Modern Art Midterm
Francisco de Goya, "This Is Worse," Plate 37 from The Disasters of War, 1810-11
- Goya's fascination with war, - French invaders of Spain massacred local people - Goya shows the mutilated body of a rebel impaled on the branches of a tree at two points - through his anus and shoulder blade.[4] The victim's head is turned towards the picture's viewer - Shows the needless brutality of war, everyone suffers - French soldiers in the background, wielding swords, - endless cycle of violence - hopelessness, fighting but no revolution, no gain - protest art -disturbing: no meaning to violence, simply brutal -ROMANTICISM - man is an allegory
Mechanization
- Machines taking over -mechanical aesthetic -modern, machine -- like the Eiffel Tower - artists either reject or embrace this aesthetic
Modernism and Mass Culture
- Modernization -Industrialization, Revolution, Urbanization, Enlightenment - Marxism: Class struggle, alienation of the worker, exploitation of worker, capital -Industrial Revolution (rapid social, political, cultural change) -begins in Paris - Age of Enlightenment, Science, Revolutions - Rebellion, challenging authority/monarchy - Democracy - Freedom/liberty - Rapid Urbanization and shift from farm life: poverty, slums, city life was hard
Jacques-Louis David, The Oath of the Horatii, 1784.
- Neoclassical Style -comes from ancient Roman legend of two Roman tribes at war: intertwined, familial ties, intermarriage - the war was sacrifice, three sons pledging war to father - brothers fighting brothers for a larger cause - painting placed David on side of Revolution against corrupt monarchs - French Revolution is civil-war, brother vs brother - History painting is a metaphor. Can talk about revolution without revealing himself - honor to be part of war, it is grand and necessary -war creates progress - civil unrest France, revolution will require sacrifice, artist sees revolution as necessary - use of bright red calls to mind blood, and loss
Francisco de Goya, The Third of May, 1808, 1814
- Romanticism -war, revolution - hopelessness - painting's content, presentation, and emotional force secure its status as a groundbreaking, archetypal image of the horrors of war - destruction is needless, meaningless, pointless, useless- not glorified -French invasion of Spain- image captures Spanish rebells -centers on two masses of men: one a rigidly poised firing squad, the other a disorganized group of captives held at gun point. Executioners and victims face each other abruptly across a narrow space - lantern situated on the ground between the two groups throws a dramatic light on the scene, man is dramatically lit - The death of a blameless victim had typically been presented as a conclusive episode, imbued with the virtue of heroism. The Third of May offers no such cathartic message. Instead, there is a continuous procession of the condemned in a mechanical formalization of murder -There is no room left for the sublime; his head and body have been disfigured to a degree that renders resurrection impossible -No hope for man to be saved, nothing/nobody to stop them from killing him. Dark background with outline of a faraway building leaves a mysterious and distant feeling to the environment, abandonment and neglect.
Eugène Delacroix. The Women of Algiers. 1834
- Romanticism - Orientalist focus: explores the exoticism of the east -Women are dressed in gold blouses or dresses, sign of wealth. Leisurely atmosphere of relaxation, free of stress of everyday life. Nice lounging area -separation between the women and the viewer - Delacroix perfectly rendered the features of the women's clothing, adornments, and the interior decor in great detail -it is devoid of the objectifying terms odalisque or harem - the black slave women exits the scene, she looks upon the lounging women -a subtler version of the fantasy female. With the exposed décolletage, loose unbounded clothing and languid poses, Delacroix's Algerian females are still situated in the European oriental dream - still shows the East as a place of easy, luxurious, relaxation - French conquest of Algeria, Morocco
Troubadour Style
- medieval inspiration, small-scale works, meticulous finish, started by Louis David's students - would inspire Romantic aesthetic
Hausmannization
- renovations of Paris - cities were being transformed, grow for more people -Napoleon III - hired Baron to plan/clean Paris -people/slums were displaced by city changing -demolition of medieval neighborhoods that were deemed overcrowded and unhealthy by officials at the time; the building of wide avenues; new parks and squares; the annexation of the suburbs surrounding Paris; and the construction of new sewers, fountains and aqueducts
Legacy of Jacques Louis David
- style of rigorous contours, sculpted forms, and polished surfaces - history painting intended as moral exemplars - painted in service of royalty, radical revolutionaries, an emperor
Honore Daumier, The Uprising, 1848
-Realism - Single person, no sense of individuality of others. Early moment in revolution, not 100% supported by other' -mass of people uprising - lack of individuality - central woman figure - denial of meaning, addresses situations of the people, lower class, gives us a fragment of their lives - lets the viewer look into the moment of rebellion, fighting for something greater - interrupts process of "easy life' -inspired by the revolution of 1848, which saw the overthrow of Louis-Philippe's monarchy -Daumier expressed the fervor of revolution through his manipulation of compositional and pictorial elements. Daumier compressed the crowd by introducing the vertical wall to the right and the dark shadows on the left , massing the figures and thereby heightening the explosive quality of the scene and transforming it, according to Phillips, into a "symbol of all pent up human indignation -Not much attention to detail, done on purpose. Brushstrokes are raw and seem unfinished, implying a sense of urgency.
