Section Eight:

Art As Personal Expression:

“European Art of the Nineteenth Century:

 

The First Phase of Modern Art - the late 18th and the 19th centuries:

(During this time Paris became the center of art for the western world).

 

(1) Neo-classical Art, c. 1780-1820 (regarding painting, sculpture, and decorative art):

IN455. Death of Socrates, Jacques-Louis David, (1780-1876) French, oil on canvas, 4’ 3” x 6' 8”, The Metropolitan Museum of Art; New York City, 1787.

IN456. Jupiter and Thetis, Jean_Auguste_Dominique Ingres, (1780-1867) French, oil on canvas, 11’ 4 5/8” x 8’ 5 ¼”, Musee’ Genet, Aix-en-Provence, 1811.

The last two works and the next three indicate how Neo-Classicism could serve Propagandistic Purposes, Indeed, often Romantic art also served propagandistic purposes, as seen in a number listed under that category:

IN455a. Napoleon as Emperor, Ingres French, oil on canvas.

*Compare pose with -

IN457. George Washington, Horratio Greenough (1805-1852) United States, marble, 12’h, National American History Museum; Washington, DC., 1832-1841.

IN457a. Crossing the Delaware, Emanuel Leutze (1816-1868) German, oil on canvas, Metropolitan Museum of Art; New York City, 1851.

 

(2) Romantic Art c. 1820-40:

 

An Example of Proto-Romantic Art, stylistic features and the emotional intensity of Romantic art, but earlier than the actual Romantic Movement.

IN458a. Death of Marat,Jacques-Louis David (1780-1876) French, oil on canvas, Royal Museum of Fine Arts; Brussels, Belgium. 1793.

French Romantic Art:

IN458b. Louis-Francois Bertin, Jean_Auguste_Dominique Ingres (1780-1867), oil on canvas, Louvre; Paris, France, 1833.

IN458.The Raft of the Medusa, Theodore Gericault (1791-1824), oil on canvas; 16’ 1 ” x 23 '6”, Louvre; Paris France, 1818-1820. (The, Raft of the Medusa was the fist painting of the Romantic Movement and also a protest painting against government incompetence).

IN459. “La Marseillaise,” Francois Rude (1784-1855), also known as, The Departure of the Volunteers of 1792, limestone, 42’ h, relief sculpture on one of the sides of the, Arc de Triomphe; Paris, France, 1833-1836.

IN459a. " ", detailed view, note the intense emotional expression of the Romantic approach.

IN460. Liberty Leading the People, Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863) French, oil on canvas, 8’ 6 1/8” x 10’ 8”, Louvre; Paris, France, 1830.

IN460a. Dance, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (1827-1875), high relief stone sculpture on the facade of the late nineteenth century Opera House (copy of original); Paris, France, *photographed by Dr. Robert Prestiano (c).

 

Romantic Works Countries other than France :

Germany:

IN460a. Abbey in the Oak Forest, Casper David Frederic (1774-1840), oil on canvas, 3’ 8” x 5’ 8’ 1/2”, Schloss Charlottenberg; Berlin, Germany, 1809-1910.

IN460a. A Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, Casper David Frederic (1774-1840), oil on canvas, Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany, 1818. (Note the emphasis in this work on the Romantic notion of "the alienated personality," who only finds fulfillment alone in the midst of Nature. This concept became a basic theme in all the arts of the period. As exemplified in the life and work of Ludwig van Beethoven and Lord Byron).

 

England:

IN461a. Ancient of Days, William Blake (1757-1827), watercolor; British Museum; London, England, 1794;

IN461. The Haywain, John Constable, (1776-1837), oil on canvas, 51¼ ” x 73”, The National Gallery; London, England, 1821.

IN462. The Slave Ship, William Turner, (1775-1851), oil on canvas, 35¼” x 48¼”, Museum of Fine Art; Boston, Mass., 1840.

IN462a. Rain, Steam, and Speed,William Turner, (1775-1851), oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art; London, England,1844.

IN465. Ophelia, Sir John Everett Millais, (1829-1896), oil on canvas, Tate Gallery; London, England, 1851-52. (Millais a member of the mid-century group of English painters known as, Pre-Raphaelites).

 

United States:

IN464. Schroon Mountain, Adirondacks, Thomas Cole, (1801-1848) United States, oil on canvas, Cleveland Museum of Art; Cleveland, Ohio, 1838.

IN464a. Fur Traders Descending the Missouri, George Cabel Bingham (1811-1879) United States, oil on canvas, Metropolitan Museum of Art; New York city, 1848.

