Romanticism and Impressionism Art Movements
Romanticism
Historical and Cultural Context
Period of Bourgeois Revolutions: The bourgeoisie faced absolutist and monarchic restorations in the riots of 1820, 1830, and 1848, aided by the proletariat and intellectuals.
Emergence of Nationalism: Unification of Germany and Italy. Greek Independence (from the Turks) and Belgium. Some intellectuals, like Lord Byron, fought in Greece.
Widespread Media: Newspapers and magazines helped ideas and artistic fashions spread quickly.
Philosophy of Kant and Fichte: Sentiment as a vehicle of knowledge (Kant). Nothing exists outside of individual consciousness (Fichte). Rousseau’s thoughts on the nature of love and passion also influenced the era.
Characteristics of Romantic Art
Neoclassicism and Romanticism: Primarily opposing movements, but with mutual influence (e.g., Marseillaise on the Arc de Triomphe). Both sought escape from reality, but differed in their destinations.
Art Linked to Literature: The name “Romantic” derives from “Roman” (French for novel). Works like Goethe’s Faust exemplify the Romantic spirit.
An Attitude Towards Life: The Romantic artist lived romantically. It was a way of perceiving the world.
Focus on the Exotic: The Romantic movement embraced the exotic world, the East, and the pre-Middle Ages and Renaissance (Historicism). It favored fantasy, luxury, and exuberance.
Break with Classical Tradition: Romanticism broke with the Academy in two ways: thematically (new subjects like historical or contemporary revolutions) and technically (complex compositions, casual perspectives).
Diversity over Uniformity: Exaltation of individualism and national traditions and customs, rather than a single model.
Exaltation of the Irrational and Imaginary: Taste for the fantastic and unreal. Religiosity close to mysticism.
Taste for Adventure and Struggle: The Romantic figure was dissatisfied and always searching for a vital purpose.
Expression of Emotions and Pain:
Beauty Not Always the Main Goal:
Value of the Sketch: The sketch was valued, but not necessarily as a finished work.
Nature as Inspiration: Nature was a source of inspiration and refuge for man’s search for happiness.
Impressionism
Historical and Cultural Context
Paris in the Second Half of the 19th Century: A scene of political, economic, and social revolutions. Urban changes brought large boulevards, parks, and exhibitions with iconic monuments like the Eiffel Tower. Speculation led to a new wealthy bourgeoisie.
Artists and Intellectuals in Cafes: Artists and intellectuals gathered in cafes to discuss art, politics, poetry, and scientific advances. Artists identified with bohemianism and left-wing politics, critical of power.
The Salon and the Academy: The art world still revolved around the Salons, annual exhibitions organized by the Academy. Conservative styles were preferred.
Importance of Art Dealers: Art dealers gained importance, advising, managing, and selling the work of artists, freeing them from dependence on the Salon and Academies. Art criticism appeared in the press, and interest in art grew.
Chevreul’s Theory of Color: Chevreul’s classification of colors into primary, secondary, and complementary influenced Impressionist works.
Concern for Time: The proliferation of clocks and calendars in public buildings reflected a concern for history and the spread of Darwinism.
Industrial Painting Outdoors (Plein Air): Industrial paints allowed for painting outdoors without canvas preparation.
Discovery of Photography: Photography freed painting from the need to represent reality. Copying reality was no longer the goal. Photography also offered new technical possibilities, like freezing gestures and analyzing movement, and casual framing.
Public Museums: Many royal and aristocratic collections became public museums, exposing the general public to European art.
Influence of Japanese Art: Japanese art arrived in Paris, influencing color schemes and the treatment of light.
Characteristics of Impressionist Art
Origin of the Name: In 1874, a group of artists organized an exhibition in Paris at the photographer Nadar’s studio, independent of the official Salon. Rejected by the academic classes, it became known as the “Salon of the Rejected.” This group of French painters, active between 1870 and 1880, focused on light, color, and the sensual and rational. They did not sell their art easily and painted for the sake of painting.
Art of Perception: Conceptual art was replaced by art based on visual experience. Nature was not about forms, but lights and colors.
Landscape as Abstraction:
Painting Outdoors: Impressionists painted outdoors with a quick, intuitive technique.
Influences: They drew on earlier influences, like the effects of light and movement.
Influence of Japanese Art:
Importance of Water and Light Effects:
Small Canvases:
Color over Drawing: Forms were blurred. Bright and contrasting colors were used, without black or gray.
Unmixed Colors: Colors were placed side by side on the canvas, and the viewer’s retina mixed them.
Disinterest in Subject Matter: Not everything had to be pictorial, leading to a preference for landscapes.
Repetition of Subjects in Different Light:
Post-Impressionism
Definition: Post-Impressionism encompasses painting styles that followed Impressionism in France, roughly between 1880 and 1905. The term was coined later (1910) after an exhibition of paintings by Cézanne, Gauguin, and Van Gogh. These painters, initially associated with Impressionism, developed their individual styles, moving away from Impressionism’s principles.
Reviewing Impressionism: Post-Impressionism revisited some aspects of Impressionism, stepping back to capture not only light but also the expressiveness of things and people.
Subjective View: Like Impressionists, they used color but rejected the faithful representation of nature, presenting a more subjective worldview.
Reaction Against Volatility: They also reacted against the representation of fleeting moments preached by Impressionists.
Two Paths: According to critic Jean Cassou, Post-Impressionism followed two paths: one led by Cézanne, focused on intellectual construction and rearranging nature, and the other led by Van Gogh, where painting became a means of self-expression, not an imitation of nature.