This thesis delves into the captivating world of Dutch genre prints from the 16th and 17th centuries, focusing on the communicative meaning of eye contact made by the depicted figures with the...Show moreThis thesis delves into the captivating world of Dutch genre prints from the 16th and 17th centuries, focusing on the communicative meaning of eye contact made by the depicted figures with the contemporary viewer. Through several case studies, divided into the categories: “stereotypes”, “companies” and “couples”, it investigates how eye contact is used to capture attention, deliver commentary and prompt the contemporary beholder to reflection. The meaning behind the returned gaze aligns with the dual role of genre prints as sources of entertainment and moral instruction. This study affirms that “eyes speak”: conveying emotions and the complexities of 16th and 17th-century society. The conclusion highlights the need for further research on the gaze in different media.Show less
This thesis examines the paintings of Henry Scott Tuke (1858-1929) against the backdrop of late Victorian and Edwardian Britain, exploring how his depictions of naked youths at the British seaside...Show moreThis thesis examines the paintings of Henry Scott Tuke (1858-1929) against the backdrop of late Victorian and Edwardian Britain, exploring how his depictions of naked youths at the British seaside navigated and subverted dominant cultural narratives of gender and sexuality. The study employs a multidisciplinary approach, integrating the lens of “the queer gaze,” multiple social-historical contexts in relation to the seaside, and critical reception. The first chapter delves into Tuke's portrayal of naked youths, revealing layers of homoerotic desire and voyeurism. Through visual analysis, Tuke's paintings are shown to evoke both childhood innocence and charged intimacy, inviting viewers to question and interpret the subtle sensuality within them. The second chapter examines the significance of the British seaside in Tuke's work, highlighting its idealized portrayal as a utopia of leisure and a masculine homosocial space. The final chapter explores the reception of Tuke's paintings during his lifetime and in current perspectives, revealing a nuanced tension between tradition and innovation in both style and subject. Tuke's depictions of naked youths at the beach occupy a liminal space between convention and novelty, both accepted by the critics of his time as well as the Royal Academy and celebrated by queer fringe groups. Overall, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of Tuke's work while shedding light on broader discussions surrounding the representation of gender and sexuality in art history.Show less
This Master thesis has conducted a research centring around freedom in videogames. Via means of Ubisoft’s action-adventure videogame Assassin’s Creed II (2009) this thesis aims to determine the...Show moreThis Master thesis has conducted a research centring around freedom in videogames. Via means of Ubisoft’s action-adventure videogame Assassin’s Creed II (2009) this thesis aims to determine the extent in which the player is free and able to experience freedom in both Assassin’s Creed II individually, as well as compared to three videogames to provide a contextualised framework specifically for Assassin’s Creed II as is used in the methodological framework of this thesis. The three compared videogames being Minecraft (2011), The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011), and Halo Wars (2009) have worked towards providing a contextualised answer in discussed modes of freedom as depicted and present in Assassin’s Creed II. Via both surface layer narrative and underlying structural algorithmic build of videogames, Assassin’s Creed II has been analysed using a philosophical approach via theories and debates on freedom, as well as via the use of algorithmic models and the potential dangers algorithms pose in regards to the player-experience of freedom in videogames. Ultimately, this thesis uncovered the potential dangers of algorithms within Assassin’s Creed II, and thereupon via the compared videogames the potential controlling-tendencies of the use of algorithms in the digital environment.Show less
The Album of Drawings (object number: PK-T-AW-xxx) housed in the University of Leiden's Special Collections presents a compelling enigma within art history. Comprising 80 intricately executed pen...Show moreThe Album of Drawings (object number: PK-T-AW-xxx) housed in the University of Leiden's Special Collections presents a compelling enigma within art history. Comprising 80 intricately executed pen and brown ink drawings embellished with grey wash, these depictions meticulously portray episodes from the Old Testament. The illustration spans Genesis through Judges, highlighting the relationship between God and His people and the latter’s struggles, faith and challenges as they define their identity and purpose, guided by divine intervention and historical context. Measuring around 4.2 × 5.6 cm, each drawing showcases remarkable detail and skill. The elusive identity of the artist adds an intriguing dimension to the collection. This research aims to uncover the album's history, the artist's pictorial references, the drawings' purpose, their likely creation date, and their status as copies or original works. Employing an object-oriented methodology, the study combines visual and iconographical analyses with examination of relevant literature and technical resources, including watermark and transfer techniques. The album consists of two sections: eight drawings of fruits and nuts, believed to be created by the album's owner, and 80 Old Testament drawings