Blog 6: Romanticism vs Impressionism

        After Neoclassicism of the 1700s, the 1800s brought new styles of paintings to the world. The 19th century marked the start of the Romantic era. Styles such as Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, as well as others filled the century with beautiful and well known works of art. In the first half of the century, Romantic style was prominent and resulted as a reaction against Neoclassicism. Impressionism took off in the latter half. We'll be taking a look at how these two styles compare.

        Within the Romantic style, there was a range of subject matter. It could depict beautiful landscapes or horrible tragedies and injustice. Romantic paintings were meant to elicit emotion from viewers. Our first work of art is a German Romantic painting titled Wanderer Above the Sea Fog. It was created in 1818 by Caspar David Friedrich. It depicts a man peering our across a vast landscape. The painting employs Rückenfigur, a compositional device where a figure stands, back to the viewer, and takes in the scene around them. This painting has subjective aspects to it. Subjective art that was more open to interpretation was a common theme in the Romantic style. This is an example of that. It is unknown who the figure in the painting is. There was debate among scholars, but it was never proven or confirmed by the creator. This creates mystery in the painting and leaves it open to interpretation. 

        This painting has a certain duality to it, between the beauty and peril of nature. The figure stands on a precipice. He is at the top of a cliff and is surrounded by appears to be surrounded by cliffs. One step is all it takes to fall. On the other hand, the view in front of him is beautiful. There is a contrast between the soft clouds and the jagged rocks. The light is soft in the sky. It's beautiful but bare and slightly vulnerable. It's said that this terror and beauty in nature is rooted in Friedrich's past. When he was 13, his brother drowned after falling into a frozen lake while ice skating. Nature can be divine and unforgiving. In this painting, Friedrich created this landscape from his mind, as it was not something he actually viewed. He included details from various places he had visited in Europe. I think this is reflected in Friedrich's philosophy of art. According to Brittanica, Friedrich stated, "The painter should not paint only what he has in front of him, but also what he sees inside himself. If he sees nothing within, then he should stop painting what is in front of him."

        There are three elements to this work of art that stand out to me - texture, color, and line. Ephemeral texture is used. The clouds move between the cliffs, and the texture is subject to change. The soft texture of the clouds is contrasted with the hard, jagged surfaces of the cliffs and peaks. The color also works to give contrast to the painting. The darkness of the hills and light blues and whites of the sky give depth to the painting and make it pop. The line also works to add to contrast. The vertical lines add to the painting by giving it height and strength, while the horizontal flowing lines show the distance and calm. I like how these elements work together to give the painting a dynamic feeling and emphasizes the greatness and danger of nature. 

        The next painting is Raft of the Medusa, by Théodore Géricault. It was created around 1818-1819 in France. This is a very different side of Romantic art. This painting was quite controversial at the time. Just by looking at the painting, you can see the drama and despair. The painting is incredibly moody. This is enhanced once you know the story behind this painting. The Medusa was a French Naval warship that crashed in 1816 and left 147 people stranded on a raft in open water with no food or resources. It's said that it crashed due to the incompetence of the ships Captain, who gained his position due to connections to the Bourbon Restoration Government. They were stranded at sea for 13 days before being rescued by French brig Argus. Over the course of these days, the people fought for survival and even resorted to cannibalism. The survivors dwindled from 147 down to only 13. It's said that the same Captain who was at fault for the errors let the lower ranking individuals die and only focused on saving himself. Géricault created this painting soon after the event, and the gruesome nature and reality of the horrors those individuals faced shocked viewers. The story was still fresh in the publics mind. Additionally, the Government was hostile regarding this painting due to their connection to the errors made. 


        This is an example of how Romantic art also depicted tragedy and horrors. It was also used to point out political corruption. It also evokes strong emotion from viewers. The color, line and tone are particularly useful in this aspect. The color and tone work together to create the dramatic and dark mood. The muted, dark colors, paired with the minimal light tones help give the painting a terribly gruesome feel. The lines are jagged, which give the painting a chaotic feel. There is a lot of overlap, as well. There is a lot going on in this painting, and there are new details everywhere you look. This painting is chaotic and painful, and there is a sort of terribly beauty in it. 


        Impressionism is quite different from Romanticism. Impressionism is mainly characterized by the manner in which the painting is made. It is often created quickly, as it captures a fleeting moment in time. This French painting, Woman with Parasol, was created by Claude Monet. Monet was very important to the introduction of Impressionism, with his painting Impression Sunrise, 1872. This painting though, was created in 1875. It depicts Monet's wife and son on a hill. In order to create this painting, he worked this quickly. His goal was to capture a moment, an impression of a moment. The elements of this painting, such as the texture, line, and pattern, add to the impressionist feel. There is a physical texture in the visible brush strokes. Particularly in the sky of the painting. You'll note there's a much heavier texture to the clouds than in the first painting we looked at. The vertical line of the painting adds a gentle power and elegance to the woman. There is a natural, yet rushed pattern of the grass and the clouds. The entire painting appears a bit fuzzy and blurry. This is common in Impressionism paintings. Despite this painting being created quickly, it's still incredibly beautiful. the details of the dress add depth and the lighting gives the painting a warm and carefree feel. The positioning of the dress what appears to be a veil suggests movement, possibly from her turning around or from wind. 