Avante-Garde
-from military, meaning "advance guard" - risk, pushing ahead - artists looking to/willing to experiment - establish new methods of visual expression - at risk of career and reputation - originality - role of artist to make audience see new things - slowly took over as the expectation of an artist
Rationalization and Standardization
-producing multiple, similar items - catalog ordering, defeats craftsman Rationalization: quantifying of labour process and industry, steps are broken down into repeatable tasks, efficient - makes identical objects CRISIS: people dehumanized, cog in the machine
Neoclassicism
-the revival of a classical style or treatment in art, literature, architecture, or music. -renewed interest in harmony, simplicity, and proportion - archeology brought forth remnants of world beauty - style arose from first-hand observation of antique works and dominated European architecture,art - systematically retrieve the glories of lost civilizations - Travelers were important students of Roman and Greek antiquity-- Europeans went on tours of Rome, Italy, Greece - emphasis on formal composition, historical subject matter, contemporary setting and costumes, rigidity, solidity and monumentality in spirit of classic revival - figures have a sense of unreality and weightlessness -rational, logical, reasonable, well thought out
Romanticism
19th century artistic movement that appealed to emotion rather than reason -sense of drama - emphasis on imagination and emotion - often posited as an opposite to Neoclassicism -nature: uncontrollable power, unpredictability and potential for cataclysmic extremes - offered an alternative to ordered world of Enlightenment thought - violent and terrifying images of nature - man's struggle against nature - uses allegory/ symbol - doesn't have to be logical - high drama -human irrationality - brighter colors -darker aspects of human nature - violence, the grotesque
Realism
A 19th century artistic movement in which writers and painters sought to show life as it is rather than life as it should be - developed from lithography, photography - associated with the uprising of 1848 -overthrew King Loui-Phillippe - faces look almost like masks - not visually realistic, thematically - gives the viewer a look into a particular moment of life, a glimpse into a different world - particularly depicts the experience of lower class citizens
Humanism
A Renaissance intellectual movement in which thinkers studied classical texts and focused on human potential and achievements - idea of humans as center of universe -human is divine
Post-Impressionism
A late nineteenth-century style that relies on the Impressionist use of color and spontaneous brushwork but that employs these elements as expressive devices.
linear perspective
A monocular cue for perceiving depth; the more parallel lines converge, the greater their perceived distance. - vanishing point, perspective - an illusion of 3-dimensions are a 2D surface, seems real - scientific system to create depth and space - conveys sense of stability, rationality, emphasis on human intellect
Cubism
A style of art in which the subject matter is portrayed by geometric forms, especially cubes - challenges typical art, portrayal of forms - high class and low class
Impressionism
An artistic movement that sought to capture a momentary feel, or impression, of the piece they were drawing - not necessarily about a perfect physical rendering of the object - contemporary subjects
Georges Braque, Houses at L'Estaque, 1908
Cubism - no sense of depth, space, size or structure - Chaotic in the sense that figures (now unknown to viewer) have been reduced to cube shapes - Simplification of shapes. Simple color palette and rough shading and highlights gives it a rough, unfinished feeling. - the landscape is reduced to its simplistic elements - meant to represent houses in Southern frace -response to the works of Cezanne - flatens out the landscape , no perspective - Artistic rendering and structure of composition is more important than transcribing a feeling of reality - the tree is turned, suggesting that wind is blowing, gives some sense of movement
Pablo Picasso, Still Life with Chair-Caning, 1912
Cubism - oil, cloth, fake wood grain, COLLAGE - Away from traditional approach, different kind of perspective. Jou = journal - Texture from rope adds new sense of visual stimulation. Boundary lines, space, and inclusion are complicated. - 3D objects incorporated into actual art itself. -Picasso placed industrially-produced objects ("low" commercial culture) into the realm of fine art ("high" culture) they acted as artistic iconoclasts (icon=image/clast=destroyer) - questioned the elitism of the art world, which had always dictated the separation of common, everyday experience from the rarefied, contemplative realm of artistic creation - work highlighted—and separated—the role of technical skill from art-making - high class and low class merge -café table, which are round or square but never oval. Yet, when we look at a circular table. alludes to the café, where artists would mingle, newspapers would be read, information shared
