The Age of Avant-Gardes
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Table of Contents
Paul CĂŠzanne and Post- Impressionism.................................................... 4 Henri Matisse and Fauvism ..................................................................... 6 Umberto Boccioni and Futurism ............................................................ 10 Pablo Picasso and Cubism ..................................................................... 14 Gustav Klimt and Art Nouveau .............................................................. 18 Wassily Kandinsky and Abstract ............................................................ 22 Marcel Duchamp and Dadaism ............................................................. 26 My own examples of Dada and Abstract Art ........................................ 31 Bibliography ......................................................................................... 32
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Paul Cézanne and Post
learning new styles and eventually seeking for innovation and adaptation. Profound
Impressionism
economic, social and political problems a
were taking place in Europe at that time, so
movement that took place in France
the people’s cultural view was about to
between
extending
experience fundamental changes. Figuring
Impressionism. This movement’s main
among the artists that engaged Post-
character was the representation of open
Impressionism was Paul Cézanne (1839-
areas, also called en plain air paintings,
1906), a French painter, who was very
mostly the artists depicted landscapes, still
traditional and
lives and portraits. It could be compared to
innovations to art, probably because he
the Realism art movement, due to its
died in the beginning of the 20th century,
accurate approach to the subject matter,
when
from colors to proportions, everything was
starting to gain space around the world. He
commonly
mainly painted still life and fruits, but also
Post-Impressionism
1880
and
painted,
1920,
without
was
breaking
traditional rules. Although it appeared to be a simple style, it was the introduction to the avant-garde movements that took place in the first half of the 20th century. Many post-impressionist artists ended up
new
did
artistic
not
bring
movements
great
were
produced some landscapes and portraits. As a representation of Cézanne’s still life, “The Blue Vase” shows the artist’s self improvement as a painter. This composition is about a vase filled with colorful flowers and placed on a table,
Title: The Blue Vase Year: 1883-1887 Material: oil on canvas Artist: Paul Cézanne Size: 61 x 50 cm Location: Musée d’Orsay, Paris
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next to three oranges and some other
traces. Cézanne builds a very harmonious
objects. The line that catches one’s eye is
piece, with correct proportions and placing
the flower in the bouquet, because its red
the subject matter in the middle of the
tone makes great contrast against the
canvas, he brings balance to the image.
predominant green. When it comes to
Surely the viewer can perceive depth in
shape the elements are not very geometric
this piece, because the artist creates
and its edges are defined with very thin
different hues by mixing colors, rather than
brushstrokes, which gives them a delicate
depicting the shade using black.
finishing. In terms of movement, one can have the sense of motion by observing the curvy branches that come out of the vase, forming green waves against the wall in the background. Due to the use of light blue and green tones and also to the soft contrast between colors, the viewer perceives a serene and peaceful mood. In this context, the artist shows great ability combining colors; he applies mostly cool patterns, but also warm ones, and makes a balance between them with light white
Approaching a different subject matter, “The Bather” is a piece that departs a bit form Cézanne’s style. In this composition, he depicts a half naked man walking with his bathing suit, probably heading to a swimming pool or the sea. The figure is completely absorbed in thoughts, distractedly looking down; he seems to be unaware of what is happening around him, so it provides the viewer with a sense of preoccupation and a tense mood.
Since
the
man
is
heading
Title: The Bather Year: 1885-1887 Material: oil on canvas Artist: Paul Cézanne Size: 127 x 96.8 cm Location: The Museum of Modern Art, New York Lillie P. Bliss Collection
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somewhere, his left leg is stepping
from there and spread to the borders of
forward,
the image.
which
brings
the
idea
of
movement to the painting. When it comes to color, Cézanne has used delicate tones of blue, probably with the purpose to depict water and drive the viewer into the thought that he is about to go swimming. The shapes of this piece are clearly defined by a thick dark outline, which emphasizes the linear and geometric forms of the man’s body. One can notice that this painting contains a lot of balance, because the artist does not dare to combine contrary colors, switching over tones smoothly,
also
the
proportions
are
accurate and the subject matter is placed in the center of the canvas. Certainly there is a 3D length in this image, because the stairs in the background have a deep form, narrowing a bit as one’s eye moves inside the painting. The man’s face is the line where the viewer focuses at first, because all the mood of this piece appears to start
One of Cézanne’s most famous paintings is “The Card Players”, depicting the painter’s pursuit of perfectionism and harmony,
this
composition’s
subject
matter is a scene of two man sit on a small table, facing each other and playing cards, probably in a bar. The artist focused a lot on capturing the right mood for this piece, while the man in the right side is more tense, holding his arms closer to his body, the other one is at easy, smoking and ready to play. When it comes to movement, apparently there is a person walking behind the counter and the two men may move slightly to replace their cards. The artist applies very warm and somewhat obscure colors in this piece, obviously to better depict the environment of a bar that is usually dark. In this context, Cézanne creates
different
kinds
of
texture,
Title: The Card Players Year: 1890-1892 Material: oil on canvas Artist: Paul Cézanne Size: 47.5 x 57 cm Location: Musée d’Orsay, Paris
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separating the wooden objects from the
Matisse and the Fauves
fabrics, so that the wood is rougher while the tissue of the men’s coats is soft. With accurate proportions and great color
Considered the leader of the
combination, the artist has given balance
Fauvist movement, the French painter,
to the image, so that the viewer’s eye stays
Henri Matisse (1869-1954) made great
comfortable staring at it. When it comes to
contributions to the art of the 20th century,
shape, the way the men’s bodies are
bringing vivid colors to the art board, he
poisoned in the image is very angular as
introduced a new artistic style to the
well as the other elements of the piece,
world, the Fauvism.
