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This assignment will provide an analysis of the Modernist artwork of Paul Cezanné's, Still-Life with Apples and Oranges (c.1899) within the art movement of Impressionism. The analysis will be based upon the aesthetic and ideological underpinnings of the avant-garde. This will be done with reference to the writings of Charles Harrison and Clement Greenberg. Firstly, Modernism and the avant-garde will be discussed as defined by Harrison and Greenberg as the introduction to the discussion of the chosen artwork of Cezanné, followed by the analysis of the artwork with reference to the writings and how Cezanné's artwork and artistic characteristics and personal views attribute to Still-Life with Apples and Oranges (c.1899) whilst being classified within the framework of Modernism.
Avant-garde is a term referred to works or concepts that are experimental and 'cutting-edge' concepts (Avant-garde:2014). In the purpose of this study, Cezanné was part of early 20th-century art world’s avant-garde known as Impressionism. Clement Greenberg (1909: 755), identifies Kant as the first philosopher to describe Modernism as a self-critical tendency as he was the first to criticize criticism in itself. A modernist is said to be seen as a kind of critic, who criticizes according to a specific set of values and ideas about the development of art, thus a modernist is not necessarily seen as a kind of artist (Harrison 1996:147).According to Greenberg, Modernism self-criticizes itself differently when compared to the Enlightenment as the Enlightenment criticizes from the outside whereas Modernism does so from the inside (Greenberg 1909:755).
Greenberg states that the arts was in danger of being classified as entertainment. The only way arts would be...
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... 'pure' philosophy of Modernism (Greenberg 1909:757).
Through the exploration of Modernism as viewed by Charles Harrison and Clement Greenberg, the work Still-Life with Apples and Oranges (c.1899), by Paul Cézanne is identified within the framework of Impressionism. Through the characteristics of the Impressionist art movement and the artist himself, it is evident that the painting is thus a Modernist artwork through its reaction to classical theories of the Old Masters and the experimentation of the avant-garde as well as its parallels with the notions of the Modernists.
Works Cited
Trewin Copplestone, 1998. Paul Cezanne (Treasures of Art). First Edition Edition. Gramercy.
Eliza E. Rathbone, 2001. Impressionist Still Life. 1St Edition Edition. Harry N. Abrams.
Antonia Cunningham, 2001. Impressionists (Essential Art). 0 Edition. Parragon Plus.
The artists Jean-Honore Fragonard and Jaques-Louis David both successfully embody their respective stylistic differences. Fragonard’s style of painting is Rococo, which is characterized by its softness, asymmetry and curviness. Contrasting these ideals is David’s style of painting, Neo-Classicism. Neo-Classicism is synonymous with strong gestures, symmetry, and solidness. Two works that best exemplify the ideals of each style of painting are Fragonard’s The Swing, 1767 and David’s The Death of Socrates, 1787. Although at first glance, it is easier to focus on how each work is different to the other, one can argue that they are similar in theme. Both The Swing and The Death of Socrates are works that deal with the theme of decision making. However, they differ in how each work portrays the theme of deciding. While The Swing focuses on infidelity and the process of deciding, The Death of Socrates makes it clear that loyalty to government is stronger than the ties of friendship or acquaintance. By examining use of light, form, subject matter as well as other artistic elements, one can see how each artist conveys a message by utilizing their style of art.
For this reason, any discussion of the avant-gardes risk appearing belated, gesturing back to the problematic contradiction outlined by Burger above. However, this assumes that the end of autonomy brought about by Capitalism takes the same form as that which the Avant-garde sought to achieve. While Burger does not explicitly equate the two, he nevertheless fails to distinguish them, and this ambiguity itself merits a reconsideration of the avant-garde’s relationship with contemporary art practice. For if Burger’s genealogy of the avant-garde is in fa...
Paul Cezanne’s artwork can be found in various museums and galleries around the United States. The Artist Father, Reading “L’Evenment” (1866) is available to be seen at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. Two portraits, Uncle Dominique (1886) and Man with a Straw Hat (1870) are displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. In California you can find his artwork at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, (Portrait of Antony Valabregue, 1866) and at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, (Farm and Chestnut Trees at Jas de Bouffan, 1844).
The 18th century is well known for its complex artistic movements such as Romantism and Neo-classical. The leading style Rococo thrived from 1700-1775 and was originated from the French words rocaille and coquille which meant “rock” and “shell”; used to decorate the Baroque gardens1. Identified as the age of “Enlightenment”, philosophers would ignite their ideas into political movements1. Associated with this movement is England’s John Locke who advanced the concept of “empiricism”. This denotes that accepting knowledge of matters of fact descends from experience and personal involvement1. Locke’s concept assisted the improvements of microscopes and telescopes allowing art students in the French academy to observe real life1. Science and experience influenced painting more so in Neo-Classicalism. Locke fought for people’s rights and the power or “contract” between the ruler and the ruled. Reasoning that “the Light in Enlightenment referred to the primacy of reason and intellect…and a belief in progress and in the human ability to control nature”1. Hence, the commence of experimental paintings such as Joseph Wright’s (1734-1797) oil on canvas painting: Fig.1 An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump. This image was developed through science by placing a bird in glass container and pumping air to see the effects it would have on the bird (White cockatoo)1. Throughout the late 18th and early 19th century in Western Europe, Neo-Classical art became the “true Style” and was accepted by the French Revolution under Louis XIV. Neo-Classical art was a reaction to Rococo’s light hearted, humour and emotion filled pieces.
Before Impressionism came to be a major movement (around 1870-1800s), Neoclassical and Romanticism were still making their impacts. Remembering last week’s lesson, we know that both those styles were different in the fact that one was based on emotion, while the other was practical and serious. However, one thing they both shared was the fact that the artists were trying to get a message across; mostly having to do with the effects of the French Revolution, and/or being ordered to do so. With Impressionism, there is a clear difference from its predecessors.
