Art History Final Exam

Andy Warhol Gold Marilyn Monroe 1962. Silkscreen ink on synthetic polymer paint on canvas. MOMA

POP ART. Fascinated with mass media figures Compares Marilyn to religious imagery Celebrity culture is similar to religious following another use of SILKSCREEN not a conventional portrait of Monroe but a version of a mass produced image of her the impersonal image reps her as a commodity of the film industry she commit suicide-presents the real her-a depressed person technique: placed her face on with silkscreen then surrounded it with a field of broadly brushed gold paint-puts her sympathetically in a gold realm-heavenly, usually for icons-she was an icon style: imitates the sloppy, gritty look and feel of color newspaper reproductions of the time textureless, detailless, unnaturalistic,

Paul Cézanne. Still Life with Apples in a Bowl. 1879-83

Post-impressionism. monumentality. BALANCE of apples on bowl with those on dish, balance of folds on white cloth w/ wallpaper's leaf motif framed by edges of table each apple has powerful presence-SLABLIKE BRUSHSTROKES, FORM IN DISTINCT LINE, illusionistic folds of cloth Sharp angles-applied to apples, fabric, and even wallpaper Not interested anymore in creating perfect impression of apple Three-dimensionality CONFUSES SENSES-pattern of wallpaper Interested in ABSTRACT NERVOUS ENERGY and ETHEREAL FLATNESS-chunky, flat brushstrokes, strange folds of cloth, dishes, tabletop tilts forward and up instead of moving back in space, PAINTING IS ABSTRACT-FIRST AND FOREMOST ABOUT PUTTING LINE AND COLOR ON PAPER

Symbolism

By the late nineteenth century, REPRESENTATIONS OF NATURE BECAME HIGHLY SUBJECTIVE FANTASY WORLDS beyond the scope of the natural world became subjects of paintings Artworks were often artists' free interpretations of the world and human experiences Fantasy and imagination provided artists with subjects that went beyond reality and were often MYSTERIOUS, EXOTIC, AND SENSUOUS Main artists: Gustave Moreau, Odilon Redon, Édouard Vuillard, and Henri Rousseau Believed that painting was foremost an ensemble of LINES AND COLORS, and that the way the artist arranged these showed his subjectivity and individuality Symbolism shares certain features: FORMAL FEATURES: FLATNESS, DECORATIVENESS, AND ABSTRACTION ICONOGRAPHIC FEATURES: A CONCERN WITH DREAMS, VISIONS, AND THE SPIRITUAL IDEOLOGICAL FEATURES: AVOIDANCE OF CONTRADICTION, DISDAIN FOR HISTORY, FLIGHT FROM MODERNITY

Fauvism, Cubism, German Expressionism, Italian Futurism 1904-19__

FAUVISM Short-lived but very important stylistic period; term coined from the French word "fauve," which means "wild animal" SIMPLIFIED FORMS AND SHOCKING CONTRASTS OF COLOR used to convey and also EVOKE EMOTION COLOR USED FOR EXPRESSION AND STRUCTURE (vs. Van Gogh etc., who used color primarily for expression) GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM used clashing colors, disquieting figures, and perspectival distortions Visceral, confrontational nature of forms Turn to national forms in art, for instance woodcuts CUBISM Picasso and Braque challenged artistic traditions with Cubism REJECTION OF FORMS FOUND IN NATURE; ADOPTION OF ABSTRACTED FORMS LIBERATION OF COLOR AND LINE FROM ILLUSIONISTIC ROLES is an important step in the development of modern art Dissected forms Picasso Constant innovation during a prolific career Influenced by Iberian art; interest in Primitivism Cubist phase represents a drastically new means of depicting forms in space Forms are no longer continuous volumes; they become fractured and characterized by jagged planes with harsh outlines and are often hard to differentiate in essence from the background Placed fragmented forms in interaction with the space around them I phase: ANALYTIC CUBISM (painting only) II phase: SYNTHETIC CUBISM (collages and constructions enter into the realm of high art) FUTURISM Admiration of war, speed, violent movement Poetry of machinery and technology, detest of the past

Jean-François Millet, The Sower, ca. 1850, oil on canvas, 101.6 x 82.6. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

FRENCH REALISM. Depictions of peasants was his specialty. inspired by Rembrandt, baroque-CHIAROSCURO, laborer in murky shadow, blends with soil gritty, coarse paint Made on heels of the French Rev of 1848. His pictures were read politically. Diff from salon art b/c poor worker, tattered clothing, grueling work. Keeping in mind the Rev, and the Bourgousie, these large, shadowy, dynamic figures were MENACING and NOBLE his gesture is dramatic and sweeping, his body contoured Shows that Millet is a realist in his choice of subject, but a romantic in sensibility, poetry and mood of his pics

Auguste Renoir. Luncheon of the Boating Party. 1881

Impressionism. genre painting. content: lunch party set at popular French restaurant on a river, signs of MODERNITY-commercial barge, train bridge, mostly URBAN types of people-each one with own identity and societal place-signified by clothing and hats, style: colorful, sun-drenched scene of suburban LEISURE, relaxed, sensual-food on table, LUSH BRUSHWORK OF TABLECLOTH. has MOMENTARY QUALITY OF REALISM-flickering brushwork, asymmetrical comp, style shows end of impressionism-began to care about modeling figures and objects, contours

Rococo reign of Louis XV (1715 - 1774)

The word may derive from the French rocaille which describes the embellishment of grottoes and fountains, and by implication suggests whimsical decoration. Hedonism, enervation Exotic ornaments and objects Fantasy Pastel light tender colors Asymmetry, strange proportions Languish, sentimentality, gracefulness, charm Theatricality

Damien Hirst, The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, 1991, Tiger shark, glass, steel, 5% formaldehyde solution, 213 x 518 x 213 cm

POSTMODERNISM. outrageous imagery and subject matter dead shark floating in tank of formaldehyde DEATH confronting you NATURAL SUBLIME

John Everett Millais. Ophelia. circa 1851, oil on canvas. Tate Britain, London

PRE-RAPHAELITE ENGLAND. So, this rejected the typical Realism standards of unidealized, realistic depictions. Instead wanted to rep pretty, historical subjects-OPHELIA FROM HAMLET. lavish detail. Violets around neck symbolize faithfulness and death. He got a real sitter and dress to paint this realistically, although beautified

Manet, Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe (Luncheon on the Grass), 1863

Early french impressionism/modernism. subject/content: Shows 2 couples picnicking, scandalous b/c naked woman with two not well-dressed men, she is obs a prostitute, and scantilly dressed woman in background-even though these elements echoed earlier well-known works comp/style: Not liked critically b/c lack of decorum, seemingly deliberate artificiality of figures-looked posed-saying we cannot live in the past, NEED TO FIND INSPIRATION IN THE MODERN WORLD, his style made them think he was an incompetent sensationalist-no modeling, no convincing space, 2D, everthing hovered in space, looked unfinished, lush, oily, thick brushwork, STYLISTIC CHOICES BEGAN MODERNIST TRADITION OF EMPHASIZING ABSTRACT QUALITIES and going against academic traditions themes/history: CONDEMNATION OF BOURGEOIS VALUES, ART SHOULD BE ABOUT THE MODERN WORLD, another representation of artist as FLANEUR, rejected by the Salon and instead exhibited in Salon des Refuses, contemporary scene based on historical sources

Parmigianino. The Madonna with the Long Neck. ca. 1535

LATE REN/MANNERIST. NEW IDEAL OF BEAUTY-LONG, ELEGANT, SENSUOUS FORMS, NOT ACCURATELY PROPORTIONED, SMOOTH SKIN NOT VERY NATURALISTIC-EXAGGERATED FEATURES SLIGHTLY ECHOING MICH'S PIETA IN DISPLAY BUT DIFFERENT-THEIR POSITION IS PROBS FORESHADOWING HIS DEATH BABY TOO BIG COLUMN REPS IDEA OF CONNECTING HUMANITY TO HEAVEN MANNERISM-ART REPPING OTHER ART, SHOWING OFF SKILL, COMPLICATING COMPARE TO LA BELLE JARDINIERE-HERE MARY IS HAUGHTY NOT SWEET, ALSO LESS STABLE COMPOSITION, COMPRESSED SPACE

Michelangelo. The Last Judgment. 1534-41

Late Ren Italy. Depicts 2nd coming of Christ-Last Judgement replaces physical torments w/ spiritual agony-CONTORTIONS OF BODY, TURBULENT ATMOSPHERE angels sound trumpets as Christ sits in middle of action-CHRIST MUSCULAR AND JUDGING-as shown by his arms so many contorted figures-EVERYONE EXTREMELY MUSCULAR figures also nude-EXPRESSING MICH'S BELIEF IN THE SANCTITY OF THE HUMAN BODY LINKED TO MANNERIST STYLE-BRILLIANT COLORS, COMPRESSED SPACE, DRAMATIC COMPOSITION MICH DEPICTS HIMSELF ST BARTHOLOMEW HOLDING HID FLAYED SKIN-GRIM SELF-PORTRAIT AT END OF HIS LIFE SAINTS AND MADONNA ALSO IN THERE

