Art History Lecture IV

Art History Lecture IV

Realism – it’s a category of art, just like Impresionism etc.

Mybridge was the first photographer who showed the actual leg movements of a horse in 1883. One photo, mid-gallop, showed all four feet off the ground.

Overnight, painters changed how they showed horses galloping.

Courbett’s painting of the small funeral of an unknown went against the idea of painting only big, important events. However, this might have been a small event, but he painted it on a massive scale to make a point.

Millet painted the reality of the back-breaking work of a gleaner in the field whilst Reid depicted labourers and landowners.

(Well, the labourers working whilst the landowners trolloped past on a hunt).

 

And Clausen painted really beautiful paintings of real workers.

          

They’re almost photographic in quality.

Constable was the first painter to pain plein d’or (outside) with new portable paints revolutionizing the industry.

‘Turner doesn’t paint with brushes, he paints with a mop’.

Turner would ask to be taken to the eye of a storm and strapped to the mast so he could really experience reality. His paintings were the result of this first hand experience.

In reaction to this kind of realism, the Pre-Raphaelites put together a manifesto in which they harked back to painters like Rapheal and Michelangelo. They loved Raphael’s drawing and clarity of colour.

They were quite religious (although that didn’t stop them having affairs) and secretive. They originally signed their painting ‘PRB’ which annoyed lots of people.

They spent hours painting things to make them look as real as possible, but used lots of classical stories as their inspiration. Eg Shakespeare and classic tales.

They seem to strongly divide opinion with people loving or hating their work. Personally I love it.

They were great storytellers in their work. Here, Jesus cutting his hand is a premonition of what is to come. People were outraged that this showed real people (eg a real carpenter modeled Joseph’s role).

They didn’t use black in their paintings which gives them a tremendous quality of light. (Shown particularly in purple velvet – the picture of which I can’t find).

At the same time as the Pre-Raphaelites were working, Impressionists were beginning to emerge in France.

Art Lecture III - Roccocco Period

Art is often about action and re-action against what is perceived as old school.

The Roccocco period was all about elitism; painting the aristocracy in a very opulent way.

There was no understanding expressed of what it was like to be poor. A filthy muddy life indeed.

Bouche painted the ‘Disney’ ideal of what it was like to be a poor shepherd.

Not least as he entitled it ‘Shepherds Idyll’.

It is chocolate box painting in its most derogative sense.

It was also an example of a boudoir painting, painted for wealthy patrons to display in their wealthy houses.

 

This is a particularly saucy offering by Fragonard called Parlour Games. Showing a man blowing up a condom. (And a rather large one at that).

These are more examples of his boudoir saucy style. However, I particularly like the one above as, as soon as I saw it, I knew that in the Slipper and the Rose (yep, my favourite film) they used this painting as the basis for this mise en scene:

 

Fragonard also demonstrated a bit more taste and restraint.

Especially with this beautiful painting called Woman Reading.

So it must have been a real relief to those of a more puritanical nature when, with in a pivotal moment, David introduced a whole new seriousness to art, now called Neo Classicism.

He looked back to Roman times and painted huge, important paintings about history. (Not about ladies lying on beds with their dogs, almost showing their frufrus.)

This was partly influenced by the discovery of Pompei (I’m presuming it was uncovered at this time) where they found so much miraculously preserved from that society.

David was sympathetic with the French Commune, shown in his painting of Marat, assassinated as he worked in the bath.

(And a pose/painting much copied still over the centuries).

David’s painting of Napoleon is an interesting contrast with that above. It contains much symbolism of power and ability.

Possibly to counteract the reality of the man, who didn’t ride over some famous mountains on a horse. He actually followed up the rear on a donkey!!

The clock is at 4.15am – showing how hard he works. The candles have burnt low. It’s the middle of the night. He’s still working hard for the people.

How important is art as a reflection of both history and the more subtle aspects of a culture?

Consider how paintings change. You can’t separate art from the society in which it’s produced.

So maybe see this painting in a rather different light when you imagine him, instead on his donkey!

Still, it was a great piece of propoganda and I’m sure Cameron would fancy one of the same.

Ingres was considered to be one of the best draughtsmen, with brilliant line and subtlety of tone.

The era gave

this neckline

the name

‘Empire. But

Boticelli was

also painting

them.