What Makes an Artist “Great”? : Crash Course Art History #4

Summary

This Crash Course Art History episode, hosted by Sarah Urist Green, explores the origins of the 'Great Artist' myth, tracing it back to Renaissance Europe. It discusses how art was historically created collectively or anonymously, contrasting with the later emphasis on individual genius artists. The Medici family's patronage and the rise of art academies played pivotal roles in shaping the concept of 'greatness' in art. The episode also touches on the exclusion of women and people of color from this narrative, questioning the criteria for artistic greatness and prompting a reevaluation of who gets to be considered a 'Great Artist'.

Takeaways

• 🎨 The concept of the 'Great Artist' originated in Renaissance Europe, where art was previously made collectively or anonymously.
• 🏛 Prior to the Renaissance, guilds were the primary art producers, valuing technical skill and craftsmanship rather than individual genius.
• 👨‍👧‍👦 The Medici family and other patrons began to fund artists independently, valuing art that expressed complex ideas and emotions, thus shaping the 'art vs. craft' debate.
• 📚 Giorgio Vasari's 'The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects' was an early art historical writing that biographically framed art and artists, emphasizing intellectual pursuit over physical labor.
• 👼 Vasari described great artists as having a 'nugget of genius', which contributed to the idea of the 'tortured artist' and the importance of divine inspiration in art creation.
• 🌿 Naturalism, with its use of light and shadow for realism, was favored for its scientific and philosophical depth, further differentiating art from mere craft.
• 🏫 Art academies, like the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in Paris, emerged with strict rules and high standards, emphasizing technique and the intellectual aspect of art.
• 👑 Academies reinforced the myth of the Great Artist by integrating technical skill with genius and promoting the idea that painting, especially history painting, was the highest form of art.
• 👩‍🎨 Despite women's exclusion from certain academic opportunities, such as studying anatomy or drawing male nudes, they still made significant contributions to art.
• 🤔 The script challenges the traditional narrative by questioning whether the criteria for 'greatness' in art are constructed by an elite few and whether they exclude diverse artists.
• 🌐 The myth of the Great Artist has had a global impact, but recognizing diverse perspectives can lead to a more comprehensive understanding of art and history.

Q & A

What is the traditional association of art with individual artists?

The traditional association of art with individual artists is that they are considered geniuses and are often singled out, elevated, and praised, which is a concept that can be traced back to Renaissance Europe.

How did the art production process change from medieval times to the Renaissance?

During medieval times, art was primarily produced by guilds, which functioned as training programs and emphasized technical skill and craftsmanship. In contrast, the Renaissance period saw wealthy patrons like the Medicis funding artists independently of the guilds, valuing art that expressed complex ideas and emotions.

What is the origin of the term 'masterpiece'?

The term 'masterpiece' originated from the guild system, where it referred to a work that demonstrated the artist’s skill had reached master level, signifying they had completed their training and were now a master within the guild.

Why did the Medici family begin to fund artists independently of the guilds?

The Medici family, as wealthy merchants and political leaders, began to fund artists independently of the guilds as a status symbol. Italy's prosperous economy due to its position along flourishing trade routes allowed them to bankroll the next Renaissance art superstar.

What was Giorgio Vasari's contribution to the concept of the 'Great Artist'?

Giorgio Vasari contributed to the concept of the 'Great Artist' through his book 'The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects,' where he described great artists as having a nugget of genius that sets them apart and suggested that learning about artists’ lives was important to understanding their art.

How did the rise of art academies in the 16th century influence the perception of art and artists?

Art academies, like the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in Paris, influenced the perception of art and artists by emphasizing technique and intellectual pursuit, incorporating the concept of skill into the myth of the Great Artist, and promoting the idea that painting, especially history painting, was the highest form of art.

What role did art academies play in shaping the criteria for 'greatness' in art?

Art academies played a significant role in shaping the criteria for 'greatness' in art by setting strict rules and high standards, promoting the idea that technical skill and intellectual pursuit were components of being a 'genius,' and by favoring certain subjects and styles over others.

Why were women often excluded from being considered 'Great Artists' during the academy era?

Women were often excluded from being considered 'Great Artists' because they faced numerous obstacles in art academies, such as not being allowed to study anatomy or draw male nudes, which were requirements for becoming a history painter and thus achieving the status of a Great Artist.

How did the painter Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun challenge the traditional narrative of the 'Great Artist'?

Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun challenged the traditional narrative of the 'Great Artist' by creating self-portraits that contained layers of hidden meaning and positioned herself as an accomplished and intellectual artist, despite the exclusionary practices of the time.

