Review Flashcards on Modern Art

Modernism and Modern Art

• Modernism: Cultural, artistic, and intellectual movement (late 19th - mid-20th century).
  • Broke from tradition due to societal changes (industrialization, urbanization, wars).
• Modern Art: Visual expression of Modernism (1860s-1970s).
  • Emphasized innovation, experimentation, and rejection of conventions.
• Historical context:
  • Industrial Revolution.
  • Collapse of monarchies.
  • Two World Wars.
  • Scientific advancements.
  • Urbanization.
• Social and political context:
  • Disillusionment after World Wars.
  • Influence of Marxism, Freudian psychoanalysis, existentialism.
  • Movements for social equality.
  • Rise of the avant-garde.
• Philosophical aspects:
  • Rejection of absolute truths.
  • Focus on subjectivity.
  • Belief in progress and art's potential.
  • Influences from Nietzsche, Marx, and Freud.
• Main premises of Modern Art:
  • Rejection of tradition.
  • Emphasis on innovation.
  • Autonomy of art ("art for art's sake").
  • Subjectivity and inner vision.
  • Fragmentation and abstraction.
  • Engagement with modern life.

Ruskin vs. Whistler Conflict

• Conflict: John Ruskin criticized James Whistler's painting in 1877, leading to a libel suit.
• John Ruskin:
  • Believed art should convey moral truth and fidelity to nature.
  • Saw Whistler's work as decadent.
  • Represented Victorian ideals.
• James Whistler:
  • Believed art should be valued for aesthetic qualities.
  • Saw Ruskin's views as outdated.
  • Represented Modernist "art for art's sake".
• Trial (1878):
  • Whistler sued Ruskin for libel.
  • Whistler won but received minimal damages.
  • Financially ruined Whistler but elevated debate about art's role.
• Philosophical and artistic importance:
  • Art for Art’s Sake.
  • Decline of Victorian Morality in Art.
  • Artist Autonomy vs. Critical Authority.
  • Public Perception of Modern Art.

Precursors of Modern Art

• Neo-Classicism (late 18th – early 19th century):
  • Essence: Order, harmony, and rationality.
  • Contribution to Modernism: promoted art as intellectual and moral discipline.
• Romanticism (late 18th – mid 19th century):
  • Essence: Emotion, imagination, individualism.
  • Contribution to Modernism: emphasized personal vision and inner world.
• Realism (mid 19th century):
  • Essence: Honesty and objectivity in depicting everyday life.
  • Contribution to Modernism: introduced social and political themes into art.
• Symbolism (late 19th century):
  • Essence: Reflection of inner truths and metaphysical ideas.
  • Contribution to Modernism: encouraged symbolic, dreamlike, or abstract meanings.

Jenny Anger: Four Metaphors of Modernism

• The Mask:
  • Symbolizes: Performance, concealment, identity.
  • Meaning: Exploration of the split between inner self and outward persona.
• The Laboratory:
  • Symbolizes: Experimentation, innovation, detachment.
  • Meaning: Art as a scientific or exploratory activity.
• The Machine:
  • Symbolizes: Modernity, industrialization, mechanical precision.
  • Meaning: Embracing or critiquing the machine age.
• The Garden:
  • Symbolizes: Inner life, imagination, retreat.
  • Meaning: Representing the artist’s private, symbolic world.

The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB)

• Founded: 1848, rejected academic standards, sought purity of early Renaissance art.
• Founding Members:
  • Dante Gabriel Rossetti
  • William Holman Hunt
  • John Everett Millais
• Aesthetic Philosophy and Artistic Aims:
  • Return to Nature and Truth.
  • Inspiration from Early Renaissance and Medieval Art.
  • Moral and Symbolic Content.
  • Integration of Art and Literature.
• Artistic Characteristics:
  • Highly detailed realism
  • Bright, luminous colors
  • Complex symbolism
  • Flat composition
  • Female figures
• Legacy and Influence:
  • Inspired the Arts and Crafts Movement and influenced Symbolism and Aestheticism.

