The enthusiasm alone has brought me to this remote region, 3,500 miles from my native soil the last 2,000 of which furnished me with almost unlimited models , both in landscape, and the human figure, exactly suited to my feelings.  This shows how the visual artists of that era became very attuned to their feelings and developed a sense of romantic nationalism that was very much depicted in their works. It was also in this time that the romantic idea about nature arised wherein artists developed a romantic relationship with the power of nature believing that it will eventually overcome the works of men.  However, this was also a time of struggle for different cultures and a lot of conflicts arised during this era. The Romantic era was a time bordered by different wars such as the Seven Years War, the American Revolution and the French Revolution. These wars that arised resulted to a lot of destruction and a lot of beautiful structures erected were destroyed by these wars. Due to this, the once majestic structures eventually became ruins, remnants of the beauty of the human hands. For the case of Guardi, looking at the painting which included the detail of the church, one can assume that he lived at a time when the Roman Catholic religion has gained prestige. He may have been a devoted and religious person and may have concentrated on works in his native Italy. In Fragonards case, the French Revolution with its social upheavals may have caused him to flee from different places. He may have in passing seen ruins during his travels, hence causing him to paint his work depicting the ruins.

In those times, both Fragonard and Guardi had different patrons who were very taken by their works of art. These are people who pay to have these paintings adorn their homes and served as symbols for their wealth and money. A persons social status during those times are measured not only by their wealth but their investment in the arts and to have various works hanging from the wall is a clear sign of a persons elite taste. These paintings of Guardi and Fragonard may have served that same purpose before they were displayed in museums. The contrasting sizes of both the paintings may have contrasting purposes as well in their previous patrons haouseholds. Fragonards work which is small as a note may have adorned a certain area of a house. With its size as small as a note, it may have appeared more like a picture than a painting. It may have been grouped with other paintings with the same theme forming part of a collection of paintings. As for Guardis work which is bigger than people, it may have adorned a main hallway or served as a main feature in a receiving area of a home. One may assume that the patron that acquired Fragonards work may have been a traveler or changes location every now and then and needed an artwork that is easy to transport as compared to Guardis work who may have been acquired and placed in a location that is more permanent because it was not easy to transport due to its massive size.

In the present, one can say that these works have not lost their social function. In the same way that it may increase social status before, it can in a way have the same function today for patrons of the arts. However, the social function of this works is not limited to that alone. These works are remembrances of an era that pioneered the art revolution. It is a legacy and an affirmation that art has existed for so long and will continue to live on. It serves as models for other emerging artists and exemplifies the skill of artists gone but will forever be revered for their talent. Their techniques through their painting will serve as a guidance for all the other artists that will paint their name in history.

Anti-Flag is a punk band whose music has evolved over the years to reflect the changing face of punk rock. The band originated in Pennsylvania in the late 1980s with an entirely different lineup than it currently has. They are still considered a punk band, but recent releases have caused the band to also be considered a political band because of their focus on politics and the state of the government.

Overall, Anti-Flag is still classified in the punk genre but is considered a member of the recent movement of political music that many popular artists used to speak out against the Bush administration. Anti-Flag is a punk band whose main message is accountability for action, standing up for what you believe in and being true to your beliefs.

There is a movement in the punk genre usually called new punk or pop punk that consists of bands that dress like punks and call themselves punk, but whose music contains pop music elements and instruments to make it more popular to mainstream listeners. This kind of pseudo-punk tends to feature artists that scream more than deliver lyrics and whose emphasis is on catchy melodies instead of message-driven music. Anti-Flags message of responsibility and being true to ones beliefs dont fit into this genre, making them stand apart from these newer bands. Many other punk bands, especially those that have been around a while, have tried this new punk sound. But Anti-Flag music sounds very much like it always has and they still use a lot of their old-school punk rhythms and song style.

