Inquiry into Whistler vs. Ruskin In 1877 the Grovesnor Gallery in London England exhibited a painting by James Abbott McNeill Whistler titled "The Nocturnes in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket." The painting was a pre-impressionistic piece representing a firework display on the Thames River at night. At the time of the exhibit the distinction between what was considered acceptable and unacceptable art was clearly defined and this painting, being experimental, fell among the latter. John Ruskin, Victorian London's most renowned art critic, was a champion of tradition. His viewing of the painting inspired such distaste that he wrote in his publication "Fors Clavigera": For Mr. Whistler’s own sake, no less the protection of the purchaser, Sir Coutts Lindsay ought not to have admitted works into the gallery in which the ill-educated conceit of the artist so nearly approached the aspect of willful imposture.
The Ancient Mariner and Romanticism Romanticism defines the period from 1780 to 1830. It is a reaction against the society’s growing materialism and the ideals of Enlightenment. The English romantic writers are critical towards materialism and industrialization and therefore they seek peace in nature. There is a big focus on spirituality, and nature plays a big part in the literature as well as love and emotions. The protagonist, like The Ancient Mariner, is often someone who has committed a crime, experienced something out of the ordinary and a traveler.
Van Eyck had the courage to reject completely not only attractions of Gothic linear decoration but also the flat drawing in gold which formed the background of the Franco- Flemish painters and miniaturists, and substituted for them the closer or more distance view or a landscape or interior”. (Abrams 13) It is said that if you wanted to become a professional Artists or sometimes even work in the Courts for wealthy Kings, you had to have years of training, possibly by a School of Master of the Arts. “During the 14th century painters in Flanders still worked in the French miniature style. This was transformed into a brilliant school of national art in the 15th century by Hubert and Jan van Eyck, who made Bruges the first centre of Flemish art. Other schools arose in Tournai, Ghent, and Louvain.” (http://www.talktalk.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0001335.html).
The artist Maison, on a trip to Nancy, saw Grandville’s work and encouraged him to try his luck in Paris. The exact year when of his arrival is unknown, but the first firm date for Grandville’s productions in the capital of France is 1826. By 1829, when the lithographs The Metamorphoses of the Day were published, Grandville had started to be associated with the satirical human-animal combinations to which he was to recur so often in other works. Censorship during the July Monarchy In 1830, four years after Grandville had moved to Paris, Charles X’s attempt to dissolve the legislature and weaken the press helped provoke the July Revolution, also known as Les trios glorieuses, in which the Bourbons were dethroned and Louis Philippe who belonged to the House of Orléans, was named king. When this happened there were enormous hopes for reforms benefiting the working and middle classes, the major instigators of this revolution, but Louis Philippe quickly became a severe disappointment by resorting to corruption and repression to maintain and enforce power, and by turning a blind eye to the rising tide of urban migration and poverty.
Machiavelli’s political power Machiavelli’s political power Final Essay Eric Arseneault Introduction Western Civilization (330-910-LE) , File 172 G. Martin November 29, 2009 During The Renaissance (1350-1550), many people became famous for their art like painting, music, theatre, and writing. One of those artists was Machiavelli who didn’t write a book like any others. In 1532, his book The Prince was published revealing his idea and theory of how rulers of this era truly handled power. Also in his book he was contradicting medieval philosophers saying that rulers should follow Christian principles while Machiavelli would not mention about religion and morality in his book. In fact, he would tell about how they should be realistic and understand human nature.
Half-caste John Agard is saying that people are to obsessed with purity and he is trying to say that people calling him half-caste think he is somehow less pure than them. He is attempting to change that by using phrases like ‘when Picasso mix red and green/is a half-caste canvas’. By using this he is saying you wouldn’t say this about Picasso’s paintings because they are beautiful so why would you say that about a person. The poem is about the poets annoyance and sadness of people using the phrase half-caste. The poem has a sarcastic tone to it and I think it’s to show how he thinks that people are not thinking when they use this phrase, he expresses this by saying “when you say half-caste/yu mean when Picasso/mix red and green/is a half-caste canvas”.
INTRODUCTION Henri Matisse – (31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French artist, known for his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known primarily as a painter. Matisse is commonly regarded, along with Picasso and Marcel Duchamp, as one of the three artists who helped to define the revolutionary developments in the plastic arts in the opening decades of 20th century, responsible for significant developments in painting and sculpture. Although he was initially labelled a Fauve (wild beast), by the 1920s he was increasingly hailed as an upholder of the classical tradition in French painting. His mastery of the expressive language of colour and drawing, displayed in a body of work spanning over a half-century, won him recognition as a leading figure in modern art.
The French Revolution, a tempestuous social evolution that shook the foundations of Europe’s class structure, saw the unification of the peasants and the upper middle class against the aristocracy that, for centuries, had maintained a foothold on society. Although the Revolution achieved an ephemeral sort of success, it ultimately became a bloody blunder as it devolved into the now infamous Reign of Terror, only to have another tyrant ascend to the throne in its wake. Why? Because the peasants and the upper middle class had different, irreconcilable goals. The peasants sought to ameliorate the poverty and destitution that plagued their lives at the base of the social pyramid.
During the late 19th century and early 20th centuries, Realism, Impressionism, and Post- Impressionism were forms of art that transpired. These techniques in art brought a sense of individualism to Europe; thus, people were inspired to make art that represented society. Realism, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism reflected European Society through their expressions of depicting life as it truly was, hastily capturing moments in time, and painting nature as the artist conceptualized them, not how it really was. Realism was an art form, prominently created in France, where life was depicted as it truly was, nothing exaggerated, amplified, or idealized. Art in the 19th and 20th centuries created art for “art sakes”.
Impressionism was not however, formally launched until 1874 when a group of artists, frustrated by the restrictions and politics associated with official art salon in Paris pooled their resources to promote themselves in their own exhibition. This group of jilted artists called themselves the “Soiété Anonyme des Artistes, Peintres, Sculptures, Graveurs etc.” and its members included some of the todays most celebrated artists such as Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Alfred Sisley, Camille Pissaro, Pierre-August Renoir, Eugene Boudin and Berthe Marisot. In 1868, Berthe Marisot was introduced to and befriended a man by the name of Edouard Manet. Through Marisot, Manet became acquainted with many of the Impressionist artists. Edouard Manet