The Romantic Era
Caspar Friedrich created his notable work, Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, in 1818 and is thought to have been painted in Dresden, Germany. One can see the man standing on the rocks overlooking the cloud-filled landscape, relying on his cane. Friedrich created this piece to react to Enlightenment ideals like logic and order. He desired to create a work that focused on the broad subject of nature and the figure encountering an unknown world before him. The color scheme is gentler and muted, contributing to the piece's overall dooming feel. The texture in the wispy clouds and fog adds to the rejection of the idealized nature. The mist serves as a symbol of the unknown because it conceals what is below it. These three distinct artistic elements add the necessary depth to work. I am not drawn to the Wanderer above the Sea of the Fog.
Gustave Courbet rejected the classical and theatrical styles taught in the French Academy. Courbet’s art “insisted on the physical reality of the objects he observed - even if that reality was plain and blemished.” In his piece titled The Meeting, painted in 1854, Courbet paints himself meeting Alfred Bruyas. Bruyas was a key supporter of Courbet during this movement of Realism. Bruyas is the farthest figure on the left side of the painting, and the figure accompanying him is his attendant, along with Bruyas’ dog standing by. Courbet uses great expression to grasp the mutual admiration between the men. The colors used in this painting picture a warm sunny day, and the use of shadows highlights the three men in this painting. Courbet shows the importance of himself: the way his figure stands with his head tilted back indicates importance. Bruyas's attendant has his arms outstretched, which expresses greeting and respect. Courbet’s walking stick is longer than the other two the men are holding; another way Courbet shows his strength and importance. Gustave Courbet painted scenes as he observed, indicating rejection of the classical and theatrical techniques of art taught in the Academy. I am not drawn to, The meeting.
Impressionism:
The oil painting Water Lilies and Japanese Bridge was completed by Claude Monet in 1899 in the village of Giverny, France. Monet created a garden on his property, which he used to develop numerous paintings. Claude Monet used lines in his picture to convey different feelings. He made the arched bridge in his image, using several curved lines to bring comfort and ease. He does this, so we can know that we can be comfortable and at ease while admiring the beauty of the streams, the flower lilies, and the trees that can be found outside. He creates physical texture in his portrait by creating layers of paint in specific parts, so we can easily see some of the individual stems and leaves in the image. Monet creates less texture in the water part of his painting, so the surface that he is making is smooth; this helps show that there is water beneath the bridge. There are a bunch of water lilies on top of the water, but the water that can be seen is a reflection of the surrounding area. Even though this oil painting is not very detailed, Monet still used color in it look more realistic. He uses a dark blue color to show a shadow being cast on the right side of the bridge. He also uses this same color on the bottom of the bridge, so we know it is not being hit by light in that spot. I love the painting, Water lilies, and Japanese Bridge.
The oil painting, Starry Night Over the Rhône, was painted by Vincent van Gough in 1888 in Arles, France. The painting is a depiction of a peaceful river at night, with all of the stars that are in the night sky. Vincent van Gough did an excellent job of using color in his painting to make it look more realistic. Gough used yellow in his image on parts of the water to depict lights reflecting off the water. This helps us to know that the water is smooth and calm. Vincent van Gough uses shapes in his painting to give us the feeling of movement. He uses circles to depict the middle of some of the stars in the image. He uses rings to convey that the stars are always moving and the river constantly flows. Vincent van Gough uses lines in his painting to express different emotions. The shore comprises many smaller lines, but they are combined to create the beach, which is an extensive, curved line. I love the painting Starry Night Over the Rhone.
My Thoughts:
Throughout the Romantic Era, Impressionism captured my attention with the use of colors and depiction of scenes through memories and emotions to connect deeper with the viewer. Impressionism philosophically argues that we do not objectively see the "real" world because everything we perceive is filtered through our minds. This logic gives you a great glimpse into that artist’s brain and how they perceive things. I believe it also brings forth the element that we all perceive reality differently through our cultural and societal experiences. The human mind holds many memories that can alter reality; Impressionism sees life as we see it, not technically as it is. Whenever I view works of art from the Impressionism movement, the art comes to life and draws me to look closely at every detail. Impressionism captures the viewers and allows us to connect with the artist and their work deeper, making this the most exciting art in the Romantic Era for me. Realism artwork, while beautiful, did not create a new world of experiences for me to explore. I found the artwork in this style exhausting to look at and analyze. I appreciate how Realism art is an extension of the artist to a point where the artist shares life experiences with the consumers.
Sources:
The Art Story. “Gustave Courbet Paintings, Bio, Ideas.” The Art Story, 2022, https://www.theartstory.org/artist/courbet-gustave/.
Tate. “Impressionism.” Tate Kids, https://www.tate.org.uk/kids/explore/what-is/impressionism.
Artincontext. “‘Starry Night Over the Rhône’ - Van Gogh's Star-Filled Painting.” Art in Context, https://artincontext.org/starry-night-over-the-rhone/#:~:text=Starry%20Night%20Over%20the%20Rh%C3%B4ne%20was%20painted%20in%201888%20when,bank%20of%20the%20Rh%C3%B4ne%20River.
