truong quang huy - visual art - extended...
TRANSCRIPT
ExtendedEssay:VisualArtAustralianInternational
SchoolSaigon
TruongSyQuangHuyEE Title “ToWhatExtentdidtheArtistsfromImpressionismPeriodtoCubismPeriodCreateanEvolutioninVisualArt?”
CandidateNumber:fpl875(004027-0035)
Page1of23
ExtendedEssay
VisualArt
“ToWhatExtentDidtheArtistsfromImpressionismPeriodto
CubismPeriodCreateanEvolutioninVisualArt?”
StudentName:TruongSyQuangHuy
Supervisor:AmberKotcher
Session:
WordCount:3965
CitationStyle:MLA
ExtendedEssay:VisualArtAustralianInternational
SchoolSaigon
TruongSyQuangHuyEE Title “ToWhatExtentdidtheArtistsfromImpressionismPeriodtoCubismPeriodCreateanEvolutioninVisualArt?”
CandidateNumber:fpl875(004027-0035)
Page2of23
Abstract
Traditionally,VisualArtwasconsideredaslimitedandlesscreative.Artistsfromthe19thcentury
createdtheirartworkswithcommonperspectives,forexample,one-pointperspectiveinRenaissance
period.However,fromthelate19thcentury,manyartists,especiallyMonet,stooduptofightand
findtheirnewpathsinArt.TheideasandbeautystandardofVisualArthavebeenchangingvastly.
Myquestionfortheinvestigationis:HowhasartchangedfromtheImpressionismperiodtoCubism
period?
Toanswerthequestion,Iwillberesearchingaboutthefourartmovements:Impressionism,Post-
Impressionism,FauvismandCubism.Iwillalsostudyabouthowdidtheartistsdiffertheirartwork
fromthepreviousgeneration(before19thcentury)bycreatingandusingdifferenttechniques.Also,I
amgoingtoanalyzesomeoftheparticularpaintingsoffamousartistsofthetime.Theinformation
thatIamgoingtouseisfrombooksandwebsite.
TheImpressionismperiodisconsideredastheturningpointthatledtobreakthroughsinvisualart.
InImpressionismperiod,artistdidnotfocusmuchontheaccuracyofthesubjectstheysaw.Instead,
theyfocusonthenaturalmovementsofnatureandthelibertyindrawinginordertocreate
harmoniouspaintingswithtightcomposition.AfterImpressionismperiodarePost-Impressionism,
FauvismandCubism.Inthoseperiods,colorsbecamethemainelementofapainting.Artistalso
createdmanymethodscombinewiththecolorstomaketheartworkslookmorevivid.
Wordcount:241
ExtendedEssay:VisualArtAustralianInternational
SchoolSaigon
TruongSyQuangHuyEE Title “ToWhatExtentdidtheArtistsfromImpressionismPeriodtoCubismPeriodCreateanEvolutioninVisualArt?”
CandidateNumber:fpl875(004027-0035)
Page3of23
Contents
Page
1 TitlePage
2 Abstract
3 Contents
4-5Introduction
6-8 Impressionismperiod
9-12 Post-Impressionismperiod
13-15 Fauvismperiod
16-19 Cubismperiod
20Conclusion
20Citation
ExtendedEssay:VisualArtAustralianInternational
SchoolSaigon
TruongSyQuangHuyEE Title “ToWhatExtentdidtheArtistsfromImpressionismPeriodtoCubismPeriodCreateanEvolutioninVisualArt?”
CandidateNumber:fpl875(004027-0035)
Page4of23
Introduction
Throughages,apartfromscientificinventionsandliteratureproducts,Arthasbeenconsideredasa
factor that shows all the development in human society. From very early in the past, Art has
developedstrongly.Artwasusedasacommonvehiclethroughwhichtheartistscommunicatedand
expressedtheirmessagesaswellaslifeevents.Thequestionis:Towhatextentdidtheartistscreate
anevolutioninvisualartthroughfourtypicalartmovements:Impressionism,Post-impressionism,
Fauvism,andCubism.
