Search Results

Cassoni in America: An Investigation of Three Major Themes
This study is an investigation of the subject matter of eighty Italian cassone paintings of the fifteenth century now located in the United States and answers a four-part question: (1) What were the major themes pictured on cassoni panels during the Quattrocento? (2) Were the themes of cassoni in Quattrocento Italy predominantly of a religious or secular nature? (3) If secular subject matter was dominant in cassone painting, was this a reflection of the newly founded tastes of aristocratic, wealthy and middle classes? (4) Did cassoni mirror the way these classes viewed themselves and the place occupied by women in society?
The Design and Function of the Interior Space of the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center of Dallas, 1980-1989
This thesis investigates how the interior of the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center of Dallas accommodates the three groups which use the space: the patron, the musicians, and the administration. Following the Draft Brief of 1981 prepared by the Dallas Symphony Association's Concert Hall Building Committee, each area is discussed as to what was actually built and what concerns were met. The primary data were the symphony center and interviews with I.M. Pei, architect; Russell Johnson, acoustician of the concert hall; Charles Young, associate of Pei, Cobb, Freed & Associates, interior architect of the concert hall; Carolyn Miller, Trisha Wilson & Associates, designer of the Green Room, Richard Trimble, designer of the musicians' areas, and Joe Pereira, designer of the Administrative area.
Nineteenth Century Light and Color Theory: Rainbow Science in the Art of Frederic Edwin Church
The purpose of this study was to investigate the depiction of rainbows in the art of Frederic Church in relation to mid-nineteenth century scientific developments in order to determine Church's reliance on contemporary concerns with light and color. An examination of four Church paintings with rainbows, three oil sketches, and nearly a dozen pencil drawings shows that Church's rainbow art represents a response to mid-century cultural values connecting science and art. Changes within Church's rainbow depictions occurred as the artist explored the visual representations of light, synthesizing the scientific knowledge of light and color available to him, and reconciling that information with the requirements of art.
The Visual Arts Philosophy of Roman Catholicism as Manifested in the Works of Four Commissioned Artists Completed for the 1987 Sanctuary of St. Rita's Catholic Church
This thesis investigates how the visual arts philosophy promulgated in the 1960s by the Second Vatican Council of Roman Catholic Churches is manifested by commissioned artists for a particular parish. The primary data were the new sanctuary and the artworks, which include stained glass by Lyle Novinski, a carved-glass Marian Shrine by Claire Wing, bronze Stations of the Cross by Heri Bartscht, and wooden medallions depicting two saints carved by Don Schol. This paper reviews pertinent ecclesiastical doctrines along with interpretational publications, physically and iconographically describes the sanctuary and artwork, and considers aspects of the relationship between patron churches and the artists they commission.
Edward Larrabee Barnes's Dallas Museum of Art: An Architectural Development Study
This study examines the development of Edward Larrabee Barnes's design concepts for the Dallas Museum of Art, from preliminary concepts and program statements by Director Harry Parker and Dallas Museum trustees, through initial planning and architect selection, to site selection, the Program and Space Study, Barnes's early conceptual plans, and his Dallas Arts District master planning. Influences on Barnes's work and his career development leading to the Dallas commission, his most ambitious museum to date, are examined. Discussion and documentation of design development is based on schematic studies, presentation drawings, models, and trustees' minutes. Design changes during construction and all phases of expansion planning are also discussed. The conclusion summarizes historical influences on the design and Barnes's fulfillment of program concepts.
Five Buildings in the Dallas Central Business District by I.M. Pei and Partner Henry N. Cobb: A Stamp on the City's Direction
The purpose of this study is to examine I. M. Pei and his partner Harry Cobb's downtown Dallas architecture within the context of their overall stylistic development. This paper explores the structure of five buildings within the framework of the city, and addresses their possible influence on the city's future architectural direction. The thesis is divided into six chapters. Chapter I introduces and states the problem as it discusses the fabric of Dallas architecture. Chapter II outlines a brief biography of I. M. Pei, looking to those who have influenced him, while discussing the key public buildings of his stylistic development. Chapter III is devoted to Pei's first structure in the city, the Dallas Municipal Administration Center. Chapter IV explores the concepts of his planned Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. Chapter V outlines a brief biography and focuses on the work of Harry N. Cobb: One Dallas Centre, ARCO Tower, and the Allied Bank Tower. Chapter VI summarizes the contributions of Pei and Cobb by placing them within the context of twentieth century architecture, and pointing out their specific achievements with their additions to the fabric of Dallas architecture.
