Expressionism
and
Abstraction
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Vocabulary – Expressionism and Abstraction
Objective
Subjective
Perspective
Reality
Imagery
Abstract
Distort
Exaggerate
Emotion
Effect
Style
Expressionism
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Expressionism
A term used to denote the use of distortion and exaggeration for
emotional effect, which first surfaced in the art literature of the early
twentieth century.
Expressionism is an artistic style in which the artist attempts to depict
not objective reality but rather the subjective emotions and responses
that objects and events arouse in him or her.
Unlike Impressionism, its goals were not to reproduce the impression
suggested by the surrounding world, but to strongly impose the artist's
own sensibility to the world's representation.
Abstraction
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a
composition which may exist with a degree of independence from
visual references in the world.
Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the
19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an attempt
to reproduce an illusion of visible reality.
By the end of the 19th century many artists felt a need to create a new
kind of art which would encompass the fundamental changes taking
place in technology, science and philosophy.
Abstraction indicates a departure from reality in depiction of imagery in
art. This departure from accurate representation can be only slight, or it
can be partial, or it can be complete.
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Abstract Defined
The Abstract Art movement took place in the United States. In its
purest form, Abstract Art has no subject. It is just lines, shapes, and
colors. The Abstract Art movement is called Abstract Expressionism
because, although the art has no subject, it is still trying to convey some
kind of emotion.
When was the Abstract Art movement?
The Abstract Expressionism movement began in the 1940s in New York
City after World War II. However, the first real Abstract Art was painted
earlier by some Expressionists, especially Kandinsky in the early 1900s.
What are the characteristics of Abstract Art?
The main characteristic of abstract art is that it has no recognizable
subject. Some Abstract Artists had theories on the emotions that were
caused by certain colors and shapes. They planned out their seemingly
random paintings to the last detail. Other Abstract Artists painted with
emotion and randomness hoping to capture their emotion and
subconscious thoughts on the canvas.
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Cubism Defined
Cubism was an innovative art movement pioneered by Pablo Picasso
and Georges Braque. In Cubism, artists began to look at subjects in new
ways in an effort to depict three-dimensions on a flat canvas. They
would break up the subject into many different shapes and then
repaint it from different angles. Cubism paved the way for many
different modern movements of art in the 20th century.
When was the Cubism movement?
The movement started in 1908 and lasted through the 1920s.
What are the characteristics of Cubism?
There were two main types of Cubism:
 Analytical Cubism - The first stage of the Cubism movement was
called Analytical Cubism. In this style, artists would study (or
analyze) the subject and break it up into different blocks. They
would look at the blocks from different angles. Then they would
reconstruct the subject, painting the blocks from various
viewpoints.
 Synthetic Cubism - The second stage of Cubism introduced the
idea of adding in other materials in a collage. Artists would use
colored paper, newspapers, and other materials to represent the
different blocks of the subject. This stage also introduced brighter
colors and a lighter mood to the art.
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Expressionism Defined
The Expressionist movement started in Germany. These artists wanted
to paint about emotion. It could be anger, anxiety, fear, or
peacefulness. This wasn't a completely new idea in art. Other artists like
Vincent van Gogh had been doing the same thing. However, this was
the first time this type of art had been given a name.
When was the Expressionism movement?
The Expressionist movement occurred during the early part of the
1900s.
What are the characteristics of Expressionism?
Expressionist art tried to convey emotion and meaning rather than
reality. Each artist had their own unique way of "expressing" their
emotions in their art. In order to express emotion, the subjects are
often distorted or exaggerated. At the same time colors are often vivid
and shocking.
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Surrealism Defined
Surrealism began as a philosophical movement that said the way to find
truth in the world was through the subconscious mind and dreams,
rather than through logical thought. The movement included many
artists, poets, and writers who expressed their theories in their work.
When was the Surrealism movement?
The movement began in the mid-1920s in France and was born out of
an earlier movement called Dadaism from Switzerland. It reached its
peak in the 1930s.
What are the characteristics of Surrealism?
Surrealism images explored the subconscious areas of the mind. The
artwork often made little sense as it was usually trying to depict a
dream or random thoughts.