TheRenaissancerepresentsatimewhenartreflectedthesightsofourrealworld.Artistsatthe
timewereseenas“cameras”becausetheytendedtodepictsubjectswithrealisticstylesandright
proportions.Artbefore19thcenturyfocusedonreligionsandgrandeurs.Artistsusuallysatinstudios
anddrew.Aspainterswellusedthelawofdistanceorone-pointperspectivefoundbyLeonardoDa
Vinci,thepaintingsduringthoseperiodsreallyhavethedepthandatmosphere.Subjectdepictedin
paintingswereusuallygodsandsuperheroesofthetime.Thepaintingbelow,amasterpieceknown
as“thelastsupper”createdbyLeonardoDaVinci,isthegreatestexamplefortheone-point
perspective
ExtendedEssay:VisualArtAustralianInternational
SchoolSaigon
TruongSyQuangHuyEE Title “ToWhatExtentdidtheArtistsfromImpressionismPeriodtoCubismPeriodCreateanEvolutioninVisualArt?”
CandidateNumber:fpl875(004027-0035)
Page5of23
ThepaintingisamealofJesusandhisdisciples.Thedisciplesaredividedintogroupsofthree,
creatingahorizontalline.Also,thethreewindowsbehind,whileJesusisshapedintriangularpose,
markedhisheadandhistwoarmswideopened.LeonardodaVincireallycreatedthedepthforthe
painting.ThispaintingbecameoneofthegreatestexamplesofHighRenaissanceperiod.·(LastSupper,
LeonardodaVinci:Meaning,Interpretation,nodate)
Lateron,artistswereexposedtothenatureandfeltimpressedabouttheuniverse.Thedoortoart
gradually opened by time andmore artists became recognizable and famous. One of the famous
artists thathelped tochange thepointsofviews towardartwasachiefartist from impressionism
“The last supper”, Leonardo Da Vinci, oil on gesso, Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan
ExtendedEssay:VisualArtAustralianInternational
SchoolSaigon
TruongSyQuangHuyEE Title “ToWhatExtentdidtheArtistsfromImpressionismPeriodtoCubismPeriodCreateanEvolutioninVisualArt?”
CandidateNumber:fpl875(004027-0035)
Page6of23
movement,Monet (1840-1926).FollowingMonet’s road,manyartistsalsostooduptocreatenew
artmovementssuchaspost-impressionism,fauvism,cubismandsurrealism.Tome,thisresearchis
significantbecauseitdemonstratesahugeturningpointofthewayspeoplehaveperceivedart.This
is also a chance forme to take some further lookordeepunderstandingat the “idealofbeauty”
because I have always been thinking that a beautiful artwork is an artwork that depicts realistic
subjects. This research may expand my knowledge of what is called “beauty” and help me to
improvemycriticalthinking.
Art from the Impressionism period brought with it something called creativity and “rebellion”.
Artistswantedtobreaktherulesthathavebeenfollowedforcenturies.Thetechniquesandstyles
wouldchangegraduallythroughtheagesandthefollowingmovementswouldbringsomesensesof
thepreviousones. The compositionwould change from complex to simplification. Compositionof
thepaintingsmayhavelesscomplicatedshapesandartiststendedtousebasicshapeslikecirclesor
rectangles...Thecolourswerethetoolstoexpressthemoodsoftheartistsandtendedtobeharsher.
Impressionism
Fromthe17thcentury,theFrenchgovernmentsponsoredanartexhibition,usuallyknownasSalon,
thatdisplayed famousartworks frommembersof “AcademieRoyaledePeintureetdeSculpture.”
TheParisSalonwasconsideredtheworld’smostprestigiousannualorbiannualartevent.TheParis
Salonwassaidtobeverystrictandconservativeas itsetaparticularstandardforartwithcertain
styles.Duringthelate1860s,numbersofartistsbegantodiscoveranewstyleinart.In1874,those
ExtendedEssay:VisualArtAustralianInternational
SchoolSaigon
TruongSyQuangHuyEE Title “ToWhatExtentdidtheArtistsfromImpressionismPeriodtoCubismPeriodCreateanEvolutioninVisualArt?”
CandidateNumber:fpl875(004027-0035)
Page7of23
groupsofartistsorganizedanexhibitionandlatercalledthemselves Impressionists. Impressionistic
paintings usually depicted landscapes. During this period, artists exposed themselves to nature
(outdoor)moreandtendedtoproducepaintingsthatwerecomparativelysmallinscaleandinformal
in composition. The topic thatwas usually used by artistswasmodern landscapes such as towns,
suburbsornature.Artistsfromimpressionismdrewandpaintedquicklytocapturetheoverviewsof
themainobjects.Theimpressionistsusedartwithnewtheoriesregardingcolors.Artistsfoundout
thattheshadowofanobjectisformedbyaddingmorevaluessuchasblackorwhiteintotheoriginal
colorsofthoseobjects.Theartistsalsoenrichedthecolorsbyaddingsomecomplementarycolors.
