26 In Search of New Standards: The late nineteenth century

Question 1

What was the rationale for the development of Art Nouveau?

Answer 1

Decoration of architecture in late 19th century was often templates (pilasters, cornices, mouldings) from pattern books pasted onto the building.

Artists concerned that industrial mass production and standardized designs led to loss of craftsmanship and individuality.

New industrial structures were abounding (railway stations) and need a new style of their own.

Question 2

What were the 7 characteristics of Art Nouveau?

Answer 2

1. Organic Forms: Flowing lines, and motifs from plants, flowers and animals. Rejection of geometric forms of neo-classical.
2. Whiplash Lines: Swooping lines taken from Japanese art, sense of movement and fluidity.
3. Ornamentation: elaborate, ornate decorations and patterns.
4. Synthesis of Arts: E.g., every element in building, from facade to furniture, treated as one artwork.
5. Innovative Materials: Iron, steel, but also innovations in ceramics, enamel, printing, etc. Embracing new technology.
6. Rejection of Historicism: new aesthetic for contemporary era.
7. Global Influence: “Jugendstil” in Germany and “Modernismo” in Spain.

Question 3

Victor Horta dates?

Answer 3

1861-1947

Question 4

Identify, date, describe

Answer 4

Staircase, Hotel Tassel, Brussels, Victor Horta, 1893

Generally considered the first true Art Nouveau building,

Art Nouveau style –all elements of building designed by Horta (stained glass, door handles) and integrated into total artwork.

Horta created whiplash design that became hallmark of art nouveau.

First time since Brunelleschi, European builders were offered an entirely new style.

Question 5

In what way were the impressionists a continuation of Renaissance tradition? And in what way did they represent an end point?

Answer 5

Wanted to paint nature as we see it. Their quarrel with conservatives was not about aims, but means.

With impressionism conquest of nature became complete, as everything could become motif of a picture. Represents end point.

Question 6

Paul Cezanne dates?

Answer 6

1839-1906
One year older than Monet
Same generation as impressionists

Question 7

Cézanne aimed at painting “________ from nature”. What did he mean by this?

Answer 7

Poussin from nature

Wanted to achieve balance and perfection of Poussin, but while painting from nature.

Impressionism had dissolved outlines and coloured shadows, but lost clarity and order.

Wanted to paint rich, unbroken tones of southern landscape but couldn’t with impressionist brushstroke.

Question 8

How did the impressionists use pigments on the palette?

Answer 8

Did not mix them on the palette, but applied them separately on canvas in small dabs, placing colours next to each other to create needed effect - essentially mixing on canvas. Usually had around 12 basic colours in tubes.

Question 9

Identify, date, describe

Answer 9

Mont Sainte-Victoire seen from Bellevue, Paul Cézanne, 1885

Attempts to convey accurate impression of nature, without losing order and clarity

Planes of colour that are delineated, but using the optical realism of impressionism.

Question 10

Identify, date, describe

Answer 10

Mountains in Provence, Paul Cézanne, 1886-90

Brushstrokes change direction to strengthen main lines of the design –without resorting to outline drawing.

Focus on form as crucial element in painting.

Question 11

Identify, date, describe

Answer 11

Mme Cézanne, Paul Cézanne, 1887

Concentration on clear-cut forms contributes to impression of poise and tranquility.

Question 12

Identify, date, describe

Answer 12

Still life with fruit bowl, Paul Cézanne, 1882

Apparent ineptitude, forced perspective and misshapen fruit bowl actually deliberate to achieve important aims.

Balanced design –that’s why bowl is stretched to left to fill void.

Table tilted forward to allow all objects to be studied in their relationships.

Fascinated by relation of colour to modelling –round apple is ideal motif to explore this.

Question 13

Why is Cézanne seen as the father of modern art?

Answer 13

Was willing to sacrifice elements of realism, such as correctness of outline and perspective, to achieve more important aims –e.g., sense of depth, composition.

Question 14

Cézanne dates?

Answer 14

1839-1906
One year older than Monet

Question 15

Georges Seurat dates?

Answer 15

1859-91
19 years younger than Monet

Question 16

Identify, date, describe

Answer 16

The bridge at Courbevoie, 1886-7, Georges Seurat

Based on scientific study of colour vision. Aim is that small dabs of unbroken colour will blend in the mind without losing intensity and luminosity.

Works in theory –e.g., television

Like a mosaic

Compensates for complexity of painting technique by a radical simplification of forms –strong verticals and horizontals.

On road to modernism, away from faithful rendering of appearances and towards exploration of interesting and expressive patterns.

Question 17

Vincent Van Gogh dates?

Answer 17

1853-1890
Died at 37 like Raphael

Question 18

Identify, date, describe

Answer 18

Wheatfield with cypresses, 1889, Vincent Van Gogh

Painted when Van Gogh in asylum.

