Impressionism1860s-1890s

A Bar at the Folies-Bergere, 1882 Manet

Rouen Cathedral, 1890s, Monet

Waterlilies, 1919-26, Monet

Oarsmen at Chatou, Renoir

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“The Glass of Absinthe,” 1876, Degas

Post-Impressionism

Post-Impressionism

• 1880-1905• Mostly French• Inspired by colors and light of impressionism, but

wanted art to be more substantial- not simply capturing passing moment

• 2 approaches:– Focus on technique/capturing underlying forms

(Seurat & Cezanne)– Focus on emotion & sensation (Gauguin & Van

Gogh)

Pointillism:Sunday on La Grande Jatte, 1884-86, Seurat

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Cezanne, Ginger Jar and Fruit, 1895

Gauguin, Market Day, 1892

The Starry Night, 1889, Van Gogh

Early 20th Century

Early Expressionism

• Expressed modern anguish• Portrayed extreme emotions (jealousy,

desire, loneliness, etc.)• Best exemplified by Munch• precursor to later abstract

“Expressionism” which portrayed emotions through distorted forms and colors

Munch, “The Scream,” 1893

Symbolism

• Forerunner of Surrealism

• Showed fantasy world, not surface reality

• Strange, oversized figures

• Often meticulous detail on bizarre subjects

H. Rousseau, “Fight Between a Tiger and a Buffalo,” 1908

Fauvism

• Brief period 1904-1908• Wild, exaggerated colors- not connected to

actual appearance• Some bold distortions of form, fascination

with underlying structure• Influenced by Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne

and tribal art (I.e. African masks)

Matisse, “The Girl With Green Eyes,” 1908

Cubism

• Major turning point in 20th C art• Broke objects into geometric pieces/planes, often

disjointed and spread out- subjects often look disassembled and then awkwardly reassembled

• Often tried to show same figure/scene from multiple perspectives on one canvas

• Some early work monochromatic to emphasize form without distraction of color

• Later work incorporated stenciling, lettering, paper scraps

• Not totally abstract- they were representing objects, scenes, figures…

Picasso, Girl Before a Mirror, 1932

Dadaism

• Movement founded during WWI• Nonsensical name• Purpose: protest madness of war• Artists did not trust reason & the establishment-

so ignored restrictions & portrayed the absurd• Aimed to denounce and shock, but also to

inspire creativity• Artists often used unconventional materials

(I.e. junk not paint)

Max Ernst, Celebes, 1921

Surrealism

• Brief, strong movement in period between WWI and WW2

• Strongly influenced by Freudian techniques• artists and poets sought to create without

conscious control- access unconscious• Depicted bizarre, irrational scenes• Some were almost abstract, barely

recognizable shapes• Some quite realistic in detail, but captured

dreamlike hallucinations

Dali, The Persistence of Memory, 1931

Architecture: International Style

• Pre-20th C architecture focused on emulating the past

• 1920s architects all over Europe (and U.S.) rejected old historical styles and flourishes and used streamlined designs

• “It was like shedding a Victorian bathing costume, complete with bloomers, parasol, and ruffled cap, for a string bikini.” Seagram Building, New York

Functionalism & Bauhaus

• Buildings should be useful

• found beauty in practicality and efficiency

• Radically changed look of cities

• “Less is more”

• Walter Gropius, German design school

• U.S. Chicago School (Sullivan, Wright)

Home in Lincoln, MA designed by Gropius, 1938

The Guggenheim Museum, New York City designed by Frank Lloyd

Wright, 1959