IN464b. Looking Up the Yellowstone Valley, Albert Bierdstadt (1830-1902) United States, oil on canvas, c. 1865-67.

(3) Two “Emotional-realist” - Goya and Daumier:
*(Note, this term is not used to refer to a style or a movement; rather it is offered to more clearly categorize the work of these two painters)

IN467. The Third of May 1808, Francisco de Goya (1746-1828) Spanish, oil on canvas, 8’ 9” x 13'4”, Museo del Prado; Madrid, 1814-15.

IN468. Third Class Carriage, Honore Daumier (1808-1879) French, oil on canvas, c.1862.
IN469. Rue Transnonain, April 15, 1834, Honore Daumier, lithograph, 11 I/2” x 17' 1/8”, France, 1834.

 

(4) “Realism,” c. 1840-60:

(a) France:

Genre "Realism:"

IN470. A Burial at Ornans, Gustave Courbet (1819-77), oil on canvas, 10’ 3 1/2" x 21’ 9”, Musee’ d’Orsay: Paris, France, 1849-50.

IN470a. My Studio (Atelier): "A Real Allegory of My Life as an Artist," Gustave Courbet (1819-77), oil on canvas, 11' 10 1/4" x 19' 7 1/2",
Musee’ d’Orsay; Paris, France, 1855.

The Naturalistic Landscapes of the Barbizon School:

IN471. Ville D’Avray, Camille Corot (1796-1875), oil on canvas, c.1860.

 

(b) United States:

IN471a. Eight Bells, Winslow Homer (1836-1910) United States, oil on canvas, 1884.

IN471b. Fog Warning, Winslow Homer (1836-1910) United States, oil on canvas, Boston Museum of Fine Arts; Boston, Mass., 1885.

 

(5) The Proto-Impressionists - Edouard Manet and Edgar Degas:
*(Note - The term, “Proto-Impressionist” does not refer to a style or a movement, but is offered to more clearly categorize the work of these two artists).

Edouard Manet:

Compare the following Two Examples:

IN472. Le Dejeuner sur L’Herbe, ("The Luncheon on the Grass”) Edouard Manet (1898-1967) French, oil on canvas, 7’ x 8' 10”, Musee’ d’Orsay; Paris, France, 1863.

*Contrast with -

IN472a. Birth of Venus, Alexandre Cabanel (1823-1889) French, oil on canvas, 1873. (This painting was one of the wining entries in the same 1863 Parisian Salon that rejected Manet's, Luncheon on the Grass. To modern eyes the Cabanel conveys an aspect of "kitsch," which appears ludicrous, when compared to Manet's landmark work).

Edgar Degas:

IN476. Absinthe Drinkers, (L'Absinthe), Edgar Degas (1834-1917), French, oil on canvas, 36 1/4" x 26 3/4", Musee d'Orsay; Paris, France, 1876.
IN477. The Rehearsal, Edgar Degas (1834-1917) French , oil on canvas; 18” x 24”, Fogg Museum; Boston, Mass., c.1875.

 

Two Influences from Outside:

(a) Influence of Photography:

IN473. View through a Window at Grasse, Joseph Nicephore Niepce (1765-1833) French. *This is the first photograph taken, 1826;

IN473a. Atelier of an Artist, Jacques Louis Daguerre (1789-1851) French, daguerretype; 1837. (Daguerre made a commercial success from the invention that he and Niepce began. Unfortunately, Niepce died before he could participate in the success).

 

(b) Influence of Japanese Art:

IN474. The Great Wave of Kanagawa, Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) Japanese, woodblock print from series, Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, 9½” x 14”, Museum of Fine Arts; Boston, Mass., c.1823-1829.

IN475. Sudden Rain at Oashi, Ando Hiroshige (1797-1858) Japanese, woodblock print from series, One Hundred Views of Edo, 34x22cm, Philadelphia Museum of Art; Philadelphia, Penn., 1857.

 

(c) Examples of the Influence of Japanese Design:

IN475a. The Bath, Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) United States,, oil on canvas, 1890.

IN475b. Landscape, Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) Dutch oil on canvas, c. 1885.

 

(6) Impressionism: 1874 - 1886:

IN482. Impression Sunrise, Claude Monet (1840-1926) French, oil on canvas, 19½” x 25 1/2”, Musee Marmottan; Paris, France, 1872.

IN481. A Luncheon of the Boating Party, Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) French, oil on canvas, The Phillips Collection; Washington DC., 1882.