Gustave Courbet. The Painter's Studio: A Real Allegory Summing Up Seven Years of My Artistic Life. 1855

REALISM. Organized into parts Courbet depicts himself in middle occupied painting a landscape He kinda merges with the landscape he's painting Idea of artist losing himself in his art The little boy intently looks at him Difference between two sides: On right- is poet immersed in his reading, and friends of Courbet, a couple that are collectors of art-Courbet's work On left-lots of revolutionary figures, CENTRAL FIGURE AND MODERN FIGURE OF MELANCHOLY IS THE IRISH BEGGAR WOMAN The nude figure is probs a muse Women probs have allegorical meanings Little boy probs reps spirit of art Again really scandalous Left unfinished-intended to depict some works on the wall

Marcel Duchamp. Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2. ,1912

CUBISM/cubo-futurism The focal point of media and critic attention during the Armory show in New York content: began as an illustration for a poem that described a figure ascending a stairway to the stars he changed it to a nude figure, MECHANICAL-LOOKING, and grandly descending staircase he paints the title on front of the work-emphasizing how WORDS BECOME AN INTEGRAL PART OF AN ARTWORK important move on the EXPLORATION OF THE ESSENCE OF ART inseparability not only of artwork and title, but of VISUAL and LINGUISTIC experience style: sequential movement of nude,

Umberto Boccioni. The City Rises, 1910

ITALIAN FUTURISM. background: Italian futurism-advocated revolution aimed at ushering in a new, MORE ENLIGHTENED ERA Examination of motion in time and space in order to capture the DYNAMIC QUALITY OF MODERN LIFE content: style:VIOLENT movement, STRENGTH, virility, masculinity Influence of BRIGHT COLORS AND LIGHT on human perception

Pablo Picasso. Guitar, Sheet Music, and Wine Glass. 1912

SYNTHETIC CUBISM. background: Picasso and Braque began working in collage. Earliest known example of synthetic cubism changed the way Picasso and Braque made their images-instead of abstracting/breaking down, they were building it up synthetically content: art now occurred on surface of canvas-not within music is abstract like art so it became a popular theme built in background of wallpaper-visual pun about illusion and reality the newspaper piece references war going on at that time and playful rivalry between him and Braque style: collage-flat objects, usually paper, pasted onto canvas, constructed out of large, flat shapes, which meant could use variety of colors and textures also puns with SOLID FORMS AND INTANGIBLE SPACE-guitar hole should be negative space but is solid piece of paper contrasts w/ analytic cubism of wine glass

Jackson Pollock Autumn Rhythm (Number 30) 1950 Metropolitan Museum of Art

ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM-Action/gesture Painting-dynamic art process coinciding with the human condition and artist's feelings wall of house paint applied by dripping, hurling, pouring, and splattering despite apparent looseness of his style, he had GREAT CONTROL BY CHANGING PAINTING/BRUSHWORK TECHNIQUES-size, speed, direction OVERWHELMING FROZEN WAVE OF ENERGY EVEN STRESSES that our eyes jump to make it an ALLOVER PAINTING he constructed as he went along, dictated by emotional intuition resulting image is not just a record of the PHYSICAL SELF, but also of the PSYCHOLOGICAL being Pollack claimed his source was the UNCONSCIOUS THE SELF was the sole subject of Ab Ex painting-the only thing that could be trusted Colors invoke different thoughts Uses ideas of impressionists in equal brushstrokes

Robert Morris, Exhibition Green Gallery NY, 1963

MINIMALIS. we experience sculptures by imagining/measuring our bodies by it You can't escape presence in the world Reciprocal touch-you touch the world, the world touches back

Berthe Morisot. Summer's Day (The Lake in the Bois de Boulogne). ca. 1879

Impressionism. Although a woman, she was a key impressionist and in the avant-garde circle subject: fashionable women in fashionable activity. But they are not silly or frivolous, but mindful and independent, never as appendages to men, the figures don't interact, which was typical of her-maybe they are flaneurs, which was usually a man thing style: bold brushwork that balanced definition and abstract, reps realist and impressionist theme of leisure activity, scene of summer day-light flickering off objects, asymmetrical cropped comp like Degas-which also adds to the spontaneity

VERMEER AND VELASQUEZ

17TH CENT BAROQUE NETHERLANDS AND SPAIN. MORE GENRE/EVERYDAY PAINTINGS. SPECIFIC USE OF LIGHT. LOTS OF DETAILS IN SCENES OF OTHER PAST WORKS LIKE CANVAS OF LAST JUDGEMENT, ETC. VELASQUEZ WORKS WERE CARAVAGGESQUE, HAD TENEBRISM. AMBIGUOUS SUBJECTS

Claude Monet. Impression, Sunrise. 1872

Depicted harbor in early morning, surrounded by fog Hints of large commercial seaport-DOESN'T GLORIFY NATURE BUT RATHER THE DYNAMIC RHYTHMS OF THE COMMERICIAL PORT Seems to be aided by use of color wheel because COMPLIMENTARY COLORS are used There is much more PLANNING that goes into these works than is obvious Sunsets/sunrises were popular but were usually dramatic, Romantic and set over landscapes like Impressionism-no darkness, chiaroscuro, linear perspective, interaction between light and color

Abstract Expressionism

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND STYLE Post-WWII, i.e. 1945 onwards, America sees renewed prosperity and becomes the leading world power in technology and in art Center of the art world shifts from Paris to New York Rise of ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM in the 1940s AMERICAN ARTISTIC MOVEMENT REJECTION OF ILLUSIONISM 2 MAIN TYPES of Abstract Expressionism ACTION PAINTING OR GESTURAL PAINTING (form conveys physical involvement of artist in creation of the artwork) COLOR-FIELD PAINTING OR CHROMATIC ABSTRACTION EXISTENTIALISM: philosophy related to the devastation caused by WWII, wherein faith in science, logic, and related progress was eschewed in favor of a worldview emphasizing the NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF HUMAN EXISTENCE: the fear of death; the feeling of alienation from society, people, and nature; the absurdity of life; and the lack of an absolute moral compass differentiating right from wrong 1950s and 1960s: Rejection of Abstract Expressionism through Post-Painterly Abstraction rejection of the TEXTURED SURFACES AND ENERGETIC DYNAMISM CHARACTERISTIC OF ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM In some cases, also a rejection of non-representational subject matter (example: Pop Art) American economic prosperity was concentrated in specific demographic groups: initially, it was almost exclusively white males who were socio-economically powerful in the mainstream; eventually, the Civil Rights Movement and Feminism led to a shift in this uneven distribution, and these changes are reflected in the art produced during this period New kinds of movements and mediums: Combines, Performance Art/Happenings, Earthworks, Conceptual Art, Minimalist Art, Mail Art, Video Art Important events 1955-68: Civil Rights Movement 1966: Jewish Museum, New York, mounts Primary Structures, first exhibition of Minimal Art 1969: Moon landing 1970: MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) presents Information, first exhibition of Conceptual Art 1970s: Rise of feminism and movements like Black Power, Gay Pride, and the establishment of Greenpeace are a catalyst for new concerns/subjects in art Coincided with historical hegemony in the US Time of huge economic and population growth in US Became intertwined with politics-after WWII to Cold War Art became a weapon in this war

Realism 1848-1885

REALISM. Historical Background and Style Artistic movement aimed at DEPICTING CONTEMPORARY LIFE IN A DIRECT, NON-IDEALIZED, AND UNDISTORTED MANNER that originated in 19th-century France GUSTAVE COURBET was the leading proponent of Realism; Courbet believed that artists should find their subjects in their own time and place, and his large-scale paintings focus on and even glorify poor working people HONORÉ DAUMIER produced lithographs for the liberal French newspaper called Caricature, and his political satire highlighted the condition of the working classes EDOUARD MANET used rough brush strokes to depict working class women and prostitutes; his untraditional style (where the brush-strokes emphasized the flatness or two-dimensionality of the canvas) and his unorthodox subjects shocked the public and paved the way for modern abstract art Manet's work and technique are representative of Realism even as they led into Impressionism American Realists (Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, John Singer Sargent): Like their French counterparts, the American Realists chose as their SUBJECTS WORKING CLASS AND POOR PEOPLE AND THEIR LIVES The Pre-Raphaelites were artists who rejected the concerns of the Realists to depict in as accurate a manner as possible their own times; the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was formed in 1848 by a group of artists (John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rosetti), who rejected the "ugliness" of their rapidly industrializing world and chose to represent literary, historical, and fanciful subjects in an aesthetically pleasant and highly illusionistic manner Interest and belief in the uniqueness and special nature of ONE'S OWN TIME (not looking to classical or renaissance) Call for artists to BE OF THEIR OWN TIME Influenced by theories of scientific Positivism (August Comte): the way to scientific knowledge was in OBSERVABLE FACTS In art this meant a REJECTION OF NEO-CLASSICISM, ROMANTICISM, AND RELIGIOUS PAINTING because one should only paint what one can SEE and VERIFY Influenced by the desire to help common, less educated people, exploited by capitalism Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx - published in 1848 Bohemian life-styles of artists Contemporary urban idle observer - FLÂNEUR

