Humanities Art Gallery Project 2012 by ACS Athens

Classicism and Romanticism in French Art

Table of Contents

Cherishing the Ephemeral: Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684-1721)

Tammy Youssef

Idealizing History: Jacques Louis David (1748-1825)

Margarita Rentis

The Fanciful Neo-Classicist: Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780-1851)

Nina Savvopoulou

Panagiotis Mertikas, Thanos Sardellis

The Neo-Classical Romantic: Jean Baptiste Corot (1796-1875)

Salma Al-Tabbaa, Irinna Vavaletskou

The Man Who was the Revolution: Ferdinand Victor Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863)

Ted Evolyias, Manolis Rentumis

The Peasant Painter: Jean-Francois Millet (1814-1875)

Susanna Peterson, Tedi Tsopelas

The Godfather of Impressionism: Edouard Manet (1832-1883)

Samuel Reed, Haikuo Weng

Eleni Souroulides

Reality in a Romantic Style: Jean-Louis Andre Theodore Gericault (1791-1851)

More Than an Impressionist: Edgar Degas (1834-1917)

Bridging Post-Impressionism and Modernism: Paul Cezanne Dimos Papaleonardos, (1839-1906) Panagiotis Andonopoulos

The Father of Impressionism: Claude Monet (1840-1926)

Auriane Desombre

The Last Great Romantic Sculptor: Auguste Rodin (1840-1917)

Naya Schulein

The Shimmering Impressionist: Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)

Raneen Haidis, Daphne Cavadias

Native Visions: Paul Gauguin (1848-1903)

Elena Zeniou, Irene Souroulides

A Man between Madness and Lucidity: Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890)

Kalomira Papadakis, Blanka Czesnak

The Father of Fauvism: Henri Matisse (1869-1954)

Christine Siomou, Nikos Efstratoudakis

The Multi-Faceted Artist: Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)

Andriana Skalkos, Anna Paspala

Foreword During the 18th and 19th centuries, France was the artistic center of the Western world. The painters of this time period reflected the changing stresses and feelings of French society. With the cyclical patterns of prosperity and poverty, war and peace, came a periodic fluctuation of experimentation and adherence to conventions. We will begin with the lavish, sensual Rococo Period and move on to the orderly, logical NeoClassical artists who painted during a time of war and political change. Then we will present the Romantic artists who reacted against the strict conventions of the French art schools, attempting to return to passion, nationalist pride and connection to nature in their work. In the second half of the 19th century, the Impressionists gave intense focus to natural light and its behavior on objects. Later, the Post-Impressionists took great liberties in their art, each exploring his own unique perspective. This constant struggle to maintain balance between freedom and control is a major part of what makes us human.

This was the essential question we explored in

Humanities Honors this year. Samuel Reed

Course Instructors: Ms. Jan Karvouniaris, Ms. Kathy Jasonides Teaching Assistant: Ms. Amalia Zavacopoulou Formatting: Auriane Desombre Editorial Team: Auriane Desombre, Samuel Reed, Ms. Marianna Travlos Cover Art: Naya Schulein

Cherishing the Ephemeral: Jean-Antoine Watteau Rococo (1684-1721) On October 10th, 1684 the famous Rococo painter Jean-Antoine Watteau, was born in Valenciennes. Rococo, a style of art created in the early 18th century in France, was a continuation of the interior ornamental style found in the Northern Baroque architecture. The Rococo style is characterized by its grace, playfulness and lightness. Watteauâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s career did not last very long, as he suffered from consumption. The inevitability of death at a young age caused the artist to focus on the fleeting nature of earthly pleasures in his works. In 1709 Watteau tried to get the Rome Prize, an art scholarship at French Art Academy in Rome, but failed. He was hurt by the rejection, so he tried again in 1712 and succeeded. Furthermore, instead of being accepted for only one year, he was given a full scholarship to stay in Rome. In 1717 Watteau completed his reception piece, Embarkation for Cythera. Watteau had a very distinct way of painting, characterized by swirling lines, both visible in the landscape and inherent in the movement of the crowd. When Watteau painted people, he would make them look soft rather than rough. In this painting, he portrays the voyage to this pleasant and peaceful island. The painting is well balanced and appealing to the eye due to the organization and clear perspective of the trees, the people, the mountains and the river. The man standing in the center of the painting draws the viewerâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s eye straight to him, and his relaxed posture conveys a sense of calm. Furthermore, the colors that Watteau used are very easy on the eyes. He used very natural and earth colors and shades of green and blue. The use of soft colors gives the painting an overall sense of pleasure. Embarkation for Cythera, 1717, Louvre, Paris

However, much of Watteau‘s work is rather melancholic. One of his most calm and fairly appealing paintings was Gilles, which portrays a character from Commedia Dell‘Arte. He is the player Pierrot. Standing with his arms dangling at his sides, with a dreamy, naive look on his face, Pierrot stands out monumentally against a leafy Italianate background. At the foot of the mound, we see a stage, with four figures: the Doctor riding his donkey, Leandre, Isabelle and the Capitaine contributing to the singularity of the composition and the poetic drama. All these characters were typical of the Italian comedy. We see that the Pierrot is unhappy and quite static in his stance. Gilles, 1718, Louvre, Paris Although Commedia Dell‘Arte is supposed to be comedy, the actors were not happy in real life. Watteau was portraying a sort of ironic perception. The painting depicts Pierrot on stage as a form of entertainment, but his posture and facial expression suggest sadness. The colors used are low in saturation and have softness to them. Although his perception of Commedia Dell‘Arte was quite fascinating, his depiction of a party is even more interesting. The painting is unfinished, but one can see lovers in various degrees of engagement in a park. The colors Watteau uses in most of his paintings are more or less the same, just different hues. This painting, though, is quite dark. The title of the painting is quite ironic, because you expect to see a party, but instead you see many people looking depressed and withered. This is a perfect example of his mix of fleeting, passing joy. Watteau‘s painting La Surprise was recently rediscovered Party in the Open Air, 1718, Staatliche Museum by Christie‘s. It was a long lost piece of art that was found in 2007 while doing a routine valuation. It was lost for over 200 years and it belonged to Nicolas Hénin, who was a councilor to the King of France and was also a very good friend of Watteau‘s. The painting shows a couple embracing while another man to the right attempts to tune his guitar. The brush strokes are soft and light. The colors that Watteau has used in this painting are high value, blended and it is appealing to the eye.

La Surprise, 1718, Private Collection

This was one of his more romantic pieces, it is quite sensual, because the couples are oblivious to the musician and he looks as if he is about to play a loving and romantic tune. The position of the woman is quite charming and tender as the man looks as if he is about to kiss her passionately. The way that Watteau painted the figures looks quite smooth and the lines of the bodies flow smoothly. Watteauâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s art influenced generations after he died. Not only were his paintings influential, but his poetry, music and decorative art, as well. He was one of the most diverse artists of the 18th century. Although he lived a short life, he was able to accomplish so much in a brief time period. People still admire him as one of the greatest artists of all time.

Bibliography Bailey, Colin B., Philip Conisbee, and Thomas W. Gaehtgens. The Age of Watteau, Chardin, and Fragonard: Masterpieces of French Genre Painting. New Haven, Conn.: Yale UP in Association with the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, 2003. Print. Baur, Eva Gesine, and Ingo F. Walther. Rococo. Köln: Taschen, 2007. Print. "Jean-Antoine Watteau." Web Gallery of Art. KFKI, 17 Mar. 2008. Web. 18 May 2012. <http://www.wga.hu/html_m/w/watteau/antoine/>. MacDonald, Lisa. "Jean-Antoine Watteau." The Artchive. 9 Nov. 2002. Web. 18 May 2012. <http://www.artchive.com/artchive/W/watteau.html>. Pioche, Nicolas.―Watteau, Jean-Antoine.‖ Web Museum. 14 Oct. 2002. Web. 18 May 2012. <http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/watteau>.

By Tammy Youssef

Idealizing History: Jacques Louis David Neoclassicism (1748-1825) The style of the Neo-Classical period reflected the values of simplicity, clarity, and the seriousness of Classical antiquity. This style thrived in France during the late 18th to early 19th century. Neo-Classical paintings are characterized by clear lines, balanced composition, and idealized subject matter. The most renowned Neo-Classical artist was Jacques Louis David. Despite his family wanting him to become an architect, David was more artistically inclined, and not a good student. He decided to start art lessons. His training began with Rococo painter François Boucher and later on with Boucher's friend, Joseph-Marie Vien, who introduced David to 'Classicism' at the famous Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture. David won the Roman fellowship prize, the Prix de Rome, in 1774 after three failed attempts. He studied at the French Academy in Rome until 1779 ("David, Jacques-Louis," WebMuseum). Before David actually won the Rome Prize in 1774, he submitted The Combat of Minerva and Mars in 1771. This painting was heavily influenced by Boucher. It had clear brushstrokes, Rococo inspired colors, rhythmic motion, and forms with continuity that give life and unity to the painting. When David won the Rome Prize in Combat of Minerva and Mars, 1771, Louvre 1774, his style had already changed greatly. During his stay in Italy, David got to see the ancient Roman and Neo-Classical masterpieces, including the ruins of Pompeii that inspired his move towards Classicism. His stay in Italy also changed his painting methods and refined his style, after studying ancient Roman and Greek sculptures (Gombrich 485). After winning the prize, he painted Andromache Mourning over the Body of Hector in 1783. This painting is static and has a simple background, which consists of clear horizontal and vertical lines. After his five-year stay in Italy, David began considering the elaborate style of Rococo art as frivolous. His style started shifting towards the past, giving way to what is known as ―history painting.‖

Andromache Mourning over the Body of Hector, 1783, The Pushkin Museum of Fine Art

In Rome, David painted his famous Oath of the Horatii (1784); the subject matter very much appealed to him because it portrayed an act of heroism. In this piece, the artist references Ancient Roman myth by depicting three sons swearing their allegiance to their father in preparation for battle. The focus of the painting is in the center where the swords meet, with all three sons positioned in obedience to the father. The sons have very firm stances Oath of the Horatii, 1784, Louvre, Paris and stern, dedicated faces, which suggest their strong patriotism. David depicts the father with his back to the women, shutting them out of the oath-making ritual; they also appear to be smaller in scale than the male figures ("David, Jacques-Louis," WebMuseum). The masculine discipline displayed by the men's rigid and confident stances is also severely contrasted to the slouching, swooning female softness created in the other half of the composition. What is very typical of David is the clear use of line, the carefully divided composition and the order and balance. David emphasizes the valor of the men by concentrating the light on them, in contrast with the dark background. These themes and motifs would carry on into his later works, like of The Tennis Court Oath (1791). This piece, although unfinished, was made to commemorate the National Assembly's resolve to take an oath never to disband The Tennis Court Oath, 1791, MusĂŠe National du ChĂ˘teau, France until the constitution was established and protectedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the commitment to self-sacrifice for the republic. Commissioned by the Society of Friends of the Constitution, David set out in 1790 to transform the contemporary event into a major historical picture,

which would appear at the Salon of 1791 as a large pen and ink drawing ("David, Jacques-Louis," WebMuseum). David painted historical and contemporary scenes such as The Tennis Court Oath with balance and clarity typical of his style. This is evident as each member of the National Assembly fills the space but the composition remains even and not overcrowded. In addition, the painting portrays an intellectual and reasonable act: nonviolent protest. As in the Oath of the Horatii, David represents the unity of men in the service of a patriotic ideal. The Dead Marat, painted in 1793, presents another heroic figure during the French Revolution. Jean-Paul Marat was a friend of David and also a pro-Revolution activist. Marat was killed in his bathtub by Charlotte Corday for his controversial opposing views ("David, Jacques-Louis,‖ Infoplease). David idealizes the depiction of his friend. Not only does he not show Marat‘s severe skin disease, but he also gives Marat‘s body volume by his use of light and shadow. Another trait that is Dead Marat, 1793, Royal Museums of typical of David in his paintings that is The Fine Arts, Belgium seen in The Dead Marat was immortalizing a public figure. David‘s painting Napoleon Crossing the Alps illustrates the characteristics David uses in many of his works. The lines in this painting are defined and extremely smooth. In this painting, there is a balance between curved and straight lines. The curved lines in the cape flowing in the wind give the viewer a feeling of fluid movement. However, the hind legs of the horse are rigid and angular. Yet the mountains and the rocks at the bottom left of the painting are smooth and not so jagged. Napoleon on his horse is in the center taking up most of the canvas, which suggests that they are the most important figures in the painting. The frame is taller than it is wide because in this portrait, Napoleon‘s horse is rearing up. This painting shows David‘s mastery of light and shadow to model figures. There is a source of light that works like a spotlight specifically on Napoleon and his horse. This highlights Napoleon and his steed, giving them focus and emphasis. The horse is mostly white since most of the light is directed on it and Napoleon, and in the back of the horse we see shadows that make the light source seem to come from the top left corner of the painting. Napoleon Crossing the Alps is trying to show how Napoleon‘s determination and fearlessness. This is seen not only through the use of dramatic lighting but also through the idealization of Napoleon. Most people would be scared on rearing horses, but David paints Napoleon fearless on his steed. The expressive content of 11

Napoleon Crossing the Alps is the feeling of fearlessness, hope-a portrait of an invincible leader ("Napoleon Crossing the Alps"). Jacques-Louis David is famous for his huge, dramatic canvases of Napoleon and other historical figures, including Oath of the Horatii (1784), Death of Marat (1793) and Napoleon Crossing the Alps (1801). Early in his career he was a leader in the Neo- Classical movement; later his subjects became more modern and political. David believed that paintings should not be made simply for artâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s sake, but to educate others and shape their views for the better of the society. He was active in the French Revolution as a supporter of Robespierre. After the Reign of Terror ended, he was imprisoned for his beliefs. When Napoleon took power, David became his court painter and Napoleon Crossing the Alps, 1801, ChĂ˘teau de Malmaison, France created several grand canvasses of the Emperor. After Napoleon's banishment, David went in exile to Brussels, where he remained until his death in 1825. But his cause was not dead: he passed on a legacy that would set the new stylistic standards in the French art academies.