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Some Quick facts about Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso
 The art of our century has been dominated by two men: Henri Matisse and
Pablo Picasso
 They are artists of classical greatness, and their visionary forays into new
art have changed our understanding of the world.
 Matisse was the elder of the two, but he was a slower and more methodical
man by temperament and it was Picasso who initially made the greater
splash.
 Matisse's artistic career was long and varied, covering many different styles
of painting from Impressionism to near Abstraction.
 Early on in his career Matisse was viewed as a Fauvist, and his celebration
of bright colors reached its peak in 1917 when he began to spend time on
the French Riviera at Nice and Venice. Here he concentrated on reflecting
the sensual color of his surroundings and completed some of his most
exciting paintings.
 In 1941 Matisse was diagnosed as having duodenal cancer and was
permanently confined to a wheelchair. It was in this condition that he
completed the magnificent Chapel of the Rosary in Venice.
 Matisse's art has an astonishing force and lives by innate right in a paradise
world into which Matisse draws all his viewers. He gravitated to the
beautiful and produced some of the most powerful beauty ever painted. He
was a man of anxious temperament, just as Picasso, who saw him as his
only rival, was a man of peasant fears, well concealed. Both artists, in their
own fashion, dealt with these disturbances through the sublimation of
painting: Picasso destroyed his fear of women in his art, while Matisse
coaxed his nervous tension into serenity. He spoke of his art as being like "a
good armchair"-- a ludicrously inept comparison for such a brilliant man-but his art was a respite, a reprieve, a comfort to him.
 Matisse initially became famous as the King of the Fauves, an inappropriate
name for this gentlemanly intellectual: there was no wildness in him,
though there was much passion. He is an awesomely controlled artist, and
his spirit, his mind, always had the upper hand over the "beast" of Fauvism.
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Meet Henri Matisse
Henri Matisse was born on December 31, 1869 in Le Cateau-Cambrésis
in Northern France. His parents, Emile Matisse and Héloise Gérars,
owned a general store where they sold household goods and seed.
Henri was their first son.
As a young man, Henri traveled to Paris to study law. In 1889 he
returned home to work in a law office as a clerk. It was around this time
that he had an attack of appendicitis, which required surgery. To make
the long recovery more enjoyable his mother gave him a paint box. It
was then, at the age of 21, that Matisse discovered painting and
decided to become an artist.
In 1891 Matisse traveled to Paris to study art at the Academie Julian.
Despite the fact that his first teacher told him that he would never
learn to draw, he was determined to succeed. In the beginning he
painted still-lifes and landscapes and was beginning to see the results of
his hard work. Five years later he exhibited 5 of his paintings in the
salon of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. The state purchased 2 of
them.
In 1897 Matisse was introduced to Impressionism, and to the work of
Vincent van Gogh. Matisse was fascinated by this new and interesting
way of painting, and his style changed completely. His excitement for
the art and artists of his time grew. In fact, he bought so many painting
by the artists that he admired that he got into debt.
In 1905, Matisse along with a group of artists which became known as
"Fauves" (The Wild Beasts) exhibited together at the Salon d'Automne.
The paintings shown were expressive, often without regard for the
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natural colors of the subject. Matisse's works in particular contained
aggressive brush strokes and bold primary colors. The show brought
sudden fame to Matisse, with his “Woman with the Hat” being
purchased by American writer and modern art collector Gertrude Stein.
In the 1940’s Matisse began creating cut paper collages, often rather
large pictures, called gouaches découpés. He called this new technique
"painting with scissors" or “carving in color.” His cut paper collages
demonstrated his eye for color and geometry in a simple, yet powerful
way.
In 1954, at the age of 84, Matisse died a recognized leader in modern
art. Although he was at first considered a Fauve (wild beast), he was
later praised as a supporter of the classical tradition in French painting.
Some of his greatest paintings include “Woman with a Hat” (1905),
"The Dance" (1910), "Red Fish" (1911) and "The Moroccan in Green"
(1913) Two years before his death a museum was opened to honor his
work. It is now the third-largest Matisse art collection in France.
