Week Seven: Hopeless Romantic
Hello, everyone. This week, I decided to tackle two of the most opposing movements during the Romantic era. Post-Impressionism and Realism. Now, I have my opinions on both of these movements, and you'll read those soon. Let's start with...
Post-Impressionism
Wheat Field with Cypresses
Painted in 1889 by Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh, this painting is actually a series of three identical paintings, all made in the same year. This is the one currently displayed in New York. This painting is also part of a long series that van Gogh had painted, known as the "wheat fields" series. Can you guess what he painted a lot of? Regardless, van Gogh is a classic example of post-impressionism, with his focus on what the painting makes you feel rather than the focus on depicting something accurately. In my opinion, I feel the main goal of my art is to evoke emotion, so this is something I share with Van Gogh.
I love this painting. The combination of the bold and pastel colors, the swirling brush strokes that indicate movement, and the feeling of peace and serenity that this painting exudes makes it a favorite of mine. Those vibrant colors and loose style mixed with the lack of realism and abstractness make it a great example of how something doesn't need to be realistic to be beautiful.
Plage à Heist (Beach at Heist)
by Georges Lemmen
Painted in 1891 by French artist Georges Lemmen, this scene depicts a lone boat on the shore of a beach at sunset. Now, how could one go and talk about post-impressionism without mentioning pointillism? A technique created by artist Georges Seurat, it involved using multicolored dots to depict a full image from afar, not unlike how a modern TV screen uses pixels. Lemmen developed his own technique through pointillism, and this painting depicts what it looked like. Even with this style, you can clearly see what is being depicted, showing a great level of knowledge relating to both impressionism and realism.
What I really like about this painting is how you can clearly see the multicolored dots all across the painting, but it comes together so well. The picture feels fuzzy or dreamlike because of it, and the color use and knowledge is just superb. That dreamlike feeling also persists in some of the more abstract shapes present, such as the strange blue cloud above in the sky that contrasts nicely with the colors of the sunset and grounds the composition.
Post-impressionism is one of, if not my favorite, art movement. The vibrant and creative color usage is one of my favorite parts, which comes from impressionism. The new post-impressionist techniques and use of shape and movement are more controlled and structured than impressionism, however, but still abstract enough to give off that dreamy and serene feeling that I enjoy so much.
Realism
Matin à Villeneuve (From Water's Edge)
by Henri Biva
Painted circa. 1905 by French artist Henri Biva, this painting, and all of Henri Biva's landscape paintings in my opinion, are the perfect examples of realism. From the perfect color choices, to the lighting, to the reflections on the water, to the individual blades of grass. This is one of those paintings you see and think, "Wait, this isn't a photo?" The detail is immaculate and carefully deliberate in each choice.
I think the thing I like the most is the color choice. The way he used yellow-greens on the plants hit by sunlight, compared to the blue-greens of the shadows, it just looks so accurate to the way light reflects on leaves. And the way he rendered the reflections on the water with the slight ripples and fallen leaves floating lazily on the surface just looks amazing. He perfectly captures the landscape on canvas.
The Artist's Wife and His Setter Dog
by Thomas Eakins
Painted circa 1884-1889 by American painter Thomas Eakins, this is an example of portraiture in realism. The subject is Susan McDowell Eakins, his wife, and their dog, Harry. Now, something I find interesting is the painting style used, as it almost evokes a sense of post-impressionist brush strokes and color choice (if a bit muted), while maintaining the structure and accuracy of realism. There's a bit of a feathery look to the background that adds to this feeling. However, the detail and care in the rendering of Mrs. Eakins, her dress, and Harry grounds this portrait solidly. The use of correct perspective for the furniture, and even just the detail of the leather shine on her chair or the pattern on the rug, helps bring it all together.
Personally, I like the style a lot, and not just because Eakins and I share a surname. While I think the color choices could be more expressive, this is realism, and accuracy is typically more important in these paintings. And that's actually the part of realism I like the most, is that idea of anti-idealism and showing what life is really like for the common person. While this portrait isn't a great example of this idea, nor is it Eakins' most realistic work, I chose it because I enjoyed the simple intimacy of a man painting his wife and dog.
Humans have been trying to accurately depict the world around them since they started painting in caves. Through the centuries, this ideal has shifted and changed, but that core desire has always remained. Artists have gone to great lengths to depict the natural world in greater and greater detail, whether it's sculpture of the human body or a painting of a building. While I personally prefer the post-impressionist idea of depicting how the world feels over how it is, I think realism has its place in art and can be stunning to witness. And like I said, I appreciate the desire to depict life in all its gritty moments, telling it how it is, not how those with a skewed perspective want it to be.
I hope you enjoyed my thoughts, and have a nice rest of the week.
References:
American, Thomas Eakins. “Thomas Eakins: The Artist’s Wife and His Setter Dog: American.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/10811. Accessed 28 Oct. 2024.
“Matin à Villeneuve.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Dec. 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matin_%C3%A0_Villeneuve.
“Plage à Heist.” Plage à Heist - Georges Lemmen | Musée d’Orsay, www.musee-orsay.fr/en/artworks/plage-heist-25648. Accessed 28 Oct. 2024.
“Pointillism.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., www.britannica.com/art/pointillism. Accessed 28 Oct. 2024.
“Wheat Field with Cypresses.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 6 May 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat_Field_with_Cypresses.
This is a great post! I really enjoyed your in-depth analysis of both Post-Impressionism and Realism. You clearly explained the core tenets of each movement, along with providing interesting examples.
ReplyDeleteI especially liked how you connected your own artistic philosophy to the movements. Your passion for Post-Impressionism really shines through.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and references! I always learn something new from your blog posts. 👍🏻
I am a fan of realism. I love how artists can create beautiful paintings that capture so many details! I really appreciate the two pictures you chose to showcase realism. Matin à Villeneuve (From Water's Edge) truly looks like a photograph! The details of the reflection in the pond, as you pointed out, and the play of light on the trees and grass are stunning. I also like your choice of "The Artist's Wife and His Setter Dog." It seems as though she looks up with an expression of impatience, as if to say, "When are you going to be done?" They appear peaceful yet bored at the same time, which reflects the reality of relationships. Did you read about why he was dismissed from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts? Perhaps his wife's expression is more compassionate yet exasperated at his determination to paint every detail!
ReplyDeleteI also enjoy some post-impressionism, though not as much as realism. However, I do love Van Gogh, as he had a remarkable ability to capture emotion, perhaps because he felt it so vividly. I’m amazed by how prolific he was during his time at the Saint Paul-de-Mausole asylum, where he painted Wheat Field with Cypresses. I also shared a piece called "Irises," which was painted during that period. I love the wild, bold, and curvy brush strokes in Wheat Field with Cypresses. They really bring the painting to life; I can almost feel the wind, the warmth of the sun, and smell the wheat and earth from it.
Pointillism is fascinating as well, especially how artists choose colors and blend them with dots to form a cohesive picture. I agree, Lemmen’s piece features beautiful colors and feels incredibly peaceful, almost like I’m at the beach watching a sunset. It’s interesting to note that he started at such a young age and developed his own technique in pointillism, as you pointed out. Thank you for sharing!