Forexample,whendrawingtheshadowofanapple,artistwouldaddalittlebitofblueinorderto
make it vivid. Also, artists usually paintedwith short and thick strokes of colorswith a variety of
directions.Theydidnotreallyfocusondetailsofobjectsandignoredtherulesusedbytheprevious
artists such as light or dark value theories. The conservative people from the Paris Salon did not
agree with the impressionists. However, other people started gradually liking the intense energy
produced by the new styles of the Impressionist artists. The styles also became one of themost
commonartmovementsinhistory.
Monetwasoneof themost influentialartists inarthistory.Bornon14thNovember1840,Monet
wasaFrenchpainterandheadvocatedanewstyleofart.Monetwasfamousforhispaintings,which
depictedimmediateobjects.Hedrewwhathesaw.AveryfamouspaintingproducedbyMonetthat
changed people’s point of view towards art was the “Impression, Sunrise” in 1872.Many people
firstlyconfusedthe“Impression,Sunrise”.Somepeoplesaidthatitwasnotapieceofart.However,
ExtendedEssay:VisualArtAustralianInternational
SchoolSaigon
TruongSyQuangHuyEE Title “ToWhatExtentdidtheArtistsfromImpressionismPeriodtoCubismPeriodCreateanEvolutioninVisualArt?”
CandidateNumber:fpl875(004027-0035)
Page8of23
as timepassed through, thispaintingbecameoneof thebestpaintingsof the time.Peoplewould
tendtothinkaboutitasastandardoftheimpressionistmovement.
Thispaintingillustratesanimmediatelandscape,whichisthemomenttheartistsawrandomly.The
objects depicted by Monet are sky, river, boats and sunset. In this painting, Monet used aerial
perspective,atechniqueormethodofcreatingdepthorillusionbymodulatingthetonesandcolors
tostimulatethechangesinlightsanddarkness-toillustratethedepthofthepainting.Whenlooking
“Impression,sunrise”,ClaudeMonet,1872,Oilandcanvas,48cmx63cm,MuseeMarmottanMonet,Paris
ExtendedEssay:VisualArtAustralianInternational
SchoolSaigon
TruongSyQuangHuyEE Title “ToWhatExtentdidtheArtistsfromImpressionismPeriodtoCubismPeriodCreateanEvolutioninVisualArt?”
CandidateNumber:fpl875(004027-0035)
Page9of23
atthepainting,wecanclearlyseeaverytypicalcomposition.Theforegroundistheareaoftheriver
wherewecanseemanybrushstrokes.Themid-groundisthetwohalvesoftheriver’sareaandthe
backgroundistheareainwhichtheskyandtherivermeet.Monetcreatedthedepthforthepainting
byusingdifferenttonesforthethreeboats;thelighterboatsappeartobefurtherawayfromusthan
thedarkestones.Theflecksofsunlightaregettinglighterastheymoveclosertothesun.Theboats
arearranged tobeona straight line. The line intersects the vertical line createdby the sunlight’s
reflection. Monet did this so that the painting could attract and pull viewers’ attention into the
painting.Thiscreatesasenseofdepthtotheartwork.
Personally, I thinkthatthispaintingrepresentsanevolution inart. Itreallychangedmymindand
expandsmyknowledgeinperceivingart:Agoodartworkdoesnotnecessarilyneedtoberealisticor
completelyperfectintextureandcolors.Ithinkabeautifulpaintingistheonethatcouldexpressthe
emotionorcreativityoftheartist.Icanseethatthechangesincolorsareverysophisticatedasthe
artistsweresoacuminousincapturingthemovementsofnature.Inaddition,thepaintinglooksvery
amorous.
Post-Impressionism
In1910,theEnglishartcriticRogerFry(1866-1934)firstusedthetermPost-Impressionism.“Manet
andthePost-Impressionism”wasintroducedastitleofanexhibition. Post-Impressionismisaterm
thatisusedtodifferentiatetheartproducedbytheyoungerartistsfollowingtheimpressionistssuch
asMonet,SisleyorPissarro.Impressionismisanartmovementthatshookoffalotofoldorarchaic
conception in European art in the early centuries. FollowingMonet and his accompaniers, many
ExtendedEssay:VisualArtAustralianInternational
SchoolSaigon
TruongSyQuangHuyEE Title “ToWhatExtentdidtheArtistsfromImpressionismPeriodtoCubismPeriodCreateanEvolutioninVisualArt?”
