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Heather, Moderator
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Mar 04, 2010 05:58AM
This is a great suggestion from Rebecca! Here we can talk about Art History in general. "Not exactly focused on one time period or artist, but a place to talk about the progression of art, how far it's come, and if/when it should go back."
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For me Art has taken many progressions, from the caveman making drawings in caves, to what we have now which is anything goes. Art is whatever makes a person feel good in creating with their own two hands be it, sculpture, drawing, painting, etc. I love to walk into museums and see all the different types of art on display. Even though I majored in Applied Arts many years ago, I am fascinated by paintings in general and how the artist chose a particular color to convey mood.
I think it's preferable to call it change rather than progression, which implies that one style is better than another. That's a myopic point of view. Each civilization and era develops the art which best suits it.
Change is also considered progression, it went from one aspect to another. I am not saying that one style is better than another. I was just stating my opinion, call it myopic if you like. I was just stating what I think. I don't have an MFA but I do know what I like.
Progression comes from "progress," which means to change for the better. All change is not progression. You are free to like whatever you like. Chacun a son gout.But studying art history has little to do with personal taste. I hate almost all Rococo art, but that does not mean I deny it a place in the history of art.
I was just stating what I think. Everyone has their own ideas of what "art" is. Progress and change are interrelated.
The transformation that occurred in a century of American art from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries, from a literal depiction of nature to an abstract interpretation of universal ideas. The majestic landscapes of the Hudson River School artists of the 1850s, personifying the optimistic patriotism of the mid-century, marked the beginning of a distinctly American language. The Hudson River School artists found their inspiration in the American wilderness, depicting both the majesty and tranquility of nature and suggesting, idealistically, the ability to portray the divine hand of God at work in nature. These artists chose to depict the American landscape as a virgin territory, full of promise, often carefully expunging any evidence of human settlement that was already impacting the countryside. Gradually, American artists began to merge stylistic European influences with subjects specifically American. Inspired by French painters and their depictions of the lush Barbizon countryside, American landscape painters like George Inness turned from the conventions of Romantic landscape to portrayals of nature’s moods, reveling in its unpredictability, and opting to portray dramatic scenes of nature with looser brushstrokes and a darker palette.
In the late nineteenth century, American realism, which celebrated the power of the American land and mind, coexisted with works uniting Impressionist and Post-Impressionist influences and an American sensibility for the specific. George B. Luks The Polka Dot Dress Oil on Canvas - 1927
By the turn of the century, an even more complex set of artistic impulses arose: at one side were expatriate painters like John Singer Sargent and James McNeill Whistler, adept players in the international art scene who created European-inspired paintings of the Old World; and on the other were Ash Can School painters like Robert Henri, George Luks, and John Sloan, who focused on the gritty streets and structures of American cities with painterly techniques that referenced European traditions.
John Sargent
James McNiell Whistler
Robert Henri
John Sloan
In the early 1900s, the prominence of American modernism grew so as to proclaim New York, and no longer Paris, the center of the artistic avant-garde.
Proponents of American modernism such as Stuart Davis, Man Ray, and Patrick Henry Bruce defined abstraction in their use of bold, geometric shapes and colors to create an American vision deriving from European Cubism.
Stuart Davis
Man Ray
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Patrick Henry Bruce
On the other hand, Arthur Dove, Georgia O’Keeffe and others in Stieglitz’s circle were using reductive shapes and lines to create a modernism that held allegiance to organic forms.
Arthur Dove
Georgia O'Keeffe
Artists such as Charles Sheeler and Edward Hopper, however, preferred representing scenes inspired by American city life, preserving in their works a link with modernism.
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Charles Sheeler
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Edward Hopper
In the 1930s, German-trained artists Josef Albers and Hans Hofmann emigrated to the United States where they became instrumental in the introduction of a new set of ideas about color, form, perception, and design, once again transforming the American art scene.
