Romantic Era Art
During the Romantic Era, there were numerous styles of art that were popular across the world. They varied greatly, which goes to show the differences in taste among people. Today, I will talk about Art Nouveau and group of Romantic painters called The Hudson River School Painters. These two are similar, yet distinctly different.
The first style that we will look at is the art of The Hudson River School Painters. Their art always featured landscapes. They saw nature as symbolic of the resources and opportunities that America had. This inspired them to celebrate it in paintings. This group was formed at a time when many other American artists were traveling to Europe to learn the styles of past famous artists, but The Hudson River School Painters were only interested in America and the Manifest Destiny.
Hudson River School Painters Works
This striking work, Kindred Spirits, was painted by Asher B. Durand in 1849. The two men in this painting are Thomas Cole, who's death in 1948 this work honors, and William Cullen Bryant. The location that is depicted is the Catskill Mountains. The use of value on the mountains in the distance adds lots of depth. The positioning of the two men makes one think that they are deep in conversation about something.
Here we see a depiction of the Rocky Mountains, titled
Lander's Peak. Artist Albert Bierstadt painted this in 1863. The artist went on an expedition with Frederick Lander, who fought and fell in the Civil War, and took sketches that inspired this painting (
harvardmuseums.org). The mountains in this piece feel very powerful because they are hidden behind distant clouds. The fact that they take up half of the canvas adds to this effect. There is also a slight downwards concavity to the valley that we are in, which also helps to make the mountains feel grand.
Interpretation of This Style
The Hudson River School Painters were very skilled at capturing the emotion of the land. Both of the works I have selected fill me with awe and wonder. Awe about the the beauty that is depicted and wonder about what secrets may lie behind each hill, or even beyond the frame of the work itself. They certainly make me wish I could enter the painting and explore everything in sight.
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is a very special style that was used in visual art, architecture, and more. The most distinctive aspect of it is that there were no rough edges anywhere. Nature was the inspiration for this, but it wasn't necessarily a theme or topic. Let's look at some examples to make it more clear what I mean.
This doorknob is physically a small piece of art, but I feel that it is a worthy example of Art Nouveau architecture. It was designed by the famous architect Victor Horta. Horta's works hold great beauty, grace, and almost always have the twirly organic curves seen here. I feel that architects have fun with their designs. This design of this doorknob is all about creativity and elegance. It retains the functionality that a doorknob must have, but has a fun unorthodox shape.
This color lithograph by Alphonse Mucha, titled
Summer, was done in 1896 (
muchafoundation.org). The bold, smooth, nature-inspired lines shown here were very prominent in Art Nouveau visual arts. Art Nouveau was not meant to always be realistic, but simply be graceful and elegant. The girl's expression helps to give this one a mood. She looks calm and peaceful, which is how I feel during the summertime. The smooth curving lines give her grace.
Summer gives the viewer a sense of calmness through all of its elements, from lines to colors.
I am a huge fan of Art Nouveau architecture, but don't really enjoy its visual arts. The architecture feels very classy, and I would love to see more of it in the modern world. Lots of the visual arts feel like cartoons to me. I prefer paintings that are a little more realistic.
Comparing the Styles
On one hand we have art that is about nature, on the other, we have art that is inspired by the organic forms of the natural world. By description, you might expect them to look similar, but you must not think only aesthetically, but also about the intent of each movement. The Hudson River School Painters wanted to capture not the elegance, but the ruggedness of the American land. Contrast this with the smooth natural-feeling lines of Art Nouveau. I feel that these two styles look at nature on very different scales. The Hudson River School Painters looked at landscapes, while Art Nouveau drew inspiration from the finer smaller part of nature, I think of flowers when looking at this style.
The style of the Hudson River School Painters appeals to me over Art Nouveau. I enjoy traveling, and their works inspire me to go see places. I want to visit the areas that they painted! This style also is very realistic. The perspective techniques that are present in all of their works make you feel as if you are in the painting. Art Nouveau lacks visual depth. The focus of this style was line-work and warm colors that incited a pleasant state of mind.
Sources
Master of light: Victor Horta in Brussels (no date) DESIGN and ART MAGAZINE. Available at: https://www.designartmagazine.com/2018/04/master-of-light-victor-horta-in-brussels.html (Accessed: 10 July 2024).
Hi Jack,
ReplyDeleteAs always, thank you for sharing your thoughts and analysis on this week’s prompt. Your blog came across as both intriguing and intelligent, so great job! My personal favorite part of this post is easily your portrayal of the Hudson River School and their art. I also adore these landscapes and thought you did an excellent breakdown of them. Kindred Spirits spoke to me the most of the two landscapes, mainly because of the feeling of adventure it conveys to me. Another prop to you, is how you still gave a nice artistic exploration of the pieces you didn't like as much. I struggled a bit with this myself. All in all, amazing work!