CandidateNumber:fpl875(004027-0035)
Page10of23
artistsstoodupandindependentlyfoundtheirownpathsintheirartcareers.Somefamousartists
thatrepresentedpost-impressionismwerePaulCezanne,VincentVanGoghorPaulGauguin. Even
thoughthoseartistsdidnothavesimilarpaintingstyles,theywerecalledPost-Impressionists.Post-
impressionismtakesthegoodaspectsfromImpressionismandabatesthethingsthatseemedtobe
excessive.ArtistsinPost-Impressionismkeptthebright-colorpalettesofthepreviousmovementbut
theyrejectedtheemphasisoflightandreflectionsofobjects.Astheartistscutoffallofthefleeting
lights,thepaintingscanbeseenatmultipleangles.Additionally,Post-Impressioniststendedtocreate
greaterformalorderandstructures.Sinceeachartisthasdifferentthemesaswellasobjects,thereis
nocertaintopicforPost-Impressionism.However,thisartmovementhasspecificcharacteristics.The
thingswecanseefirstarethethickandboldbrushstrokes.Artiststendedtousebrightpalettecolors
toattractviewers’eyes.Artistsduringthistimeputalotofemotions,moods,andspirits intotheir
artworks. Neo-impressionist painters all shared the common idea in how to thicken the colors in
order tomake the paintingsmore vivid. The techniqueusually usedby the artistswas “impasto.”
“Impasto”isatechniquethatisusetocreatepronouncedsurfacetexturesofcolorsbyaddingmany
shortbrushstrokeswithtonesfromdarktolight.Artistswouldusuallyusedarkcolorsfirstthenadd
lighteronessothatthepaintingscancreatedimensionsordepthstoviewers.Thelayersareusually
thickenoughtomakethebrushstrokesvisible.AnothertechniquethatwasalsousedwidelyinNeo-
impressionismwas“pointillism.”Georges-PierreSeuratwasthefirstartisttodevelopthepointillism
technique.Inhispaintings,heusedmanydotswithavarietyoftonestocarefullyfusethecolorsof
objects.Thistechniquewasusedwitharuleofimpressionism,whichistoenrichthecolorvaluesby
addingcomplementarycolors.
ExtendedEssay:VisualArtAustralianInternational
SchoolSaigon
TruongSyQuangHuyEE Title “ToWhatExtentdidtheArtistsfromImpressionismPeriodtoCubismPeriodCreateanEvolutioninVisualArt?”
CandidateNumber:fpl875(004027-0035)
Page11of23
AveryfamousadvocateforthisNeo-impressionismwasVanGogh.VincentVanGoghwasaDutch
painterbornon30thMarch1853.VanGoghiswellknownforhisamazingpaintings.VanGoghwas
saidtobearepresentativeofNeo-impressionismbecausehehadaverycommonstyleofmovement.
VanGoghalsolearnttoapplyalotoftechniquesfromotherartistssuchasthepointillismtechnique
by Seurat. Van Gogh actually painted based on his moods. One of the famous and impressive
paintingsthatrepresentVanGogh‘sstyleisthe“TheStarryNight”.
Impastotechnique
“Roses”, Vincent Van Gogh, 1980, Oil and canvas, 71cm x 90cm, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C
Pointillismtechnique
“A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte,Georges-Pierre Seurat”, 1884-1886, Oil on canvas, 207.6cm x 308cm, Art Institute of Chicago
ExtendedEssay:VisualArtAustralianInternational
SchoolSaigon
TruongSyQuangHuyEE Title “ToWhatExtentdidtheArtistsfromImpressionismPeriodtoCubismPeriodCreateanEvolutioninVisualArt?”
