Author: Jake Cohen (Page 1 of 3)

In today’s class, we shifted our attention to postmodern art. Postmodern art challenged many cultural “norms” throughout society, rejecting many modernist ideals. Postmodern art deliberately used earlier styles and conventions of art. One of the artists we examined was Judy Chicago. In her “The Dinner Party,” there are a triangle of tables set up for specific groups of people. The floor contains a list of names, all of which are names of successful women. This artwork celebrates successful women, which is a contrast to many art periods we have examined which tend to only portray triumphs and heroics of male figures.

We also discussed the Maya Lin’s Vietnam memorial at the national mall in Washington D.C. This memorial is an important piece of artwork as it addresses fallen heroes during the Vietnam War, many of whom were drafted into war. It speaks to the bigger overall issue that existed during this time, when many college students protested because of the draft rules in place. The discussion regarding art within the Colby Arts Museum was fascinating as well. We are very fortunate to have such amazing works of art right on our campus for the public to view.

In today’s class, we discussed neo-plasticism which was a movement in the Netherlands. A prominent artist during this movement was Piet Mondrian. We discussed his “Composition with red, Blue, and Yellow,” which was created in 1930. In this painting, Mondrian only drew horizontal and vertical lines. The colors were reduced to the three primary colors, with white and black lines as well. This was a feature of the neo-plasticism movement. The colors were also presented in a mostly flat manner, with no dept. The goal of harmony and composition is portrayed through geometric shapes. There is a spiritual aspect to the artwork. Despite the asymmetry in this piece, the artwork is very balanced.

We also discussed Walter Gropius’s Bauhaus from 1925-26. This means “house of building.” Several wings were connected together, with each wing serving a different function. This workshop embraced modernity and the utopia ideal. There is lots of glass being used which is another feature of this movement. We also discussed postwar art, which portrayed art following World War II. There was a shift of a central art from Paris to the US during this period.

In today’s class, we discussed analytic cubism and synthetic cubism. Analytic cubism is based on analysis in form. We looked at a very well-known example of analytic cubism, Picasso’s “Ma Jolie,” made from 1911 to 1912. The color scheme is reduced to earthy colors. The brushstrokes are repetitive, making the painting seem flat with no real landscape. There are mainly just straight lines: diagonals, vertical, and horizontal. The forms are broken down into specific shapes, which is influenced from Cezanne.

A synthetic cubism example we looked at was Boccioni’s “States of Mind I: Farewells”, made in 1911. Synthetic refers to bringing things together. Deconstructing what you look at comes from analytic cubism, whereas bringing it back together is though synthetic cubism. Boccioni’s artwork is about the Milan train station. Industrialization was very new to Italy, it did not really occur until after World War II. Boccioni is celebrating this new industrialization. He claims cars to be more beautiful than ancient antiquities. He is a fan of modern developments compared to ancient legacies.

In today’s class we continued our discussion on the post-impressionist era. One of the most influential artists of the time was Paul Gauguin. He left his family in 1873 and went to the French Caribbean, then all the way to French Polynesia to remove himself from civilizations influences on art. He wanted to go as far as possible away from civilization, so that he could immerse himself in virgin nature. He wants to rid himself of “civilization’s influence,” and what he learns in art school. His art is very pure and simple as a result, with nothing fancy.

One of Gauguin’s works that we examined was his “The Vision after the Sermon,” which was produced in 1888. Brittanie women are shown having a vision after hearing the sermon. The red ground is arbitrary which conveys the intensity of the experience of the women after hearing the service. Another artwork by Gauguin was his “Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going,” which is a massive painting. It is representative of figures you would see in French Polynesia, so these people are free from “civilization’s influence.” The painting shows Gauguin’s own feeling on civilization, and is a clear escape from the bourgeoise in Paris. This artwork is an example of synthetism because Gauguin goes to places and the portrays what he sees and his emotions.

In today’s class, we discussed artwork from the post-impressionist era. This era can be broken down into two parts: form and personal expression. Artists such as Cezanne and Seurat were known for using form throughout their paintings, whereas artists like van Gogh and Gaugin are known for displaying personal expression throughout their works. Color also drives their work, and serves as an important way to highlight certain aspects of their paintings.

We compared Paul Cezanne’s “Mont Sainte-Victoire” along with his “Mont Saint-Victoire and the Viaduct of the Arc River Valley.” These two paintings are part of the same series of works, and depicts a scene in Aix-en-Provence, where Cezanne is from. The color scheme is very similar in both paintings, with green and earthy colors making up most of the two paintings. This is very different than series of paintings one would find during the impressionist era, where color schemes varied from painting to painting. The landscapes throughout Cezanne’s two paintings are very flat, with mountains in the background. These works are “painterly”, as the brushstrokes create a visual that further flattens the picture. What is fascinating about Cezanne is that he viewed himself as an impressionist artist. He wished to “make of impressionism something solid and durable.” This statement itself shows how he was not an impressionist artist, and thus falls into the era of what is now known as “post-impressionism.”

