Modern Art History Midterm Terms

Realism

the accurate, detailed, unembellished depiction of nature or of contemporary life

Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

English art movement formed in 1848 by painters who rejected the academic rules of art, and often painted medieval subjects in a naive style

Impressionism

An artistic movement that sought to capture a momentary feel, or impression, of the piece they were drawing

Neo-Impressionism

a late 19th century art style that uses small dabs of color to create the affect of light, or pointillism

Post-Impressionism

an art style that evolved from Impressionism in the late 19th century. It's characterized by bold colors, symbolic images, and expressive forms. Post-Impressionist artists used real-world subjects, but added their own personal interpretations

Symbolism

the use of symbols, colors, shapes, or images to convey a deeper meaning or statement. It's a style that often appears to be hidden or abstract, and sometimes requires explanation to fully understand

Fauvism

an art movement in France in the early 20th century that used bold colors and brushstrokes to express a spontaneous response to nature

Expressionism

an art style that conveys subjective emotions and experiences, often through distortion and exaggeration.

Cubism

an art style that uses geometric shapes to depict three-dimensional subjects on a flat canvas. It's considered the first abstract art movement

Futurism

an artistic movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century. It celebrated the energy and dynamism of the modern world through art

Orphism

an abstract art style that uses bright colors and geometric shapes to create a sense of movement and rhythm

Suprematism

characterized by basic geometric forms, such as circles, squares, lines and rectangles, painted in a limited range of colors

Constructivism

an early twentieth-century art movement founded in 1915 by Vladimir Tatlin and Alexander Rodchenko. Abstract and austere, constructivist art aimed to reflect modern industrial society and urban space. The movement rejected decorative stylization in favour of the industrial assemblage of materials.

De Stijl (The Style)

Dutch art movement that emerged in the early 20th century, characterized by a highly abstracted style using primarily straight lines, geometric shapes like squares and rectangles, and primary colors (red, yellow, blue), alongside black and white, with a focus on achieving visual harmony and balance

Bauhaus

a German art school and design movement that combined the arts and crafts into a unified vision. The Bauhaus style is known for its functionalism, geometric forms, and clean lines