such as the tablecloth and the counter. The
engaged this movement, were called “les
painter has managed to create three
fauves” by the critics, which means “wild
dimensional forms in this image, through
beasts”, because of the use of bright,
his perfect representation of the fabric
unrealistic colors in the paintings. These
folds, and through the way he finds light.
changes
in
artistic
The artists who
expression
also
Although Cézanne had a style that
represented a change in the society’s
leaned towards the classical arts, he was
frame of mind, because Europe was in
one of the last painters of the 20th century
crises, its situation was uncertain, due to
that
massive
the world wars and “could no longer
production, being extremely honest with
consider itself the center of the world”¹.
whatever subject matter he decided to
People were aiming for freedom of
paint.
for
expression, innovation and wanted to
perfectionism and also he was starting to
break the rules, “the 1920s and 1930s were
bring more emotion to the canvas. I chose
a period of great creative ferment as well
Paul Cézanne because he is a very
as profound anxiety, both for individuals
knowledgeable painter, who dominated
and entire societies”². In this context,
colors and brushstrokes and was able to
Matisse brought some originality to the
create perfect shapes without the use of
artistic
very bald patterns. The post-impressionist
traditional by some critics, his contribution
artists were just one step behind the
to Modern Art cannot be denied, from
beginning of a cultural revolution that
combining opposite colors, to disobeying
would break every old concept, opening
the notion of depth and reality, his
the doors for considerable changes in the
audacity opened the door to new styles.
valued
This
technique
artist
was
over
seeking
field,
although
considered
humanities vision of the world. The Age of Avant-Gardes
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One of Matisse’s famous paintings
the piano, as well as the amount of details
that can be found in the Metropolitan
in this specific area. This art work doesn’t
Museum of Art, in New York, is called “The
contain
Piano Lesson”. The composition is based
characters are motionless inside a room,
on Matisse’s son, Pierre, having a piano
also the shapes are really geometric, giving
lesson at his house, there’s a faceless
a bit of a Cubist character to it, especially
woman with a severe look in the right
when it comes to the human form,
corner of the painting, representing the
however, some of the details in the bottom
piano teacher, there’s also a big window in
part of the window and in the piano are
the left side and grass can be seen through
more round. The artist totally denies the
it, just in front of it there’s a sculpture,
sense of depth in this piece, there is no 3D
probably made by Matisse, and, of course,
length and, except for the boys fa ce and
the boy sit in front of the piano, caring a
the left corner of the table, there is no
serious frame. In terms of line, the first
shading to emphasize the form. When it
thin g that catches one’s attention is the
comes to balance, the elements are not
image of the boy’s face, he gives the
very well distributed on the painting while
impression to be looking straight at the
there is a lot going on in the right side of it,
viewer’s eyes, also the attention is driven
there is also a big empty space on the
to this direction due to the reddish tone of
middle left side. The dominant color in this
movement,
because
both
piece is grey, covering most of its background, which brings a grave mood to the environment, on the
Title: The Piano Lesson Year: 1916 Material: oil on canvas Artist: Henri Matisse Size: 245 X 212 cm Location: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
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other hand there are vivid colors on the
the bodies’ reddish skin tone is totally
table
window,
unrealistic and makes great contrast
representing that the boy could and also
against the greenish of the ground and
wishes he was having fun and maybe
turquoise of the sky. Since this image was
playing outside in the green grass.
part of a previous painting made by the
and
outside
the
Sergei Shchukin was a collector and admirer of Matisse’s work, in 1909, he asked the artist to make a painting for his mansion in Moscow, therefore this artist’s most famous work came to life: “The Dance”. This composition contains five nude
characters
dancing
together,
smoothly, enjoying life and freedom in their own way, they seem to be floating on the canvas. The shape of the bodies in this piece is wavy and round, as well as the
same artist, called “The Joy of Life”, it translates a happy and playful mood, providing the viewer with a feeling of freedom and lightness. The forms, as mentioned before, appear to be floating on the canvas, meaning that this piece is not 3 dimensional and has no depth. On the other hand, in the aspect of value, one can see a little shading in the bodies’ shapes and details, which emphasizes their round forms.
grass, which adds rhythm and movement
After changing this painting’s name
to it, creating the idea of the dancers
and color tones for at least three times,
moving in a circle. When it comes to
Matisse defined it as “Harmony in Red”, a
balance, the painting contains very similar
piece that had previously been exposed in
elements, they are equal in color and size, and are also well distributed on the art board. As usual, the artist has combined
Title: The Dance
bald, simple and opposite colors together,
Year: 1909-10 Material: oil on canvas Artist: Henri Matisse Size: 260 X 389 cm Location: Hermitage,
St.
Petersburg
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the 1908 Salon d’Automne, by then, it was
such as the fruits, others are more
entitled “Blue Harmony”. This composition
geometric, such as the human form and
is very crowded, due to the number of
the chairs. Given the fact that the shapes
elements and details on the canvas, there
and colors don’t combine, being a mix of
is a big dining table in the center, filled
opposites, it is hard to find balance in this
with fruits, decorative trays and bottles, in
piece. Because the main subject matter is
the left corner there is also a window, with
the dining table, this painting is almost a
the view to the backyard, or garden of the
still life, the human form can almost be
house, in the right side of it, a woman,
considered
an
object,
probably the maid, places the food on the
significant
as
the
table. When it comes to line, the first thing
Everything appears to be motionless,
one looks at, when staring at this piece, is
lacking movement. Surely, the dominant
the open window, because it is the place
reddish tone and bright color combinations
where the colors really differentiate from
gives vivacity and a joyful mood to this art
the rest of the painting. Although the title
work. The texture is mostly soft in this
of
word
piece, although there can be observed
“harmony”, it is disturbing to look at it, the
some grooves in the tablecloth’s and
colors are too vivid, totally opposite and
wallpaper’s pattern as well as in the
the red background tires one’s eyes. The
vegetation outside the room.
this
painting
contains
the
elements are widely distributed on the canvas, but they are extremely different in
for
other
being
as
elements.