IN483. Autumn at Argenteuil. Claude Monet (1840-1926) French, oil on canvas, Courtauld Institute Gallery, London, 1873.
IN484. Gare St-Lazare, Claude Monet (1840-1926) French, oil on canvas, 32 1/2" x 39 1/9”, Fogg Museum, Harvard University; Boston, Mass., 1877.

IN478. The Boating Party, Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) United States, oil on canvas, 34 1/2” x 46 1/8”, National Gallery of Art; Washington DC., 1893-184.

IN478a. Toilette, Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) United States, Art Institute of Chicago; Chicago, Illinois, 1891.

IN480. Marine, (The Harbor at L'Orient), Berthe Morisot (1841-1895), French, oil on canvas, 17½" x 28¼”, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC., 1869.

(7) Post-Impressionism: mid 1880s-1900:
(*Note, this term does not refer to a style but to a chronological category):

(a) The Rational Tendency, (or formal ) emphasis:

IN485. Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Gatte, George Seurat, (1859-1891) French, oil on canvas, 6’ 9 ½” x 10’1 x 1/4,” Art Institute of Chicago; Chicago, Illinois, 1884-85.

IN486. Mont Ste-Victoire, Paul Cezanne (1848-1903) French, oil on canvas, private collection, 1904-1906.

IN487. The Vision after the Sermon, Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) French, oil on canvas, 28¼” x 36½,” National Gallery; Edinburgh, Scotland, 1888.

IN488. Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) French, oil on burlap, 4’ 6¼” x 12’ 3 1/2”, Museum of Fine Arts; Boston, Mass., 1897.
IN489. Day of the God, Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) French, Art Institute of Chicago, oil on canvas, 1894.

IN490. Divan Japonais, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-190) French, poster, 1892.

 

Examples of Art Nouveau, the major decorative movement of the turn of the century:

IN490a. Hotel Tassel Foyer, Victor Horta (1861-1947) Flemish, architect, Belgium, 1990s.

IN490b. Secessionist Art Gallery, Joseph Maria Olbrich (1867-1908) Austrian, architect; Vienna, Austria, 1898.
IN491. Secessionist Art Gallery, entrance, Joseph Maria Olbrich (1867-1908) Austrian; Vienna, Austria, 1898. Note the use of calligraphic lines and the consistent use of flat application of colors and/or of neutrals. These are specific aspects of this pervasive, late 19th century, decorative style.

(1) Other Notable Art Nouveau Architects: IN491b. Porte Dauphine, Hector Guimard (1867-1942) French; subway entrance; Paris, France, 1900; IN491a. Glasgow Art School, Charles Renee Mackintosh (1752-1825) Scottish; Glasgow, Scotland, 1890s, *photographed by Dr. Robert Prestiano; and IN491bb. Church of La Segrada Familia, detail; Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926) Spanish, Barcelona, Spain, 1880s-, *photographed by Dr. Robert Prestiano;

(2) Notable Art Nouveau painters, graphic artists, and decorative artists were: Gustave Klimt (1862-1918 (Austrian) - IN491c The Kiss, 1907-08; IN491d. Stain Glass Window, Louis Comfort Tiffany, (1848-1933) United States; - IN491e. Salome and St. John the Baptist and IN491f. Climax, Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898) English, pen and ink, both of 1993. (Both drawings are illustrative interpretations of scenes from Oscar Wilde's play, Salome. Beardsley's pen and ink drawings are exemplary of the Art Nouveau style, with an obvious erotic interpretation of subject matter, typical of Beardsley).

 

(b) The Irrational, (or “Expressionistic”) Tendency:

IN492. The Night Café, Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) Dutch, oil on canvas, 27½” x 35”, Yale University Art Gallery; New Haven, Connecticut.
IN493. Starry Night, van Gogh (1853-1890) Dutch, oil on canvas, 29” x 36¼”, The Museum of Modern Art; New York City, June 1889.
IN494. Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear, van Gogh (1853-1890) Dutch, oil on canvas, Courtauld Institute Galleries; London, England, 1889.

IN495. The Scream, Edvuard Munch (1863-1944) Norwegian, (originally titled, Despair); oil, pastel, casein on cardboard; National Gallery; Olso, Norway, 1893.
IN496. Puberty, Munch (1863-1944) Norwegian, oil on canvas, 1894.

IN497. Balzac, Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) French, bronze, 9’10 x 1/8”h, Rodin Museum; Paris, France, 1898.
IN498. Balzac, " ", another view.
IN499. Balzac, " ", detail of the head.