Renaissance Art History PDF

Renaissance 14th, 15th, and 16th Century  ‘The Creation of Adam’ Michelangelo (Sistine Chapel ceiling in the Vatican), 1508-1512.  Key Information Concepts and Artists Characteristics Leonardo Da Vinci...

Renaissance 14th, 15th, and 16th Century  ‘The Creation of Adam’ Michelangelo (Sistine Chapel ceiling in the Vatican), 1508-1512.  Key Information Concepts and Artists Characteristics Leonardo Da Vinci New approaches to painting, sculpture, and Giotto architecture Titian Antiquity Donatello Advances in science and technology Raphael More dynamic, expressive, and realistic art Michelangelo that elevated the human spirit and human Botticelli achievements  Stages of the Renaissance Proto Early High During the Proto Early Renaissance art The highest peak of artistic Renaissance, there was a introduces a greater degree achievement in which gradual development of of naturalism by placing an Renaissance art reached an naturalism in Italian art emphasis on the unsurpassed level of which was inspired by the observational drawing of grandeur. Saw the values of Classical humanism the human figure. It also introduction of individual and the anatomical beauty establishes a more precise artists, such as Leonardo Da of Classical sculpture. spatial organization of the Vinci. With a focus on the figures, buildings and High Renaissance artists perspective of a work, or the landscapes through the were willing to sacrifice technical aspects of a invention of perspective technical principles in order painting drawing. to create a more beautiful, harmonious whole.  Overview Renaissance means Rebirth The Renaissance started in Florence, Italy, a place with a rich cultural history where wealthy citizens could afford to support budding artists. Great Italian writers, artists, politicians and others declared that they were participating in an intellectual and artistic revolution that would be much different from what they experienced during the Dark Ages. The movement first expanded to other Italian city-states, such as Venice, Milan, Bologna, Ferrara and Rome. Then, during the 15th century, Renaissance ideas spread from Italy to France and then throughout western and northern Europe.  Overview Art, architecture and science were closely linked during the Renaissance. In fact, it was a unique time when these fields of study fused together seamlessly. For instance, artists like Da Vinci incorporated scientific principles, such as anatomy into their work, so they could recreate the human body with extraordinary precision. Architects such as Filippo Brunelleschi studied mathematics to accurately engineer and design immense buildings with expansive domes. Renaissance art was characterized by realism and naturalism. Artists strived to depict people and objects in a true-to-life way. They used techniques, such as perspective, shadows and light to add depth to their work. Emotion was another quality that artists tried to infuse into their pieces.  Architecture There was a revival of ancient Roman forms, including the column and round arch, the tunnel vault, and the dome. Renaissance architects found a harmony between human proportions and buildings. This concern for proportion resulted in clear, easily comprehended space and mass. Click Here to view a 360* of the Sistine Chapel  Painting Infusing ideals of beauty back into art. Whether depicting religious figures or everyday citizens, in architecture and in art, the High Renaissance artists' key concerns were to present pieces of visual, symmetrical, and compositional perfection. For example, to paint the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo not only designed a scaffolding system to reach the area but developed a new formula and application for fresco to counter the problem of mold, as well as a wash technique and the use of a variety of brushes, to first apply color then, later, add fine detail, shading, and line.  Painting Because oils provided more possibilities in subtle tonal and color gradations, the resulting works were more life-like. As a result, a new body of compelling portraiture of ordinary people emerged. Leonardo's Mona Lisa is undoubtedly the most famous example. Leonardo's practice of oil painting led him to develop a new technique called Sfumato, meaning "vanished gradually like smoke." It involved using translucent glazes worked by brush to create gradual transitions between tones of light and shadow. The result was, as Leonardo wrote, "without lines or borders, in the matter of smoke," creating a vivid imitation of reality lacking all evidence of the artist's brushstrokes.  