Diego Velázquez. The Maids of Honor. 1656

17TH CENT BAROQUE SPAIN. background: DV was a famed royal court portrait painter it is a royal portrait in which he includes himself, but it is far from conventional A PORTRAIT/GENRE/MOMENT OF LIFE SCENE, but so much more content: every figure is easily detectable, but not easy to identify who is really the main focal point-princess in center w/ maids of honor faces of parents appear in mirror on back wall depicts himself holding brush image includes us as beholders-they are looking at us several viewpoints style: VELASQUEZ WORKS WERE MATURE, CARAVAGGESQUE, HAD TENEBRISM-strong contrasts of light and dark. AMBIGUOUS SUBJECTS very attentive to the movement of light on canvas reflection in mirror and door opening accentuated w/ light uses painting to talk about the NATURE OF REPRESENTATION-reappearing (like in mirror), also imagination-need creative thinking experience crucial moment in history for representation GLOWING, RICH VENETIAN-INSPIRED COLORS and FREE, SKETCHY BRUSHWORK the work is an expression of his ambition for nobility-wanted to be part of the court/royal order LIGHT CREATES THE VISIBLE WORLD

Jan Vermeer. Officer and Laughing Girl. ca. 1657

17th cent Baroque Netherlands. background: GENRE SCENES content: figures sitting by window/beneath large, contemporary map of Netherlands figures cheerful, woman offers man glass of wine style: room infused w/ GLOWING NATURAL LIGHT, main figures out of focus but MAP IS SHARP, used OPTICAL DEVICES-inspired by camera obscura-gives sparkling quality Man dressed in red but we see only his silhouette-the light pours in between them VERMEER HAS TYPICAL USE OF LIGHT, COMING IN FROM WINDOW AT LEFT AND HAVING SPARKLING QUALITY that new light quality combined with old quality of ONE POINT PERSPECTIVE VIEW WITH VANISHING POINT (BETWEEN THEM) created unparalleled quality of light and texture

Braque. The Portuguese. 1911

ANALYTIC CUBISM. background: Braque and Picasso were constantly discussing ideas and their works often developed similarly and merged in style one of early works of analytic cubism content:Orderly arrangement of geometric pattern of diagonal lines and curves-recalling CEZANNE'S vision shapes are abstract yet function as signs/hieroglyphics Visual cues from lines, shadows and symbols, Forms, colors, signs, numbers, show that it is a guitar player in a Marseille bar-probs a poor immigrant Again with subject matter that PORTRAYS REALITY OF MODERNITY style: shimmering, abstract lines and brushwork, doesn't have the same terror and chaos as Les Demoiselles like Les Dem, it's a conventional subject/GENRE SCENE presented in radical new artistic language NATURALISTIC LIGHT falls on scene but FAILS TO CREATE COHERENT SPACE AND VOLUME

Willem De Kooning Woman I 1950-52 oil on canvas. MOMA

ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM-GESTURE/action PAINTING He was mostly famous for his colored work took lots of time and prep to create-he repainted a lot draws upon blend of FEMALE ARCHETYPES-from Paleolithic fertility goddesses to contemporary pin-up girls Although most violent of his Women works, he intended it to be equally open to interpretation changed a lot because he was playing out his own ambivalent emotions Combining voluptuousness and menace, Woman, I reflects the age-old cultural ambivalence between reverence for and fear of the power of the feminine. Colorful scary woman-threatening stare and ferocious grin Modern experience AGGRESSIVE BRUSHWORK AND FRANTIC PAINT APPLICATION TEXTURED SURFACES AND ENIGMATIC DYNAMISM CHARACTERISTIC OF ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM retained CUBIST elements-forms residing above and below others curvilinear forms

Mark Rothko White and Greens in Blue 1957. Oil on canvas. Private collection

ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM-color-field painting color-field-instead of wild brushstrokes, convey universal qualities through large planes of color. again, wanted to project the SUBLIME HUMAN CONDITION AS THEY FELT IT Canvas window to totally alien experience Colors and geometric forms-flat planes of color stacked on top of each other no storytelling, words, symbols, title thin, ethereal planes GLIMMERING COLOR and SHIMMERING SPIRITUAL LIGHT edges ragged like clouds disappearing into sky SPACE IS PARADOXICALLY CLAUSTROPHOBIC AND INFINITE It's still mythic-the artist paints what he has confronted-the INEVITABLE VOID OF OUR COMMON FUTURE AND OUR SENSE OF MYSTICAL ONENESS W/ UNSEEN FORCES EXISTENTIALISM-wanted viewers to be immersed in the mystical void of the unknown future, as if standing on the precipice of infinity and death

Thomas Eakins. Max Schmitt in a Single Scull. (The Champion Single Sculls). 1871

AMERICAN REALISM. REALISTIC DEPICTION OF MODERNITY. part of a series of sculling pics. reflects the rising popularity of the sport. subject:depicts Max, winner of skulls race on river in Philly-he is A HERO OF MODERN LIFE, content/comp: minute details-distant steamboat, bridges-2ND BRIDGE ANOTHER SYMBOL OF MODERNITY B/C IT IS A TRAIN BRIDGE, Eakins depicts himself in the further boat, idea of balance between physical and intellectual style: looks like plein air but not impressionist at all but extremely realistic, the accuracy adds to the intensity history/context: he studied the scene, river,light, and perspectives in extreme detail before doing the painting, modern time of activity

Nicolas Poussin. The Abduction of the Sabine Women. ca. 1633-34

BAROQUE FRANCE/CLASSICISM. background: NICOLAS POUSSIN, a French painter based in Rome, was the leading proponent of the classicizing strain of Baroque art; his works were inspired by and based on CLASSICAL SUBJECTS AND THE STYLE OF CLASSICAL ANTIQUITY Classicism: the cult of strict and clear forms prevalence of the antique source striving towards rationalism, reason and order centralized state with absolute power elevated dreaminess, some aloofness and cold abstractedness a triumph of duty over feelings enclosed forms an emphasis on horizontal and vertical accents a sense of balance and repose Historical depiction but probs not a real event Apparently Roman empire thrived b/c of this lots of preparation content: HISTORY PAINTING depicts Roman abduction of nearby Sabine Women Standing guy giving signal to attack lots of commotion Poussin lacks sympathy for those suffering because he saw the action as heroic style: again, DRAMATIC YET ORDERLY-the classical way-aimed to rep NOBLE AND SERIOUS HUMAN ACTIONS lack of spontaneity looks too theatrical-yet still elegant-they are frozen in action-inspired by Hellenistic sculptures SUPPRESSES COLOR AND INSTEAD STRESSES FORM AND COMPOSITION

Gianlorenzo Bernini. The Ecstasy of St. Teresa. 1645-52

BAROQUE ITALY. Bernini's concept of the FUSION OF MEDIA a merging of the arts of painting, sculpture, and architecture in a single work Here, the enormous sculpture of St. Teresa of Avila (a Spanish mystic) is placed as the altarpiece in the central niche of the Cornaro Chapel designed by Bernini The central niche includes a HIDDEN LIGHT SOURCE from where natural light falls on the sculpture (in daytime), and in addition to the fresco in the vault above, the TONES OF THE SHADOWS FORMED ON THE MARBLE ALSO PLAY THE ROLE OF PAINTING

Joseph Beuys. How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare. 1965. Performed at Galerie Schmela, Düsseldorf, Germany

CONCEPTUAL ART/Fluxus/Performance Art His HEAD WAS COVERED IN GOLD PAINT AND HONEY-gold=heavenly/spiritual, honey repped-transformed him into a shaman His leg is attached to iron that symbolizes that although we have heavenly aspirations, we are still bound to earthy wants? One foot repped spiritual warmth-felt attached, one foot attached to steel-repped hard reason Cradled a dead hare-explaining pictures to him about the meaninglessness of art that had to be explained and need to replace it with a more spiritual and natural form of communication

Piet Mondrian. Composition No.II/Composition I// Composition en Rouge, Bleu et Jaune (Composition with Red, Blue, and Yellow). 1930

CONSTRUCTIVISM-De Stijl. Background: De Stijl (The Style)-movement that Mondrian helped found, radical and utopian ideals like Russians. They sought universal order above everything else-even nationalism Developed art based on idea that there was an underlying rational structure to uni that artists could present through geometric forms content: style: although asymmetrical, has perfect harmony, Every element has equal weight and its own identity No foreground or background-everything has its own space gives feeling of tremendous, even INFINITE SPACE-rectangles expand off of edges DYNAMIC EQUILIBRIUM-everthing is energized yet balanced ELEMENTARY COLORS SYMBOLIC OF BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE COSMOS ATTEMPTED TO CAPTURE THE COMPLEXITY OF THE UNIVERSE

Hannah Höch. Cut with the Kitchen Knife Dada Through the Last Weimar Beer Belly Cultural Epoch of Germany. ca. 1919

