Realism, Slavery, and Belle Époque: A Historical Overview
The Era of Realism (Mid-19th Century)
Characteristics:
- Emphasis on observation
- Objective representation of reality
- Focus on contemporary subjects and daily life
Painters:
- Courbet
- Millet
- Daumier
Literature (Genre Novel):
- France: Balzac, Flaubert, Stendhal
- Spain: Emilia Pardo Bazán, Galdós, Clarín
- England: Dickens
- Russia: Tolstoy, Dostoevsky
The Problem of Slavery and the Civil War
The Abolition of Slavery:
Dependent on each state. Northern and Western states abolished slavery, while the South maintained it due to the economic importance of cotton and tobacco farms. This led to increasing tensions between abolitionist and pro-slavery states.
Abraham Lincoln’s Election (1860):
Lincoln opposed the extension of slavery into new territories. Eleven Southern states seceded and formed the Confederate States of America.
The Civil War (1861-1865):
A four-year war, with the Union (North) ultimately triumphing. The war saw the use of modern weapons and resulted in millions of casualties.
Culture (1870-1914): “Belle Époque”
Impressionism:
- Focused on visual expression
- Used primary colors and saturated shades, avoiding dark colors
- Utilized light as a unifying factor in landscapes and figures
- Painters: Claude Monet, Édouard Manet, Alfred Sisley
Post-Impressionism:
- Subjective worldview
- Georges Seurat invented pointillism
- Expressive use of color and greater formal freedom
- Painters: Georges Seurat, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Vincent van Gogh
Expressionism:
- Aimed to convey the artist’s feelings and vision to the viewer
- Deformation of reality to emphasize emotions and values
- Characterized by color, dynamism, and feeling
- Painters: Kandinsky, Marc
Fauvism:
- Known for unnatural colors (e.g., yellow and green)
- Did not prioritize chiaroscuro, perspective, or traditional composition
- Emphasized spontaneity and decorative appearance
- Rebellious attitude, seeking innovation in art
- Painters: Henri Matisse, Derain, Marquet
Cubism:
- Broke with traditional painting
- Used geometric shapes, fragmented lines and surfaces
- Adopted multiple perspectives
- Suppressed depth and detail
- Painters: Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Juan Gris
Modernism (Art Nouveau):
- Inspired by nature, used natural elements and rounded forms
- Emphasized curved lines and asymmetry
- Focused on sensuality and sensory pleasure
- Artists: Antoni Gaudí, Hector Guimard, Otto Wagner
The Age of Imperialism
The Conquest Process:
Colonialism seemed abandoned in 1830 but resumed with England and France conquering India and Algeria, respectively. The 1885 Berlin Conference divided Africa among European powers. By the early 20th century, only Ethiopia and Liberia remained independent in Africa. Asia was increasingly controlled by Western powers. Latin America remained economically dependent on Europe and the U.S.
Major Empires:
- British Empire: The largest empire, spanning 33 million km².
- French Empire: The second largest, with holdings in North Africa and Indochina.
- Other Empires: Belgium (Congo), Germany (Southern Africa), Italy (Tripoli, Eritrea, Somalia), Russia (Siberia), U.S. (Philippines, Puerto Rico, Cuba), Japan (Korea, Formosa, Manchuria)
The Clash of Imperialisms:
Competition between European powers, especially Britain and France in Africa, threatened peace. Germany felt its empire was inadequate and demanded more territories, leading to conflicts such as the Moroccan Crisis.