To take his own portrait, looking at himself from that purpose. In the first strophe a distinct division within a poem that is similar to a stanza, ashbery describes the method by which the renaissance painter parmigianino created the painting known as selfportrait in a convex mirror. It was thought by the great 16thcentury biographer vasari in the first version of his life of the painter, written about. These durable, scratchresistant, acrylic mirrors give beginning artists the chance to work with a live model.
He purposely chose to paint the mirror instead of a straightforward selfportrait and in doing so, he made a statement about the nature of art and what is can reveal. This artist, who came from parma, is considered one of the most progressive painters in the 1st half of the 16th century in upper italy, parmigianinos work provides a transition from the renaissance to mannerism, and the effects of his delicate and extravagant formal language were still being felt in the art of rudolf iis court in prague ca. Page of selfportrait in a convex mirror by parmigianino in the web gallery of art, a searchable image collection and database of european painting, sculpture and architecture 2001900. Selfportrait in a convex mirror as parmigianino did it, the right hand bigger than the head, thrust at the viewer and swerving easily away, as though to protect what it advertises. Parmigianino, selfportrait in a convex mirror youtube. Download self portrait in a convex mirror ebook for free in pdf and epub format. Self portrait in a convex mirror, the watergate affair, and johnss crosshatch paintings. Parmigianino, selfportrait in a convex mirror rosso fiorentino, the dead christ with angels bronzino an allegory with venus and cupid portrait of eleonora di toledo with her son giovanni bronzino and the mannerist portrait sofonisba anguissola, self portraits benvenuto cellini, perseus with the head of medusa giambologna, abduction of a sabine. Self portrait in a convex mirror is ashberys most popular and most critically honored poem, and it brings together some of the best and some of the most annoying elements in his work. Parmigianino was forced to flee rome when the city was destroyed by german troops in 1527. Francesco mazzola, called parmigianino, selfportrait in a convex mirror, 152324 kunsthistorisches museum, vienna speakers. In rome, parmigianino presented his self portrait in a convex mirror to the papal court, hoping to gain commissions and was immediately celebrated as raphael reborn. Ashbery may be best known for self portrait in a convex mirror, an elusive consideration of the parmigianino painting that spirals into a 15page magnum opus about perception, art, and.
As a celebration of the artist as a young man, it has much in common with selfportraits by durer and raphael. Self portrait in a convex mirror, from which the above is a short extract, is an ekphrasis description of a work of art about a painting of the same name by parmigianino. The top 10 selfportraits in art art and design the. Parmigianino selfportrait in a convex mirror, 1524. Selfportrait in a convex mirror is certainly one of the most sustained performances in american writing john ashbery, more than any other contemporary, is the poet of the momentary, the transitory. The painting s fame was endorsed by the american poet john ashbery whose long poem, self portrait in a convex mirror was the title poem for a collection that earned him a pulitzer prize, a national book award and a national book critics circle award in 1976.
Parmigianino presented this selfportrait, painted on a convex wooden surface, along with two other smallformat works to pope clement vii in the summer of. Selfportrait in a convex mirror is a 1975 poetry collection by the american writer john ashbery. Selfportrait in a convex mirror, 152324 giclee print by parmigianino. Francesco mazzola, called parmigianino self portrait in a convex mirror transparent. Parmigianino, selfportrait in a convex mirror smarthistory.
As a celebration of the artist as a young man, it has much in common with self portraits by durer and raphael. When i saw the painting in vienna, i was rather disappointed. These selfportraits in reflective convex surfaces were very common in his work and this piece is certainly the most famous example. Selfportrait in a convex mirror c152324, parmigianino culture. Page of selfportrait in a convex mirror by parmigianino in the web gallery of art, a searchable image collection and database of european painting. The mannerist painter parmigianino painted his selfportrait in a convex mirror in 1524 when he was 21 years of age in fact, he may have been slightly younger. The elaboration of consciousness arises in part from an attention to ordinary details, to the. Selfportrait in a convex mirror was the first of john ashberys books to be published in britain by carcanet, and this is its third printing. Read self portrait in a convex mirror online, read in mobile or kindle.
As parmigianino did it the right handbigger than the head thrust at the viewerand swerving easily away as though to protect. It is a painting which seeks to offer a true, undistorted representation of the. The article offers poetry criticism of the poem selfportrait in a convex mirror, by john ashbery. Ashberys selfportrait in a convex mirror provides a postmodern response to the sixteenthcentury painting of the same name by the italian artist parmigianino. The title, shared with its final poem, comes from the painting of the same name by the late renaissance artist parmigianino.
