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🎨 Impressionism: Capturing Light and Fleeting Moments
Origins: Impressionism emerged in France during the late 19th century, a reaction against the rigid academic art of the time. Artists sought to depict the fleeting effects of light and color in the natural world, moving away from grand historical narratives and allegorical paintings. The movement's name, initially a derogatory term, stemmed from a critic's description of Monet's work as mere "impressions." Key Characteristics: Emphasis on light and color: Artists focused on capturing the changing qualities of light at different times of day and in various atmospheric conditions. This involved using broken brushstrokes and unblended colors , allowing the viewer's eye to optically mix the colors. En plein air painting: Painting outdoors ( en plein air ) became crucial to directly observe and capture the effects of natural light. Everyday subjects: Impressionists often depicted everyday scenes, such as landscapes, cityscapes, and leisure activities, rather than solely focusing on mythological or historical themes. Impasto: The technique of applying paint thickly, so that brushstrokes are visible and the paint texture is prominent. This added another layer of visual interest to the paintings. Loose brushwork: The visible brushstrokes contributed to the sense of movement and spontaneity in the paintings. Key Figures: Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Alfred Sisley, Edgar Degas, and Édouard Manet. Each artist brought their unique perspective and style to the movement.
💃 Claude Monet: Impressionism
He exhibited a landscape with impasto strokes. He was so in love with the countryside of his native Normandy, France, and sought to represent reality using approaches that were quite new at that time. He studied the effect of natural light on landscapes a different times and realized that they tend to change, depending on the time of day and the color of life produced during this particular time of day. In the painting that he exhibited in 1874 the orange sunrise can barely be delineated beneath layers of blue and gray hues. Monette and a group of painters displayed their works in an independent exhibition that they finally called The Salon of the Refused. The group of painters that converged around Monette called themselves, the Impressionists. In 1890 Monette ranged the wheat stacks left over by the winter in his country.
💃 Vincent Van Gogh: postimpressionist
He is a self-Dutch artist from Antwerp. She went to France and got acquainted with a French avant-garde Artist such as Pissaro, Georges Seurat, Henri Toulouse Lautrec, and Émile Bernard.
He was inspired by the unnatural color, palette, and impasto brush strokes of the impressionist. He saw that some of them were inspired by Japanese printmaking in the sense that they chose to render the picture plane flat and make the forms delineated. He saw art not as a copy of nature, but as a departure from nature. He retreated to the countryside because he wanted to live close to nature. He made the painting “Irises” During the latter years of his life.
💃 Paul Gaugin: Post-impressionist
He depicted, local flora and fauna and people from Tahiti. Wrote that art does not imitate nature, and that artists should see nature only as a point of departure.
💃 Henry Matisse: Post-impressionist
He and a group of artists exhibited in a salon in 1905. Their paintings were characterized by vivid colors that had no regard for the subject's actual colors. They called themselves the Fauves translated as “wild beasts”. His painting Harmony in Red/Red Room” shows the interior of a household. He has condensed domestic space in one picture plane and placed the elements of a table set in a flat array so that they seem to be floating. Advanced Concepts: The theoretical underpinnings of Impressionism involved a shift in artistic philosophy, emphasizing subjective experience and the immediacy of sensory perception over strict adherence to academic rules of perspective and representation. Consider the influence of scientific advancements in optics and color theory on the Impressionist aesthetic.
💃 Edgar Degas: Movement and Perspective
Unique Approach: Unlike many Impressionists who focused on landscapes and light, Degas concentrated on capturing movement and emotion , particularly in his depictions of dancers at the Paris Opera. Key Characteristics of Degas' Work: Unusual angles and perspectives: Degas often employed unconventional viewpoints, such as looking down on dancers from a high vantage point or capturing them from backstage. Emphasis on gesture and movement: His paintings convey a sense of dynamism and spontaneity, capturing the fleeting moments of a dance performance or rehearsal. Compositional asymmetry: Degas frequently used asymmetrical compositions, creating a sense of visual imbalance that mirrored the energy of his subjects. Use of line and form: Degas' paintings are characterized by strong lines and forms that define the dancers' bodies and movements. Focus on human interaction: His paintings often depict the interactions between dancers, teachers, and other individuals in the opera house. Key Works: Le Classe de Danse (The Ballet Class) is a prime example of Degas' unique style and perspective.