CandidateNumber:fpl875(004027-0035)
Page12of23
Thesky in“TheStarryNight” isvery impressiveandsublime.Thepainting’ssky isbrimmingwith
whirlingclouds,sparklingstarsandabig,shiningcrescent.Inhispainting,VanGoghreallyconveyed
hisemotionsandmoods.VanGoghusedmanycurvylinesinhispainting.Asyoucansee,themain
big curve looks very strong and vigorous. The curves represent the turbulence in overcoming the
illnessofVanGogh.Theobjectsontheskywerepaintedbyusingthepointillismtechnique,inspired
bySeurat.However,becauseofhismentalillness,VanGoghseemedtoexpressthetechniquewith
outpatienceandanalyticalapproachasSeuratdid.So, thepointillismtechniqueexpressedbyVan
Goghseemstobelikemanylinesofbrushstrokesratherthandots(asyoucanlookattheskyofthe
painting).Onthedarkthemeofthepainting,thesparklesfromthestarsandlittlewindowsrepresent
hopeandcomfortofasickpatient.Thestrongandintensewavesofcloudsseemtoluretheeyesof
the viewers. So a cypress tree and a little steeple are drawn to break that repeated rhythm.
“Thestarrynight”,VincentVanGogh,1889,Oiloncanvas,73.7cmx92.1cm,MuseumofModernArt,NewYorkCity
ExtendedEssay:VisualArtAustralianInternational
SchoolSaigon
TruongSyQuangHuyEE Title “ToWhatExtentdidtheArtistsfromImpressionismPeriodtoCubismPeriodCreateanEvolutioninVisualArt?”
CandidateNumber:fpl875(004027-0035)
Page13of23
Furthermore,thatlittlesteepleissettledabitfurtherawaysowecanseethedepthofthepainting.
Thesteeplealsorepresentstheunityofthevillage.
Asaviewer,IcanfeeltherefreshmentinVanGogh’spaintings.Thetechniqueusedforthesky(in
“TheStarryNight”)makesmefeelverycomfortable.Theskyhasmanytextureswithmanylayersof
colors (black, blue, green, yellow, and white). I really like this painting because I can see a vast
difference compared to the previous Impressionism movement. Artist used strong colors and
brought lots of personal emotions into the production. This piece seems tome like a decoration
ratherthanacomplicatedartworkwithtightaccuracyonthesubject.Artchanged.Ifyoulookback
to the “Impression- sunrise” ofMonet, youwill see that Van Gogh described less in his painting.
Instead,hetriedtothickenhistexturebyusingimpastotechnique.
Fauvism
Inautumnof1905,theFrenchcriticLouiseVauxcellesvisitedtheSalonParisd’Automne.Vauxcelles
wasstunnedbythepaintingsthere,whichhadverygarishmarksofcolors.Andfromthatmoment,
thetermFauvismwasfirstcoinedandbecameatrendyartmovementduringashortperiodoftime.
Fauvism or Fauves means “wild beast.” Introduced in the early 20th century, the Fauvism art
movementonlyexistedforaround6to7years.AlthoughtheperiodofFauvismwasconsideredtobe
veryslight,itgrewstronglytothezenithinyears1905and1906.Theartistsduringthetimedidnot
really know each other but their artworks were randomly hung in a gallery and from that point,
peoplestartedtocallthemtheFauvistartists.SomechiefpaintersofthisartmovementwereHenri
Matisse,AndreDerain,AlbertMarquetandGeorgesRouault.Fauvismisanartmovementthatwas
ExtendedEssay:VisualArtAustralianInternational
SchoolSaigon
TruongSyQuangHuyEE Title “ToWhatExtentdidtheArtistsfromImpressionismPeriodtoCubismPeriodCreateanEvolutioninVisualArt?”
CandidateNumber:fpl875(004027-0035)
Page14of23
said to against Impressionism. However, it is not an exaggeration if we say Impressionismwas a
strongbastionforFauvismtodevelop.Sincethelastthirtyyearsofthe19thcentury,colorswerean
independentunitinart.Colorswerethemainsubjectsofapaintinginsteadofhumansorflowersor
landscapesandtheSalonParisd’Automnewas,exaggeratingly,theexhibitionexclusiveforcolors.An
artistatthattimewouldtendtousemanycomplementarycolors inapainting.Forexample, ifthe
artistpaintedapaintingthathastheskyinred,he/shewouldthencolorthebuildingsinblue,riverin
orange, yellow and the reflection on light on thewater surface could bemany simple lime green
brushstrokes.ThereisafactthattheartistsofFauvismdidnotdepicttheobjectswiththeirrealistic
colors.Incontrasttotheimpressionistpainters,painterfromfauvismtendedtoabatethedetailsof
objects.Artistslikedtopaintlandscapesoreverydaylifeactivities.Moreover,Fauvistsusuallyused
original colors or hues (blue, green, red or yellow...) to paint the objects. Also, the objects of a
paintingwerealwaysgivenboldborders inordertoincreasetheflamboyanceofthecolors.Artists
likedtodrawlandscapesbecausetheyhadawealthofcolors.
