Kimbell Art Museum Essay

The Kimbell Art Museum at Fort Worth, Texas houses some of the most exquisite and fascinating art pieces. The museum boasts of its wide array of collection of paintings, sculptures, potteries and other historical and cultural artifacts from all over the world. Visiting this place is like going through a time machine because of the many artworks from different periods in history that you can see and even touch. Visitors can enjoy both the beauty of the old and the new and at the same time comprehend the perspectives of the traditional and the avant-garde. Ancient masterpieces that date back as old as the prehistoric period are displayed alongside modern artworks. Most of the collections exhibited at the museum had existed way before I was even born. Meanwhile, there are also items that are so recent that I am not even aware of them. The diversity of paintings, sculptures and other artworks is so overwhelming that it inspires the visitors to be in touch with their creative or â€Å"artsy† side. The various collections and exhibitions are not the only attractions of the museum because the museum itself is also considered as a work of art. The modern design of the building and the manner the space and the natural light were utilized â€Å"enhanced the experience of the art (Kimbell Art Museum). Moreover, when I was looking around in and out of the museum, I stumbled upon a collection of a few Greek art pieces. In this part of the museum, there was this one object that caught my attention and interest. To feed my curiosity, I went closer to see the object up-close and to learn more about it. It was a black vase with red graphics painted on it. According to the description, the vase was credited to Brygos Painter which was made around 490–480 B. C. during the late archaic period (Kimbell Art Museum). Back then, the red-figure and black-figure vases were the prominent works of art made by skilful artists. These vases were constructed based on their specific functions for everyday and ritual activities. Meanwhile, the â€Å"pictorial decorations provide insights into many aspects of Athenian life and complement the literary texts and inscriptions from the Archaic and, especially, Classical periods. † This particular vase is called the â€Å"lekythos or the one-handled oil jug. † Moreover, Brygos Painter was considered as a â€Å"second-generation master of the red-figure style. † Most of his masterpieces exuded â€Å"freshness and vigor of Late Archaic art† (The Metropolitan Museum of Art). On the illustration painted on the vase, it displayed the image of a Greek god called Eros who is also known as the â€Å"god of love. † In this particular visual representation, he was portrayed as an archer with wings with a bow and arrow. Also, Eros was nude with only a mantle covering his shoulders. Meanwhile, the facial expression was stoic but with a hint of serene concentration as Eros get ready to draw his bow. In this period, the mastery of human form was not that evident but artists were able to provide a close depiction of the human body which was shown in the muscular definitions of the body of Eros specifically at the chest and torso area. More so, the figure lacked depth emphasizing the two-dimensionality feature of the painting. The position of Eros, with the right foot slightly bent with the left foot stretched and combined with the extended arms pointing to the left holding the bow and arrow, showed motion. Through this body gesture, the artist was able to create movement for the figure which at that time was considered as a sophisticated painting technique. Additionally, the series of repetitive intricate patterns drawn all over the vase gave the painting texture making it more interesting and visually appealing. Also, the floral design on the base of the neck of the vase provided fluidity to the overall painting because of the curves and various shapes incorporated. Works Cited â€Å"About the Museum. † 2008. Kimbell Art Museum. 19 November 2008 . â€Å"Athenian Vase Painting: Black- and Red-Figure Techniques. † 2008. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 19 November 2008 . â€Å"Greek. † 2008. Kimbell Art Museum. 19 November 2008 .