Bibliography Answers.com. Answers, n.d. Web. 12 June 2012. <http://www.answers.com/topic/jacques-louis-david>. "David, Jacques-Louis." Infoplease. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 June 2012. <http://www.infoplease.com/biography/var/jacqueslouisdavid.html>. "David, Jacques-Louis." WebMuseum. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 June 2012. <http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/david/>. Gombrich, E. H. The Story of Art. London: Phaidon, 1995. Print. "Jacques-Louis David:The Death of Marat.â&#x20AC;&#x2013; Neo-Classicism and French Revolution. Boston College. n.d. Web. 1 June 2012. <http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/his/CoreArt/art/ neocl_dav_marat.html>. "Napoleon Crossing the Alps." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 06 Aug. 2009. Web. 1 June 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_Crossing_the_Alps>.

By Margarita Rentis

The Fanciful Neo-Classicist: Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres Neo-Classicism (1780-1867) Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres was one of the masters of the NeoClassical school of painting, which was centered on the concepts of order, clarity, logic and reason over emotion. Though the masters of this school adhered to many strict conventions on how things should be depicted, each added some of his own style, leaving his mark in a unique way. Many of Ingres‘ paintings, though classical in their style, captured the imagination and appealed to the senses in the manner of the Romantics. Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres was born in Montauban, in the South of France. The fine arts ran in his family, as his father was a sculptor and a painter. Ingres, entered the Toulouse Academy of Fine Arts, from a young age where he worked for a well known landscape painter, Jean Briant, who encouraged him to develop his own style while obeying the ―rules‖ of Neo-Classicism. Young Ingres admired the Napoleon on His Imperial Throne, elegance and rich color of Raphael‘s paintings, as 1806, Musee de l'Armee, Paris well as the refined beauty of ancient Greek and Roman Classical sculpture (The Book of Art, 5153). These influences are very evident in his early work, as he often painted vibrant scenes of Classical antiquity. In 1797, he moved to Paris to study under Jacques Louis David, a Neo-Classical master who had studied in Rome. Ingres always had a love for Rome, and in 1806 he left France to study there. While living in Rome, he made a living painting ‗pencil‘ portraits of members of the French community living there. One of his most important commissions was to paint a portrait of Napoleon for his palace in Rome. This painting, Napoleon I on His Imperial Throne, shows Ingres‘ influence from David, as David also served Oedipus Explains the Riddle of the Sphinx, 1808, Louvre Napoleon and made many portraits of him. However, Ingres received criticism rather than praise from his

master, as the figure‘s feet and hands lacked proper proportions. Although, early on, Ingres adhered to the rules of Neo-classicism regarding clarity of line and composition, he had not yet developed his own original style. While in Rome, Ingres was influenced by the art and ideas of Classical antiquity. This is seen in his painting Oedipus Explains the Riddle of the Sphinx. In this painting, he depicts an ancient Greek myth from Classical times. Ingres portrays a heroic triumph of reason over violence from the myth of Oedipus. In the myth, Oedipus defeats the man-eating sphinx by solving its riddle, rather than by killing it. Reason and logic were fundamental characteristics of Neo-Classical subject matter and style. He demonstrates the latter through clear lines and the gradual gradation of light and shadow, which shows the effect that the Sphinx has been ―defeated‖ and so the spotlight is on the hero. He also uses a smooth gradient on the hero‘s skin to give it a The Grand Odalisque, 1814, Louvre divine softness, a typical characteristic of Ingres‘ nudes. Again, his influence from David is evident, as David also depicted scenes from ancient Rome, like that in his painting The Oath of the Horatii (1785). Another of Ingres‘ paintings that received criticism for poor proportions is The Grand Odalisque. This painting signifies the major turning point in his individualism as an artist, as he began to explore sensual and exotic subject matter from the East, particularly using nude models. He began moving away from serious themes and towards more superficial scenes of earthly pleasure. The woman in the painting seems to be at leisure in a harem; however, she is herself a mere object of pleasure. Ingres shows her long, yet un-proportional back at the viewer, while her head is turned to stare directly at the viewer. She is reclined in silk and soft fabric, which barely covers her body. Furthermore she is wearing only a bracelet and a cloth on her headdress. Again, Ingres uses light and shadow to depict the Odalisque‘s body as incredibly smooth. Here Ingres shows his unique style through his affinity for Romantic subject matter that captures the imagination, as he offers a window into a private, exotic world of earthly pleasures. Ingres uses the curving, flowing line of her spine and her leg to give the painting a sense of fluid ease and decadence. The color palette used is limited to tones of blue and yellow, which give a subdued feeling of luxury.

Ingres achieved ―academic perfection,‖ as he started out as an amateur in proportion. His main concern was always beautiful line. He is also noted for his uniqueness of combining romantic subject matter with Neo-Classical style, which no one at the time considered doing. He started a style that was Neo-classical yet more elegant, romantic and soft. One of the works that shows his mastery of the nude is Roger Roger Freeing Angelica, 1819, Louvre, Paris Freeing Angelica, 1819. This painting shows Ingres creation of incredibly smooth forms, even in violent scenes such as this. Ingres was so masterful that he was offered a job as the Director of the French School in Rome where he worked for seven years. One of Ingres‘ later paintings, The Turkish Bath, shows his continued love for the mysterious and exotic women of the harem, as he depicts them bathing. Ingres tried to make the act of bathing incredibly exotic and sensual to stir the imagination about a foreign culture. The women are all positioned in ways that make their bodies look elegant, beautiful, and desirable. Ingres, once a diligent student of David, became an artist of skill that rivaled his master‘s. It is even said that until he was eighty years old he had completed more than 4,000 drawings and paintings, all of which demonstrate his unique eye for perfection and, in his later work, his romantic imagination.

Bibliography The Book of Art. Vol. 5. London: Grolier Incorporated, 1967. 10 vols. Print. "Ingres." Paintings in the Louvre. Print. ―Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres.‖ History of Civilization and Culture. Part One: Neoclassicism and Romanticism. N.p. N.d. Web. <http://www.all-art.org/history372.html>. Pioch, Nicholas. "Ingres, Jean-Auguste-Dominique." WebMuseum:Paris. 19 Aug. 2002. Web. <http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/ingres/>.

By Nina Savvopoulou

Reality in a Romantic Style: Jean-Louis Andre Theodore Gericault Romanticism 1791 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1824 One of the pioneers of Romanticism, Theodore Gericault was born on September 26th, 1791 in Rouen, France. Gericault was born into a very wealthy family and attended art school in Paris. As pupil of Vernet, a famous painter who was influenced by Classicism, he studied both in the Lycee Louis-Le-Grand and at the School of Fine Arts. After being introduced to the French painter Guerin, Gericault also became friends with another Romantic painter, Eugene Delacroix. He eventually left his class and began his work as a painter. He was always concerned with realism throughout his career and his earliest works were sculptural drawings much like Michelangeloâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s. By 1812 Gericault had traveled to Italy where he met the Neoclassical artist Ingres, whose artwork he admired. He then returned to France to complete The Charging Chasseur, his first An Officer of the Imperial Guard, 1812, successful work to be exhibited at the Paris Louvre Salon. This work became known as Officer of the Imperial Guard. The painting was considered a striking work with Venetian color, Rubenesque movement, and a use of light that recalls Caravaggio. Gericault also traveled and observed monumental canvases, which inspired him to create paintings of horses. Ironically, his passion for riding horses led him to have many accidents, one of which killed him at a young age. Another famous painting by Gericault, also characterized as one of his most inspirational and ambitious works is the Raft of Medusa. This painting is based on an actual event. A captain had left hiscrew and passengers adrift in open sea. The French government tried to deny the disaster and keep it from the public. However, a year The Raft of the Medusa, 1818-1819, Louvre later, when this information was released, the government received an outpour of criticism of its negligence and corruption in dealing with the

tragic event. The painting has now become an icon of French Romanticism. During the period when Gericault painted the Raft of Medusa he spent weeks studying the dead and dying people in morgues and hospitals because of his passion for realism. Even his friend Eugene Delacroix modeled as one of the dying figures in the painting. The French government disapproved of his painting, so Gericault took it instead to England, where it was much more warmly received. The Officer of the Imperial Guard and The Raft of the Medusa are indeed Gericault‘s most famous paintings for their historical significance. However the latter also revealed Gericault‘s talent for expressing the grimness of reality, a talent in which he was unrivalled at the time and one for which the French art world was not prepared. Similarly, several centuries earlier, the introduction of Baroque style in art, one founded on exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted details created tension in the art world, as it challenged the conventions of the time. Gericault and the Romantic painters were The Insane Woman, 1822-1823, Musee the next wave of artists to create controversy. des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, Paris Gericault‘s Raft of Medusa eventually received a gold medal, but at the time, its style shocked critics and its subject matter caused political scandal. After Gericault‘s study of the dead and the sickly for Raft of the Medusa, he took interest in observing patients in hospitals and mental institutions. This inspired him to paint The Insane Woman, a portrait of a female mental patient. He made many studies of mental patients and believed that their faces revealed much about their character. This painting depicts a mentally ill patient with a lost soul, fearful intense eyes and a distressed mouth. This painting struck the public as very mysterious, as it offered insight into the forbidden and frightening world of mental hospitals. Between 1820 and 1822 Gericault had visited England where he painted jockeys and racecourses. He loved to ride horses and had many paintings dedicated to his love for horses. He painted The Derby at Epsom and made lithographs showing the misery and poverty widespread in London. The subject matter of the painting is four men riding The Derby at Epsom, 1821, Louvre racing horses, each trying to finish first. The horses are abnormally long, with their legs outstretched. The elongated rectangular shape of the painting and the implied horizontal line

create a feeling of movement. Gericaultâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s passion for horses is what led to his early death at age 32. Weakened by riding accidents and chronic tubercular infection, Gericault died in Paris in 1824 after a long period of suffering. His bronze figure reclines, brush in hand, on his tomb at PĂ¨re Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, above a lowrelief panel of The Raft of the Medusa.

Bibliography "Theodore Gericault." Theodore Gericault Biography. Barewalls Interactive Art Inc. Web. 27 Mar. 2012. <http://www.barewalls.com/ix-theodore-gericault.html>.

Vallery-Radot, Jean. Drawings of the Masters: French Drawings from 15th Century through Gericault. New York: Shorewood Publishers, 1964. Print.

By Thanos Sardellis and Panagiotis Mertikas

The Neo-Classical Romantic: Jean Baptiste Camille Corot Romanticism (1796-1875) "Reality is one part of art; feeling completes it." These are the wise words of Jean Baptiste Camille Corot. Corot was born on July 16 th, 1796 in Paris, France. His father was a fashion manager, and his mother owned a dress shop. Because of his family‘s poor financial situation, Corot was sent to live with another family until he was eleven. Later, he received a scholarship in Rouen, which caused him difficulty because of his inability to fit in with his peers. In 1812, his parents decided to send him home to Paris. After Corot completed his education, his father pressed him into pursuing a business career, despite his desire to become an artist. Obeying his father‘s wishes, Corot worked as a cloth merchant from 1815 to 1822. At that time, his parents agreed to support his artistic career. Corot‘s first teacher was Achile Etna Michallon who received his education in Rome and was interested in landscape painting. His influence on Corot was great, as Michallon encouraged Corot to paint outdoors to be closer to his subject matter. Later, Corot studied under Jean Victor Bertin, who had taught Michallon. In 1817, Corot's main inspiration was his father‘s house in the countryside. Corot was more fortunate than most his fellow artists, as he had financial support from his family. Corot soon became famous for his collection of Souvenir paintings, which he began in the late 1860‘s. Each of them captures a scene from the distant past or a dream. Thus Corot gave them the name Souvenir of the Bresle at Incheville, Private Souvenir, meaning ―memory‖ in French. Collection, London These paintings are in the Romantic Style, which emphasizes certain characteristics such as love for nature and emotions over rationality. One painting from this series is Souvenir of the Bresle at Incheville. In this painting, nature is the main focus. The people are not so much characters as features of the scenery. Furthermore, Corot uses soft brushstrokes in the foliage. He creates a contrast between the

thick shadows of the trees and the smooth brightness of the sky. The subtle figures of the people and cows break the simplicity of the painting. The red bandana, even though it occupies a small part of the painting, provides a focal point. With this work he established his style, which continued to evolve in later years. Another work from this collection, Souvenir of St. Jean de Luz, was painted in 1872. Again, nature is the main focus, yet the village in the background adds a human presence. As in many of his other works, he creates a contrast between the light sky and the darker trees. He uses mostly pastel colors in this specific work. It also seems that the people are no longer Souvenir of St. Jean De Luz, 1872, Private Collection a minor part of the painting but as if they have started to stand out a little more. Also, there is definitely a sense of perception and depth. He uses space so that no part of the painting looks too empty. Throughout his career Corot also did a series of portraits. One of his earliest portraits is a self-portrait that he completed in 1840. It shows him holding a pallet and a paintbrush, which represents what his life was about, his art. For the background he chose a light green and for his figure he chose mainly dark colors, which creates a strong contrast of colors, which emphasizes his bold features. Another aspect that makes the subject stand out is the luminous outline he has painted around himself. Perhaps Corot did this to portray himself as a holy figure. He uses the same color for his hat as that he uses for his pallet, thus capturing and enclosing what he most likely considered the most important part of his painting, his face. He also has a rather arrogant look. Another important detail is that half of his face is covered with shadow where as the other half is covered with light. Another portrait, which he finished in 1870, is his painting The Greek Girl. This The Greek Girl, 1870, Shelburne painting shows many of changes that Corotâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s Museum, style underwent. His palette became gloomier, as he uses mainly dark earthy tones. The girlâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s eyes convey a sober sense of melancholy. The lines are very clear and the brush strokes are even. The

strokes of red break the brown tones that dominate the painting. The perfect centering of the subject creates a balanced composition. According to many art historians Jean Baptiste Camille Corot made a huge impact in the art world. He was one of the leaders of the Barbizon School, a group of landscape artists working in the area of the French town of Barbizon. He is also considered a leader of the Realist Movement. Lastly, he inspired later artists who became known as Impressionists. He went through several phases in his art. He had Neo-Classical influences, not in his subject matter so much as in the clarity of his line. He painted portraits throughout his career. He was one of the great influences on artists of the 18th and 19th centuries. Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot died on February 22, 1875 at the age of 78.

