15.3 The enduring popularity and influence of 19th century artists and their works

The 19th century was a game-changer for art. Artists pushed boundaries, creating movements like Impressionism that still wow us today. They tackled big themes and emotions, making art that speaks to people across time and cultures.

These artists weren't just talented - they were innovators. They invented new techniques and approaches that revolutionized how we see and make art. Their lives became legendary, adding to the mystique that keeps us fascinated by their work centuries later.

Popularity of 19th Century Art

Pioneering Roles in Influential Movements

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• 19th century artists played pioneering roles in developing influential artistic movements (Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism)
• These groundbreaking movements revolutionized art and laid the foundation for modern and contemporary art
• Artists challenged traditional conventions and introduced new styles, techniques, and subject matter

Universal Themes and Emotional Resonance

• Many 19th century artists created works that resonated with universal human emotions and experiences
  • Captured timeless themes (love, loss, beauty, nature, social issues)
  • Enabled their art to maintain relevance and appeal across generations and cultures
• Examples:
  • Vincent van Gogh's expressive brushwork and vibrant colors conveyed intense emotional states (The Starry Night)
  • Auguste Rodin's sculptures explored the human form and psychological depth (The Thinker)

Technical Mastery and Innovation

• 19th century artists demonstrated exceptional technical mastery and innovative approaches
  • Set new standards of artistic excellence that continue to be admired and emulated
• Pioneered new techniques and materials
  • Impressionists captured fleeting effects of light and color through loose, visible brushstrokes
  • Post-Impressionists experimented with bold colors, simplified forms, and expressive distortions
• Examples:
  • Claude Monet's series paintings of haystacks and Rouen Cathedral showcased his mastery of capturing changing light conditions
  • Georges Seurat developed the pointillist technique of applying small dots of pure color to create optical effects (A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte)

Mythologizing Artists' Lives

• The mythologizing of 19th century artists' lives has contributed to their ongoing fascination
• Many artists were portrayed as romantic, heroic figures who struggled for recognition and challenged societal norms
• Biographical legends and anecdotes have enhanced their popular appeal and mystique
• Examples:
  • The tortured genius narrative surrounding Vincent van Gogh and his self-inflicted ear injury
  • The scandalous love affair between Auguste Rodin and his student Camille Claudel

Institutional Promotion and Canonical Status

• Major museums and cultural institutions have consistently promoted 19th century art
  • High-profile exhibitions, permanent collections, and educational programs
  • Reinforced its canonical status and popularity
• Inclusion in art historical narratives and academic curricula has solidified the importance of 19th century art
• Examples:
  • The Musée d'Orsay in Paris is dedicated to 19th century art and attracts millions of visitors annually
  • The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has a renowned collection of 19th century European paintings and sculptures

Reproduction and Dissemination

• The widespread reproduction and dissemination of 19th century artworks has expanded their reach
• Prints, posters, and digital media have made famous works widely accessible and recognizable
• Ubiquitous presence in popular visual culture (advertising, film, design) has cemented their iconic status
• Examples:
  • Pierre-Auguste Renoir's Luncheon of the Boating Party has been reproduced on countless posters, calendars, and consumer products
  • Édouard Manet's paintings have been referenced and parodied in films, television, and contemporary art

Reception of 19th Century Art

Initial Shock and Scandal

• Initial responses to avant-garde 19th century art movements were often marked by shock, scandal, and derision
• Conservative critics and audiences rejected the unconventional styles and subject matter as crude, unfinished, or morally offensive
• Example: Édouard Manet's Olympia (1863) sparked outrage for its frank depiction of a nude prostitute confronting the viewer

Embrace as Symbol of Modernity

• As 19th century artistic innovations gained acceptance, they were increasingly embraced as symbols of modernity, progress, and individual expression
• Avant-garde art came to be seen as a liberating force, challenging academic traditions and reflecting the dynamism of modern life
• Example: The Impressionists' light-filled, spontaneous paintings captured the experience of the rapidly modernizing city and its leisure activities

