Impressionism:
Works of Manet, Monet, and Renoir by the 1870s, the stage was set for the
emergence of the next major art movement in Europe, impressionism. It started with a
group of French paintersthat included Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Auguste
Renoir
Edouard Manet (1832-1883) was one of the first 19th century artists to depict
modern-life subjects. He was a key figure in the transition from realism to
impressionism, with a number of his works considered as marking the birth of modern
art. Argenteuil Rue Mosnier Decked With Flags Caf Concert and The Bar at the
Folies-Bergere
Claude Monet (1840-1926) was one of the founders of the impressionist movement
along with his friends Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, and Frdric Bazille. He was the
most prominent of the group; and is considered the most influential figure in the
movement. Monet is best known for his landscape paintings, particularly those
depicting his beloved flower gardens and water lily ponds at his home in Giverny. La
Promenade The Red Boats, Argenteuil, Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies and
Irises in Monets Garden
Auguste Renoir (1841 -1919), along with Claude Monet, was one of the central
figures of the impressionist movement. His early works were snapshots of real life, full
of sparkling color and light. By the mid-1880s, however, Renoir broke away from the
impressionist movement to apply a more disciplined, formal technique to portraits of
actual people and figure painting Dancer, A Girl with a Watering Can, Mlle Irene
Cahen dAnvers and Luncheon of the Boating Party
Post-Impressionism:
Works of Cezanne and Van Gogh fter the brief yet highly influential period of
impressionism, an outgrowth movement known as post-impressionism emerged.
The European artists who were at the forefront of this movement continued using the
basic qualities of the impressionists before themthe vivid colors, heavy brush
strokes, and true-to-life subjects. However, they expanded and experimented with
these in bold new ways, like using a geometric approach, fragmenting objects and
distorting peoples faces and body parts, and applying colors that were not
necessarily realistic or natural. Two of the foremost post-impressionists were Paul
Czanne and Vincent van Gogh.
Paul Czanne (18391906) was a French artist and post-impressionist painter. His
work exemplified the transition from late 19th-century impressionism to a new and
radically different world of art in the 20th centurypaving the way for the next
revolutionary art movement known as expressionism. Hortense, Fiquet in a Striped
Skirt, Still Life with Compotier, Harlequin and Boy in a Red Vest
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) was a post-impressionist painter from The
Netherlands. His works were remarkable for their strong, heavy brush strokes,
intense emotions, and colors that appeared to almost pulsate with energy. Van
Goghs striking style was to have a far-reaching influence on 20th century art, with his
works becoming among the most recognized in the world. Sheaves of Wheat in a
Field, The Sower, Still Life: Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers, Bedroom at Arles,
Starry Night and Wheat Field with Cypresses
Expressionism: A Bold New Movement n the early 1900s, there arose in the
Western art world a movement that came to be known as expressionism.
Expressionist artists created works with more emotional force, rather than with
realistic or natural images. To achieve this, they distorted outlines, applied strong
colors, and exaggerated forms. They worked more with their imagination and feelings,
rather than with what their eyes saw in the physical world. Among the various styles
that arose within the expressionist art movements were: neoprimitivism, fauvism ,
dadaism , surrealism, social realism
Neoprimitivism was an art style that incorporated elements from the native arts of
the South Sea Islanders and the wood carvings of African tribes which suddenly
became popular at that time. Among the Western artists who adapted these elements
was Amedeo Modigliani, who used the oval faces and elongated shapes ofAfrican art
in both his sculptures and paintings. Head and Yellow Sweater
Fauvism was a style that used bold, vibrant colors and visual distortions. Its name
was derived from les fauves (wild beasts), referring to the group of French
expressionist painters who painted in this style. Perhaps the most known among them
was Henri Matisse. Woman with Hat and Blue Window
Dadaism was a style characterized by dream fantasies, memory images, and visual
tricks and surprisesas in the paintings ofMarc Chagall and Giorgio de Chirico
below. Although the works appeared playful, the movement arose from the pain that a
group of European artists felt after the suffering brought by World War I. Wishing to
protest against the civilization that had brought on such horrors, these artists rebelled
against established norms and authorities, and against the traditional styles in art.
They chose the childs term for hobbyhorse, dada, to refer to their new non-sty
Melancholy and Mystery of a Street and I and the Village