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Realism is an approach to art, and an artistic philosophy. The approach aims to achieve total objectivity in rendering elements: whether those elements be persons, animals, or lighting. Realism essentially eschews the projection of visual subjectivity or bias onto the canvas or other medium, while embracing a poignant political perspective. It was a movement directly opposed to the prevailing trend of Romanticism, and evolved concurrently in the nineteenth century. Thus, mid-nineteenth century European art comprises a gamut of styles from the hyper-Romantic renditions of neo-Egyptian and neo-Roman scenes to the hyper-realistic paintings of ordinary life. The color palate of Realist art differs somewhat from that of the Romantics, too, with richer more saturated tones being preferred. Whereas Romanticism enabled an escape from reality to a fantasy world, Realism encouraged the very opposite. Realism asked the viewer to pay closer attention to daily life and critique the social, political, and economic hierarchies that restrict...
The trends in literature included naturalism. In France, naturalist literature was best represented by Emile Zola, Honore de Balzac, and Gustave Flaubert ("Nineteenth-Century French Realism"). Communist and socialist theories were likewise rooted in a realistic political philosophy. One of the hallmarks of realism was an appreciation for normal, average, everyday life: which connoted an important shift away from art subjects that could be considered elite. "Realists recorded in often gritty detail the present-day existence of humble people," ("Nineteenth-Century French Realism"). Therefore, the Realist artist avoids any overt projection of judgment or political ideology upon the subject even when it might warrant as much. This is one reason why Van Gogh's "Potato Eaters" would not be considered a Realistic painting, even though it also uses as its subject the "gritty…present-day existence of humble people." Van Gogh was,…
Work Cited
"Nineteenth-Century French Realism." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Retrieved online: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/rlsm/hd_rlsm.htm
Art During Renaissance The Evolution of Art During the Renaissance The Renaissance period is defined as a cultural movement that spanned approximately from the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe (Brotton 2006, p. 6). This period in the history of art included the painting, decorative arts and sculpture of the period and for many was considered a
Giotto and Duccio The Arena Chapel (Scrovegni) of Giotto (1303) and Duccio's Maesta (1308) are both masterpieces of medieval European art. The Arena chapel contains the fresco cycle and is indicative of the movement towards a more humanistic view of religiosity, while the maestro is a large altarpiece that includes multiple images. Both have a similar subject but were constructed with divergent intentions and distinctive artistic styles. Giotto di Bondone was a
Realism and Impressionism Throughout history, art is used to talk about contemporary problems and views within society. As it is, a reflection of these values and the changes that is taking place. The revolution that occurred with realism and impressionism (during the Industrial Revolution), is just one sign of how this transformed the art world. To fully understand the way this took place requires comparing four works from the artists of:
It is as if the art was improvised, much like Monet's portrait of flowers gives the impression that the artist simply happened upon a cluster of flowers one day, and was moved to paint by the beauty he saw before him. Of course, it must be argued that neither composition, although they create such an extemporaneous impression, was truly spontaneous. Both works were carefully and consciously planned by the artist
French Romantic painter, Eugene Delacroix, is well-known from this period. Delacroix often took his subjects from literature but added much more by using color to create an effect of pure energy and emotion that he compared to music. He also showed that paintings can be done about present-day historical events, not just those in the past (Wood, 217). He was at home with styles such as pen, watercolor, pastel, and
Art The Painting Techniques of the Impressionists, Cubists, and Fauvists During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries art styles were changing rapidly in France. Impressionism, Cubism, and Fauvism were three of the styles developed during this time. The painters involved were using new techniques with oil paint to change what was accepted as fine art. Their new techniques reflected societal changes happening all around them. The Age of Industrialization, economic fears,