Preferences and Perspectives - The Romantic Era

Introduction

    The 1800s are referred to as the Romantic Era, but there were actually many styles of art being produced during this era: Romantic, Realism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Naturalist, and Nationalist. So much was happening around the world such as politics, technology, the sciences, communication, and transportation. The rapid changes in art were influenced by all of these new discoveries and conflicts. Of the many styles that emerged, the two that I find to be quite contrasting are Realism and Post-Impressionism. Although both are eye-catching, they are clearly created differently.

Realism

    Paintings and sculptures that featured classical gods and biblical stories didn’t seem as relatable to a society that was amid such amazing progression. This way of thinking brought about the new art style called Realism. Realism is defined as “the precise, detailed, and accurate representation in art of the visual appearance of scenes and objects i.e., it is drawn in photographic precision (Realism, Impressionism, and Post-Impressionism).”  Or, more simply put history painting about real life. Realist art has a finished appearance, with much-defined detail. Most importantly, though, it featured everyday subjects doing everyday things.

Gustave Courbet, A Burial at Ornans, 1849-50

    In 1851, an artist by the name of Gustave Courbet presented his painting A Burial at Ornans, at the government-sponsored exhibit, the Paris Salon. A Burial at Ornans is a massive 10- foot x 20-foot painting that features the funeral of Courbet’s great-uncle. This piece was unique, as it was an ordinary funeral honoring the life of an ordinary man. This enormous piece brought about a lot of discord amongst the viewers and critics. Many found it to be quite radical that such a large piece would only feature everyday, middle-class people and not of those nobler, since paintings of the middle class were usually done on a much smaller medium. However, this piece earned him great notoriety in the art world and he went on to produce many more Realist pieces.

    One element that is interesting to observe in this painting is Courbet’s use of space. The crowd of people attending the funeral follows the same horizontal path as the ridges and horizon behind them. The only thing that extends upward is the cross with Christ on the top of it. The picture is quite dark, with a lot of grays and blacks. The occasional white clothing piece and the white dog are the only bright spots in the painting that stand out the most. One interpretation of Courbet’s use of light was that “by emphasizing the temporal nature of life, Courbet intentionally did not let the light in the painting express the eternal. While sunset could have expressed the great transition of the soul from the temporal to the eternal, Courbet covered the evening sky with clouds so the passage of day into night is just a simple echo of the coffin passing from light into the dark of the ground (Courbet).” Additionally, Courbet created an interesting perspective for the viewer by having the gravesite hole in the very foreground of the picture. I can only imagine that if one was viewing this enormous picture in person, it might give one the feeling that they are a part of the funeral progression themselves. Although I can appreciate all the work, detail, and time that went into this piece, I would not want to own it. It lacks color and gives a depressing mood.

Rosa Bonheur, Plowing the Nivernais, 1849

    This painting, titled Plowing the Nivernais, was done by Rosa Bonheur, a female artist. She made the painting by the commission of the French government for 3000 francs and it was shown in the 1849 Paris Salon. Bonheur was known for depicting animals and the natural world in her art. This realistic piece is an excellent portrayal of the farming lifestyle. The French Revolution ended a year before she painted this piece and many saw her depiction of the French countryside as a wonderful contrast to the chaos that still existed in the post-war cities. 

    What caught my eye at first glance, was that I thought it was a photograph. The colors she used are so realistic, with the blue hues of the sky, the browns used to create the rich soil, and the common color patterns we see with steer. The daylight and brightness she incorporates into the painting make the viewer feel as if they are too, working in the heat of a sunny day. Bonheur also created a lot of texture in this piece. The tilled soil looks solid enough that you could reach into the painting and pick one up. The strength in the steer is shown through the muscular stature presented to us. The visual space contains a lot of depth, as the oxen appear to be moving in a diagonal motion across the picture and moving closer to the viewer. The steers are the centerpieces of this artwork, as the farmers are barely recognizable. This piece is something that I would enjoy owning. It has a rustic feel and the bright colors would go perfect in a farmhouse-style kitchen or even the dining area. 