DADAISM. background: speaks about the agenda of Berlin Dada this was a criticism on the German government and politics of the time and manipulation of reality to present a pretty picture to mass media DADAIST BELIEVED TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES WERE DEADLY ADN HELPED LEAD TO/PROLONG/WORSEN WAR-CAMERA was one of those-she kills the machine and rearranges to make a handmade photo SPINNING, GEAR-LIKE COMPOSITION-w/ antiwar artist at center, and anti-dadaists pushed to side content: COLLAGE-chaotic, cramped composition of crowds, words, machinery, and letters-reps HECTIC SOCIAL, POLITICAL, AND ECONOMIC INTENSITY, collage of photographs rep images of contemporary life made by photographers for the popular press style: her collages mimicked manipulated portraits made for German soldiers called it PHOTOMONTAGE, rather than collages, to evoke ideas of machine-made, mass-produced images

Rembrandt van Rijn, The NightWatch (The Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq). 1642

DUTCH/NETHERLANDS BAROQUE Baroque characteristics: Emotional exuberance Monumental grandeur Sensational and up-lifting Immediacy, impact Rich, intense decoration Illogical and paradoxical Allegorical and mysterious Style connected to absolute monarchy, absolutism Populist: seeking to interest ordinary, uneducated people Full of dynamic movement, not static and not stable Coincidence of oppositions: emotions and intellect, color and line, reason and intuition, progress and classicism Rem style: works generally DARKER, LESS CHEERFUL THAN RUBENS AND VAN DYKE. Also features fancy clothing. GLAZING. CARAVAGGESQUE INFLUENCE. MORE PSYCHOLOGICAL DEPICTIONS. Probs lots of IMPASTO. Lots of LANDSCAPES too most important Dutch Baroque artist EMOTIONS SUBTLE GRADATIONS OF LIGHT AND SHADE CONTENT: group portrait, shows assembly of military company, they all contributed $ to commision it but were not painted equally Focus on captain in center foreground, who extends hand towards us-it is FORESHORTENED other figures in shadow the small, angelic creature is quite commanding for her size-she stands out as being one of the few figures not in shadow, she is an enigmatic figure that is probably a sort of PERSONIFICATION OF THE COMPANY-they chicken she holds is probs part of their emblem STYLE: filled with DYNAMIC MOVEMENT AND LIGHTING, captures excitement of the moment and provides unique sense of DRAMA, figures are animated with activities-atypical of baroque netherlands group portraits of the time figures FANCIFULLY DRESSED, typical of Baroque

Manet, Olympia, 1863

EARLY FRENCH IMPRESSIONISM/MODERNISM. GENRE PAINTING. She was definitely a prostitute/courtesan. Nude based of Titian's Venus of Urbino. Olympia was the common name of courtesans and also classical, so an attack on the allegorical veiling of erotic nudes in the Salons. Portrays reality of contemporary Paris-wealthy men bought academic nudes for the eroticisim, not for the classicism-the same men w/ mistresses and prostitutes More REAL than idealized-angular, awkward harsh, returns gaze but with confident, business-like stare-uncomfortable for men to see controlling women, she engages viewer-reflects PARISIAN SOCIAL MOBILITY, interaction of classes, importance of money and commodities

Giotto. The Lamentation, Arena (Scrovegni) Chapel, Padua. 1305-06

EARLY ITALIAN REN Lamentation-moment of last farewell between Jesus and his mom and friends Done in fresco of course Tragic mood created w/ formal design and the expressions and gestures of the figures Hunched figures Cool colors and bare sky FROZEN GRIEF OF HUMAN MOURNERS VS FRANTIC MOVEMENT WEEPING ANGELS in clouds-very personified Angels are free to fly and grieve freely while humans are obliged to maintain stability of composition visually/physically and mentally Again, simple setting heightens the drama Repping Jesus as dead reinstates his humanity-HUMANISM Jonah to left and tree to right rep his resurrection Unusual to see people's backs-invites viewers to mourn w/ them, very personal

Sandro Botticelli. The Birth of Venus. ca. 1485

EARLY ITALIAN REN Often paired w/ Primavera by public eye Also once hung in Medici villa Again central figure in composition is Venus-but here she floats toward the shore where a flower-clad woman waits to put her in a flowered robe Zephyr/wind god blows her along, accompanied by Chloris/Flora Unlike Primavera the SPACE OPENS OUT INTO THE DISTANCE w/ the sky and water creating a LIGHT, COOL TONALITY Figures-shallow modeling and EMPHASIS ON OUTLINE produce an effect of LOW RELIEF INSTEAD OF SOLID 3D Bodies drained of weight so they float These ethereal figures recreate ancient forms COMPARE VENUS TO APHRODITE OF KNIDAS BY PRAXITELES Subject could be related to Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite NEO-PLATONIST IDEA-Venus appears as celestial-divine love and mundane-physical love This may be an allegory of the origin of the celestial Venus ELEGANT FORMS, HIGH FINISH AND ERUDITE SUBJECT MATTER BASED ON ANCIENT THOUGHT EXEMPLIFY THE TASTE OF THE MEDICI COURT

Hieronymus Bosch. The Garden of Earthly Delights. ca. 1480-1515

EARLY NORTHERN REN. Figure 14.22 NORTHERN NETHERLANDS One of most famous paintings from the era Complex and surprising painting 3 panels-this pictures shows it open HUMANS IN THE NATURAL WORLD CONTINUOUS SPACE/LANDSCAPE unites the 3 sections-high horizon and ATMOSPHERIC PERSPECTIVE imply a deep vista of Earth from an omniscient vantage point Different shades of green, small creatures, human or not, swarm LEFT HAND WING-reps Garden of Eden Lord introduces Adam to Eve Airy landscape filled w/ animals, exotic creatures, monsters CENTRAL PANEL-world filled w/ tiny humans among giant fruits, birds, and other creatures DESPITE ITS TRIPTYCH FORMAT, THIS IS NOT A TRADITIONAL ALTERPIECE BUT A SECULAR WORK WHAT MAKES IT NORTHERN REN? Landscape Naturalism-??

Robert Campin and workshop. Mérode Triptych. ca. 1425-30

EARLY NORTHERN REN. Figure 14.8 Alterpiece Idea of repping SACRED FIGURES IN THE NATURAL WORLD-naturalistic revolution Central panel-Annunciation-frequently depicted in earlier Christian art Usually set in a sacred place but this is in a house-open shutters, fireplace, cushioned bench Real figures w/ mass and weight Drapery w/ deep folds Mary's red dress draws attention to her Details, some symbolic-white lilies, dead candle-don't need light in presence of deity/christ, book Baby coming in through window-Jesus Good indication of new middle class buying art Naturalism-details make object concrete-shape, size, color, texture. Different light-soft and gradient, more direct and with shadows Left: Not a court painting but still catered to middle class patrons- depicted on left kneeling outside chamber-probs less traditional because it is a more private work WHOLE THING FROZEN MOMENT-SOMETHING IMPORTANT IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN Robert Campin's "Merode Altarpiece" carries some important attributes of Early Northern Renaissance Attention to details and material culture OIL PAINTING AND LUMINOUS COLORS-smooth transitions from light to dark(b/c oil dries slower) more thorough illusion of reality, muted tonality unifies all 3 panels Translucent layers of paint - GLAZING COMPARE CAMPIN'S SUBSTANTIAL BODIES IN EARTHLY SETTING FOR WITNESS OF DONORS TO SIMONE MARTINI'S SLIM, WEIGHTLESS FIGURES AGAINST ETERNAL BACKGROUND Right panel-Joseph the carpenter at work Carefully chosen details, yet puzzling-not really sure whats happening Many not sure why Campin rendered the world/scene w/ such fidelity

Hubert and Jan van Eyck. Ghent Altarpiece (open), Church of St. Bavo, Ghent, Belgium. Completed 1432

EARLY NORTHERN REN/INT GOTHIC. Figure 14.10 Jan van Eyck was a big deal in his time One of most famous of early Flemish paintings LESS ORNIMENTAL Triptych-3 panels, but each panel has 4 individual panels Detailed rendering of a celestial assembly Main bottom pic probs most important Haloed lamb on alter Assembly of theological figures and other people Verdant landscape w/ towers in background-LANDSCAPE MORE NATURALISTIC Main top pic is imposing Court of Heaven The Lord in bright red robe at center-Christ-crown-king of earth Mary and John the Baptist flanking him Left and right inner panels have choirs of angels singing and playing instruments-ANGELS INDIVIDUALIZED Outer ends are Adam and Eve, grisaille images of Abel and Cain below Tone and majesty of this very different from the domestic intimacy of the Merode Triptych Function of this alterpiece is to elucidate the litergy performed in front of it Large in scale but full of naturally observed details and glowing color Slow layering of GLAZING gives saturated hue and blends brushstrokes beautifully Blends textures and colors of bodies w/ accuracy REPS IMPORTANCE OF CHURCH ITSELF AS AN INSTITUTION AND AS A PATHWAY TO SALVATION Adam and Eve: Most striking element Realistic nature of human body Only god is perfect Humans aren't perfect but god still loves us

