Preferences and Perspectives- The Romantic Era

 Romanticism vs. Post-Impressionism

Everything in the world was advancing rapidly: industry, transportation, and communication. While exploration and colonization were expanding, the world felt smaller as people traveled more quickly to distant communities thanks to the invention of the locomotive. Art, too, was evolving at a fast pace. Artists began to reject the ideals of classicism and Neoclassicism, which emphasized harmony, balance, and idealization. Instead, they embraced dramatic historical events and injustices, capturing landscapes with light and shadow, and exploring dreamlike worlds. They used their art to evoke strong emotions and provoke thoughtful discussions. This was the art of Romanticism. Later, Post-Impressionism broke out of the constraints of the previous styles, and focused on form and color with erratic brush strokes and two-dimensional scenes, becoming more abstract and expressive. I gravitate towards the stories and landscapes of the Romanticism style over the Post-impressionist style, though I love Van Gogh as an exception to my preference.

 

At first glance, The Slave Ship appears to be a beautiful depiction of a ship caught in a tumultuous storm. I was immediately struck by the artist’s use of sunlight piercing through the dark clouds. His portrayal of nature’s dramatic power is evident in the crashing waves, the sea spray, and the tilt of the ship, which seems to be violently rocking in the turbulent waters.

Joseph Mallord William Turner Slave Ship (Slavers Throwing Overboard the Dead and Dying, Typhoon Coming On.) 1840 (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)

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However, my gaze was soon drawn to a detail in the bottom right corner, and I was overwhelmed by feelings of disgust, shock, and revulsion. There, I noticed a human leg, shackled at the foot, with fish surrounding the body, feasting on it. Suddenly, the drama of the piece shifted dramatically as I realized that this was a slave ship,  throwing bodies overboard.

J.M.W. Turner was one of the greatest landscape artists of the 19th century, known for his mastery of a style called Luminism- the effects of light on the landscape -and dramatic emotional scenes. In this work, he conveys the true story of the slave ship Zong, where the captain threw slaves overboard to claim insurance money. This gruesome act was, unfortunately, not an isolated incident; it was a common occurrence on many slave ships. The horror of humanity emerges vividly amidst the storm.

This typhoon does not discriminate in whom it takes; while we hope it will destroy the ship, we see there is no hope for the slaves cast into the sea. The storm, in its ferocity, becomes a metaphor for the typhoon of emotions swelling within us. Turner believed in creating works of historical significance, or be based upon mythological or literary themes. In this piece, he truly captures both the historical significance of slavery and the stormy horrors of humanity.

While I admire this piece of art, I wouldn’t have it in my home due to its darker nature and subject matter. It would be too depressing for me.

Let’s now turn our attention to a dramatic landscape that fills us with awe and wonder: Thomas Moran's famous painting The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

Thomas Moran, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, 1872, oil on canvas mounted on aluminum, 213 x 266.3 cm (Smithsonian American Art Museum)

Moran was an American artist and member of the Hudson River School. He was strongly influenced by J.M.W. Turner and carved out a successful career as an illustrator. Scribner’s Magazine commissioned him to travel west and illustrate the Yellowstone landscape. He clearly fell in love with the area because, the following year, he returned, this time with the United States Geological and Geographical Survey and Territories. His mission was to document geological landforms and nature through his art.

This masterpiece brilliantly captures the magnitude and beauty of Yellowstone, although you won’t find this particular lookout in reality. Moran creatively combined different areas of Yellowstone to highlight its beauty and drama. He expertly employed light and dark contrasts, using the luminist style to showcase how sunlight interacts with the rocks and trees. The yellows, reds, and oranges of the rocky cliffs are striking, and the mist of the waterfall draws our attention to the expansive landscape beyond.

Upon closer inspection, we see two sets of figures in the shadows. One set consists of two men: one with a sketchbook open on his knee and the other unloading photography equipment. These figures represent Moran himself and the photographer who was traveling with him. Off to the right, we see a Native American and a white man engaged in friendly conversation, symbolizing cooperation for survival and land use—an ideal that, unfortunately, did not come to pass. This was the era when people were moving west into the so-called untouched wilderness, encroaching on the home of people who have lived there for thousands of years. Moran’s Masterpiece was shown to Congress in 1872.  Congress declared Yellowstone as the country’s first National Park. 

I absolutely love this work. Having worked in Yellowstone and lived in Montana, it brings back wonderful memories of working and hiking through the wilderness. It also reminds me of the beauty we have right here in Alaska, where magnificent mountains and stunning landscapes surround us.

Both of these pieces are dramatic and draw us in with their beautiful light and color. The artists are masters of the luminist style, evoking powerful emotions prompting reflections on the rapidly changing landscapes, from expansionism to societal moral standards.

To me, art styles and trends resemble a ping pong ball bouncing back and forth. In the 19th century, this "ping pong ball" gained significant momentum, moving rapidly within a confined space and bouncing off one wall to the other. Art trends behaved similarly. Just when one gained popularity, another, often quite different, would emerge. As observers, we find ourselves captivated, quickly turning our heads from side to side to catch a glimpse of the next trend and its dramatic leap.

After a few trends in the art world have passed, we find ourselves in the realm of Post-Impressionism.