What is the significance of Kerry James Marshall's 'Untitled (Painter)' in the context of the 'Great Artist' myth?

Kerry James Marshall's 'Untitled (Painter)' is significant as it challenges the traditional 'Great Artist' myth by depicting a Black artist in the stereotypical 'artist' pose, questioning whether the criteria for 'greatness' were constructed based on the arbitrary rules of an elite few and highlighting the exclusion of traditionally marginalized artists from the canon.

What does the script suggest about the current state of the art world and the concept of 'greatness'?

The script suggests that the art world is evolving, with institutions like the Royal Academy of Arts recognizing artists like Kerry James Marshall as Honorary Royal Academicians. It implies that there is a growing awareness and effort to include traditionally excluded artists and to question the established criteria for 'greatness' in art.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 The Myth of the Great Artist and Its Origins

This paragraph delves into the historical concept of the 'Great Artist' and challenges the common perception that art is solely the product of individual geniuses. It traces the origin of this idea back to Renaissance Europe, contrasting it with the collective and anonymous art production of the Middle Ages. The script introduces Sarah Urist Green, the host of Crash Course Art History, and discusses how the guild system functioned as training programs for artists, with the term 'masterpiece' signifying an artist's mastery. The Medici family's patronage of independent artists and their emphasis on complex ideas and emotions in art marked a shift towards the 'art vs. craft' debate and the emergence of the 'Great Artist' narrative. The paragraph also highlights the influential role of Giorgio Vasari, who in his writings, posited that great artists possess a unique genius, setting the stage for the romanticized view of the artist as an intellectual and emotionally complex figure.

05:00

🏛 The Rise of Art Academies and the Shaping of Artistic Greatness

The second paragraph explores the significant transformation in the art industry during the 16th century, leading to the establishment of art academies like the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in Paris. These institutions, while similar to guilds in their strict rules and emphasis on technique, absorbed the concept of skill into the myth of the Great Artist, elevating technical proficiency as a component of genius. The academies promoted the idea that painting, especially history painting, was the highest form of art and reinforced the notion of artists as prominent intellectuals, typically white men of culture, wealth, and influence. The paragraph also discusses the exclusion of women from the category of Great Artist due to restrictions on their education and opportunities within the academies. However, it acknowledges the contributions of women artists like Artemisia Gentileschi and Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun, who defied these barriers and produced accomplished work. The discussion extends to the role of art in writing history and the making of 'greatness,' and it raises questions about the exclusion and erasure of certain artists from the historical narrative.

10:03

🌐 The Enduring Impact of the Great Artist Myth and the Quest for Inclusiveness

In the final paragraph, the discussion turns to the modern interpretation of 'greatness' in art and whether it allows for the inclusion of traditionally marginalized artists. The script mentions the election of Kerry James Marshall as an Honorary Royal Academician in 2023, suggesting a move towards recognizing a broader range of artists. It emphasizes the importance of understanding that the organization of art history around individual artists is not universal or timeless but rather a construct that originated in a specific time and place. The paragraph calls for a more inclusive and comprehensive understanding of art and history that acknowledges the diverse perspectives that have been omitted from the traditional narrative. It concludes with a teaser for the next episode, which will address the complexities of伟大的艺术家s who may not have been great people, and thanks the viewers for watching, highlighting the collaborative effort behind the production of Crash Course Art History.

Keywords

💡Great Artist

The term 'Great Artist' refers to individuals in art history who are celebrated for their exceptional talent and contributions to the field. In the script, the concept is explored as a construct that originated during the Renaissance in Europe, where certain artists began to be singled out and praised, setting them apart from their peers. The video questions the origin and perpetuation of this idea, suggesting that it may not be the only or necessarily the best way to appreciate art.

💡Renaissance Europe

Renaissance Europe represents a period of cultural, artistic, and intellectual revival that began in Italy during the 14th century and spread throughout Europe. The script discusses how this era marked a shift in the perception of artists, moving from collective and anonymous production to the elevation of individual artists as geniuses, which is where the idea of the 'Great Artist' began to take shape.

💡Guilds

Guilds were associations of artists, art-sellers, and craftspeople that existed during the medieval period. They functioned as training programs, where apprentices would learn and master their crafts by replicating the techniques of their predecessors. The script explains that art produced by guilds was often anonymous or collective, with the focus on the guild rather than the individual artist.

💡Masterpiece

A 'masterpiece' is a work of art that demonstrates the artist's skill has reached a master level. In the context of the script, the term originated from the guild system, where a masterpiece was a piece that signified an artist had achieved the status of a master within the guild, thus gaining the support and benefits associated with that rank.

