`Ornamentation,' says Ruskin, `is the principal part of architecture.' It is that part, he says in another place, which impresses on a building `certain characters venerable or beautiful, but otherwise unnecessary.'' Sir George Gilbert Scott amplified this surprising statement when he recommended to architects the use of the Gothic style, because its `great principle is to decorate construction.'
Modern movement has not grown from one root. One of its essential sources, it has been shown, is William Morris and the Arts and Crafts; another was Art Nouveau. The works of the nineteenth-century engineers are the third source of our present style, a source as potent as the other two.
Engineering architecture in the nineteenth century was largely based on the development of iron, first as cast iron, then as wrought iron, later as steel. Towards the end of the century, reinforced concrete appears as an alternative.
The history of iron as a material of more than auxiliary usefulness in architecture begins when the inventiveness of the Industrial Revolution had found out how iron could be produced industrially, that is after 1750.p118
Morris was the first artist (not the first thinker, for Ruskin had preceded him) to realize how precarious and decayed the social foundations of art had become during the centuries since the Renaissance, and especially during the years since Industrial Revolution.
He had been trained as an architect and as a painter, first in the Gothic studio of street, and then in the circle of the Pre-Raphaelites. But when in 1857he had to furnish his first studio in London, the thought struck him that before one can settle down to paint elevating pictures, one must be able to live in congenial surround...
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It is known that everywhere in English culture life a longing fresh air and gaiety expressed itself at the end of Queen Victoria's reign.
The success of Liberty's about 1890 depended largely on the Eastern silks in delicate shades and the other Chinese imports. The history of the part played by china and Japan in European art since 1860 has not yet been written. It would be very interesting to show the influence of the East appearing here in loose technique of painting, there in the greatest finesse of line and contours, there again in clear, soft, and pure colour, and yet other works in flat pattern effects. Owing to the unique synthesis of ornamental and `Impressionist' qualities in Eastern art, both Impressionist and, at the opposite pole, the originators of Art Nouveau, could use what Japanese woodcuts and Chinese pottery had to teach them. P 150
Modernity held movements that paved the path for new ways of thinking and expression as a result of the industrial revolution. Two of these movements are: Surrealism, and the school of Bauhaus. Although these movements are quite different in appearance, they both wanted to challenge the traditional customs of the time. Whether it be eliminating conscious editing of thoughts by the Surrealists or producing a new sophisticated approach to design in Bauhaus, these movements created unique artworks that reflected the times of change they existed in.
When talking about such a diverse subject as Art, opinions on the matter of influences, and even the title of “The First…”, begins to become a bit touchy. When it comes to being the ‘first, true modern art style”, Impressionism usually comes to everyone’s mind, although that can often be greatly debated. I, myself am at a toss-up of whether or not I fully agree or disagree with this argument, however, for the sake of this discussion, I will say that my opinion lies in favor of agreement.
1. Hunter, Sam and Jacobs, John. Modern Art, 3rd Edition. The Vendome Press, New York, 1992.
...l presented polluting influences, so new innovation must be imagined to dispose of them. Wrought iron was not effectively produced from mineral fuel pig iron until the center of the eighteenth century.
...ise architecture at the time is undoubtedly one of his greatest achievements. Louis Sullivan gave light to the phrase, ‘form follows function,’ however, one could argue this to be hypocritical coming from the man who focused to heavily on ornamentation. Through in depth research, this discussion successfully concludes that, as Sullivan himself stated, a building that bears no decoration could be a magnificent building. Then again, in terms of the Wainwright building, when the ornamentation and construction turn into one, the building is likewise magnificent.
The Art Nouveau style and movement, at its height between 1890 and 1910, enabled a sense of freedom for both its artists and the public as a whole. It offered strikingly original ideologies and transformed both the artistic and the mundane world alike with common characteristics like curvilinear shapes and a sense of the return to the natural and to nature as well as being at the crux of a fundamental change in how artworks were mass produced. The Art Nouveau style seemed to walk between the two worlds: it was simultaneously fantastical and grounded in reality and there was no artist in the period that was better equipped to “know and see the dance of the seven veils,” (Zatlin) than Aubrey Beardsley. It is impossible to fully discuss the value
Regarding architecture of the era of Industrial Revolution, John Ruskin, a co-founder of the Arts and Crafts movement towards simplicity argued, ‘’ you should not connect the delight which you take in ornament with that which you take in construction or in usefulness. They have no connection, and every effort that you make to reason from one to the other will blunt your sense of beauty... Remember that the most beautiful things in the world are the most useless; Peacocks and lilies for instance.’’
