Paul Cézanne’s The Large Bathers, (Cezanne) while in itself is a departure from the classical painting style of the past, is also a starting point for both Matisse’s Bonheur de Vivre and Picasso’s Les Demoiselles. Cézanne started with the classical subject of nude bathers, and took them out of their classical surrounding of temples or mythological surroundings and brought them to the French countryside and to the present. He did so with an artistic style that too was far from classical. The figures in the painting are unfinished, and devoid of anything we would think of as a normal depiction of the nude form. They are roughly sketched out, when they are and very often flow from one figure into another. In the case of the figure on the extreme left side of the …show more content…
In his Bonheur de Vivre (Matisse) the figures are equally non-classical in both their appearance and in the eroticism they show expressing the work’s title, in English a “Joy of Life”. Matisse’s figures however do not blend into their surroundings in the least. They are very present in contrast to the vivid reds and yellows so prevalent. Most of the figures are outlined with the red and green used in the foliage but contrasting against the other background colors. Except for the figures in the front they all seem formed and individual. The couple in the right front of the painting have merged though we can feel the lovemaking tension from them but neither are truly complete. The female form seems to be another early example of a figure either being seen from multiple viewpoints at once or as one that is in motion.as she is outlined she seems to be laying away from us however her head is in the arms of her lover but not only is it not visible it also seems to be a completely wrong angle. Under the outlined figure though is another patch of the same flesh coloring, suggesting she is or was curved into
Henri Matisse’s Bonheur de Vivre (Joy of Life) is remembered as one of his greatest and daring Fauve Paintings that incorporates many different references from other painters. From Cezanne’s painting, The Large Bathers, Matisse uses Cezanne’s technique of painting trees to resemble a stage and shapes the leaves to flow like the curtain. Matisse also paints his women as mirrors to the trees’ outline, making them extremely curvy, just like Cezanne. From Ingres, Matisse took the sexuality and idea of how a woman should be, and from Titan Matisse incorporated the sense of pleasure and freedom. Matisse not only uses vivid colors that capture the senses of the beholder, but he also uses the idea of perception and painted his masterpiece in such a
The composition of this painting forces the eye to the woman, and specifically to her face. Although the white wedding dress is large and takes up most of the woman’s figure, the white contrasts with her face and dark hair, forcing the viewer to look more closely into the woman’s face. She smokes a cigarette and rests her chin on her hands. She does not appear to be a very young woman and her eyes are cast down and seem sad. In general, her face appears to show a sense of disillusionment with life and specifically with her own life. Although this is apparently her wedding day, she does not seem to be happy.
The dots on her veil, a dazzlingly white earring (likely a diamond) and an azure blue tuft of cloth noticeable at her neckline are particularly striking, and provide vibrancy... ... middle of paper ... ... e men from the title of flaneur. In the expression on their faces it almost seems as if there is some yearning for prior times. Because this painting is a modern cityscape it is ipso facto a painting of modernity (one thinks of Baudelair) and a record of the fashions of 1877.
Fragonard was a product of the late Rococo period in the early eighteenth century a period that consisted of pastoral images of both men and women participating in games, having lunch together or a passionate scene between two people. Rococo created for the rich of France, consisted mainly of two types gallant and libertines. Fragonard’s paintings were mostly gallant which represented love as a playful game. This can be seen in his two paintings Blindmans Buff (fig. 1) and The Swing (fig. 2). These included interactions with figures in the paintings that suggested courtship; in this case it would be the pastel colors that he used which created a more playful look for the figures. In his 1775 version of The Swing (fig. 2) Fragonard presented a vision of nature and shows tremendous growth from his previous work painted during his second trip to Italy. This version is less erotic compared to his previous version of The Swing (fig. 3). The Swing (fig. 2) bares many similarities to some of his other works none more than Blindmans Buff (fig. 1) that was painted at the same time as The Swing. Both paintings shared various similarities and featured playful scenes of love.
Prior to the 20th century, female artists were the minority members of the art world (Montfort). They lacked formal training and therefore were not taken seriously. If they did paint, it was generally assumed they had a relative who was a relatively well known male painter. Women usually worked with still lifes and miniatures which were the “lowest” in the hierarchy of genres, bible scenes, history, and mythological paintings being at the top (Montfort). To be able to paint the more respected genres, one had to have experience studying anatomy and drawing the male nude, both activities considered t...
Pablo Picasso is certainly a genius who has left an indelible mark on his time. Consequently, many artists all over the world have had their own career influenced by his work. Among those artists can be listed Willem de Kooning, a Dutch American painter, and the Cameroonian artist Koko Komegne. For instance, both artists have had their early work, and later their career impacted by Picasso’s cubism. While de Kooning spent hours looking at each detail of Picasso’s paintings, Koko Komegne learnt to paint by reproducing the master’s artworks. Another thing both artists shared with Picasso through their career was the woman as subject matter. Unsurprisingly, de Kooning and Komegne have extensively painted the woman in their own career. Among all those pieces, Seated Woman, 1940, from Willem de Kooning and Toilette, 2006, from Koko Komegne are very similar; the characters on both pieces are ladies, and they have the same pose. However, although the two paintings are similar in term of descriptive subject matter, de Kooning and Komegne draw from their environment and their personal style to highlight their specificities.