Origins and Characteristics: Expressionism, emerging in early 20th-century Germany, prioritized expressing inner emotions and subjective experiences over objective representation. Artists used distorted forms, unnatural colors, and intense emotional content to convey their feelings. Expressionism is an artistic style that leans towards symbolism and subjectivity. Artists distorted forms and used unnatural colors to evoke emotions rather than depict objective reality. Edvard Munch exemplified Expressionism with his 1893 painting The Scream (Skirk in Norwegian). Made using oil, tempera, pastel, and crayon, it shows a distorted human figure against a vivid orange sky, expressing existential anguish. Munch referred to it as The Scream of Nature. Expressionist works aimed to portray emotional states and moods rather than the external world. The style became prominent in Europe before World War I and was seen as avant-garde. During the Weimar Republic (centered in Berlin), Expressionism flourished. The movement was a reaction to the dominance of empirical truth and objectivity in art and culture. Key Expressionist groups: Die Brücke (“The Bridge”), founded in 1905 by Ludwig Kirchner Der Blaue Reiter (“The Blue Rider”), formed in 1911 by Franz Marc, Paul Klee, and Auguste Macke, named after a painting by Wassily Kandinsky Max Beckmann (1884–1950), a German artist, was initially associated with Expressionism but later identified with New Objectivity (Neue Sachlichkeit). His style maintained emotional intensity while incorporating more realism and critique of society. He was recognized by the Weimar Republic. Here are the key points from your text:
Key Points: Beckmann, Degenerate Art, and Neue Sachlichkeit
Max Beckmann was dismissed from the Frankfurt Art School by the Nazi regime under Adolf Hitler. The Nazis targeted artists and intellectuals, confiscating over 500 of Beckmann’s works from German museums. In 1937, the Nazis held an exhibition in Munich titled “Entartete Kunst” (Degenerate Art), showcasing and ridiculing modern art, including works by Beckmann. Following this, Beckmann fled to Amsterdam, while many other persecuted artists sought refuge in the United States.
Beckmann’s Painting: Die Nacht (1918–1919)
Depicts a violent invasion of a home by three men.
Man of the house: tortured and hung. Woman: bound and violated. Child: about to be forcibly taken. Artistic features:
Distorted shapes, unrealistic, somber colors. Lack of spatial depth. Use of angular lines and rectilinear forms. Flashes of red disrupt the composition to evoke horror and chaos.
Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity)
A style that critiqued social and political issues through realism and satire. Otto Dix, another prominent Neue Sachlichkeit artist: Known for criticizing Weimar society and depicting war brutalities. Also targeted in the Degenerate Art Exhibit and publicly humiliated by Hitler. Key Characteristics: Distorted figures and landscapes: Figures and landscapes were often distorted to reflect the artist's emotional state. Unnatural color palettes: Artists used bold, jarring colors to create a sense of unease or intensity. Emphasis on emotional impact: The goal was to evoke strong emotions in the viewer. Social commentary: Many Expressionist works reflected anxieties about modern life and social issues. Subjectivity over objectivity: The artist's personal feelings and experiences were paramount. Key Figures: Edvard Munch ( The Scream ), Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Wassily Kandinsky, Max Beckmann. Advanced Concepts: Explore the historical and cultural context of Expressionism, considering its relationship to German society and the anxieties of the era. Analyze the use of color and form to convey emotion in Expressionist paintings.
Symbolism - Art Movement Overview
Origin : Emerged in the early 20th century as a modernist movement; initially appeared in poetry and painting. Key Figure : Charles Baudelaire; in Correspondences , he described life as a journey "through this forest of symbols." Core Idea : Focuses on expressing emotions and ideas symbolically rather than realistically. Artistic Approach : Emphasizes subjective interpretation over natural representation. Artists reject realism and instead use imagination to render the world. Symbolism is more a creative strategy than a fixed style. Robert Williams' View : Symbolist art is considered "absolute art" due to its departure from naturalistic constraints. Related Movements : Includes Expressionism, New Objectivism, and Surrealism (only these are covered in the lesson).