In interview given to BBC UK,
shape, while some are round and wavy, Title: Harmony in Red Year: 1908 Material: oil on canvas Artist: Henri Matisse Size: 180 x 220 cm Location: Hermitage,
St.
Petersburg
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Françoise
Gilot,
a
visual
artist
and
bestselling author that had the privilege to meet Matisse said that ‘he had the
Futurism and Boccioni
audacity of simplicity’. Towards the end of his life, Matisse’s paintings got simpler, and at this moment, he was able to capture only what was essential for him, that is the
Futurism was an artistic and social
feelings and the way they shaped and
movement that took place between 1909
colored the human form, a landscape or an
and 1916, primary in Italy, having after its
object. As he said, what he created after
concepts spread to other countries. The
his illness constituted his real self. Also,
main characteristics of this movement
what may have been fundamental for him
were the depiction of speed, urban life and
to assume his own style is the fact that the
technology, because the world lived a
public’s approach to different kinds of art
moment of industrial expansion and
was much less aggressive than in the
scientific discoveries. Various manifestos,
beginning of his career. ”The Dance”, from
conferences,
my point o view, is the painting that best
concerning Futurism took place over that
translates Matisse’s art, because it contains
time, with the purpose of defining weather
both elements that renders Matisse’s work
the Futurist concepts could be applied in
so unique, the composition is simple in
other fields of knowledge, such as visual
terms of elements and details, but it is still
arts, music and theater. In this context, one
extremely audacious, due to the way he
of the most famous painters of the period
combines the colors and disobeys the
was Umberto Boccioni (1882-1916), an
sense of depth, escaping from reality and
Italian artist, who was also a sculptor and
diving purely into the emotion of the
created remarkable pieces. Generally, the
moment.
images that he presented in his paintings
events
and
debates
and sculptures were very dynamic, colorful, and distorted, because of the artist’s contact with Picasso and the Cubist style. Some futurist pieces, such as Dynamism of an Automobile (by Luigi Russolo) were almost abstract, due to the use of unrealistic colors and way the images were deconstructed, yet this style tented to be more homogeneous than Cubism. The Age of Avant-Gardes
Page 10
Title: Simultaneous Visions Year: 1911 Material: oil on canvas Artist: Umberto Boccioni Size: 70 x 75 cm Location: Von der Heydt Museum, Wuppertal
very harmonious, due to the In “Simultaneous Visions�, Boccioni
fact that the artist uses some
represents two faces observing situations
forms in the bottom right of the canvas
from different points of view; here his idea
that apparently depict nature, which
was to show that, as time goes by, our
makes an ambiguous contrast with the
perceptions change. This composition is
dynamism of the city, furthermore the
about urban life, the image shows tall
figures in the center are totally out of
buildings and plenty of people walking on
proportion. The color schemes chosen
the streets, there can be seen some
used by Boccioni are pretty similar, yet
chariots as well, but what crowds the
they are not opaque, predominating
center of the canvas are the unrealistically
orange, green and blue tones. Speaking
big faces. Also the forms are very two
about mood, one can perceive the
dimensional, however one can perceive a
agitation and energy that comes from the
bit of depth in this piece, because the
city, as well as a feeling of impotence in
street narrows and the buildings get
face of time that never stops moving and
smaller
the
technology that develops fast. Similarly to
background. Every element in this painting
Cubism, the shapes in this piece are very
seems to be in a process of transformation,
geometric,
as if the picture was capturing different
towards the depiction of feminine round
moments in time, also, the people are
forms. Given the fact that the artist has
walking somewhere which provides the
included a distinct element in the right side
viewer with the idea of movement. When
of the canvas, this place is surely the line
it comes to balance, this painting is not
that captures the viewer’s eye, yet this
and
more
distant
The Age of Avant-Gardes
in
translating
the
resignation
Page 11
element seems to be out of place and does
raised, translating confidence. Boccioni is
not combine with the overall theme of the
very clear about the subject matter here,
piece.
by placing the horse rider in the center of Representing Boccioni’s love for
horses as well as agility and power, “Elasticity” is a painting that perfectly translates the aspects of Futurism, because of its masculine and speed character. This composition is about a horse rider who passes through a city, he is located in the center of the canvas and the town with its industries and metallic structures can be seen on the top of the picture. The way in which this image is depicted clearly shows the horse’s movement, because its body is deconstructed and the artist has smudged the figure a little bit, making it blurry as if a photograph had been taken while in motion. In terms of mood, this is a piece that communicates a lot of energy and strength, the horse’s head is proudly
the canvas and adding small elements in the background he creates a good balance. The color schemes in this piece are quite complex, yet the artist manages to combine them perfectly, using cool colors to depict the city, and mostly warm ones in the image of the horse, he makes a great and non aggressive transition among them. Also, the animal’s muscles are easily perceived, due to the way the artist created light, emphasizing the curves of it, breaking the image down, so one can have a sense of texture when looking at it. Still in this context, the line that captures one’s eye is the horse’s legs and their motion, because
of
the
yellowish
and
bald
background that makes contrast with the read paws. Following the Futurist aspects,
Title: Elasticity Year: 1912 Material: oil on canvas Artist: Umberto Boccioni Size: 100 x 100 cm Location: Civico Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, Collection Ricardo Jucker, Milan
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the shapes of the elements are sharp and
protecting her kids; consequently the
geometric, but do not have perfectly
hands are the line that catches one’s eye.
defined edges.