Symbolism and the Nabis

• Symbolism:
  • Time period: 1880s–1910s
  • Philosophy: Expressing the inner world rather than external reality.
• Key Artists:
  • Odilon Redon: Dreams, nightmares, spiritual figures.
  • Marc Chagall: Jewish folklore, village life, biblical themes.
  • Mikhail Vrubel: Russian myths, demons, Byzantine themes.
• The Nabis Group:
  • Formed: Late 1880s in Paris
  • Influenced by Post-Impressionism
• Key Artist: Maurice Denis
  • Philosophy: Art should be decorative, spiritual, and convey subjective emotion

Courbet, Corot, Millet, and the Foundations of Modern Art

• Gustave Courbet:
  • Contribution to Modernism: Leading figure of Realism.
  • Impact on Impressionism and Expressionism.
• Jean-François Millet:
  • Contribution to Modernism: Focused on peasant life and rural labor.
  • Influence: Impressionists and Van Gogh.
• Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot:
  • Contribution to Modernism: Transitional figure between Neoclassicism and Realism.
  • Influence: Impressionism.
• The Barbizon School:
  • Overview: Group of painters painting nature directly.
  • Impact on Modernism: plein air painting, naturalism, emotional tone.

Photography's Influence

• Key Figures in Early Photography:
  • Nicéphore Niépce: Created the first permanent photograph in 1826 or 1827.
  • Louis Daguerre: Invented the daguerreotype in 1839.
  • William Henry Fox Talbot: Invented the calotype process in 1841.
  • Anna Atkins: First person to publish a book illustrated with photographic images, using the cyanotype process.
  • Félix Nadar: Famous for his portrait photography.
  • Julia Margaret Cameron: Elevated photography to fine art.
• Artistic and Cultural Impacts:
  • Challenged painting.
  • Inspired Realist painters.
  • Led to new aesthetic possibilities.

Emergence of Impressionism

• Main Influences on Impressionism:
  • Realism.
  • The Barbizon School.
  • Japanese Prints (Japonisme).
  • Photography.
  • Technological Developments.
• Key Characteristics of Impressionism:
  • Loose, visible brushstrokes
  • Light, atmospheric effects
  • Outdoor scenes (en plein air)
  • Everyday, modern subjects

The First Impressionist Exhibition (1874)

• Background:
  • In 1873, a group of independent artists formed the “Société Anonyme des Artistes Peintres, Sculpteurs, Graveurs, etc.”
• Date and Place:
  • April 15 – May 15, 1874, in Paris.
• Immediate Reception:
  • Mostly negative and mocking from critics and the general public.
• Criticisms:
  • Lack of finish and detail.
  • Rejection of historical or religious subject matter.

Main Artists of Impressionism

• Claude Monet: Leader; light and atmosphere.
• Pierre-Auguste Renoir: Figures, leisure, warm light.
• Edgar Degas: Urban life, ballet dancers, movement.
• Camille Pissarro: Rural and urban scenes.
• Berthe Morisot: Domestic life, female subjects.
• Core Principles of Impressionism:
  • Depiction of Modern Life.
  • Painting Light and Atmosphere.
  • Visible Brushwork.
  • Bright, Unblended Colors.
  • Emphasis on Movement and Impermanence.
  • Rejection of Academic Tradition.

Neo-Impressionism and Post-Impressionism

• Neo-Impressionism:
  • Period: Primarily 1880s–1900s
  • Key Features: Scientific Approach to Color, Pointillism, Optical Color Theory, More Structure
    *Notable Artists: Georges Seurat, Paul Signac
• Post-Impressionism:
  • Period: Primarily 1886–1905
    *Key Features:
    *Diverse Approaches: Symbolism and Emotional Expression, Abstracted Forms, Exaggerated Colors and Forms, notable artists include Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, and Paul Gauguin.