Gersh-Nesic, Beth. “Impressionism Art Movement: Major Works and Artists.” ThoughtCo, https://www.thoughtco.com/impressionism-art-history-183262.
“Realism Movement Overview.” The Art Story, https://www.theartstory.org/movement/realism/.
Hello Allyse, you picked some excellent pieces to analyze for the Romantic period. Caspar Friedrich’s Wanderer above the Sea of Fog certainly gives off feelings of foreboding and dread. The man gazing out over the violent waters seems deep in thought, as if he can feel the tumultuous time that would later plague his lands. Although there is a significant amount of depth in this piece, the man’s central position and nearly equal height in the image conveys to me that although difficult times will come, man will rise above them. The muted colors add to the solemn feel of the piece, and I agree that the fog could symbolize a fear of the unknown. I like that although the scene is undoubtedly foggy, you can still see the landscape receding far into the background through many layers. I find it interesting how both Wanderer above the Sea of Fog and Gustave Courbet’s The Meeting feature men with canes. In The Meeting, it is clear they are used to display a type of power dynamic, as you pointed out, but in Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, the man is shown using it to support himself on the uneven rocks. To me, this indicates that man is starting to rely more on technology to help elevate and advance ourselves, while some see it as a way to make themselves seem better than others.
ReplyDeleteI can see how the curved lines of the bridge and the lack of harsh edges in Monet’s Water Lilies and Japanese Bridge could be used to create a sense of comfort for the viewer. Another aspect that adds to the feeling of being at ease is the soft, calming blues and greens that dominate the color pallet. Van Gogh uses a similar cool color scheme in his painting Starry Night Over the Rhône, although his darker blues gives his painting a more somber tone. Both paintings use short applications of thick paint to create texture and visual interest in their images, typical of the Impressionist style. I also chose to discuss Starry Night Over the Rhône for one of my works of the Romantic era and, in doing so, learned a lot about its creation. For instance, Starry Night Over the Rhône was one of the first paintings van Gogh created in his study of the night sky. His use of blues to create a night image full of depth with vibrant yellow stars is something he would further explore in The Starry Night.
I like that you brought up how we all perceive the world differently due to our experiences and how the Impressionists were trying to nurture such ideals by creating such unique images. However, while the Realism paintings are more detailed, I find them dull compared to the Impressionist works. This is because the Realism artist, for the most part, recreated what they knew, whereas Impressionists created what they felt. Because of this, while both styles have merit, I prefer the Impressionists because they made something completely new and revolutionary.
Hi Allyse! Thank you for sharing your blog post this week, I enjoyed learning more about Impressionism and Realism paintings through the art pieces that you chose. My favorite out of the four shown is the Impressionist painting - "Water Lilies and Japanese Bridge" by Claude Monet. Monet does an excellent job with his use of color in this painting, it makes it look almost monochromatic with all the greenery shown. I agree with your art analysis that by layering the different thick paints on top of each other, it makes the scenery look more realistic and lively.
ReplyDeleteHi Allyse, you picked some interesting paintings for your blog. I have to say that I like the paintings you chose for realism, as they look so realistic. I really like the use of colors, as they make the painting stand out a lot. I agree that the colors used have a sense of doom for the Wanderer above the Sea of Fog painting. It is thought that Friedrich is showing a sense of curiosity and hope. Realist artists tend to focus a lot on the experiences of the working class. Artists that use Realism intended to represent the world objectively, and I noticed that a lot of these have shown me the harsh lives that people have lived. I do believe that Impressionism is an excellent style as well. Something that stands out in the Water Lilies and Japanese Bridge painting is the use of colors. Monet did a great job using the colors to capture the ever-changing nature of his garden at Giverny. Monet intended to build something for the pleasure of the eye. I have to say that the painting has really given pleasure to my eyes. Once again, you did a great job. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteHello Allyse, thank you for sharing your thoughts on these pieces. The Starry Night art work is a popular choice and Vincent van Gough does a really good job of showing movement in his art work. I totally agree with your thought process that Impressionism, "brings forth the element that we all perceive reality differently through our cultural and societal experiences" which allows people to view a certain art work depending on their social or cultural experiences.
ReplyDeleteHi Allyse, great analysis of impressionism and realism! I have to agree that impressionist artwork is easier on the eyes and quite pleasing to look at. While I appreciate the purpose of realism in art, its simply just not my favorite aesthetic. Also, great selection of work for both themes; all four are certainly fitting. I especially love the texture and color stories of both impressionist paintings you chose. I quite enjoyed reading your commentary on your reaction to both styles. Specifically, I love your metaphor of how impressionism creates "a new world of experiences for [you] to explore." I also find I lack that ability when viewing realist artwork, but I certainly understand that is not the purpose. You had an absolutely wonderful review and thank you for sharing your thoughts!
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