In the context of mood, she has an
Escaping a bit from the Futurist subject matter “Materia” is the depiction of a feminine figure, yet, Boccioni managed to apply many of the movement’s aspect to this piece. The artist made a composition of his mother resting her hands on a balcony, where in the background there can be seen some houses, and just at the woman’s right side there is a floating little horse, again showing the artist’s passion for this animal. The woman in this figure has big hands, which could represent her manual work as a mother who uses them for cooking and also for holding and
apathetic preoccupied
and
at look,
the of
same
time
somebody
experienced, who has undergone many things in life and does not get thrilled in face of simple events. When it comes to color, the artist has used very dark patterns, especially in the center of the canvas, where there is a big black spot, while on the top of it there are bald colors, such as yellow and red to represent the houses. All the elements of this piece seem to be forming a circle around the mother, as if they were part of her memories floating in the canvas, so for being twisted, the forms do not build a 3D length in the image. Furthermore, the house’s shape is very geometric and sharp, but it is somewhat curvy when it comes to the human form. Similarly, the movement of
Title: Materia Year: 1912-13 Material: oil on canvas Artist: Umberto Boccioni Size: 226 x 150 cm Location: Gianni Mattioli Collection (on hold with the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice)
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the elements in the bottom of the canvas seems to be heading away from the woman, while the houses on top are very
Pablo Picasso and Cubism
close and form an arch around the mother’s head, which could mean that the only material thing left is her home and the
Distorted, geometric forms and
place where she came from, the rest is just
opaque
memories. Also, the figures that compose
characteristics of Cubism, an art movement
this art work are a bit out of proportion
that took place between 1907 and 1914.
and very broken down which makes it hard
This style was based on breaking down
to find balance in the image.
images and creating asymmetric patterns.
The futurist artists tried to create a movement
based
on
the
current
developments, and indeed they were able to come up with something original. On the other hand, people were changing their minds with respect to many things and Futurism was already happening, so the artist’s will to impose this movement’s rules was not the best approach to it, since the developments aimed by them would became true anyways. In my opinion, Boccioni
was
a
brilliant
artist,
the
deconstruction of form was a very complex technique and it was hard to master, for this reason he is worthy of admiration. The Futurist conservative view in terms of subject matter, limited a bit the creative production, which could explain the fact that this movement was more popular in Italy and Russia, but did not arouse a lot of
colors
were
some
of
the
In some pieces, such as “The Portuguese”, 1911, from Georges Braque, it was very difficult to recognize the subject matter, which is why this art movement is believed to have influenced Abstract painting. The society by that time, was aiming for liberation of thought and expression, also, technology was evolving fast and there were new scientific theories coming up. This period, prior to World War I was tense and anxious; some artists faced difficulties, such as illnesses and ended up dying at a very young age. Yet, Cubism survived until approximately 1936, when the revolution of thought provided valuable subject for art. In this context, the most recognized artist of the time was Pablo Picasso, born in Spain in 1881; he painted “Les Demoiselles
d’Avignon”,
which
is
considered the first Cubist work.
interest in other countries.
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Title: Les Demoiselles d’Avignon Year: 1907 Material: oil on canvas Artist: Pablo Picasso Size: 244 x 233 cm Location: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York As
mentioned
above,
“Les
Demoiselles d’Avignon” was Picasso’s first Cubist painting, his previous idea was painting a scene in a brothel, where there would be two man and five women, however, he changed his mind and ended up changing it. So this composition is about five nude feminine figures, probably in a brothel, the two in the center are very similar and are positioned as if they were laying on a bed, being partly covered by the bed sheets, whereas the one in the extreme left is standing as well as the one on the top right, and the fifth figure is sitting with her back turned to the viewer. Their shapes vary, while the women in the center are presented in a more ordinary and clear way, although very triangular, the two figures in the right side are more fragmented and they seem to be wearing African masks. There is no depth in this painting, apparently, the forms are all
The Age of Avant-Gardes
positioned in the same line, so there is no 3D length in this piece. At the same time the artist has built value through the way created shade, emphasizing the geometric and sharp shapes, especially of the fabric. This piece is very light, being the predominant color patterns white and tones of beige, which brings out the human figures. In terms of mood, this painting shows a very relaxed scene, the women stand comfortably in their positions, as if they were taking some rest, or sharing a moment together. In this context there seems to be little movement in this piece, except for the two women in the right, one appears to be opening a curtain, and the other is turning her head backwards, to the direction of the viewer. The elements of this composition are similar in shape, size and color, they occupy the whole space of the canvas, yet, they are not crowding it, which is why this piece contains balance. Page 15
“Woman with a Fan” was also one
canvas and the use of similar pastel tons. In
of Picasso’s first cubist paintings, depicting
this context, there can be observed that
one of his experimentations in this new art
the color patterns are mostly brown and
style. The composition is a portrait of
orange, being darker in the background
Fernande Olivier, one of the artist’s lover,
and turning lighter as the eye moves to the
she is sit on a chair, looking down, part of
front of the piece. Related to that, the line
her body is uncovered and she holds a fan
that captures one’s eye at first is the fan,
with her left hand. There is a lot of shade in
because its grayish color makes great
this piece, which creates a bit o depth but
contrast against the woman’s white dress.
does not gives a three dimensional look to
Characteristically, the elements of this
the forms. It is hard to find movement in
piece have an extremely geometric shape,
this piece, because the figure seems to be
but the human figure is not too distorted,
resting her hands on her lap in a very
while the chair has more of a Cubist style,
motionless position; yet, she could be
for being broken down.
lowering her head slowly. In the category of mood, it can be said that it is a very serene image, where she appears to be at easy, spending a casual moment. The unity is certainly harmonious, due to the centralization of the main figure in the
“Guernica” is one of Picasso’s most famous painting, it dates of 1937, but it is still
considered
Cubist.
