READING ONE
STUDENT CREDENTIALS
Name: ____Hussain Ali____
Total Marks: 40
Reg # ___22I-0902___
Section _G_
Obtained Marks: ______________
POST-IMPRESSIONISM BY H. W. JANSON & ANTHONY F. JANSON
The Impressionist art movement effectively began in France in the early 1860s. Edouard Manet is considered
the "Father of Impressionism," and Impressionist artists included Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste
Renoir, Frédéric Bazille, among others. Their work is characterized by quick brushstrokes and less detail than
the work of previous painters. By the later part of the 19th century, painting had developed further, into what
has become known as Post-Impressionist painting.
By 1882, Impressionism had gained wide acceptance among artists and the public-but, by the same token, it
was no longer a pioneering movement. When the Impressionists held their last group show in 1886), the future
already belonged to the "Post-Impressionists." This colorless label designates a group of artists who passed
through an Impressionist phase in the 1880s but became dissatisfied with the style and pursued a variety of
directions. Because they did not have a common goal, it is difficult to find a more descriptive term for them
than Post-Impressionists. They certainly were not "anti-Impressionists." Far from trying to undo the effects of
the "Manet revolution," they wanted to carry it further. Thus Post-Impressionism is in essence just a later stage,
though a very important one, of the development that had begun in the 1860s.
Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) was the oldest of the Post-Impressionists. A man of intensely emotional
temperament, Cézanne went to Paris in 1861 imbued with enthusiasm for the Romantics 1. Delacroix was his
first love among painters, and he never lost his admiration for him. Cézanne quickly grasped the nature of the
Manet revolution as well, but he did not share his fellow Impressionists' interest in "slice-of-life" subjects, in
movement, and in change. Instead, his goal was "to make of Impressionism something solid and durable, like
the art of the museums." This quest, or search, for the "solid and durable" can be seen in Cézanne's still lifes2,
such as Still Life with Apples. The ornamental backdrop is integrated with the three-dimensional shapes, and
the brushstrokes have a rhythmic pattern that gives the canvas its shimmering texture.
Sub-Section: WHAT HE TOLD ME by Joachim Gasquet
[Joachim Gasquet had been a friend of Cézanne's for a time. Gasquet published conversations he said he had had with
Cézanne. Although later critics say Gasquet added to these conversations, they do give an idea of what Cézanne thought
about art. Below is an excerpt from Gasquet's book in which he quotes from interviews with Cézanne.]
1
Romantics: artists of the Romantic period. This artistic and literary movement lasted from approximately 1800 to 1840. Delacroix
was a Romantic painter.
2
Still life: a painting or photograph of an arrangement of objects, especially flowers and fruit *three-dimensional: having or seeming
to have length, depth, and height
READING ONE
Nature is always the same, and yet its appearance is always changing. It is our business as artists to convey
the thrill of nature's permanence along with the elements and the appearance of all its changes. Painting must
give us the flavor of nature's eternity. Everything, you understand. So I join together nature's straying hands.
From all sides, here there and everywhere. I select colors, tones, and shades; I set them down, I bring them
together. They make lines. They become objects-rocks, trees-without my thinking about them. They take on
volume, value. If, as I perceive them, these volumes and values correspond on my canvas to the planes and
patches of color that lie before me, that appear to my eyes, well, then, my canvas "joins hands." It holds firm.
(Looking at Cézanne's painting of pine trees with Mont SainteVictoire in the distance:) The pure blue smell of pine, which is
sharp in the sun, ought to blend with the fresh green smell of
meadows in the morning, and with the smell of stones and the
distant marble smell of Sainte-Victoire. I have not achieved that
effect. It must be achieved, and achieved through the colors, not
by literary means. Whenever sensation is at its fullest, it
harmonizes with the whole of creation. Nature's stirrings are
resolved, deep down in one's brain, into a movement sensed
equally by our eyes, our ears, our mouth, and our nose, each with
its special kind of poetry. And art puts us, I believe, in a state of
grace in which we experience a universal emotion in an, as it were, religious but at the same time perfectly
natural way. General harmony, such as we find in color, is located all around us.
READING ONE
QUESTIONS
1. Read the following excerpts from the reading and write their paraphrase. Remember: paraphrasing
requires substitution of words with their contextually correct synonyms, rearrangement or
transformation of word forms, and/or rearrangement of sentence parts while keeping the author’s
message intact.
[4 Marks]
WHAT CÉZANNE SAID
WHAT YOU THINK HE MEANS
It is our business as artists to convey the thrill The job of an artist is to portray the stability of nature while
of nature's permanence along with the also expressing the continuous evolution of the details.
elements and the appearance of all its changes.