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Josef Albers
Their teachings set the stage for the emergence of a new, non-objective abstraction of the 1940s in the work of Abstract Expressionists such as Franz Kline, Jackson Pollock, and David Smith. The highly emotive abstract works of these artists forged a new notion of American art, breaking the hold of old traditions and carrying America to the center of the international art scene.
Franz Klein
Jackson Pollock
David Smith
In the 1950s, the prominence of New York as the focus of international art expanded at the hands of painters such as John McLaughlin, Ad Reinhardt and Frank Stella. These artists translated the modernism of the New York School into a refinement of color, shape, and line, assuring American art’s vanguard position for decades to come.
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John McLaughlin
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Ad Reinhardt
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Frank Stella
I love John Sargent's piece on Venice. I also like Georgia O'Keefe and Stella above is nice. I like the use of his colors. They are all warm colors and they are not too vibrant. Thanks, Heather.
I am looking to all art lovers for some research help. Currently I am looking to find information about artist homes which have been turned into museums. I have been having a bit of a hard time with finding the information I want. I was hoping that people would pass along any such museums that they know of. Thanks to anyone that can provide ideas.
Hi Melissa! That would be a great research topic. Have you looked at the different posts under the topic 'Artistic Travel and Destinations'? It is in the 'General' folder a few topics down. It talks about many museums, some of which were homes converted into those museums. There are quite a few posts so it might take you awhile to sort through them.I'm sorry I haven't been around enough to be able to suggest any to you, hopefully some of our more well-traveled members will be able to share. Good luck on your project!
Peggy Guggenheim's home in Venice, Italy.
Just a few that I know where the artist's home . . .Pollock Krasner House and Studio -- East Hampton, NY
http://sb.cc.stonybrook.edu/pkhouse/
Olana -- historic site of Frederic Edwin Church (Hudson River School painter), Hudson. NY
http://www.olana.org/
Cedar Grove, National Historic site of Thomas Cole, founder Hudson River School, Catskill, NY
http://www.thomascole.org/more-trail-...
Norman Rockwell museum, Stockbridge, MA
Having spent its first 24 years at the Old Corner House on Stockbridge’s Main Street, the Museum moved to its present location, a 36-acre site overlooking the Housatonic River Valley, in 1993.
http://www.nrm.org/about/museum-history/
others that are not the artist's home . . .
Fallingwater (house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright) in PA
http://www.fallingwater.org/
Hillstead Museum, Farmington, CT
Home of Theodate Pope Riddle, female architect and collector of impressive Impressionist artworks, home features a sunken garden & hosts summer festivals featuring poets and musicians.
http://www.hillstead.org/
Isabella Stewart Gardner had an amazing eye for collecting beautiful artworks as well as designing the building on the Fenway. Always a treat to visit.
http://www.gardnermuseum.org/
Heather wrote: "The transformation that occurred in a century of American art from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries, from a literal depiction of nature to an abstract interpretation of universal i..."what an amazing post- such an incredible overview of the world of Art-so well done Heather!
I must admit that I was far more appreciative of the earlier images-pre 1910- but that is my preference- the scope of the post was breath-taking!
Thank you, Rick. I wish I had written it myself or even claim to be so knowledgeable!I looked for a reference when I posted it but I couldn't find one. Now I can't remember where I found it. I know, that's bad. But I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Heather wrote: "Thank you, Rick. I wish I had written it myself or even claim to be so knowledgeable!I looked for a reference when I posted it but I couldn't find one. Now I can't remember where I found it. I know..."really wonderful post!
Melissa wrote: "I am looking to all art lovers for some research help. Currently I am looking to find information about artist homes which have been turned into museums. I have been having a bit of a hard time wit..."In addition to the American ones Carol mentioned, these two abroad might be interesting for you:
Gustave Moreau, a notably eccentric 19th-century artist, had his home and studio in Paris preserved as a museum. With the decline of academic art in general and Moreau's reputation in particular, the place was little visited by the early 20th-century. But the Surrealists revived public interest in Moreau in the 1920s, and the museum has remained a popular destination ever since. It contains many oil paintings by Moreau (an acquired taste), thousands of his often fascinating life drawings, as well as his private art collection, which includes an outstanding portrait of Moreau done by Degas, with whom he was good friends. More info: http://www.musee-moreau.fr/homes/home...