Bibliography "Camille Corot." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 17 May. 2012 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/138362/Camille-Corot>. Hours, Madeleine. Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1972. "Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot." The Archive. Web. 17 May 2012. < http://www.artchive.com/artchive/corot.html>. "Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot." Western European Painting 1250–1900. The National Gallery. Web. 17 May 2012. <http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/jean-baptiste-camillecorot>. "Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot: Biography." Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot - The Complete Works. Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, 2002. Web. 17 May 2012. <http://www.jean-baptiste-camille-corot.org/>. Malyon, John. "Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot." The Ultimate Guide to Great Art-Artcyclopedia, 2011.Web.17 May 2012. <http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/corot_jean-baptistecamille.html>. Pomarede, Vincent, and Gerard De Wallens. Corot: Extraordinary Landscapes. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1972.

By Salma Al-Tabbaa and Irinna Vavaletskou

The Man Who Was the Revolution: Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix Romanticism (1798 – 1863) Eugene Delacroix was a man of vision, a man of revolution, a man who would stand up against the oppressor; he demonstrated this in many of his paintings, most notably Liberty Leading the People (1830). Delacroix was a 19th century French Romantic painter, who was known for his bold colors as well as his political messages, which are conveyed through his painting. To many, Delacroix has earned the title of the best Romantic painter of all time, because he used historical and religious subjects in order to evoke emotion, which is an important concept of Romanticism. As a boy, Delacroix developed a love for art. He entered the studio of Pierre Guerin and became his pupil along with Theodore Gericault, whose famous painting The Raft of the Medusa gave him his early inspiration. Some of his most famous paintings are The Massacre at Chios, The Death of Sardanapalus, The Royal Tiger, Liberty Leading the People, and The Women of Algiers. Early in Delacroix‘s career as a painter, he achieved popular success with his 1824 painting Massacre at Chios, which portrays the relevant and heroic subject of the Greek struggle for independence. With great vividness of color and strong emotion, it portrays an incident in which Turks on the island of Chios killed 20,000 Greeks. The Massacre at Chios is one of the several paintings he made of contemporary events. It expresses sympathy for the Greek people in their war for independence against the Turks. This was a popular sentiment at the time for the French people. The Massacre at Chios is a characteristic of Delacroix‘s holistic style of painting. Many of his ideals towards art are conveyed throughout the painting. Primarily, one of the ideals that influenced him was that of painting contemporary stories or problems, as did Gericault.

The Massacre at Chios, 1824, Louvre

Delacroix was inspired by English painters and by English poets as well. The poetry of Lord Byron inspired Delacroix to compose a painting for the 1827 Salon, Death of Sardanapalus. Princeton University Library is fortunate to have acquired a superb copy of the 1828 illustrated edition of Goethe‘s Faust, considered by most historians to be one of the finest publications of the nineteenth century (Mellby). Gordon Ray calls Delacroix‘s illustrations ―the high point of Romantic book illustration,‖ and David Bland called the volume ―one of the very greatest of all illustrated books‖ (Mellby). This copy survives in a particularly fine Sardanapalus, 1827, Louvre condition, with brilliant impressions of the lithographs printed on white, rose, blue, and light grey Chine collé. The individual prints are all second or third states. ―‗It must be admitted,‖ said Goethe (translated from Eckermann), ―that I myself scarcely imagined the scene so perfectly! M. Delacroix is a great artist of exceptional talent, who has found in Faust precisely the subject that suits him‖(Mellby). Delacroix's most overtly Romantic and perhaps most influential work is Liberty Leading the People, an allegorical glorification of the idea of liberty. The French revolution of 1830 inspired this painting, which was the last of Delacroix's works that truly embodied the romantic ideology and patriotic spirit. This painting confirmed the clear division between the romantic style of painting, which emphasized color and spirit, and the concurrent neoclassical style, which emphasized line and cool detachment. It was partially inspired by Théodore Géricault's The Raft of the Medusa. The French government bought Delacroix's painting but almost immediately reconsidered, deeming the painting too inflammatory. It was removed from public view until the Revolution of 1848 ("Eugene Delacroix: French Painter"). Liberty Leading the People is meant to Liberty Leading the People, 1830, Louvre celebrate the day of 28 July 1830, when the people rose and dethroned the Bourbon king. Alexandre Dumas, a French writer, best known for his historical novels of high adventure, tells

us that Delacroix's participation in the rebellious movements of July was mainly of a sentimental nature. There is without a doubt a sense of full participation on the part of the artist, which led many art critics to define this canvas as the first political work of modern painting (Skaar). Liberty Leading the People caused a disturbance. It shows the allegorical depiction of Liberty as a half-draped woman wearing the traditional Phrygian cap of liberty and holding a gun in one hand and the tricolour in the other. This work has a close composition with the central female figure representing the struggle for the uprising. The tall, marching female has the highest point on the canvas with head turned towards her right. Although the The Women of Algiers, 1834, Louvre

expressive

qualities

the

painting are clearly Romantic, the triangular organization shows hints of Neo-Classicism. Delacroix, like many other artists had an evolution of style and content after a trip he took to Morocco in 1832. This trip provided subjects for over a hundred sensuous, mysterious paintings. Among these is The Women of Algiers. This painting is a perfect example of Delacroix‘s North African inspiration. This painting is primarily a romantic painting due to its subject matter. It depicts a mysterious, exotic scene of women in a harem. A sense of ease and pleasure comes from the women‘s relaxed postures and from the use of the hookah. Moreover, another exotic and luxurious feature is that even the servant seems to be wearing jewelry, portraying the wealth that flourishes in this exotic land "I am quite overwhelmed by what I have seen,‖ Delacroix remarked, describing his entire experience in North Africa ("Eugene Delacroix: French Painter"). In addition, he received many government commissions for murals and ceiling paintings He died on Aug. 13, 1863, in Paris. His apartment there was made into a museum in his memory.

Bibliography "Eugene Delacroix: French Painter." Renoir Fine Arts Inc., 1998-2008. Web. 1 May 2012. <http://www.renoirinc.com/biography/artists/delacroix.htm>. Lasky, Jennifer L. "Eugene Delacroix.‖ Romanticism – Art. Web. 1 May 2012. <http://www.artbible.info/art/biography/eugene-delacroix>. Mellby, Julie L. ―Delacroix‘s Faust.‖ Graphic Arts. Princeton University Library. 26 Nov. 2009. <http://blogs.princeton.edu/graphicarts/2009/11/ delacroixs_faust.html>. Skaar, Neal. Course Instructor. ―Eugene Delacroix, Liberty Leading The People.‖ Humanities Slides. N.p. N.d. <http://hss.albertlea.k12.mn.us./humanities/slides/unit15/ image05.html>.

By Ted Evloyias, and Manolis Rentumis

The Peasant Painter: Jean-Francois Millet Romanticism 1815-1875 Jean-Francois Millet helped develop a new style of art: open air painting. Furthermore, he became well known for painting scenes that glorified peasant life. Millet was raised in a family of peasants. He believed in the hard work that the peasants did, and thought they were noble people, contrary to popular belief. Millet was a part of the group of naturalists and painters centered on a Romantic connection to nature and a Realist depiction of natural scenes. The method of open air painting, through which artists would paint scenes while sitting outside, was invented by the Barbizon school. Through this school, Millet was offered a scholarship, and had the opportunity to be the pupil of Paul Delaroche. The idea of painting outdoors at that time gave artists the opportunity to paint from a realistic point of view rather than from pre-conceived knowledge. Millet was born to a peasant family in 1815. During this time, classical historical subjects were still being painted. However, Millet painted from his own life, which included the peasant labor. Millet decided to move to Le Havre, France in 1845 to develop his artistic skill. In France he began practicing his skills by replicating paintings by artists such as Rousseau, whose influence can be seen in Milletâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s landscape paintings. This young artist who grew up working on a The Winnowers, 1853, Musee de Beaux Arts peasant farm was often criticized and accused of being a socialist because he expressed the peasant life as heroic. In the 1840â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s, his self-portrait was accepted by the Salon and he acquired recognition for The Winnowers in the Salon. With The Winnowers, Millet focused on the action of the peasant by blurring out the face. Millet stands out as an artist because of his representation of a new style of art, realism. Instead of making his paintings look similar to those of the Neoclassic and Romantic period, he was brave enough to demonstrate the realistic view.

Millet‘s painting The Gleaners shows both his ideals about peasant life and his outdoor painting method. This painting depicts women working in the fields, scrounging the scraps from the harvest. In this painting, we see how Millet showed his personal views on peasants. Millet glorifies its peasant subjects by portraying them in bright colors, in parallel positions that suggest a dance. The women in the painting are gleaners, people who painstakingly hunch over in the field to scrounge the scraps left over from the harvest. Millet depicted an action of The Gleaners, 1857, Musee D'Orsay , Paris backbreaking labor to create a sense of dignity and beauty. Instead of depicting the act as one of hardship and struggle, he shows us grace and harmony. Each move seems choreographed, and the painting takes on a lively ritual feeling. This grace can also be seen in the gentle curve in the arm of the woman on the left, which conveys relaxation and ease in what would otherwise be a painstaking task. Also, these women may have some type of close connection because they have an entire field to themselves, which gives a sense that these peasants are emotionally and spiritually close. Millet gives us the idea that the life of the rural poor is not miserable, but rather that it is full of dignity and worthy of respect. A second major example of Millet‘s work is The Angelus. This painting captured a moment when a peasant couple stop completely their backbreaking labor and pray in the field. The man and his wife have stopped digging potatoes and put their tools down as they hear the ringing of the church bells. According to the article "The Angelus by Jean-Francois Millet,‖ the ringing of the bells would occur three times a day, morning, noon, and evening. Why exactly is this painting called The Angelus? The Angelus was a prayer, which commemorates the annunciation made to Mary by the angel Gabriel. It expressed a childhood memory that Millet held dear. He and his grandmother would stop their work in the fields to recite the Angelus. Millet The Angelus, 1859, Musee D‘Orsay

did not paint this for religious purposes, but rather to show a common ritual that many peasants performed. For Millet this painting had great personal significance, as it gives insight into the peasant life he knew and the beliefs that surrounded it. Millet was an artist not particularly famous for a certain aesthetic style; rather he was known for the values of the peasant lifestyle. He is the best known of the Barbizon school of open air painters. His home and studio in the village of Barbizon, which is now a museum, clearly shows his Milletâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s personal connection to the lives of the French peasants of the 19th century.

