The changes in modern art are complex; during the period in question, many art movements and styles co-existed. Art’s development was not linear hence there are many ‘stories’ of modern art. This course takes a broadly chronological approach in order to explore aspects of avant-garde art from the 1860s to the beginning of the 1960s. Highlighting examples of major modern art movements and associated artists, we explore some of the key works and focus on some associated themes. Discussions encompass socio-historical context and artists’ techniques and effects. Visual analysis skills are also developed.
Sessions one and two examine how in different ways, Haussmann’s rebuilding of Paris affected paintings by Courbet, Manet, Monet and Renoir and paved the way for modern art. In the next session, we consider interpretations of subject matter as well as technique in the work of Neo-Impressionism.
The fourth session considers how, influenced by non-western art and popular art forms, Gauguin focused on the interior world of mind and imagination. In the fifth session, we discuss Van Gogh’s fascination with Japanese prints and his use of heightened and non-naturalistic colours to convey emotion.
The sixth session looks at Cézanne’s depictions of the body and his representation of objects from several viewpoints simultaneously. Why is Cézanne considered a vital figure in the development of modern art? The next session considers the legacy which the Fauves inherited from Impressionists and Post-Impressionists. Although short-lived, we discover that this early 20th- century experiment with colour was significant in the work of both Matisse and Derain.
In 1976, Picasso stated, ‘I paint against the canvases that are important to me, but I paint in accord with everything that’s still missing …You’ve got to make what doesn’t exist, what has never been made before.’ Session eight considers key Picasso works with this declaration in mind.
The Dadaists’ and Surrealists’ use of the found object - the repurposing of ordinary objects, creatively reassembled in unexpected configurations - is the subject of the ninth session. What was intended by the presentation of such objects? In the final session we explore the work of Abstract Expressionist, Jackson Pollock, and secondly, the torn, New Realism poster works by Villeglé, which he made shortly after Pollock’s death. How do both artists further develop visual languages and make significant references to art of the mid-19th century?
Learning outcomes
- Students will be able to identify differences and similarities in works of art through comparison and contrast;
- Students will be able to differentiate different styles of French and American art studied on the course;
- Students will be able to identify characteristics of modern art on the course and use introductory art historical terminology