HenriMatissewasconsideredoneofthebestwell-knownartistsintheFauvismmovement.Henri
Matisse was born, on 31st December 1869, to a French family. He had father who was a corn
Merchant and mother who was a painter. Matisse’s Fauvism paintings were influenced by the
Impressionistssowheneveryoulookathispaintings,youcanseereallybrightandgaudytones.One
of the famous paintings produced byMatisse was “The OpenWindow” in 1905, the peak of the
fauvism.
ExtendedEssay:VisualArtAustralianInternational
SchoolSaigon
TruongSyQuangHuyEE Title “ToWhatExtentdidtheArtistsfromImpressionismPeriodtoCubismPeriodCreateanEvolutioninVisualArt?”
CandidateNumber:fpl875(004027-0035)
Page15of23
When looking at this painting, there are notmany elements of composition because this painting
focuses on areas of colors. Being influenced by Impressionism, Matisse brought the bright color
palettestohispainting.Thecolorshechosereallyattracttheeyesofviewers.Iseethattheroomis
brimming with morning light and breezes from the oceans. In his paintings, Matisse expressed
liberation in the color’s conception.Hedidnotpaintbasedon the thingshe saw. Inotherwords,
Matisseonlytooktheconceptandthelandscapehesaw.Thenhepaintedfreely.Thereis logicfor
Matisse’s use of colors,which suggests the pairs of contrasting colors. The complementary colors
would functionbestandcreate intensitywhentheyareputnext toeachother.Matisseuseddark
turquoiseandopalpurpleforthewall,andthenherepeatedthesamecolorsbutwithlightertones
forthelandscapethatisfurtherawayfromtheviewers.Thecolorswereplacedalternativelyasartist
“The open window”, Henri Matisse, 1905, Oil on canvas, 55.3cm x 46cm, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C
ExtendedEssay:VisualArtAustralianInternational
SchoolSaigon
TruongSyQuangHuyEE Title “ToWhatExtentdidtheArtistsfromImpressionismPeriodtoCubismPeriodCreateanEvolutioninVisualArt?”
CandidateNumber:fpl875(004027-0035)
Page16of23
painted pink for the waves with blue boats on top and the sky is a mixture of pastel pink and
turquoiseblue.Healsoputthedeepredblossomonthedarkgreenleavesandthisisrepeatedwhen
Matissepaintedthemastsoftheboatswithredandgreen.Therepetitionofcolorssomehowcreates
adepthforthepainting.
Ilikethewaytheartistsbroketherulesinartaswellasinnature,whichisshownbytheuseof
colors.Icanfeeltheintensityofthepaintings.Artistsfocusonusingprimarycolorssuchasblue,red
orgreen.Inthepainting,Matisseusedboldborderstoenhanceandemphasizethevalueorintensity
ofthecontrastingareasofcolors.Normally,whenIborderanobjectwithblacklinesthatobjectmay
look very stiff but in the Fauvism paintings, the artistsmade it so ingeniously. I can see that the
artists“shookoff”alltheneatlinesorrealisticobjects.Instead,theartistemphasizedtheartworkby
usingcontrastingcolorswithdifferentvaluesanduserepetitionofpairsofcolors.Ithinktheartwork
isverycreativesince itwascreatedoriginallybyMatissewithhisown impressionof thethingshe
sawandhisownuniqueemotion.
Cubism
CubismisanartmovementcreatedprincipallybyPabloPicassoandGeorgesBraqueinParisfrom
1907to1914.TheCubistarttendedtoemphasizetheflatandtwo-dimensionedsurfaceofapicture.
Artistsalso seemed to ignore thecompositionsof thepaintingsand tended tomake thepaintings
look like decorations. Cubist painters also rejected the traditional art styles and time-consuming
techniques that were used by the artists of the previous movements such as “Impasto” and
“pointillism.” Cubist artists did not bring the objects from nature to their paintings. Also, cubist
paintingswerelikelytohavealotofsegmentssuchasbrokenimages.Thetypicalobjectsdrawnin
ExtendedEssay:VisualArtAustralianInternational
SchoolSaigon
TruongSyQuangHuyEE Title “ToWhatExtentdidtheArtistsfromImpressionismPeriodtoCubismPeriodCreateanEvolutioninVisualArt?”