Bibliography "The Angelus by Jean-Francois Millet." Garden of Praise. Web. 8 May 2012. <http://gardenofpraise.com/art21.htm>. Jean Millet: The Complete Works. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. <http://www.jeanmillet.org/>. "Jean-Franรงois Millet Gleaners." Realism. Web. 25 Apr. 2012 <http://www.museeorsay.fr/ index.php?id=851&L=1&tx_commentaire_pi1%5BshowUid%5 =341&no_cache=1>. "Paintings by Jean-Francois Millet." Web. 25 Apr.2012. <http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/mr/ markham/millet.htm>. "Recherche." Musee D'Orsay:. Web. 7 May 2012. http://www.musee orsay.fr/index.php?id=851

By Anastasia Tsopelas and Susanna Peterson

The Godfather of Impressionism: Edouard Manet Impressionsim 1832-1886 Edouard Manet is regarded as the ―Godfather of Impressionism,‖ as he was the first to realistically capture the behavior of light and color on objects. Rebelling against the conventions of fine arts at the time, Manet left behind the unnaturally perfect conditions of the studio in search of visual realism, focusing particularly on the harsh contrasts created by natural outdoor light, as well as on the way color reflects off of objects, creating a far more complex palette on top of simple colors. Manet‘s rebellion inspired the Impressionist movement, and gave rise to a new way—a true way—of looking. Edouard Manet was born in Paris on January 23, 1832, between the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and the Institut de France (Cachin 12). Coincidentally, the artistic seed began to germinate in Manet in his childhood. When he was about fifteen, young Edouard would sketch the heads of his classmates and draw caricatures. Manet often went to the Louvre in Paris to copy Italian paintings such as Tintoretto‘s 1588 Self-portrait, as well as Titian‘s paintings The Virgin with the Rabbit and Jupiter and Antiope (1540). Early on, Manet began to use art as a means of rebellion, but also he showed interest in drawing from older artists, against whose conventions he would later rebel with his own work. At the beginning of Manet‘s career as a painter, he depicted subjects of contemporary popularity among painters in Paris; these included absinthe drinking, cafe scenes, and figures of Spanish culture such as guitarists and matadors. Manet‘s painting The Absinthe Drinker is one of these works. The painting is a work of Realism, and the subject matter reflects his early aim to be a modern painter. Absinthe drinkers were popular subjects because the act of drinking absinthe, a highly alcoholic spirit with hallucinogenic properties, became taboo, and people addicted to the drink became outcasts in society. The painting demonstrates Manet‘s early emphasis on realism in subject matter as well as in realistic use of light and The Absinthe Drinker, 1859, Copenhagen shadow. The darkness of the scene obscures much of the figure‘s body, as well as his eyes, causing him to blend into the background. In this way, Manet strove to depict the drinker realistically,

rather than with clarity. In these ways, The Absinthe Drinker shows Manet‘s first attempts to develop a true way of looking. Manet saw Spain as a place where Realism and Romanticism combined harmoniously. The Spanish Singer (1860) depicts a man dressed in a typical Spanish outfit, wearing worn espadrille shoes, his mouth open in song, as he plays the guitar. The composition is very simple and clear, except for the objects in the bottom right corner of the canvas. Here, Manet has placed a still life of onions and a clay wine jug—stereotypical Spanish items. Manet was the first to depict still life within his paintings; this outraged the artists The Spanish Singer, 1860, Metropolitan and critics in the French schools of fine arts, who Museum of Art believed that still life did not belong in portraits. The color scheme of the painting is mostly dark, but the clarity of these dark colors accentuates the solemn, humble serenity of the Spanish street singer. This painting essentially captures the bohemian energy of Spanish culture at the time, as it was a subject of contemporary art culture in Paris at the time. The Spanish Singer earned him an honorable mention in the Parisian Salon in 1861, which were at the time known as ―the most expedient way for an artist to make himself known to the public‖ (Rabinow 2004). However, Manet‘s success in exhibiting at the Parisian Salons was short-lived, as he soon created a whirlwind of controversy in the Parisian art society. In 1863, Manet painted another work that incorporated still life, entitled Luncheon on the Grass. The painting‘s use of still life was not nearly its most controversial aspect. Among the painting‘s subjects is Victorine Meurent, the nude woman to the left of the painting. Victorine was a wellknown call girl on the streets of Paris, who frequently modeled for painters. What made this work Luncheon on the Grass, 1862-1863, Musee d'Orsay, Paris particularly shocking was the shameless, unflattering depiction of the nude girl. Manet wanted to paint the subject in natural light because he wanted to move away from the unrealistic perfection of the filtered light of the studio. He wanted to study the behavior of sunlight on the skin, regardless of the harsh contrasts it

creates. Thus, the bright sunlight blurs the contours of the woman‘s body, resulting in a flat effect. Another dimension of the painting‘s controversy came from the bold way in which the woman stares at the viewer. Manet was not trying to depict this woman as Venus, which had been the convention for painting nudes. As mentioned before, in the bottom left corner of the painting is a still life—a picnic basket with its contents spilled on the ground next to Victorine‘s hastily discarded clothes. Critics and painters thought Manet‘s Luncheon on the Grass was altogether disorderly and messy. The perspective of the painting affirms this sense of disorder, as the woman behind the main figure group seems to be hovering over the men, which makes it hard to determine the perspective. Similarly, because the trees obscure the horizon line, the land seems to stretch away from the viewer in a very flat way. This painting earned Manet a spot in the Salon des Refuses, an exhibition commissioned by Napoleon III to house the works of art that were rejected from the Parisian Salons. Here, the painting became infamous, as many would visit the newly-commissioned salon to jeer, scoff, blush, and gasp at Manet‘s painting Luncheon on the Grass. Another painting featured in the exhibition and of comparable scandal was Manet‘s Olympia, also painted in 1863. The painting depicts the same Victorine Meurent, reclined nude in a suggestive pose. However, it is not the pose itself that created the painting‘s shocking effect; rather it is the bold way that Victorine stares at the viewer that gives the painting a palpable, bawdy sexuality. But the painting appalled Olympia, 1863, Musee d'Orsay, Paris critics not only with its subject matter, but with the way it is portrayed. Again, Manet depicted Victorine‘s body in natural, bright sunlight, which created an effect that flattened her body, and what was not bleached by sunlight was enveloped in the dark background. One can barely make out the face of the servant and the black cat on the bed. Manet‘s attempt at Realism with Olympia employed both a non-idealistic subject matter and the innovative way in which he observed light and shadow, though highly underappreciated at the time. After a few years, Manet became far more interested in accurately depicting how natural light behaved on objects, as well as on the appearance of color in shadows. In 1868, he painted The Balcony, which depicts his friend, the artist Berthe Morisot (left), his wife Suzanne‘s friend Fanny Claus (right), and the painter Antoine Guillet in a black suit in the background. In the painting, the dominant blue color palette of the scene reflects onto the shadows on the white dresses of the two women, making them appear blue.

Manet was the first to paint shadows the way he saw them. Artists before him would simply depict shadows with grays and blacks, as they appeared in the even light of the studio. But Manet knew that colored light as well as white light reflected onto objects, particularly in shadows. Because the primary focus of the painting was on color and light, Manet gave less emphasis to developing depth and modeling of the figures. Thus the scene and the figures appear flat. The brightness of the green balcony in front of the figures creates a sense of depth without using perspective, as the Renaissance and Classical artists did. Towards the end of his life, Manet began to associate with Claude Monet, the then young The Balcony, 1868-1869, Musee Impressionist artist. The two men became close d'Orsay friends, both sharing the idea that light should be depicted realistically, and that capturing natural light was crucial to realistic painting. Monet took this concept one step further, as he sacrificed clarity of subject matter in lieu of capturing the colors of natural light at a particular moment in time. In 1874, Manet decided to depict Monet in this style. His painting Monet Painting on his Studio Boat illustrates Manetâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s protĂŠgĂŠ on his boat late in the afternoon. The time of day can be gathered from the warmth of the colors in the Monet Painting on His Studio Boat, 1874, background on the riverbank and in the Munich darkness of the reflections on the water. This painting mainly focuses on the colors of the scene at the particular time of day, and how they behave in the reflections on the water. Manet pioneered a new vision in art. He decided to paint color and light the way they appear naturally, rather than how they appear in the studio. He pioneered the ideas that shadows could be colored, that light is reflected onto objects in colors, and that darkness could obscure objects. Furthermore, he was firm in his refusal to use perspective to add depth to a scene, and that a painting should conform to its flat surface. Finally his bold depiction of modern subject matter pronounced him as one of the early modern artists.

Bibliography Cachin, Françoise, and Rachel Kaplan. Manet, Painter of Modern Life. London:Thames and Hudson, 1995. Print. "Édouard Manet: The Spanish Singer (49.58.2)." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/49.58.2 (December 2008) >. Rabinow, Rebecca. "Édouard Manet (1832–1883)". Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/mane/hd_mane.htm (October 2004)>.

By Samuel Reed

More Than an Impressionist: Edgar Degas Impressionism/Realism 1834-1917 Edgar Degas was born in Paris, France, the eldest of five children. He was the son of a wealthy family of landowners. In 1853 Degas began to study law. However, soon after he realized that he was not interested in it and in 1855 he was accepted at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. It was the same year that he met Ingres and became his student and Ingres was the one who advised him to emphasize clear, straight lines while drawing. Degas traveled in Italy and was deeply inspired by the Renaissance painters Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian and other artists. It was during this period that he focused on large-scale portraits and on mythological and historical subject matter. Degas‘ late work consisted of sculptures of naked women and ballerinas. This change in his subjects was due to his deteriorating eyesight. Even though Degas was considered an Impressionist, he did not accept the label; instead, he preferred to be referred to as a Realist. His main contribution to art was the fact that he captured movement as if one ―was caught in the act.‖ It is for this reason that Degas is considered the master of motion in human figures. His work initially raised controversy because the figures in his paintings were cropped out of the frame or seemed out of focus. Some say that his paintings resembled a snapshot taken with a camera, a point that is valid since Degas was influenced by photography. In 1856, Degas traveled throughout Italy and became interested in meeting with his relatives who resided in Naples, his father‘s home. There he developed an interest in drawing excellent family portraits, with large simple surfaces, and colors that were soft and restrained. Overall, the paint was delicate yet very solid. In these portraits Degas was interested in emphasizing space and solid forms as they are perceived from different angles. A typical painting of this time that was executed in Naples in The Duke and Duchess of Morbilli, 1856, Museum of 1858 is the Duke and Duchess Morbilli. The watercolor Fine Arts, Boston that Degas used in this painting was a very rare medium. This painting is representative of Degas‘ early work because it is a family portrait with a large simple surface. Following the artistic period of large-scale family portraits, Degas began to focus on classical subjects. However, he chose to depict real bodies 39

in a natural landscape instead of ideal nudes. One of his compelling paintings of that time is Young Spartans Exercising (1860). Art critics have stated that Degas revisited his painting towards the end of his life in order to make several changes on the faces, the positioning and the number of the youths. According to the critics, Degas did that in order to move away from the perfect Greek ideal to a more modern look. After 1861 Degas changed his subject matter again from the classical to the fast moving city life of Paris. This change was inspired by his contemporaries Courbet and Manet, by novelists of his time as well as by contemporary French graphic art and Japanese graphic art. These influences gave rise to a new subject matter of riders, the mounts, the spectators and later on musicians and other stage subjects. Mlle Young Spartans Exercising, 1860, National Gallery, London

Fiocre in the ballet la source (1868) is typical of this Mlle Fiocre in the Ballet La period, one of Degasâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; major works which introduced Source, 1868, Brooklyn Museum the subject matter of dancers, for which he became famous later on. He combined the narrative content, the large scale and the complexity of his history paintings, which represented modern life in this instance for the very first time. In the 1870â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s Degas became very interested in capturing movement in people while doing something. It is then when he became preoccupied with the movement of dancers. In order to depict their movement in a natural way he watched rehearsals of ballerinas and was therefore able to study their bodies from all sides. While doing that, he studied the effect of stage lighting on human lines. Degas became very famous for presenting natural scenes with dancers and this is why in his paintings we see only parts of the dancers and the paintings seem to be cropped. In his painting Awaiting the Cue (1879) there is only Awaiting the Cue, 1879, Private one complete figure seen from above and only Collection, New York the legs are showing from the rest of the dancers. This painting represents his interest in the effect of light and shadow on the human body. The Absinthe Drinker (1876), a painting of that period as well, initially bore the title In a CafĂŠ. When this painting was first exhibited it received harsh criticism for being ugly and unappealing. Later, in 1893 the painting

was exhibited in England under the name The Absinthe Drinker and it sparked controversy. The subject matter of this painting is of a woman seated at a café having an absinthe drink which was a popular addictive drink at the time. Even though the man and woman are sitting next to each other, they seem distant and disconnected- a theme very typical in Impressionism. The oblique lines of the table edges determine the composition and trap the two figures which come across as captives. The arrangement of this painting was inspired by Japanese woodcuts, which Degas admired. Also, the arrangement is very interesting because the two people behind the tables are not centered and the picture is cropped on the right. Degas creates bright light which falls harshly and directly on the two figures and it erases the woman‘s jaw line. The dark shadows of their heads reflected Absinthe Drinker, 1876, in the mirror seem to ―double their woe.‖ The use of Musee d‘Orsay, Paris color and the blurry and shadowy brushstrokes play a major role in this painting because they accentuate the depressing expression of the people‘s faces and their body language. Degas uses colored shadow in this painting in order to have a green-like atmosphere which resembles the color of the absinthe drink. The figures‘ shoulders are slumped forward which implies sadness, one of the negative effects of the drink. Degas was influenced by photography, and that is evident in this painting as the two people are placed in the right corner, the man‘s pipe and hand are cut off and the whole scene seems like a snapshot. Another famous painting which is representative of this artistic phase is L’ Etoile (1878). In this painting Degas captures a spontaneous moment of the ballerina on stage, her leg and her hands form a star. The spotlight that is on her makes her look as if she is bathed in light. L’Etoile 1878, Musee The colors that Degas uses on her tutu seem to be d’Orsay, Paris transparent under the light. We see her one leg only and we have the sense of the fluffiness of her dress.