"Designing with Light": Carlotta Corpron and the New Bauhaus
A major figure to emerge in the history of American photography is Carlotta Corpron (1901-1987), who taught art at Texas Woman's University in Denton, Texas from 1935-1968. The rediscovery of her abstract images created during the 1940s reflects the growing recognition of the experimental photography at the New Bauhaus in Chicago from 1937-1946. Corpron's abstract photographs were stimulated by her interaction with Lazlo Moholy-Nagy and Gyorgy Kepes. Corpron was an innovator in the development of abstract photography in the United States. This thesis connects her work to that of Moholy-Nagy and Gyorgy Kepes as well as other major figures in American photography of the twentieth century.
The Patsy and Raymond Nasher Collection of Twentieth-Century Sculpture, 1967 to 1987
Over a period of two decades, Raymond D. Nasher, a Dallas-based real estate developer, and his late wife Patsy amassed a collection of significant modern sculptures. For years, pieces from the private collection--numbering over 300 as of 1990--were on display in various museums and civic institutions, and they were installed on a rotating basis at Northpark Center, a Dallas shopping mall developed by Nasher. Since the 1987 Dallas Museum of Art exhibition, the collection has been shown in several major international museums. This study documents the formative period of the collection, the Nashers' collecting and exhibiting philosophies, and four early exhibitions of the sculptures. It includes a chronology of the Nashers and major acquisitions of sculpture.
The Religious and Political Reasons for the Changes in Anglican Vestments Between the Seventeenth and Nineteenth Centuries
This study investigates the liturgical attire of the Church of England from the seventeenth through the nineteenth century, by studying the major Anglican vestments, observing modifications and omissions in the garments and their uses, and researching the reasons for any changes. Using the various Anglican Prayer Books and the monarchial time periods as a guide, the progressive usages and styles of English liturgical attire are traced chronologically within the political, social and religious environments of each era. By examining extant originals in England, artistic representations, and ancient documentation, this thesis presents the religious symbolism, as well as the artistic and historical importance, of vestments within the Church of England from its foundation to the twentieth century.
The Kimbell Art Museum Building from Concept to Completion
The problem of this thesis is to determine the evolution of the architectural design of the Kimbell Art Museum building from its origin as a concept to its realization in the completed structure. This study has two objectives.The first is to discover the process by which the physical museum building cam into being. The second is to trace the conceptual evolution of the Kimbell Art Museum building. This problem has three parts, each of which has been made the subject of a chapter. The first, "Concept Development," sets forth the pre-design concepts of the founder, the director, and the architect. The second, "Design Development," establishes a chronological sequence of architectural design presentations. The third, the "Conclusion," compares the pre-design concepts to the finished building.
Arkansas Courthouses: Architectural Style and Tradition
This study examines the county courthouses of Arkansas with the purpose of discovering certain qualities which they possess as architecture. Stylistic influences are identified, as are influential architects, periods of building activity, and characteristics of age and condition. An historical overview provides information concerning nationwide trends in public architecture over the last century, allowing observations as to the effects which national and regional tastes had on Arkansas' county courthouse builders. It is concluded that Arkansas' county courthouses reflect, to some extent, the stylistic preferences and backwardness of southern and rural courthouses, respectively. The Georgian Revival is identified as the most popular style for courthouses still in use, although the most active building period is found to be the 1930s, when WPA design specifications dominated Arkansas courthouse architecture.
A Survey and Analysis of the Relationship and Approach of Texas Museums to Contemporary Art
The problem of this survey is to ascertain the relationship between nine Texas art museums and contemporary art, defined for this study as art of the 1970s. The role of the museum and its involvement with contemporary art are also perceived in respect to the general public. The purpose of this study was (1) to visit nine Texas art museums and interview the director or curator of contemporary art, using a standardized questionnaire, and (2) to present and analyze the responses to the questionnaire. The eight questions comprising the survey were formulated to include both practical and philosophical related concerns. Therefore, the survey responses and final conclusions reflect a variety of issues ranging from the physical accommodation of diverse contemporary works to the more fundamental philosophical issue concerned with contemporary art's presence in the museum and the institution's function.