Post-impressionism emerged as a response to the limitations of naturalistic portrayals of light and color found in the Romantic and Impressionist movements. Artists wanted to free themselves from these constraints, employing color and form in more expressive ways.

Irises, 1889, Vincent van Gogh. Oil on canvas, 74.3 x 94.3 cm. J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

Van Gogh exemplifies this shift of style. I am consistently drawn to his paintings, captivated initially by the vibrant colors and wild brush strokes  This piece reminds me of the irises we had growing in our yard in Fairbanks, where their vibrant violet colors would pop in the summer and the kids would enjoy shaking the seed pods after the flowers died. This is a painting I would love to have hanging in my home.

.Van Gogh was deeply interested in the science of color, particularly how the placement of colors impacts art. During his time, artists were discovering new paint colors through chemistry, leading to an explosion of vibrant hues in post-impressionistic works.

In Irises, There is no obvious dramatic story or moral message  depicted.  There is no play of light against shadows as the Romanticists used. Yet we are arrested in a similar fashion from the vibrant colors. Bold brush strokes define these cool shades of blue irises, curved and full of life. 

 These flowers are set against the straight lines of silvery green leaves and stems. Up close, the irises are clear and defined, but as our eyes move upward, the flowers and colors begin to blur. Just like in real life, our focus is on the subject in front, while everything else remains blurry in our periphery. In the back of the garden we see the bright yellows and oranges of marigolds, along with small white flowers. This garden is alive with abundance and vigor.  There is a white Iris, off to the side, different and a bit out of place, yet still accepted as part of the garden.  Below, the rust colored earth is alive with wild small brush strokes.  Upon closer inspection of the flowers, we can see these erratic brush strokes filled with a variety of colors contained within the petals and leaves of the flowers. When stepping back, the chaotic details blend into a more uniform scene, creating an overall sense of calm and peaceful setting.

This painting was created in the Saint Paul-de-Mausole Asylum, where Van Gogh admitted himself for mental health treatment.  There is some speculation that this was the root of art therapy.  We can get a sense of his mental state in the wild brush strokes, enclosed in a setting that is bringing calmness back to his reality.

An interesting fact I discovered is that the irises in the original painting were actually violet! Over time, the Geranium Lake red color used to mix with the blue to create the violet color has faded, leaving us with the iconic blue irises we know today. Researchers are working on a way to replicate the original colors to represent the piece as it was initially intended. You can find out more in this video.

https://smarthistory.org/vincent-van-gogh-irises-the-search-for-violet-getty-conversations/

Paul Cézanne, Mont Sainte-Victoire, 1902–04, oil on canvas, 73 x 91.9 cm (Philadelphia Museum of Art, photo: Steven Zucker, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

The last piece of Post-impressionist art is Mont Sainte-Victoire by Paul Cézanne.

In this painting, we observe a flat, two-dimensional appearance. There is little interaction with light or atmosphere, nor is there a dramatic story or thought-provoking message, as romanticists often depicted. The artwork features a vibrant palette with brush strokes that create forms but lack definitive lines. 

In the foreground, shades of blue and brown represent shadows on the trees. The middle section showcases reds and greens that symbolize houses, while blues and greys delineate the mountains and sky. Personally, I don't particularly enjoy this style of art, but it's fascinating to see how Cézanne employed color, dabs of paint, and short brush strokes to depict a visible landscape. 

Cézanne's approach focused on form through color rather than light effects, distinguishing him from earlier artists. We can see this play out in this painting, as there is very little defintive lines, Yet we can make out trees, a village and a mountain. His style significantly influenced the modern art movement that followed. Although Cézanne gained more recognition later in life, this painting was one of his last landscapes before his passing a few years later.

These two art styles are fascinating in both their similarities and differences. Both emphasize emotions and make extensive use of color, allowing viewers to engage their senses. However, Romanticism focuses on dramatic scenes, moral messages, and pastoral landscapes, with a focus on light and detail. In contrast, the Post-Impressionists broke away from these conventions, adopting a more abstract and spontaneous approach to expressing emotions. Both styles have inspired future generations of artists and have left us with wonderful, thought-provoking visuals to enjoy and reflect upon.

Works Cited

 Lori Landay and Dr. Beth Harris, "J. M. W. Turner, Slave Ship," in Smarthistory, December 9, 2015, accessed October 25, 2024,https://smarthistory.org/j-m-w-turner-slave-ship/

Turner, JMW. “Thomas Moran | Smithsonian American Art Museum.” Smithsonian American Art Museum, https://americanart.si.edu/artist/thomas-moran-3406. Accessed 28 October 2024

Dr. Eleanor Jones Harvey and Dr. Beth Harris, "Thomas Moran, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone," in Smarthistory, February 26, 2020, accessed October 25, 2024, https://smarthistory.org/moran-yellowstone/

Devi Ormond, Dr. Beth Harris and The J. Paul Getty Museum, "Vincent van Gogh, Irises: the search for violet

Getty Conversations," in Smarthistory, September 18, 2024, accessed October 25, 2024, https://smarthistory.org/vincent-van-gogh-irises-the-search-for-violet-getty-conversations/

Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker, "The painting of Paul Cézanne, an introduction," in Smarthistory, August 9, 2015, accessed October 28, 2024, https://smarthistory.org/an-introduction-to-the-painting-of-paul-cezanne/