CandidateNumber:fpl875(004027-0035)
Page17of23
Cubistpaintingsareletters,instruments,andhumanfigures.TheCubistpaintingsareconsideredto
provokeandstimulatethecuriosityineveryperson.TherearetwotypesoftheCubismmovement.
TheyareAnalyticCubismandSyntheticCubism.Theperiodfrom1910to1912wasconsideredtobe
the Analytical Cubism. Paintings seemed to have simplified forms. Artists used right angles and
straight lines commonly. The colors used were also very simple. In addition, artists used
monochromaticcolorscheme(huesof tan,brown,greyorblue…),whichmakesthepaintings look
likesketcheswithpencil.
In the Synthetic Cubism movement, the composition of a painting consists of many objects
overlapping on each other. Paintings in synthetic period have a lot of colors and they look very
garish. In contrast to the analytical period, the objects in synthetic period are broken intomany
piecesandthepiecesofanobjectdon’tnecessarilyneedtobeneareachother.Piecesofathingcan
besettlednexttopiecesofotherthingsleadingtosvarietyofformsandshapesinthepaintingand
eachviewermayhavedifferentperspectivestowardtheartwork.Therefore,thecollagemethod is
introducedtothepublic.GeorgesBraqueinventedthecollagemethod;itisactuallyawaythatartists
“Girlwithamandolin”(AnalyticalCubism),PabloPicasso,1910,Oiloncanvas,100.3cmx73.6cm,GalleryofModernArt,NewYorkCity,USA
ExtendedEssay:VisualArtAustralianInternational
SchoolSaigon
TruongSyQuangHuyEE Title “ToWhatExtentdidtheArtistsfromImpressionismPeriodtoCubismPeriodCreateanEvolutioninVisualArt?”
CandidateNumber:fpl875(004027-0035)
Page18of23
usedtomakethesurfaceoftheirpaintingsricherandmoreinterestingbyaddingactualtextures.The
materialsusedwereusuallynewspapers,piecesofwallpaperorplastic.
When talking about Cubismmovement, peoplewill immediately think of Picasso and his glaring
paintings.BorninOctober1881asaSpanishpainter,PabloPicassowasoneofthemostinfluential
and essential artists in modern art. Picasso became a representative for Cubism because of his
applyingthemethodsandtechniqueslearntfromtheotherartists.In1907,Picassowasindifficulty
in findingmaterials for creating artwork. Picasso learnt andwas inspired a lot from the Japanese
wood paintings, impressionism (with Monet), post-impressionism (with Van Gogh) and even the
Africanart.Picassoreallyhelpedtoopenaneweraformodernartandwemayassumethat ifwe
hadn’thadPicasso,wemaynothaveourmodernart.
This painting of Picasso is considered to be in the synthetic period (later Cubism). This painting
generallylooksverycolorfulandabstract.Genuinely,thereisnothingtodowithtraditionalstylesor
“Mandolin and guitar”, Pablo Picasso , 1924, Oil and Canvas, 140.7cm x 200.3cm, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York
ExtendedEssay:VisualArtAustralianInternational
SchoolSaigon
TruongSyQuangHuyEE Title “ToWhatExtentdidtheArtistsfromImpressionismPeriodtoCubismPeriodCreateanEvolutioninVisualArt?”
CandidateNumber:fpl875(004027-0035)
Page19of23
lawofdistanceoreventheemotionsbecausepaintingsofPicassowereconsideredtobeintellectual
ratherthandescriptiveandemotional.Afterlookingatthetitleandthepainting,Icansaythatthisis
a still life painting with a mandolin and a guitar above a table. But as we try to connect the
background to themain objects, we can see there is a big face – eyes, nose andmouth. Picasso
createdtheeyesbysettlingthemandolinintheleftandtheguitarintheright.Therestoftheface
has various different shapes colliding together to form the nose, the mouth and the ears. This
paintingwasproducedbysuccessfullyapplyingthecollagemethodandIcanseethattherearealot
of textures andmediums in this painting but Picassowas so ingenious in blurring the connection
between the objects. In addition, the colors used by Picasso were also very sophisticated. Being
influencedbytheFauvismperiod,Picassotendedtousebrightandcomplementarycolors.However,
thecolorsinPicasso’spaintingdonotlookharshorintensebutveryharmoniousandcomfortable.