💡Medici Family

The Medici family were wealthy merchants, bankers, and political leaders in Florence, Italy, during the Renaissance. The script highlights their role in the shift towards individual recognition of artists by funding and supporting artists outside of the guild system, turning the patronage of art into a status symbol and contributing to the rise of the 'Great Artist' myth.

💡Art vs. Craft Debate

The 'art vs. craft' debate emerged as a discussion about the value and definition of art, distinguishing between technical skill and the expression of complex ideas and emotions. The script explains that while guilds rewarded technical skill and craftsmanship, patrons like the Medicis valued the intellectual and emotional depth in art, which contributed to the evolving definition of a 'Great Artist'.

💡Giorgio Vasari

Giorgio Vasari was an Italian painter and architect, known for his biographical work 'The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects.' The script discusses how Vasari's writings contributed to the myth of the 'Great Artist' by suggesting that great artists possess a unique genius, differentiating them from ordinary people and framing art as an intellectual pursuit.

💡Art Academies

Art academies, such as the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in Paris, were institutions that emerged in the 16th century to train artists. The script describes these academies as having strict rules and high standards, emphasizing technique but also incorporating the concept of the 'Great Artist' by integrating skill with the idea of genius and intellectual pursuit.

💡Naturalism

Naturalism in art refers to a style that aims to depict subjects as they appear in everyday life, often using techniques like light and shadow to create a realistic and three-dimensional appearance. The script mentions that naturalism was favored by Vasari and others as it demonstrated a deeper understanding of the world, which was seen as a mark of a 'Great Artist'.

💡Self-Portrait

A self-portrait is a work of art where the artist depicts themselves. The script uses self-portraits as an example of how artists, particularly those from art academies, emphasized their status and intellectual pursuit, often including symbolic elements to assert their position as 'Great Artists'.

💡Exclusion of Women and Minorities

The script discusses the historical exclusion of women and other minorities from the category of 'Great Artist' due to societal and institutional barriers. For instance, women were often not allowed to study anatomy or draw male nudes, which were requirements for becoming a history painter. This exclusion raises questions about whether these artists were truly absent from greatness or were simply written out of the narrative.

Highlights

The concept of the Great Artist originated from Renaissance Europe, where art was previously made collectively or anonymously.

Medieval art was produced by guilds, which functioned as training programs and emphasized technical skill and craftsmanship.

The term 'masterpiece' comes from the guild system, indicating a work that demonstrated the artist had reached master level.

The Medici family began funding artists independently of guilds, leading to a shift in the perception of what constitutes a great artist.

Patrons like the Medicis valued art that expressed complex ideas and emotions, sparking the 'art vs. craft' debate.

Giorgio Vasari's writings suggested that great artists possessed a unique genius, differentiating them from ordinary people.

Vasari's work marked a shift towards biographical importance in understanding art and framing art as an intellectual pursuit.

The rise of naturalism in artistic style was linked to a deeper scientific and philosophical understanding of the world.

Art academies, like the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, emerged in the 16th century with strict rules and high standards.

Academies absorbed the concept of skill into the myth of the Great Artist, with technical skill becoming part of genius.

Academies promoted the idea that painting, especially history painting, was the highest form of art.

Artists were seen as prominent intellectuals, with self-portraits emphasizing their status, culture, wealth, and influence.

Women faced obstacles in art academies, such as not being allowed to study anatomy or draw male nudes, limiting their recognition as Great Artists.

Despite exclusions, women like Artemisia Gentileschi and Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun produced accomplished and intellectual work.

Evidence suggests women may have participated more in academies than previously thought, questioning whether they were excluded or written out of history.

Modern artists like Kerry James Marshall explore the myth of the Great Artist and question the construction of 'greatness'.

In 2023, the Royal Academy of Arts in London elected Marshall as an Honorary Royal Academician, reflecting a shift in recognizing diverse artists.

The qualities that made artists 'great' in Renaissance Italy do not encompass the global diversity of art production.

A broader recognition of perspectives enriches our understanding of art and history, moving beyond the myth of the Great Artist.

Transcripts

Michelangelo. Van Gogh. Picasso. Warhol. Dali.  Matisse. Da Vinci. Pollock. Rembrandt.

Carvaggio. Chagall. Maybe a Frida Kahlo in there.

Long before the current  celebrity-obsessed age of social media,

capital-G Great Artists have been  singled out, elevated, and praised.

