Romantic Era
The Beeches (c.1845) by Asher Brown Durand
60 3/8 x 48 1/8 in., oil on canvas
America
View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts. after a Thunderstorm - The Oxbow (c. 1836) by Thomas Cole
51 1/2 x 76 in., oil on canvas
America
Hudson River School Style: Intentions and Analysis
The primary focus of Hudson River School painters was American landscapes. This style of painting emerged around the same time the phrase "Manifest Destiny" was coined. Manifest Destiny was the belief that the United States was destined by God to expand its territory west and spread democracy and capitalism across North America. Hudson River School style was based in New York, though many artists traveled west, and so their paintings documented westward expansion and reinforced Manifest Destiny. With the Civil War beginning in 1861, their landscape paintings provided hope and the promise of beautiful lands untouched by battle.
Hudson River School style was heavily influenced by the Romantic style that was prevalent in the 1800s. Romantic style was full of emotion, with the artists intending to invoke some type of mood. Romantic painters were interested in man's relationship to nature and his emotional response to it. This combination of Manifest Destiny and the Romantic era school of thought helps explain the intentions of the Hudson River School painters.
In The Beeches, Durand attempts to invoke a tranquil mood. One way this is accomplished is by the artist's use of value. The darker values of the forest contrast with the lighter values of the sun in the distance. Color works in conjunction with value to create a lush forest and bright path in the distance. Finally, the use of space allows the artist to place the viewer on the path in the forest heading toward the sunshine. All of these details allow the viewer to feel as if they are on a leisurely afternoon stroll through the forest to enjoy the beauty of nature. I think the feeling of tranquillity was accomplished in this painting and it is very pleasant; the beauty of nature is captured perfectly.
The Oxbow is divided in half by a diagonal line from the lower right corner to the upper left corner. The left side of the painting elicits a dark and fearful mood, which is achieved by the dark color used in the clouds. On the right side of the painting is a bright and peaceful depiction of farmland. The range of values used creates shadows that contrast with the lighter colors, giving the land a bright feel. The colors are pastel and much softer than those on the left, which provides a peaceful feeling. The use of space guides the eye all the way out to the horizon. By depicting the farmland as peaceful and the untouched nature as gloomy, Cole was trying to emphasize the concept of Manifest Destiny. We know now that Manifest Destiny was problematic in that it had serious consequences for Native Americans. Aesthetically, though, the painting is pleasing; I personally love thunderstorms and the calm that comes after. I would love to see both of these paintings up close in a museum of art.
81 3/4 x 121 1/4 in., oil on canvas
France
Turning Road at Montgeroult (c. 1898) by Paul Cézanne
32 x 25 7/8 in., oil on canvas
France
Post-Impressionism: Intentions and Analysis
Post-Impressionism was a response to Impressionism. Impressionists were heavily focused on the transitory effects of light and spontaneous composition. Post-Impressionists felt that Impressionists allowed their focus on technique and natural light to overshadow the importance of subject matter. Post-Impressionism instead focused on the optical effects of color to describe the world around them. Post-Impressionism is about the subjective vision of the artist; painting moved beyond acting as a window into the world and became a window into the artist's mind and soul. Abstract form and pattern in the application of paint are also a focus of this style.
In A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, Seurat uses the technique he developed called Pointillism, where many small dots of color are applied to compose the painting. Seurat applied color in dense fields and blended various colors, allowing him to mimic the appearance of natural light. He was experimenting with the idea that light can be measured in particles and that our minds see the various particles, but will blend them into different colors. I can appreciate that Pointillism requires great skill and precision, but it is not my favorite style aesthetically. The lack of texture gives the painting a flat feeling; it lacks any emotion. Tone is utilized well to create an appearance of light, though the shadows do not seem to have any other purpose. With all of the muted colors, there is no contrast in this painting that sparks interest.
Turning Road at Montgeroult, like many of Cézanne's works, features bright, patchy colors and a confusing perspective. As a Post-Impressionist, Cézanne focused in this painting on the use of color to define the scene. The resulting sense of space is quite flat. There is a foreground, middle ground, and background, but they are really only separated by color. Further, the painting lacks realistic texture, it is hard to focus on anything other than the visible brush strokes. I personally am not a fan of this style because of its flatness and the lack of shape that occurs because of the reliance on color.
Comparison
The Hudson River School style is about nature and using nature to invoke emotion. The paintings from this style can glow with sunlight or cast a dark shadow seen before a thunderstorm. On the other hand, Post-Impressionism is abstract and focuses on daring applications of color.
Works Cited
"The Beeches." The Met, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/10786.
"View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts. after a Thunderstorm - The Oxbow." The Met, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/10497.
"The Hudson River School." The Art Story, https://www.theartstory.org/movement/hudson-river-school/.
"Manifest Destiny." History, https://www.history.com/topics/19th-century/manifest-destiny.
Essak, Shelley. "Romanticism in Art History from 1800-1880." ThoughtCo., https://www.thoughtco.com/romanticism-art-history-183442.
"Nineteenth Century Art" Kahn Academy, https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/approaches-to-art-history/very-beginner/renaissance-to-modern-art/v/19-century-art.
Zygmong, Dr. Bryan. "Thomas Cole, The Oxbow." Smarthisory, https://smarthistory.org/cole-the-oxbow/.
"A Sunday on La Grande Jatte - 1884." Art Institute Chicago, https://www.artic.edu/artworks/27992/a-sunday-on-la-grande-jatte-1884.
"Paul Cézzane." MoMA, https://www.moma.org/collection/works/80025.
"Post-Impressionism Movement." The Art Story, https://www.theartstory.org/movement/post-impressionism/.
"Post-Impressionism." Eyecon Art, https://www.robinurton.com/history/postimpressionism.htm.
I enjoyed the introduction to your romanticism blog, especially the introduction to Asher Brown Durand, an artist I was unfamiliar with to date.
ReplyDeleteMy preference is for works from romanticism Hudson River style paintings, specifically the above-mentioned painting, The Beeches. Asher Brown Durand's painting The Beeches is currently housed at the MET in gallery 759. The forested path in the painting is depicted in great detail with a rich, earthy, brilliant color pallet.
Asher Brown Durand propagated painting in nature, and in his painting The Beeches, he virtuosically demonstrated the success of his method, revealing his passion for nature and his ability to present it to the public. Asher Brown Durand started his artistic career as an engraver.
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/10786
Hey Lacey, I am glad that you picked "The Beeches" by Asher Brown Durand as one of your art choices because I wouldn't have known about it. I love how the use of light is introduce when coming out from the shaded trees. From how the light is position, it would seem as if the sun were either rising or setting down, which gives the sky that beautiful soft yellow color along with the combination of sky blue. There are also how the trees, especially the two that are closer, have so many details put on them that I can see the textures of a real tree.
ReplyDeleteHi Lacey! Between the two styles picked, both are very good in their own right. I do think that I prefer the styles of post-impressionism a little more. This is due to the unique uses of colors and techniques, specifically, pointillism. However this does not take away from how well The Beeches uses color as an art element to create a, in your words, tranquil mood! As for the artist's intentions, the Hudson River School pushed the narrative of Manifest Destiny. This pushed for the uncontrolled and unregulated expanse of America, which I do not find appealing. Although we did get some great artwork out of it. Either way great post!
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