Posts Tagged ‘Impressionism’
From Classicism to Impressionism – The Life and Works of Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) was a very versatile artist. The subjects of his paintings range from the vibrancy of crowds in the center of Paris to the tranquility of a summer’s day in the French countryside. He was also a prolific portrait artist and still life painter. Although Renoir belonged to the impressionist school of painters, he trained initially as a classical artist and many of his earlier works are classical in style.
An example of a classical work by Renoir is the “Portrait of William Sisley,” painted in 1864. William Sisley, the father of the painter, Alfred Sisley, is depicted very much in the classical style with a high level of realism. However, the way in which Renoir introduced light into this painting was to be further developed later on in his career in his impressionistic works.
The son of a tailor, Renoir was born in 1841 in Limoges, France. Four years later, he moved to Paris with his family. His artistic career began when he worked as a decorator of porcelain at Levy Freres. His talents soon earned him a pay rise.
In 1862, Renoir started to study classical painting at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Around this time, Renoir worked for various clients, painting ceilings with ornate decorations, and it is also believed that he decorated several Parisian cafes but no evidence of this remains.
In January 1868, he began to share a studio with Frederic Bazille. He was a frequent visitor to the Cafe Guerbois, where he met other painters such as Edouard Manet, and Edgar Degas. In 1869, Renoir and Claude Monet painted what are regarded as the first impressionist paintings, showing the effects of light on the water of the river Seine.
A pause in Renoir’s career was brought about by the Franco-Prussian War between 1870 and 1871 when he served in the military.
In 1874, Renoir and Monet organized the impressionists’ first exhibition. Seven of Renoir’s paintings, including the theater scene, “The Box,” and “Dancer,” were on display. The exhibition was not a success and harsh criticism of their work ensued.
Nevertheless, Renoir continued to paint in the impressionist style with themes from nature resulting in such paintings as the “Path Leading Through Long Grass,” which is now exhibited at the Musee d’Orsay in Paris.
In March 1875, the impressionists held an auction of their work. Several paintings sold, including two of Renoir’s works, albeit at low prices and with scathing remarks from spectators.
Several of Renoir’s paintings, including “Moulin de la Galette” and “The Swing,” featured in another exhibition of impressionist art, held in 1877. Unfortunately, this exhibition was also not widely acclaimed with just a few buyers of the impressionists’ paintings.
After the failure of this exhibition, Renoir re-focused on painting in the classical style and his painting, “Mme Charpentier and her Children,” was accepted by the prestigious Salon in 1879. Now displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, it depicts a cozy scene of family life in the Charpentier family’s Japanese room.
Renoir’s fortunes began to change in 1881, when the dealer, Durand-Ruel, began to buy his paintings, paying in monthly installments. Renoir went on trips to Italy and Algeria, where he was greatly inspired. During this time abroad, he painted such works as “The Bay of Naples” and “Algerian Girl,” which is now exhibited at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. After his return to Paris, twenty-five of Renoir’s paintings were displayed in an exhibition organized by Durand-Ruel.
During the remainder of the 1880s, Renoir’s paintings remained in the classical style. Some critics remarked that his style was reminiscent of the French painter, Ingres. However, in 1890, Renoir returned to the “gentle and light” style of impressionist painting and he was to remain painting in this way for the rest of his life. Although he suffered from arthritis at this time, he continued to paint with speed and enthusiasm.
In 1904, Renoir’s retrospective exhibition at the Salon d’Automne was highly successful. Despite attacks of paralysis and fingers crippled with arthritis, he continued to draw and paint, even after he was confined to a wheelchair in 1912. He said: “If I have to choose between walking and painting, I’d rather paint.”
Renoir died in 1919, a few months after the prestigious Louvre museum in Paris had accepted for display his “Portrait of Mme Charpentier.”
Renoir’s carefree spirit is captured in many of his paintings which reveal “joie de vivre” and contentment with life. The “Moulin de la Galette,” for example, is a lively crowd scene painted from real life in a dance hall in the Montmartre area of Paris. It shows people drinking, dancing and generally having a good time.
Renoir’s works are now on display in various art galleries and private collections worldwide, including the USA, United Kingdom, France, Russia, Brazil and Japan. The collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York includes several of Renoir’s impressionistic works, such as a painting of his last home, “The Farm at Les Collettes, Cagnes.” At the Art Institute of Chicago, works by Renoir include the colorful painting of “Two Sisters on the Terrace.”