During today’s class, we wrapped up our discussion on the realist era. We then shifted our focus to impressionism. The impressionist era rebelled against classical subject matter and embraced modernity. Artists desired to create works that reflected the present world that they lived in. Light was used to help create art that reflected this modernity. We discussed Manet’s “Luncheon on the Grass,” and how there was controversy surrounding the scene that Manet portrayed. The scene depicts a nude woman picnicking with two fully clothed men in a rural setting, which was very unconventional at the time. This painting challenged traditional norms of beauty and “proper” subject matters. It was fascinating to learn about the stir Manet’s painting caused in society, as today I feel it would not be seen as controversial at all.

In today’s class we dived into the period of realism. This era was defined by factuality, and the attempt to display what is being seen to the viewer. We discussed Jean-Francois Millet’s “The Sawer,” which was created in 1850. Millet came from a peasant family in Normandy, and was one of fourteen children. We learned that peasant families had so many children because child mortality rates were so high along with the fact that families needed lots of means of labor to survive. This artwork expresses a real sympathy for peasants and emphasizes the importance of the peasantry’s work. There is a real political agenda in Millet’s artwork, he argues that the peasantry is the backbone of French society. The cotemporary viewer immediately understood this message when viewing “The Sawer.”

We also talked about Gustave Courbet’s “The Stone-Breakers,” which was created in 1849. Courbet was arguably the most important painter during the realist movement. The notion of the artwork was that the working class was being exploited in the countryside. Peasants are forced to literally complete “back-breaking” activities. A father and his son is presented in the painting, and are both dressed in rags, along with a torn shirt. This represents the poorness of the peasantry class. The message expresses that there is serious exploitation, specifically with the child being forced to work at such a young age. Child labor was a major issue for the peasantry class.

In today’s virtual class, we finished discussing some artworks from the Neoclassical period, and then transitioned into the Romanticism era. This transition consisted of a shift in emphasis from reason to feeling, and from objective nature to subjective emotion. The shift to Romanticism was in large part a widespread reaction against the spread of industrialism. It was also a criticism against the aristocratic social and political norms, with a call for more attention toward nature. Etienne-Louis Boullee’s Project for a Tomb of Isaac Newton represented this shift in artistic values. This tomb represented a shift to abstract and emotion in artworks.

The Romanticism era was defined largely by contemporary times. Paintings were made based on current events, as opposed to ancient Greek and Roman scenes portrayed throughout the Neoclassicism era. Paintings were displayed in large part to persuade people to believe something, and were used as propaganda throughout European society. Many of the works were influenced by Napoleon, the powerful ruler of France at the time. Ingres’ “Grande Odalisque” is a good example of this period. The painting’s goal is to have viewers fantasize about the exotic places being shown. It’s very light-hearted and has a sense of dreaminess, which was representative of the Romanticism era.

In today’s class, we focused on neoclassical artworks. This was a period defined by the revival of Ancient Greek classical art and ancient antiquities. It was also a time period when “The Grand Tour” was taking place. It was started by British young men traveling the world. Studying abroad heirs from The Grand Tour. The Duke of Northumberland traveled to Rome with his tutor, which was a part of this tour. It gives to the word “tourism.” We focused on Anton Raphael Mengs’ “Parnassus,” which was produced in 1761. He was a German who worked in Rome. The noble simplicity of his painting represents neoclassicism. Mt. Parnassus is a mountain where all the Gods reside in Greece and the scene portrays Raphael’s “Parnassus” scene which was created in 1510. They are both very symmetrical, with a clear focal point, which is very different than Rococo art. The characters are very organized in their placement and are made up of similar compositions. They both have primary colors in their scenes as well, with simple colors being portrayed in a wholesome way. The lines are very plain and are not “painterly” like French baroque and rococo artists. The scene is very light-hearted and charming.

In today’s class, we shifted our focus to Rococo painting in 18th-century France. We first studied art that was made specifically for the nobility. The nobility typically lived in Paris, in “hotel particuliers,” which were elegant rooms, but were also very small because Paris was a very crammed city. One of the most influential artists of the time was Jean-Antoine Watteau. His “A Pilgrimage to Cythera” was a piece that we studied. Created in 1717, the artwork represents a reception piece that got Watteau into the French Academy of Arts. Cythera is an island sacred to Venus, and is evident through the sculpture of Venus present in the scene. The island is being reached by boat, and people throughout the island all seem to be couples. Everyone is interacting in different ways, but the center of the scene is a lady who is reluctant to leave the island. She is looking back at the island, as her husband is telling her it is time to go. The island is almost a mythological place that is too pleasant and perfect to leave. It is a representation of escapist, which can be described as going to a magical island, and spending a divine moment, only to have to return back to reality upon departure. We can tell that Watteau’s painting is influenced by Rubens, as the colors are blended. They are pastel-like, meaning they are made up of pale colors and slightly toned-down colors. The sunset in the background adds to the beauty of the scene as well.