Pablo Picasso, Bottle of Suze, 1912
Cubism - Almost purely newspaper. Shading. Formal element. Texture? Language signification. Geo-political issues, conversations, arguments, current events. - Papier-colle: newspaper fragments, works made out of paper, articles about the Balkan wars, cholera epidemic, protest against war -represent the popular daily Parisian routine of reading the paper while smoking and drinking in a café -at the same time, the newspaper articles themselves tell of the terrifying events of the First Balkan War. Many art critics believe these elements represent the juxtaposition of the simple pleasures, as well as the horrors, of modern life -painting, actually a collage, incorporates bits of newspaper, wallpaper, and construction paper to portray (some art critics say "suggest") a liquor bottle with a label, a glass, an ashtray, and a lit cigarette - collage combines different aspects of life, in this case war and simple pleasures
Pablo Picasso, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, 1907
Cubism - redefining the nude -Five nude prostitutes painted in a cubist style. Angular bodies with unusual shapes and poses. Not realistic, African mask influence (racial primitivism -Conflict and tension with wife over spending excessive amounts of time in basement with the models. Syphilis/fear of sexuality - the image is almost grotesque - it is shocking, almost uncomfortable - have little sense of depth, space - the canvas is quite larger, the viewer is forced to confront the distorted women - Choices in terms of color palette and space/depth both made Les Demoiselles d'Avignon such an iconic piece. -distortion of female's body and geometric forms in an innovative way, which challenge the expectation that paintings will offer idealized representations of female beauty -the fact that the figures look directly at the viewer, as well as the idea of the self-possessed woman, no longer there solely for the pleasure of the male gaze, may be traced back to Olympia, 1863 of Manet. -that the five ladies all appear to be frightfully detached, to be sure entirely unconscious of one another. Rather, they concentrate singularly on the viewer, their dissimilar styles just advancing the power of their glare - gazes challenge viewer, challenge typical perception of art.
Georges Braque, Violin and Palette, 1909
Cubism -Fueled and inspired by meeting Picasso in 1907. Different art mediums, music and painting. Fragments of violin at bottom left side against backdrop of music scores (vertically along the length of the painting) -Muted colors allow play of light and shadows so that moving from side to side or staring hard at painting, pieces begin to merge with other pieces to form an image - Semiotics: the study of signs, in particular the analysis of language as a system of signs. The signified can be an object existing in reality, or a mental concept or idea -fragmentalized the objects in the painting into pieces, which are then meshed into the background. Viewers thus see fragments of the objects in the picture that seem broken amidst other pieces of the painting, as if hidden in a jigsaw puzzle. -various shades of color and we will find fragments of the violin at the bottom left side of the painting against the backdrop of what appears to be music scores, all aligned vertically along the length of the painting. - experiment with cubism, muted colors - The muted colors allow the play of light and shadows so that as we move from side to side or stare hard at the painting, the various pieces seem to move or merge with other pieces. Examine each piece, and we will be amazed at how detailed Braque had been in examining a violin, so that we are able, as a violin maker would, to identify the pieces that go into making a violin - puts viewer into process, breaking objects down - idea that art could be like music, beautiful but without a specific message/ or larger meaning
Pablo Picasso, Portrait of Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, 1910
Cubism -Picasso drew portrait to commemorate German art dealer, writer, and publisher Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler. - Analytical cubism. Reduction of detail into geometric forms. - Straight, angular penetrate monochromatic sepia tones -Deconstruction of Kahnweiler does not match the physical resemblance, more about idea. - suggestion of human shape - Exploration of new way to portray people, places, and things - the muted colors refuse to reveal meaning
Japonsime
European fascination with everything from Japanese culture
Gino Severini, Armored Train in Action, 1915