In London, “The Box,” which was part of the impressionists’ first failed exhibition, can now be viewed at the Courtauld Institute of Art, while the famous Parisian crowd scene, “The Umbrellas” is on display at the National Gallery.
The Musee d’Orsay in Paris has a large collection of paintings by Renoir, including “Moulin de la Galette” and “The Swing.”
The final word should go to Renoir himself, who summarized his philosophy of life in this way: “I’ve never sought to direct my life. I have always let myself be carried along by events.”
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Impressionism – Matisse, Klimt, and Picasso
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The early 20th century art scene is arguably one of the most exciting periods of art. The artists of the time were beginning to have liberties that they had never previously had. There was a newfound freedom and ability to work in ways that had never before been accepted in the art world. Sometimes this new sense of freedom created a lot controversy. This controversy was certainly evident in the works of Matisse, Klimt, and Picasso.
The Woman with the Hat is an oil painting done on stretched canvas. It was painted by Henri Matisse in the year 1905. It is thirty one inches tall and 23 inches wide. It is currently at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
The style of Matisse used in The Woman with the Hat would later cause Matisse to react against his earlier fauvist style. Fauvism, is a style that is characterized by large brush movements and very bold color uses. The word fauves literally translates to mean “wild beasts.” In The Woman with the Hat, Matisse created a piece where the colors were very aggressively applied to the canvas.
Matisse brought The Woman with the Hat to 1905 Salon d’Automne. At the Salon, Matisse’s work created a large controversy. The subject matter, a clothed lady was by no means controversial. Instead it was the manner in which Matisse painted the woman. The Woman with the Hat uses very crude drawing, sketchy buswork, and colors that seem extremely arbitrary towards the final composition. Overall, it creates a lot of dissonance in piece and this dissonance was largely what people were reacting against.
The Kiss is a painting by the artist Gustav Klimt. It is a work done on stretched canvas in the medium of oil paint. It was painted between the years 1907 and 1908. It is an extremely large piece measuring at five feet, ten inches by six feet in size. It is currently located at Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna.
The Kiss is a painting done in the style of Art Noveau. Art Noveau was also sometimes referred to as Sezessionstil because it was largely associated with the succession of Viena. Art Noveau was a group of artists that was started in the late nineteenth century. It was an extremely progressive group of artists who seceded from conservative academics in and attempt to form dramatically more liberal associations.
Gustav Kilmt is one of the artists who was heavily involved in the sucession movement. Between 1907 and 1908 he worked in what has become known as his golden style. This style is represented In The Kiss. This style became known as his golden style to his usage of the color gold. The main figurative element of The Kiss is two couples embracing in a kiss. This couple is surrounding in an aura of gold.
The couple represented in The Kiss are in a state of tension. The body language of the woman especially does not point to the relationship being completely desired by both parties. This was largely intended as a political message. The Secession was a revolt against the political powers of the time. In Klimt’s work, The Kiss, the woman in the figure is meant to be representative of Vienna; not entirely into the relationship and wanting to break apart.
Les Demoiselles d’Avignon is work of oil on canvas. It was created by Pablo Picasso in 1907. It’s a very large work and is eight feet by seven feet, eight inches. It is housed in The Museum of Modern Art, in New York City.
Pablo Picasso is one of the most famous cubist painters and sculptors. His work, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon is a cubist works. One of his influences was Iberian figurative works. This Iberian influence is largely apparent in Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, especially in the facial configurations of the thre three woman on the left side of the piece. The figures in Les Demoiselles d’Avignon are somewhat simplified. They have very paired down features with wide eyes that are shaped like almonds.
The two women on the right hand side of Les Demoiselles d’Avignon are painted in a dramatically different style then the women on the left. These woman were painted in a style that was inspired by African masks that Picasso had seen in a show in Paris. Les Demoiselles d’Avignon was intended as a response to Matisse’s work Le Bonheur de Vivre, which was done in a style more similar to the French classical tradition.
Les Demoiselles d’Avignon was certainly not a tradition piece. The title is somewhat misleading. Les Demoiselles d’Avignon literally translates to “The Woman of Avignon,” however the Avignon that Picasso was referring to was the Avignon which is the red light district of Barcelona. While “demoiselles” literally translates to mean “young woman,” it is also a euphemism for prostitutes. Many in the art world, including Picassos friends were horrified by the subject matter of the piece.
