Untitled Quiz

Realism

• Emerged in the mid-19th century as a reaction against Romanticism
• Focused on portraying subjects as they were, emphasizing everyday life, ordinary people, and social issues
• Depicted scenes of labor, poverty, and rural life without embellishment
• Key characteristics include:
  • Focus on everyday life; ordinary settings and activities
  • Attention to detail; accurate representation of subjects and environments
  • Social commentary; highlighting social issues like poverty, labor struggles
  • Naturalism; portraying subjects as they appeared in real life without idealization
  • Use of natural light and muted color palettes; enhancing authenticity
  • Influence of photography; capturing life in a realistic manner
  • Diverse subjects; including landscapes, still lifes, and urban scenes

Realism Art Movement Key Figures

• Gustave Courbet: Considered the father of Realism. Challenged traditional artistic conventions by focusing on the lives of ordinary people. Famous works include "The Stone Breakers" and "A Burial at Ornans".
• Jean-François Millet: Depicted peasant life, celebrating the dignity of labor and the struggles of rural workers. Famous works include "The Gleaners" and "The Sower".
• Honoré Daumier: Used art to critique social and political issues. Famous works include "The Third-Class Carriage", highlighting the plight of the lower classes.
• Edouard Manet: While sometimes associated with Impressionism, Manet's early works, such as "Olympia" and "Luncheon on the Grass", broke conventions and depicted contemporary life realistically.
• Jules Bastien-Lepage: Combined Realism with elements of Impressionism in his naturalistic portrayals of rural life. Famous works include "The Haymaking".
• William Hogarth: Predated the official Realism movement, but influenced later Realist artists through his satirical paintings and engravings. Famous works include "The Marriage à-la-mode".

Impressionism

• A mid-19th century art movement
• Focused on capturing the momentary impressions of light and color as opposed to traditional representation.
• Characteristics include:
  • Emphasis on light and color, employing vibrant colors and loose brushstrokes to portray the transient effects of sunlight.
  • Short, visible brushstrokes; allowing viewers to perceive the movement and energy of a scene
  • Depiction of everyday subjects including landscapes, urban life, and leisure activities as opposed to historical events.
  • Frequent use of "en plein air" (painting outdoors) to capture the immediate sensations of the natural environment.
  • Unconventional compositions; reflecting modern sensibilities with cropped edges, unusual viewpoints
  • Influence of photography: inspiring new ways of capturing movement and spontaneity in art.

Impressionism Key Figures

• Claude Monet: Often considered the founder of Impressionism. Known for his studies of light and color. Famous works include "Impression, Sunrise," "Water Lilies," and "The Japanese Bridge".
• Pierre-Auguste Renoir: Renowned for his depictions of people and social scenes. His works include "Luncheon of the Boating Party" and "Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette".
• Edgar Degas: Known for dynamic compositions and focus on movement, especially in ballet and everyday life. Famous works include "The Dance Class" and "The Rehearsal".
• Camille Pissarro: Played a crucial role in the development of Impressionism, focusing on rural and urban landscapes. Famous works include "The Boulevard Montmartre, Spring" and "The Haymaking".
• Berthe Morisot: One of the few prominent female Impressionists. Her works explored domestic life and the female experience. Famous works include "The Cradle" and "Summer's Day".
• Alfred Sisley: Known for his landscapes and reflecting the Impressionist focus on light and atmosphere. Famous works include "The Bridge at Villeneuve-la-Garenne".

Post-Impressionism and Symbolism

• A 19th century art movement that reacted against the limitations of Impressionism
  • Reflected emotions, ideas, and spiritual dimensions of art rather than simply visual impressions
• Characteristics include:
  • Emphasis on Color: Bold, non-naturalistic colors to express emotions and ideas.
  • Form and Structure: Focus on structure and simplifying forms in art. Focus on essential components of the subject, rather than fleeting moments, as in Impressionism
  • Personal Expression: Individual expression and emotional response to the subject.
  • Symbolism: Incorporating symbolic elements into work to convey broader ideas or emotions. Use of imagery to represent abstract ideas, emotions, and themes such as love, death, and the unconscious.
  • Experimentation with techniques: Including pointillism (dots of color) and impasto (thick application of paint).
  • Mood and Atmosphere: Creating particular moods and emotional resonance, shifting from merely representing reality in Impressionism to evocating an atmosphere
  • Mysticism and Spirituality: Reflecting a fascination with the spiritual, mystical, and unseen, often drawing from mythology, literature, and religion.
  • Influence of Literature: Closely linked to poetry and literature, with inspiration from literary themes and symbolism.

