In which movement are we?

The different artistic movements

We will see in 3 parts some artistic movements and their history. 

 Baroque

This movement went from 1590 to 1790. He took mostly place in Europe, countries such as France, Italy, Netherlands and Germany.

The principals characteristic of this period were: Grandeur, Colour, and Non-linear.

Some artists you probably know such as Rembrandt, Vermeer, Caravaggio or El Greco

This movement was quite inspired by the Renaissance with this bright colour and luminous characters.

During the period Baroc was born historical events such as the Thirty year's war happened and influence the artist and their perception of the world.

Stone Operation                                   Girl with a pearl earring                    Bacchus Adolescent

El Greco, Christ Healing the Blind

Classicism 1750 to 1830

This period was used to create paintings and structures of classical antiquity which you could find in the Roman and Greek periods.

The five important elements you could find in classicism are: Simplicity, Harmony, Single lines and Enlarged ensembles.

Some important artists of this period are: Nicolas Poussin, Raphael, Henri Fuseli 

Nicolas Poussin, he is a French painter. He was passionate about painting from a very young age, but as a non-fortune man, it was difficult for him to live off his art. He tried his chance in Paris but didn't meet the success he dreamed of. He met there Gambatistta Marino, who helped him practice his art. He went to Rome where he finally met success after years of a complicated life. In 1639 his success comes to Louis XIII and was called to the French court where he began the painter of the King. He returned to Rome in 1642 his heart country, where he died peacefully in 1665.

Landscape with a calm

The assumption of the virgin

       Henry Fuseli was a Swiss painter of the 18th century. He passes a lot of time in Britain and paints supernatural characters. Shakespeare was one of his most important inspirations and he paints a lot of the characters in his plays. Like for example the witches from Macbeth. One of his most famous paintings " The Nightmare" inspired great artists like Mary Shelley and Edgar Allan Poe.                                                                 

The Three Witches 

The Nightmare

Raphael was born in 1483 in Urbino Italia, he was initiated to painting at a young age by his father who was a painter. In 1504 he went to Florence and due to his family relationship, he was quickly recognised as a painter. But it was really his relationship with De Vinci and Michelangelo that increase the quality of his works.

Madonna Del Granduca

His talent was so successful that even the Pope wanted him to paint in the Vatican. We then went to Rome in 1508 to realise the work in the Vatican and stayed there until he died in 1520. He had a short life and die at the age of 37, but his legacy is still living with us today

Saint Catherine of Alexandria

Autoportrait with a Friend

Neo-Classicism

Neo-Classicism is an opposition to the Rococo and Baroque movements: it shows simplicity and antic value.  

The characteristics of this movement are:  Harmony, Clarity, Unemotional telling of events, the simplicity of the line, form and colour.

  

One of my favourite paintings of Jacques Louis Davis is named The Death Of Marat.

I will share with you a little secret. The story behind this painting and you will shine in front of your friend!

J.P. Marat was a radical journalist and politician during the French revolution. He was an activist fighter for the rights of the French population and particularly the poorest ones. Due to his investment to defend the poor people, he makes enemies and got killed in his apartment.

The painter Jacques Louis Davis was a really close friend to Marat and if you get closer to the painting, you can see a little note. He wrote " n'ayant pu me corrompre ils m'ont asssasiné", which means they couldn't bribe me, so they killed me"

Antonio Canova, he was an Italian sculptor. He's particularly known for his incredible marble sculpture. 

Kiss of Cupid

He learns his technique in Venice in 1770 as an apprentice of Giuseppe Bernardi. He went to Rome where he practised and perfected his work with the works of Michelangelo. By 1800 he was one of the most famous artists in Europe, his sculpture touches people and even Napoleon and his sister ask for the work of the artist.

The Three Graces

Angelica Kauffman, Keep her name in your mind because she is one of the most important artists of 18th century Europe. 

She was a major artist in London and Rome, especially for her painting of portraits and landscapes. She became one of the only two female founder members of the Royal Academy. 

Cornelia pointing her children

Virgile writing his epitaph at Brundisi

  Realism

A mid-nineteenth-century artistic movement characterised by subjects, painted from everyday life in a naturalistic manner

As you can see in this painting from Lepage named "October".

The background and the road give an impression of movement which you can't get your eyes off.

Moreover, the lines on the women's faces and their movements. The lady in the foreground is wearing potatoes. We can't say if she led them down because of their weight or if she's grabbing them, but we can clearly see that there are heavy.

Contemporary realism

Steven Assael, Passengers

You might recognise yourself in this painting. That is what is so special in realism, the techniques used to play on your perception of reality. This way might think that a painting like that kind of looks like a picture.

The details are perfectly respected, nothing is added, and the lines and the structures of the human body are totally related to the human body.