Late 18th century and 19th century

     In the Video we see works from the late 18th century and 19th century where artist begin to use Impressionism and Post impressionism. Below and two examples of each type of art and how they differ.

 

     Impressionism is a late 18th-century art movement that originated with a group of Paris-based artists whose independent exhibitions brought them to prominence during the 1870s and 1880s. Around 1874 artist switched to Impressionist painting where they turned to portray contemporary life in their work. Impressionism painting depicts what the eye sees rather than what the mind knows.

 

Poppy Fields near Argenteuil by Claude Monet, 1875

In the painting Poppy Fields near Argenteuil by Claude Monet, done oil on canvas in 1875 we see here a realistic depiction of a worker in a poppy field. The colors Monet uses are true to nature, muted and soft. With natural colors the painting gives a calming feeling. The clouds are soft with a hint of sun light, showing how the artist depicted true to life clouds in this piece.

Post-impressionism is the style of art used in the late 19th-century. They reacted against the naturalism of the impressionists to explore color, line, and form, and the emotional response of the artist. Post-impressionism is a free interpretation of nature where an artist tries not paint a picture as we see things but to see through them to a significance in a reality deeper than what superficial reality gave.

 

 Cypresses by Vincent van Gogh, 1889

Cypresses was painted in late June 1889, shortly after Van Gogh began his yearlong stay at the asylum in Saint-Rémy. The subject, which he found "beautiful as regards lines and proportions, like an Egyptian obelisk," both captivated and challenged the artist: "It’s the dark patch in a sun-drenched landscape, but it’s one of the most interesting dark notes, the most difficult to hit off exactly that I can imagine." This painting done oil on canvas, uses the contrast of light and dark to draw your eye to the tall curvy trees. Van Gogh's work uses rhythm and thick lines to show movement in the trees and tall grass. This paiting is different from the Impressionistic work due to the curvy lines used and symbolic gestures used to describe the moon and clouds around it.