Futurism - bright colors, almost happy - shows soldiers -up-close action - speed, modernity of train -soldiers become ONE with train/machinery - going to war, this is celebrated - artist has fascination of war, from a distance. He was kept out of WWI because of poor health - war, death and destruction could be a cleansing force. - war was necessary - soldiers on train are victorious - man and machine coming together, creates something sacred - geometric shapes do not provide a sense of space or perspective
Umberto Boccioni, The City Rises, 1910
Futurism -abstract, aggressive portrayal of city life and drama - up-close action- blob of color represents figures - terror of modern industry - slashes of red suggest idea of violence, chaos that comes along with modern innovations-- this is celebrated
Gino Severini, Visual Synthesis of the Idea: "War", 1914
Futurism - depicts fascination with war - machines - idea of nationalism and defending ones country - French flags can be seen - use of script "effort maximum", nation putting everything into war, necessary and glorious sacrifice. - many machines interacting, they bleed into one another - war is powerful, cleansing force - it must happen for society to improve- reveals a disturbing thought process
Edgar Degas, L'Absinthe, 1876
Impressionism - A woman drinking Absinthe sits beside a man in a café. She looks dull and lifeless, looking down with her slightly faded, emotionless eyes - The man beside her looks distracted and occupied by something or someone else. The man's pipe and hand are cut off by the framing of the painting - Her body is slumped over, possibly in a drunken state - she appears to be tired, gazing off into the distance. Her dress appears to be dirty and worn out. - the drink has consumed her, contemporary issue -Degas' larger brushstrokes appear fitting for the messy nature of this painting. - The tables work to create a physical separation between the viewer and the figures. -The lack of precision and attention to detail in the painting works to represent the slightly degrading and uncontrolled feeling of drunkenness and emotional exhaustion the woman may be caught up in. - also suggests that her husband could be source of drinking issue, he does not seem to help her or intervene, he sits by as she stuggles
Mary Cassatt, The Bath, ca. 1892
Impressionism - Theme of woman/mother caring for child. Striped pattern creates depth, animates portrait, and accentuates nakedness of child. - Cassatt commonly painted domestic scenes -Perspective/vantage point from above creates a sense of looking down on the scene. Bowl and pitcher at odd angle, doesn't line up with wall or ground they are sitting on -Portrays intimacy and relationship between mother and child. Observation over idealization. Real life, woman work with children -Positioning of her hands on the child's body represents natural body language. There is a large sense of care and concern for the child by the mother's loving touch and firm, yet gentle hold on her child's bod -Influenced by Japanese woodblock prints and design, "more interested in decorative impact than precise perspective."
Georges Seurat, Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, 1884-86
Impressionism - pointillism: uses dots of color next to each other to create contrast, an overall saturation, colors mixed in eye - seurat was an anarchist - believed society could be a mixture of diverse people, as seen in the image - things are not as pleasant, simple as they seem - the leisure space is contemporary = different people placed next to recognizable markers to reveal identity - the monkey, for instance, reveals that the woman is a courtesan - there is also a working class man -Introduction to class division and sex workers. Strong feeling of dream or illusion from tranquility and stability. - image reveals how artist believes society SHOULD be
Mary Cassatt, Woman in Black at the Opera, 1880
Impressionism - woman at the opera - intently watching opera, side angle - ideas about looking, being seen, gender -Going to the opera, see and be seen. Woman tightly gripping onto her glasses looks at the stage at the opera she is attending - her spectacles are tilted up, suggesting that she is looking at someone or something besides the stage - on her wrist, her vein is bulging, suggesting that she does not like whatever she is viewing - ideas about upper class, being seen and seeing at the opera -She is dressed in all black with little skin showing, possibly to blend in with the background. She becomes the object of the gaze when a figure across from her turns to observe her through their glasses: man in background is watching her -Could be a comment made by Cassatt suggesting the opera could be more than a dramatic musical experience, possibly even a social experience. The viewer is given a range of possibilities in terms of the relationship of the figures in the painting.