💫 Surrealism: Dreams and the Unconscious
Origins and Influences: Surrealism, flourishing in the 1920s and beyond, drew inspiration from Freudian psychoanalysis and explored the world of dreams and the unconscious.
Emotional expression and social critique Surrealism Dreamlike imagery, irrationality, unconscious Dalí, Magritte, de Chirico Exploring the subconscious
Facts to Memorize
Impressionism's origins: Late 19th-century France, a reaction against academic art. Impressionism's key characteristics: Emphasis on light and color, en plein air painting, everyday subjects, broken brushstrokes, and impasto. Key Impressionist figures: Monet, Renoir, Degas, Pissarro, Sisley, Manet. Degas' unique approach: Focus on movement and emotion, unusual angles and perspectives, and asymmetrical compositions. Renoir's focus: Everyday Parisian life, a celebration of light and color, human interaction. Post-Impressionism's Departure: From objective representation to subjective expression. Post-Impressionism's key characteristics: Personal expression, bold colors, distorted forms, symbolism. Key Post-Impressionist figures: Van Gogh, Cézanne, Gauguin, Seurat. Expressionism's origins: Early 20th-century Germany, emphasis on inner emotions. Expressionism's key characteristics: Distorted figures, unnatural colors, emotional impact, social commentary. Key Expressionist figures: Munch, Kirchner, Kandinsky, Beckmann. Surrealism's influences: Freudian psychoanalysis, dreams, the unconscious. Surrealism's key characteristics are dreamlike imagery, juxtaposition of unrelated objects, and exploration of the subconscious. Key Surrealist figures: Dalí, Magritte, de Chirico. Philippine context: Adaptation of European styles, social commentary, exploration of national identity. Key Filipino modern artists: Ang Kiukok, Onib Olmedo, Charlie Co. Impasto: Thick application of paint, visible brushstrokes. En plein air: Painting outdoors. Broken brushstrokes: Short, separate brushstrokes that create optical mixing of colors. Subjectivity: Emphasis on personal feelings and experiences. Objectivity: Emphasis on factual representation. Salon des Refusés: The exhibition of rejected works from the official Paris Salon, where many Impressionist works were first shown. Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity): A post-World War I German art movement characterized by realism and social commentary, often associated with Max Beckmann. The Scream (Edvard Munch): An iconic Expressionist painting depicting an agonized figure against a backdrop of swirling colors. The Persistence of Memory (Salvador Dalí): A famous Surrealist painting featuring melting clocks. Impasto: Paints is laid on an area of the surface vertically usually enough that the pain tends to look embossed; Paint can also be mixed right on the canvas with no attempt to conceal the strokes. Spatial depth: The illusion that the space on canvas is three dimensional and has deep extending from foreground to background. Salon: Expositions of fine under the academies of fine art in Europe, usually wear awards are given to an exemplary artist who shows their masterpieces.
Luminosity: Perception of light in painting due to the amount of brightness. Gradation of Emphasis: The principle of emphasis and subordination is when the artist places figures of varying scale, contrast, and implied movement to allow the eye to perceive certain elements prominently. Compositional variety: Use of different elements and principles of art to create a variety. Asymmetrical composition: One part carries heavier, visual weight than the other. Empirical truth: conformity is learned by observation or experiment; Truth is knowable from what can be scientifically proven. Subjectivity: Knowledge arising from personal feelings, tastes opinions, imaginations, thoughts, internal in the mind; From Latin subjects meaning existing in the mind or the thinking subject. Objectivity: Knowledge arising from tangible visible is stable, inform external to the mind; From Latin object (us) which means to see. Unconscious: The part of the mind that is only rarely accessible to awareness, but that has a pronounced influence on behavior. Absolute art: Art does not differ from the natural world and arises from the artist's imagination. Intuition: The artist perceives truth, independent of reason, and immediately apprehends the natural world, immediate cognition of an object Not infrared previously unthought and schooled from Latin intuit(us) Which means to contemplate.