Cézanne quickly grasped the nature of the Paving his own way Cézanne wanted to add elements of
Manet revolution as well, but he did not share permanence along with the fluidities of the Manet revolution.
his fellow Impressionists' interest in "slice-of-
He was not that enthusiastic about switching motions like his
life" subjects, in movement, and in change.
partner impressionists were but aimed “to make of
Instead,
Impressionism something solid and durable”.
his
goal
was
"to
make
of
Impressionism something solid and durable,
like the art of the museums."
The pure blue smell of pine, which is sharp in He is attempting to express effects of the mellow smells of
the sun, ought to blend with the fresh green pines, stones, meadows in the morning and the Sainte-Victoire
smell of meadows in the morning, and with the through colors which mend with the clarity of the sun and not
smell of stones and the distant marble smell of require wordy descriptions.
Sainte-Victoire. I have not achieved that effect.
It must be achieved, and achieved through the
colors, not by literary means.
Nature's stirrings are resolved, deep down in Nature works cooperatively with our senses like seeing,
one's brain, into a movement sensed equally by smelling, tasting and hearing which align with the brain
our eyes, our ears, our mouth, and our nose, harmoniously and delivers a unique symphony.
each with its special kind of poetry.
READING ONE
2. Read the text again and discuss the meanings of the words given below. From the list given, cross out
(using the strikethrough feature available on Microsoft Word) the word that is not a synonym of the
target word (in bold).
[2 Marks]
Durable
Long lasting
Valuable
Enduring
Permanent
Integrate
Cross
Combine
Join
Incorporate
Temperament
Character
Nature
Anger
Personality
Volume
Liquid
Dimension
Body
Mass
3. Cézanne described how he used colors and shapes to create a painting. Examine the two paintings given
below, with the artists’ details in the caption. Do you believe Cézanne was able to achieve his goal?
Explain your reasons. Do the colors and shapes serve to inform the viewer?
[5 Marks]
READING ONE
Yes, he is able to create that effect he wanted to show. He has delivered clear boundaries while still making the
object’s hazy nature alive. In the second picture for example he bolded the shadows where necessary to give
out solidness.
READING TWO
ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM BY WAYNE CRAVEN
The most dynamic movement of the postwar3 period was Abstract Expressionism, sometimes also called action
painting. It is called Abstract Expressionism because the imagery is abstract or even nonobjective4, and the
way in which the paint is put on to the canvas expresses the action with which the work was made. Naturalistic
representation of objects is of less importance than the artist's feelings about them or the aesthetic5 experience
of the act of painting itself. In Abstract Expressionism, explosive energy is a part of the method of creating-an
emotional drama builds through the technique itself. Accidents inevitably occur in the frenetic execution of a
work and are often retained as evidence of spontaneity. The scale of such paintings soon increased to heroic
dimensions, mainly because broad areas were required for the free-swinging movements of the artist's arm and
hand.
Abstract Expressionist work is a thing unto itself, and it should not be judged by how well or how badly it
represents something else. It does not have to be a still life, a portrait, or a landscape. It is aesthetically sufficient
for it to be simple pigment6, color, canvas, and brushwork-the result of spontaneous, energetic creation.
One of the best ways to understand Abstract Expressionism-or any
art form-is through the words of an artist, while considering one of
his paintings. One of the most famous Abstract Expressionists, or
action painters, was Jackson Pollock (1912-1956), who created one
of the most original forms of expression in the history of American
painting.
In Pollock's work Autumn Rhythm: No. 30, the paint is dribbled
and flung upon the canvas, which, as Pollock worked on it, was
placed flat on the floor rather than upright on an easel. The end
result is unpremeditated, and the "happy accident" is an integral
part of the imagery and a reference to its spontaneity. On an offwhite ground, the primary color is black, with a secondary color of
rust-orange and touches of numerous other hues.
The painting exists as an exciting aesthetic experience an experience the viewer can share because the painting
itself explains in an instant the process of its making. Typically of Pollock's work, the overall effect is without
depth of space or focal center. While the action glides across the surface, a structure, a unity, and even an order
eventually evolve in the multitude of complexities.
It was noted in interviews that Pollock and other Abstract Expressionists "are not concerned with representing
a preconceived idea, but rather with being involved with an experience of paint and canvas, without
interference from the suggested forms and colors of existing objects. Pollock does not know beforehand how
3
postwar period: refers to the time after World War II, which ended in 1945
nonobjective: not representing any real person, object, or scene
5
aesthetic: relates to beauty and the study of beauty
6
pigment: dry, colored powder made from natural or chemical sources, which is mixed with oil, water, etc. to make paint
4
READING TWO
a particular work of his will end. He is impelled to work by the urge, the strong need, to create, and this urge
and what it produces are forever unknowable. We can experience the unknowable but not understand it
intellectually."