Auguste Renoir, Moulin de la Galette, 1876
Impressionism -The painting depicts a typical Sunday afternoon at the original Moulin de la Galette in the district of Montmartre in Paris. In the late 19th century, working class Parisians would dress up and spend time there dancing, drinking, and eating galettes into the evening -Focus on new urban spaces and everyday life of working-class people. Busy scene, lots of people and movement to focus on -Emphasis on shadows, light, and movement through brushstrokes and attention to detail -Painting that demands time to pay attention to the subject matter, a lot to take in all at once. Bringing a newfound awareness to simple daily tasks and events taking place -Vibrant colors, filtered light, wonderful scenes of civilians in their environment stresses the importance of the individual and how they spend their time. -Figures are cut out of frame in some areas, suggesting that more goes on outside of his painting
Edgar Degas, Place de la Concorde, 1875
Impressionism - Has a sense of a photographic eye, because the painting doesn't seem to capture a specific moment or element of time. - Cropping is odd, doesn't include man on left or the legs/feet of the man and his daughters - Displays movement in several directions at once. Emphasizes the studied indifference of the flaneur. - Lacking connection and eye contact, it seems this is a moment where everyone in the scene appeared to be distracted - The composition's large amount of negative space is thought by art historians to be based off a photograph. - moment of everyday life, movement - contemporary focus -errands, a day out - the man to the left is partially cut out of the painting, he is removed. Suggests that there is more occurring outside the realm of the image
Paul Cézanne, Still Life with Cherries and Peaches, 1885-7
Impressionism - Mysterious background, hidden elements behind block of color (chair/table?) - Odd angle, perspective doesn't line up- distortion of oval/circle bowl - Some highlights and shadows are inconsistent with the lighting pattern -Tablecloth with blue undertone and stiff detail creates tension/break in flow. - trying to create a realistic 3D effect, does not work 100% - idea of beauty over correctness - the impression of the scene rather than the perfect execution - simplicity, modern life
Édouard Manet, Déjeuner sur l'herbe (Luncheon on the Grass), 1863
Impressionism - Seems unrealistic with made up woods background and figures painted in harsh studio lighting. Sizing of subjects and perspective seem wrong -broke away from the classical view that art should obey established conventions and seek to achieve timelessness -The incongruity suggested that the women were not goddesses but models, or possibly prostitutes. -The presence of a nude woman among clothed men is justified neither by mythological nor allegorical precedents - pulls apart what painting is - background is blocks of color, theatrical backdrop - woman is real, not mythical abstraction - inspired by Titian, older paintings - image is jarring - woman is Naked not nude- Real - Victorine Meurent - woman gazes at the audience, she is illuminated by lighting, seductive gaze - playing with perspective, scale, woman in back outsized - testimony to Manet's refusal to conform to convention and his initiation of a new freedom from traditional subjects and modes of representation - influenced modern painting not only by his use of realistic subject matter but also by his challenge to the three-dimensional perspectivalism established in Renaissance painting: figures have a flatness - Frog at bottom corner is a symbol for a prostitute. Basket holding food is a jumbled mess of fruits and bread, appear to be lacking detail and doesn't make sense - pile of clothes in corner is scandalous
Georges Seurat, Bathers at Asnières, 1884
Impressionism - focus on modernity. - this is a leisure space, other side of river, can see the factory - this space is for working people, not upper class - can see the wealthy in the background on boats - Group of men and boys in the Seine River in working class suburb of Asniere -this is a lower class space for relaxation, there own world - ideas of class and separation - workers cannot escape labor and factories, even in a leisure space/time
Claude Monet, Haystacks series, 1890-91
Impressionism - serial impressions, same subject, how it can be different - Serial impressions of haystacks in a field near Monet's house. Trying to question/answer how in time certain conditions can transform one's eyes. - Monet was intensely aware of and interested in the changes of the region's landscape based on the seasons and the way that light affected what he saw - Fascination with variation of scenes and how he could paint the same thing in different ways. Used different colors and angles to represent change and the passing of time from his perspective - Each painting is unique even though the same subject is used numerous times. - explores the experience and sensations of different seasons - Monet repeated the same subject to show the differing light and atmosphere at different times of day, across the seasons and in many types of weather. - underlying theme may be seen as the transience of light - show nuances of perception as the time of day, the seasons and the weather changed. The almost unvarying subject provided the basis for him to compare changes of light and mood across his nuanced series - use of brushstrokes to capture the light and sensations, seasons, weather, - varying use of color
Claude Monet, Impression: Sunrise, 1872
Impressionism -Sketch-like quality -Lack of finish - No fixed eye.Obvious brush strokes visible to viewer, creative way to display bold color and texture choices - Contrast between small sun, its reflection, and the sailors on the blue water. Messy and unblended appearance on the canvas leaves a bit of an unfinished feeling - Horizon line not very distinct. It is visible, which gives the viewer chance to familiarize themselves with the environment. - "En plein air" in fresh air, new landscapes from new chemistry advancements for paint. Organizing structure, openness to brushstrokes, ambiguous, lack of clarity. - playing with more fluid forms - depicts a mist, which provides a hazy background to the piece set in the French harbor. The orange and yellow hues contrast brilliantly with the dark vessels, where little, if any detail is immediately visible to the audience - striking and candid work that shows the smaller boats in the foregrouna almost being propelled along by the movement of the water. This has, once again, been achieved by separate brushstrokes that also show various colors "sparkling" on the sea -The buildings and ships in the background are vague shapes and the red sun dominates. As Monet himself commented: "It really can't pass as a view of Le Havre." His aim was not to create an accurate landscape, but to record the impressions formed while looking at that landscape. - captures the happy, carefree, peaceful, bold sentiments experiences while looking at landscape