This
piece
represents a conflict of the Spanish Civil war, where more than 1500 people were killed and the town was totally destroyed.
Title: Woman with a Fan Year: 1907-1908 Material: oil on canvas Artist: Pablo Picasso Size: 152 x 101 cm Location: Hermitage,
Saint
Petersburg
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The composition is a catastrophic scenario,
of the lamp is sharp and shows everything
there are people, wreckage and animals,
that is taking place on the moment, and
while some are hurt, others are apparently
the animal’s face caries a strong and fearful
asking for help, there’s a woman in the left
expression. The shapes are not clearly
side of the painting who carries the dead
defined, being more sharp and square in
body of her son. Their faces strongly
the background, while the other figures
express a sad mood, arousing feelings such
have triangular and round features. Given
as fear and confusion, because it is the
the fact that the artist uses many dark
image of a disaster, which translates
patterns, there can be observed some 3D
desperation towards the reality of death
in the forms, some of them, such as the
and loss. When it comes to movement, the
bull, seem to be coming out of the canvas,
way the figures are inclined or putting their
whereas others, as the horse’s body,
arms up and stretching their necks, gives
appear to be overlapped and broken.
the impression that there is an urge to go somewhere, to understand what has happened and to look at what has been lost. In terms of color, the painter has used very simple patterns, such as white to expose what can be identified when the lights are turned on, and also tones of grey in the background to create contrast, which represents the wreckage and other elements that have been carbonized,
From the three paintings analyzed above, there can be observed a great evolution in Picasso’s work, through the years he had refined his work, especially in the way that he deconstructed the human form. In “Woman with a Fan”, Picasso first painted the true portrait of his lover and then made changes to his work, until he got to the final totally geometric version.
probably because there had been fire. Approaching line, the first thing that catches one’s eye is the lamp and the horse, on the top of the painting, the light
Title: Guernica Year: 1937 Material: oil on canvas Artist: Pablo Picasso Size: 349 x 776 cm Location:
Museo
Reina Sofia, Madrid
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Page 17
Picasso surely mastered this genre of art
attributing more importance to innovation
and, from my point of view, he dared to try
and dema nded improvements. Yet, the
something totally unexpected and above
subject matter of Art Nouveau contradicts
standard, and not only was it innovative it
the industrial mentality, being more
also
of
focused on depicting feminine forms and
comprehension about proportions and
the nature, as well as making allusion to
forms. Unlike Matisse and the Fauves, who
antique figures from Greek culture. One
translated emotions through color, Picasso
artist that stands out in this movement is
and the Cubists communicated emotions
the Austrian Gustav Klimt (1862-1918), due
turning images into puzzles and believed
to its audacious and controversial style.
that opaque color schemes would help the
Generally, he depicted feminine figures,
viewer to keep focus on the subject
often adding an erotic touch to them, but
matter.
also he painted landscapes and created
required
a
higher
level
lithographs. What catch one’s attention in his work are the strong expressions carried
Gustav Klimt and Art Nouveau
by the figures in the paintings, especially the women, so the viewer can read their personalities as if they were characters
At the end of the 19th century,
from a story.
specifically 1890, a new style emerged,
One of Klimt’s most remarkable
being popular mainly in Europe, Art
and award winning piece is “The Three
Nouveau can be referred to as a style,
Ages of Woman”, this painting aroused
instead of only an art movement, because
polemic
of its influence in other areas, such as
symbolic meaning about the passage of
architecture. Artists who engaged this
time. The artist depicted three nude figures
movement were active in many disciplines,
in this composition: an old lady, a young
from painting to the decorative arts to
woman and a baby girl, all of them are
literature, they believed in Art Nouveau as
located in the middle of the canvas, as if
an attitude and a state of mind. Their
they were floating in an imaginary space.
purpose was breaking the old concept of
Observing the characters’ expression, one
the classical art, giving more value to the
can easily notice that the woman with the
creative ability, rather than the capacity to
child in her arms is very happy and her
recreate and imitate pieces. Due to the
baby has a very serene look, meaning that
industrial
she feels totally safe in her mom’s arms, on
revolution,
The Age of Avant-Gardes
people
started
discussions,
because
of
its
Page 18
the other hand, the old lady has an
of its smooth texture, especially in the skin
extremely sad mood, in face of her
of the figures, while the young woman and
proximity to death and the fact that what
t he baby have a very soft and pale skin,
has passed never comes back. In terms of
the old lady has wrinkles and a yellowish
shape, every element has roundish and
color. In terms of balance, this painting is
delicate edges, which provides the viewer
quite extravagant and full of details which
with a more realistic sense when it comes
could cause a lack of harmony. In this
to the human form. The artist uses very
context it also lacks movement, due to the
different color patterns placing black in
fact that the figures are placed in an
part of the background, orange (in the
abstract space, representing their state of
woman’s hair) and applying golden yellow
mind, where they are motionless. The line
in the details, yet he combines warm colors
that catches the viewer’s eye, at first, is the
and makes a non aggressive transition
young woman’s face, because it is really
among them. This piece surely enables the
pale and expresses strong emotions.
viewer to have a sense of touch, because
Title: The Three Ages of Woman Year: 1905 Material: oil on canvas Artist: Gustav Klimt Size: 180 x 180 cm Location: Nazionalle
Galleria d’Arte
Moderna, Rome
The Age of Avant-Gardes
Page 19
Inspired by a biblical character and
responsible for John Baptist’s death.
