VISUAL ART

Neoclassicism

Art movement characterized by logical, serious, and moralizing tone, inspired by Greek-Roman art, aimed at educating people, and showing a renewed interest in classical civilization.

Romanticism

Artistic movement focusing on a wide range of subjects, emphasizing feeling and imagination over reason, with highly emotional intensity and dream-like quality.

Realism

Art style depicting the poor of society, their working conditions, and unglamorous jobs, using somber earth colors, visible brushstrokes, and clearly defined shapes.

Impressionism

Art movement influenced by painting outdoors, science of color, and the role of the camera, focusing on everyday scenes, color and light, capturing fleeting moments, and using short, broken brushstrokes.

Post-Impressionism

Art movement including Cezanne, van Gogh, and Gauguin, characterized by Cezanne's structured use of color, van Gogh's emotional color portrayal, and Gauguin's symbolic and imaginative use of color.

What are the characteristics of Neo Classicism?

Logical, serious in tone, moralizing in character, inspired by Greek-Roman art, art made to educate, renewed interest in classical civilization

What is the subject matter of Neo Classical art?

Few figures in calm, static poses mainly derived from classical sculpture.

Describe the composition of Neo Classical art

Balanced and ordered compositions often based on geometrical shapes such as rectangles and triangles

What is notable about the color in Neo Classical art?

Strong contrasts between colors, between dark and light areas.

How is paint applied in Neo Classical art?

A: Smooth application with no visible brushstrokes

What shapes are used in Neo Classical art?

Hard and precise outlines with clearly defined shapes.

What are the characteristics of Romanticism?

Wide range of subjects, shift from reason to feeling and imagination, highly emotional intensity, dream-like quality

What is the subject matter of Romantic art?

Emotional drama, exotic themes, portraits.

Describe the composition of Romantic art.

Dramatic diagonal lines filled with drama and movement.

How are shapes used in Romantic art?

Open shapes with emphasis on color and brushstrokes.

How is paint applied in Romantic art?

Painterly style with visible brushstrokes.

What colors are typical in Romantic art?

Rich colors.

What are the characteristics of Realism?

Focus on the poor of society, depicts working conditions and life of peasants/poor, shows unglamorous jobs.

What is the subject matter of Realist art?

Life and conditions of the poor and working class.

Describe the composition of Realist art.

Depicts ongoing situations.

What colors are used in Realist art?

Somber, earth colors.

How are shapes used in Realist art?

Clearly visible shapes.

How is paint applied in Realist art?

Brushstrokes are often visible.

What is the background of Impressionism?

Development of the camera replaced art's documenting functions, liberating art to choose its own style.

How did the landscape influence Impressionism

Artists painted outside (en plein air).

How did science and color influence Impressionism?

Colors in close proximity influence and change each other; two different color threads appear as one from a distance.

How did the camera influence Impressionism?

Impressionists were influenced by the blurred effect and snapshots, capturing moments in time.

What are the themes of Impressionism?

Everyday scenes, sunlit streets, landscapes, flower gardens, open-air cafes, few interior scenes.

Describe the color and light in Impressionism.

Worked outside, mixed colours minimally, used blobs for optical mixing, avoided pure black, light colours with indigo, dark green, and violet as the only darks.

What is the "fleeting moment" in Impressionism?

Painted outdoors to observe light effects on color, aimed to represent fleeting moments.

Describe the brushwork in Impressionism.

Short, visible, and broken brushstrokes, often applied impasto.

What are the characteristics of Cezanne's work?

Limited subjects (still lifes, landscapes, portraits), conscious of canvas flatness, incorrect perspective, structured use of bright colors, firm brushstrokes, emphasis on structure.

How did Cezanne handle space/depth?

Created flat space, conscious of canvas flatness, constructed according to nature.

Describe Cezanne's use of color.

Used bright colors in a structured way, modulation of color areas, mosaic-like facets.

How did Cezanne approach brushwork?

Firm, thoughtful brushstrokes, rectangular strokes forming a rhythmic pattern.

What was Cezanne's approach to composition?

Emphasis on underlying structure, intellectual arrangement, focus on never-changing structure.

What are the characteristics of Van Gogh's work?

Landscapes, portraits, still lifes, interiors, always worked from reality, portrayed emotional reaction.

How did Van Gogh handle space and depth?

Large masses in the middle, line perspective, horizon often three-quarters up.

Describe Van Gogh's use of color.

Initially somber, later lighter under Impressionist influence, strong pure colors, yellows against blues and violets.

Describe Van Gogh's brushwork

Strong linear character, strong outlines.

How did Van Gogh approach composition?

Worked from reality, simplified and distorted shapes, essential scene details only.

What was Van Gogh's approach to art?

PersonPersonal and subjective.al and subjective.

What were Gauguin's subject matter preferences?

Worked from memory, imaginative work, religious and spiritual themes.

How did Gauguin handle space and depth?

Flat space with horizontal color bands, no naturalistic portrayal

Describe Gauguin's use of color.

Symbolic and imaginative, cloisonism with bright color areas separated by dark contours.

Describe Gauguin's brushwork.

Broad parallel strokes, decorative and simplified.

How did Gauguin approach composition?

Did not copy nature, monumental, simplified figures.

What was Gauguin's approach to art?

synthetism, imaginative, opposed to naturalism, mysterious and exotic