The painting depicts two figures, the one of a woman and of a man. The dominating central figure is the one of the woman. We see her profile as she looks to the left. Her hands are crossed in a graceful manner. She has blonde hair and her figure is lit by what seems to be natur...
The painting is organized simply. The background of the painting is painted in an Impressionist style. The blurring of edges, however, starkly contrasts with the sharp and hard contours of the figure in the foreground. The female figure is very sharp and clear compared to the background. The background paint is thick compared to the thin lines used to paint the figures in the foreground. The thick paint adds to the reduction of detail for the background. The colors used to paint the foreground figures are vibrant, as opposed to the whitened colors of the Impressionist background. The painting is mostly comprised of cool colors but there is a range of dark and light colors. The light colors are predominantly in the background and the darker colors are in the foreground. The vivid color of the robe contrasts with the muted colors of the background, resulting in an emphasis of the robe color. This emphasis leads the viewer's gaze to the focal part of the painting: the figures in the foreground. The female and baby in the foreground take up most of the canvas. The background was not painted as the artist saw it, but rather the impression t...
This paper explains the history and development of the nude art in the Renaissance and Medieval period. In the Renaissance age the patrons and artist readopted the antiquity of the classical Greek into representation of nude. This is an epoch when drastic changes occurred in which Christian authorities no longer viewed the nude art as something conflicting or shameful. In contrary they believed that nude being reformed in ancient in classical antiquity portrays divine characteristics and emancipates the light that is pure and heroic (Long, 2008; Bonfante, 1989; Tinagli, 1997). To establish a further understanding why during the Renaissance age nude art brilliantly portrayed human anatomy, the work of some most remarkable artists such as Michelangelo, Botticelli, Masaccio and Durer are described (Long, 2008) These minds welcomed the classical antiquity into their paintings and sculpturing and often the Greek athletic figures and mythological Venus figure were used as ideal models in depicting nude art (Bonfante, 1989). The classical renewal of nude art had specific roles attached to both male and female nude, in the world of art. The religious figures were depicted in antique forms as to convey their theological status and importance. In contrast to the Renaissance period, the Medieval representation of nude art was rare and Religious authorities oppose its development as they believed it may lead to sin and degradation (Long, 2008; Steinberg, 1983). In short this paper will present a historical overview of the nude art and how the diverse cultural attitude towards depiction of nude existed in each period.
A nude woman reclining is a piece of art that has been apart of many art movements throughout history. Édouard Manet's Olympia, and Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres' Le Grande Odalisque, are two pieces that are apart of this history.
The painting is intimate, almost as if was not meant for the eyes of the viewer. The mother gently holds the baby, within her arms, as she feeds him. The mother’s gaze is met by the child as it reaches out to touch her face. The background is simple, emphasizing the closeness between the mother and child, much like Le Brun’s piece. Additionally, Cassatt’s The Child's Bath, 1893 “with its striking and unorthodox composition, is one of Cassatt’s masterworks” (“The Child's Bath”). Within this composition, she employed the use of unconventional devices such as cropped forms, bold patterns and outlines, and a flattened perspective (“The Child's Bath”). Cassatt utilizes a pastel-like color scheme, exemplifying the delicateness and tenderness between the mother and her bathing child. Her brush strokes are swift and gentle, again, suggesting the passionate, yet soft, love the mother has for her child. The elevated vantage point invites the viewer to observe this intimate moment, but not to
The iconography of the picture could represent art in the view of the fauvists. Fauvists wanted to be free from tradition and natural colors. They wanted to be free to explore their world of colors as they saw fit. Fauvists and expressionists did not like to be held to strict rules when it came to painting. It could be that Le Bonheur de Vivre was a state in which they where trying to reach, but in reality could get never get there. On the other hand, could it be a place where they could only reach in their dreams? Critics have struggled with the interpretation of Matisse’s painting since the first display. That may have been Matisse’s meaning after all.
In ancient Greek society, nudity was revered as a natural state of being. In exercise, art, and daily life, nudity was closely associated with the Greeks’ concept of youthfulness and beauty. The era was and continues to be famous for the depictions of precise, idealized anatomy that proliferated sculpture, pottery, and paintings produced by artists from the time. But this obsession with and celebration of the au naturel wasn’t afforded to all members of society. The lugubriously low social standing held by women at the time forced them to assume a more conservative way of dressing, as they continued to be disenfranchised and devalued.
Fauve’s art were different in each other of their own exclusive ways, but they all have the same origin, different feelings but same structure. They all did different mediums as well; for an example like I said they used art to express music, literature, and an emotional vision of the world from their perspective. Artist like Henri Matisse and André Derain with many more artists’ art was bright colored, exciting, attractive, and vividly expressed within their hands. They used communicative colors like red to show pain and hurt or blood or even the items that within the painting that describes the mood. Or another example could be Henri Matisse 'The Open Window, Collioure', 1905; he used his colors wisely and intensely. Most of the artist used oil, oil on canvas, and paint. Each piece of art work was used to perfection. ...
Cook, A.D. “Nude Beauty Nude. Body of Art.” A.D. Cook figurative artist. 3 January 2013. Web. 13 April 2014.