Paul Cézanne, Mont Sainte-Victoire and the Viaduct of the Arc River Valley, 1882-85
Impressionism -Use of geometric motifs. More intellectual, design-oriented style of painting - Strong composition based off perspective, depth, and space - Bold brushstrokes add a sense of natural rawness to the canvas. Influential to other modernists (Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque) - every mature painting by Cezanne is a miniature study of form and color in his continual quest to create something of lasting merit - capturing the beauty of the landscape - depicts the scenery of southern frace, where Cezanne went away to - through the greenery can see a train and bridge, technology beginning to cut through nature
Édouard Manet, Olympia, 1863
Impressionism, Realism - Strong sexual focus. Odalisque pose suggests lust or arousal -Looking into eyes of viewer. Her own eyes do not seem to reveal much about herself, she has a very blank and vague stare -Body proportions are unrealistic -shocked contemporary audiences was not Olympia's nudity, nor the presence of her fully clothed maid, but her confrontational gaze, she was a prostitute - She is Naked, not nude- appears vulgar - Hand is placed right near genitals, not open or willing to reveal herself completely - the orchid in her hair, her bracelet, pearl earrings and the oriental shawl on which she lies, symbols of wealth and sensuality -The black ribbon around her neck, in stark contrast with her pale flesh, and her cast-off slipper underline the voluptuous atmosphere -Olympia's left hand appears to block, which has been interpreted as symbolic of her sexual independence from men and her role as a prostitute, granting or restricting access to her body in return for payment -Olympia is a real woman whose nakedness is emphasized by the harsh lighting -Represents prostitution more than beauty because it lacks depth and realistic contouring, which contributes to a more graceful scene (like Titian's Venus of Urbino - Victorine Meurent model
Kitagawa Utamaro, Mother and Sleepy Child, ca. 1790
Japanese Woodblock Print -Shows love between mother and child and the small, intimate moments that take place in a family relationship. Simple/minimalist approach with Japanese style. - simple muted colors - the baby is upside down suggesting they are playing - the perspective is flat, viewer is looking directly at the scene
Ukiyo-e
Japanese woodblock printing; translation: "pictures of the floating world"
Vincent van Gogh, Japonaiserie (after Hiroshige), 1887
Japonisme, Wood Block Print - Inspired by Japanese print by Hiroshige -Did not stick to original colors or composition -Used Japanese text with no meaning, decorative function. Fetishizing a culture for aesthetics. - Van Gogh was obsessed with the Japanese aesthetic, flat perspective and colors - believed all his work was founded on Japanese art - shows how Westerners could appropriate a culture to use for paintings - Van Gogh probably intended this piece to be an ode to Japanese artists who inspired him, however the made-up Japanese writing and the process in general reveals a Western disregard for taking the things of others
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, The Turkish Bath, 1862
Neoclassicism, Orientalism - voyerism - depicts nude women at a harem pool - erotic and exotic, invokes ideas of the East, mythological women -The painting is known for its subtle colourisation, especially the very pale skin of the women resting in the privacy of a bathing area. The figures are given an almost abstract and "slender and sinuous" form -They are arranged in a very harmonious, circular manner, a curved arrangement that heightens the eroticism of the painting -use of motifs that include the implied haze of Oriental perfume, and the inclusion of vases, running water, fruit and jewels, as well as a palette that ranges from pale white to pink, ivory, light greys and a variety of browns - obsession with East, eroticism, exotic, untouchable women, fantasy - looking into a sexual moment -Leisurely and relaxed atmosphere. Some sleeping, others bathing, casually talking to one another. One woman is dancing while an instrument is being played. Large feeling of carelessness and the letting go of fears - Erotic element focuses on one woman touching the breast of her neighbor. Focused more on drawing and details rather than color - circle composition makes it feel as though the viewer is looking/peering into a secluded space - filtered light against the women emphasizes their bodies
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, The Grand Odalisque, 1814
Neoclassicism, Orientalism - Symbols of affluence (peacock fan, jewelry in hair, satin fabrics, jeweled object in left corner), suggests ideas of exotic east - Odalisque is a harem slave, European sexual fantasy, idealized bodies, off limit spaced b/c men can't enter harems - European fantasy that this woman is just waiting in the harem - Gazing over her shoulder as if someone walked in on her posing like this - Sense of nakedness, she only has a turban on with blankets lining the sides of her back - Pipe in corner suggests she was smoking for pleasure - Elongated back and right arm stray from typical idealization of human body. Not the female body as it exists in real life -renowned for the elongated proportions and lack of anatomical realism - Fills entire canvas, use of space that makes sure she is seen completely - portrays a concubine in languid pose as seen from behind with distorted proportions - distance between her gaze and her pelvic region may be a physical representation of the depth of thought and complex emotions of a woman's thoughts and feelings -Spotlight cast on her body, bringing attention to the features Ingres wanted to highlight. Sensual, erotic tone, as if she is offering herself to the viewer through the intense eye contact and body position. Tight brushwork to achieve "near photographic realism"
Jean-Leon Gerome, The Snake Charmer, 1874
Orientalism - examination of the East - group of people lazy, not working - watching naked boy, sexual overtones - break/crack in the well, the society is decaying, not moving forward in history - justifies Western intervention, need help -hyper realistic style, bold colors -the artist is passing on information, is almost a "scientific observer" -Complex cultural framing, a system that many artists use- consciously or unconsciously - Time is standing still, not moving forward, suspended history. Decay and neglect -Naturalism - intensely detailed/ realistic
Eadweard Muybridge, Horse in Motion, 1878.