Sculpture Celebrated and exalted the anatomy of the human form in a way that had never been seen in any art form before. Mona Lisa Leonardo Da Vinci oil on wood panel, c. 1503-1519 The subject’s softly sculptural face shows Leonardo’s skillful handling of sfumato (use of fine shading) and reveals his understanding of the musculature and the skull beneath the skin. The delicately painted veil, the finely wrought tresses, and the careful rendering of folded fabric demonstrate Leonardo’s studied observations and inexhaustible patience.  The Last Supper Leonardo Da Vinci Mixed technique, c. 1495-1498 460 x 880 cm Leonardo was also busy with studies of light, sound, movement and human emotions and their expression. We find these interests reflected in the Last Supper, in which, perhaps more than in any other work, Leonardo displayed his concern to depict what he called the “motions of the soul” through postures, gestures and expressions Leonardo painted the Last Supper using a dry technique: he applied the pigments to a white preparatory layer. Hence the colours were not absorbed by the plaster, but rather superimposed on the wall. This made the painting much more vulnerable and fragile than fresco. Statue of David Michelangelo Carrara marble, c.1501-1504, 517 x 199 cm Michelangelo instead, for the first time ever, chooses to depict David before the battle. David is tense: Michelangelo catches him at the apex of his concentration. He stands relaxed, but alert, resting on a classical pose known as contrapposto. The figure stands with one leg holding its full weight and the other leg forward, causing the figure’s hips and shoulders to rest at opposing angles, giving a slight s-curve to the entire torso. The Birth of Venus Botticelli Tempera on canvas, c. 1484-1486, 172.5 x 278.9 cm Birth of Venus is painted on canvas - fairly unusual for its time - using a technique of thin tempera, based on the use of diluted egg yolk, which lends itself particularly well to give the painting that aspect of extraordinary transparency, which brings to mind the pictorial quality of a fresco. The Creation of Adam Michelangelo, Ceiling Plaster, c.1512, 280 x 570 cm In all, the painting shows several hallmarks of Michelangelo’s painting style: the lounging position of both Adam and God, the use of bodies which are both muscular and twisting, and the painting of figures who come across as works of sculpture. It is good to remember that Michelangelo was, after all, a sculptor. Painting was not his primary area.  Baroque Late 16th and early 17th centuries. ‘The Calling of Saint Matthew ‘ (1599–1600) Caravaggio.  Key Information Concepts and Artists Characteristics Caravaggio Dynamic Movement Guercino exaggerated lighting effects, Velázquez strong contrasts of light and Rubens shadow, intense emotions, Rembrandt drama, vivid coloration and Vermeer robust realism, drama, Gentileschi non-linear  Overview The term Baroque, derived from the Portuguese ‘barocco’ meaning ‘irregular pearl or stone’, Baroque became marked by its innovative techniques and details, delivering a lush new visual language into what had been a relatively toned down period for art. Baroque brought images for religious worship back into the public eye after being banned for their glorification of the ethereal and ideal. The movement's leaders professed that art should be easily understood and strongly felt by common people with the effect of encouraging piety and an awe for the church. The defining characteristics of the Baroque style were: real or implied movement, an attempt to represent infinity, an emphasis on light and its effects, and a focus on the theatrical. This allowed for a blurring of the boundaries between painting, sculpture, and architecture that was signature to the movement.  Overview The Baroque period that followed Mannerism yielded ornate, over-the-top visual arts and architecture. It was characterized by grandeur and richness, punctuated by an interest in broadening human intellect and global discovery. Baroque artists were stylistically complex. One distinguishing feature of this era was its attention to detail, moving beyond traditional compositional elements like line composition into more animated compositions featuring curvaceous forms (curvilinearity). This emphasis on organic shapes also enabled artists to convey emotion through a sense of movement within their works – a technique known as chiaroscuro (or tenebrism) where extreme contrasting lights are used in conjunction with deep shadows. Additionally, figures created during this time would be painted much larger than life-size which allowed them to stand out against lesser subjects depicted around them, creating even more powerful visual narratives when placed side by side.  