Lead-in. In 1839, the French artist and inventor Louis-Jacques Mande Daguerre developed a method of reproducing images by a photochemical processUnit 5 Art Part 1 Evolution Lead-in In 1839, the French artist and inventor Louis-Jacques Mande Daguerre developed a method of reproducing images by a photochemical process. The process was soon improved upon, and became known all over Europe. A remarkable technical feat, photography led to a profound ideological and cultural revolution that was to transform the art of painting. 1 In the retrospect of time, can you explain the essence of the evolved crisis, and how was the art of painting to overcome it? 2 a. The composition and the handling of the paint reveal the uncertainty evident in artist's early work. (Paul Gauguin, Undergrowth); (See pronunciation transcript for the names on the next page.) b. This 1881 work portrays Gauguin's home in Paris. Placing the flowers in the foreground and leaving the characters in the background was a brave and nonconformist choice. As in many other still lifes of this period, the brushstrokes are short and thick, while the colours are melted together to increase the impression of depth. The palette is made up of warm homely colours. The influence of Gauguin's Realist and Naturalist mentors is demonstrated by the careful and conventional representation of small details. (Paul Gauguin, Interior, Rue Carcel); c. d. Although he was a good landscape painter, Renoir best expressed his art in portraits of sensual, voluptuous women in the tradition of Titian and Rubens and in representations of everyday scenes. This famous painting portrays a cheerful dancing party in Montmartre. (Pierre Auguste Renoir, The Moulin de la Galette); e. Degas was intrigued by the world of the theatre, especially by ballerinas, whom he portrayed with grace and elegance. He seldom represented them while dancing, however, preferring to show a glimpse of an intimate moment of their life behind the scenes. (Edgar Degas, The Dance Class).
3 All of the pictures above represent early Impressionism. Read the text below, familiarise yourselves with this artistic trend and answer the questions that follow. Impressionism Impressionism was born in the 1860s. It arose out of dissatisfaction with the classical and sentimental subjects and dry, precise techniques of paintings that were approved by the Academy of Fine Arts in Paris and done in the studio. The Academy traditionally set the standards of French art and sponsored the official Paris Salon exhibitions. Rejecting these standards, the impressionists preferred to paint outdoors, choosing landscapes and street scenes, as well as figures from everyday life. The foremost impressionists included Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Camille Pissarro, Pierre Auguste Renoir, and Alfred Sisley. They were joined by the artists Pissarro, Cezanne, and Guillaumin. In 1874, spurred on by the rejection of their works by the Salon, the group organized its first official exhibition in a Parisian photographic studio. The term "Impressionism" was first used on this occasion when the journalist Louis Leroy made a sarcastic attack on one of Monet's paintings, Impression: Sunrise. The seven exhibitions that followed were received with increasing acceptance by the critics, and witnessed an ever-growing public success. The outline lost importance, as colour became the main element used to express and communicate emotions and feelings. Their primary object was to achieve a spontaneous, undetailed rendering of the world through careful representation of the effect of natural light on objects. The critics of the Impressionist movement found in Pissarro and Monet their favourite targets. Pissarro, who had been accepted as a member of the Salon, but rejected his rigorous academic approach, was now harshly condemned for his stylistic innovations, such as the lack of shadows and revolutionary use of colour. He would later become the role model for younger artists such as Gauguin.
1. How did Impressionism emerge? 2. Who stood at the outset of the trend? 3. What is the origin of the trend's name? 4. What and who were the subjects of Impressionist canvases? 5. What was their novel approach characterised by? 6. What was the reaction of the official art elite? 4 Complement the descriptions of the pictures above with some facts about Impressionism and give a guided tour of this small "Impressionists' Room" to "visitors". First, distribute the pictures among yourselves and each make a presentation of one canvas to the class. Then, give a whole tour of the exposition to a "sole visitor" in paired practice.
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Ability to see and discuss art is often perceived as the currency of social conversation. This requires an insight into different aspects of the artwork as well as the ability to put the subtleties of your perception into words. Below are excerpts from picture descriptions. Match the lines with the pictures and memorise the key aspects that come under analysis (e.g. composition, representation of details, etc.).
Pissarro's paintings transmit his profound love of rural France where life was dictated by the slow rhythm of the seasons. (Camille Pissarro, Haymaking at Eragny);