I will discuss Post Impressionism by using three works, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, Still Life with Basket of A...
The oil painting of Mont Sainte- Victoire by Paul Cézanne on page 480 represents an analogous harmony. Paul Cézanne uses various colors of yellow, green, and blue, which are three colors that are adjacent from each other on the color wheel. The yellow is next to the green which is next to the blue. The oil painting first appears to be a picture of a beautiful mountain with grass and fields. After examining the photo, one is able to see the tiny farm houses at the lower part of the oil painting. When looking at the painting, I was reminded of the beauty of Salt Lake City, Utah. While on the plane, the houses seemed tiny in comparison to the mountains in the background. As the plane was landing, I was able to see a version of this picture at nearly the same angle. The initial color that caught my eye was the bright yellow. To me the yellow stood out the most and gave me an optimistic feeling about the artwork. Originally, I thought the yellow were fields, but after inspecting the oil painting, I was able to see the farm houses. The second color I noticed was the vibrant green. I believe Paul Cézanne not only used the green to represent the grass, but to also balance the yellow and the blue. The last color I noticed was the dainty blue. The softness of the blue made the
Art in general is a factor that allows humans to express their creativity, as they apply the essentials of history, media, elements and principles of design. It was those recent class trips, that I had taken to La Salle Art Museum, that instantly allowed me to acquire a deeper passion for art. Soon enough, in the 17th century exhibit, I saw a piece of artwork that was remarkably aesthetic for me. The artwork is ironically titled, “Still Life with Fruit”. The approximate size of this artwork is 16 inches wide by 20 inches long. The artwork dated back to the year of 1689. A Dutchman named, Jan Mortel, born during the year of 1650, was the artist of this artwork. Judging from the artwork, Jan Mortel had a great talent for oil painting. Jan Mortel
Impressionism had lasted since 1872, in which it was spawned by Claude Monet’s painting Impression, Sunrise, but it had now run its course and there was a tangible, popular craving for change. Thus springs up Post-Impressionism, finding its early roots in none other than Paris, France. Post Impressionists believed that the impressionist s had lost sight of what was truly important in a piece of art, not the laborious preoccupations with technique and natural light, the subject matter. The title of Post-Impressionist is far from being narrow, however. Post-Impressionists were a widely varied, and oft conflicting, band of artists ranging from Vincent van Goh to Henri Rousseau to Paul
In this essay, I shall try to examine how great a role colour played in the evolution of Impressionism. Impressionism in itself can be seen as a linkage in a long chain of procedures, which led the art to the point it is today. In order to do so, colour in Impressionism needs to be placed within an art-historical context for us to see more clearly the role it has played in the evolution of modern painting. In the late eighteenth century, for example, ancient Greek and Roman examples provided the classical sources in art. At the same time, there was a revolt against the formalism of Neo-Classicism. The accepted style was characterised by appeal to reason and intellect, with a demand for a well-disciplined order and restraint in the work. The decisive Romantic movement emphasized the individual’s right in self-expression, in which imagination and emotion were given free reign and stressed colour rather than line; colour can be seen as the expression for emotion, whereas line is the expression of rationality. Their style was painterly rather than linear; colour offered a freedom that line denied. Among the Romanticists who had a strong influence on Impressionism were Joseph Mallord William Turner and Eugéne Delacroix. In Turner’s works, colour took precedence over the realistic portrayal of form; Delacroix led the way for the Impressionists to use unmixed hues. The transition between Romanticism and Impressionism was provided by a small group of artists who lived and worked at the village of Barbizon. Their naturalistic style was based entirely on their observation and painting of nature in the open air. In their natural landscape subjects, they paid careful attention to the colourful expression of light and atmosphere. For them, colour was as important as composition, and this visual approach, with its appeal to emotion, gradually displaced the more studied and forma, with its appeal to reason.
Baudelaire, C. & Mayne, J. (1995). The painter of modern life and other essays. London: Phaidon Press.
Although contemporary critics were confounded by the primitive sensation that deviated from the traditions of academic painting, there were positive reviews that applauded the same idiosyncrasies for containing a balanced strength comparable to the "imperturbable calm in ... Greek painting or vases" (Harrison 202). The body of theories that rationalizes the merit of Modernism embodied in Cezanne's work undergoes a series of critical reflections, not only on the artwork itself through lens from different historical backgrounds, but also on itself to examine its own independence and rigor. It is in this process that the element of intentionality is discovered and
Like many of Van Gogh’s paintings, Olive Trees commences as a landscape and expands into a complex work, disclosing influences from other times and places. Using the color theory and separated brushstrokes of the Impressionists, the movement and vivid colors of the Romantics, and lighting and composition inspired by Millet, Van Gogh achieves the potency and significance that characterizes his work. Van Gogh’s paintings can’t possibly be mistaken for those of another artist of his time because, despite the fact that all of his means have criterion, his end results do not.
Within this essay, I will be referencing the works of Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso in relation to Paul Cezanne’s work to see how they were both inspired by and created their own offerings in their works. The specific artwork that I will be comparing will be Matisse’s “Bonheur de Vivre (Joy of Life)”, Picasso’s “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” and Cezanne’s “The Large Bathers” which can all be found through the references provided.
In popular entertainment, if not in literature, yesterday's avant garde is often tomorrow's mainstream, so the term can function as a label simply identifying the next trend. As the American poet John Ashbery pointed out in an influential 1968 essay on the nature of the avant garde, where once an innovative artist had to wait a whole career to see their work absorbed into m...