As Degas grew older his eyesight grew dimmer. It is for this reason mainly that he turned to sculpture. One of his famous sculptures of a fourteen-year-old ballerina is called Little Dancer Aged Fourteen (1881). Degas wanted to demonstrate through his bronze sculptures all the movements of animals and human beings that escape the average person‘s eye. In other words, he was interested in showing the movement as if it were a snapshot from a camera. Following this artistic period, Degas began to work in pastel using a new technique with oil medium. During this stage he moved away from an extended background space where there was a lot of room given to the figures to a shallower picture space where the subject matter was ―caught‖ in a casual moment like bathing. In 1886 Degas began to draw women bathing, and one of his wellknown works is called The Tub. He depicts a woman in a round tub and puts a lot of emphasis on the back. The light in the painting comes through the window and lights her foot and her hand, whereas her Little Dancer Aged back is in shadow. The table on the right seems to be Fourteen, 1881, a different painting. However, Degas plays with Musee d‘Orsay, perspective because the handle of the jug and the Paris handle of the hairbrush connect the composition by hanging off the table. Degas liked to draw clear lines and this why he could not consider himself an Impressionist artist. An artist‘s development can be seen as a flower slowly blossoming from a bud to a beautiful flower. As Degas went through several stages he acquired different experiences which had an impact on his subject matter and his technique. Degas‘ major contribution to art was that he was able to organize composition in a fresh new way by capturing movement from different angles. It is for this reason that Degas considered himself a Realist rather than an The Tub, 1886, Musee d‘Orsay, Paris Impressionist. He liked many of their ideas except he liked to use artificial light rather than natural light. Degas‘ main influence was photography which was becoming popular. Many say his art work is very similar to photography because he liked the idea of capturing a particular moment and cropping things out which made it more spontaneous. The difference, however, was that he was able use color whereas the cameras were not yet able to capture color. As with many artists, Degas‘ work was not accepted in the beginning of his career, but once people understood the major changes he was able to 42

create, people could not get enough of him. Today he is considered a major artist who left a great legacy.

Bibliography Courthion, Pierre. Impressionism. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1977. Print. "Edgar Degas Biography - life, family, death, history, school, mother, young, son, old, information, born." Encyclopedia of World Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 May 2012. <http://www.notablebiographies.com/DeDu/Degas-Edgar.html#b>. Grimme, Karin H., and Norbert Wolf. Impressionism. Cologne:Taschen, 2007. Print. "WebMuseum: Degas, (Hilaire-Germain-) Edgar." ibiblio - The Public's Library and Digital Archive. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 May 2012. <http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/degas/>. Welton, Jude. Impressionism. London: Dorling Kindersley in association with the Art Institute of Chicago, 1993. Print.

By Eleni Souroulides

Bridging Post-Impressionism and Modernism: Paul Cézanne 1839-1906 Paul Cézanne was a Post-Impressionist artist. Even though he is sometimes referred to as an Impressionist, this definition only touches on one of the many aspects of the complex, unique style he developed. Nevertheless, Cézanne was greatly inspired by Impressionist artists. During his early years, Cézanne was also greatly inspired by Courbet, whose work he encountered in Paris. When Cézanne visited Paris, he studied art and forged alliances with prominent artists, such as Edouard Manet, Claude Monet and most notably, the Impressionist Camille Pissarro Paul Cézanne was born on January 19, 1839 in Aix-en-Provence, France. He was born into a wealthy family, as his father was a banker. When Paul was 10 years old he entered St. Joseph‘s boarding school, and studied drawing under a Spanish monk. Unlike some other artists, Cézanne did not paint only one subject; his work focused on landscapes, bathers, and generally the figures that he drew from his imagination. Even though Cézanne was painting during the Impressionist period, he was not an Impressionist himself. His art is considered to be part of the Post-Impressionism period, which includes artists like Van Gogh and ToulouseLautrec. Cezanne‘s influences from the Impressionists began in the early 1870s. He had his first Impressionist exhibition in 1874, but he soon became disillusioned with Impressionism because he found it too superficial. Paul Cezanne wanted to make Impressionism more solid and permanent, yet he continued to be influenced by Impressionism while maturing as an artist and developing his own technique and style. Cezanne spent most of his artistic career trying to solve different aesthetic problems. He gave up classic artistic elements such as pictorial arrangements, single view perspectives, and outlines that enclosed color in an attempt to get a "live perspective," by capturing all the complexities that an eye observes. He wanted to see and sense the objects he was painting, rather than think Portrait of the Artist's Father, National Gallery of about them. Art, Washington, D.C Cezanne‘s painting Portrait of the Artist’s Father is representative of Cezanne‘s early style. It uses bright 44

colors since he was not yet studying with the great Impressionist Pissarro. The painting does not have very clear lines and the colors are highly mixed. After Cezanne began painting landscapes with Pissarro in 1872 his paintings became much lighter. Jas de Buffon, The Pool (1876) shows the great influence Pissarro had on how Cezanne‘s use of color and light in the paintings he did during this period. Cezanne‘s painting Maisons au Bord d’une Route is a good example of how Cezanne attempted to create his own style by combining the bright light and color of the Impressionist style with a more solid and clear rendering of subject matter. The subject matter of this painting is a road towards what probably was his house or another significant place in his life. The lines are very smooth and we see some double curved lines in the trees and the Jas de Buffan, The Pool 1876, Hermitage, St. sky. The use of light and shadow Petersburg emphasizes the road and the trees. Light and shadow gives depth and solidity to the structures. There is a contradiction because he creates through light and shadow a feeling of calmness and nostalgia. The colors in this painting are primarily green and brown but with hints of yellow. The artist depicts a sunny summer day in the countryside. He highlights the dusty road and the fences, making them appear golden; however, by this alteration he wants to depict the brightness of the sun and its reflection. The brush strokes on the painting are very strict and intense, conveying a more energetic feeling. They do not give the painting a smooth texture, but create a roughness to the canvas. This technique distinguishes Cezanne from other painters of the nineteenth century and also adds Maisons au Bord d‘une Route, 1881, Hermitage, St. volume to every object in the picture. Petersburg Cezanne creates a warm and pleasant atmosphere of a summer day. Cezanne‘s idyllic period at Jas de Bouffan was temporary. From 1890 until his death he was beset by troubling events that forced him to become a virtual recluse who focused intensely on his painting. His work became wellknown, and sought after and he was respected by a new generation of 45

painters. During this final period of his artistic career, Cezanne painted several still lifes featuring skulls. Pyramid Skulls (1901) captures the depression and stress that Cezanne was facing during this time in which he suffered from diabetes and became estranged from his son. Cezanneâ&#x20AC;&#x2014;s career ended in 1905, and he died the next year of pneumonia.

Pyramid Skulls, 1901, Private collection

Bibliography "Classic Cezanne." Grafico Topico. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 June 2012. <http://www.graficoqld.com/content/classic-cezanne>. "Paul Cezanne." Artble: The Home of Passionate Art Lovers. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 June 2012. <http://www.artble.com/artists/paul_cezanne>. "Paul Cezanne Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 19 June 2012. <http://www.biography.com/people/paul-cezanne-9542036>.

By Dimos Papaleonardos and Panos Andronopoulos

The Father of Impressionism: Claude Monet Impressionism 1840-1926 Claude Monet (November 4, 1840-December 5, 1926) is considered to be the founder of French Impressionist painting. Impressionism is a style of painting characterized by quick, visible brushstrokes, an open composition, and a focus on the way natural light behaves; including movement as a vital element of the perception and experience of the subject matter. Impressionists focused on common, everyday subjects, depicting scenes of modern life. Their approach to painting involved completing the entire painting outdoors, ―en plein air.‖ Impressionists relaxed the boundary between the subject matter and the background emphasizing their own perceptions of nature over a realistic, clear portrayal. Claude Monet was the most productive of the Impressionists and his work most clearly embodies their aesthetic and style (Lallemand 15). Monet began studying art at Le Havre Secondary School in 1851. There, he gained recognition for his charcoal caricatures, and studied with Jacques-Francois Ochard, a former student of David. During his time there, Monet met Eugene Boudin, who greatly influenced his early style by teaching him the plein air techniques that would become characteristic of the Impressionists (―Claude Oscar Regatta at Sainte-Adresse, 1867, Metropolitan Museum of Art Monet Biography‖). Monet‘s painting Regatta at Sainte-Adresse is also reflective of Edouard Manet‘s influence over Monet‘s early style. In his earlier works, Monet focused more frequently on people and figures. Regatta, for example, has people located quite noticeably on the sand, and these human figures are used as decorative elements that frame the scene on the water. There is also a certain sense of fashion through the clothing style in the painting, and the mood is relaxed, another characteristic of painting which Monet derived from Manet. Regatta shows Monet‘s growing interest in water; influenced by Manet, Monet attempted to depict the water with an almost plastic-like quality. The colors used in his earlier works were already brighter than the conventional approach, as seen in the blue of the sky in Regatta; however, compared to his later works, he uses very few

colors in the painting. At the beginning of his career, Monet was very interested in modernity and nature. In Regatta, he combines the two, showing elegantly dressed people by the sea. Even nature in his early works shows something of this modernity. In Regatta, for instance, the boats on the water add to the presence of civilization in the work and extend it beyond the beach to the water itself (―Claude Oscar Monet Biography‖). By 1870, Monet‘s painting style had evolved a great deal, becoming much more distinct and more closely resembling what would soon be called Impressionism. His work Hotel Roches Noires at Trouville perhaps best exemplifies this transition between his earlier works and the true Impressionist style that he developed later on. The luminous colors in this painting are rendered with rapid, visible brushstrokes, an element of style that would become very important to the Impressionist movement. In this transitional period, Monet truly overcame the monochrome nature of his earlier works to include the much richer palate that plein air painting offered in his works (―Claude Oscar Monet Biography‖). In the 1880‘s, Monet went to Normandy to Hotel Roches Noires at paint. During one such expedition, he painted Cliff Trouville, 1870, Musee D‘Orsay, Paris Walk at Pourville (1882). This landscape is somewhat different from Monet‘s other works because it includes two figures, Marthe and Blanche, two of Alice Hoschede‘s daughters. Monet had entered into a domestic arrangement with Alice, who helped him raise his children after his wife Camille Doncieux died of tuberculosis in 1879. Monet includes the two girls in the painting without disrupting the unity of the composition or the surface. The two elements of the painting—the girls and nature—are integrated through Monet‘s use of color and texture. The short, curved Cliff Walk at Pourville, 1882, Musee D‘Orsay brushstrokes in the grass and sea are similar to the way that the women‘s dresses are painted, unifying them in composition (―Claude Oscar Monet Biography‖). Monet was very interested in trains, and they are featured in many of his works. He found that the steam they produced created a fascinating misty quality. This contrast between nature and modern technology also provided an interesting theme. His work Charing Cross Bridge (1889) shows this interest well; the entire painting has a hazy, misty quality, and the

bridge is integrated into the scene in such a way that modernity and nature are united. This piece also indicates an important evolution in Monet‘s work. Around this time, clarity became much less evident in his works than it had been before (Lallemand 86). In 1883, inspired by the beauty of the surrounding landscapes and the endless motifs they provided, Monet rented a house at Giverny, where he lived with Alice, whom he had married in 1882, and their children. There, he painted The Water Lily Pond Charing Cross Bridge, 1889, Musee D‘Orsay (1899). This piece exemplifies the works that Monet completed in the later part of his career at Giverny. At this point in his career, inspired by the landscapes of Giverny, green became a more predominant color in his paintings. Monet was fond of painting controlled nature, something that his gardens at Giverny could offer in abundance (Sagner-Düchting 23). By the 1890‘s, Monet‘s work began to find much more success. This allowed him to gradually buy more land at Giverny, greatly increasing the variety of landscapes and sources of inspiration that the place held for him. During this time, he also became interested in painting ―series,‖ which depict a particular subject matter in various light and weather conditions. One of his most famous series is his work Waterlilies (1905). This work was greatly influenced by Japanese art, with their emphasis on the beauty of nature depicted in small, refined shapes such as the water lilies. The subject matter of this series is the same pond of water lilies depicted in varying conditions. Because of the complete lack of clarity in the work, the true subject matter almost becomes the light and color. The water reflects the light, The Water Lily Pond, 1889, Giverny creating a sense of uncertainty in the painting. Monet often worked with water because of this. The water also adds to the color of the painting through the reflections in it; this adds to the sense that the color and light is the true subject of the painting. The blur of color in the paintings makes the light and wind very evident, showing how these elements of nature affect the subject matter. The visible brushstrokes also create a great sense of motion. There is no true shape in the painting, but, despite the lack of clarity, there is a strong sense of composition formed by the colors Monet uses. Through this piece, Monet conveys the beauty of nature,

not by depicting it realistically or even clearly, but through the rich colors, diffused light, and natural movement of the painting. The work seems to almost break down the barrier between the viewer and the art, allowing those looking at it to be a part of nature. The series creates a beautiful feeling of peace within the audience (SagnerD端chting 30). In the last years of his life, Monet developed cataracts in both eyes. He continued to paint, though his cataracts may have affected the way he was able to perceive color. He died of lung cancer in 1926, at 86 years of age. Waterlilies, 1905, Orangerie, Paris Claude Monet had a powerful influence over the painting of his time; he was the father of French Impressionism, and popularized the plein air technique of painting as well as the particular style that characterizes Impressionism. The beauty of his works and the way he depicted nature with light and color make him the most well-known and prolific Impressionist of his time.

