The Avant Garde and Edouard Manet

The term ‘avant-garde’ in a basic definition, describes artists that have moved their work towards a more radical and different representation. Moving towards a more modernistic influence, avant-garde artists of the 19th century depicted different subjects and styles of paintings. For myself I seem to associate this term with the idea of art for arts sake, and moving from Realism towards Impressionism. French painter Edouard Manet, played a vital role in bridging this transition. Works like Luncheon on the Grass, are currently considered as the beginning of modern art.

Manet is a great example of the classic avant-garde, but I do feel as though the term itself in modern times carries different implications then it did in the 19th century. This is where most negative associations can arise from the word, but when looking at the onset of Impressionism, I have found little if none negative aspects. This is because avant-garde is a relatively prominent term that once, during the 19th century marked artists going against the norm and pushing boundaries within art, a highly pivotal time. Within post-modernisim some of these aspects are relevant, just on a different level then the classic avant-garde artists.

Luncheon on the Grass is a great piece that represents this classic avant-garde influence of the early 19th century. This painting was highly controversial and was rejected from multiple salons when Manet first tried to exhibit it. In this piece we see two middle or upper class men sitting in a picnic like setting with a completely nude women. Depicting prostitution within the middle and upper class in painting, was highly controversial and sparked public notoriety. The way the nude women in this piece is staring at the viewer, challenges you viewer into understanding what is going on. This is also the case, somewhat, in Manet’s Olympia, where a nude women stares at the viewer.

Another aspect that seems to challenge the viewer is the use of lighting throughout this piece. Obviously in an outdoor setting, certain things such as the picnic food and the background seem to be highlighted unnaturally. It seems as though this scene could almost have been shot in a studio with the way the light falls across the scene.

The two men seem to be engaged in conversation, almost ignoring the nude female figure as she sits there somewhat comfortably. When this piece arose in 1863, there was much disdain felt by the general public towards it.However, a beatufiul piece, the ‘avant-garde’ aspect is highly emphasized. What also challenges the viewer in this piece is the painting style in which Manet was known for, a more sketched out and scratchy style, moving away from Realism in a more impressionist technique.

Recent Camp Shots

Recent Camp Night Shots

Mannerism in Art History

One of my favorite types of art we have looked at in Art History 236 has been art depicted through Mannerism. Before this class, I had seen pieces that are made within the Mannerism style, but what highly interested me this quarter was discovering the stylistic concepts and historical context behind this period of art. Mannerism was influenced by naturalistic styles of artists like Raphael, Michelangelo, and da Vinci but seems to encompass a more artificial, however exceedingly sophisticated quality. Artists like Parmigianino, Pontormo, Bronzino, and Fiorentino have all produced pieces of art within this time, and these similarities can be found throughout their work. Pontormo, specifically, seems to express this graceful notion that Mannerism is known for.
Jacopo Carcucci, or Pontormo , was an Italian artist during the onset and early years of Mannerism. His paintings depict a different perspective then previous High Renaissance artists, with figures elegantly floating in the air, a characteristic of Mannerism. Pontormo uses bright colors to depict a group of people in a grieving manner, supporting Jesus and encompassing the space around him. These figures seem to be struggling, implying that help is needed to sustain the weight of Jesus. The man holding him on the bottom seems to be peering back towards the viewer with an empathically look of fret. The rest of the figures seem to carry the same look about them, floating in this bleak space. Even the man on the bottom seems to be barely grounded, but still seems to be holding an immense weight.
The landscape of this oil painting consists of a dark flattened space, with solid ground and a single cloud in the sky. This is another aspect that is specific to Mannerism, and I find highly interesting. It is also very interesting that no cross is visible in this painting, and perhaps the only item relevant to the “natural world” in this piece consists of the clothing worn by these figures. This is highly evolved from earlier artists that would depict space and perspective with high detail, rather open spaces or flat backgrounds. Pontormo leaves the viewer with a quite ambiguous composition in this sense, and rather implies a more “visionary” painting. The way he has expressed these figures as more elongated and stretched out, is typical of the Mannerism style. Rather then being influenced by nature, artists began looking more at past works and sculptures. It is for this reason that Mannerism has been called as “anti-classical”.
Learning about this different aspects and qualities that define a period like Mannerism has been one of the most interesting and fun things for me to learn in this class. Although sometimes it can be frustrating to hear of so many different historians interpretations, it’s important to illustrate the complexity behind pieces of art. I also think the influence of naturalism but not overall depiction of the style, aids to my fondness of Mannerism. I have really enjoyed learning about this style and period with Art.

