Richard Ceballos
April 7, 2009
Unit 22-Late 19th Century Sculpture
Fin de Siècle
 Impressionism
 Post-Impressionism
 Symbolism
 Sculptural trends
 Arts and Crafts Movement
 Art Nouveau
 Architectural Trends
 Harder to capture sculptural depiction, stuck in a Neoclassical and Romantic
mode
I. Sculpture in the Later 19th Century
 Pages 843-845
 Rodin, makes sculpture more modern
Sculpture: Realist and Expressive
 Examine issues of realism, expression and subject matter in sculpture of the later
19th century.
Figure 31-31, JEAN-BAPTISTE CARPEAUX, Ugolino and His Children, 1865–1867.
 Renaissance approved subject matter
 Influenced by Michelangelo’s subject matter and conventions, twisted figure and
exaggerated and extreme musculature
 1863 Salon, big hit
 Why well liked? Referenced the work of Michelangelo, classical antiquity,
highly finished (polished, smooth marble), optically realistic, idealized body,
Renaissance subject matter
Auguste Rodin
 First avant-garde sculptor
Figure 31-22, AUGUSTE RODIN, Walking Man, 1905.
 Material in bronze, additive, pliable materials
 Literally has the hand of the artist, academy thought it was unfinished
 All about the process, draws attention to itself, see the creative process
 See the whole history of the making
 Exploitation of light effects, look at how light affects things
 Trying to display the essence of walking, capture movement, not stop movement
 Expert understanding of human anatomy, but still possesses artistic subjectivity
 Managed to received commissions
Figure 31-33, AUGUSTE RODIN, Burghers of Calais, 1884-1889.
 Meant to commemorate something that happened during the 100 years war
 Sad and defeated figures, thought they were going to get some classical figures
 Trying to capture the emotion of the scene
 Citizens would be able to see the sculpture, some hated it, too radical, humanized
figures
Decorative art
 Arts and Crafts Movement
 Art Nouveau (along with “fine” art and architecture)
II. Arts and Crafts Movement
 Page 846
 Interest in aesthetic functional objects
 Interest in high-quality artisanship and honest labor
Figure 31-34, WILLIAM MORRIS, Green Dining Room, South Kensington Museum
(now Victoria & Albert Museum), London, England, 1867.
Figure 31-35, CHARLES RENNIE MACKINTOSH and MARGARET MACDONALD
MACKINTOSH, reconstruction (1992–1995) of Ladies’ Luncheon Room, Ingram Street
Tea Room, Glasgow, Scotland, 1900–1912.
 Everything uniquely made
III. Art Nouveau
 Pages 841-842, 847-848
 Organic natural forms
Figure 31-26, AUBREY BEARDSLEY, The Peacock Skirt, 1894.
 Subject matter from the bible
 Shading, black and white, no colors
 Flowing organic lines, arabesque, and influenced from Japanese wood prints
Klimt
Figure 31-28, GUSTAV KLIMT, The Kiss, 1907–1908.
 Bid mound of love, clearly fantasy world (symbolist aspect)
 A lot of Byzantine influences, studied Byzantine art
 Shows late 19th Century interest in 2 and 3 dimensional tension
Figure 31-36, VICTOR HORTA, staircase in the Van Eetvelde House, Brussels, 1895.
 Skylight, tracery in the stained glass, flowery organic lines
Figure 31-37, LOUIS COMFORT TIFFANY, lotus table lamp, ca. 1905.
 US company Tiffany, created stain-glass designs
 Very expensive decorative arts, not mass produced, expensive materials, high
status
Gaudi
Figure 31-38, ANTONIO GAUDI, Casa Milá, Barcelona, 1907.
 Façade in undulating, Baroque influence
 All look like little sand castles
Discussion Questions
 In what ways did the Modernist art of the later 19th century break from the past?
 How did Modernist artists call attention to the ‘facts’ of art making?
 How did the Post-Impressionist painters’ work inspire other artists?