Photograph - Experiment with motion photography. Advancement of photography allows more people to study motion and movement more in depth than they had before - shows the moment when photograph transcends human ability of sight - Muybridge was hired by Leland Stanford to photograph horses. He had a bet with Stanford about whether a horse undergoes a moment of suspension from the ground at a galloping pace: all four feet off ground -Muybridge set up row of cameras with tripwires that would trigger a picture to capture each movement of a horse's stride. Determined that there is a moment of suspension when a horse is galloping. Improving photography technique throughout his career to make motion studies possible and more complex than ever. - sense of advancement. Photography can more deeply explore the natural world in a way that humans cannot do alone
Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889
Post-Impressionism - shows Van Gogh's depression, - he was in an asylum for a while - vivid color and brushstrokes - town is Dutch style- would not be in France where artist was - from artist's imagination, dark - tied into artists emotional state - depending into a world of illusion, hallucination - emotions over intellect - Surreal expression, spacing, brushstroke technique van Gogh used reflects his mental state. Strong use of yellow and blue. Dimness of night sky displays his turbulent quest with his illness -Spiral effects, unrealistic, stressing distorted alternate point of view. Power of nature. Conveys a sense of optimism, there is light in the dark. - shows how the artist was now viewing the world, sense of darkness, hopelessness, yet there is beauty - the tree to the left is a black blob, a dark symbol, ambiguous
Paul Gauguin, Vision after the Sermon, 1888.
Post-Impressionism + Primitivism - Literary source: Genesis 32:22-3 -Peasant women leaving church have a vision of Jacob wrestling an angel (most likely the sermon of the day - Combines two realities, the real and the dream world: strong design brings them together -Jacob struggles with his own conscience, other men, and God (represented by the angel in struggle for truth and redemption) - Jacob continues his journey towards the promised land. Red field is significant- differentiates between the lands of struggle and the land of peace. - Tree of knowledge represents the decision of man in comprehending good and evil, the consequence of the fall from grace - The green foliage symbolizes the promise of redemption and return to paradise. 12 women and priest watch event -Cow in painting symbolizes man's redemptions. Dramatic composition no longer necessary to have photorealistic representation of nature - large areas of flat color to the composition, and the red ground departs from conventional representation of earth, field, or grass - influence of Japanese prints on the flatness, distortion of figures - raw nature of human kind, unfiltered, how things should be, not modernized
Paul Gauguin, The Spirit of the Dead Watching, 1892
Primitivism, Post- Impressionism - The subject of the painting is Gauguin's young native wife -phosphorescences that could be seen in Tahiti at night, and which natives believed to be the exhalations of the spirits of the dead -Nude girl laying on bed shows fear in her eyes as the spirit of death watches over her. Intense emotions can be seen through her eyes. Description of scene assumes young woman is thinking about the spirit of death - idea of native religion, ancestors and spirits linger, watching - Both figures are made up of flat forms and dark colors and contours. Unusual shapes and colors deepen the mysterious nature and dark feeling that come with the painting - Eye contact between the dead spirit, the women, and the viewer creates a feeling that the viewer is invited into the frightening atmosphere - Tension between inner and outer realities and the handling of unearthly silence are some of the biggest elements that come with the painting - purple colors on the wall suggest a dream landscape. Reality and imagination combine - idea that the past can haunt -Gauguin liked Manet's Olympia (similar)\ - challenges conventional notions of the political and gender content of Gauguin's paintings, androgynous depiction is in keeping with Polynesian cosmology and its stress on the dual nature of things
Gustave Courbet, The Stonebreakers, 1849-50
REALISM - Courbet was from the country- shows that lifestyle -two laborers: father, son - no idealization - torn clothes, life of hard work - bodies fill up the space, the viewer cannot look away - artist saw the two working on road- based on real life - circular composition, cycle of work is never ending - suggests that the son will follow his father, hard work to death, no escape - oppressive labour- it is their life - gives the viewer a sense of the other side so to speak, deconstructs any notion of an easy life -Hidden faces make It difficult to characterize or identify who is behind the work. No idealization or glamourous look - when presented in the Salon, in front of audience, this moment would be shocking, surprising