Architecture Marked generally by use of complex forms, bold ornamentation, and the juxtaposition of contrasting elements often conveying a sense of drama, movement, and tension. The use of elaborate motifs and decorations in their work with an emphasis on organic, curving lines and bright colors. The term Baroque was initially used as an epithet to describe buildings whose design strayed from the principles established during the Renaissance The church commissioned architects to reimagine many of the elements of Renaissance architecture—like domes and colonnades—and make them grander and more dramatic. Inside, almost all design decisions were made to entice visitors to look up, with the goal to make worshipers feel as if they were looking into heaven. Baroque architecture is characterized by seeming to be a "continuous whole", unlike Renaissance architecture that was normally split into sections.  Painting Naturalism – a revolutionary style founded by Michelangelo, Merisi da Caravaggio, which broke the barriers between religious and popular art and avoided the idealization of religious or classical figures, depicting to also ordinary living men and women in contemporary clothing. Generally, they were concerned with the human subjects or subjects and depicted similar scenes. The renaissance spheres of power still dominated the art directions of their cultures, and, accordingly, most of the commissions were portraits of royals, religious scenes, depictions of royal life and society. However, with the Baroque era came a rise in history and landscape paintings, as well as, portraits, genre scenes and still lives.  Sculpture Many great Baroque artists were architects as well as sculptors, and common traits can be seen in their oeuvre. A key similarity is the rejection of straight lines, resulting in increasingly pictorial sculptures where movement and expression are emphasized. Baroque sculpture was primarily concerned with the representation of Biblical scenes spurred by the church but also by the beliefs of the sculptors themselves, as many worked on uncommissioned portrayals of biblical epics as well. In Baroque sculpture figures assumed new importance, often spiraling outward from a central vortex, reaching into the surrounding space, meant to be seen in the round from multiple perspectives. Girl with a Pearl Earring Johannes Vermeer Oil on Canvas, c. 1665, The work attests to Vermeer’s technical expertise and interest in representing light. The soft modeling of the subject’s face reveals his mastery of using light rather than line to create form, while the reflection on her lips and on the earring show his concern for representing the effect of light on different surfaces. Martyrdom of Matthew Caravaggio 1599-1600, Oil on canvas, 323 x 343 cm As well as light and dark, Caravaggio uses arms, legs, bodies and gestures to direct the viewer's attention. The positions of the soldier's left arm, the angel's arm and palm, and the Saint's legs, for instance, are all carefully arranged to focus attention on the face of Matthew. Meanwhile the turmoil and movement of the spectators, is balanced to some degree by the horizontal lines of Matthew's prone form, the steps and the altar, as well as the dim background verticals. The Palace of Versailles 1631, 8.15km2 Louis Le Vau, André Le Nôtre, Jules Hardouin-Mansart The scale of Versailles exemplifies the architectural theme of 'creation by division' - a series of simple repetitions rhythmically marked off by the repetition of the large windows. The Hall of Mirrors - the central gallery of the Palace - which comprised 17 mirror-clad arches reflecting the 17 windows. A total of 357 mirrors were used in its decoration. The ornamentations - the canvases along the ceiling that celebrate the king, the polychrome marbles, the gilt bronzes. The Fall of Phaeton Peter Paul Ruben Oil on Canvas, 1604-1605, 98.4 x 131.2 cm Compounding these things via a hard contrast of light and dark there by supplying full-bodied colors, creating activity that takes place along diagonal lines that repeat the focal point of the streaming rays of Zeus’s bolt of lightning. Peter Paul Ruben’s vivid palette and utilization of contrasting colors further stimulates this portrayal of the devastating event. Schonbrunn Palace of Vienna 1690, Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach’s, 160 hectares Symmetrical with hundreds of windows creating a dramatic, organized use of light. It depicts the prosperity of the monarchy under the reign of Maria Theresa. Curved walls were also a very popular architectural element of the time, something that is featured in this ballroom. The intricate sculptures and excessive painting on the wooden walls. Romanticism 1780-1830 ‘Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog’, c. 1818, Caspar David Friedrich, Oil on Canvas  Key Information Concepts and Artists Characteristics Francisco Goya Emphasis on emotions and Eugene Delacroix individualism Caspar David Friedrich Celebration of nature and the natural John Constable world Henry Fuseli Interest in the supernatural and Theodore Gericault mysterious J.M.W. Turner Focus on the imagination and the subconscious  Overview At the end of the 18th century and well into the 19th, Romanticism quickly spread throughout Europe and the United States to challenge the rational ideal held so tightly during the Enlightenment. The artists emphasized that sense and emotions - not simply reason and order. Romanticism embodies a broad range of disciplines, from painting to music to literature. Each of these art forms reject order, harmony, and rationality, which were embraced in both classical art and Neoclassicism. Instead, Romantic artists emphasized the individual and imagination. Another defining Romantic ideal was an appreciation for nature, with many turning to plein air painting, which brought artists out of dark interiors and enabled them to paint outside. Artists also focused on passion, emotion, and sensation over intellect and reason.  Overview Romantic artists also often incorporated elements of the supernatural and the mysterious into their works, reflecting a fascination with the unknown and the unseen. Many artists explored themes of death and mortality, depicting ghosts, demons, and otherworldly creatures in their works. In French and British painting of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the recurrence of images of shipwrecks and other representations of man’s struggle against the awesome power of nature manifest this sensibility. Scenes of shipwrecks culminated in 1819 with Théodore Gericault’s strikingly original Raft of the Medusa, based on a contemporary event. In its horrifying explicitness, emotional intensity, and conspicuous lack of a hero, The Raft of the Medusa became an icon of the emerging Romantic style.  Architecture Romanticism expressed itself in architecture primarily through imitations of older architectural styles and through eccentric buildings known as “follies.” Medieval Gothic architecture appealed to the Romantic imagination in England and Germany, and this renewed interest led to the Gothic Revival The goal of this architectural movement was to recapture base emotions, such as fear and awe, a sense of individualism, and an ability to create beauty. These sentiments formed the foundation of Romantic architectural buildings. the term describes the transitional period between the waning of Classicism and the rise of Historicism.  Architecture Other types of Romantic architecture are illustrated in a variety of styles considered “exotic” due to their displacement into a “foreign” setting in a more fanciful, less accurate format. Examples of exotic architectural styles include Egyptian-influenced homes, Asian-styled homes, and even Swiss chalets. These homes contain such “exotic” elements as Egyptian columns and small sphinx sculptures, or Japanese-inspired rooflines, or a Swiss chalet A-frame as a decorative overlay to the traditional European building type. The Oriental Revival of the early 1800s can be attributed to increased trade with India and China in the later years of the 18th century.  Sculpture Romantic sculptures can be divided into works that concern about the human world and those that concern the natural world The leading sculptures of each type were Rude and Bayre  Painting This focus on the human interior was an important stepping stone towards the modern age and gave new freedom to painting in terms of subject and style. Landscape painting was brought under the Romantic gaze in which it became personalized; it sought to mirror feelings or to produce powerful emotions in the viewer. The former was a technique called pathetic fallacy, and the latter the sublime. Pathetic fallacy was commonly used to show the extremes of emotion, for example, stormy weather as a symbol of a stormy mind. The sublime was written about as a feeling of overwhelming terror; a feeling of unity; a stunning sense of awe. Nature served to capture the inner feeling of man, and it also taught him to look beyond himself, feeling connected to something larger than himself. Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog Caspar David Friedrich c. 1818, Oil on canvas Friedrich was a master of presenting the sublimity of nature in its infinite boundlessness and tempestuousness. Upon contemplation, the world, in its fog, ultimately remains unknowable. The Hay Wain John Constable c. 1821, Oil on canvas In Constable's landscape, man does not stand back and observe nature but is instead intimately a part of nature, just as the trees and birds are. The figuring driving the cart is not out of scale with his environment. Constable depicted the oneness with nature that so many of the Romantic poets declared. The Slave Ship J.M.W. Turner 1840, Oil on canvas Turner captured the philosopher Edmond Burke's concept of the "sublime," the feeling one senses in the presence of nature's overwhelming grandeur and power. In this image, the human figures, and even the ship on the horizon, are minuscule, and the emphasis on the water and the sky conveys a sense of humanity overwhelmed. Liberty Leading the People Eugene Delacroix 1830, Oil on canvas Delacroix used the dynamic pyramidal arrangement, chiaroscuro, and color to create a scene of clamorous drama that highlights heroism, death, and suffering, quintessential themes of the Romantic movement. The Raft of Medusa Theodore Gericault c. 1818-1819, Oil on canvas Géricault's use of light and shadow as well as organizing the scene along two diagonals creates a dramatic and intense vision. Intended as a profound critique of a social and political system by depicting the tragic consequences and suffering of the marginal members of society, the painting is a pioneering example of protest art. Realism 1850s- Early 1900’s ‘The Gleaners’ , 1857 Jean-François Millet, Oil on Canvas  Key Information Concepts and Artists Characteristics Gustave Courbet Subject matter meant scenes Edouard Manet of peasant and working-class Jean Francois Millet life, the life of the city streets, cafes and popular Honore Daumier entertainments Winslow Homer Accuracy of details that depicts and somehow mirrors reality Opposite of abstract  Overview Arguably the first modern art movement, Realism, began in France in the 1840s. Realism was a result of multiple events: the anti-Romantic movement in Germany, the rise of journalism, and the advent of photography. Each inspired new interest in accurately capturing everyday life. This attention to accuracy is evident in art produced during the movement, which featured detailed, life-like depictions of subject matter. Rejected traditional forms of art, literature, and social organization. Realism revolutionized painting, expanding conceptions of what constituted art. Working in a chaotic era marked by revolution and widespread social change, Realist painters replaced the idealistic images and literary conceits of traditional art with real-life events, giving the margins of society similar weight to grand history paintings and allegories.  Overview Realism concerned itself with how life was structured socially, economically, politically, and culturally in the mid-19th century. This led to unflinching, sometimes "ugly" portrayals of life's unpleasant moments and the use of dark, earthy palettes that confronted high art's ultimate ideals of beauty.  Painting One of the most influential leaders of the Realist movement is Gustave Courbet a French artist committed to painting only what he could physically see. Emphasized in their works the simple and ordinary rather than the grandiose and monumental aspects of nature. They turned away from melodramatic picturesqueness and painted solid, detailed forms that were the result of close observation. At the time, Courbet’s choice of contemporary subject matter and his flouting of artistic convention was interpreted by some as an anti-authoritarian political threat. To achieve an honest and straightforward depiction of rural life, Courbet eschewed the idealized academic technique and employed a deliberately simple style, rooted in popular imagery, which seemed crude to many critics of the day.  Invention of Photography 1840 Photography Painting Photography was beginning to become Painters wanted to continue to successful in showing how things really paint and portray reality to prove looked - without the assumed influence of a they were better than a camera painter’s skill with a brush - the assumption that paintings could portray reality all but disappeared In the arts, photography was valued for its replication of exact details, and for its reproduction of artworks for publication  Photography Artists from the Renaissance onwards used a camera obscura (Latin for dark chamber), or a small hole in the wall of a darkened box that would pass light through the hole and project an upside down image of whatever was outside the box. However, it was not until the invention of a light sensitive surface by Frenchman Joseph Nicéphore Niépce that the basic principle of photography was born. Eadweard Muybridge, 1887 “Thoroughbred bay mare From this point the development of ‘Annie G.’ galloping,” also photography largely related to known as “Galloping Horse,” technological improvements in three areas: speed, resolution and permanence.  