Absorbed lessons of impressionism and pointillism.

Individual brushstrokes here used to convey both movement and ecstasy of creation –like handwriting can convey emotion of writer. Lays on colour thick like writer underlining his words.

Different planes of colour delineated also by direction of brushstroke

Question 19

Van Gogh wanted his pictures to be accessible to ________ and have the direct and strong effect of the _________ _______.

Answer 19

Van Gogh wanted his pictures to be accessible to everyone and have the direct and strong effect of the Japanese prints.

Question 20

Identify, date, describe

Answer 20

View of Les-Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, 1888, Van Gogh, pen and ink on paper

First painter to discover the beauty of stubble, hedgerows and cornfields.

Question 21

Identify, date, describe

Answer 21

Artist’s bedroom in Arles, 1889, Van Gogh

Novel subjects –painting homely scenes rarely thought of as worthy of attention.

Painting intended to express “absolute rest” (letter to Theo). Rather than optical realism, wanted to convey what he wished others to feel.

Exaggerate and change appearance of things to achieve needed effect – had arrived at same step as Cézanne in same years.

Question 22

What was different about Van Gogh and Cézanne’s use of distortion, and what was the same about their approach?

Answer 22

Cézanne wanted to explore relationships of form and colours, and only used as much “correct perspective” as was needed for this experiment.

Van Gogh wanted to express feeling, and would distort to achieve this.

Neither wanted to overthrow old standards of art, neither posed as a revolutionary. Both had given up hope of anyone paying attention to their pictures.

Question 23

Paul Gauguin dates?

Answer 23

1848-1903
8 years younger than Monet
5 years older than Van Gogh

Question 24

What was Gauguin’s justification for travelling to Tahiti?

Answer 24

He thought cleverness of Europe was making art slick and superficial.

Art had lost greatest gift –intensity of feeling and directness of expression.

Like Delacroix going to Algiers to look for more intense colours and less restraint, or Pre-Raphs looking for directness of Age of Faith.

Wanted art to have the unspoilt intensity of nature’s children.

Question 25

Identify, date, describe

Answer 25

Te Rerioa (The Daydream), Paul Gauguin, 1897

During second stay in Tahiti.

Studied methods of native craftsmen. Strove for same immediacy in his art and depicted their work in paintings.

Simplified outlines and used large patches of strong colour (anathema to impressionism).

Work Gauguin brought back from Tahiti puzzled even his friends.

Question 26

What was the chief artistic problem of post-impressionists such as Cézanne to resolve?

Answer 26

To preserve the realism of colour and light while also introducing tonal gradation to suggest depth and form.

Question 27

Japanese art convinced the post-impressionists of the power that could still be achieved when sacrificing ___________ and other details.

Answer 27

Japanese art convinced the post-impressionists of the power that could still be achieved when sacrificing modelling and other details.

Question 28

Identify, date, describe

Answer 28

The Luncheon, Pierre Bonnard, 1899

Violates perspective of table in order to allow us to enjoy colourful pattern, like a tapestry.

Member of les nabis –the prophets.

Question 29

Pierre Bonnard dates?

Answer 29

1867-1947

Question 30

Identify, date, describe

Answer 30

Lake Thun, Ferdinand Hodler, 1905

Boldly simplified native scenery of Switzerland to achieve poster-like clarity.

Question 31

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec dates?

Answer 31

1864-1901

Question 32

Identify, date, describe

Answer 32

Les Ambassadeurs: Aristide Bruant, 1892, Toulouse-Lautrec

Economy of means taken from Japanese art proved effective for advertising.

Question 33

Identify, date, describe

Answer 33

Aubrey Beardsley, Illustration to Oscar Wilde’s Salome, 1894

Influence of Japanese art –problems of perspective on shelves, intimate scene, unusual angle, blinds in background, printed on Japanese vellum

Art nouveau elements –whiplash line, focus on the decorative

Question 34

What did Cézanne, Van Gogh and Gauguin want that was missing in the impressionist approach, and what did each approach lead to?

Answer 34

Cézanne –STRUCTURE –sense of order and balance, that can only be conveyed by the solid forms of nature. Led to Cubism.

Van Gogh – EXPRESSION –withfocus on optical properties of light and colour, art lost intensity and passion that artist can express to fellow man. Led to Expressionism.

Gauguin –SIMPLICITY –longed for a simpler, more direct art, devoid of tricks, which he hoped to find among the primitives. Led to Primitivism.

Question 35

Impressionism, in its depiction of the effects of light of an entire visual scene lacks a _______ _______ point.

Answer 35

Impressionism, in its depiction of the effects of light of an entire visual scene lacks a central focal point.