Matisse, Klimt, and Picasso were all controversial artists. Often their work was not purely about their work. It was about politics, about society, and about the culture of the time. Their works were sometimes intended to be controversial. They were always meant to incite an emotional and/or intellectual reaction by the viewer. In this regards, these works from the early twentieth century are extremely exciting.
The early 20th century art scene is arguably one of the most exciting periods of art. The artists of the time were beginning to have liberties that they had never previously had. There was a newfound freedom and ability to work in ways that had never before been accepted in the art world. Sometimes this new sense of freedom created a lot controversy. This controversy was certainly evident in the works of Matisse, Klimt, and Picasso.
The Woman with the Hat is an oil painting done on stretched canvas. It was painted by Henri Matisse in the year 1905. It is thirty one inches tall and 23 inches wide. It is currently at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
The style of Matisse used in The Woman with the Hat would later cause Matisse to react against his earlier fauvist style. Fauvism, is a style that is characterized by large brush movements and very bold color uses. The word fauves literally translates to mean “wild beasts.” In The Woman with the Hat, Matisse created a piece where the colors were very aggressively applied to the canvas.
Matisse brought The Woman with the Hat to 1905 Salon d’Automne. At the Salon, Matisse’s work created a large controversy. The subject matter, a clothed lady was by no means controversial. Instead it was the manner in which Matisse painted the woman. The Woman with the Hat uses very crude drawing, sketchy buswork, and colors that seem extremely arbitrary towards the final composition. Overall, it creates a lot of dissonance in piece and this dissonance was largely what people were reacting against.
The Kiss is a painting by the artist Gustav Klimt. It is a work done on stretched canvas in the medium of oil paint. It was painted between the years 1907 and 1908. It is an extremely large piece measuring at five feet, ten inches by six feet in size. It is currently located at Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna.
The Kiss is a painting done in the style of Art Noveau. Art Noveau was also sometimes referred to as Sezessionstil because it was largely associated with the succession of Viena. Art Noveau was a group of artists that was started in the late nineteenth century. It was an extremely progressive group of artists who seceded from conservative academics in and attempt to form dramatically more liberal associations.
Gustav Kilmt is one of the artists who was heavily involved in the sucession movement. Between 1907 and 1908 he worked in what has become known as his golden style. This style is represented In The Kiss. This style became known as his golden style to his usage of the color gold. The main figurative element of The Kiss is two couples embracing in a kiss. This couple is surrounding in an aura of gold.
The couple represented in The Kiss are in a state of tension. The body language of the woman especially does not point to the relationship being completely desired by both parties. This was largely intended as a political message. The Secession was a revolt against the political powers of the time. In Klimt’s work, The Kiss, the woman in the figure is meant to be representative of Vienna; not entirely into the relationship and wanting to break apart.
Les Demoiselles d’Avignon is work of oil on canvas. It was created by Pablo Picasso in 1907. It’s a very large work and is eight feet by seven feet, eight inches. It is housed in The Museum of Modern Art, in New York City.
Pablo Picasso is one of the most famous cubist painters and sculptors. His work, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon is a cubist works. One of his influences was Iberian figurative works. This Iberian influence is largely apparent in Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, especially in the facial configurations of the thre three woman on the left side of the piece. The figures in Les Demoiselles d’Avignon are somewhat simplified. They have very paired down features with wide eyes that are shaped like almonds.
The two women on the right hand side of Les Demoiselles d’Avignon are painted in a dramatically different style then the women on the left. These woman were painted in a style that was inspired by African masks that Picasso had seen in a show in Paris. Les Demoiselles d’Avignon was intended as a response to Matisse’s work Le Bonheur de Vivre, which was done in a style more similar to the French classical tradition.
Les Demoiselles d’Avignon was certainly not a tradition piece. The title is somewhat misleading. Les Demoiselles d’Avignon literally translates to “The Woman of Avignon,” however the Avignon that Picasso was referring to was the Avignon which is the red light district of Barcelona. While “demoiselles” literally translates to mean “young woman,” it is also a euphemism for prostitutes. Many in the art world, including Picassos friends were horrified by the subject matter of the piece.
Matisse, Klimt, and Picasso were all controversial artists. Often their work was not purely about their work. It was about politics, about society, and about the culture of the time. Their works were sometimes intended to be controversial. They were always meant to incite an emotional and/or intellectual reaction by the viewer. In this regards, these works from the early twentieth century are extremely exciting.
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