Bibliography "Claude Oscar Monet Biography." Claude Oscar Monet. Web. 28 April 2012. <http://www.claudemonetgallery.org/biography.html>. Lallemand, Henri. Monet: Impressions of Light. New York: Smithmark, 1994. Print. Sagner-D端chting, Karin. Monet at Giverny. Munich: Prestel, 1994. Print.

By Auriane Desombre

The Last Great Romantic Sculptor: Auguste Rodin Romanticism 1840-1917 Auguste Rodin was an Impressionist sculptor with Romantic tendencies, whose art combines the unexpected turns and curves of Romanticism with the blurry and undefined lines of impressionism. Clay, bronze and stone are very tangible materials that surprisingly attain the intangible and illusive nature of Impressionist art. Thus, after seeing the sculpture of Auguste Rodin one can understand what the term Impressionist Sculpture means: the creation of an impression. His art is rough and chiseled, but at the same time light and exhilarating. The material seems to have no mass or bulk, and could be termed dainty or agile. Of course, it is not easy to understand this quality without first examining his life and work. Rodin was born in Paris in 1840. Throughout his The Cathedral, 1908, Rodin Museum career he was criticized for his new and different style. His piece The Cathedral shows that he was heavily influenced by Gothic architecture; however, the most obvious and important influences on his work are those of Michelangelo and Donatello. The impact of these Renaissance sculptors on his work is shown through the way he creates smooth, graceful curves as Donatello did and by the rough surfaces and twisted poses in his art, similar to the sculpture of Michelangelo. His most well known works include The Thinker, Honore de Balzac, and The Kiss, which is part of The Gates of Hell, a commission he never finished. Rodin‘s early work was always finished and refined. In spite of the loose, free way he shaped the bodies, his earlier busts have a strange stiffness and profound sadness. Even Young Woman in a Flowered Hat, which appears to have a happy and tender look because of its decorative elegance, seems to be almost frowning (Champigneulle 29). The sadness in the young woman‘s face is characteristic of Rodin‘s sculpture, which indicates the pain of his subjects. In contrast to many artists of his time, Rodin preferred to sculpt the human figure in various Young Woman in a Flowered Hat, twisted poses. The most interesting elements of 1865-70, Rodin Museum these poses are the distorted body parts, the extreme expressions and the use of rough surfaces

along with a soft, flowing and light line. Rodin‘s work was often erotic, revealing and sensuous. The Gates of Hell, based on Dante‘s Inferno, was supposed to be Rodin‘s masterpiece, but was never finished. Some of his most famous works were constructed for this piece including The Kiss and The Thinker. Originally, The Kiss was to show the adulterers Francesca and Paolo, trapped in an eternal embrace in one of the circles of Dante‘s Inferno. As is clear to us now, Rodin saw ambiguity and sensuality in the piece and decided it deserved to be exhibited independently. The usual roughness of the artist‘s sculpture is absent in this piece although the base of it is chiseled. The fluid line and dynamic composition is different than that of many of Rodin‘s sculptures up to this point. One of Rodin‘s most famous pieces, The Thinker, which represents Dante himself, was supposed to be placed on the top of his masterpiece, The Gates of Hell, where he would have looked down and contemplated hell. The Thinker symbolizes the gift of contemplation. Contemplation is the key to communicating with our deepest bond as humans, our immortality. This thinker must be a brave man, as he dares to question the meaning of his life, of the world, and of existence. He is the incarnation of Plato, Camus, Beckett, Nietzsche, Dante, and all others who selflessly devoted their lives to trying to answer the questions of life itself. The portrait of the figure is similar to Lorenzo de’ Medici, carved by Michelangelo in 1526.The definition in The Thinker’s muscles and dominance in his pose show the influence of the Renaissance on Rodin‘s work. This The Thinker, 1903, Rodin Museum work shows how Rodin strove to put meaning in his sculpture. His work was created to portray a particular idea, giving them a reason for existing. The Monument to Balzac is a very different kind of sculpture. Although it is unified, the head and the body were conceived as two different entities. The head was cast using a portrait of Balzac, a famous French writer. The body, on the other hand, was designed in order to complement the fluid motion of the gown. Rodin sculpted a body and then simply covered it with a gown, which he then covered with bronze. The naturalistic and round body hiding underneath thus creates the curves and shapes in the robe. The The Kiss, 1882, Rodin Museum

genius of the Monument to Balzac, however, does not lie in the curves of the body, but in the writer‘s expression. Balzac is depicted without the conventional writer‘s equipment: a pencil, a book, etc. He stands with confidence and looks at the world in contemplation ("Monument to Balzac‖). Rodin‘s love for the written word is very clear in this piece. The Cathedral was carved in stone, and the chisel marks are still strongly visible. It is composed of two right hands belonging to two different figures. The empty space it creates is grand and vast, like a cathedral. There is a certain delicacy and sensuality in the way the fingertips slightly touch, creating something beautiful and spiritual. The Hand of God belongs in the same series. In this piece, the artist proves that an effective sculpture is not always polished to the last detail. Like The Slaves by Michelangelo, the hand and figure in The Hand of God emerge from the stone as if trying to escape (Gombrich 529). The bronze sculpture The Walking Man has many rough surfaces. The legs and the torso are in slight motion, which seems to be a struggle for the man. There is tension in the muscles and a natural, humbling strength is projected (Champigneulle 31). This sculpture is impressionistic. Rodin only includes what is vital to portray the essense of the action of walking. This technique, called ―fragmentation,‖ involves consciously omitting certain vital body parts in order to emphasize what is The Hand of God, 1898-1902, completely necessary. This piece Rodin Museum has a universal title and a universal theme. August Rodin was different from the other sculptors of his time and fearlessly decided to make his work original and completely personal. Upon his death, all of Rodin‘s remaining works were donated to the French state, enabling the establishment of the Musee Rodin in the Hotel Biron in Paris, which opened in 1919. Due to The Walking Man, 1907, the fact that Rodin‘s sculpture seems to be alive and Rodin Museum have movement, it is incredible to feel the dynamic created between the pieces when they are exhibited in the same place. Rodin, one of the most inspiring sculptors of his time, left Monument to Balzac, 1898, Rodin Museum

behind him an undying legacy of daring style and unique energy for many generations to enjoy and appreciate.

Bibliography Brommer, Gerald F. Discovering Art History. Worcester: Davis Publications, 2007. Print. Champigneulle, Bernard. Rodin. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1999. Print. Gombrich, E. H. The Story of Art. London: Phaidon, 1995. Print. "Monument to Balzac.â&#x20AC;&#x2013; Musee Rodin. Web. 30 April 2012. <http://www.musee-rodin.fr/>. "Rodin Works: The Thinker." RODIN WEB. 9 Mar. 2004. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://rodin-web.org/works/>.

By Naya Schulein

The Shimmering Impressionist: Pierre-Auguste Renoir Impressionism 1841-1919 Pierre-Auguste Renoir was a French Impressionist artist whose work is characterized by a love of beauty and feminine sensuality. His paintings capture â&#x20AC;&#x2022;snapshotsâ&#x20AC;&#x2013; of real life that are full or sparkling light and color. Renoir was born on February 25, 1841, in Limoges, a city in West Central France famous for its porcelain industry. The son of a working class family, his father was a tailor and his mother a dressmaker. Renoir learned to paint at a young age when he worked in a porcelain factory decorating coffee cups with pictures of little flowers, idyllic shepherd scenes and the profile of Marie Antoinette. Self-Portrait, 1876, Fogg Art It is very likely that it was while working in the Museum porcelain factory that he developed a feeling for the luminousness shades and smooth texture of paint. Here Renoir gained an early experience with the light and fresh colors that were to distinguish his Impressionist work. Renoir only spent four years as a porcelain painter, as Industrial Revolution caused machines to replace humans in the painting of porcelains. Thus, Renoir turned to painting ladiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; fans and then church banners that were used by missionaries overseas. By doing so, Renoir acquired skill and swiftness in using the paintbrush. By the time Renoir was 21, he had earned enough money to study art academically, and in April 1862, Renoir entered the Ecole des BeauxArts. There, students were required to copy paintings and make accurate drawings of plaster casts. They were also encouraged to regard historical paintings more highly than anything else. In addition to his studies at the Ecole des BeauxArts, Renoir attended private classes where the artist Charles Gleyre taught students how to draw and paint nudes. At these private classes, Renoir developed a close relationship with Monet, and they began to develop their famous techniques and experiment with the bright colors that later became At the Inn of Mother Antony, 1866, National Museum, central to Impressionism. Stockholm Although Renoir painted many portraits

during the early stages of his career, At the Inn of Mother Antony, which depicts a group of artists in conversation around a table at an inn located in Marlotte, best shows the early work of young Renoir. Renoir would capture real life settings and themes that were generally pleasant. Whenever he was in Paris, he would usually go to the Café Guerbois, where artists and writers like Monet, Theodore Duret, Zacharie Astruc and Edmond Duranty would meet. Renoir himself never contributed much to the discussions. Nonetheless, he was lively, intelligent and had a sense of humor, but he did not believe in fighting or theorizing. For him, painting was much more than strict programs and structure; it was a ―beautiful craft which was to be practiced humbly and joyfully‖ (Feist 17). The general principle of Impressionism was to paint only what could be seen with one‘s own eyes. The Barbizon Painters, such as Jean Francois Millet and Courbet, initiated this idea; however, most of their paintings were done in studios. Renoir would work outside so he could see how various subjects would change in color, depending on the changing light and the reflection of color from surrounding objects. Renoir‘s first masterpiece was Lise, 1867, a life-sized painting of his young girlfriend Lise. This painting shows his realistic Lise, 1867, Folkwang Museum, Germany approach to color. According to W. Burger-Thore, ―the whole thing is so natural and has been observed so accurately that it will seem wrong because we are used to imagining nature in terms of conventional colours‖ (Feist 18). Renoir‘s Alfred Sisley and His Wife (1868), is also another large, beautiful painting. This painting is a good example of how Renoir paid close attention to the composition, as his use of line and color is well balanced. It also reveals the way Renoir experimented with light and the reflected colors; however, compared to Lise, this painting could be considered weaker in the way Renoir tried to reflect the color of the surrounding objects. (Schneider 122). Impressionism was defined by its use of light colors and quick brush strokes. There were a number of subjects that Renoir particularly Alfred Sisley and His Wife, 1868, liked. He would work on portraits and portrait Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, like individual figures, dancers, the theatre, Germany

the company of good friends, country walks, and landscapes. His portrayal of people showed his skill for expressing the ―feminine beauty‖ of the female figure. Renoir‘s best paintings depict people he knew personally. He often painted his friend Monet and his wife, Camille. The Impressionists loved showing their subjects in the privacy of their own homes, and in order to preserve a natural and life-like impact, the painters abandoned the classicist traditions of balance and symmetry. Even in commissioned portraits, Renoir always aimed to paint his subjects in a posture that was natural while at the same La Loge, 1874, The Courtauld Gallery time capturing a ―chance impression of a brief, fleeting moment‖ (Feist 34). Renoir also made observations at the theatre and the circus. He would paint graceful ballet dancers and most of all he observed the spectators. For example, in La Loge (1874), Renoir shows a couple waiting for a show to begin. The gentleman in the background, who is Renoir‘s brother Edmond, appears with half of his face covered by a pair of opera glasses, while the lady in front is portrayed in an almost classical manner. Le Moulin de la Galette, 1876, Musee Another example of how Renoir would d‘Orsay observe spectators is Le Moulin de la Galette (1876). It has been referred to as the most beautiful picture of the 19 th century. The dapple of light is an Impressionist feature, but Renoir seems to have ―welcomed the opportunity to make human beings, and especially women, the main components of the picture‖ (Pioche). Renoir later painted a similar gathering of young friends: Luncheon of the Boating Party (1881). The setting was Alphonse Fournaise‘s inn at Chatou on the river Seine, where people, including Renoir, used to meet with their girlfriends Luncheon of the Boating Party, 1881, Phillips for lunch after a boating party. According Collection to Renoir himself it was towards 1883 that his style shifted away from Impressionism. In this painting, the style is

―subordinate to genre, or is altered to suit its purposes‖ (Pioche). There seems to be an outline where in earlier paintings there had been a surrounding ambience of light. The overall composition is well defined by both sides and held together by a number of lines, and the entire scene is even broken up into individual figures and small groups. The still life of fruits, glasses and bottles seem to come alive through Renoir‘s reflection of light. Renoir pays close attention to detail in the different poses and expressions of all the individuals gathered at the table. During a trip to Italy in 1881, Renoir was introduced to the work of Renaissance artists such as Raphael, Velazquez, and Rubens, which inspired him to change his techniques and experiment with a more decorative, traditional style. As a result, his paintings became more linear. He started using bold outlines around his subjects, and he focused less on brushstrokes and Les Grandes Baigneuses, 1884-7, Philadelphia blending colors and more on form and Museum of Art contours. The works that followed belong to what art historians call Renoir's ―dry‖ period or “Ingres period‖ because he emphasized the outlines of his figures. His painting Les Grandes Baigneuses (1884-87) shows this new style. Even though this painting depicts a brief moment when one bather playfully threatens to splash the other bathers, it has a timeless, monumental quality. His change in style is also seen in The Umbrellas, 1883. The two little girls on the right are painted with the soft brushstrokes characteristic of his Impressionist manner, but the Les Parapluies – Umbrellas figures on the left are done in a ―crisper and drier 1883 style, with duller colouring.‖ (Pioche). This is National Gallery, London because, though he began the painting before going to Rome, he did not finish it until after he was exposed to Renaissance works. Later in his career, after this ―dry period,‖ Renoir‘s style changed again as he used stronger colors, often red and orange, and thick The Umbrellas, 1883, The National Gallery, London brushstrokes. Female nudes became his favorite subject matter. As in Les Grandes Baigneuses, Renoir depicted details of such scenes through ―freely-brushed spots of colour which fused his figures and their surroundings‖ (Feist 88).