Post-Impressionism and Symbolism Key Figures

• Georges Seurat: Developed the technique known as "divisionism" or "chromoluminarism". (separation of colors into small dots for optical mixing) Famous work: "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grand Jatte".
• Vincent van Gogh: Famous for his bold colors and expressive, impulsive brushwork.
• Paul Gauguin: One of the most important artists in the Post-Impressionist movement and first used the term "Synthetism" laying the foundation for modern art.
• Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec: A significant figure in the movement who utilized Parisian nightlife as inspiration in his art.
• Henri Rousseau: Painted in a Naïve style, inspired by nature and subconscious themes in his art.
• Gustave Moreau: Known as a leading figure in the Symbolist movement, known for his intense colors and mythical themes.
• Odilon Redon: Dreamlike compositions, imaginative colors, and surreal imagery, focused on the subconscious.
• Alfred Stevens: Explored themes of femininity and beauty, utilizing symbolic elements to convey emotional narratives..

Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism

• A 20th century art movement
• Characteristics include
  • Dream-like imagery and distorted realities
  • Juxtaposition of unlikely elements
  • Automatism; spontaneous creation
  • Exploration of the unconscious mind, dreams, repressed emotions, and personal experiences
  • Focus on symbolism and metaphorical elements to communicate complex ideas and experiences
  • Political commentary
  • Importance of imagination over objective reality
  • Use of simple shapes and non-representational imagery
  • Focus on the material qualities of the art itself
• Key figures:
  • Salvador Dalí: Known for his painstaking detail and dreamlike imagery. Famous work: "The Persistence of Memory", 1931
  • René Magritte: Visual puns, exploration of perception, and surreal imagery and a focus on the subconscious. Famous work: "The Treachery of Images," 1928-1929.
  • Max Ernst: Pioneer of techniques like frottage and collage. Explored themes of mythology, fantasy, subconscious.
  • Joan Miró: Playful abstraction, bright colors, tapping into deeper psychological themes.
  • André Breton: Theoretical leader of Surrealism; laid out movement's principles.
  • Frida Kahlo: Shared thematic similarities and explored pain, identity, and the blending of reality and dreams. Famous works include "The Two Fridas" and "The Broken Column".
  • Louis Aragon: Poet and novelist; key figure in the literary aspects of Surrealism, questioning reality and using surrealistic language.
  • Yves Tanguy: Known for his abstract, otherworldly landscapes. Famous work: "Indefinite Divisibility", 1942.

Abstract Expressionism

• An influential art movement of the late 1940s and early 1950s.
• Characteristics include;
  • Emphasis on spontaneity and emotion
  • Abstraction: Non-representational art, using imagery and colors that were meant to be understood subjectively
  • Importance of the act of painting and the artist's physical presence in the process of creation
  • Large scale: Often presenting large scale works, demanding a great deal from the viewer and immersive experience.
  • Brushstrokes: Expressive, dramatic, dynamic movement and use of vigorous brushstrokes or drips; a direct and physical representation of the act of painting.

Abstract Expressionism Key Figures

• Jackson Pollock: Famous for drip paintings, dynamic energy and chaotic yet controlled nature of the paint's application. Famous works: "No. 5, 1948" and "Autumn Rhythm".
• Mark Rothko: Known for color field paintings, focusing on large, soft-edged blocks of color conveying spirituality and emotional intensity. Famous works: "Rust and Blue" and "Orange and Yellow".
• Willem de Kooning: Combined abstraction and figuration. Famous series is the "Women series".
• Franz Kline: Known for bold, black and white paintings characterized by large, sweeping brushstrokes. Famous work: "Mahoning".
• Barnett Newman: Focused on color fields and vertical stripes/lines known as "zips", explored human experience, spirituality, and the sublime.. Famous work: "Vir Heroicus Sublimis".
• Clyfford Still: Known for his large, jagged forms, dark brooding colors and focus on texture and spatial relationships.
• Robert Motherwell: Focus includes themes of grief, loss, and memory; often incorporating symbolic elements from historical subjects into his art.. Famous work: "Elegy to the Spanish Republic".
• Lee Krasner: A pioneering female Abstract Expressionist known for her unique style combining organic shapes, vibrant colors, and gestural energy.. Famous work: "The Seasons".

Minimalism

• A late 1950s reaction against Abstract Expressionism.
• Characteristics include
  • Simplicity and reduction to basic elements; geometric forms, etc.
  • Focus on material; texture, surface, and color of the materials; often industrial materials
  • Impersonal and objective; aiming for a sense of objectivity and neutrality, focusing on the artwork as an object itself
  • Repetition: Repeating forms or patterns to create rhythm and order
  • Space and environment: Engaging with surrounding space, often creating installations or sculptures that interact with the surroundings.
• Key Figures:
  • Donald Judd: Known for his large, geometric sculptures and installations made from industrial materials like metal, Plexiglas, and wood, employing precise, ordered arrangements. Famous work: Untitled (1969)
  • Frank Stella: Known for paintings with geometric shapes and repetitive patterns eliminating the sense of illusionism. Famous work: "Black Paintings (1958)".
  • Dan Flavin: Known for sculptures and installations using fluorescent light tubes, transforming the materials into art. Famous work: "Untitled (Monument for V. Tatlin)".
  • Carl Andre: Involved arranging basic objects in simple patterns, often on the floor. Famous work: "Equivalent VIII" (1966).
  • Agnes Martin: Known for her subtle grids, lines, and soft color fields, capturing a sense of calm, spirituality, and precision.