Lecture 4: Realism and Modern Art

Introduction

• Lecturer: Dr. Parmy Juni, Otis College of Art and Design
• Focus: Realism, the first movement of Modern Art
• Realism's criticism of academic art and the changes proposed
• Term 'avant-garde' used to describe realist artists

World Fairs: Modern Public Spectacles

• World fairs began mid-19th century as modern spectacles

• 1851 Great Exhibition, London

  • Organized by Prince Albert
  • Showcased industrial advances and colonial treasures
  • Held at The Crystal Palace
  • Crystal Palace: made of metal, wood, glass; temporary structure
  • Exhibits: fabrics, jewelry, art, machinery
  • Affordable tickets, meant to show industrial achievements
  • Highlighted Western industrial superiority

• Subsequent World Fairs

  • 1883 Chicago World's Fair
  • 1889 French Exposition, Eiffel Tower constructed
  • Displayed Western technological and cultural superiority

Edward Manet and the Avant-Garde

• Manet challenged academic art conventions

• Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe (1863)

  • Controversial for its style and subject
  • Exhibited at Salon des Refusés
  • Depicted clothed men, nude women without idealization
  • Criticized for style, lack of idealization, and direct gaze

• Olympia (1865)

  • Alluded to prostitution, contemporary setting
  • Criticized for style, perceived poor execution
  • Direct, challenging gaze, black cat symbolizing eroticism

Male vs Female Nudes in Modernity

• Male nudes less prominent, focus shifted to contemporary male dress
• Male fashion (suit) conveyed modernity and power
• Comparison of paintings by Millet and Manet displayed fashion and modernity

Manet's Influence

• Bridged realism and Impressionism
• Focused on contemporary subjects, rejecting academic norms
• Influenced the next generation, the Impressionists
• Promoted a universal experience and language for art

Conclusion

• Realism opened the door to new artistic styles
• Modernity characterized by change and innovation
• Next lecture: the Impressionists and their depiction of modernity

Key Themes

• World fairs as symbols of modernity and industrialization
• Manet's revolutionary approach to art and its reception
• The evolving role of the nude in art
• Male fashion as a representation of power

Important Artists

• Edward Manet
• Jean-François Millet
• Alexandre Cabanel
• T.J. Clark (commentator)

Concepts

• Avant-garde: leading edge in art
• Modernity: characterized by change, progress, innovation
• Realism: movement challenging traditional academic art