Anti-Flag is considered by some people to be a political band because of what they sing about. Instead of singing about drugs or sex, a lot of their music is about accountability for ones actions. They do address political situations and people like former President Bush, but in terms of wanting him to be responsibility for decisions he made in terms of the war in Afghanistan and political decisions made that affect American citizens. In their song, If You Wanna Steal (You Better Learn How to Lie) the band talks about how there is a fine line between who you think you are or try to represent yourself to be in front of others and who you actually become as a person. To me, the song is essentially about being true to oneself and not doing what everyone else is doing just to fit in. You dont have to lie just because everyone else does, and you dont have to do what everyone else thinks you should do. Its about being true to who you are and what you believe in. The music of the band frequently tackles the issue of self identity and self-truth, which was often a theme for many of the punk bands that founded the punk genre back in the 1970s. Punk was used originally as a way to go against the established rules and ways of making music in favor of what was right and true to the individual, and Anti-Flag emphasizes this in their music.

Another song by the band, Turncoat, features the line, Turncoat, killer, liar thief, criminal in the protection of the government. The songs video features these words being spray painted on the wall behind the band as they sing, along with words like justice, freedom and equality. This song is about equal rights for everyone and about not letting the elected officials in our country get away with lying to the people or acting immorally. Anti-Flag openly opposed many of the actions of former President George Bush and his cabinet and during his administration they used songs like Turncoat to make their issues with him public. In the song they state that the people have a right to know what is really going on in the government and that the government should respect the people. This song is an example of how Anti-Flag uses their music to make their arguments heard. Again, they speak out against Bush because they want him to be accountable for his effect on American politics, but they are also telling listeners that they too are responsible for making informed decisions in life.

Anti-Flag often discuss political ideologies in their music, but there are other messages and ideologies being expressed as well. On the same album as Turncoat there is a song entitled, Corporate Rock Still Sucks that, in spite of its funny title, is a serious ode to individuality. The lyrics talk about people working daily jobs that they hate in the hopes of gaining the approval of their boss. The song sends the message that in doing what were told is popular and acceptable and in following the cues handed to us by the corporate giants in America, we as consumers and people are not being true to ourselves. We are, as the chorus shouts, doing as were told. Anti-Flags main ideologies, whether applied to politics or life, is to think for oneself and do whats right. Their music is about knowing who you are, standing up for that, and owning up to decisions made.

The instrumentation of Anti-Flags music goes a long way towards conveying the bands message in their songs. The songs are all fast paced and are usually short, as punk songs tend to be. In typical punk fashion they deliver a message in repetition with a shouted chorus in a short amount of time. But behind their powerful message are strong musical skills and instrumentation. Songs often feature heavy bass lines, drum solo sections, and segments of the chorus where the instrumentation drops out completely so the vocalists voice stands alone. This style has definite meaning, because doing so makes the message of the given song come through all the more loudly. The instrumentations frantic pace and loud volume makes it impossible to ignore, making it also impossible to ignore the message of the song. This is one of the reasons that punk rock has always served as a good method of delivering a loud, emphatic message, whether it was about politics, love or sex, and Anti-Flag uses it effectively to deliver their political views and messages to its listeners.

To say that only punks listen to Anti-Flag is to discount their listeners. Because the band has been around for so long, theyve retained a hardcore following that have been listening to them for decades. But with the press attention that their recent stances against the government have earned them, theyve also become newly popular with a whole new generation of listeners. Their political stance has also gained them listeners that might not normally listen to punk, but who appreciate depth and meaning in music. Anti-Flag is also listened to by non-punks that want music with meaning and a positive message for change. The fact that Anti-Flag has a relevant message to their music and that they dont just sing about girls, drugs or being punks gives them a broader listener base than some other punk bands and the fact that theyve been around for so long gives them new listeners along with longtime fans.

