Archive for January, 2010
Manet: The Leader
Edouard Manet (1832-83) is often called the Father of Modern Art. He was classically trained and often borrowed motifs of the great masters and painted something similar using his new approach, his innovations with color and brushwork.
Earlier artists began their paintings with a layer of dark paint then built layers on top of that, waiting for each layer to dry before applying the next. The result would be a gradual refining of color but required weeks or months in the making.
Manet preferred to finish his paintings in one sitting. He painted alla prima. He also painted in patches of color, cutting out in-between values to make sharper contrasts. This technique made his painting look flat and “in your face,” an appearance the public did not appreciate. Whereas in the past, paintings gave the impression of a window to a view, the viewer now had to look at the surface of the painting.
The Impressionists
Most impressionists preferred to paint en plein air and the invention of the paint tube in 1841 made outdoor painting more convenient. To capture fleeting moments and the changing effects of light on landscape, artists must paint quickly and use loose or sketchy brushstrokes. The correct color must be immediately chosen and put on the canvas in one application called alla prima (“at once”) painting. Otherwise, they would not have had time to capture the fleeting effects of light.Manet and Degas often painted people who seemed alienated or depressed. Monet, Renoir and Pissarro were more interested in capturing beautiful moments and the changing effects of light on landscapes. Cassatt and Morisot, the female impressionists, usually painted figures of women and children.
Impressionism
Impressionism is the most popular art movement of all time. As a result of it, these cheery landscape paintings dress up our homes and offices, cheer us up in hospitals and inspire us to take trips abroad.
Originally, the term “impressionist” was given as an insult because the paintings looked unfinished to the viewer accustomed to many layers of glazes. It appeared that artists were too lazy to refine their brushstrokes and images were blurred, without finely defined contours.
The impressionist artists were interested in the interplay of colors and light, the fleeting quality of life. Impressionism is the soft focus that gives the sense of a lovely impression caught just before it slips away.