attributed to an anonymous Netherlandish artist, potentially originating after 1659. Visual scrutiny suggests that most drawings are adaptations of widely disseminated contemporary prints, drawing inspiration from prominent artists like Antonio Tempesta, Jost Amman, and Pieter Hendricksz. Schut. These drawings display thematic and compositional correlations with identified sources, hinting at the artist's access to a diverse array of visual materials. The sequential arrangement of scenes echoes a picture Bible, possibly intended for broader distribution through printing. The inquiry into whether these biblical drawings are copies or original creations is pivotal. Despite drawing from existing compositions—a prevalent practice—evidence suggests deliberate alterations, infusing them with a distinct style, emotional depth, and focus on human actions. These modifications, coupled with the amalgamation of diverse sources, elevate the drawings beyond mere reproductions. The artist's conscientious choices underscore the intricate interplay between artistic value and intended purpose. In conclusion, this research provides an in-depth exploration of the Album of Drawings, shedding light on its historical context, artistic origins, and potential functions. Through meticulous analysis, the study enhances our understanding of Netherlandish biblical illustration in the seventeenth century and fosters a deeper appreciation for these captivating pen drawings.Show less
'Ukiyo' was both a state of mind and a world of pleasure-seeking. It offered freedom from the limitations placed by the Tokugawa shogunate. It also gave the merchant class, and urban life in...Show more'Ukiyo' was both a state of mind and a world of pleasure-seeking. It offered freedom from the limitations placed by the Tokugawa shogunate. It also gave the merchant class, and urban life in general, a break from the controlling samurai warrior class. Edo (present-day Tokyo) society was generally regarded as a highly controlled society. Not unexpectedly, the Edo, Kyoto, and Osaka pleasure districts were likewise restricted. The most well-known of them was the Yoshiwara licensed brothel district, a separate walled town to the north of the main city that was exclusively created to entertain its male inhabitants. While ukiyo-e like paintings, prints, and illustrated books portrayed nearly every element of coeval Japanese society in Edo, pictures of female entertainers and pleasure districts in Yoshiwara were the most prevalent. A large selection of these portrayed women, although perhaps unintentionally by the artist because of the different social roles women had back then, are depicted in an objectifying manner. This is especially the case in bijinga, literally translated as ‘images of beautiful women’. The women, although it is debatable whether the depicted women are supposed to represent the actual women from the Edo period or if they are merely icons, are put down as objects of desire and vessels for reproduction among other things. In this paper, I will shed light on this issue and question whether ‘celebration’ or ‘aesthetic’ are used as a justification for these forms of objectification or not. Using ambiguous prints, I will give an analysis of the different perspectives and explanations that exist about that specific print.Show less
In 1992, the High Court of Australia took the radical step of breaking with Australian legal precedent to determine that the continent was not, in fact, terra nullius at the time of British...Show moreIn 1992, the High Court of Australia took the radical step of breaking with Australian legal precedent to determine that the continent was not, in fact, terra nullius at the time of British colonisation. As a result of this landmark case, Indigenous Australians became able to obtain recognition of Native Title over their traditional lands and waters. This fundamental change to Australian land law has required the legal system to accept Indigenous forms of evidence as claimants seek recognition of Native Title. In some instances, this evidence has taken the form of contemporary, acrylic paintings: specifically, Ngurrara Canvas II in Application of the Ngurrara People, and Women’s Native Title Painting and Men’s Native Title Painting in Application of the Spinifex People. While scholars from anthropology, art history, legal studies, Indigenous studies and cultural studies have examined the use of these paintings in Native Title claims, assertions by most of these researchers that the paintings constitute evidence in the legal meaning of the word have not been securely bedded in an appropriate interdisciplinary framework. Taking an interdisciplinary approach spanning the fields of art history and law, this thesis asks how the National Native Title Tribunal and the Federal Court of Australia have determined the probative value of these acrylic on canvas artworks by Indigenous Australian claimants in Native Title claims. In doing so, it examines how Australian art historian Rex Butler’s concept of “meaningfulness without meaning” (drawn from a discussion regarding the relationship between Indigenous art and Abstract Expressionism) can clarify how decision makers treat painted evidence. The thesis concludes that when determining Native Title claims, decision makers may legitimately accept Indigenous artworks as evidence of continuous connection to Country which the law requires, without requiring an understanding of what an artwork ‘means,’ and that these artworks can be considered transitional objects which transcend legal understandings of tradition.Show less
