19th Century Art Movements Overview

Overview

This lecture surveys key 19th-century art movements, focusing on how artists reacted to changing social, political, and technological landscapes by inventing new styles and approaches.

Neoclassicism vs. Romanticism

• Neoclassicism dominated early 19th-century art, emphasizing order, reason, and classical ideals.
• Romanticism emerged in reaction, focusing on emotion, individual experience, and man's relationship to nature.
• Romantic art evoked strong emotions such as terror, awe, and excitement, not just love.
• Jerricho’s "Raft of the Medusa" and Friedrich's "Wanderer above a Sea of Fog" illustrate Romanticism’s dramatic themes.

Realism

• Realism rejected dramatic or imaginary scenes in favor of depicting everyday life as experienced by the artist.
• Jean-François Millet painted peasant life, such as "The Sower" (1850).
• Gustave Courbet’s "Burial at Ornans" used real people and downplayed drama, symbolizing the end of Romanticism.

Impact of Photography

• Photography emerged in the 1830s, providing a quick, inexpensive way to capture portraits.
• Painting adapted by focusing on aspects like color that photography could not match.

Impressionism

• Impressionists, including Claude Monet and Renoir, explored how light and color change in nature.
• They painted outdoors ("en plein air") using short brush strokes and vibrant colors.
• Impressionist works often appear blurry up close but blend at a distance.
• The movement broke from academic art, holding independent exhibitions after rejection by official salons.
• Japanese art, especially woodblock prints, influenced Impressionist composition and stylization.

Post-Impressionism and Other Movements

• Post-Impressionists built on Impressionism but developed personal styles.
• Paul Cézanne focused on structure and form, sometimes breaking shapes and ignoring perspective.
• Vincent van Gogh used expressive brushwork and bold colors to convey emotion and energy.
• The "aesthetic movement" argued for "art for art’s sake," prioritizing artistic value over subject.
• Art Nouveau applied flowing lines inspired by nature to architecture, as seen in Antoni Gaudí’s Casa Batlló.
• Symbolism used visual metaphors to express deeper psychological meanings, exemplified by Edvard Munch’s "The Scream."

Global Influences and Fragmentation

• Late 19th-century art became fragmented into distinct styles (German, French, Hungarian, etc.).
• Global travel and trade exposed Western artists to non-Western perspectives, paving the way for modern art.

Key Terms & Definitions

• Neoclassicism — Style based on classical Greek and Roman ideals, emphasizing order and rationality.
• Romanticism — Art movement focusing on emotion, awe, and the power of nature.
• Realism — Art showing everyday life and real people with minimal dramatization.
• Impressionism — Art capturing fleeting effects of light and color, typically painted outdoors.
• Post-Impressionism — Diverse styles evolving from Impressionism, emphasizing structure or emotion.
• Art Nouveau — Decorative art style with organic, flowing forms based on nature.
• Symbolism — Art using symbols and metaphors to represent deeper meanings.

Action Items / Next Steps

• Review images of key paintings mentioned, such as "Raft of the Medusa," "Burial at Ornans," "Starry Night," and "The Scream."
• Read about how photography influenced painting styles in the 19th century.
• Research Japanese woodblock prints and their impact on Western art.