Kara Walker. Insurrection (Our Tools Were Rudimentary, Yet We Pressed On). 2000

FEMINIST ART-identity politics background:She was the most sensational and controversial African-American artist found her subject matter in African American history Interested in SILHOUETTE PORTRAITS content: projected silhouettes and colored lighting depictions of lurid, often sexual scenes, and horrendous scene like torture/lynching Combined both identity-racial and feminine stereotypes Not just the Antebellum South but also of the world today, where racial, ethnic, and religious conflicts still are prominent today style:everything exaggerated/caricatured/stereotyped Paper bag silhouette Changes to violent scenes that show racism-look at other slides nightmarish quality jagged, spiky contours There were many responses to this But it made a statement and brought attention to topic

Théodore Géricault. The Raft of the Medusa. 1818-19

FRENCH ROMANTICISM. Gericault was wealthy and self-taught. This was his 3rd and last painting exhibited at the Salons. Subject: depiction of HISTORICAL event, the Medusa sank and the captain took all the lifeboats for gov. people and left the other passengers/immigrants on makeshift raft. Most of them died. The captain was an incompetent ARISTOCRAT-reflected the corruption of Louis XVIII's admin. Depicts when they first saw a ship Content/Composition: depictions of death, cannibalism, sickness, insanity, exhaustion, hunger, thirst.foreground full of Michelanganesque nudes, comp recedes in dramatic Baroque diagonal that peaks w/ person waving the flag, moves from death to hope. Style:twisted bodies, classical proportioned figures, STARK REALISM, tighter brushwork, dramatically lit, sublime, where in it with them/it's in our space theme: humans against nature

Jacques-Louis David. The Oath of the Horatii. 1784

French Neoclassical/enlightenment. Function: originally painted for a royal patron Subject: taken from ancient Rome; deals with putting CIVIC DUTY BEFORE FAMILY, 3 bros make oath to die for Rome, their sister in the background is sad cuz her husband is on opposing side so either way its bad. One bro survives and kills her when she curses him Style: stark, simple, very CLASSICAL/ROMAN-INSPIRED background; powerful muscular and draped Roman-inspired figures-Caravaggesque NATURALISM AND DENSITY OF FIGURES, RATIONAL GEOMETRY, PERSPECTIVAL LINES, SHALLOW SPACE, SHARP CONTOURS, drama, beam of light on sword. Stoic, rigid men contrasted with curved, heaping women. very severe. Line and geometry prevail over brushwork and color that were big in Rococo. Historical Background: although painted for a royal patron prior to the French Revolution, became a symbol of the ideals of the Rev and Enlightenment. Reaction against over the top lifestyles of monarchy and aristocracy. Radical break w/ Rococo ideas signifies uneasiness w/ that lifestyle The necessity to put the state before the family, the call for sacrificial patriotism

Jean-Honoré Fragonard. The Swing. 1767

French Rococo. Commissioned for a private collector, the baron de Saint-Julien, of his mistress, og for another artist but redirected to Frag. Wanted her on the swing and bishop behind pushing her, while he saw her from below. Suggests agreement between artist and patron, then the unwitting clergy. Embodies the spirit of Rococo-fantasy, flirtation, licentiousness. "Boudoir painting" on the subject of sexual intimacy offers the thrill of sex and voyeurism but in a stagelike outdoor setting. Innocent, lush arbor makes the motion of the swing toward the patron-viewer more teasing and provides secrecy. The cupid sculpture w/ fingers to lips also suggests this kind of sexual conspiracy that we are all a part of. Radient natural lighting and overgrown landscape suggests sexuality and fertility. Glowing pastel colors give it an dreamy haze that enhances the sensuality and fantasy of it. Pastels were becoming more popular b/c could achieve line and color

Kandinsky, Composition VII, 1913 Tretyakov Gallery Moscow

GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM. background:One of earliest to rep obstruction art, part of series of compositions, Wanted viewer to actively work and think about painting content: final version is similar to prelim studies but has different palette despite total abstraction, still feels like a LANDSCAPE-horiz spread, recedes back/overlapping forms-COSMIC LANDSCAPE Goal not to depict reality but to transform reality style: finally total abstraction, stilled have resonance of stained glass but recognizable motifs are replaced by abstract play of COLOR AND LINE and FORM appears apocalyptic/chaotic-meant to rep DYNAMIC universal spiritual forces

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. Street, Dresden. 1908 (dated 1907 on painting)

GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM. background: artist was leader of Die Brucke, who had idea of transcendent man and us being the bridge to it content: crowded street evokes claustrophobic anxiety style: Fauvist COLOR LIBERATED FROM REPRESENTATIONAL ROLE-inspired by Van Gogh and Matisse also inspired by Edvard Munch-disturbing psychological undertones,SEXUAL CONFRONTATION-woman lifts dress to reveal petticoat, bright contrasting UNCONVENTIONAL COLORS add to sexual excitement UNLIKE MATISSE B/C FOR THEM PROSTITUTES WERE THE EMBLEMS OF THE DECADENCE OF URBAN LIFE crudely rendered, radically cropped figures moving toward us Urban crowd as expression of modern life-distorted forms conveys anxiety of life

Raphael. The School of Athens, Stanza della Segnatura, Vatican Palace, Rome

HIGH REN ITALY. EMBODIMENT OF THE CLASSICAL SPIRIT OF THE HIGH REN LINEAR PERSPECTIVE TWO SCHOOLS OF PHILOSOPHY COMING TOGETHER-ALTHOUGH APPROACHES SEEM OPPOSITE, THEY WERE DEEMED COMPLEMENTARY BY REN HUMANISTS IDEALISTISTS/IDEAOLOGY (PLATO) VS REALISTS/REALISM (ARISOTLE) RAPHAEL DEPICTED HIMSELF IN THE REALISM GROUP Depicts famous Greek philosophers gathered around Plato-w/ book on cosmology and numerology and Aristotle-volume of Ethics Expressive energy, physical power, dramatic grouping of figures-inspired by the Sistine Chapel Each member plays a specific role Obviously in a way inspired by the Last Supper Figures organized into groups Also inspired by Leonardo in the symmetrical design and the interdependence of the figures and their setting Also like Leo's an open building is frame for the figures Building itself kinda inspired by Bramante So just lots of INSPIRATION FROM OTHER BIG HIGH REN NAMES Arts vs wisdom kinda-statues of Apollo on left and Athena on right PLATO-looks like Leonardo, pointing rhetorically to heavens, backed by Socrates, Apollo, Michelangelo modeled in Heraclitus, Pythagoras-importance of numbers in philosophy ARISTOTLE-pointing to Earth, grounded in what is knowable in the material world, Bramante modeled in Euclid, Ptolemy, Raphael DEPICTING HIMSELF and other artists (even his competition) AMONG IMPORTANT FIGURES TO INSIST UPON THE NEW IMPORTANT STATUS OF ARTISTS OF HIGH REN

Leonardo da Vinci. Mona Lisa. ca. 1503-05

HIGH REN ITALY. Its fame is much a product of ownership Portrait of Lady Lisa Gheradini Also famous for its formal qualities: Compare to Ginevra de Benci ANOTHER BREAK FROM 15TH CENT. PROFILE DEPICTION BOTH IN THREE-QUARTER POSE AGAINST LANDSCAPE BACKGROUND Also depicted in simple garments and no jewels and brocades-concentrate on their features Unlike Genevra, Mona Lisa has light washed over to accentuate her features-LAYERED OILS AND GLAZES FOR THE LIGHT EFFECT The LANDSCAPE envelops Mona Lisa instead of Ginevra's mere backdrop PYRAMIDAL COMPOSITION EVOCATIVE LANDSCAPE W/ COOL SFUMATO BACKDROP Rivers and bridges winding through echo her drapery 2 STYLES OF LANDSCAPING-FROM HUMANLY TO HEAVENLY-can see in color transition-twilight colors, low key, melting into each other Use of GOLDEN SECTION FIBONACCI SEQUENCE Her high brow, cross hands and famous smile give it character-enigmatic and mysterious HIGH REN LEO-OPTICAL KNOWLEDGE-influence of light, twilight-perfect moment for painting

Leonardo da Vinci. The Last Supper. ca. 1495-98

HIGH REN ITALY. Leo's skill of creating illusions Commissioned by Duke Ludovico to decorate monastery EXPERIMENTED W/ OIL-TEMPERA and it didn't work well which is obvious Can see he tried to make changes as he worked and it didn't really work The theme of Last Supper was common for monasteries LINEAR PERSPECTIVE-CENTRAL VANISHING POINT IS AT TOP OF JESUS' HEAD, MAKING IT SYMBOLIC NATURAL LIGHT ENFRAMES JESUS AND THE OPEN WINDOW IS AN ARCHITECTURAL HALO ALL ELEMENTS-LIGHT, COMPOSITION, COLORS, SETTING-FOCUS THE ATTENTION ON JESUS DEPICTION OF SPECIFIC MOMENT OF JESUS ANNOUNCING HIS BETRAYAL The way everyone reacts reveals their own personalities and relationship to Jesus Peter grabs knife, John lost in thought, JUDAS RECOILS INTO SHADOW Carefully calculated each pose and expression so DRAMA unfolds across picture plane BIGGEST GOAL IS TO DEPICT "THE INTENTION OF MAN'S SOUL" through gestures and movements of limbs Wanted to show the whole subject of the narrative Jesus' gesture is one of both SUBMISSION TO THE DIVINE AND OF OFFERING His calm presence suggest he also institutes the EUCHARIST-bread and wine=his body and blood REPPED HIGH REN B/C: Organized according to principle of UNIVERSAL HARMONY-Jesus in triangle, apostles in 4 groups of 3 Conveys profound emotions w/o destroying the harmony