Modernist Reappraisals

• In the early 20th century, 19th century art was often positioned as a foil to the radical experimentation of modernist movements
  • Alternately revered as a foundation and rebelled against as a constraining tradition
• Modernists selectively appropriated and reinterpreted elements of 19th century art to suit their own aesthetic and ideological agendas
• Example: Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque's Cubist still lifes deconstructed the illusionistic space and solid forms of 19th century painting

Post-WWII Reassessments

• Post-WWII reassessments of 19th century art by scholars and critics emphasized its formal innovations and sociopolitical dimensions
• New lines of interpretation emerged, focusing on the subversive potential and historical contexts of 19th century works
• Example: Feminist art historians reexamined the role of women artists and the gendered politics of representation in 19th century art

Social Art History and Postcolonial Perspectives

• The rise of social art history in the late 20th century brought greater attention to issues of class, gender, and colonialism in 19th century art
  • Complicated its meaning and legacy by revealing power dynamics and marginalized voices
• Postcolonial perspectives have highlighted the Eurocentrism of 19th century art and its role in imperial projects
• Example: Orientalist paintings by artists like Jean-Léon Gérôme have been critiqued for their exoticizing and stereotypical depictions of non-Western cultures

Global Reception and Reinterpretation

• Global perspectives on 19th century art have highlighted its role in shaping international artistic discourses
• 19th century European art was appropriated, reinterpreted, and contested by artists and audiences across cultures
• Transnational exchanges and encounters generated new forms of cultural hybridity and resistance
• Example: Japanese ukiyo-e prints influenced the compositional strategies and color palettes of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists, while also serving as a model for woodblock printing in the Meiji period

Influence of 19th Century Art

Art Market and Collecting Practices

• The skyrocketing prices achieved by iconic 19th century artworks at auction have made them coveted trophies
  • Sought after by wealthy collectors and prestigious museums as markers of status and cultural capital
• The lucrative market has incentivized forgeries and fueled debates around authenticity and connoisseurship
  • Scientific analysis plays an increasing role in attribution and valuation
• The concentration of masterpieces in major museums has limited the supply of top works, driving up their value
  • Spurred the growth of private collections as an alternative to public institutions
• Example: Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi, though not 19th century, exemplifies the astronomical prices and controversy surrounding attribution in the art market

Blockbuster Exhibitions and Museum Strategies

• Blockbuster exhibitions featuring 19th century artists have become reliable draws for museums
  • Shape institutional programming, marketing strategies, and revenue streams
• Museums compete for loans of key works and organize traveling exhibitions to maximize audience reach and press coverage
• Exhibitions often focus on a single iconic artist or a major theme, providing an accessible entry point for the public
• Example: The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam has organized numerous international touring exhibitions of Vincent van Gogh's work, drawing record crowds and generating significant income

Revival of Interest in Lesser-Known Artists

• The art market's speculative interest in undervalued 19th century artists has led to periodic reassessments and revivals
• Scholars, dealers, and collectors seek to identify overlooked talents and rediscover marginalized figures
  • Particularly women artists and artists of color who faced historical exclusion and discrimination
• Exhibitions, publications, and sales campaigns can dramatically reshape an artist's reputation and market value
• Example: The rediscovery and promotion of the African American landscape painter Robert S. Duncanson in the late 20th century, with major exhibitions and scholarship reevaluating his contributions

Global Expansion of the Art Market

• The expansion of the art market to new global centers has fueled international demand for 19th century art
  • Seen as a blue-chip investment and a marker of refined taste
• Collectors and institutions in Asia, the Middle East, and other regions have become major players in the market for 19th century art
• The globalization of the art world has also sparked debates around cultural patrimony, repatriation, and the circulation of cultural objects
• Example: The acquisition of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces by Japanese collectors and museums in the late 20th century, reflecting the country's economic boom and cultural aspirations