its powerful personality Klimt created
According to the Bible, she asked King
“Judith II”, depicting the image of Salome,
Herod to decapitate the prophet and put
the woman who is believed to be
his head on a tray. In the composition, which is part of Klimt’s golden age pieces, there is a woman partly involved by the fabric of her dress, and also, the head of John Baptist can be seen in the bottom right of the piece, her presence crowds the canvas. Surely there can be perceived movement in this art work due to the fact that the woman is twitching her fingers and, at the same time, she holds the fabric and leans her body forward tensely. One of this artist’s peculiar characters, was the eroticism that he translated in his pieces, and
certainly
in
this
painting
he
represented through the woman’s face a very feminine and sensual mood. Although, as mentioned before, this piece belongs to
Title: Judith II Year: 1909 Material: oil on canvas Artist: Gustav Klimt Size: 178 x 46 cm Location:
Galleria
Internazionalle d’Arte Moderna di Ca’ Pesaro, Venice
The Age of Avant-Gardes
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Klimt’s golden age collection, he explored
face is the line that comes out first, due to
bald colors, mostly used by the Fauves,
its sensual and mean aura.
eliminating the gold, so that he was able to bring more emotion to the canvas. The energy transmitted through this image is a bit bizarre, in one side there is Salome immersed on her own feelings and selfishness, while just next to her feet one can see the lifeless head of the prophet, which is why, it is also hard to find unity in this piece. In terms of form, this painting does not have depth and, as usual, Klimt placed the figures in a parallel universe, building an unreal and flat background. Again, the shapes are not geometrical, having really soft edges and wavy outlines, as the viewer can observe in the yellow spirals in the left side of the canvas. When one looks at this art piece, the woman’s
Landscapes were not the most current subject matter of Klimt’s work, however he ventured in this area, and his results were, in certain way, similar to Van Gogh’s dense vision about nature. One composition that exemplifies this artist’s experience depicting landscapes is “Water Castle”, where one can see a big building with a tall roof, surrounded by vegetation across a lake that reflects what is in its shore. Usually, and it is the case of this piece, the images created by Klimt are static, so there cannot be perceived any movement, as if the nature was frozen. Also, when it comes to form, this landscape is a bit flat, especially after the vegetation, where every element seems to
Title: Water Castle Year: 1910 Material: oil on canvas Artist: Gustav Klimt Size: 110 x 110 cm Location:
Narodni
Gallery,
Prague,
Czech Republic
The Age of Avant-Gardes
Page 21
be placed in the same line; on the other
style stands out for exploring themes such
hand, the lake has depth, probably due to
as sensuality that is not necessarily
its reflexes. In this context, the textures of
attached to romance. Most of his paintings
this piece vary, because the surface of the
were extremely detailed and these single
water is very laid and smooth, while the
elements, rather than simply fancy, helped
vegetation is rougher, due to the use of
to build the mood of the image. By creating
either thin brushstrokes that create fine
unreal environments Klimt was able to
traces, or different colors applied with a
open the character’s mind to the eyes of
sponge one over the other. As the castle is
the viewer.
seen across the lake, it provides the viewer with the impression that that place is unreachable, maybe limited to a specific public, which gives a mysterious mood to the piece. The color schemes of this
Wassily
Kandinsky
and
Abstract Art
painting are earthy and natural, so the dominant one is green, followed by brown and beige. Due to the fact that the subject matter is quite simple and the artist is honest in terms of color, shapes and proportions, one can notice that this work has balance. Speaking about shape, the building has very well defined and sharp edges, whereas the vegetation has totally undefined
edges,
similar
to
an
impressionist landscape.
Differing
from
other
art
movements, Abstract has survived over 100 years, being more popular in today’s world, than it was before. However, the birth of this art style did not happen in one specific year; instead it was a slow evolution
of
thought.
Contemporary
abstract art can be classified in three different styles: hard edge, action painting and color field, the two first require acrylic
Art Nouveau was one of the first
paint and the third watercolor paint,
Avant-garde movements, so it still carried
generally the last two are made without
some classical aspects as the ‘preference’
touching the canvas with any brushstrokes.
for depicting feminine figures and the
One of the earliest and most famous
enclosure to reality. Gustav Klimt was the
painters who engaged this movement was
artist chosen by myself, because I was
the Russian Wassily Kandinsky (1866-
fascinated by his capacity to perfectly build
1944), for him ‘painting must abandon the
his character’s facial expressions, making a
function of imitating reality to become an
psychological analysis of them. Also, Klimt
instrument with which the artist gives
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Page 22
voice to his soul and inner being’. He was a
canvas represents where the music is being
great connoisseur of music, which can be
played, and the black form in the middle
observed in his art work that was partly
could be depicting a piano. Apparently,
inspired by this theme. Previous art
Kandinsky was very impressed with the
movements,
have
music played in this concert, which could
significantly influenced the way art was
justify the color schemes that he has used,
seen in the beginning of the 20th century,
being yellow the color that prevails in
by that time, it was believed, that art could
contrast with the big black spot in the
survive only through innovation. In this
center of the painting. In fact, this strange
context, it should follow the intellectual
combination could also translate the
and technological improvements of that
artist’s feelings related to the concert; the
period. As these concepts evolved, artists
theater and its public appears to be full of
managed to create compositions based on
an
pure feelings, poetry or music, which
comparison the stage, and the music that is
represented a new challenge to the viewer.
