Art Movements

Question 1

Define realism.

Answer 1

The depiction of subjects as they appear in everyday life, without embellishment or interpretation. The term also describes works of art which, in revealing a truth, may emphasise the ugly or sordid.
Photo: Édouard Manet’s Luncheon in the Garden, 1862

Question 2

Fill in the blank: Realism began in _____ in ____.

Answer 2

France, the 1850s.

Question 3

Fill in the blank: Realism believes in the ideology of ____________ and revolted against ________.

Answer 3

Objective reality, exaggerated emotionalism.

Question 4

Define impressionism.

Answer 4

Impressionism is defined by:
- Fleeting effects of light
- Shimmering colour
- Loose brushwork
- Contemporary scenes
- Landscapes
- Light & atmosphere
Photo: Claude Monet’s Impression sunrise, 1872

Question 5

Define post Impressionism.

Answer 5

A board term for artists working after Impressionism in various styles. There is no one set of characteristics, but rather a strong influence from Impressionism.
Photo: Paul Gaugin’s The Yellow Christ, 1889

Question 6

Define romanticism.

Answer 6

The word ‘romanticism’ refers to the roman languages and was a response to the strong classical elements of neoclassicism. The work does not show the same restraint but rather examines extreme circumstances of various types. The approach to painting was also more focussed on colour than drawing with a looser style than had been seen previously.

Question 7

What are the characteristics of romanticism?

Answer 7

• the imagination: romantic paintings are designed to inflame the viewers imagination.
• the human condition: often suffering and death were depicted and extremely realistic depictions of horror were used to shock and evoke emotion, often using actual historical events as well.
• the exotic: images of ‘the exotic’ added to the idea of escape
• nature: these artists were obsessed with nature and natural beauty as opposed to the ‘dingy cities.’ Nature was untamed/wild - helped the romantic get closer to the ‘eternal truths.’

Question 8

Formal elements of romanticism?

Answer 8

• Dynamic compositions that were full of movement and very dramatic, aiming to express wild/uncontrollable emotions/events.
• Space with far reaching horizons contrasted to neoclassical ‘backdrops.’
• Strong lines, especially diagonal (dramatic effect )
• Emphasis of colour (strong tonal contrasts, used for emotional effect)
• Loose and free brush marks
• Emphasis on mood and atmosphere
  Photo: Eugene Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People, 1830

Question 9

Discuss the subject matter of impressionist art.

Answer 9

Focuses on the close observation of nature, with emphasis on the fleeting and constantly changing effects of light on a subject.

Question 10

Influences on Impressionism?

Answer 10

• The invention of the camera: allowed new freedoms for impressionists
• Japanese woodcut prints
• Work of Romantic artist Turner and his attempt to capture extreme weather conditions
• Manet, especially his loose painting style.

Question 11

What were impressionist techniques?

Answer 11

• Immense colour theory - some used lots of little taches of colour next to one another
• Colour in shadows
• Bold, rapidly applied brush strokes (gives surface of paintings slight roughness)
• Aimed to capture ‘fleeting moments’
• Not concerned with roundness, rather colour
• Small scale (usually)
• White canvasses, not dark under painting
• Snapshot compositions

Question 12

Define neoclassicism.

Answer 12

• ‘New classicism:’ a revisiting of the classical style.
• Highly tonal, realistic works that often contained figures in classical dress.
• Known for careful/highly organised picture constructions, symmetry, balance etc.
• Expressed rationality and sobriety that was suitable for their times.
• They placed many rules and restrictions on artists.
• Neoclassical paintings were influenced by the Greek and Roman themes and ideals.
• Drawing was considered more important than painting.
• The surface had to be perfectly smooth and show no evidence of brush-strokes to the naked eye.
  Photo: Jacques-Louis David’s Death of Marat, 1793

Question 13

Characteristics of neoclassicism?

Answer 13

• Clear visual references to Ancient Greece/Rome and classical art
• Ideas of balance/structure/calm/draftsmanship

Question 14

Define Neo Impressionism.

Answer 14

Neo-impressionism is the name given to the post-impressionist work of Georges Seurat, Paul Signac and their followers who, inspired by optical theory, painted using tiny adjacent dabs of primary colour to create the effect of light, dividing them on the canvas and using a more scientific approach to the use of color. Neo-Impressionist artists did not mix paint on their pallets or use large, open brush strokes as the Impressionist artists did.
Photo: Georges Seurat’s Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, 1884