A Journey Through Modern Art Movements: From Impressionism to Neo-Expressionism
Modern Art Movements
1. Impressionism
Features:
- Preference for landscapes
- Painting outdoors to capture transience of light and color
- Asymmetry in compositions
- Realism, capturing everyday life
- Use of pure, unmixed colors
- Loose, fast brushwork
1.2. Key Artists: Manet, Monet, Degas, Pissarro, Renoir, Sisley
2. Post-Impressionism
2.1.1. Seurat (Pointillism):
Applying small dots of color to create an image. The eye blends the colors together.
2.1.2. Gauguin:
Primitivism and symbolism. Expressive use of color. Influenced by Polynesian culture.
2.1.3. Van Gogh
2.1.4. Cézanne:
Explored human visual perception. Represented objects from multiple perspectives simultaneously. Used simple shapes and color schemes.
2.1.5. Klimt:
Ornate decoration with gold and bright colors. Works often feature the “femme fatale.”
2.1.6. Munch:
Simplified images to convey anguish and loneliness. Explored themes of anxiety, mental health, and death.
Early Avant-Garde
3. Fauvism
Characteristics:
- Expressed feelings through vibrant colors
- Rejected naturalistic representation
- Direct and vigorous brushwork
- Flat, linear figures
- Rejection of classical perspective and modeling
- Influenced by African masks and sculptures
Matisse:
Color as the primary element in painting. Suppressed shadows and used pure colors.
Derain:
Pure, unmixed colors. Thick, square brushstrokes.
4. Expressionism
Features:
- Reaction against Impressionism
- Focused on inner feelings and emotions
- Moody and emotional use of line and color
4.2. German Expressionism (Die Brücke)
Die Brücke (The Bridge):
Sought to connect with the public and influence society through art. Free-flowing inspiration and immediate expression of emotions.
Kirchner:
Used primary colors, broken lines, and stylized figures.
Nolde:
Religious themes, influenced by Grünewald, Bruegel, and Bosch.
4.3. Expressionism in Vienna
Emphasized tension and distortion of reality. Focused on existential themes.
Kokoschka:
Visionary and troubled style. Dense, winding spaces. Themes of love, sexuality, and death.
5. Cubism
Features:
- Rejection of traditional perspective
- Use of geometric shapes and fragmented surfaces
- Multiple perspectives
- Muted color palettes
- Simplified forms
- Collage
Key Artists: Picasso, Braque, Gris, Miró
6. Futurism
Features:
- Emphasis on dynamism and movement
- Vibrant colors
- Simultaneity (multiplying body positions)
- Repetition and juxtaposition
Giacomo Balla
7. Lyrical Art
Modigliani:
Elongated figures, flowing lines, and flat colors. Portraits with psychological insight.
Chagall:
Dreamlike, surreal scenes. Distorted reality, vibrant colors, and popular themes.
Soutine:
Violent and expressive brushwork. Intense colors and desolate subjects.
8. Geometric Abstraction. Bauhaus
Features:
- Use of simple geometric shapes
- Subjective and unreal spaces
- Rejection of emotional subjectivity
- Emphasis on two-dimensionality
Kandinsky:
First abstract painter. Removed anecdotal elements from his work.
Klee:
Geometric abstraction with some iconicity.
Mondrian:
Non-figurative paintings with rectangular forms in primary colors.
9. Dada
Characteristics:
- Rebellion and disaffection towards society
- Rejection of reason and conscious construction
- Questioning the definition of art
Duchamp:
Readymades (using everyday objects as art).
Man Ray:
Surreal sculptures and avant-garde films.
Francis Picabia
10. Surrealism
Features:
- Automatism (expression without conscious control)
- Exploration of the subconscious and dreams
- Bizarre and illogical imagery
Joan Miró:
Abstract surrealism. Simple, childlike imagery.
Yves Tanguy:
Dreamlike landscapes with mysterious objects.
Salvador Dalí:
Impossible figures, paranoid-critical method, and symbolic imagery.
René Magritte:
Surreal symbolism. Absurd combinations of objects and scenes.
Second Avant-Garde
11. Abstract Expressionism
Characteristics:
- Large formats
- Oil on canvas
- Elimination of figuration (generally)
- All-over composition
- Limited color palettes
Karel Appel:
Thick, impasto paint and violent gestures.
Jackson Pollock:
Dripping technique. All-over compositions with paint splatters and drips.
Willem de Kooning:
Figurative and abstract works. Aggressive brushstrokes and vibrant colors.
Franz Kline:
Black and white abstract paintings.
Mark Rothko, Yves Klein
12. Informalism in Europe
Features:
- Expressive use of oil paint
- Non-geometric abstraction
- Emphasis on the act of painting
- Expression of the artist’s inner world
Dubuffet:
Childlike and grotesque imagery. Textured surfaces.
Manolo Millares:
Torn canvases and dense pigments. Themes of tortured humanity.
Lucio Muñoz:
Use of varied materials. Emphasis on the support.
13. Art Informel (Matter Painting)
Characteristics:
- Combines figurative and abstract elements
- Integration of various materials
- Emphasis on texture and the exploration of matter
Tàpies:
Mixed media compositions resembling walls. Austere color palettes.
Burri:
Collage and assemblage. Use of unconventional materials like burlap and tar.
Cuixart, Saura
14. Kinetic Art
Characteristics:
Paintings and sculptures that create an impression of movement.
Victor Vasarely, Bridget Riley
15. Pop Art
Features:
- Use of themes and techniques from popular culture
- Advertisements, comic books, and everyday objects
Jasper Johns:
American flags, numbers, and letters.
Roy Lichtenstein:
Comic strip imagery and commercial printing techniques.
Andy Warhol:
Images of mass-produced consumer goods and celebrities.
16. Hyperrealism
Characteristics:
- Extreme realism
- Photographic precision
Antonio López García
17. Neo-Expressionism
Characteristics:
- Aggressive and raw imagery
- Large-scale works
- Gestural brushstrokes
- Figurative and abstract elements
- Intense color contrasts
Barceló
18. New Figuration
Characteristics:
- Return to figurative painting
- Informal and expressionist treatment of subjects
- Focus on everyday reality and the human figure
- Social protest