Styles and Movements: French Naturalism

         

      Vincent Van Gogh, The Potato Eaters,  1885*

        Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, At Grenelle, Absinthe Drinker, 1887**

        

         Eduoard Manet, A Bar at the Folies-Bergère, ca. 1882***

French Naturalism (1880-1890) was inspired by certain aspects of Realism. Realists, such as Gustave Courbet, depicted the every-day without embellishing it.  The French Naturalists depicted the reality of their world, but unlike Realism, they took more stylistic freedom. This is depicted in Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergère.

French Naturalism also shared similarities with a style of literature used by Èmile Zola, Naturalism. This literary style focused on depicting that human character was shaped by society and by natural conditions.  Zola's texts, such as Thérèse Raquin, L'Assommoir , Nana, and Germinal show the most depraved but resilient side of humankind. Paintings such as Van Gogh’s The Potato Eaters and Toulouse-Lautrec’s At Grenelle, Absinthe Drinker depict this side of contemporary life. French Naturalism eventually changed because of the artist’s desire to romanticize aspects of daily life. Artists also extended beyond Realism and French Naturalism. By depicting contemporary life as it was, they produced a style that had a sketch-like quality. This style would evolve to become Impressionism.  

Notes: 
Please Refer to Wikipedia, Encyclopedia Brittanica for more information on the web or Gardner's Art Through the Ages textbook. 
* Reprinted, Robert Wallace, The World of Van Gogh 1853-1890, Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1969.
** Reprinted, Thomson, Richard, Phillip Dennis Cate, and Mary Chapin Weaver, Toulouse-Lautrec and Montmartre. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2005.
*** Reprinted, Eisenmann, Stephan F., ed, Nineteenth Century Art: A Critical History. London, UK: Thames & Hudson, Ltd, 2002.

Styles and Movements: Japonism

Hello, here is the latest Styles post on Japonism, which continues our Movement through Modernism.  

Maternal Caress, 1891, Mary Cassatt

Drypoint and soft-ground etching, third state, printed in color, 14 3/8 x 10 9/16 in. (36.5 x 27 cm)

Gift of Paul J. Sachs, 1916

Divan Japonais (Japanese Settee), 1893, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Lithographed poster, 81.2 x 60.3 cm  

Publisher: Édouard Fournier, Paris. Printer: Edward Ancourt, Paris. Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Fund

Folies Bergere Fleur De Lotus, 1893, Jules Chéret

 Lithography poster for the Ballet Pantomime

This picture is the copyright of the Lordprice Collection.

During the 1850s, merchants began importing Japanese products to Europe and America. Due to this influx an interest in Japanese art spread. As such, so did the artist’s attraction to mimicking the techniques used in Japanese prints and ceramics. From this was born the Japonism (Japonisme) movement (circa the 1870s). From simple reproductions of prints emerged a style that fused elements from French Impressionism with those from Japaneseukiyo-e. Artists such as V. Van Gogh, P. Gauguin, E. Degas, and M. Cassatt were among those experimenting with the style.

The artists most influenced by use of bold lines and flat surfaces were Parisian printmakers, such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Jules Chéret. They transferred its woodcut techniques to lithography. The style prospered through to the early 1900s, because it ignored important aspects of Academy painting, such as asymmetry in the composition and lack of interest in shadows. Japonism inspired the Art Nouveau and Cubism movements.

For more information refer to:

Encyclopedia Britannica Japonism 

Turner, J. Grove Dictionary of Art. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996.

Wichmann, Siegfried. Japonisme: the Japanese influence on Western art since 1858. London: Thames & Hudson, 1999.

Gallery and Exhibition Reviews: Antonello Blandi Exhibition in Palermo, Sicily

Notte Siciliana (Sicilian Night)

Mixed Media on Canvas, 100 x 100 cm

Da Palermo A Palermo (From Palermo to Palermo)

Mixed Media on Canvas, 100x 100 cm

I recently moved back to my hometown of Palermo in Sicily, primarily, with hopes of living in a quiet place where I could finish my MA thesis. But also to reconnect with my roots and discover what the art scene is like in Palermo. Since my family is still very much established in the city, I had the opportunity to visit the exhibition reception for a local artist. Antonello Blandi mixes three concepts in his paintings.  He begins by taking a traditional theme here in Sicily, the local landscape (known as Paesaggi in Italian, because it mixes the village-scape within the land). He then adds in an eclectic and arbitrary element: impressionist, abstract, surrealist, etc. All of which are depicted in vibrant colors taken from the Mediterranean setting. 

Antonello Blandi

Giorgio Matranga Eventi presenta: Scaramanpittando* 

Villa Niscemi

Opening Reception: 6th of March 2010 18:30PM

Exhibition from 5th of March until 11th of March 2010

Opening hours: M-F 9:30-13:30 & 16:30-19:30 S/Sun 9:30-12:30

Website Link


Situated along the walls of the front room, sprinkled across the courtyard, and on easels in the back room were displayed Blandi’s brightly colored paintings. The exhibition at the Villa Niscemi is very different from those I have experienced in the UK and the US. For instance, the exhibition stays open for less than a week in this location, and then the works are moved to a gallery. As odd as this seems, it actually is a great way to get loads of people to come to see the works in a historical, but homelike atmosphere.