Gardner, Helen, and Fred S. Kleiner. Gardner's Art Through the Ages: The Western Perspective. N.p., 2014. Print.
From the creation of art to its modern understanding, artists have strived to perform and perfect a photo realistic painting with the use of complex lines, blend of colors, and captivating subjects. This is not the case anymore due to the invention of the camera in 1827, since it will always be the ultimate form of realism. Due to this, artists had the opportunities to branch away from the classical formation of realism, and venture into new forms such as what is known today as modern art. In the examination of two well known artists, Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollock, we can see that the artist doesn’t only intend for the painting to be just a painting, but more of a form of telling a scene through challenging thoughts, and expressing of the artists emotion in their creation.
This exhibition will examine the changing role of Classical imagery from seventeenth through nineteenth century painting, as well explain how these changes gradually produced Realism. In the seventeenth century Nicholas Poussin and Peter Paul Rubens produced works that corresponded with the Classicism of the French Academie des Beaux-Arts, though they presented these ancient subjects in very different ways. The predominance of drawing and planning in Poussin’s work was seen in contrast with the dynamic use of colour in the works of Rubens. These two means of addressing Classical themes ideologically divided the Academie between the rubenistes and the poussinistes, who quarreled for over a century about artistic approaches and techniques. The innovative and expressive works produced in the eighteenth century and beyond can be seen as a product of the rubenistes’ triumph in this conflict. Following in the example of Rubens, British artist Joshua Reynolds made use of colour and dynamic compositional techniques that combined the portraiture popular in England with the Grand Manner style that gained favour in the Academie. Reynolds became the first president of the Royal Academy in Britain and gained international acclaim for his work. The achievement of such an honour fared more difficult for artists such as Eugène Delacroix, who took a bolder approach to combining Classical imagery with reality and was frequently rejected by the Academie for doing so. This was also the case for Edourad Manet, whose scandalous work shocked viewers of the Salon des Refusés with its perceived immorality and distasteful appropriation of Classical imagery.
In the early part of this century was a time when industry was booming with growth around the installation of major railroads. With this growth came the transatlantic cable, the telegraph, and a whole lot of steel. Steel would be needed in the construction of these new transportation systems and communications were now possible between businesses and industries. (Wren, 2005)
The Gothic style was an over exaggerated, awe-inspiring attempt to become closer to God. The worshipper was not only drawn to the altar, but experienced an ascent to heaven at the same time.1 These artistic gems are a grand testament to historical technology and the imaginative approach and vision of skilled craftsmen. The gothic style is one of the most extraordinary achievements in European history, typically characterized by slender, vertical piers, counterbalancing buttresses, vaulting, pointed arches and stained glass.
Arts and Crafts: This movement was similar to the Art Nouveau, although it began in Great Britain in the late 19th Century. In architecture, the style advocated a return to the Gothic architecture in order to restore the values missing in the industrialized world. “Perhaps nowhere else does art and architecture capture this vernacular and cultural landscape as perfectly as is the case in New Mexico.” (Cummings, 2001, p. 8)
Impressionism is the name given to the art movement that changed art forever. Starting in France in the 1860's, Impressionism was considered a radical break from tradition.1 Through the work of artists including Édouard Manet, Claude Monet, Pierre Renoir, Camille Pissarro and Edgar Degas impressionism was born. Impressionists painted outside and focused greatly on light and its reflection. They painted quickly on primed white canvas with short visible brushstrokes and placed separate colours side by side letting the viewer’s eyes mix them. (Techniques uncommon to art at this time) Regarding their subject they again broke with tradition and painted anything they wanted including the modernity of Paris and the everyday life of its citizens. This new found freedom regarding subject along with unconventional techniques greatly displeased the L’École des Beaux-Arts where academic artists would have worked on subjects such as history, royalty and mythology.2 In contrast to the impressionists their work had a smooth varnished finish, showing little to no evidence of the artist’s presence. Having introduced Impressionism, I aim to in this essay analyse why the city of Paris is at the heart of the impressionist movement. Firstly by looking at how Paris helped create the impressionist movement and secondly how Paris fuelled it.
In conclusion, the art of the 19th century was composed of a sequence of competing artistic movements that sought to establish its superiority, ideologies and style within the artistic community of Europe. These movements, being Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, ultimately spread far beyond the confines of Europe and made modern art an international entity which can still be felt in today’s artistic world.