Thecubismperiodwastheonethatbreakstherulesmost.Artistscouldbreaktheobjectsintomany
piecesandplacethematdifferentplaces.Manysmallobjectswouldtogetherformauniquethingas
we can see the artwork “Mandolin and guitar” by Picasso. Paintings look more chaotic and it
provokesthecuriosityinviewers.IthinkArtchangedlargelyanditchangedmymind.Contemplating
acubistpaintingisnowagame.Everyonewouldhaveadifferentopinionaboutwhatheorshesees
andnoonehasthesameanswers.
ExtendedEssay:VisualArtAustralianInternational
SchoolSaigon
TruongSyQuangHuyEE Title “ToWhatExtentdidtheArtistsfromImpressionismPeriodtoCubismPeriodCreateanEvolutioninVisualArt?”
CandidateNumber:fpl875(004027-0035)
Page20of23
Conclusion
Inconclusion,researchingaboutmyquestion:“towhatextentdidtheartistscreateanevolution
invisualartthroughfourtypicalartmovements:Impressionism,Post-impressionism,Fauvism,and
Cubism?” I now know that the change in art wasn’t like any random changes about interests in
everyonemind.Instead,thechangeinartwasarealbattleofperspectivesandthoughts.Fromthe
late19thcentury,Monetstartedtoexposehimselftonatureratherthanstayingstudiotostudyand
drawanobject.Thechangeswereclearlyshownthroughthepaintings.The“Impression,sunrise”by
Monetwas themost clear example to show those changes.Monet usedwider andmore various
color palette rather thanusingbold colors thandid the artists inRenaissanceperiod. In thePost-
Impressionism, artists softened theobjects theydrew.Many techniqueswereused to thicken the
textureofthepaintingsand“Starrynight”byVanGoghwasagreatexamplewhereastheartistused
impastotechniquetocreatevarious layersofcolors.Also, inpost-impressionism,colorsbecameas
on of themain elements. Artists started to use complementary colors to emphasize the objects.
From the Fauvism,objectsdepictedbyartists are simpler andabit squiggly.However, the fauvist
paintingsreallydrawtheattentionoftheviewersbecausetheyhavepairsofcontrastingcolorssuch
aspinkand turquoise, redandgreen. Inaddition,accuracyof colorsandcharacteristicsofobjects
wasn’t amatter anymore. Artist can use any colors to apply on an object and that’s why fauvist
paintings are so impressive. In cubism, paintings become simpler in art side but become more
complicated inpsychology sideas they trick thewayeveryonecontemplates them. I think thatan
evolutioninartoccurred.
ExtendedEssay:VisualArtAustralianInternational
SchoolSaigon
TruongSyQuangHuyEE Title “ToWhatExtentdidtheArtistsfromImpressionismPeriodtoCubismPeriodCreateanEvolutioninVisualArt?”
CandidateNumber:fpl875(004027-0035)
Page21of23
References
Gowing, L. (1985) The Encyclopedia of visual art. Edited by Sir Lawrence Gowing. Danbury, CT:
Grolier Educational Corp.
Boddy-Evans, M. (no date) The Painting by Monet That Gave Impressionism its Name. Available at:
http://painting.about.com/od/famouspainters/ss/monet-impression-sunrise-painting.htm#step4
(Accessed: 30 August 2015).
Impact, T. N. (no date) Vincent van Gogh Starry Night. Available at:
http://www.vangoghgallery.com/painting/starry-night.html (Accessed: 30 August 2015).
rasul, rabia and profile, V. my complete (2011) Visual Communication. Available at:
http://rrasul.blogspot.com/2011/04/pablo-picasso-mandolin-guitar.html (Accessed: 5 October 2015).
Open Window, Collioure (1937) Available at:
http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/Collection/highlights/highlight106384.html (Accessed: 5 October
2015).
ExtendedEssay:VisualArtAustralianInternational
SchoolSaigon
TruongSyQuangHuyEE Title “ToWhatExtentdidtheArtistsfromImpressionismPeriodtoCubismPeriodCreateanEvolutioninVisualArt?”
CandidateNumber:fpl875(004027-0035)
Page22of23
ExtendedEssay:VisualArtAustralianInternational
SchoolSaigon
TruongSyQuangHuyEE Title “ToWhatExtentdidtheArtistsfromImpressionismPeriodtoCubismPeriodCreateanEvolutioninVisualArt?”
CandidateNumber:fpl875(004027-0035)
Page23of23