Michelangelo. The Sistine Chapel ceiling, Vatican, Rome. 1508-12

HIGH REN ITALY. Mich finished this in only 4 years b/c he wanted to resume work on the tomb Particularly the ceiling frescoes Ceiling is a shallow barrel vault, that is interrupted by the triangular spandrels over the windows Ceiling treated as single entity, w/ hundreds of figures distributed rhythmically within a painted architectural framework Several different themes intersect-very complex In center, subdivided by 10 illusionistic transverse arches, are 9 scenes from book of Genesis-mans creation, sin, and salvation Prophets and sibyls flank these narratives In triangular spandrels and lunettes of ancestors of Christ While the Creation and Fall of man occur at the center of the ceiling, the prophets and ancestors PREDICT THE SALVATION OF HUMANITY IN CHRIST Except for the architecture, theses themes are expressed almost entirely by the HUMAN FIGURE

Titian. Venus of Urbino. ca. 1538

HIGH/LATE REN ITALY. Commissioned by Duke of Urbino PAINTING BASED ON MODELS BY GIORGIONE Depicts nude young woman lying on bed in well-furnished chamber and luxurious textiles suggest wealth In background-2 women look in a chest probs for a garment-Cassone/wedding chest Some details suggest this is a wedding portrait: Dog to rep fidelity Use of VENETIAN COLORE RECORDS SENSUOUS TEXTURES OF HER BODY CASSONE yet some believe this could be a prostitute b/c the blatant sexuality Beauty of physical human form-naturalism and humanism? Yet anatomy is not completely accurate HER BOD IS ON DISPLAY FOR A VIEWER WHOSE GAZE SHE MEETS This suggests the possibility of it being intended as an erotic image and not a classical theme THIS TYPE OF SENSUOUS FEMALE NUDE BECAME OF STAPLE OF TITIAN'S, SUPPORTED BY THE PATRONAGE OF POWERFUL MEN

Dadaism/Surrealism

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND & STYLE 1914-1918: First World War (WWI) Following WWI, artists questioned the value of technological progress that resulted in large-scale suffering and destruction, and they started exploring abstraction to a greater degree DADA: NONSENSICAL ARTWORKS THAT ATTACKED AUTHORITY AND BOURGEOIS VALUES INCLUDING FAITH IN TECHNOLOGY Chance becomes an overarchingly important element in the creation of artworks Removed boundaries between literature, art, music, theatrical performances (and between writers, artists, musicians, playwrights/actors) Dissolved the hierarchy of genres SURREALISM: ARTWORKS (AND LITERARY MOVEMENT) EXPLORING DREAMS AND THE UNCONSCIOUS Greatly influenced BY SIGMUND FREUD's theories about man's repressed sexual and other needs and desires being symbolically revealed in dreams 2 TYPES OF SURREALISM NATURAL SURREALISM: NATURALISTIC REPRESENTATIONS OF DREAM-LIKE SCENES BIOMORPHIC SURREALISM: ABSTRACTED REPRESENTATIONS OF DREAM-LIKE SCENES Interest in achieving classless Utopian ideals or spirituality in what was perceived as a soulless materialistic world Suprematists: abstract style to express pure feeling Constructivists: non-objective forms to explore relationship between space and time De Stijl: use of simple geometric forms in search for "pure plastic art" 1929: Great Depression (US) follows economic prosperity of the Roaring Twenties 1939-1945: Second World War (WWII)

Modernism: Suprematism, Dadaism, Surrealism 20th century Europe and the US

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND STYLE MODERNISM IN ART Exploration of boundaries of aNY GIVEN MEDIA AVANT-GARDE BLURRING OF BOUNDARIES between media or between art and spectator/life Original protagonists are European; then American artists living in Europe and also those who see the Armory Show in NYC start producing modernist artworks  IMPORTANT EVENTS 1905: Einstein's Theory of Relativity 1913: Armory Show in New York Important exhibition with works by numerous European and American artists European artworks were more groundbreaking in their innovation than American artworks of the time, and the Armory Show was instrumental in making them known to a wider audience in the United States The show was criticized by the public and critics alike, but several influential art galleries and collectors realized the importance of the radical artistic innovations, and their support of modernist art helped popularize it in the United States Arthur Dove and Marsden Hartsley were the first American modernist artists 1913: James Joyce begins writing Ulysses His literary style, which features the use of stream-of-consciousness interior monologues, is an exploration of consciousness paralleling some of the concerns of several modernist artists 1914: WWI begins 1917: October Revolution in Russia which resulted in the dismantling of the tsarism regime

Conceptual Art, Performance Art, Feminism, Identity politics

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND STYLE PRELUDE TO POSTMODERN ART Abstract Expressionism is the culmination of the romantic notions of the artist and of the importance of the artist's hand/gesture in the creation of artworks Abstract Expressionism was still coherent in its heroic stance against the depressing destruction of war; Postmodernist works may or may not offer any stance Conceptual Art, Minimalism, and Pop Art represent the turning point at which the importance of the ARTIST'S HAND IS ELIMINATED; appropriation, which is a key feature in all, is embraced by Postmodernists as well Minimalism reduces art to its absolute essence (you can't reduce the artwork to its essence any further; this is based on the Greenbergian notion that art no longer has any contact with a social value system—it is "art for art's sake") Video art: early video art was a recording of performances; often the artist became part of the artwork (video art is more like theater in this respect as the artist is "performing") Performance: ephemeral; happened once and then was gone; video art captured performances for posterity Happenings: related to performance; certain people associated with it more (comes under and overlaps with performance; may be more scripted than performance art)

Mary Cassatt. The Child's Bath. 1891-92

Impressionism. another impressionism approach from a woman's perspective. content: one of many domestic scenes of mother and child, mother bathing a child reps health, also the mother's emotional and physical involvement, as reflected in the tender touch of the mother style:lots of REALISM elements-FASHIONABLE bourgeois decor and dress, SKEWED COMP w high viewpoint, BRIGHT COLORS, SPONTANEITY IN BRUSHWORK. Like Degas, reflections of Japanese interests-overhead view, boldness of forms and contours. Also influenced by REN art-chalky palette like tempera, crisp contours, mother and child reps MADONNA AND CHILD-sanctifies IMPORTANT ROLE OF WOMEN IN BETTERING SOCIETY, also reflects how realism started to become more classically inspired again history: the realism reflected the social concerns of the women's movement of her time Captured tenderness of motherhood, despite not having children herself Some perspectival distortion-elongated vase, tilted floor upwards Decorative patterns Modern motherhood-educated mother who is actively involved with her child-not passing it off Bathing the child was sign of progressive thinking b/c they didn't bath much then

Enlightenment/Neoclassical/Pre-Romanticism 1750-1789

IDEALISM, PATRIOTISM, ETHICS. mainly US, France, Britain b/c Industrial Rev, American Rev, French Rev(s). Greater equality between classes. Thinking was critical, intellectual, rational, scientific. Obviously appreciated the ethics and artistic standards of classical art. Grand Tour of Italy was essential for an educated person. Focus on PROGRESS.Style: as compared to Renaissance artworks, Neoclassical artworks are starker and simpler and they are often highly idealized. Jean-Jacques ROUSSEAU-Pre-Romanticism-man is corrupted by civilization and needs to reconnect with nature, idea of "NOBLE SAVAGE"children have to be educated by parents. IMMANUEL KANT-idea of SUBLIME-aesthetic judgement, awe over beautiful spectacle.