Photography Further advances in technology continued to make photography less labor intensive. By 1867 a dry glass plate was invented, reducing the inconvenience of the wet collodion method. Prepared glass plates could be purchased, eliminating the need to fool with chemicals. In 1878, new advances decreased the exposure time to 1/25th of a second, allowing moving objects to be photographed and lessening the need for a tripod. This new development is celebrated in Eadweard Muybridge’s sequence of photographs [pictured earlier in the chapter] called Galloping Horse (1878). Designed to settle the question of whether or not a horse ever takes all four legs completely off the ground during a gallop, the series of photographs also demonstrated the new photographic methods that were capable of nearly instantaneous exposure. Burial at Ornans Gustave Courbet 1849 - 1850, Oil on Canvas, 315 x 660 cm "Burial at Ornans was in reality the burial of Romanticism." Courbet did something entirely new, acknowledging the dignity of everyday citizens by depicting them on the scale (20 feet wide!) previously reserved for those who held power. Stone Breakers Gustave Courbet 1849, Oil on canvas, 165 x 257 cm Courbet wants to show what is “real,” and so he has depicted a man that seems too old and a boy that seems still too young for such back-breaking labor. This is not meant to be heroic: it is meant to be an accurate account of the abuse and deprivation that was a common feature of mid-century French rural life. The Gleaners Jean Francois Millet 1857, Oil on canvas, 84 cm x 1.12 m These women incarnate the rural working-class. They were authorised to go quickly through the fields at sunset to pick up, one by one, the ears of corn missed by the harvesters. In Millet’s painting, the gleaners’ rounded backs echo one another, creating a composition that feels unified. Olympia Édouard Manet 1863, oil on canvas, 130 x 190 cm The subject was modern—maybe too modern, since it failed to properly elevate the woman’s nakedness to the lofty ideals of nudity found in art of antiquity —she was no goddess or mythological figure. Third Class Carriage Honoré Daumier 1864, Oil on canvas 65.4 x 90.2 cm The painting portrays a group of working-class people in a cramped third-class railway carriage during the industrialization of Paris. Daumier paints this image with expressive brushwork. It serves as a crucial commentary on how critical access to reliable transportation continues to be tied explicitly to various inequities historically inflicted upon mass marginalized populations globally. Impressionism 1860-1886 ‘The Dance Class’ 1874 Edgar Degas, Oil on Canvas  Key Information Concepts and Changes to Artists Characteristics Artmaking Claude Monet They tried to capture Painted Outside Auguste Renoir the movement and life Use of light and colour Edgar Degas Bold Brushstrokes to change scenes Camille Pissaro An impression of what reality looked like Bright colours  Overview Impressionist painters sought to capture the immediate impression of a particular moment. This was characterized by short, quick brushstrokes and an unfinished, sketch-like feel. Impressionist artists used modern life as their subject matter, painting situations like dance halls and sailboat regattas rather than historical and mythological events. Instead of painting in a studio, the impressionists found that they could capture the momentary and transient effects of sunlight by working quickly, in front of their subjects, in the open air (en plein air) rather than in a studio. This resulted in a greater awareness of light and colour and the shifting pattern of the natural scene. Brushwork became rapid and broken into separate dabs in order to render the fleeting quality of light.  Overview They painted contemporary landscapes and scenes of modern life, especially of bourgeois leisure and recreation, instead of drawing on past art or historical and mythological narrative for their inspiration. They continued the break that the Realists began from the illusionist tradition by emphasizing the paint on the surface of the canvas, flattening the sense of perspective through a lack of tonal modeling, and using daring cropped perspectives which were influenced by Japanese prints. Confronting nature and modern city life directly, the Impressionists differed from their antecedents because they painted en plein air (in the open air) and used a palette of pure colors.  