Edvard Munch's Fatal Women: A Critical Approach
This study is the first comprehensive analysis of the fatal woman motif in the writings and art of Edvard Munch from the early 1890s to 1909. It uses a background of the women in the artist's life as well as the literary and artistic worlds in which Munch participated. Following separate accounts of Munch's relationships with five women, the manner in which the artist characterizes each as a fatal woman in his writings and art is discussed and analyzed. Next, the study describes the fatal woman motif in late nineteenth century art and literature. It begins with a discussion of the origin of the Symbolist and Decadent Movements and an ideological examination of the fatal woman motif as it is manifested in the writing and art of these two groups. In addition, it compares Munch's visual manifestations of the femme fatale with the manner in which the artist's contemporaries depicted her. Finally, this study describes two groups of men with whom Munch was particularly close: the Christiania Bohéme and the Schwarzen Ferkel Circle. An examination of the literary works of these men helps to determine the way in which they affected Munch's pictorial perception of the fatal woman.
Aldo Rossi: From Modern to Post-Modern Architecture, 1960-1990
The purpose of this thesis is to discuss the stylistic development of the Italian architect Aldo Rossi from Modern to Post-Modern design. A summary of the Modern architectural movement is presented along with an analysis of the developments in Post-Modern architecture since 1960. The influence of Italian culture on Rossi's career is discussed through a brief survey of Ancient Roman archetypal motifs and Italian architecture of the early 20th century. Several key buildings proposed or constructed by Rossi from 1960-1990 are discussed based on his concepts of analogy, typology, morphology and rationalism.
Printmaking from 1400 to 1700 with a Catalogue of the Print Collection at the Dallas Museum of Art
Because the Dallas Museum of Art has not compiled a catalogue of its graphic collection, the researcher has written a comprehensive catalogue of the museum's prints in conjunction with a history of printmaking from 1400 to 1700. The sources of data include observation of the prints plus catalogue raisonnés of major printmakers, and books and articles on printmaking. The thesis is organized as follows: a history of printmaking, which is divided into three chapters, Woodcut, Engraving, and Etching, and a catalogue which cites the pertinent data on each print. Gaps in the collection and recommendations for future acquisitions are discussed in the preface to the catalogue.
Marcel Duchamp's The Large Glass as "Negation of Women"
The purpose of this study was to determine whether The Large Glass was a negation of women for Marcel Duchamp. The thesis is composed of five chapters. Chapter I is the introduction to the thesis. CHapter II includes a synopsis of the major interpretations of The Large Glass. Duchamp's statements in regard to The Large Glass are also included in Chapter II. Chapter III explains how The Large Glass works through the use of Duchamp's notes. Chapter IV investigates Duchamp's negation of women statement in several ways. His personal relationships with relatives including his wives and other women, and his early paintings of women were examined. His idea of indifference was seen within the context of the Dandy and his alter ego, Rrose Selavy as a Femme Fatale. His machine paintings are also seen as a part of his idea of detachment and negation of women. Detachment as an intellectual pursuit was probed with his life-long interest in chess. The Large Glass was then seen as not only showing inconographically a negation of women but also as being an intrinsic component of his life and his work.
Nineteenth Century English Fresco
The problem of this investigation is determining the artists, places, dates, subjects, and types of frescoes done in nineteenth century England. Through research in nineteenth and twentieth century materials, this information was disclosed. Included in this paper are discussions of the artists, chronology, the fresco projects, stylistic considerations, reasons fro using fresco, and fresco's relevance to the subjects of the paintings. The differences in the technical aspects of fresco and its adaptations are explored. Included in this paper are discussions of the artists, chronology, the fresco projects, stylistic considerations, reasons for using fresco, and fresco's relevance to the subjects of the paintings. It is concluded that the fresco revival was a part of the prevalent Romantic mood of the period and a wish to make England an important nation in the art world's eyes. The revival, however, failed. Its fresco scenes crumbled off the walls that supported them.
The Chinese Tea Trade and Its Influence on the English Garden of the Eighteenth Century
The problem discusses the influence that tea trade between England and China may have had on eighteenth-century English garden architecture and aesthetics. Five chapters include an historical overview of non-Oriental influences on the garden, the relationship between Britain and China, the evolution of the tea trade, the motifs and decoration of tea wares, and a summary with conclusions. Conclusions reached were that tea was responsible for importation of porcelains in Britain, architectural structures in the garden were inspired by scenes on tea wares, predilection for Chinese motifs in the minds of the English may have resulted from their drinking tea, and it seems probable that affected garden aesthetics but there is no conclusive evidence.
Back to Top of Screen