being played has a contradictory mood
such
as
Fauvism
Kandinsky came up with a painting three days after having attended a concert in Munich, in which compositions by Arnold Shoenberg were performed, after he gave the piece the following title: “Impression III (Concert)”. An audience can be identified at the bottom left side of the
enthusiasm
and
excitement,
in
that could be joyful or grave. Due to the great use of black color, one can easily define a line, since the black spot is the first thing that captures the viewer’s eye. Thereby, there is much more happening in the left side of the canvas, than in the right, except for the representation of the
composition, while the left top of the Title: Impression III (Concert) Year: 1911 Material: oil on canvas Artist: Wassily Kandinsky Size: 77.5 x 100 cm Location: Städtishe Galerie im The Age of Avant-Gardes
Lenbachhaus,
Munich
Page 23
audience, the painting is almost half
and colors to express emotions and vitality,
covered by monochromatic patterns (and
there are distinct elements in it and they
very opposite ones), which is why this
seem to be in rotation. There can be
piece
harmony.
detected a movement that starts in the
Furthermore, the shapes are not very well
right side of the canvas going up, then
defined, although there is an outline
dropping down, which forms an arch of
indicating human figures, the painting has
energy. The artist applies opposite colors
some loose strokes covering the canvas
(red and blue), but makes a great transition
randomly. The forms in this piece are
between them, through the use of white
postponing one another, so there is no 3D
he does not allow them to encounter a
length added to it, but since the audience
direct contrast. On the subject of mood,
is slightl inclined to the stage, it can be said
this piece has a bit of a grave character, as
that there is a little depth in the image.
if there was an explosion of turbulent
With regards to movement, the scene
feelings in the right side of the canvas, but
depicts a crowd that might be driven by
this event was restrained by the black arch,
the music and interacting, therefore one
which made them go back to a less
can notice a little turmoil going on.
enthusiastic condition. Concerning the
lacks
balance
and
The composition entitled “Picture with a Black Arch”, also by Kandinsky, is a pure abstract image, making use of forms
shapes of this painting, one can notice that they are somehow geometric, since the arch is triangular and it postpones a square element, which is just next to a red circle in
Title: Picture with a Black Arch Year: 1912 Material: oil on canvas Artist: Wassily Kandinsky Size: 188 x 196 cm Location:
Musée
National
d’Art
Moderne, George
Centre Pompidou,
Paris The Age of Avant-Gardes
Page 24
the left. There can be identified some
looks at the canvas the feeling transferred
texture on the surface of the canvas, the
to the viewer is of a joyful and positive
black strokes create the effect of incisions
mood, due to the use of bald colors against
or scratches, as if they had been made with
the light yellow background. Still, the
a knife. Also, regarding value, the elements
contrasts are not very strong, because the
are not flat; they have interesting forms,
artist applies watercolors and very thin
due to the shading applied to thei r edges.
black traces. When it comes to line, the
Although the artist has combined very
first thing that catches the viewer’s eye is
different shapes and colors, one can
the miscellany of elements that vary in
observe balance in this piece, because the
shape and color, located in the middle right
elements are well distributed and the
side of the canvas, because it appears to be
changeover colors is not aggressive.
the place where the energy is being
In 1913 Kandinsky was heading to a pure abstract style, trying not to refer to any
object
or
recognizable
element,
however “Light Picture (Heles Bild)� is a composition that still carries a landscape aspect, if carefully observed, there can be seen strokes representing nature. The thin
generated and spread elsewhere. Although this composition is rich in elements and colors, the unity is harmonious and does not overwhelm the viewer. Given the fact that Kandinsky has used watercolors, this painting has a smooth texture, but at the same time the dark traces create the
black lines that populate the canvas seem to be electrical sparks or little thunders, which give movement to it. When one
Title: Light Picture (Helles Bild) Year: 1933 Material: oil on canvas Artist: Wassily Kandinsky Size: 145 x 180 cm Location: Gauggenheim Museum,
New
York
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Page 25
impression that the canvas has been cut in
valued the process that the artist had been
these areas. In the aspect of shape, there
through producing the piece, rather than
can be observed loose wavy or straight
the technique applied.
lines, crossing the painting, as well as sharp triangles in the middle of it. There can be noticed that the artist
Dadaism and Duchamp
is been through a transition in his style, Kandinsky did not start as an abstract painter, but he reached the purpose of pure abstraction at a certain point in his career. I chose this painter because of his capacity to transmit strong energy through art; he dared to make experiments and to mix bald colors and different textures, achieving greatness at the end, which proves his talent. From far, abstract was the biggest innovation in the concept of art, differently from Dadaism, which was more of a political expression, abstract still held the idea of beauty linked to art and
In a climate of violence and death, caused by the political disorder in Europe and World Wars taking place, in February 5, 1916, in Switzerland, Dada art started. Groups of artists following this movement were formed in other European countries, and also in Asia and the United States. The two main concepts of it were: first breaking the concept that linked art to beauty, and second, recognizing art not only as hand work, but also as objects, or “readymades� as so called by the artists of that period. The word dada does not have a
Title: Chocolate Grinder No. 2 Year: 1914 Material: oil, graphite and thread on canvas Artist: Marcel Duchamp Size: 65 x 54 cm Location: Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia
The Age of Avant-Gardes
Page 26
specific meaning; it was chosen by
of it in the magazine “The Blind Man”,
browsing in a dictionary, dada is babytalk
defending the symbolic value of his work.