Overview In addition to their radical technique, the bright colors of Impressionist canvases were shocking for eyes accustomed to the more sober colors of academic painting. Many of the independent artists chose not to apply the thick golden varnish that painters customarily used to tone down their works. The paints themselves were more vivid as well. The nineteenth century saw the development of synthetic pigments for artists’ paints, providing vibrant shades of blue, green, and yellow that painters had never used before. Such images of suburban and rural leisure outside of Paris were a popular subject for the Impressionists, notably Monet and Auguste Renoir. Several of them lived in the country for part or all of the year. New railway lines radiating out from the city made travel so convenient that Parisians virtually flooded into the countryside every weekend.  POST-IMPRESSIONISM Post-Impressionism is a term used to describe the reaction in the 1880s against Impressionism It was led by Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh and Georges Seurat. The Post-Impressionists rejected Impressionism’s concern with the spontaneous and naturalistic rendering of light and color. Instead they favored an emphasis on more symbolic content, formal order and structure. Similar to the Impressionists, however, they stressed the artificiality of the picture. The Post-Impressionists also believed that color could be independent from form and composition as an emotional and aesthetic bearer of meaning. The Dance Class Edgar Degas 1874, Oil on canvas, 83.5 x 77.2 cm Reflections, light, and shadow play across the room, cast through large windows, which are a hallmark of Degas’s style. The dancers’ attire, their relaxed postures while waiting their turns, and the casual observers in the background all contribute to the scene’s sense of candid spontaneity. Degas’s interest in movement and his skillful use of perspective is evident in this intimate portrayal of Parisian life. Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette Pierre-Auguste Renoir 1876, Oil on canvas Renoir's main aim was to convey the vivacious and joyful atmosphere of this popular dance garden on the Butte Montmartre. The study of the moving crowd, bathed in natural and artificial light, is handled using vibrant, brightly coloured brushstrokes. The somewhat blurred impression of the scene prompted negative reactions from contemporary critics. La Grenouillere Claude Monet 1869, Oil on canvas, 75 cm x 99.7 cm Monet concentrated on repetitive elements - the ripples on the water, the foliage, the boats, the human figures - to weave a fabric of brushstrokes which, although emphatically brushstrokes, retain a strong descriptive quality. La Grenouillere would have been based on the assumption that the pictures would appeal to the bourgeois patrons of the area. Although his subject matter is, on the surface, that of the middle classes enjoying their leisure time, the true nature of his painting is the reflection of light on the water. The figures lose their identity, becoming decorative elements in the overall pattern of light and color. Impression, Sunrise Claude Monet 1872, 48 cm x 63 cm It shows little of the Impressionist treatment of light and colour. The colours are very restrained and the paint is applied not in discrete brushstrokes of contrasting colours but in very thin washes. In some places, the canvas is even visible and the only use of impasto is in the depiction of the reflected sunlight on the water. The painting is strongly atmospheric rather than analytical Peasant House at Eragny Camille Pissarro 1884, Oil on canvas, Pissarro has fully absorbed the tenets and techniques of the distinctive pointillism style. Form is constructed by discrete juxtaposition of individual strokes, or 'dots', of pigment. Atmosphere is suggested by chromatic scintillation. Surface is treated as a single unity. Fauvism  ‘Portrait of Madame Matisse. The Green Line’, 1905 Oil on Canvas, Henri Matisse  Key Information Concepts and Artists Characteristics Led by Henri Matisse, Fauvism built upon examples from Vincent van Gogh and George Seurat. As the first avant-garde, 20th-century movement, this style was characterized by expressive use of intense color, line, and brushwork, a bold sense of surface design, and flat composition. As seen in many of the works of Matisse himself, the separation of color from its descriptive, representational purpose was one of the core elements that shaped this movement. Fauvism was an important precursor of Cubism and Expressionism. Cubism ‘Les Demoiselles d'Avignon’, 1907 Pablo Picasso, Oil on Canvas  Key Information Concepts and Artists Characteristics Cubism was established by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, who rejected the concept that art