Today’s class focused on post-impressionist paintings. There are two categories: one is form, including artists like Cezanne, and the other is personal expression, including notable artists like Van Gogh. We spent much of the beginning of class focussing on two of Cezanne’s paintings, including Mont Sainte-Victoire. These painting were both of the same location but their differences outlined the emphasis and study of light. I really enjoyed seeing how this change in coloring affected the whole composition and feeling of the paintings. The more vibrant colorful version drew my attention much quicker than the other which was interesting to me.
Another highlight of the class for me was looking at the series of paintings based around fruit. The required urgency of these paintings makes them very impressive, considering many other artists were taking much more time for their paintings. I also really enjoyed how active each of these paintings felt. At any moment, a piece of fruit could roll or change orientation. I think that the cloth/fabric falling out of the frame aided in this active feeling.
I also enjoyed our brief discussion of conte crayon and improvements in artist technology. It is very interesting how technological advances happen and then affect the artifacts. We don’t often think of art as a technology-based domain, but I would consider improvements in tools to be technological advancements.