19th century Flashcards
How did someone become an artist beofre the establishment of the Royal Academy?
Learned through apprenticeships and working with established artists in their studio.
Explain the role of the Academy in French art in the 19th-century. What was its purpose? What were the advantages of going to the Royal Academy? How did an artist sell his artwork within the Academy tradition? What style does the Royal Academy prefer in the 19th century?
Royal Academy was there to control and monopolize art in France and enforce neoclassicism. To sell, they gave people the opportunity to show their artwork (if they passed the judges criteria) to the public in the Salon to hopefully be commissioned and hire them.
What is the hierarchy of painting? What was the most important kind of painting? What subjects were in that category? Which category would be the biggest paintings? What category would be the least expensive paintings?
Hierarchy from Lowest to Highest
1. Still life (easiest and least expensive)
2. landscape (the outdoors)
3. Scenes of daily life
4. Portraits
5. History paintings (hardest and most expensive, things that are of importance like from mythology or the Bible etc)
What is the annual art exhibition called? Why would you want to be selected for it? Who is the jury for it? What were the consequences for an artist of having that specific jury?
It was called the Salon and if one were selected,, this would mean the people of Paris would be able to see your work and if they liked it, they would commission and hire you to do art for them. The jury were the academy professors. The consequence would mean that no one would hire you or be able to see your artwork and would be left poor for one year until you can re enter.
Why was the Salon des Refusés in 1863 such a big deal?
The jury rejected many artists work, so Napolean III decided to set up the Salon des Refuses so artists could showcase their artwork
Explain some of the new ideas about art that came out of the Salon des Refusés using Manet’s Luncheon on the Grass as an example.
Combining different subject matters, dilemma of interpreting art by using history of art (Judgment of Paris & Pastoral Concert), broke traditional neoclassicism (bodies not idealized, no story to painting, dull colors, no chiaroscuro)
Who was Nadar? What is his relationship to the Impressionists?
He was friends with some Impressionists and he allowed them to rent his photography studio to do a showcase of their artwork.
How was the first Impressionist exhibition of 1874 different from the Salon? Think about the viewing experience and the motivation of the participants.
It would not have elements of neoclassicism that people were used to and it would be obvious to see that the impressionists were focused on depicting the real world.
Most went to critique this new movement in art
As far as the critics were concerned, what was the problem with the title of the work Monet displayed in the first Impressionist exhibition of 1874, Impression: Sunrise? As far as Monet was concerned, what was he trying to do in this painting?
It was blurring the lines between sketch and a finished work, making it look very rushed. He wanted to show the fleetingness of the moment that we live in every day.
Explain four ways in which Impressionism is bold and shocking.
Unique use of color, loose brushstrokes, cropped composition, effects of atmosphere and light, modern life in large scale paintings.
How does Renoir connect his free brushwork to ideals of morality?
Shows what happens in daily life as free brushstrokes represent fleetingness of the moment, the way in which time passes. His brushworks represent self reflection and a positive way to engage with the world.
Explain the idea of neutrality in Impressionist painting using Degas’ Women at a Café, Evening as an example.
Detachment and objectivity as if viewers are looking at them from the distance, very relax and causal. Also uses this to play with light and color.
Two of the conclusions about Impressionist painting are that it denied conventional story and it denied conventional vision. Be able to discuss those ideas in relation to a painting like Manet’s Café-Concert, 1878, or Manet’s Bar at the Folies-Bergere, 1882.
– How is the story told in each of these paintings NOT CONVENTIONAL?
– How is the way it is painted NOT CONVENTIONAL?
- It is from modern life and has a neutral view.
- Sketchy/loose interwoven form and subject
Plein air painting—what is it? Did artists really never do that before; how is this different? How does it change what is expected of a painting?
It is the concept of painting outside to capture everyday scenes and effects of light and atmosphere. Artists did this but they would do it by drawing a sketch of what they saw outside and then paint, it was never in real time. Paintings do not have to be perfect and well planned, they can be spontaneous
Be able to explain the technique of lithography: how it is made, its characteristics as a print, its advantages over every other print technique you’ve studied that came before (name at least 3)
Process:
1. Get a piece of limestone and draw on it with greasy crayon
2. put acid solution on top then wet stone with water
3. ink the stone
4. Put piece of paper on the stone!
Characteristics:
- It is based on the principle that oil and water do not mix, it is able to get chiaroscuro and no relying on hatching and has the look of charcoal painting almost
Advantages: Easy to make, endless reproducibility, and can print in color