Clodion's Poetry and Music

Claude Michel, also known as Clodion was a sculptor of the Rococo style. He had many works illustrated within this fanciful and newly refined methodology. One of his most well known pieces, Poetry and Music (1774-1778), expresses this intimate and more personal style. Meant to be viewed at close range, Rococo sculptures like Michel’s were often referred to as “miniature Baroque” (http://www.all-art.org). This piece was commissioned by Louis XV’s finance minister and crafted in expensive Carrara marble. Although Michel or Clodion had also prepared a terracotta model as well, a medium he often worked within. Rococo seemed to be a more playful and elegant approach to Baroque art. Artists were concerned with depicting a more graceful and soft approach to Baroque art and architecture. As art in the early eighteenth century shifted it’s production from individual patrons to more industrially rich and middle class people, this style began to develop.

Once the French court changed locations from Versailles to Paris, the movement began to spread across the entire country and Rococo salons emerged. In these salons were not only great pieces of art, but the walls and ceilings themselves were sculpted and decorated within the Rococo technique. Rococo artists used soft creamy pastel-like colors, emulated curves within forms, and often used gold (especially within decoration). Chandeliers, decorated furniture and tabletop sculptures were very common within these salons that exploded across Europe.

Designed for his residence in Paris, Poetry and Music, was commissioned by Abbe Terray, a minister of Louis XV (www.nga.gov). The piece represents an overall interest of the minister within the arts and sciences, and depicts two young boys immersed within music. Standing up and with longer hair, the boy to the left seems to be older then the smaller one to the right. The smaller boy seems to be concentrated on the other while he plays an instrument. The boy on the right has a scroll in his hand and with his stern glance at the older boy, seems to be trying to learn or study. There is also a trumpet below the younger boy, suggesting that perhaps they are learning multiple instruments.

This sculpture expresses the smooth and graceful curves that the Rococo style was known for, specifically within sculpture. A soft piece that expresses a common interest within arts and sciences, this piece would have functioned in a Rococo style salon. Playful and intimate, Claude Michel’s Poetry and Music is a great sculpture coming out of the Rococo style of the eighteenth century.

Elk up Lion Rock

This big ol guy was at least 14 points, biggest I've ever seen.

Albrecht Durer's Self Portrait

For this week’s analysis, I will be looking at Albrecht Durer’s Self Portrait, also known as Self-Portrait at Twenty-Eight Wearing a Coat with Fur Collar. German Renaissance artist Durer painted this iconic piece on wood panel early around 1500. It is most well known for resembling Jesus Christ using religious devices such as symmetry, dark tones and the body language of the subject. Durer was the first known artist to accomplish many different styles of self-portraiture. This half-length portrait is frontal and highly symmetrical, with the figures right hand raised to his chest as if praying. His self portrait idealizes Christ, using a symmetrical and frontal view, rather then a pose where the head is at an angle. There was a large influence of Christ and the portrayal of Christ in portraits that went into Durer’s self-portrait.

Although the painting is directed at the viewer, it is also directed inward toward “the self”. The dark and bare background seems to suggest that Durer did not intend for this figure to be in any sort of environment. His use of the brown tones create a somber appearance and compliment the dark background. The use of the lighting in this portrait is also very interesting. The highlights fall unevenly across Durer and influence this portrait with a mellow notion of realism. Durer has also seemed to have mimicked the facial expressions of earlier depictions of Christ, and does it exceptionally well. Albrecht, who had started drawing at a very young age, was viewed as very bold for painting this frontal portrait, which at the time was very rare. He viewed himself as a fairly innovative and well-rounded artist, and perhaps he is suggesting in this portrait that his gift is God-given.

One of the most important figures of the Northern Renaissance, Durer was known for working within exact proportions. However it is debated that this piece is not of exact proportions, with art historians saying his hair is uneven. Durer put incredible detail into the hair of this figure, and it is one of the most highlighted aspects of this whole piece. Another stylistic choice Durer has made is the choice of clothing for his figure, a coat with a fur jacket. This is typical of the Northern Renaissance and similar fur jackets can be found depicted in the works of Jan Van Eyck. Durer not only excelled in painting, but also in making wood cuts and engravings. This piece is his third of his painted self-portraits and is considered his most personal. The way the viewer interacts with this frontal image is very effective and at the time was very innovative. When looking at Durer’s previous works, especially his self-portraits, this one is his absolute most successful.