The brightly colored paintings were highlighted against the wooden walls in the front room and  the stucco walls in the back room. Unfortunately, the Antipasto table and influx of people traveling through to the main gallery space overshadowed the paintings placed on easels in the courtyard. Which is a shame, because of all the paintings, I believe these were the most captivating in technique and subject. Another interesting aspect is that there is no information available listed about the paintings. Although this meant the work was appreciated for its aesthetic value alone, it did make it very difficult to talk to the artist about a particular piece. 

Blandi implements many of the tools of his trade as a graphic designer to highlight Sicilian icons in bright colors and simple shapes. He then adds to this style by drawing upon art historical influences. Da Palermo A Palermo is reminiscent of Van Gogh's Bedroom in Arles (1888), but it also retains a Surrealist characteristic. When I asked the artist about his decisions to place the city's buildings on top of objects, I received a blunt, albeit slightly disillusioning answer. Without reserve the artist proclaimed that while some artists create work to satisfy philosophical or idealistic concerns, he paints to paint. He also realizes that his audience has diverse aesthetic tastes. For instance, some people like scenes with water or boats, while others might prefer chairs. As an older artist, he has realized that art is as much about originality and invention as it is about meeting the practical needs of both the artist and the viewer. 

Alba Siciliana (Sicilian Dawn)

Mixed Media on canvas, 100 x100 cm

Untitled 

Lithography Poster

*Note: Scaramanpittando is a conjunction of two words: scaramanzia and dipingere. Scaramanzia mean superstition, while dipingere means to paint. This link will bring you to the event page, check out the photos from the opening reception. 

Styles and Movements: Macchiaioli

I'm back to the art blogging world. This week I am going to begin with another a Modern art movement, the Macchiaioli. Enjoy!

Giovanni Fattori, Cowboys of the Maremma Driving the Herds, 1893

Oil on canvas, 200 x 300 cm, Livorno, Museo Civico Fattori

Telemaco Signorini, On a Hill in Settignano, 1885

Oil on Canvas, 37 x 50 cm, Private Collection

Macchiaioli was a style related to the Impressionism and similarly criticized by the academy. Formed by a group of Florentine and Neapolitan painters in Florence, their painting style featured the paint rather than narratives. They painted in a sketch manner that highlighted their “initial impressions of nature,” in color, light, and shadows, primarily painting outdoors.[1] The group’s name, Macchiaioli, refers to the painter’s effort to emphasize the areas of light and shade by marking the painting with spots. These marks or stains of color were referred to as “macchie.” Preceding the French Impressionists, the Macchiaioli began with a group of artists in the 1850s that were tired of the stifling academies and sought to reinvigorate Italian painting. Influenced by the old masters (Caravaggio) as well as the French Barbizon School, the Macchiaioli (including artist Telemaco Signorini) changed Italian painting. Undervalued during its time, the movement lasted from 1860 to 1890.

For more information refer to:

Broude, Norma. The Macchiaioli: Italian Painters of the Nineteenth Century. London: Yale University Press, 1987.

Steingräber, E., & Matteucci, G. The Macchiaioli: Tuscan Painters of the Sunlight : March 14-April 20, 1984. New York: Stair Sainty Matthiesen in association with Matthiesen, London, 1984.

Turner, J. Grove Dictionary of Art. USA: Oxford University Press, 1996.

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[1] See Encyclopedia Britannica 

Styles and Movements: Modernism

I am going to begin this section at a point where most people begin losing touch with art history, Modernism. The most basic definition of Modernism is that it concerned itself with the innovation of practices, theories, or characteristics during the 19th century.  Most scholars place the beginning of Modernism to be around the 1860s. Modernism was connected to industrial, scientific and political revolutions in European countries, especially in France. However, it spread to almost every discipline.


Artists were also among those revolting. Prior to this time visual artists had undertaken the task of producing commissioned works using traditional (still lifes, portraits, and landscapes), religious, or historical themes. Modernism gave the artist free will to portray the sentiments of the time in new styles, such as the Impressionist style. Artists associated with Impressionism were Éduourd Manet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Claude Monet. 

From it’s beginning roots in Europe, Modernism eventually spread throughout the Western world and reached Asia. It continued to be the dominant stylistic phenomena, until it was succeeded by Post-Modernism in the late 20th century. However, there is a split among art historians on this subject. I will eventually discuss this shift in art history, but if you are interested at the moment, check the art critic Clement Greenberg’s essays on the subject.

To find out more about Modernism, I highly recommend going to your local library and checking out Gardner’s Art Through the Ages  (I like the 10th Edition).(1) It is a massive reference book on art history and a great place to begin your art education.




(1) Richard Tansey, Fred Kleiner and Horst De La Croix, Gardner's Art Through the Ages, 10th Edition. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1995.