        The last painting we'll look at is Le Class de Danse, by Edgar Degas. It was created between 1874 in France. Edgar Danse's favorite subject was dance, and he was particularly interested in training and rehearsals. He tired to capture the dynamic movements of dancers, as well as the tiredness and soreness, and the way the dancers would relax when not actively dancing. You can see a similar hazy texture in this painting as the last one. It's one of the most identifiable traits of Impressionism paintings. One of the elements I like in this painting is the shape and line. The diagonal view across the room gives a different view and creates space to take in the whole scene. The lines of the wall columns and mirror add depth to the painting and create structure. It is also very tall and grand, which contrasts to the small dancers, making them seem delicate. The color of the painting adds a lightness. The use of light colors and pastels creates a lighthearted feel and makes the painting feel delicate. As far as the subject matter, I think it's special that Danse includes dancers in a relaxed state, instead of them all being poised and graceful. It adds a very human, innocent feel to the painting. The frills and the tutus and the bows give the painting a feminine feel. This painting is more detailed than out last Impressionism painting, but it's the same idea. Danse works to capture a natural moment in time. 

        Impressionism and Romanticism are quite different, but both are beautiful. I appreciate the delicacy of impressionism and the strong and sometimes harsh emotions of Romantic paintings. 


Sources:

A. Honigman. Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog. Britannica. 

The Raft of Medusa. Britannica. 2024. 

A. Maksimova. The Most Famous Romanticism Paintings You Need to Know. Art De Vivre. 2023. https://artdevivre.com/articles/the-most-famous-romanticism-paintings-you-need-to-know/

Woman with a Parasol - Madame Monet and Her Son. National Gallery of Art.

B. Gersh-Nesic. Impressionism, an Introduction. Smarthistory. 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blog 2: Bear Like Me

Image
This is a piece entitled Bear Like Me, created in 2021 by Paola Pivi. Paola Pivi has an extensive collection of similar artworks, all life-size polar bears with fluorescent monochrome feathers. She began creating this series in 2006 when she first moved to Alaska. Like the rest of her similar works, they are made with urethane foam, plastic, dyed turkey feathers, and whatever props are needed. In this case, a trapeze. Bear Like Me currently hangs in the Aspen Art Museum in Colorado.  This piece was created in Aspen Colorado for the 2021-2022 ArtUP program. Bear Like Me uses elements of texture, color, and form to make her artwork stand out. Form gives this artwork its foundation. This piece is a representational three dimensional modeled art form. Her work is life-size and performs human activities. She succeeds in making her work lifelike, and giving it a human feel while also letting it stay wild.  Color may be the most notable aspect of this artwork. Paola Pivi's bears ar...
Read more

Blog 7: The Great Depression and Early Modern Art

Image
           The early 1900's began with a multitude of issues that impacted the world. World War lasted from 1914-1918, and hit Europe hard. The U.S. only joined in 1917, so it had less of an impact. Because of this, American Modernism looks quite different from European Modernism. Even though there was a smaller impact from the War, the stock market crash of 1929 marked the beginning of the Great Depression. The Great Depression was a period of economic downturn that lasted from 1929 through the last 1930's, with the most severe period being from 1929-1933. This had major impacts throughout the world and was characterized by mass unemployment, increased poverty rates, declines in economic output, etc. Despite this, artists prevailed. Today we'll take a look at a few paintings from the Great Depression.          Our first painting is titled " Wisconsin Landscape " by John Steuart Curry. It is an American Regionalist painting tha...
Read more

Blog 8: Diverse Perspectives Reflected in Post-Modern Art

Image
          Today there are more artists than ever before, with a wider range of styles, themes, and platforms. One factor that is significantly different about art now than in the earlier time periods we've looked at is the diversity. For centuries, the art world was ruled primarily by white males. Now there are artists from all different backgrounds. Today we will be taking a look on how diverse perspectives are reflected in modern art.        Our first piece is by Alaska Native artist, Erica Lord, is from her collection called " The Tanning Project ." Entitled " I Tan to Look More Native ," this piece is a digital photograph of Erica Lord herself. Created in 2006 in the U.S. (exact origin of creation unknown), this piece reflects Erica Lord's thoughts on cultural identity and beauty standards. Erica Lord is from mixed ancestry, including Athabaskan, Inupiaq, Finnish, Swedish, Japanese, and English. She explores how identity and cul...
Read more