Anti-Flag are well known in the punk rock scene, and their music tends to be popular with alternative crowds and skateboarders. But they have not experienced a lot of airplay on mainstream radio. Most of their airplay and radio exposure comes on hard rock or alternative music stations, keeping them relatively outside of the mainstream music scene. Mainstream interest in the band increased with their most recent albums full of anti-Bush music, but for the most part theyve gained their popularity through playing live shows and gaining a following through the audiences that attend those shows. Rather than detract from their popularity, though, this method of earning fans through live shows rather than mainstream radio popularity has made Anti-Flag a punk band with staying power and loyal fans. Their message of being responsible for ones beliefs and standing up for what you believe in is one that is applicable in any genre, and that will carry on just like the band does.

Known as a skilled draftsman and then acclaimed for his mastery over color in oil and pastels, Jean Francois Millets work has mesmerized audiences for decades. He is widely known for his portrayal of peasants and working men and women, creating earthly and realistic pictorial representations. As a French Realist, Millets famous Man with a Hoe (Oil on canvas, 1860-1862) is a piece of work where one can review Millets fascination with the objective and lifelike portrayal of the subject in focus. It not only talks about the farmer it shows but paints us a picture of the political climate Millet was working in.

What is truly remarkable about a painting when one stands before it is the perception of the world through the artists eyes, boldly and honestly on display for all to see. At first glance, this painting shows a tall man standing with a hoe in the mud, a farmer, perhaps taking a breather while working tediously in the fields. There is smoke in the distant background, and there the grass seems greener and the land in better shape. He stands on almost rocky ground, drier barren looking with shrubs and wild plants growing around him. He is all alone and is staring ahead of him. He is dressed in rough clothes which seem haggard, worn down and almost shabby. He seems to be dirty, covered of mud and dirt, wearing sturdy large shoes that are would seemingly help him work outdoor on this tough terrain. It seems to be late evening or late afternoon, as the light that falls on him is not very harsh. He is staring into what could be a sunset, perhaps signifying the days work is coming to an end.

However what makes one stand and look at it a little while longer is the plethora of moods and expressions that are present in the scene. Not only is there a beautiful mix of fresh and dull colors in the scenery, just the terrain itself fluctuates between a dozen browns and greens, from being refreshing light green to a dreary rugged brown.

The most engaging and expressive experience of the painting is upon observing the mans face. Even though his eyes are almost in the shadows and one cannot read them, his face has a range of emotions reflected on it. It seems he has a long way to go as his land is not in a very fruitful condition. His hands rest heavily on the bar of the hoe, leaning on it as if to support his entire body weight. His lips are parched, he looks thirsty and in need of refreshment. One expects to see intense weariness or hopelessness but in fact the man looks determined and strong. As his body gives away, he is exhausted with the exertion of the field work his face tells a different story. He seems resilient and dignified, hopeful and ready to work hard once more. It feels as though when one moves away from the painting, the man will resume his work in the fields, tirelessly and fiercely. After gazing at it for a few minutes one understands that the Man with the Hoe was not painted to invite pity or to demean the worker, instead it almost glorifies this moment of his life and his routine work by freezing it on a canvas.

Centrally composed, the painting asks the viewer to look upon the farmer leading the eye to his face, his hands, his legs, and most definitely his hoe. The smoke in the background and the soft horizon create a sense of peace and balance the heavy centralized feeling of the frame. Looking for a while at the gradations of brown earth make it almost tactile, easily separating the rocky earth from the soft one. The palette is earthy and yet not monotonous as the grayish blue sky has nuances of lavender, making it an over-all wide and colorful work. The textures created by Millets impasto effect render the characters and their surrounding into a very lifelike form. The thick strokes leave one yearning to touch his subject or stare at it long enough that it may suddenly start to move. The technique creates emotive value, seeming to add depth to the image. It also serves to create a sense of calm and pensiveness as it connotes a long and laborious effort on the artists part while he observed each detail, each leaf and each rock

As realism dictated, an artist was to paint without embellishment or interpretation, the subject at hand. A perfect rendition of light and dark as it existed, a keen sense of observation and attention to detail made the most ordinary of painting subjects spring to life. A scientific understanding of vision and depth of field and a display of the optical effects that are created by light naturally brightening up the scene. This was in line with the idea of democracy in France, paying significance to the common man, everyday life and demeaning of social hierarchy. The realists believed that everyday people, events and activities were worth painting. They wanted to create an aesthetically pleasing documentation of the subject with all its humblest aspects  those that had previously been either ignored, considered insignificant or altered to suit the artists purpose.