In Amsterdam, Rembrandt's home (substantially reconstructed) is today a museum dedicated to the study of the artist's work and to that of his contemporaries. The place is a bit of a tourist trap, but nonetheless very active in Rembrandt scholarship and often hosts excellent special exhibitions of real depth and merit. Wikipedia has a good article with the history of the house itself and links to the museum's website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rembrand...
Thanks everyone for the help - I will let you all know what I start to find out.
Ruth wrote: "I think it's preferable to call it change rather than progression, which implies that one style is better than another. That's a myopic point of view. Each civilization and era develops the art w..."I think that "widening" rather than progressing would be a good term. As communication advances more and more styles become available to us.
Melissa wrote: "Thanks everyone for the help - I will let you all know what I start to find out."You might be able to find out some useful information about Gustave Moreau indirectly, in that he was a brilliant teacher, and many of his students went on to be famous, especially Georges Roualt and Henri Matisse. So you might look in the indexes of books about Georges Roualt, Henri Matisse as well as Flandrin, Marquet and Manguin.
He was noted for the encouragement that inspired his students to find their own path. He took Matisse aside and said, "you are born to simplify painting."
Hey, I am reading a most fascinating book I just picked up (birthday present to myself, local Borders going out of business sale, picked up 3 art books).Rembrandt: The Painter at Work
This book uses modern research and information that has come to light to reconstruct the work life of Rembrandt and his contemporaries. Copiously ilustrated. I am finding this fascinating.
Everything you knew is wrong. Artists had their apprentices spending long hours, building stretcher bars, preparing panels, stretching canvas, and priming. Well it may have been long hours, but not doing that.
Not. In Amsterdam, the painters bought pre-primed stretched canvases from the guilds. And of course, just like today, there were standard sizes of canvas--because there were standard sizes of frames pre-made.
Much of the pigment grinding was done by specialist as well.
Much of what has been written about Rembrandt's working methods have been terribly wrong too. He had a very systematic way of working, even though his later paintings look very improvisational.
Artist`s homes in Mexico City include Diego Riveras ugly bauhaus styled home which he shared for a brief time with Freiday Kahlo in the neighborhood of Coyocoan, her birthplace.Also Cuevas I believe, still living, has his studio as a national museum.
You might want to do a check on other Mexican artists, through a mxan government website to see the local of their homes. Mexico memorializes its artists to an extent the US does not.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New YorkEditor’s Choice on the Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History:
“In the wake of Abstract Expressionism , a number of painters developed strategies that both extended the life of painting while simultaneously pointing to its inevitable demise.”
When I was in grad school I felt a bit like a dinosaur, getting an MFA in Painting. It was constantly bruited about that painting was dead. That was back in the late 70s. Last time I looked, it was still breathing.
Ruth wrote: "When I was in grad school I felt a bit like a dinosaur, getting an MFA in Painting. It was constantly bruited about the painting was dead. That was back in the late 70s. Last time I looked, it w..."The rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated...
--Painting
Art is life from the inside out
Ok, Heather, not sure where this link should go, but anyone who is on Flickr, the photo-sharing website, and is interested in art, particularly the romanticists among us, should check out this gentleman's photo stream. Lots of paintings and great info on the artists too.http://www.flickr.com/photos/32357038...
Wow,Lorie! There are so many paintings! How wonderful. I bookmarked the page for sure, gotta go through them when I have more time. Thanks!
Not quite sure which discussion this belongs in, but here's a really interesting TED talk:Paul Bloom on the Origins of Pleasure. Why do we like an original painting better than a forgery? Psychologist Paul Bloom argues that human beings are essentialists
Thanks, Ed. That was a very interesting discussion by Paul Bloom.
