Emerald’s Blog

Edo People,  Iyoba Pendant Mask ,  16th c., ivory, iron, copper  The Queen Mother Pendant Mask ( Iyoda ) was sculpted the early 16 th  century by the Edo people off the coast Benin in Nigeria. It is a depiction of the Queen Mother Idia created for her son in her honor. She was known for fighting merciless to secure her son lineage  as he was to be the future king .  It is said that Oba would have worn the mask on his chest during ceremonies to commemorate his mother. It is  apparent  that family especially the mother plays a significant role in these people's lineage. If the first born is a son, the Queen Mother will not have any other children and just focus on her son.    This is an  incredible intricate   piece that is made of ivory ,  copper,  and...

Portrait of Sin Sukju  (detail), second half of the 15th century, hanging scroll, ink and color on silk, 167 x 109.5 cm, Goryeong Sin Family Collection, Cheongwon, Treasure no. 613. Albrecht Dürer,  Self-portrait , 1500, 67.1 x 48.9cm (Alte Pinakothek, Munich) Portrait of Sin Sukju  (detail), second half of the 15th century, hanging scroll, ink and color on silk, 167 x 109.5 cm, Goryeong Sin Family Collection, Cheongwon, Treasure no. 613 When looking at both of these portraits one can get lost in the detailing, both artist took great pride in capturing important features of each of their subjects. Unlike Albrecht Dürer’s piece the Portrait of Sin Sukju is not a self portrait.  In fact during the time of the Joseon Dynasty the portraits were commissioned to honor the subjects in both life and death and was seen as a tremendous award to both artist and subject. The Royal court had a special bureau dedicated to artists who were elected to paint portraits of honored subj...

Judith Leyster,  Self-Portrait ,  c. 1633, oil on canvas Diego Velázquez,  Juan de Pareja , 1650, oil on canvas When comparing Judith Leystere’s Self-Portrait and Diego Velázquez’s Juan de Pareja one can see the obvious similarities like they both are oil paintings, and they both occur around the same time period. Another similarity that is not so obvious, is that of the subjects, they were both considered minorities, one is a black slave and one is a female artist. However, there are quite a few differences that stand out also. For instance, the colors in Leystere’s portrait are brighter and vibrant, making them stand out, as well as, bring a lighter feel to her piece. Velázquez’s piece has darker colors that brings more of a murky feel to it. Leystere’s piece is self-portrait, which showcases the fact that she is an artist, she herself is painting a portrait in the portrait. In Velázquez’s painting he painted a portrait of his assistant, Juan de Pareja who was also a sl...