This sketch, from Leonardo Da Vinci's sketchbook, is of a device called an Ornithopter. It is believed that the helicopter may have been created based on Da Vinci's Ornithopter. One of the big themes of the Renaissance was the study of the human body, and the anatomy of animals. By examining the bone structure of bats, Da Vinci formulated his idea for numerous flying machines. Since many people were patronages of the arts, Da Vinci could keep coming up with things and expect a decent income the whole time. This Ornithopter, if successful, could have been very beneficial to the economy, which is yet another reason to make designs like this. Da Vinci was a perfect example of the Renaissance man (L'uomo Universale) since he was gifted in so many fields. Da Vinci explained that the device would work; a small model can be made of paper with a spring like metal shaft that after having been released, after having been twisted, causes the screw to spin up into the air.
5/16/10
Leonardo Da Vinci's Ornithopter
This sketch, from Leonardo Da Vinci's sketchbook, is of a device called an Ornithopter. It is believed that the helicopter may have been created based on Da Vinci's Ornithopter. One of the big themes of the Renaissance was the study of the human body, and the anatomy of animals. By examining the bone structure of bats, Da Vinci formulated his idea for numerous flying machines. Since many people were patronages of the arts, Da Vinci could keep coming up with things and expect a decent income the whole time. This Ornithopter, if successful, could have been very beneficial to the economy, which is yet another reason to make designs like this. Da Vinci was a perfect example of the Renaissance man (L'uomo Universale) since he was gifted in so many fields. Da Vinci explained that the device would work; a small model can be made of paper with a spring like metal shaft that after having been released, after having been twisted, causes the screw to spin up into the air.
Rain, Steam and Speed The Great Western Railway
This painting by Turner is a wonderful example of romantic art. Turner was a huge fan of modern things such as trains, and industrialization as a whole. The engine in this painting is the Fire Fly Class, the most advanced engine of the time. It is clear that Turner wanted to make the painting as relevant as possible, and including an advanced engine did just that. The three puffs of smoke show the direction that the train is going, and there is a rabbit somewhere in the painting that is somehow relevant to the direction of the train. The rabbit might signify nature being destroyed due to the industrial revolution, but I'm really not that sure.
Leonard Aitken's Mecha
This painting by Leonard Aitken is a futuristic metropolis. This painting is quite a leap forward from the other paintings, which showed things perhaps more achievable than this one. You can see the difference in futuristic scope over time between the paintings. Da Vinci thought his Orthinopter was achievable, Turner admired the Futuristic Fire Fly engine, and Aitken is simply looking further ahead. This surrealist artist chose to paint his version of the future, which turned out quite nice. One thing that Aitken could do that Turner or Da Vinci could not do, would be paint for fun. Turner and Da Vinci made their livings off of their paintings and various works of art, whereas Aitken was able to start painting halfway into life. This shows a change economically, thus proving that art is the result of a relationship between an artist and his time. If Da Vinci didn't get paid for most of his works of art, odds are he would've stopped working. It's the same thing for Turner. Luckily enough for Aitken, however, he can work at his own leisure.
Atmosphere Emitters by Brajan Martinovic
This picture, titled "Atmosphere Emitters" Is a very good example of modern digital art. Not only is it futuristic, it is also very well put together. When commenting about his art, Martinovic simply said "I was entering a competition, so I thought I'd put this together really quickly." One thing that is really nice about this picture is the concept behind it. Atmosphere emitters just sound cool. This painting, similar to Mecha in the way that it is far in the future, may be a warning or a solution to global warming. This piece of art is perfect for proving that art is social, because Martinovic wouldn't have done this had global warming not been a major debate topic for several years. Just like Da Vinci wanted to solve the problem of human flight, Martinovic suggests an alternate way to keep our atmosphere safe.
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