Pollack has explained, "My painting does not come from the easel. I prefer to tack the unstretched canvas to
the hard wall or the floor. I need the resistance of a hard surface. On the floor I am more at ease. I feel nearer,
more part of the painting, since this way I can walk around it, work from the four sides and literally be in the
painting. When I am in my painting, I'm not aware of what I'm doing. It is only after a sort of 'get acquainted'
period that I see what I have been about. I have no fear of making changes, destroying the image, etc., because
the painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through. It is only when I lose contact with the painting
that the result is a mess. Otherwise there is pure harmony, an easy give and take, and the painting comes out
well."
READING TWO
QUESTIONS
1. Collocations refer to word patterns or words that are often used together. These pairs of words appear in
text often and sound natural together. The words dynamic, preconceived and complexities appear in the
reading. Each of these words have several collocations:
Dynamic nature
Preconceived ideas
Complex interaction
Dynamic process
Preconceived image
Complex pattern
Dynamic system
Preconceived notions
Complex process
Complex relationship
Complete each sentence with the appropriate collocation from the table above.
[4 Marks]
i.
Pollack's painting displays a complex pattern of curved lines and colors that appear to be random.
ii.
Planning and executing a traditional, representational painting is often a ____complex process___ because
of all the details that need to be thought through. Some paintings take years to complete.
iii.
There is often a ___complex relationship___ between an artist, his or her work, and the viewer that many
people do not understand.
iv.
Creating an Abstract Expressionist painting is a very ____dynamic process____. The artist is very physically
active, walking around a huge canvas, and throwing paint across the surface.
v.
The feeling of action of movement, one senses when viewing an Abstract Expressionist painting makes one
understand the ___dynamic nature___ of the creative process.
vi.
When looking at a painting, the viewer needs to keep an open mind, and not come to the painting with any
___preconceived notions___ of what is "good" or "bad" art.
vii.
Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and Abstract Expressionist artists invite the viewer to enter into a
____complex relationship____ with their work. The viewer must construct meaning from the painting, and
so interacts with it.
viii.
People should not visit a museum of modern art with a ___preconceived image___ of what a portrait, a
landscape, or any other subject might look like.
ix.
People who have never studied another culture's art should try to avoid any ____preconceived ideas____ of
what the sculptures or paintings will be like.
2. We often find it easier to remember words when we connect with an antonym (a word with the opposite
meaning) or a synonym (a word with a similar meaning). For example, we might learn difficult/hard or
result/outcome as pairs of synonyms and easy/difficult or good/bad as pairs of antonyms.
READING TWO
Review the words from the reading in the chart below. Fill in the chart with the synonym and antonym
of each word from the box given.
[6 Marks]
adequate
opposition
moderate
intense
deficient
conceptual
planned
nonrepresentational
help
drive
concrete
spontaneous
irrelevant
inhibit
essential
WORD
SYNONYM
ANTONYM
Abstract
Nonrepresentational
Opposition
Explosive
Intense
Moderate
Impel
Drive
Inhibit
Integral
Essential
Irrelevant
Interference
Opposition
Help
Sufficient
Adequate
Deficient
Unpremeditated
Spontaneous
Planned
3. Review readings one and two. Fill in the chart with information from both readings.
TYPE OF ART
Post-Impressionist
STYLE AND
TECHNIQUES
SUBJECT MATTER
FEELINGS
EXPRESSED
Making scenery
Mellow scenes with
Melancholic,
that is brushed
clarity.
Nostalgic
hazily but outlines
objects.
[4+4=8]
ARTISTS
REPRESENTING
THIS TYPE OF
ART
Paul Cézanne.
READING TWO
Abstract
Expressionist
Explosive,
Upon the viewer to
Intense,
spontaneous
interpret the actions,
Complexities
interaction with the
artist took to make.
Jackson Pollock
canvas by moving
all around.
4. In Abstract Expressionism, paint is often flung or dripped upon the canvas. The result is considered a
“happy accident”, and is considered an integral part of the image that is created. Does a work of art
always have to be planned, or is this unpremeditated method a legitimate art form? Explain your
answer.
[6 Marks]
Art is an expression of no limitations. The audience dictates however what the art is about. In abstract
expressionism the audience likes to unravel how the artist made a piece. They indulge into various techniques
and methods to paint a picture of what emotion they are trying to express. They dive into the canvas with
nothing planned but figure out their piece as they interact with it. Saying that is no art is limiting art’s domain
to people who only judge by a certain criterion which is devolving. Furthermore, happy accidents take the
edge out of a painting and relieves the artist to explore.
5. The author states that “Abstract Expressionist work is a thing unto itself, and it should not be judged
by how well or how badly it represents something else.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Explain your reasons.
[5 Marks]
As an abstract expressionist makes a piece, he/she roams around ideas they can incorporate but more often
they let their “mistakes” play out. They then work around those accidents in search of a new figure. There is
no concept of representing a single thing perfectly but a few scribbles that lead to a whole work. In that sense
it is justified to avoid assuming a correlation and I agree.