Selfportrait in a convex mirror by john ashbery poetry. Selfportrait in a convex mirror by robert mueller meditating on daytoday life, john ashbery has fashioned a personal but objectively precise poetry of consciousness. Selfportrait in a convex mirror, the watergate affair. Selfportrait in a convex mirror c152324, parmigianino. Self portrait in a convex mirror april 1june 12, 2011 in the lockhart gallery john ashbery, considered by many to be americas greatest living poet, was born in rochester and as a young boy took art classes at mags creative workshop. Self portrait in a convex mirror depicts same object. Self portrait in a convex mirror parmigianinos self portrait in a convex mirror is different from his other images. Parmigianino in one painting by this artist, the title figure lies asleep covered in a red robe and clutching a tiny wooden crucifix. Self portrait in a convex mirror by ashbery abebooks.
Not only does it show distorted perspective, but it is also painted on a convex wooden panel in order to demonstrate the artists superb skills at craftsmanship and perspective to his prospective employer pope clement vii. Selfportrait in a convex mirror opens immediately with an explanation of ashberys subject. It is housed in the kunsthistorisches museum, vienna, austria. Selfportrait in a convex mirror poem by john ashbery. Self portrait in a convex mirror c 1524 self portrait in a convex mirror c 1524 by parmigianino. Parmigianinos direct gaze holds the viewers attention and the light literally falls on and illuminates the artist.
Selfportrait in a convex mirror francesco mazzola, called. Like a celebrity who looks taller on television than in person, the canvas is surprisingly small, its. This preoccupation animates everything he writes, and what he writes is some of the best poetry of our day. Self portrait in a convex mirror also available in format docx and mobi. Selfportrait in a convex mirror was the first of john ashberys books to be published in britain by carcanet, and this is its third pri. Selfportrait in a convex mirror gagosian quarterly. It focuses on the theme of art and the use of mimesis in the work, suggesting that the poem portrays the sedimentation of everyday life into art. While parmigianinos sixteenthcentury self portrait in a convex mirror presents an image of artistic unity that expresses faith in the representability of world and self through art, ashberys critical revision of the painting reveals what is a stilled and detemporalized scene of reflection.
Yes, he went to rome with five paintings, including selfportrait in a convex mirror, and presented them to pope clement vii to try to gain a church commission. The work is mentioned by late renaissance art biographer giorgio vasari, who lists it as one of three smallsize paintings that the artist brought to rome with him in 1525. Steven zucker if youre seeing this message, it means were having trouble loading external resources on our website. Parmigianino, selfportrait in a convex mirror video. Selfportrait in a convex mirror, 152324 giclee print by. It was thought by the great 16thcentury biographer vasari in the first version of his life of the painter, written about 30 years after parmigianinos. August 1974 self portrait in a convex mirror by john ashbery. The litograph hand with reflecting sphere, also known as selfportrait in spherical mirror, depicts a hand holding a reflective sphere where we can see the artist and his surroundings. A golden ring appears on the central figures pinky in this artists circular self portrait in a convex mirror. These two observations seem right, and are helpful in thinking about self portrait in a convex mirror. Selfportrait in a convex mirror 1524, parmigianino. Find art you love and shop highquality art prints, photographs, framed artworks and posters at art. Surveillance and realitytesting in the midseventies stephen paul miller this essay focuses on a poem, a political event, and a series of paintings of the midseventies.
Vasari says parmigianino got a woodworker to construct it to the exact. Self portrait in a convex mirror was published in 1975, the centerpiece of a collection of the same name that would become ashberys most dazzling success, winning a trifecta of prizesthe national book critics circle award for that year and both the pulitzer prize and the national book award for 1976. Parmigianinos selfportrait in a convex mirror factum foundation. Like van eyck in the arnolfini portrait that hangs in londons national gallery, parmigianino was fascinated by. A young girl defending herself against eros uses same medium. Painting selfportrait in front of the mirror self portraits have been around since the earliest times, but it wasnt until the mid15th century that artists started frequently depicting themselves as the main subject or as other important characters in their work. A few leaded panes, old beams, fur, pleated muslin, a coral ring run together in a movement supporting the face, which swims toward and away like the hand. It was thought by the great 16thcentury biographer vasari in the first version of his life of the painter, written about 30 years after parmigianinos death, that it may have been painted as a gift for pope clement vii. The painting is not on a flat canvas but on a section of a wooden sphere that reproduces the shape of a convex mirror. Parmigianino, selfportrait in a convex mirror video khan academy. Self portrait in a convex mirror download pdfepub ebook. It is housed in the kunsthistorisches museum, vienna.
Media in category self portrait in a convex mirror by parmigianino the following 6 files are in this category, out of 6 total. Selfportrait in a convex mirror by parmigianino web gallery of art. In selfportrait in a convex mirror we get the impression that the artist is the hero of the piece and that the painting celebrates his youthful talent. Parmigianinos selfportrait in a convex mirror 1524, painted when he was. Parmigianinos selfportrait in a convex mirror is a. The book won the pulitzer prize, the national book award, and the national book critics circle award, the only book to have received all three awards. A tribute to john ashbery 19272017 currently on view. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the us or from the uk, depending on stock availability.
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