Such was Millets artistic purpose in the Man with a Hoe and other similar paintings and there were those who appreciated his refinement as a colorist, the uniqueness of his impasto technique and his endearing compositions. Whereas artistically the emphasis for the painter was on the translation of the real subject onto the canvas politically it was on the choice of subject that was highlighted. In a highly volatile environment, every work of art was a story told, and its angle or composition or the moment captured by the artist was subjected to great scrutiny3.

In this light, many critics and viewers protested with unexpected fervor when Millet exhibited the Man with a Hoe at the Salon in 1862. The French bourgeois reacted by feeling it was directed at them, a taunt on their wealth and an attempt to gain sympathy. They expressed their distaste for empowering the dirty almost over-sized farmer as it symbolized to them the ruffian, the rebel, the revolutionary.

They felt Millet granted the working class and the laborer with undue attention and flattery by depicting him as a graceful courageous man, an achiever. The vast social and monitory differences across various sections of the French society had created a rift, one that could not easily accept honest expressions. Feelings of guilt, fear and suspicion were rampant among those who were well-to-do and knew little about the working class across the country. The painting reflected the romanticized ideas of the time that the Realists out rightly defied. It represented to the critics a biased idea to paint and the man in the painting would loom like a threat.  When questioned, Millet refused all accusations and professed to painting along the realist philosophy  that of accurate and objective visual depiction. His love for and familiarity with fields was the reason for his choice of subject, agricultural workers being his favorite. Truly when one observes closely, there is nothing artificial about the mixture of strength and fatigue on the subjects face, delicately captured and ingeniously observed by the artist.

 It would in a less hostile environment, be viewed as a perfectly natural, and perhaps extremely regular moment in a laborers day. It was the aftermath of political and social upheaval that directed such strong criticism on all non-escapist and purely representational art. Robert Herbert helps us understand that as an artist of his time, Millet was justified in not only closely studying the ordinary middle or lower-middle class man, he was also expected to immortalize him through his work. Viewers in that era would have seen Man with a Hoe as Millets declaration of democracy, just as we today see it as a significant contribution to the development in modern art, mirroring its relevant political environment.

As one stands before it, the man with the hoe in the picture represents the entry of the common man onto the canvas in a way the world had never seen before. It was, at that time, Millets tribute to every mans ability to bear his burdens, with poise, unchanged and unabashed. The painting is the artist urging an acceptance of reality, a denial of the hypocrisy that plagued the French before the Revolution and prevailed for some time after it. The Man with a Hoe stands as a symbol of Millets creative rendition in oil, his painstaking care to detail and his significance as an observer of his socio-political surrounding.

Comments by Paragraph
P1 To assume that sentimentality is a by-product of an industrial society entails that the emotions attached to certain sentiments have been predetermined to the extent that people associate certain images or concepts with certain emotions. An example of this is apparent if one considers that the image of a King eating burgers composed of high cholesterol patties (e.g. Burger King Commercial) is not necessarily viewed as an image that portrays excess but rather an image that portrays contentment.

P2 Americans have been immersed in consumer culture for the mere reason that ours is a capitalist society wherein the market determines values and ideals.

