Class 18
In this lecture, we started by looking at the first photograph and how it was made. The first photographs were made in a one-off style where you could only produce one positive from the negative and that was it. This used metal, and resin that hardened when exposed to light. Then, self and more complicated chemical process. To make a process that allowed for the reproduction of the same image. America embraced photography and its ability to capture life exactly. This idea aligned well with realism.
Then we moved into impressionism. Key ideas are as follows. Less clarity within the paintings. Paintings show daily observations but with more importance with a royal look given to these daily scenes. These daily scenes are also painted with less depth of field, emphasizing the subject in the foreground more. The foreground is often cast in a more frontal displaying lighting that shows off points of contrast and everything there to see. each brushstroke takes on its color, letting the viewer’s eye blend everything. This gave more emphasis to color especially when most emphasis was placed on the foreground. More contrasting subject matter is found in these paintings as well. For example, Olympia, a painting by Manet of a prostate lying in bed nude. The lines used to define the edge of her body are in charcoal giving her body a strong emphasis in the scene. A maid brings flowers to her bedside and a black cat is arching ing its back as if surprised with its tail pointed directly upright. The presence of the cat which is often associated with women’s sexuality negatively speaks to the shaking subject matter and the position the cat is in.
Simple compositions also emphasize color. Japonsime, the influence of Japanese art is seen in impressionism with people having strong outlines, and being painted from a somewhat downward angle—Japanese prints which didn’t focus on depth of field aligned with the focus on the foreground as well. Moving out of impressionism, Whistler began looking into the idea of bringing inspiration for painting from music. Music being abstract it’s no mystery where this idea leads.