Post- Impressionism

    Post- Impressionism represents a wide variety of artistic styles. They range from Neo-Impressionism to Symbolism. Most Post-Impressionists used their memories and emotions to connect to viewers instead of depicting the observed world, as the other styles focused on. Many post-impressionists like to do abstract paintings and this early application paved the way for the radical modernist exploration of abstraction in the early 20th century. 

  Paul Cezanne, View of Auvers sur Oise,1873-75

    I chose View of Auvers sur Oise for my first representation of Post-Impressionism. View of Auvers sur Oise is an oil painting created between 1873-1875 by French artist Paul Cezanne. When Cezanne was living with one of his good friends, he was inspired by the nature surrounding the home. Cezanne was known to be a very slow painter and in fact, View of Auvers sur Oise was technically never finished (Artble).

    When looking at View of Auvers sur Oise, the brushstrokes stand out more than anything. Cezanne uses thick and quick strokes which in return makes this piece look rushed and almost sloppy. Consequently, the trees and the grass look almost indistinguishable. Luckily, Cezanne used beautiful shades of green and yellow to complement the nature represented. The lighter scenic colors give the painting a positive and somewhat peaceful feeling. The beautiful white homes have a pop of red and blue color to give added life to the painting. I enjoy the light colors and airiness of Auvers sur Oise, so I would own it. I would probably display this piece in the living room or even one of the bedrooms to have a sense of calm added to the space. 

Vincent Van Gogh, Starry Night, 1889

    My next painting is my all-time favorite, Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. This painting was created in 1889 when Van Gogh was staying in the asylum of Saint-Paul-de-Mausole near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. He was diagnosed with epileptic fits and forced to stay in the asylum. When he relapsed, Van Gogh started to incorporate darker tones into his paintings again like in his early pieces of work, which were influenced by his suicidal and depressive state. Starry Night is considered to be one of his hallucinations.

    What catches my attention with this painting are the brush strokes and varying blues with pops of yellow and white. The sweeping brush strokes create movement in the sky and feel as if a gust of wind was blowing over the village. The large tree-looking figure reminds me of the poisonous tentacles of intrusive thoughts. It's like the tentacles are in the beginning stages of taking over the little peaceful village. The bright yellow of the moon gives a play-on color contrast and creates the actual glow around the moon. You can also see the color contrast in the stars and the creation of the glowing hue around them to make them almost sparkle. To me, this painting represents Vincent Van Gogh's mind when it is peaceful and then his disease starts to take over and casts itself into his peaceful mind, making it dark and depressed. Since this is my favorite painting, I would most definitely own this piece. I almost bought a wallet with this painting on it from the immersive exhibit for his artwork, but they had sold out of them. 

Conclusion

As you can see from these various pieces of artwork, Realism and Post-Impressionism are very different. Realism depicts scenes from every day and tries to be as accurate as possible, with figure detail and colors. Post- Impressionism plays with abstract beings and figures and I feel, creates a more interesting piece to admire. While both styles were created from the same era, they represent very different subjects.             

References

"Culture Shock: Flashpoints: Visual Arts: Gustave Courbet's A Burial At Ornans". Pbs.Org, 2022, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/cultureshock/flashpoints/visualarts/courbet_a.html.

"Paul Cezanne". Artble, 2022, https://www.artble.com/artists/paul_cezanne.

"Realism, Impressionism, And Post-Impressionism | Khan Academy". Khan Academy, 2022, https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/becoming-modern/avant-garde-france.

"The Art History Archive - Art Resources For Students And Academics". Arthistoryarchive.Com, 2022, http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/.

"You Are Being Redirected...". Vangoghgallery.Com, 2022, https://vangoghgallery.com/painting/starry-night.html/.