P3 As Carney claims, We are trained from birth to mimic, to imitate, and to take our feelings, ideas, beliefs, and meanings from outside ourselves.This is another way of stating that American values are determined by capitalism. If the market determines our values, it follows that certain aspects of American democracy are no longer at work. Such is the case since it is possible to question if Americans are indeed free given that they are trained from birth to associate certain values with certain images. These values, on the other hand, are dictated by the market.

P4-P5 An example of this is apparent in the case of the consumerism of dissent. The Ed Hardy trend, for example, is a result of the implicit association of individuality with dissenting to the popular consumer trends. The problem with this association however is apparent if one considers that by marketing dissent, one immediately places it within a sphere wherein forms of dissent become a part of popular trends which immediately counters the aim of dissenters, that being to change the predominant views in popular culture. This is explicitly specified by Carney as he claims, We want the easy, know-nothing path to emotional and intellectual experience. Tell me who to be. Tell me what to think. Tell me how to feel. Tell me what to buy.

P6-P7 In the case of the points mentioned above (P4 to P5), an example of this can be seen in the movie, Yes Man. Although the film portrays the necessity to develop individual autonomy, the film poses a problem as it shows that individuals are far too willing to adhere to the popular beliefs in society as can be seen in the end of the film where the audience of the seminar were stripped of their clothes and hence their dignity as they adhered to tenets of their group.

P8-P9 Carney claims, Anyone who wants anything, or anyone else to give him or her values is in big trouble. You cant buy them or buy into them or you become just another consumer. He seems to imply that if one desires changes in the values portrayed in Hollywood films, there is a necessity for the American public to change their viewing habits. If the American public refuses to watch movies that dwell on ego-centered emotions then producers and directors will be forced to change the themes portrayed in Hollywood films.

P10-P16 Carney associates genuine emotion in art with genuine human empathy and fake emotion with manipulated sentimentality. In addition, he also associates fake emotion with our desire to be entertained...by high drama or a thrilling plot which emphasizes the same titillating, animalistic emotions as bad living. These associations allow us to have a clearer conception of Carneys distinctions between what he deems to be fake and real in the article. In his discussion, the tragic lover portrayed between Jack and Rose in Camerons Titanic will be considered as a fake emotion as it merely highlights the animalistic emotions he associated with Hollywood movies. Although the film does indeed elicit certain aspects of human empathy, it does so at the expense of making simple associations of love and tragedy thereby failing to account for all the aspects involved in the formation and development of a romantic relationship.

P17-P18 Although the distinction he creates between bad art and good art seems far too simplistic, what Carney merely points out is that art ought to continually challenge our views of reality. As he himself claims, All great art asks us to think and feel in fresh ways. Art, in this sense, must serve as a critical tool that forces the viewer to question his beliefs. Hollywood films fail to do this as they merely reinforce certain beliefs in society. In the case of Burtons Alice in Wonderland, for example, it merely reinforces the strict dichotomy between the good and the bad. It thereby fails to portray the intricate aspects that ought to be considered in solving moral dilemmas.

P19 It is important to note that Carneys conception of the term fake here does not necessarily imply that they are unreal in the sense that they do not exist. The concept fake here implies that these emotions are predetermined by cultural concepts and associations enabled by Hollywood films.

P20 The clarification he creates in his association of fake emotions with manipulated sentimentality is further apparent as he argues that they are fake since they reinforce our false views about ourselves.

P21 Carney himself claims, Bad movies play on our emotional weaknesses, but great ones can move us beyond these clichs or show us their limitation. Vicky Christina Barcelona, for example, enamors us since despite the complexity of the characters in the film their dysfunctional relationships with one another and even with themselves allow us to feel good about our mundane lives.

Overall, Carneys discussion emphasizes that the aesthetic quality of a movie is not determined on whether it gets Oscar Awards etc. On the other hand, its quality is determined by how it forces its viewers to question their predicaments as well as their perspectives. A good movie, one that portrays real emotions, is one which critically analyzes human experience as it forces its viewers to grapple with the complexities of everyday life.