that indicated a rocking horse. Some groups of artist used this kind of art as an irony against the traditional rules, so the word dada also meant that their idea was not to be taken seriously. Although this style was very audacious and its concepts spread rapidly, by the 1930s, most of the artists ended up switching to Surrealism. Marcel
Duchamp
considered the
(1887-1968)
was
leader of the Dada
movement, he was born in France and his passions were painting, music and chess. His most famous act was presenting a ceramic urinal, under the title: “Fountain”, to the jury of the Society of Independent Artists in the USA, as they did not want to expose his art work, he published a picture
One piece that perfectly illustrates the purpose and signification of Dada art is “Chocolate Grinder”, where many aspects of Duchamp’s style can be found, such as his passion for machines and their functions. In this composition the artist depicted a chocolate grinder with its three cylinders and a pedestal with four bases, the object is seen almost from above, but its side is more visible. The colors used are very dark, being the predominant ones black and brown, which makes contrast with the light beige ground. Since the artist was honest with what he saw in terms of shape and captured light perfectly, the form has a great 3D length, and there can be seen depth in the piece. In terms of line, the first thing that catches one’s eye is the
Title: L.H.O.O.Q. Year: 1920 Material: pencil and pen on an engraving Artist: Marcel Duchamp Size: 23.8 x 17.8 cm Location: Private collection
The Age of Avant-Gardes
Page 27
circular form on the top of the canvas, due
mood. The color schemes are really simple,
to its light color and its function of holding
being a basic black and white image as well
the cylinders. Because Duchamp has used
as gray tones, so it is surely a good
graphite and oil to create this art work, and
combination. On the other hand, the artist
also he has depicted an object, which could
has matched a classical painting with
make it a still life, there cannot be
handwriting, as if he had written notes in
perceived any movement in this piece. One
an old magazine or newspaper, this strange
cannot either have a sense of touch,
arrangement interferes the viewer’s sense
because the painting is really laid, so the
of unity. At the same time the line that
viewer does not find texture in this
directs one’s attention is the woman’s face,
composition.
the
due to the fact that her skin is very pale
combination of similar colors, as well as the
and she staring at the viewer’s eyes. Yet,
placement of the main element in the
when it comes to movement, one can
center of the canvas creates harmony and
notice that the woman is motionlessly
good balance. Although a chocolate
posing as if someone was taking a
grinder might not translate emotions to
photograph, thus the image as a whole
the viewer, one could interpret it as placid
seems to be frozen. In addition, the shapes
image, which does not cause in terms of
in the engraving depict the human form
mood, more than communicate piece.
and the landscape with roundish edges,
In
this
context,
In 1920, Duchamp came up with a very audacious work, taking a reproduction of Mona Lisa, a masterpiece from the Renaissance; he added a mustache to the woman’s face, entitling the final piece “L.H.O.O.Q.”.
This
composition,
as
mentioned before is about an engraving of Mona Lisa that has informally been placed
whereas the writing is more geometric, because it is made in capital letters and with a pen. Speaking about texture, one has to go back to the Mona Lisa alone, for the reason that there are wrinkles in her dress, as well as some vegetation that enables a sense of touch for the viewer. Representing
Duchamp’s
over a piece of paper and added the letters
appreciation for chess, as well as one of his
L.H.O.O.Q. at the bottom of the image.
“readymades”, he created Chessboard. In
Surely the viewer can find humor in this
this composition, the artist has presented
work, where there is an extremely ironic
a wooden chessboard, signing his name on
touch, also if read in French, the letters
the bottom of the object, just like in the
bellow the image sound funny and
case of the urinal he depicted something
somewhat vulgar, which creates a comic
for the viewer to look for its meaning.
The Age of Avant-Gardes
Page 28
Although
this
piece
is
apparently
this composition is very homogeneous, one
insignificant, if taken into consideration the
does not have a direct line to look at, yet in
fact that chess was more than a hobby for
the right side of the board, the squares are
the artist, to the point that he considered
slightly darker, which could drive the
giving up the artistic career to be a
viewer’s attention to this point. Probably,
professional chess player, one can infer
due to the constant use of the chessboard
that, in terms of mood, a chessboard
it
would carry ambiguous but
purposely added values to the squares and
pleasurable
emotions. When it comes to movement, given that it is a flat wooden object with geometric forms of the exact same shape and color, there cannot be found any sign of motion. Now, there can be perceived some grooves on the wood, which provides the viewer with a sense of touch and texture. Certainly, this piece contain a significant unity, because it is composed by equal sized squares, and the color schemes do not vary, going from dark brown to light brown, and there can be found very thin lines defining the edges of the elements. As
has
become
beat-up,
which
not
emphasized the shapes of them. Except for its apparent informal approach to art, Dada was an extremely complex style, representing a big challenge to the viewer. It was the deconstruction of every old concept, which set the artists free to explore new mediums and to let their art be driven solely by emotions. Also the use of vivid colors, just like in Analytical Cubism, was not very explored, probably because a bald color would arouse emotions too fast, so when one looked at an art piece that was more opaque, a more careful analysis was required, deleting the usual impulsiveness. I decided to
Title: Chessboard Year: 1937 Material: readymade, wood Artist: Marcel Duchamp Size: 70 x 70 cm Location: Private collection
The Age of Avant-Gardes
Page 29
talk about Duchamp, because he was surely ahead of his time, while other artists would still have a tendency of falling into the
canvases,
he
depicted
various
“readymades� and tried several different materials, from drawing a simple chocolate grinder, to applying oil on glass, this artist reached a higher level of uniqueness.
***
The Age of Avant-Gardes
Page 30
Follows my own examples of Dada and Abstract art:
Hard Edge Painting (acrylic on canvas):
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Page 31
Bibliography:
Books: Bernard, Edina, L’Art Moderne, Paris, 1999 Larousse-Bordas, P. Ducand, Marie, Klimt, Paris, 2003, ML Éditions Millet, Laurance, The Little Book of Matisse, Paris, 2002, Flammarion Schapiro, Meyer, Cézanne, New York, 2004, Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Modern Art 1900-1945, The age of Avant-Gardes, New York, 2007, Collins Design
Documentary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =CIq-m_-clJw
The Age of Avant-Gardes
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