Class 3.2 Art Now

ART 100UVC

Diego VELÁZQUEZ, Las Meninas, 1656, Museo del Pradooil on canvas, 125.2 in × 108.7 inches

This is where we left off last time, with the growing interest of of painters in people who are not significant figures from religion, history, or mythology.

Diego Velázquez, Portrait of Juan de Pareja, c. 1650Juan de Pareja (1606–1670)

We looked at the example of Velazquez's portrait of his studio assistant, portrayed with same calm dignity that a nobleman paying for an expensive commission would be accorded.

Diego Velázquez, Surrender of Breda, 1634-5,oil on canvas, Museo del Prado, Madrid

We talked about Velázquez's inclusion of the rank and file soldiers in this scene of dignitiariesand military commanders.

Diego VELÁZQUEZ, Los Borrachos (The Drinkers), 1629

Here Velázquez includes the guys from the local tavern in his mythological pictureof the Roman God of wine, Bacchus. He imagines the classical together with the contemporary.

Goya, Charles IV of Spain and His Family, 1800Goya makes little effort to flatter the royal family of Spain.

Francisco de GOYAThe Countess of Chinchón 1800oil on canvas216 cm x 144 cm

All the silks and jewels in Spain can’t save theCountess from loneliness, despair and isolation.

Èdouard MANETCorner of a Café-Concert1878-1879 National Gallery, Londonoil on canvas38.4 × 30.5 inches

Three quarters of a century later,Manet paints a cocktail waitresslost in thought while servingcustomers in a busy café. Shetoo is alone despite the crowds in the café.

Jean-Baptiste Greuze, The Punished Son, 1777, Louvre, 51x64"

Here Greuze takes a dramatic moment in the life of an ordinary family and makes a history painting out of it, elevating the domestic scene to the level of history.

Jacques Louis DAVID, Death of Socrates, 1787, Met, 51x77"

Despite Greuze’s example, many popular artists still made history paintings commemorating the lives of heroic figures, such as Socrates, the Greek philosopher who goes bravely to his death in this picture, surrounded by his followers and friends.

Thomas Couture, Romans of the Decadence, 1847

Over time, however, this kind of mythological, classical subject comes to seem lessand less relevant. Even the spicy subject matter of the Roman orgy comes to seemfairly ridiculous.

Claude MONETGarden at Sainte-Adresse1867Oil on canvas38 5/8 x 51 1/8 in

The Impressionists signaled a major change, as you can see here. They are like a breath of fresh air into the art world, which in this picture takes the literal form of the crisp seaside breeze that the well-dressed tourists are enjoying on summer vacation. We are in the modern world now, bright, light, and always changing, as quickly as the weather does.

Claude MONET, Impression: Sunrise, 1872

The Impressionists also become interested in capturing atmospheric effects, like dawnand twilight, and all types of different weather conditions. Now that photography can capture the literal appearance of things, artists are freer to experiment.

Claude MONETThe Saint-Lazare Station1877Oil on canvasH. 75; W. 104 cm

Claude MONETThe Saint-Lazare Station1877Oil on canvasH. 75; W. 104 cm

If we want to document the precise appearance of this train station, we can make a photograph (and there are many photographs of urban Paris at this time. However,if we want to feel some of the hectic quality of the train station, the crowds, and cloudsof smoke, we might turn to Monet’s picture instead.

J.M.W. TurnerRain, Steam and Speed, 1844 oil on canvas36 × 48 inchesNational Gallery, London

J.M.W. TURNERRain, Steam and Speed, 1844 oil on canvas36 × 48 inchesNational Gallery, London

Working in England at an even earlier date, Turner also becomes interested in thelook and feel of various forms of weather, to the point that portions of his canvases verge on abstraction.

J.M.W. Turner, The Burning of the Houses of Parliament, 1835

J.M.W. Turner, The Burning of the Houses of Parliament, 1835

Here Turner renders the giant fire that consumed the British Parliament indramatic oranges. The buildings themselves are barely visible among the flames.

James Abbott MacNeill WHISTLER

(American, living in London)

Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket

1875

Whistler’s paintings push evenfarther into gorgeous abstractionsfull of color and texture that enticethe eye while scarcely resolving intoa recognizable picture.

Claude MONET, Waterlilies, c. 1920, MoMA, NYCMonet’s late pictures of waterlilies floating on the pond in his garden push towardabstract painting as well.

"A picture, before being a war horse, a nude woman, or some anecdote, is essentially a flat surface covered by colors in a certain order.”

—Maurice Denis

Vincent van GOGH (Dutch, 1853–1890) La Berceuse (Woman Rocking a Cradle, 1889 oil on canvas, 36 1/2 x 29 inches

Second level Second level

Mark Rothko, 1950

Vincent van GoghPortrait of Joseph Roulin1889Oil on canvas25 3/8 x 21 ¾”

Depth becomes lessimportant as surface and background seemto melt together.

Georges SEURAT, Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, 1884

Georges SEURAT, Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, 1884

Though Seurat uses conventional perspective to create the illusion of depth, his figuresseem to lack volume and appear to be cardboard cutouts.

Paul GAUGUIN 1848 – 1903Vision after the sermonoil on canvas (73 × 92 cm) — 1888 National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh

Paul GAUGUIN Vision after the sermon1888 National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh

Other painters not onlyflatten the canvas anduse surprising spatial effects but also do soto emphasize the otherworldliness of thisworld, suggesting a latent spiritual potential.

Paul Cézanne, Gulf of Marseilles seen from L’Estaque, c.1885, oil on canvas, 31.5 × 39.2 in

Paul Cézanne, Gulf of Marseilles seen from L’Estaque, c.1885, oil on canvas, 31.5 × 39.2 in

Cézanne sees the French landscape in terms of geometric solids and bringsa new sense of structure and solidity to the bright French landscape.

Paul Cézanne, Mont St. Victoire seen from Bellevue, c. 1885, 37.5  × 51.3 inches) Barnes Foundation

Paul Cézanne, Mont Sainte-Victoire and Château Noir, 1904-6, oil on canvas, 25.8 × 31.9 inches

Picasso, Portrait of Wilhelm Uhde, 1910

Catalan artist Pablo PICASSOhad no difficulty painting representational pictures, abstractions, and everything inbetween. Here he fragments theportrait of one of his art dealersinto rectangles and triangles.Over time he will oscillate back andforth between styles in a seeminglyeffortless manner.

Picasso, Still Life with Chair Caning, 1912

Pablo PICASSO, Still Life with Chair Caning, 1912

For this collage, Picasso used wallpaper that imitated chair caning, and wrapped thewhole canvas in real rope. The other portions are painted in imitation of various objectsthat might be found on a tabletop.

Picasso, Bottle of Vieux Marc, Glass, Guitar and Newspaper, 1913, Picasso, Bottle of Vieux Marc, Glass, Guitar and Newspaper, 1913

Duchamp, Nude Descending a Staircase, 1912 Duchamp, Bottle Rack, 1914

Marcel Duchamp realizes that the dynamic forms that interest him can be found in actual objects just as well as in painting.

The bottle rack on the left was a common object in French life, used fordrying out empty wine bottles before reusing them.

Duchamp, Tu M’, 1918

This picture plays with illusion and reality, including a found object that sticks directlyout of the painting. The question Duchamp asks here: why paint a representation ofthe object if you can just use the real thing?