1905 – Woman with a Hat
1947 – Icarus (From Matisse’s book Jazz)
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Homework Questions
1. Although Matisse had attended some drawing classes as a boy and
young man, he did not originally begin his career as a painter or artist.
What career did Matisse begin with? What happened that made
Matisse want to become an artist?
2. Late into the 19th century, Matisse met an artist who would influence
him so much that he changed his whole style of painting. Who was the
artist Matisse met and which period did that artist represent?
3. When did Matisse begin creating his paper cut-outs? What event in
his life encouraged such a dramatic change in style?
Research Question
Although the paper collages Matisse produced during his last years are
very different from the paintings of his earlier years, they do have at
least one thing in common: a fascination with pattern. Do some
research to find two paintings by Matisse that contain a lot of pattern.
Compare them to the paper collages Icarus and Beasts of the Sea. Write
a paragraph about how Matisse applied pattern in his work.
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Meet Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso was born on October 25, 1881 in Malaga, Spain. He was the
first child of Don Jose Ruiz y Blasco, an art teacher, and Maria Picasso y
Lopez. At an early age Pablo showed an interest in drawing. His first words
were "piz, piz", which is short for "lapiz", the Spanish word for pencil. As a
young boy, Pablo Picasso was a prodigy whose skills became an expressive
power that profoundly affected the art of the twentieth century.
At the age of 7, Pablo began receiving art instruction from his father. His
father believed that an artist's training should include copying the masters
and drawing the human body from plaster casts and live models. The
precision of Pablo's painting technique grew until it soon surpassed that of
his father.
In 1895, Pablo's father accepted a position at Barcelona's School of Fine
Arts. He asked officials to allow his son to take the entrance exam. The
officials were impressed with Pablo's abilities and admitted him to the
academy. As a student he lacked discipline but made friends and continued
to grow as an artist.
At the age of 16, Pablo's father enrolled him in Spain's most distinguished
art school, Madrid's Royal Academy of San Fernando. However, his
instruction at the Royal Academy lasted only a short time as he struggled to
accept formal instruction. In spite of these difficulties, his time in Madrid
was not wasted. Pablo visited Madrid's museums and saw the paintings of
Diego Velasquez and Francisco Goya, though it was the works of El Greco
that he admired most.
In 1900, Picasso made his first trip to Paris. At that time Paris was
considered to be the art capitol of Europe. While in Paris, Picasso's work
began to attract the attention of art collectors. By 1905, he had become a
favorite of American art collectors Leo and Gertrude Stein. It was through
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them that Picasso met French artist Henri Matisse. The two became lifelong
friends.
In 1907, Picasso painted one of his most important works - Les Demoiselles
d'Avignon, - creating with painter and sculptor Georges Braque the brand
new art movement known as "Cubism". Cubism allowed the artist to show
his/her model from many different viewpoints. In the paintings of earlier
times, the artist showed his subject from one particular viewpoint. In cubist
paintings the artist may show the front and the side of a person's face at the
same time.
Blue Period (1901-1904)
In 1901, Pablo's close friend Carlos Casagemas committed suicide. Pablo
became very sad. Around the same time he began painting in Paris. For the
next four years his paintings were dominated by the color blue. Many of the
subjects were sad and somber looking. He painted people with elongated
features and faces. Some of his paintings from this period include Poor
People on the Seashore and The Old Guitarist.
Rose Period (1904 - 1906)
Eventually Pablo got over his depression. He also fell in love with a French
model. He began to use warmer colors in his paintings including pinks, reds,
oranges, and beiges. Art historians call this time in Pablo's life the Rose
Period. He also began to paint happier scenes such as circuses. Some of his
paintings from this period include The Peasants and Mother and Child.
Cubism (1907 - 1921)
In 1907 Picasso began to experiment with a new style of painting. He
worked with another artist named Georges Braque. By 1909 they had
created a completely new style of painting called Cubism. In Cubism the
subjects are analyzed and broken up into different sections. Then the
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sections are put back together and painted from different perspectives and
angles. Go here to see an example of Picasso's Cubism art.
