Art in the Past and the Modern Era
Art has changed from the past to the modern era in different perspectives such as colouring, lighting, motivation factors and even the selling. In the past, art did not have any freedom and the artists could not express all their ideas since some artworks could be considered offensive. The following work will explore how art has changed from the 1700/1800 to the modern era.
Neoclassicism Art
Neoclassic art emerged around 1750 in Europe, and it lasted into the mid-nineteenth century. The art movement was meant to preserve the aesthetic and cultural values of the Greece and Rome civilization. There were various characteristics which defined the neoclassic art. The painting used cool colours; the colours were not too dull or too bright which made the artwork appear appealing due to the coolness. The neoclassical arts used natural white marble when making their works of art. The arts indicated widely used resources to express the idea of the artist. The paintings were made to maintain value, simplicity, and purity in an aesthetic sense. The artists in neoclassical period influenced each other and borrowed ideas from which they used in their artwork (Palmer 5). One of the famous artworks during this period is the Oath of the Horatii made by Louis David in 1784. The painting was made on oil on canvas medium depicting a scene from the Roman legend on a war between Rome and Alba Longa. The colours used indicate how the army in the two cities used to dress and their items of war which were swords and spears. The women in the background appear sad and an indication of what took place during the war, since they feared to lose their loved ones.
Romanticism Art
The romanticism era followed towards the end of 1700 and gained momentum in 1800, and it marked the end of the Baroque movement. The art during this period paid attention to the mood, emotions, and feelings of different types such as mystery, spirituality, enthusiasm, and imagination. The subject matter was from different things such as revolution, landscape, and peaceful beauty. During this period, the brushwork was looser and less precise. The artwork was determined by the emotional feelings of the artists. The landscape was most recognized during this period. Romanticism was very different from neoclassicism which was large during that period since it concentrated on reason, discipline, and moral purpose while romanticism focused on expressing feelings. The Slave Ship; Typhoon Coming On made in 1832 by Turner is the among the most famous romanticism arts. It was it depicted a ship on a stormy sea, and it shows mixed feelings as expressed by the colour and the lighting. Despite the sea being stormy, the artist has used rays of light from the clear clouds above the sea. It could be an indication of showing hope to the slaves who were caught in the ship. There some dark colours also showing the negative effects of the storm (Donnachie, Ian and Carmen 23).
Impressionism Art
Impressionism is considered as the initial modern movement in art. It started in 1860 in Paris and was done by artists who were against the exhibitions made by the governments and officials. The impressionism arts were shunned by the powerful learning art schools. The artists during this period were dedicated to capturing the moment or what made an object impressive. For this to be achieved, the studios had to be taken to the streets and the countryside. The brushwork was loose, and the more pure and intense colours were adopted. The clarity of form and linear perspective were abandoned, characteristics mainly used in establishing the essential elements of artwork from those less important. The painters adopted the ideas of Gustave Courbet which prompted being real and being imperfect in numerous ways instead of the perfect symmetry concept. The canvas was used during this time as an impression. There were some characteristics of science in the arts, and the lighting effects change, for instance, optical effects of light were used to pass the message of time, weather changes, and atmosphere shifts. There were no realistic depictions used. The Luncheon on the Grass art by Eduardo Manet in 1862 is an impressive art where one get conclude depending on what they can see.
Postimpressionism Art
Postimpressionism art is a response to the opticality of the impressionist era. The main focus was the vision of the artist which was expressed from the mind and soul of the artist. The period influenced identity-related art such as Feminist Art. The postimpressionism artists ensured that they used personal and symbolic meaning through memories and emotions which help in connecting with a deeper level view. The postimpressionism artists were guided by the optical impact of color, structure, and order which determined the aesthetic vision. Colour and shape were used in describing the world around people. Though industrialized forms had been adopted during that period, art in this era concentrated on form, pattern, and abstract (Brodskaya 7). The period was a precursor to the Cubism period. One of the famous arts during this period is Starry Night made by Van Gogh in 1888. It shows an idealized village just before the sunrise. There is a blend of colours and shapes which show different aspects. The house structures, for instance, and the colours of the clouds and the sun which is almost rising shown with a bright colour. Other bodies such as the stars can still be seen an indication that it was early in the morning.
Cubism Art
Cubism gained momentum in 1900, and it was the beginning of modern era art. The concept of perspective which was used since the Renaissance period was dropped as well as realism. Others forms of art began to be explored such as piercing figures, objects and open forms by allowing the flow of space, exhibiting objects from varying angles and blending the background into the foreground. The changes created different experiments in time, space and movement. Les Demoiselles D’Avignon by Pablo Picasso in 1907 is one of the recognized arts in this era which was completely different due to the content and formal expression. The nude women were painted as prostitutes indicating aggressive sexual postures, something that was considered wrong. Such expressions were not allowed, but in the modern era, the artists expressed their minds and ideas like freedom of art had been gained (Cottington 12).
Conclusion
In conclusion, art changes are explained depending on the movement. In 1700, there was no freedom, and the artists had to use certain colours and lighting, and the art had to express moral purpose. In 1800, the artists began to explore more colours and lighting, shape and form as a way of expressing art. Modern art is free where an artist is free to express their mind with colours f choice and express any message.
Works Cited
Brodskaya, Nathalia. Post-impressionism. Parkstone International, 2014. Internet resource.
Cottington, David. Cubism and Its Histories. Manchester: Manchester Univ. Press, 2004. Print.
Donnachie, Ian L, and Carmen Lavin. From Enlightenment to Romanticism. Manchester: Manchester University Press, published in association with the Open University, 2004. Print.
Palmer, Allison L. Historical Dictionary of Neoclassical Art and Architecture. Milton Keynes: Lightning Source, 2011. Print.