The Seated Bather, 1914, Art Institute of Chicago

Towards the end of Renoir‘s life his nudes gained a particular ―dignity and greatness that was truly classical‖ (Feist 89). The Seated Bather, 1914 illustrates this. The strawberry red is overshadowed by the light purple and green, yellow and blue, and ―their flesh sometimes seems unbearably supple and ample‖ (Feist 89). Pierre-Auguste Renoir was a great French Impressionist artist. His work is a celebration of light, nature, and ordinary human life. With his use of vibrant light he portrayed his subjects both vividly and spontaneously. He never ceased to highlight the possibilities of life through the happiness and harmony in his works of art.

Bibliography Feist, Peter H. Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1841-1919: A Dream of Harmony. Köln, Germany: Taschen, 1991. Print. "The Large Bathers.‖ Philadelphia Museum of Art -Collections . Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2012. Web. <http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/59196.html>. "Pierre-Auguste Renoir: Contents." Mootnotes.com - Prescribing Culture. Web. <http://www.mootnotes.com/art/renoir/index.html>. "Pierre-Auguste Renoir. (French, 1841–1919)." MoMA: The Collection. Moma.org – Source: Oxford University Press, 2009. Web. <http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?criteria=O:AD:E :4869>. Pioch, Nicolas. "Renoir, Pierre-Auguste." WebMuseum Paris. 19 Sept. 2008. Web. <http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/renoir/>. Schneider, Pierre. The World of Manet, 1832-1883. Amsterdam: Time-Life International, 1972. Print.

By Raneen Haidis and Daphne Cavadias

Native Visions: Paul Gauguin Post-Impressionist 1848-1903 Born in Paris, on June 7th, 1848, Paul Gauguin had a French father and a mother of Spanish Peruvian descent. When he was three years old, his parents sailed with him to Lima, Peru. During the trip, his father fell sick and eventually died. He lived with his mother in Peru for four years. At the age of seven, they moved back to France. At the age of 17 he enlisted in the merchant marines, and worked on commercial ships. During his years as a merchant marine, he traveled between France and South America, and eventually made a voyage around the world. In 1870, Gauguin began a career as a stockbroker and followed this occupation for twelve years. After the stock market crash of 1882, he decided to focus solely on painting. He began as an amateur painter and art collector, and was very interested in Impressionist paintings. Three years later, in 1873, he married Mette Sophia Gad (Sweetman). He is remembered for influencing a group of contemporary artists who, from the late â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;1880s, sought to adapt to his new, synthetic style of painting. While working as a stockbroker, Gauguin developed a great passion and enthusiasm for painting. He met the famous painter Camille Pissarro in 1874, and studied art with him for several years. Pissarro introduced Gauguin to Degas and Cezanne (Paul Gauguin Biography). His influence from Impressionism is shown in Landscape of Viroflay (1875). This painting was his first to be accepted in the Salon of France and made him famous. In this painting, the main focus is the trees that obscure Landscape of Viroflay, 1875, Carlsberg Glyptotek Copenhagen the sky almost completely. Gauguin used many different values and tones of green, though most of them are dark. Two human figures, probably a father and son, can be seen near the bottom of the painting. From the way the father is dressed, it can be assumed that he is a sailor. The clothes of the son cannot be very well distinguished, which is common in Gauguinâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s paintings because he used blurred lines and figures.

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In the summer of 1886, Gauguin left from Paris to visit Brittany, a remote province in northern France. He believed that this village was a wild place that could lead to great inspiration. From 1886 to 1891, Gauguin lived in rural Brittany, where he was the center of a small group of experimental painters known as the school of Pont-Aven. Gauguin visited Pont-Aven frequently because he thought that by staying close to nature, he could make his art more powerful and direct. (Sweetman) Because of this urge to find a beautiful place to inspire him, he started his search for a certain ―paradise‖ with freedom and wilderness, which he found in an island called Martinique. He claimed that he was inspired by the island‘s sunlight and bright colors. After he returned to Pont-Aven, he gradually broke away from Impressionism. Emile Bernard, a young artist, transformed his way of painting. Bernard‘s paintings had bright colors surrounded by thick lines. Together, they painted only from memory or imagination, rather than from direct interaction with the subject matter. Thus, he adopted a bolder and simpler style, which he called ―synthetic symbolism‖ or syntheticism. (Goldwater) This style included radical simplifications of painting, pure and bright colors, a deliberate flat planes and strong, expressive outlines. He simplified forms and figures, which eliminated details to keep only the essential forms. Gauguin was an emotional painter and often used nature as his main subject matter to express sentiments. He used a bright palette with an angular view and had a pleasant subject and story behind the Vision after the Sermon/Jacob Wrestling with the Angel, 1888, National Gallery of Scotland painting. In some of his paintings, there surface is smooth and there is an emphasis on the outline of the figures. Vision after the Sermon/Jacob Wrestling with the Angel (1888) depicts women observing a wrestling game between a man and an angel. This painting could depict the way some struggle with their faith. Gauguin here shows the struggle against a highly saturated red background. In the foreground, he has placed a group of Breton women, who, according to the title, have just attended a sermon. He uses strong colors, such as highly saturated red, white and blue. This painting ignores the rules of perspective. The figures in the foreground are

Comment [A1]: Are there any paintings from this period you could mention and include a picture of to illustrate this point?

too large in relation to Jacob and the angel, and there is a sense of flatness in the silhouettes. In 1891, Gauguin moved to Tahiti in search of more sensual and mystical experiences, leaving his family behind in France. He wanted to leave ―everything that is artificial and controversial‖ in France and experiment in the tropical part of the world (Biography of Paul Gauguin). He had fallen into a deep depression and wanted to escape to an idyllic life. He stayed in Tahiti until 1893 and then returned to France, only to return two years later. During his stays in Tahiti, we can see the great influence that it had on him. His paintings depict the luxurious and mysterious magnificence of his new environment. Most of his Tahitian paintings are combinations of objects and people in normal settings. La Orana Maria (1891) shows how his style was influenced by his visits to Tahiti and the development of a new style, primitivism. We can see a Tahitian woman with her son, two other women standing nearby and an angel with two yellow wings in the background. The women are almost nude, covering themselves with clothing wrapped around their waist. The background is covered with mountains, flowers and trees. The painting has many highly saturated colors. There is sense of peace and ease in the canvas. The adoring women side by side create a motif that enhances their flattened figures (Sweetman). Though he was plagued by illnesses due to massive alcohol consumption and syphilis, depression and financial worries, Gauguin continued to paint. One of the masterpieces completed during his depression, Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?

Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?, 1897-8, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

(1897-98) is a longer canvas that portrays several Tahitian figures at a gathering. It is assumed that Tahitian natives are portrayed in unusual meditative poses with a primitive idol. Gauguin indicated that the painting should be read from right to left, with the three major figure groups illustrating the questions posed in the title. The three women with a child represent the beginning of life; the middle group symbolizes the daily existence of young adulthood; and in the final group, according to the artist,

Comment [A2]: Again, add a final sentence telling me about the overall effect of this painting – how is this significant to the artist’s development or artistic style/themes?

is "an old woman approaching death appears reconciled and resigned to her thoughts". This painting stresses the vivid use of colors and thick brushstrokes, while it aims to convey an emotional or expressionistic strength. (Anderson) Gauguinâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s bold experiments in coloring led to a new style of modern art. He is regarded today as one of the four fathers of Modern Art and the Father of Primitivism. His main focus was the use of color and line to create a profound sense of mystery in his work. He also used expressive and irregular shapes and strong contrasts of color to shape his paintings. The main subject of his later paintings was simple people in nature and he had the tendency to build a whole story on the canvas. He died on May 8 th, 1903 in the Marquesas Islands. (Anderson)

Bibliography Anderson, Robert. Paul Gauguin. London: Watts, 2003. Print. "Biography of Paul Gauguin." L'Impressionnisme Et Les Peintres Impressionnistes. Web. 10 April 2012. <http://www.impressionniste.net/gauguin_paul.htm>. "Gauguin's Style." Infoplease. Infoplease. Web. 11 April 2012. <http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0858343.html>. Goldwater, Robert. Gauguin. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1983. Print. Nesic, Beth G. "Paul Gauguin: a Timeline." About.com Art History. Web. 11 April 2012. <http://arthistory.about.com/od/timelines/tp/gauguin_timeline.htm>. "Paul Gauguin Biography." Paul Gauguin. Web. 10 April 2012. <http://www.paul-gauguin.net/biography.html>. Sweetman, David "World Biography." Paul Gauguin Biography. Web. 10 April 2012. <http://www.notablebiographies.com/Fi-Gi/Gauguin-Paul.html>.

By Irene Souroulidi and Elena Zeniou

A Man between Madness and Lucidity: Vincent Van Gogh Post- Impressionism and Expressionism 1853-1890 Vincent Van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853. He was the son of a pastor, and was brought up in a religious and critical atmosphere. He was a highly emotional person who lacked self-confidence. Van Gogh held many unsuccessful jobs such as clerk, art salesman and preacher. He stayed in Belgium to study art and wanted to bring out emotions of happiness through his paintings. His early works are described as ―somber toned, sharply lit‖ (―Vincent Van Gogh: Biography‖). This is shown in his work The Potato Eaters. This painting is considered the most important painting in his ―Holland Period‖. He considered it to be his best work. Though many artists depicted peasant life romantically, Van Gogh‘s paintings had raw realism. The painting Restaurant de la Sirene, 1887, National Gallery of Australia simply portrays the reality of life. In 1885, he went to join his brother in Paris. There, he studied with Cormon and eventually met artists such as Pissarro, Monet, and Gauguin. At this point, his palette became lighter and turned towards the Impressionist style. An example of this change in style is Restaurant de la Sirene. He used lighter colors, but also thicker, more general brush strokes. In this painting, these strokes are found in the way the building itself is drawn and the bushes that surround the building. He uses dabs of light and dark green and red. The people in the painting have few characteristics, which gives the viewer the essence of human existence, focusing more on the environment that the colors create. The thick dabs are also shown in the sky where he mixes the colors of blue, yellow and orange. Van Gogh travelled to Arles with Gauguin, where he painted his lodgings. This painting depicted some of Van Gogh's values and style. Van Gogh wanted to capture the essence of his room and to create peaceful atmosphere. He wanted to use colors and forms in order to convey the way he felt about what he painted. He said that he was not Van Gogh's Bedroom at Arles, 1889, Amsterdam

concerned with the ―stereoscopic reality,‖ which is the photographically exact picture of nature, but he wanted to express himself and convey emotions to others. Thus, he is characterized as an Expressionist. The lines used to depict the objects in this painting are not clear, and the strokes of the paintbrush are thick and do not add detail but color. After spending some time in Arles, Van Gogh left in 1888 after he pursued Gauguin with a razor. After this fight, he cut off his own ear in frustration. He later painted a selfportrait that emphasized his bandaged ear. The colors he uses in this picture are mostly cold, blue and green. His eyes are gazing into the distance rather than interacting with the viewer. This is Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear, 1889, The Courtauld Gallery, London not an accurate representation of Van Gogh‘s appearance, but depicts an exaggeration of his inner world and his emotions at the time. One of his most famous paintings is Starry Night (1889). It was painted in 1889 and is representative of Van Gogh's style. Van Gogh was always trying to find the immediate connection with the natural reality. He did find it difficult, however, to go about this search, since he was not satisfied by simply working on a piece of the night sky in his studio. He wanted to go outside and experience nature in all its glory and paint it as he saw it. Starry Night, 1889, The Museum of Modern Art The way he painted this painting was by fixing a candle to his hat. This is how he made the first night painting created on site, which is another reason why this painting is remarkable. The subject matter in this case is a small town, and how he sees the night sky to be. The sky has the most emphasis in this case. It can be described as a ―universal panorama‖ of the sky. The sky looks as if it is lighted by comets which are turning, and this

turning is depicted by the way he has used the dabs of color with his brush. These dabs are used to a great extent, which, as mentioned earlier, are the key characteristic of Van Gogh's style. Since it is a night scene, the colors used are mostly of dark blue hues, and in order to give emphasis to the sky and the stars, he uses bright yellow and white. The tree that appears in the middle has the darkest green colors, and perhaps this gives the idea that the tree is right in front of the viewer, Colors were of great importance, but the composition also plays an equally significant role. Specifically the composition is made up of the scenery, but also a tree that ―invades‖ this painting. This tree has similar patterns to the starry sky, since the brush strokes used to create the tree are similar to the brush strokes used to create the sky. The lines curve and the brush strokes indicate a lot of action. Then we see the delicate houses at the bottom which seem to be insignificant compared to the brightly lit sky. His use of line is particular- lines are mostly curved and freely moving. This is shown through the dark tree but also in the sky. The stars have a circular light surrounding them, and in the middle of the painting the light seems to form spirals. All this is accomplished by the small dabs that Van Gogh applies with his brush. All these small details create curves in the painting. There are also curves in the mountains below, the mountains look soft and flexible. The only instances of straight lines are in the outline of the houses. Not much detail is spent on the houses however, because the subject matter in this case is the sky. There is no painterly use of light and shadow, but the shadows are shown through the darkness of the colors. This spectacular use of color gives off an emotion of relaxation, peace. This characteristic can be Self Portrait, 1889, Musee d'Orsay, Paris described as expressionistic since the artist does not try to appeal to logic and reason, or even try to appeal to the senses, but Van Gogh tries to express his own feelings, specifically the emotion that he felt when looking at a starry night. Eventually, Van Gogh was sent to the Asylum of Saint-Remy for treatment after experiencing several fits of madness and lucidity. By May 1890, he seemed to be better and went to live under the observation of Dr. Gachet. Two months later, he shot himself in the head, which he believed to be ―for the good of all.‖ These last two years of his life, he painted frenetically.

