20th Century Arts Movements Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering major 20th-century art movements, key terms, and influential figures from the provided notes.

Impressionism

An art movement that began in 19th-century Paris; focuses on capturing light and fleeting moments, uses freely brushed, unmixed colors, often painting outdoors on everyday subjects with open compositions.

Post-Impressionism

A late-19th-century movement that followed Impressionism, extending and reinterpreting it toward structure and personal expression, paving the way for modern art (artists like Cézanne, Van Gogh, and Gauguin).

Claude Monet

Leading Impressionist painter known for landscapes and water scenes; his painting Impression, Sunrise gave the movement its name.

Edouard Manet

French artist who helped transition from realism to impressionism; noted for modern-life subjects and innovations in painting technique.

Paul Cézanne

Post-Impressionist painter whose work bridged 19th-century Impressionism and 20th-century modern art; emphasized geometric form and structure.

Vincent van Gogh

Post-Impressionist known for expressive brushwork, emotional intensity, and vibrant color; influential to modern art.

Georges Braque

Co-founder of Cubism; worked with Picasso to break subjects into geometric planes and multiple viewpoints.

Pablo Picasso

Pioneer of Cubism; explored fractured forms and multiple perspectives; created works like Three Musicians and influenced modern art.

Cubism

20th-century movement that fragments subjects into geometric planes and reassembles them from multiple angles; pioneered by Braque and Picasso.

Fauvism

Early 20th-century movement characterized by bold, non-naturalistic color and expressive distortions; led by Henri Matisse; named from les fauves ('wild beasts').

Neoprimitivism

Art style drawing on elements from non-Western primitive art (South Sea Islanders, African carvings); important influence on Modigliani.

Dadaism

WWI-era movement rejecting established norms through absurd, dreamlike, anti-art works; a protest against civilization; often called a 'non-style' (dada).

Surrealism

Avant-garde movement exploring the unconscious and dream world; illogical, dreamlike imagery; associated with Dalí, Miró, and Klee; derives from 'super realism'.

Social Realism

Art movement using imagery to advocate social reform and protest injustices; examples include Picasso's Guernica and works addressing war, poverty, and corruption.

Abstractionism

20th-century movement where natural appearances are reduced to lines, shapes, colors; from representational to abstract; influenced by science (space-time, relativity).

Nonobjectivism

Abstraction style focusing on lines, shapes, and colors without recognizable objects; Mondrian as an exemplar; aims for balance and purity.

New York School

American movement (1920s–30s) blending European Cubism and Surrealism; later associated with Abstract Expressionism and a shift of avant-garde activity to the United States.

Abstract Expressionism

Post-World War II American movement emphasizing spontaneous, energetic gesture and large-scale works; rooted in the New York School, including action painting and color field painting.

Action Painting

A form of Abstract Expressionism where artists create by gestural painting on the floor, splattering and dripping paint to express energy.

Color Field Painting

Subset of Abstract Expressionism using large fields of pure color to evoke mood; artists include Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman.

Pop Art

1960s movement using recognizable consumer imagery from mass media; celebrated popular culture; notable artists include Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein.

Neo-Dadaism

1960s movement reviving Dada with humor, reclaiming everyday objects and nonsensical elements; lighter, playful critique of art and culture.

Conceptual Art

Art where the idea behind the work matters most, often with minimal craftsmanship; uses unconventional materials; example Kosuth's One and Three Chairs.

Op Art

1960s movement focused on optical effects that create movement in the viewer's eye; precise arrangement of lines, spaces, and colors.

Installation Art

Contemporary art using space and materials to create immersive environments; can be site-specific and experienced inside or outside galleries or public spaces.

Performance Art

Art form where the actions of a performer or group constitute the work; involves time, space, the body, and audience interaction.

Futurism

Early 20th-century Italian movement celebrating speed, machinery, and modernity; depicted dynamic motion and industrial energy; artists include Gino Severini and Umberto Boccioni.

Mechanical Style

Aspect of Futurism where mechanical forms are assembled with primary colors; figures reduced to outlines or mechanical parts.