In 1912 Picasso began to combine Cubism and collage. This was where he
would use sand or plaster in his paint to give it texture. He would also apply
materials such as colored paper, newspapers, and wallpaper to his paintings
to give them added dimension.
Some of Picasso's Cubism paintings include Three Musicians and the Portrait
of Ambroise Vollard.
Two examples of cubist portraits by Picasso are featured below.
1910 - Portrait of Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler
1910 - Portrait of Ambroise Vollard.
Neoclassical Style
Although Picasso would continue to experiment with Cubism, around 1921
he went through a period of painting more classical style paintings. He
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borrowed ideas from Renaissance painters such as Raphael. He created
powerful characters that almost appeared to be three-dimensional, like
statues. Some of his works in this style include The Pipes of Pan and Woman
in White.
Surrealism
Around 1924 Pablo became interested in the Surrealist movement.
Surrealist paintings weren't supposed to make any sense. They often appear
like something you would see in a dream or a nightmare. Although Picasso
didn't become a member of the movement, he did incorporate some of
their ideas into his paintings. Some people called this time his Monster
period.
Pablo Picasso died on April 8, 1973 in Mougins, France. He is best
remembered as the co-founder of Cubism, and for Cubist works Les
Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907), Three Musicians (1921) and Guernica (1937).
Homework Questions
1. Write a paragraph about Picasso’s use of color. How did the colors he use
change in the early years and what was the inspiration that prompted
change?
2. Picasso worked in several different types of media. Name three of them.
3. To what extent did events in Picasso’s life affect his work?
Research Question
Picasso was active as a painter over a long period of time. Do some research
and construct a time-line that shows Picasso’s career as an artist. The timeline must show the different styles Picasso used and the different periods.
Please include the title of at least one piece of work for each period and
style.
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Meet Edvard Munch
A Norwegian painter and printmaker whose intense, evocative treatment of
psychological and emotional themes was a major influence on the
development of German Expressionism in the early 20th century. His
painting The Scream (1893) is regarded as an icon of existential anguish.
Munch was born on Dec. 12, 1863, in Loten, Norway. He grew up in
Christiania (now Oslo) and studied art under Christian Krohg, a Norwegian
naturalistic painter. Munch's parents, a brother, and a sister died while he
was still young, which probably explains the bleakness and pessimism of
much of his work. Paintings such as The Sick Child (1886), Vampire (189394), and Ashes (1894) show his preoccupation with the darker aspects of
life. According to Edvard Munch, the inspiration for this painting was drawn
from a past event. "The Scream" was a result of the anxiety and fear he felt
on a day while walking with two friends. The serene atmosphere, which he
had hoped to enjoy, was suddenly interrupted by changes in the sky, caused
by the setting sun. To Munch, the landscape seemed engulfed in red flames,
triggering an unnerving sense of fear in him.
Munch traveled to Paris in 1885, and his work began to show the influence
of French painters--first, the impressionists, and then the
postimpressionists--as well as art nouveau design. Like many young artists
Munch reacted against conventional behavior, and in 1892 he took part in a
controversial exhibit in Berlin. His circle of friends included several writers,
one of whom was the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. Munch designed
the sets for several of Ibsen's plays.
Between 1892 and 1908, Munch spent much of his time in Paris and Berlin,
where he became known for his prints--etchings, lithographs, and woodcuts.
After 1910 Munch returned to Norway, where he lived and painted until his
death. In his later paintings Munch showed more interest in nature, and his
work became more colorful and less pessimistic. Munch died in Ekely, near
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Oslo, on Jan. 23, 1944. He left many of his works to the city of Oslo, which
built a museum in his honor.
1893 – The Scream
1894 – Ashes
1907 – The Sick Child
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Homework Questions
Reflections of “The Scream”
1. What inspired Munch to paint 'The Scream'?
2. Who do you think the man is in this painting?
3. What feelings is the artist trying to communicate through his painting?
4. Why do you think the man is screaming?
5. What might cause people to scream - fear or another emotion?
6. What do you notice about the colors the artist used?
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