During his lifetime, Van Gogh sold only one painting, but several years after his death, he became a sensation and his paintings sold for millions. In a few words: ―Van Gogh's inimitable fusion of form and content is powerful; dramatic, lyrically rhythmic, imaginative, and emotional, for the artist was completely absorbed in the effort to explain either his struggle against madness or his comprehension of the spiritual essence of man and nature.‖ (―Vincent Van Gogh: Biography‖)

Bibliography Armiraglio, Federica, and Delfin Rodriguez. Βαν Γκογκ. Trans. Dimitra Papavasileiou. Vol. 11, Μεγάλοι Ζωγράφοι. Athens: Καθημερινή, 2006. Chrisafis, Angelique. "Art Historians Claim Van Gogh's Ear 'cut off by Gauguin.'" The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 4 May 2009. Web. 1 May 2012. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/may/04/vincent-vangogh-ear> Gombrich, E. H. "In Search of New Standards." The Story of Art, 15th ed. London: Phaidon, 1995. Print. "Vincent Van Gogh: Biography." Vincent Van Gogh Gallery. Van Gogh Gallery. Web. 1 May 2012. <http://www.vangoghgallery.com/misc/bio.html>.

By Blanka Czesnak and Kalomira Papadakis

The Father of Fauvism: Henri Matisse Modernism 1869-1954 Born in Le Cateau-Cambresis, France, Henri Matisse was training to be a lawyer when he discovered his passion for art at age 22. Henri Matisse is mostly known for his paintings in the Fauve style, but he also experimented with sculpture, graphic arts paper cutouts, and book illustrations. He also always worked to incorporate modern radical ideas into the classical training he had received. During the first decade of the 20th Century, Matisse was influenced by the bright colors of Post-Impressionism. However, he wished to be less synthetic than the Post-Impressionists, and he preferred originality to excessive formality and objectivity. His original approach to art combined with Self Portrait. 1918, Musee Matisse the influence of Post-Impressionism led to the birth of Fauvism, a style which lasted briefly but whose impact on the Modernists was profound. Matisse‘s work Luxe, Calme, et Volupte (1904-5) has a subtly erotic theme, shown in the female figure. It also depicts a leisurely life. There are several stylistic techniques in this painting that clearly show the PostImpressionist influence on Matisse. Luxe, Calme, et Volupte, 1904-5, One of Matisse‘s Musee d‘Orsay, Paris most famous paintings is Green Stripe. This painting was created in 1905 and it is now located in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. Like in most of his works, Matisse used oil on canvas. The green stripes represent the artificial shadows that Matisse created in order to give a sense of volume to the work of art. The subject matter of this painting could be a portrayal of his wife. Matisse gives one Green Stripes, 1905, Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Copenhagen side of her face a warm chromatic appearance, while the other has colder colors, creating a characterization of his wife as a woman of different moods and emotions. Matisse used dramatic brushstrokes in this painting. 74

One of Matisse‘s first sculptures was The Serf (1900-08), which was influenced by Rodin‘s style. It has an expressionist modeling and broken surfaces. In his sculptures, Matisse sought wholeness, and did not place emphasis on details. Matisse also wanted to create sculpture valid on his own terms, rather than adhering to the traditions of the time. He avoided dominant stereotypes, referring instead to personal feelings. His sculpture has an acute sense of volume and aesthetic ordering. In the 1920‘s, Matisse drew exotic odalisques with a thin, transparent, delicate medium. His surfaces were enriched with vivid color. He wanted to reconcile the illusion of deep space with his flat painting surface. He The Serf, 1900-8, Museum of Modern Art, paid close attention to detail and emphasized the San Fransisco abstract mood of the models. He thickened his pigment to give a sculpture-like definition and volume to the figures and objects. Henri Matisse had a great impact in the modern art world. His paintings introduced the Fauvist style of painting, a style named from the French world for ―wild beast‖ because of its primitive quality and the savageness perceived by critics. This movement had a significant impact on Matisse and his work. The style encouraged the use of strong color rather than the accurate, realistic representation of the subject matter. The works of Henri Matisse profoundly influenced art in the modern world.

L'Odalisque, Harmonie Bleu, 1973

Bibliography "All About Henri Matisse - Henry." All About Henri Matisse. Web. 25 April 2012. <http://www.henry-matisse.com>. Hunter, Sam, and John M. Jacobus. Modern Art: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture. New York: H. N. Abrams, 1985. Print.

―Matisse Picasso, Creating And Destroying Histories‖ - Part 3. Tate. <http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/ exhibition/matisse-picasso>.

Searle, Adrian. ―A momentous, tremendous, exhibition.‖ The Guardian, 7 May 2002 <http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2002/may/07/artsfeatures>. Wattenmaker, Richard J., Anne Distel, et al. Great French Paintings from the Barnes Foundation. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1993. Print.

By Christine Siomou and Nikos Efstratoudakis

The Multi-Faceted Artist: Pablo Picasso Cubism (1881-1973) Pablo Picasso was born in 1881 in Málaga, Spain. He became very well known for pioneering the Cubist movement in the early twentieth century. Early on in his life he was exposed to art through his father, who was an art teacher. Picasso‘s career consisted of many experimental periods and until today he is remembered for exploring a variety of styles. Picasso‘s style was constantly evolving and he explored areas such as collage, sculpture, painting, and ceramics. Though his contributions to the Surrealist and Cubist phases are more well-known, his earlier works of art from the Blue and Rose periods (1901-1904 and 1904-1906) are also representative of his underlying theme: universal human emotions. Picasso's works aim to prod at the truth through abstraction. During the Blue Period, as the name suggests, all of Picasso‘s paintings were in shades of blue or green. Most of the paintings depict prostitutes or beggars. The color blue is commonly associated with sadness, depression, and melancholy. According to a few highlights on Picasso by the Museum of Modern Art, these emotions were stirred by the suicide of his dear friend Carlos Casagemas. Because the paintings were more depressing than the lively works of the time, they The Absinthe Drinker, 1901, The weren‘t very popular with the public. His themes at Hermitage, Russia, the time connected with Degas‘ work. Picasso had the opportunity to study Degas because his art dealer during the Blue and Rose Periods was Degas‘ dealer, as well. The Spanish culture influenced this period considerably, particularly because of social injustice after the revolution in 1868. For example, everything in The Absinthe Drinker (1901) seems stony: the glass, the bottle, and the woman herself. There are varied tones of similar colors while geometric lines in the painting create an illusion of volume. Spaces in the painting are made by having several objects overlap each other. ‘‘It is a meticulous, clear, balanced composition‖ ("History of Art: Pablo Picasso"). The Rose Period followed the Blue Period. This period lasted only two years, from 1904 to 1906. In great contrast to the Blue period, these paintings were more optimistic. The main color tones were warm red, pink, rose, and orange. Picasso focused on circus characters in most of these paintings. One of his most famous paintings of that time, La Famille de

Saltimbaniques (also called The Acrobats), is of a family of acrobats in an abandoned, almost surreal landscape. At first glance, it appears to be a lot more cheerful than his paintings from the Blue Period. The title brings colorful and cheerful images from the circus to mind. The lines and brushstrokes give the painting a more dynamic, upbeat spirit. However, upon closer examination, there is a strong sense of melancholy. None of the characters is La Famille de Saltimbaniques, 1905, interacting with the others; instead, they are all National Gallery of Art, Washington DC looking into the distance and focusing on something beyond us. African art influenced Picasso in creating Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, which depicts female prostitutes in Barcelona. Two of the women are shown with African masks and the three others are depicted in the Iberian style. A savage feeling is evoked by the way these nude women are portrayed together in unrestricted poses. Picasso‘s continually evolving style and the influence of Braque led him to initiate what many art historians would later call Cubism. Cubism is a style of abstract art which challenged the conventions that ―shattered time-honored conventions of representation‖ (Choi). This painting was part of the first phase of Cubism, called Analytical cubism. The shapes that make up the bodies in the painting aim to show many perspectives of the subject simultaneously, as opposed to having one single perspective. The color value of the shapes has been manipulated so that the figures still have volume and do not appear flat. Les Demoiselles dÁvignon, 1907, Museum of The second phase of Cubism, which Modern Art, New York began in 1912, was called Synthetic Cubism. This style of art incorporated collage, and was about the synthesis of shapes, using them to compose familiar object. Picasso famously said ―Art is a lie that makes us realize truth‖ in an interview called ―Picasso Speaks‖ in The Arts, 1923. This was part of his aim in creating pieces such as Three Musicians, which was displayed in Fontainebleau in Paris. The painting portrays three men playing musical instruments. At the left of a flat boxlike space is Pierrot playing the clarinet. At the right is a singing monk holding music sheets. In center is a Harlequin, a comic pauper from the Italian

Commedia dell‘Arte, playing the guitar. These two characters, Pierrot and a Harlequin, are a reoccurring theme in Picasso's work. The complicated, jigsaw-like assembly of solid colors and flat planes are characteristic of the Synthetic Cubist style. The somber low saturated brown background adds to the importance of the three blue-yellowred musicians, giving them a magical orientation and makes them appear as if they defy gravity. The characters in this painting express aloofness to the dark things in the world with their odd carelessness, an emotion that humans can relate to. The nearly invisible dog at the far left with its head just distinguishable against one of several subtle browns adds to the comical notion of the painting. Overlapping shapes create a one dimensional plane and yet there is a feeling of gravity suggested by the bold lines which draw the characters. Overall the work's somber backgrounds in combination with the colorful musicians give off a mysterious feeling, almost like the music of life: mysterious and colorful. Picasso‘s style eventually evolved into the Surrealist period. Surrealist artists attempt to render mental states in which a person‘s deep subconscious is revealed. Guernica is a piece that was commissioned by the Spanish government as a response to the bombings of Guernica in the Spanish Civil war (1937). The painting depicts the suffering of women and children, animals and warriors alike. The Guernica, Picasso 1937, Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid painting was altered a total of seven times before its triangular composition was developed. Though interpretations of painting vary, the somber gray, blacks and whites convey universal feelings of pain and suffering. The bombing of Guernica shocked all the Spanish citizens and, as a Spaniard, Picasso expresses a culturally and historically significant event. In this way, the work is a social piece of art, and it impacted many people‘s views of the civil war by exposing them to the universal emotions that war induces. Picasso is remembered today for his ability to communicate universal human emotions through his works. His initiation of Cubism was a highly distinguished part of his career that evolved from experimentation with various forms of art. Because of his constantly evolving style and the Three Musicians, 1921, Museum of Modern Art, New York

influence of artists such as Braque and CĂŠzanne he was able to develop a style that broke the conventions of the time.

Bibliography Choi, Elizabeth. «Picasso and Early Cubism with Braque» The History of Modern Art 2004. Web. 26 April 2012. http://www.people.vcu.edu/~djbromle/modern04/elizabethc/index.htm "Cubism" - The First Abstract Style of Modern Art. Web. 26 April 2012.http://www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/art_movements/cu bism.htm Delpiano,Roberto."ARLECCHINO(Harlequin,Arlechino,Arlequin)." ItalianCom edy.2012.Web.26 April 2012. <http://www.delpiano.com/carnival/html/harlequin.html>. Gombrich, E. H. "Experimental Art: The First Half of the Twentieth Century." The Story of Art. London: Phaidon, 1995. Print. "History of Art: Pablo Picasso." A World History of Art. Web. 26 April 2012. <http://www.all-art.org/art_20th_century/picasso4.html>. MoMA Highlights. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, revised 2004, originally published 1999, p. 101. Print. "Pablo Picasso." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 22 May 2012. Web. 22 May 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pablo_picasso>. "Pablo Picasso, Life and Work." Pablo Picasso Biography. Web. 21 May 2012. <http://pablo-picasso.paintings.name/biography/>. "Pablo Picasso’s Rose Period 1904-1906” ajmiles contemporary artist. Web. 14 April 2012. http://www.ajmiles.net/artists/picasso-rose-period.asp ‖Special Exhibition Gallery - Ambroise Vollard, Patron of The Avant-Garde." About.com ArtHistory. Sept. 2007. Web. 23 April 2012. <http://arthistory.about.com/od/from_exhibitions/ig/avantgarde/>

By Andriana Skalkos and Anna Paspala