Simone Martini and Lippo Memmi. Annunciation. ca. 1330

ITALIAN GOTHIC Simone Martini a student of Duccio and was commissioned to make this alterpiece to accompany Duccio's Madonna Enthroned/Maesta In the form of TRIPTYCH, or 3-part structure Depicts Annunciation flanked by two local saints set against a brilliant gold background Needed to connect visually to MAESTA, so Virgin sits in similar cloth-covered throne and wears similar garments Angel Gabriel approaching from left saying Ave Maria prayer, done in relief Details like marble floor, WHITE LILLIES symbolizing purity, Gabriel's garment, all add to richness of scene ELEMENT OF DOUBT-Mary is surprised and turns away ELONGATED FIGURES, lyrical elegance SUSPENSION OF MOMENT ABOUT TO HAPPEN-she's about to accept her role GENTLENESS OF LINES AND COLOR

Edgar Degas. The Orchestra of the Paris Opéra. 1868-69

Impressionism. unusual genre scene of the orchestra pit. subject/content: style: depicts intensity, excitement, and fragmentation of CONTEMPORARY LIFE, makes us part of it as voyeurs with an unusual angled view, (purposely) arbitrarily cropped to further that effect, still has precise LINE outlining figures and objects, but also sporadic DASHING BRUSHWORK like on tutus add to the spontaneity and fleeting quality, somewhat inspired by Japonisme history: The opera was more scandalous than would have been known from images of beautiful ballet dancers-they often doubled as prostitutes

Robert Rauschenberg White Painting (Three Panel). 1951 oil on canvas. 72 in. x 108 in. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

NEO-DADAISM/CONCEPTUAL ART The artists hand was not visible obviously Imagined his paintings as background for everything that really happened. although they were painted white, no evidence of brushwork Viewers wondered what they were supposed to see: themselves-their shadows on the canvases, reflected colored light, accumulated dust and dirt-THE CANVASES SIMPLY CAPTURED REAL LIFE art aimed at CAPTURING THE WORLD WITHOUT ATTACHING ANY SPECIFIC MEANING TO IT antithesis of intensely personal Abstract Expressionism

Robert Rauschenberg, Bed. 1955

NEO-DADAISM Looks like a bed Erotic overtones-abstract expressionism Aggressive dripping paint application one of Rauschenberg's first "combines," the artist's term for his technique of attaching found objects, such as tires or old furniture, to a traditional canvas support-WORKS THAT COMBINED MEDIUMS-MIXED MEDIA In this work, he took a well-worn pillow, sheet, and quilt, scribbled on them with pencil, and splashed them with paint in a style similar to that of Abstract Expressionist "drip" painter Jackson Pollock

Post-Impressionism Mid 1880s

Mid-1880s: Artists begin to DOUBT THE VALIDITY OF IMPRESSIONISM and its aim to capture the fleeting moment - RETURN TO TRADITION Felt PARADOX: science vs. utopian idealism; popular culture vs. classical tradition; politically engaged vs. formally pure Not only Pissarro and Seurat - works by Monet, Degas, and Renoir all began to change in the 1880s Last Impressionist Exhibition in 1886 - replaced by the Society of Independent Artists, which organized their own non-juried salon called the Salon des Independents in 1884 World becomes more connected due to advances in communication and transportation By 1886, Impressionists were being taken seriously as artists, and artists started addressing concerns beyond the effects of light and climate The term "Post-Impressionism" refers to a diverse range of artists who, ca. 1886, STARTED ADDRESSING THE EXPRESSIVE QUALITIES OF LINE, PATTERN, FORM, AND COLOR Unlike the Impressionists, the Post-Impressionists rejected a collective way of seeing and creating art, each Post-Impressionist artist's style is quite unique Artists like Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin explored the expressive capabilities of formal elements Van Gogh used heavy, thick brush-strokes and expressive line and color to convey emotions Gauguin was influenced by Japanese prints and used solid lines to delineate often abstract expanses of color and create images that rejected traditional notions of perspective and emphasized flattened and block-like forms; he moved to Tahiti, where his paintings exemplified Primitivism (images, often highly idealized, depicting what is ostensibly a natural world in which humans live in a primordial harmony with nature) Artists like Georges Seurat and Paul Cézanne were more interested in an analytical approach to painting, and they explored the creation of images in relation to what the mind and the eye registered Seurat used a process called pointillism, in which he meticulously applied spots of pure color to create naturalistic images when seen from a distance Cézanne used lines, planes, and colors in his compositions, but in a manner different from the one used by Gauguin (Cézanne compositions sought to capture formal elements in an analytic manner in which examined the interrelationships of forms and colors as understood by the mind; he understood, for instance, that cool colors tend to recede into depth while warm ones tend to project forward, and he used an arrangement of forms according to these principles to convey depth in his paintings)

Jasper Johns Flag 1954-55 (dated on reverse 1954). Encaustic, oil, and collage on fabric mounted on plywood, three panels, 42 1/4 x 60 5/8" (107.3 x 153.8 cm) MOMA

NEO-DADAISM/CONCEPTUALISM Art reacting to seriousness of high art-ironic Gestural painting that is still representational because of the Americana theme, many people consider it pop art, but its not artists paints flat object, eliminating the need to create illusionistic depth-we would never mistake it for a real flag also not placed in any specific context-we aren't supposed to read it in any specific way objective, void of emotion Like Rauschenberg, Johns paved the way for artists to break away from the subjectivity and vocabulary of Abstract Expressionism

Albrecht Dürer. Melencolia I. 1514

NORTHERN REN/REFORMATION. background: one of his most famous and puzzling prints, part of a trio content: Winged female holding compass, surrounded by TOOLS OF THE MATHEMATICIAN AND ARTIST holds the tools of geometry-order, yet is surrounded by chaos figure a PERSONIFICATION, yet identity is controversial: MELANCHOLY, GEOMETRY, GENIUS-she can think but not act vs the INFANT SCRAWLING ON THE SLATE-who can act but not think reps relationship of the artistic temperament with the melancholic humor melancholia/melancholic genius was popular Ren source of divine inspiration style: ENGRAVING Deep thought, contemplating his capability? Durer's spiritual portrait of himself idea of divine inspiration extremely detailed blend of idealization and naturalism

Pieter Bruegel the Elder. The Return of the Hunters. 1565

NORTHERN REN/REFORMATION/netherlands. background: interested in folk customs and daily life of humble people content: snow-covered vast landscape, filled with hunting party of humans and dogs returning to village downhill. Down below is a frozen lake that they have now used for recreation HUMAN ACTIVITY IS FULLY INTEGRATED INTO THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE style: Def. inspired by Hieronymus Bosch-same AMBIGUITY and AERIAL PERSPECTIVE, also inspired by MEDIEVAL CALENDAR ILLUSTRATIONS like those of the Duke of Berry shelf of space in foreground that moves into distance towards a FAR HORIZON

Marcel Duchamp, Fountain, 1917

New York DADAISM PRIME EXAMLE OF A READYMADE Marcel Duchamp: Art of Ideas By posing the questions "What is art?" and "How does art function?" and declaring that ""I was interested in ideas—not merely in visual products," Duchamp was the first artist to address the abstract cerebral nature of art. "READYMADE" or "found object" Elimination of the "hand of the artist" from production of an artwork through the artist's declaration that a readymade object was a work of art This is an extremely influential step in art (Andy Warhol was especially influenced by it) Evidences the IMPORTANCE OF CONTEXT IN THE CREATION OF ART ***Even though Duchamp himself insisted that his "Assisted ready-mades" (artworks composed of more than one found object) had NO aesthetic value, later artists and critics ascribed them aesthetic values! mocks revered European fountain art satirical title reinforces the humor in the piece-art can be humorous, defy conventional notations of beauty AND intellectually engage us emphasizes relationship between CONTEXT AND MEANING-by taking out of its normal context, you change its meaning because it can be mass produced-he also questions uniqueness of a work of art purpose: TO DEMONSTRATE THAT ART CAN BE PURELY CEREBRAL AND NOT CONNECTED TO THE MANUAL LABOR

Andy Warhol. Campbell's Soup Cans. 1961-64

POP ART. background: Warhol was fascinated by the impact of mass media on public opinion His first mass produced work Reproduced all types of soups-here he paints 32 cans for the 32 different varieties they had then hand-painted used SILKSCREEN method to mass produce images/make prints telling us that paintings are commodities art is about IDEA, not necessarily about technique or craftsmanship Commenting on the camouflaging function of product design Mass production dominates American society They are a PORTRAIT OF AMERICAN-NOT PRAISING OR CONDEMNING Played with ICONOGRAPHY OF CONSUMERISM Says there's no special meaning in his art but is obviously a critique of consumerist culture Open-endedness of pop art that makes a huge impact popular imagery of product design

Paul Cézanne. Mont Sainte-Victoire Seen from Bibemus Quarry. ca. 1897-1900

POST-IMPRESSIONISM. more compressed version of other work DEPTH suggested by overlapping of representational objects, carefully constructed brushstrokes, lines, colors-intricate and spaceless everything melted into each other and only separated by defining lines, paradoxically flat and filled w/ light, space, movement, BALANCE of direct observation of nature w/ desire to abstract nature's forms HE IS MOST RESPONSIBLE FOR FREEING THE MEDIUM FROM REPRESENTATIONAL ROLE AND ALLOWING FOR ARTISTIC LICENSE Cézanne used lines, planes, and colors in his compositions, but in a manner different from the one used by Gauguin (Cézanne compositions sought to capture formal elements in an analytic manner in which examined the interrelationships of forms and colors as understood by the mind; he understood, for instance, that cool colors tend to recede into depth while warm ones tend to project forward, and he used an arrangement of forms according to these principles to convey depth in his paintings)