Yes the discussion was fun and interesting with some fun insights into how we value, feel things.
Psychology is so fascinating. Thanks for sharing this with us, Ed.
Sacred Embrace in Egyptian Religion and ArtDr. Stephen D. Ricks made this presentation at the 2011 conference of FAIR, the Foundation for Apologetics Information and Research.
Several years ago Stephen D. Ricks, Professor of Hebrew and Cognate Learning at BYU, made a trip to Egypt with his wife to visit his son who was studying Arabic there. He said that along the way he hoped to find two or three dozen scenes of ritual embrace from the chapels and pillars of Egyptian temples.
What he found, instead, were scores if not hundreds of these examples, as shown below, that spanned the country from Cairo to Philae in the south.
According to Ricks, “These are all examples of the deity facing the king foot by foot, knee to knee, hand to back, mouth to nose to ‘inspire’ (breathe life) into him.
“At the gates of the horizon Re will ‘[wind] his arms around’ the person and take him to his heart. (Miroslav Verner)
“The king is ‘purified by Re’ and embraced by [face to face with] Thoth . . . not rejected by Ptah (Hermann Kees)
“It is the clasping by Osiris of King Tutankhamun in the last scene of his funeral rites that “transfers vital power [his ka] from the god to the king” (Svein Bjerke)”
Dr. Ricks said that Egypt is “an embarrassment of riches” and the number of examples were so great, he couldn’t take a photo of them all.
Dr. Ricks summarized:
“Scenes of sacred embrace in ancient Egyptian religion occur in the most sacred precincts of the temple.
“While scenes of embrace are confined exclusively to royalty in the early period of Egyptian history, they come to be used of other classes in Egyptian society.
“Sacred embrace is preparation for entrance into the presence of the gods.”
Heather wrote: "Sacred Embrace in Egyptian Religion and ArtDr. Stephen D. Ricks made this presentation at the 2011 conference of FAIR, the Foundation for Apologetics Information and Research.
Several years ago ..."
Wow Heather, that's fascinating. I am sure that I have seen that gesture, but I didn't know what it meant.
Back by popular demand: Visual Arts Trivia Part 3: Return of the Art Jedi
http://www.goodreads.com/quizzes/by_u...
and don't forget Visual Arts Trivia Part 2: Half the Fun, Twice the Obscurity! and the quiz that started it all Visual Arts Trivia .
(Hope you enjoy!)
Another Mejix Project:The Artist Biographies List
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/13...
(and its not art related but don't forget to check The Body Parts in Book Titles List
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/13... )
Rick wrote: "Art is life from the inside out"Waw, I like this quote your excellency !
I just found out about this site:http://www.artbook.com/
"ARTBOOK.COM, the artworld's favorite site for books on art and culture from the world's finest museums and independent publishers."
It has a search feature.
cool, Ed! I bookmarked that one!
I just added a "Cubism" entry to our section on art movements.
I thought the group would be interested in this old-fashioned art form (hope the link works)http://www.npr.org/2013/12/14/2507976...
Dvora wrote: "I thought the group would be interested in this old-fashioned art form (hope the link works)http://www.npr.org/2013/12/14/2507976......"
Neat. He did a very good job.
Yes! :)I always liked to look at the backgrounds in the dioramas. How the colors got bluer and faint, how well did they make the transition between the actual space in the diorama and the imagined space of the backdrop. Especially difficult is when they had the water (clear resin pours apparently) and then they had to make it look like it continued into the back wall.
I feel sorry for the animals though.
There are some really nice ones at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco which I saw a lot of times when I was a child.
I used to take my drawing students from the college to a nearby museum to draw the diorama animals. At least they held nice and still for them.
Dvora, that was really neat! I used the one with the cheetahs as my desktop background, though I appreciated them all. I enjoy what Ed pointed out about the backgrounds of dioramas.