Gustave Courbet, A Burial at Ornans, 1849-50
REALISM - based on real event - funeral on countryside - priests have alcoholic features, seem slumped over, bloated, dazed, possible critique of religion - no prominence of coffin or grave - mass of people, looking in different directions, everyone (including dog) is distracted - no focus on burial. It is not a triumphant, glorious moment of death. Meaningless - critiques the ritual of death, refuses to give a larger meaning through symbol - refusing visual pleasure - Courbet thought of the role of an artist in telling the story of contemporary times -Nobody's identity of sense of self is revealed (lack of eye contact and expressive body language/mourning). Weird details (blue stockings) and bland landscape leave viewer in a sense of confusion. -Cross placed in odd area, seems to be set in distance, but is held up by one of the people in the crowd.- questions the idea of Lord/God/Jesus watching
Théodore Géricault, The Raft of the 'Medusa', 1819
Romanticism - based on true story - Bourbon King appoints incompetent ship captain as favor - boat crashes, wealthy escape on lifeboats - poor, servants, slaves, left to survive on raft of ship - stranded for over two weeks, no help, food, water - violence, tragedy, resort to cannibalism - diagonal view: bottom of ship to man holding flag, possibly at ship in distance - ambiguous moment: wave and wind in sail pushing raft away from help - triumphant figure emerging from mass, also could me a moment of devastation - dramatic, theatrical -emotive -possible moment of death - symbol/idea of corruption and its repercussions
Eugène Delacroix, Liberty Leading the People, 1830
Romanticism - woman holding French flag, great exposed: embodiment of Liberty - woman as figure of Republic - Liberty was intoxicating subject pyramid of dead bodies (similar to Medusa) - nation states- defining what it means to be "French" -Heavy/intense body language by most figures in painting. Larger sense of individuality, distinguishable faces and posture. Represents population with variation of jobs or occupations. -the woman is not a refined, Greek Goddess as is typical: she is rough, dirty, of the people - figures create a sense of unity, society, everyone is part of something - people from different jobs: students, workers, etc - symbol/allegory - woman is freedom, she is standing atop all of the death and carnage - through sacrifice, revolution, freedom will emerge - theatricality - meaning in war and violence
Umberto Boccioni, Unique Forms of Continuity in Space, 1913
Sculpture, Futurism, Ideas of technology, striding forward, Man + Machines - the appendages coming off of the ankles are meant to show movement, not wings like an angel -similar to ancient Nike sculpture - movement of the man through space -new idea of time - future, progress, speed - cast in broze, man is machine like - this sense of progress, man and machines is almost divine
Utagawa Hiroshige, Plum Park in Kameido, 1857
Ukiyo-e style print, Japanese woodblock Print - Part of the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (modern Tokyo) - Oddly shaped branches of blueish grey plum tree stand out against the sky's red gradient. - The beautiful light provides a sense of calm in the picture -The people in the background near the fences of the park introduces the simple element of humans in nature -Shows the distance between people engaging in everyday activities and the presence of nature's sacredness - bold colors represent the vibrancy of nature - flat perspective
The Grand Tour
a pilgrimage of aristocrats, wealthy and diplomatic persons to tour the important area of Europe to obtain the knowledge and classical culture. - importnat for wealthy, young, European men to go to Italy/Greece. See the classicism, experience art
Allegory
a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. - making an abstract idea into a recognizable figure
Hierarchy of Genres
any formalization which ranks different genres in an art form in terms of their prestige and cultural value. Determined by The Academy in France- thought the genres represented skill. How the paintings were also physically displayed 1. History Painting 2. Portraiture 3. Genre painting: everyday life 4. Landscape 5. Still Life
Collage
artistic composition of materials pasted over a surface; an assemblage of diverse elements - brings together high and low class - went to Cafe's: conversation, information, inspiration, sites of interaction, newspapers read - music notes/script - return again and again to instruments in depictions: experience of art require time and attention, piece of music is not understood through one listening. It is a process to understand - idea that art could be like music: beautiful without necessarily having a larger meaning
Passage
intermingling of forms