Georges Seurat. A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. 1884-86

POST-IMPRESSIONISM. part of the last Impressionist exhibition. obvious roots in the REALISM OF MANET AND THE IMPRESSIONISM OF MANET-middle class leisure scene and sunny, colorful common modern elements like courtesan w/ monkey, boatman, figures rendered as ICONS-silhouetted in profile, frontal, and 3/4 view did detailed studies of landscape beforehand modeled after history paintings and Poussin and David Neoimpressionist Studied color theory very much to create special effect with his art scientific Impressionism topic-middle class leisure But different types Figures are more static than in impressionism-they are more types than real people, rendered with little detail Used idea of not blending colors but instead putting dots-POINTILISM Knew the observer's mind would blend them Idealized version of reality

Kazimir Malevich Black Square. 1915 oil on canvas

Postmodernism/Russian Futurism/Suprematism. The art from which we eliminate everything-ultimate abstraction Radical gesture Avant garde Enigmatic Was very talked about despite its simplicity Art changing realityg

Vladimir Tatlin. Project for "Monument to the Third International." 1919-20. Destroyed;

RUSSIAN CONSTRUCTIVISM. background: inspired by constructed reliefs of Picasso, he made his own abstract, non-representational sculptures-resulting in the beginning of CONSTRUCTIVISM He embraced the Communist party He had utilitarian idea of constructivist productivism content: project was actually a model for a building that was never built-metal spiral frame tilted at an angle, encompassed by glass-STEEL AND GLASS REPPED THE MACHINE AGE and dynamism of the Bolshevik Rev-the tower was propaganda for the Communist Third International many artists giving up conventional art in order to design functional art that would help make classless utopia

Romanticism 1789-1848

SHIFT FROM REASON TO FEELING, fantastical, dream-like worlds, from spiritual to nightmarish SUBLIME, savage, awe-inspiring, FEAR was an important aspect of sublime beauty, thrilling. 3 kinds of sublime-noble, splendid, terrifying Historical Background: Napoleon seizes control of France and makes Jacques-Louis David his official painter FRENCH REV Style: shift from David's neoclassicism to works focused on exotic lands-Orientalism-romanticizes depictions of the east eligion is no longer the most valid method of explaining the mysteries of life and death Grand scale of events contrasted to the solitary and tiny human being Sublime experiences Nationalism, idea of the nation as rootedness Medieval art Contrasted to Classicism Profound emotions Vivid brushwork and prevalence of color over the line Longing for the unattainable mythological past desire to be more connected to nature Interest to the "exotic" places and peoples. Orientalism

Impressionism 1874-1886

School of art vs movement Different/constantly changing attitudes toward reality Less or hierarchy and guilds, more horizontal relationships Rejected institutions of the academy French art was most well known for this movement-hallmark of modern art Flaneur-idle observer French Academy-official Salons Artists like Courbet and Manet broke from tradition and made had their own unofficial exhibitions/salons NO DARKNESS, CHIAROSCURO, OR LINEAR PERSPECTIVE Artistic movement tied to life in industrialized and urbanized Paris; the term derives from the derogatory comment made by a critic that Monet's paintings were only impressions and not representations Style: works aimed to capture EFFECTS OF CLIMATE AND LIGHT as well as FLEETING MOMENTS [unlike the High Baroque artists' depictions of transitory moments that showed great illusionistic realism, the Impressionists recorded transitory moments through SKETCHY BRUSHWORK THAT ABSTRACTED THE IMAGE because of their INDIFFERENCE TO ACCURATELY MODELLING FORMS through tonal transitions or situating forms in mathematically calculated and perspectivally accurate believable space] subjects-leisurely Parisian middle class

Henri Matisse. Femme au chapeau (Woman with a Hat). 1905

fauvism. background: fauvism saw new uses of color content: the figure doesn't really have a symbolic/figurative meaning, just kinda an exercise of style style: like impressionism, intense color, image mainly primary and secondary colors BUT NOW THE USE OF COLORS DENIES REPRESENTATIONAL FUNCTION (for objects) color and brushwork stay on surface of work-reflects careful study of CEZANNE paintings colors are repeated throughout head, body, clothes and background-greens, yellows, reds, blues yet just enough OVERLAPPING of representational objects to create SPACE-arms, torso also like Cezanne, ABSTRACT SPACE SUGGESTED BY PLANES OF COLOR AND BRUSHSTROKE COMPOSITIONAL COHERENCE BY BALANCING INTENSE, COMPLEMENTARY HUES W/ BRASH, SPONTANEOUS BRUSHWORK

Vincent van Gogh. Starry Night. 1889

post impressionism/symbolism. background: Painted during/after Van Gogh committed himself to a mental institution. Van Gogh used heavy, thick brush-strokes and expressive line and color to convey emotions content: inviting rural homes, set snugly in a valley, style: spiritual, celestial blue of both the sky and the town that unites them, yellow glow from windows visually ties with with the stars in the sky, spiraling tree in foreground has shape that echoes the church, another link of earth to spirituality and transcendent expressionistic, abstract color and brushwork and symbolism he creates the peaceful tranquil utopia he dreamed of-nurtured by nature and in harmony w/ universal forces Reps his longing for recovery and connection to community and nature and spiritual experience Embodies unity of spiritual world and landscape-tree form echoes church Deep spirituality and connection to universe Sleepy little town protected by heavenly blanket Vincent van Gogh's "Starry Night" different from Impressionism by spiritual and highly subjective approach to the depicted scene

Cézanne, Large Bathers, 1898-1905

post-impressionism. Human body as symbol-repping centuries of using bodies to convey different perspectives Looks unfinished although he worked really long on it Line and color used to construct bodies-they look less like real bodies and more like architecture Form not totally natural Cézanne used lines, planes, and colors in his compositions, but in a manner different from the one used by Gauguin (Cézanne compositions sought to capture formal elements in an analytic manner in which examined the interrelationships of forms and colors as understood by the mind; he understood, for instance, that cool colors tend to recede into depth while warm ones tend to project forward, and he used an arrangement of forms according to these principles to convey depth in his paintings)

Gauguin Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going? 1897

post-impressionism/symbolism. background: Gaugin on quest to find the PRIMATIVE "NOBLE SAVAGE" and tropical Garden of Eden content: depiction of his version of GARDEN OF EDEN with lots of religious elements-fruit hanging from trees, statue of God oversees and points to heaven. DENSE, LUSH tropical landscape WORK REFLECTED GAUGIN'S DESIRE TO HAVE ART COME FROM OTHER PLACES THAT WERE SUPERIOR TO THE WEST AND THEIR OVER-COLONIZATION REPS 3 STAGES OF LIFE-DONE FROM RIGHT TO LEFT IN EASTERN MANNER-birth/baby on right, youth in center, old age on left style:lush, sensuous, abstract, deeply saturated, flat curvilinear forms, everything gently floats seems as if time has stopped the image is a remarkable SYNTHESIS OF CULTURES, RELIGIONS, PERIODS-GAUGIN WANTED TO PORTRAY THE ELEMENTAL MYTHIC FORCES UNDERLYING ALL HUMANITY-Ren, Christian, Buddhist, Egyptian, Byzantine-golden background, Tahitian eve, bold forms and colors of Japanese

Gauguin, The Vision after the Sermon (Jacob Wrestling with the Angel), 1888

post-impressionism/symbolism. content: group of women see vision of jacob wrestling angel after they hear sermon about it style: impact of medieval glass and CLOISONNE, underlying blue line, flat planes of color the women rep blind, naive piety, WHO SEE THE SCENE IN THE SHAPE OF A COW COMP INSPIRED BY JAPANESE PRINTS intense mystical field of red flat, curvilinear forms, and even forms within forms found everything kind of animated and levitating More SPIRITUAL AND PRIMITIVE culture So more mystical iconography Women in specific HEADDRESS-USING FEMALE BODY AS VEHICLE TO CONVEY THINGS-prostitute, ideal beauty, escape from modern world BRIGHT COLORS RECALL IMPRESSIONISM

Pablo Picasso. Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. (The Young Ladies of Avignon). 1907

proto-cubism/symbolism background: initially outraged everyone, title refers to RED-LIGHTS DISTRICT in Barcelona-makes the viewers the patron of the brothel content: 5 nudes-most savage and confrontational ever-femme fatale-a common theme of art and lit during that time seated figure turned away but facing us is vexing and scary style: Shocking, sharp departure from his past work, inspired by French history paintings-especially in its size-usually for Salons, classic academic nude subject, inspired by avant-garde work of Matisse yet also sharply contrasted with his work table w/ fruit-a symbol of lust-gives sexual theme to piece ABSTRACT-threatening and violent, space is incoherent, looks like shards of incomprehensible glass-instead of receding they hover over surface SHARP, POINTED FIGURES again we see PROSTITUTES AS SYMBOLS OF MODERNITY reverse-shading to add to the detachment of forms Like Cezanne, had gradual disillusion between figures/subject and background Interlocking and angular shapes, contradictory point of view USE OF CONFLICTING STYLES IS ANOTHER DISTURVING QUALITY-3 left nudes inspired by ancient Roman and Iberian sculptures while those on the right have scary African masks-abstraction and barbarism WORK REPS HIS WILLINGNESS TO LOOK ANYWHERE FOR INSPIRATION and also THE NEW FREEDOM PAINTING HAD, and MADE WAY FOR ANALYTIC CUBISM