15.1 The impact of 19th century art movements on modern and contemporary art

The 19th century art movements laid the groundwork for modern and contemporary art. Impressionism's focus on light and color, Post-Impressionism's experimentation with form, and Symbolism's exploration of the subconscious all pushed art in new directions.

These innovations paved the way for 20th-century movements like Fauvism, Cubism, and Surrealism. The Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau movements also influenced modern design, emphasizing craftsmanship and organic forms that still resonate today.

19th Century Art's Influence on Modernity

Impressionism's Impact on Modern Art Techniques

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• Impressionist movement of the late 19th century emphasized capturing fleeting moments of light and color
  • Profoundly influenced the development of modern art
  • Techniques like visible brushstrokes, pure colors, and painting en plein air (outdoors) were adopted by many early modern artists
• The Fauves and Expressionists took Impressionism's use of bright, pure colors and visible brushstrokes to new extremes
  • Used color in a highly subjective and emotional way (Matisse's "Woman with a Hat", Kirchner's "Street, Berlin")

Post-Impressionism and Symbolism as Precursors to Modern Art Movements

• Post-Impressionism pushed the boundaries of representation with expressive colors, flattened perspectives, and abstracted forms
  • Artists like van Gogh, Gauguin, and Cézanne experimented with these innovations
  • Paved the way for more radical departures from realism in modern art movements (Fauvism, Cubism, Expressionism)
• Symbolist movement of the late 19th century focused on dreams, visions, and the inner world of the imagination
  • Important precursor to Surrealism and other modern art movements that explored the subconscious mind
  • Symbolist art used symbols, myths, and dream imagery to express inner states of mind (Redon's "The Cyclops", Moreau's "The Apparition")

Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau's Influence on Modern Design

• Arts and Crafts movement and Art Nouveau style emphasized handcrafted design, organic forms, and integrating art into everyday life
  • Significantly impacted the development of modern design and architecture in the 20th century
  • Influenced the work of many modernist designers and architects (Frank Lloyd Wright, Bauhaus school)
• Contemporary artists and designers continue to revive the emphasis on craftsmanship, organic design, and integrating art and life
  • Especially in fields like ceramics, textiles, and sustainable architecture

Key Elements of 19th Century Art

Color and Brushwork

• Impressionists pioneered the use of bright, pure colors and visible brushstrokes
  • Taken to new extremes by modern artists like the Fauves and Expressionists
  • Used color in a highly subjective and emotional way to convey inner states (Munch's "The Scream")
• Post-Impressionists like van Gogh and Gauguin also used expressive, non-naturalistic colors
  • Conveyed personal symbolism and emotion (van Gogh's "Starry Night", Gauguin's Tahitian paintings)

Perspective and Form

• Post-Impressionists like Cézanne flattened perspective and broke down forms into geometric shapes
  • Key element in the development of Cubism and other forms of abstract art in the early 20th century
  • Picasso and Braque further fragmented and reconstructed forms in their Cubist works
• Symbolists and Surrealists also flattened and distorted perspective to create dreamlike, irrational spaces
  • Explored alternative realities and subconscious states (Dali's "The Persistence of Memory")

Symbolism and Dream Imagery

• Symbolists used symbols, myths, and dream imagery to express inner states of mind
  • Hallmark of Symbolist art that was adopted and expanded by Surrealist artists (Dali, Magritte)
  • Explored the irrational, subconscious, and alternative realities in their works
• Contemporary artists continue to use fantastic or surreal imagery
  • Explore psychological states, social issues, and imagined worlds

Handcrafted Objects and Integrated Design

• Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau movements championed handcrafted, one-of-a-kind objects
  • Emphasized integrating art into architecture and interior design
  • Influenced work of many modernist designers and architects (Frank Lloyd Wright, Bauhaus school)
• Many contemporary artists and designers continue to prioritize craftsmanship and organic design
  • Especially in fields like ceramics, textiles, and sustainable architecture

Lasting Impact of 19th Century Art

Impressionist-Inspired Contemporary Landscape Painting

• Impressionists captured ephemeral effects of light and atmosphere, sense of a particular time and place
  • Continues to inspire many contemporary landscape and cityscape painters
  • Often work en plein air to directly capture light and color (contemporary Impressionists like Colley Whisson)
• Post-Impressionist explorations of personal expression and formal properties of art still influence contemporary artists
  • Prioritize concept and process over realistic representation (abstract expressionists like Pollock)

Symbolist and Surrealist Legacies in Contemporary Art

• Symbolists and Surrealists explored dreams, myths, the irrational, and subconscious
  • Taken up by many contemporary artists using fantastic or surreal imagery
  • Explore psychological states, social issues, alternative realities (Neo-Surrealists like Tetsuya Ishida)
• Contemporary artists also critically examine and subvert 19th century Orientalism and cultural stereotypes
  • Challenge Eurocentric biases and celebrate diversity (Kehinde Wiley's race-swapped classical portraits)

Revivals of Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau Ideals

• Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau emphasized craftsmanship, organic design, integrating art and life
  • Revived by many contemporary artists and designers
  • Especially in fields like ceramics, textiles, sustainable architecture (Phoebe Cummings' unfired clay installations)
• Contemporary craft movements and DIY culture echo Arts and Crafts ideals of handmade objects and individual expression
  • Reaction against mass production and commercialization of art (Etsy's handmade marketplace)