should copy nature. They moved away from traditional techniques and perspectives; instead, they created radically fragmented objects through abstraction. Many Cubist painters’ works are marked by flat, two-dimensional surfaces, geometric forms or “cubes” of objects, and multiple vantage points. Often, their subjects weren’t even discernible. Surrealism  ‘Dalí Atomicus’, photograph taken in 1948 by Philippe Halsman, features the Spanish painter Salvador Dalí  Key Information Concepts and Artists Characteristics Surrealism emerged from the Dada art movement in 1916, showcasing works of art that defied reason. Surrealists denounced the rationalist mindset. They blamed this thought process on events like World War I and believed it to repress imaginative thoughts. Surrealists were influenced by Karl Marx and theories developed by Sigmund Freud, who explored psychoanalysis and the power of imagination. Influential Surrealist artists like Salvador Dalí tapped into the unconscious mind to depict revelations found on the street and in everyday life. Dalí’s paintings in particular pair vivid and bizarre dreams with historical accuracy. Pop Art ‘Whaam!’ 1963, Roy Lichtenstein, Acrylic paint and oil on canvas  Key Information Concepts and Artists Characteristics Pop art is one of the most recognizable artistic developments of the 20th century. The movement transitioned away from methods used in Abstract Expressionism, and instead used everyday, mundane objects to create innovative works of art that challenged consumerism and mass media. This introduction to identifiable imagery was a shift from the direction of modernism. Pop artists like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein sought to establish the idea that art can draw from any source and there is no hierarchy of culture to disrupt that. Perhaps the most famous pop culture work of art is Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans production. Postmodernism 1950 up to now. ‘Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present’ 2010 Marina Abramovic, Performance still  Key Information Concepts and Artists Characteristics  What is Postmodernism? Postmodern Art is art produced during Postmodernism, reacting against the empty promises of Modernism and the search for a new world order due to the Second World War. Doing so, Postmodern Art is marked by skepticism, a suspicion of reason, and a radical epistemological doubt challenging the notion of universal truths due to the imminent relativity of things. Critical aspects of Postmodern Art are the emphasis on the individual experience, irony, and the complexity of contradictory layers of meaning. Further, the definition of art is contested, fading the distinction between high art and popular culture, introducing appropriation and eclecticism, and breaking the formal conventions of art, questioning the art establishment. These elements brought new media, new movements, and a new definition of art in general, often referred to as ‘anything goes’. However, the ingenuity of these new developments in Postmodern and contemporary art is undeniable and has elevated the concept of art to a new level. The 1970s marked the beginning of contemporary art, which extends through present day. This period is dominated by various schools and smaller movements that emerged. Postmodernism: In reaction against modernism, artists created works that reflected skepticism, irony, and philosophical critiques. Feminist art: This movement arose in an attempt to transform stereotypes and break the model of a male-dominated art history. Neo Expressionism: Artists sought to revive original aspects of Expressionism and create highly textural, expressive, large works. Street art: Artists such as Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Barry McGee, Banksy, and more created graffiti-like art on surfaces in public places like sidewalks, buildings, and overpasses. The Pictures Generation: Artists Cindy Sherman, Louise Lawler, Gary Simmons, and others who were influenced by Conceptual and Pop art experimented with recognizable imagery to explore images shaped our perceptions of the world. Appropriation art: This movement focused on the use of images in art with little transformation from their original form. Young British Artists (YBA): This group of London artists were notorious for their willingness to shock audiences through their imagery, and a willingness to push beyond limits of decency. They’re also known for their zestful, entrepreneurial spirit. Digital art: The advent of the camera lent way to this artistic practice that allowed artists to use the infusion of art and technology to create with mediums like computers, audio and visual software,