We tend to associate art with individual  artists, who are considered geniuses.

But… is this really the  right way to think about it?

We can actually pinpoint very particular moments  in history where this way of thinking began.

What is the myth of the Great Artist?

Where does this idea come from,  and what, exactly, is “greatness”?

Hi! I'm Sarah Urist Green, and  this is Crash Course Art History.

[THEME MUSIC]

The idea of the Great Artist, and of art  history as a series of celebrity biographies,

comes from a specific time  and place: Renaissance Europe.

Before that, across the  world and throughout history,

a lot of art was made either  collectively or anonymously,

or at least without a lot of individual fanfare.

Take the Medieval bestseller “The Book  of Hours,” from 15th Century France.

The artist Enguerrand Quarton  produced many of its images,

and yet he’s not exactly a household name.

This is because medieval European  art was primarily produced by guilds,

or associations of artists,  art-sellers, and craftspeople.

So, say you’re a wealthy Venetian trader and you  

want to impress your friends  with your new silk tapestries,

you’d tell everyone the guild you got them from.

Not the individual artist.

Guilds functioned essentially  as intense training programs,

designed to turn apprentices into masters.

The formula was simple: you can become a  master by doing what the master before you did,

exactly how they did it, through  specific levels of accomplishment,

kind of like when you level up in a video game.

And that’s where we get the term masterpiece.

It was a work that demonstrated the  artist’s skill had reached master level.

You’d won the game, and now had all the  support and benefits of being in the guild.

But then, starting in the 1400s, guilds  were no longer the only game in town.

Enter the Medicis, a family  of wealthy merchants, bankers,

and political leaders in Florence,

who began to pay artists to do their  thing, independent of the guilds.

Thanks to its key position along flourishing  trade routes, Italy was flush with cash.

Bankrolling the next Renaissance art  superstar became a status symbol.

And the patrons that funded those artworks?

They had a whole different idea  of what made a great artist.

While guilds tended to reward  technical skill and craftsmanship,

the Medicis and other patrons thought  of painting and sculpture as valuable  

if they expressed complex ideas and emotions.

This was the beginning of  the “art vs. craft” debate.

Those in favor of art suggested  that technical skill wasn’t enough:

to them, works of craft didn’t have the  deeper meaning that makes something truly art.

In what’s considered one of the  earliest art historical writings —

“The Lives of the Most Excellent  Painters, Sculptors, and Architects” —

the author, Giorgio Vasari,

described great artists as having a nugget of  genius that sets them apart from ordinary people.

I like to think of it as a chicken  nugget of genius, personally.

We can track some pretty major shifts in  how art was thought about through this book.

First, it was biographical.

This suggested that learning about artists’ lives  was important to understanding the art they made.

Quite a difference from the guild model,

where you often wouldn’t have  even known the artist’s name.

On top of that, the book framed art as an  

intellectual pursuit and not  just a feat of physical labor.

Vasari wrote, “the true difficulties [of art]  lie rather in the mind than in the body.”

In other words: the era of  the tortured artist had begun.

Like, take this painting made by  none other than Vasari himself.

It shows St. Luke so engrossed in  painting the Virgin Mary and baby  

Jesus that they’ve actually  appeared in the room to help.

Mary seems to be offering  the artist direct guidance—

while also running some  kind of angel-baby daycare?

Anyway, the mixing of paints and such–the  physical labor–is relegated to the background,

and the moment of divine inspiration  at the easel–that mental labor–

is in the foreground, up front and in focus.

This coincided with a rise in interest  for the artistic style of naturalism,

which involved using light and shadow to make  bodies look realistic and three-dimensional.

Vasari and others felt this style showed a deeper  

scientific and philosophical  understanding of the world.

Those personal preferences affected  not only what kind of art they made,

but also which art and artists were written about,

and thus which artists were  read about and became popular.

Of course, we can’t pin all of this on Vasari.

These changes were kicked off by a major shift  in the way the art industry was structured,

a result of larger economic  and political developments.

Maybe singling out Vasari is  playing into the myth of the  

great originator of the myth of the Great Artist…

whoa, this is getting intense, y’all.

In any case, around the 16th century,

a new type of institution cropped up  to train young artists: art academies.

The most influential one, the Royal  Academy of Painting and Sculpture,

was in Paris, founded in 1648  by King Louis the Fourteenth.

And art academies weren’t as  freewheeling as independent patrons.

They were actually…kind of a lot like guilds,  even as they took power away from them.

There were strict rules, high  standards, and an emphasis on technique.

But, academies took the art side  of ye olde art vs. craft debate.