This thesis is set to study depictions of motherhood in contemporary art that portrays inter-species relationships. Through the case studies of two specific artworks, Maja Smrekar’s Hybrid Family...Show moreThis thesis is set to study depictions of motherhood in contemporary art that portrays inter-species relationships. Through the case studies of two specific artworks, Maja Smrekar’s Hybrid Family and Ai Hasegawa’s I Wanna Deliver a Dolphin…, this thesis investigates how they offer different solutions to the nature-culture divide. For the relevance to the academic fields of posthumanism, feminism, and environmental studies, the method of discourse analysis was used to unearth important terms, concepts, and theories which were applied to the case studies to answer the question: What possibilities do Smrekar's and Hasegawa's works offer in an attempt to resolve the nature-culture binary and renaturalize cultural issues regarding motherhood and kinship? The topics, discourse, and case studies are relevant today, as they highlight and question societal and cultural structures that uphold an unjust system that has actively been harming humans, animals, and the environment. A posthumanist and feminist approach is an attempt to view these issues from different angles and study whether the artworks of Hasegawa and Smrekar offer useful insights into tackling the nature-culture divide.Show less
In this thesis, Utagawa Hiroshige's landscape prints will be examined through a social perspective. Many previous scholars have analysed Hiroshige's prints, based on old art historical tropes were...Show moreIn this thesis, Utagawa Hiroshige's landscape prints will be examined through a social perspective. Many previous scholars have analysed Hiroshige's prints, based on old art historical tropes were composition and techniques are central. In my thesis I will examine how Hiroshige framed place in his Tokaido series and One Hundred Famous Views series.Show less
Ten American Painters was een bijzondere groep onafhankelijke Amerikaanse kunstenaars die zich in 1898 afscheidde van de Society of American Artists, deze laatstgenoemde organisatie zou te...Show moreTen American Painters was een bijzondere groep onafhankelijke Amerikaanse kunstenaars die zich in 1898 afscheidde van de Society of American Artists, deze laatstgenoemde organisatie zou te conservatief en commercieel zijn geworden. Ten bleef twintig jaar bestaan. De Society was twintig jaar hiervoor om soortgelijke redenen opgericht uit de National Academy of Design. De leden van Ten besloten om elk jaar een groepstentoonstelling te houden. De afscheiding begon bescheiden, zonder manifest of verklaringen maar verliep niet onopgemerkt en publiciteit was onvermijdelijk. Deze publiciteit in de vorm van krantenartikelen uit kranten als de New York Times en recensies in kunsttijdschriften zijn de hoofdbronnen voor de scriptie. Deze primaire bronnen verschaffen voldoende informatie om een helder beeld te scheppen van de receptiegeschiedenis en hoe deze veranderde door de jaren waarin de groep bestond en de jaarlijkse exposities hield. Om de kunstkritiek in context te plaatsen, zijn ook de beschikbare catalogi van de tentoonstellingen gebruikt. Deze contemporaine documenten vormen de belangrijkste bronnen voor dit onderzoek.Show less
Een onderzoek naar de relatie tussen populaire prentkunst, geschiedkunde, en de Keizer van Japan in het vroege stadium van de Meiji-periode (1868-1912). Het onderzoek richt zich op de prentenreeks...Show moreEen onderzoek naar de relatie tussen populaire prentkunst, geschiedkunde, en de Keizer van Japan in het vroege stadium van de Meiji-periode (1868-1912). Het onderzoek richt zich op de prentenreeks Dainihon shiryaku zue 大日本史略図会 (Beknopte Geïllustreerde Geschiedenis van het Grote Japan, 1879-1880) van prentkunstenaar Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 月岡芳年 (1839-1892).Show less
Een sacristie is dat deel van een kerk waar heilige en gewijde zaken worden bewaard, hier bereiden geestelijken zich voor op de kerkdienst en hier trekken zij zich terug na die dienst. Sacristieën...Show moreEen sacristie is dat deel van een kerk waar heilige en gewijde zaken worden bewaard, hier bereiden geestelijken zich voor op de kerkdienst en hier trekken zij zich terug na die dienst. Sacristieën krijgen bij de bestudering van kerken nauwelijks of geen aandacht. Het (vrijwel) ontbreken van literatuur over dit onderwerp was aanleiding voor deze scriptie - die niet kan voorzien in deze lacune - maar die dit weinig betreden terrein verkent. Uitgaande van het monumentenregister voor Zeeland van de RCE zijn middeleeuwse Zeeuwse kerken, hoofdzakelijk uit de 14de en 15de eeuw, geselecteerd omdat deze nog (resten van) een sacristie hebben. Van deze sacristieën zijn er twaalf onderzocht en beschreven, deze bevinden zich in de plaatsen: Dreischor, Gapinge, Goes, Hulst, Kapelle, Kloetinge, Nisse, Sint Maartensdijk, Tholen, Waarde, Wemeldinge en Yerseke..Show less
Mede door mijn stage bij DutchCulture (TransArtists heb ik mij afgevraagd welke visies er op de leerervaring en ontwikkeling van jonge kunstenaars bestaan in de wereld van de artist in residences...Show moreMede door mijn stage bij DutchCulture (TransArtists heb ik mij afgevraagd welke visies er op de leerervaring en ontwikkeling van jonge kunstenaars bestaan in de wereld van de artist in residences en hoe (Nederlandse) artist in residence programma’s zich verhouden tot de ontwikkeling van jong kunstenaarschap in vergelijking met Nederlands kunstonderwijs. Met deze bachelor scriptie wil ik de aard van de mogelijke bijdrage van Nederlandse artist in residence programma’s aan de ontwikkeling van jong kunstenaarschap onderzoeken en hun doelstellingen hiervoor vergelijken met verschillende visies op de beroepsvoorbereiding in het kunstonderwijs in Nederland.)Show less
