The 19th century, or the period of time in the 1800's, is known as the Romantic Era of art. This period brought many different styles, but the unifying theme was that of idealism. Art Nouveau, the style of painting featured above, stepped outside of the academic study and artists began to explore painting in a style more emotionally driven and less concerned with perfection. Flowing organic lines and muted hues of greens, yellows, browns, and blues are characteristic of Art Nouveau style (Art Story, 2022). Japanese prints also influenced this style of painting (Britannica, 2022). Some of the work in this style reminds me of circus posters.
Klimt's work, Medicine, oil on canvas, was commissioned in 1894 by the Ministry of Culture for the Great Hall of the University of Vienna (Art Story, 2022). The painting was met with much disapproval and was eventually destroyed in 1945 (Art Story, 2022). Klimt was the first president of the Vienna Succession, founded in 1897, and he challenged the conservatism of Austria's artistic institutions (Art Story, 2022). Medicine features the goddess Hygeia. When studied closely, one will see that on her right are nude figures captured by the skeleton of Death and also hidden is a mother giving birth (Art Story, 2022). This mythological take on modern medicine was not well received. Klimt would buy back all three of his commissioned paintings in 1905 (Art Story, 2022). I personally would display this painting and am grieved that it did not survive. The subdued brown/gold hues that dominate the piece I find comforting. The hidden work in the background deserves careful scrutiny.
Mucha's work, The Seasons, is a color lithograph, painted in 1896, and is on display the the Mucha Museum in Prague (Art Story, 2022). Mucha was an artist from the Czech Republic and is most known for his posters (Art Story, 2022). Women were the dominate theme of much of Mucha's work and it was often mass-produced. You can see his use of symbolism in The Seasons, each woman conveying a different mood. I love Mucha's work. All his women are powerful and rarely tainted by the inclusion of men. The Art Nouveau palette of greens, browns, blues, and yellows is soothing and pleasing. These painting are touched by a bit of romanticism for sure.
While both of these paintings, Medicine and The Seasons, are works of Art Nouveau style, my preference is for Mucha's work. I enjoy his interpretation of the symbolic and his paintings often have a broader use of color. The women he paints appear powerful and strong.
Another style that came out of the Romantic Era was that of the Hudson River School. The Hudson River School was a loosely organized group of painters, largely from New York, that mastered landscape painting. Many of these artists are responsible for bringing notice to our lands and the need to preserve them.
Thomas Cole, the artist that created The Oxbow, seen above, is thought to be the founder of the Hudson River School (Art Story, 2022). A British American, Cole's work focused on the wilds of America. The Oxbow, painted in 1836, oil on canvas, is on display at the Metropolis Museum of Art in New York. I like the drama of this piece. On the left, a summer storm is passing over the the valley of the Connecticut River as evidenced by the shadow and darker grey tones. The right side of the painting is bright and fresh as though the storm has just passed through, and the sun is shining down. The river valley is clear and uncluttered and allows the visitor to bask in this work. This piece brings me joy, though it would not be suitable for display in my home. I believe this work needs a larger audience.
Bierstadt, a German American painter, created Rocky Mountains, Lander's Peak, in 1863 (Art Story, 2022). This work is oil on canvas and is displayed at The Met Museum, New York. Bierstadt stood out to me as one of the few of the Hudson River School painters to focus on the Western United States. I feel his work is almost too idealized which distracts from the natural beauty of the landscape. The painting shown above, Rocky Mountains, Lander's Peak, for example is altered to maximize its effect on the viewer (Art Story, 2022). Bierstadt uses luminism to pull the viewer into the scene (Art Story, 2022). My preference is for Cole's work, being truer to life, though my heart is with the Western United States.
References
Britannica. (2022). Art Nouveau. Artistic Style. (online). Art Nouveau | History, Characteristics, Artists, & Facts | Britannica
The Art Story. (2022). Art Nouveau. (online). Art Nouveau Movement Overview | TheArtStory
I love the paintings from the Hudson River School! They look so realistic and make me feel at peace. The painting "Rocky Mountains" is absolutely stunning and the more I look at it the more amazed I become. I'm not quite sure what you mean by "almost too idealized", if you could expand on that, that would be great!
ReplyDelete