They basically absorbed the concept of  skill into the myth of the Great Artist.

Being technically skilled became  a component of being a “genius.”

And the academies had a bunch of new takes.

Take number 1: the King is amazing, we love him.

Nevermind the fact that we were founded  by the King and that love is mandatory.

Take number 2: Painting is the highest  form of art, especially history painting,

which told stories from the  Bible and the ancient past,

or otherwise emphasized  Moral Values of “Great Men”.

This was way more important than mere  landscapes or still lifes or – worst of all –

regular people doing regular things.

Take number 3: Artists are  prominent intellectuals –

people, specifically white men,  of culture, wealth, and influence.

Their self-portraits emphasized this  status, complete with dramatic lighting,

wistful gazes, furrowed brows, and serious stares.

And you better throw some paintbrushes or a  

canvas in there so there’s no  doubt they’re a great artist.

Many art academies did admit women,

but there were many obstacles  to rising through the ranks.

Most notably, women weren’t allowed  to study anatomy or draw male nudes —

which was required to become a history painter.

This all but locked women out  of the category of Great Artist.

But, that doesn’t mean there weren’t  women making great art at the time.

Like, the painter Artemisia Gentileschi,

whose self-portrait shows her as the  very personification of painting.

And she wasn’t the only one.

Let’s go to the drawing board.

Women who did make their way into the  art world showed they could absolutely  

produce work just as accomplished  and intellectual as the next guy’s.

Take this painting by Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun.

It’s in the style of the  self-portraits we saw earlier,

only this one contains layers of hidden meaning.

Vigée-Le Brun climbed the  ladder of artistic success

to eventually become French monarch  Marie Antoinette’s preferred artist.

When the French Revolution broke out, and things  started to get all “Off with their heads!,”

she wisely split for Rome.

And while there, she made this portrait  of herself painting Marie Antoinette.

The artist’s shadow on the  canvas is a reference to the  

ancient Greek myth about the origins of artmaking.

So the story goes, one night,

the daughter of a Corinthian  potter took a piece of charcoal  

and outlined the shadow of her lover on the wall.

He was about to embark on a long journey,

and she wanted to preserve  his image in her memory.

The tale is often regarded as a  mythic origin story of drawing.

The painting positions Vigée Le Brun  as decisively in the artistic canon,

stretching back to the ancients.

But it also reflects how art serves a key role in  

the writing of history and  the making of “greatness.”

In recent years, evidence has emerged that  

suggests women may have participated  in academies more than we realized.

Which really begs the question:

were women excluded from being great artists,  or just written out – and written off?

Centuries later, artists continue to  explore the myth of the Great Artist,

and how it shapes culture.

Like, here’s Kerry James Marshall’s  “Untitled (Painter),” from 2009,

which depicts a Black artist  in front of her easel,

in the same pose made  popular by the art academies.

At first it seems like she’s painting  herself into the canon thing.

But a closer look at the canvas reveals  that she's using a “paint-by-numbers” kit.

Marshall’s work makes me wonder  

whether the artworks that made someone “great”  weren’t born of some “nugget of genius,”

but were instead constructed based on  the arbitrary rules of an elite few,

like a paint-by-numbers kit for turning  someone into a capital-G Great Artist.

Marshall’s picture also makes me think  about why I’ve never seen a Black woman,

or a Black man like Marshall himself, painted  in this stereotypical “artist” pose before.

Did they exist, or were they like  others written out of history?

And what about now?

Is there a formula for modern “greatness”?

And does it allow for  traditionally excluded artists?

Those are some of the questions we  hope to answer in future episodes.

But for now, I can tell you this,

in 2023, the Royal Academy of Arts in  London – yes one of those academies –

elected Marshall as an Honorary Royal Academician.

While the field of art history has tended  to be organized around individual artists,

it’s important to remember it  hasn’t always been that way,  

and that doesn’t reflect the way  art is made everywhere in the world.

The myth of the great artist started in  a particular time and a particular place.

And that had impacts worldwide  — ones that continue today.

But the qualities that made artists “great” in  Renaissance Italy don’t tell the whole story.

The more we recognize the perspectives  that have been left out of the story,

the fuller and more complex our  understanding of art, and history, becomes.

Next time, we’ll talk about what to do when  great artists are… not-so-great people.

I’ll see you then!

Thanks for watching this episode of Crash  Course Art History which was filmed at the  

Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields and was  made with the help of all these ingenious people.

If you want to help keep Crash  Course free for everyone,  

forever, you can join our community on Patreon.