Vaughan
Art Nouveau is one of the styles I really don't mind. It's a highly stylized, colorful and exuberant display. That semi-theological appearance is something I like. The lithograph is extraordinary. I always thought lithographs were primarily monochromatic. The ones I was most familiar with were ones from M.C. Escher and his illusions. I wasn't familiar with the ones that had color. So that's something I didn't know about and I might have to look into. I always liked the organic feel of Art Nouveau because it seemed like the architecture felt kind of Elvish. That would be the doorknob I would expect in Rivendell. I think its important that you pointed out something as mundane as a door knob, that's a piece of art. In some cases mass produced. In other cases custom made. These small pieces of decor add up in a room to give an overall feel for a house or a room. Finding the right aesthetic in a room can be of importance. It communicates the type of business or the type of lifestyle that might be important to you. I am really again surprised by the lithograph because it is such a warm and vibrant piece. There isn't a straight line on it. It is communicating an idyllic version of reality that is elegant and beautiful.
ReplyDeleteNormally out of the pieces I would chose the Hudson River School or Naturalism as kind of the direction I would normally fall when it comes to these pieces. However the art nouveau pieces you selected were really awesome. It makes me reconsider my biases a bit. Stylistically I would like to learn how to draw or paint or do digital art in the Art Nouveau style. If I could produce something similar. I think that this has opened up another avenue for me to explore later on.
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ReplyDeleteGreat selections of paintings! I have to wonder if the Hudson River School Painters were inspired by travel. It seems like mobility began to increase in this era, so people would have been exposed to more landscapes they had never dreamt of. I love Lander’s Peak and wish I could be physically present to witness such beauty in this photo. It's truly breathtaking from the lush foreground, the waterfall in the middle, and the endless mountains towering over everything in the back. The Hudson Painters remind me of realism, but the only difference is the subject matter. The common man was depicted with Realism, but there was usually a landscape behind them or fields and a sky that was beautifully done, quite like these landscape pieces.
ReplyDeleteI am not a fan of Art Nouveau, but I am glad you included it in your post. I don’t understand what draws a person to it. To choose a doorknob over a mountain view seems absurd to me. It's nice to see its organic, soft curves, as opposed to the rigidity of former eras.
An interesting thing to note is that a critic first referred to “Hudson River School” as a nickname to be dismissive. He described the artists as old-fashioned, and the subjects were provincial. The term lost its negative meaning and is now the group of artists active in New York City from the early nineteenth century.
Ferber, Linda. “‘Nature’s Nation’: The Hudson River School and American Landscape Painting, 1825–1876.” “Nature’s Nation”: The Hudson River School and American Landscape Painting, 1825–1876 | Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/essays/natures-nation-hudson-river-school-and-american-landscape-painting-1825. Accessed 18 July 2024.
"Nature’s Nation": The Hudson River School and American Landscape Painting, 1825–1876 | Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Hi Jack,Dear Author,
ReplyDeleteYour blog about the romantic era was truly insightful and engaging. You provided a comprehensive overview of the significant characteristics and impact of the romantic period, and your passion for the subject really shines through in your writing. I particularly appreciated the way you connected the cultural and historical context to the art, literature, and music of the time, providing a rich and multidimensional understanding of this important period.
Your analysis of the major themes and artistic movements, along with the discussion of key figures and their contributions, was both thorough and accessible. I found your writing style to be clear and engaging, making the complexities of the romantic era approachable for all readers.
Thank you for sharing your expertise and enthusiasm for this captivating period in history. I look forward to reading more from you in the future.
Jack! Lovely job with your post. I think you captured the elements of romanticism and Art Nouveau thoroughly. I personally love the visuals of Art Nouveau, as well as the lines and details that go into the art. There is something so fantastical and idealized about it that speaks to why this style first appeared in Art Nouveau. Yes, it is "cartoonish," but only because it's a style that emphasizes the subject matter with outlines. The varying widths and lengths of these lines are intentional, creating a focal point among colors that resemble each other so closely. The lines also contrast beautifully with the softness of the sky and the water the woman is lazily stirring. This feels like the art one would expect from a fairytale; the features of the woman are so perfect, smooth, and effortless that we know she is fictitious, but I stare in awe regardless. The intentions of Mucha were to stand out, given that this style was not wildly popular and not largely practiced. The way her hair plays with and tangles in the branches stretched before her. It's beautiful, but realistically, it would hurt horribly to untangle. I think some points of reality, as opposed to perfection 100% of the time, would improve the likeability of the piece. Something about the woman is too perfect as if she is a trick in and of herself.
ReplyDeleteWOW!! I loved reading your blog! You went into great depths of the differences in the types of art you explored. I have to agree with you, I do prefer Hudson School style over Art Nouveau, but Summer, the last piece you included in an exception as I am always a lover of art based around women and womanly figures. The lines are very elegant. However, Hudson school, as you explained very well, is more rugged and captures the harsh part of nature, while somehow being soothing. Great post!
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