Romantic Era Style & Art Nouveau

In the time period between 1780-1850, a new era emerged.   Romanticism was more of an idea, a perspective, or one could even say an attitude in art, music, philosophy, poetry, and architecture.  Many people had their own idea about the definition of Romanticism, and rarely did their ideas match up with the next persons.  But even with so many having their opinions and thoughts on Romanticism, there was always a common theme within the definition-Expression.  The Romantic Era emerged from chaos and conversion.  The French Revolution being in its initial phase and the Industrial Revolution moving full steam ahead, it was a time of conflict and confidence.  Artists and people felt that they could conquer the world and create art how they wanted to, and conflict with more classically trained artists and philosophers not wanting to even recognize those Romantics as artists.  The result of this was having an eclectic grouping of art coming out of this period.

Art I Adore:

This painting is called Aurora Borealis.  It was painted by Romantic artist Frederic Edwin Church. This artwork was created from two sketches.  One from Church himself, and one from a pupil of his.  This first piece is categorized as a Romantic composition. It was painted in 1865 and is a landscape composition painted on an oil canvas located in the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.  Some say that this painting also suggested that because the Aurora is mostly only seen in the North, that it was evidence of God’s dissatisfaction of the way the South for supporting slavery.  It was said that it “alluded to this divine omen relating to the unresolved conflict” (Smithsonian American Art Museum: Commemorative Guide. Nashville, TN: Beckon Books, 2015).   During the Romantic Era, you see the bits and pieces of religion come back into play that may have been pushed to the side during the more classical compositions of the Classical Era. There are many great examples of luminism in this piece.  You can see the foggy, hazy air, without any direct lines, diffused light, and fabulous, natural tranquility throughout the picture.  Church was also a member of the Hudson River School, which this picture demonstrates what style of landscape paintings they were known for.  I was excited to see this piece as I, like most of us here in Alaska, look up at night, and when lady Aurora blesses us with her presence, it’s like the first time we’ve ever seen them every time. This painting was done well before advance photography was discovered.  The Aurora Borealis composition allowed for common people to see some spectacularly uncommon phenomena that they would have never before been able to see.

This is another composition created by English Romantic artist, JMW Turner.  It is called Fisherman at Sea and was painted in 1794.  This painting was also oil painted on canvas.  In this painting, we see a small boat in a powerful ocean.  This marine composition represents the intensity of nature, with the dark sky, created with soft brush strokes, and a very large contrast in light and dark and the simplicity of man, represented by a small, battered boat, toughing it out in the rough seas, with dangerous terrain surrounding them.  The moon is creeping through the clouds and is just as present as the light from the fisherman’s lantern.  Both playing an eager role in their representation of nature vs. man.   The ocean is so very large compared to the human aspect in this picture, it very much gives me a feeling of nature being valued over civilization when I look at the picture.  This picture creates a lot of emotion, anxiety the most prevalent.  Bringing an emotional aspect to paintings during this time was very common.  There is a lot of luminism used in this piece as well.  Again, you can see the diffused light and hazy brush strokes.  There is a peacefulness created amongst the chaos of nature in this picture.  The emotion it creates is the part I enjoy the most in this painting.  I find it interesting that this picture portrays more of a destructiveness and darkness, whereas from Neoclassical Era to the beginning of art, compositions were always representative of morality and the church, and a “bigger picture”.  Now get to see another side of art with more emphasis on nature, emotions, and the individual.

Art I Just Can’t Wrap My Head Around:

“Reclining Woman With Green Stockings” -This is an example of Art Nouveau.  It is by Austrian artist Egon Schiele.  It was painted in 1917 and was also an oil painting on canvas.   I don’t like the way color or line is used in this piece. I think it is chaotic, and not in a good way.  The hard jawline and muscular appendages,  and muddy muted coloring is a huge turn off for me.  From what I’ve read, this piece was intended to be a sexy, provocative composition, it just feels wrong to look at.  Because it is not even sexy or beautiful.   It’s more like a train-wreck, that I don’t even want to look at.  It just doesn’t look like the more traditional art or even good art.  I can very much tell why that Art Nouveau was a short-lived style.  Schiele was transitioning from earlier works with straight lines, to more accurate, curvy lines that made his subjects look more like they do in this piece.  He is not only known for his use of twisted bodies and expressive lines in his work, but for bringing forth a new presentation of sexuality.  In fact,  Jane Kaller has commented on Schiele’s work as “being grotesque, erotic, pornographic, or disturbing, focusing on sex, death, and discovery.” (Harry Abrams).  And it makes total sense.  This movement was to move away from artists being told how to do their art.  They took this as an opportunity to express themselves exactly how they’d like without fear of consequences for doing so.

Riga, Europe, is home a sizable exhibit of Art Nouveau architecture.  Many pieces just like this one adorn the streets of Riga.  I don’t like them.  They are odd to me.  The art doesn’t make sense to me.  I can appreciate the detail artists put into this genre of work during this time period.  The form of Art Nouveau encompasses all forms of arts from oil canvas paintings, poetry, architecture and even interior design.  You can see the distinguished curved lines and exotic motifs throughout the streets of Riga.  In this piece, you see a woman (a very common theme in this form of art) and long hair.  I think that this is a good example of the “art gone rogue” attitude that emerged with the industrial revolution.  The streets of Riga demonstrate the fusion of structure and adornment of the architecture.

Works Cited

“The Influence of Art History on Modern Design: Art Nouveau.” PIXEL77, pixel77.com/art-history-modern-design-art-nouveau/.

“Posters Archives.” Invaluable, www.invaluable.com/blog/tag/posters/.

McKay, Kate. “The Basic of Romantic Art.” The Art of Manliness, 27 May 2018, www.artofmanliness.com/articles/the-basics-of-art-the-romantic-period/.

Church, Frederic Edwin. “Aurora Borealis, 1865 – Frederic Edwin Church.” Www.wikiart.org, 1 Jan. 1865, www.wikiart.org/en/frederic-edwin-church/aurora-borealis-1865.

Church, Frederic Edwin. “Aurora Borealis, 1865 – Frederic Edwin Church.” Www.wikiart.org, 1 Jan. 1865, www.wikiart.org/en/frederic-edwin-church/aurora-borealis-1865

“Fishermen at Sea.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 May 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fishermen_at_Sea.

Reclining Woman with Green Stockings, 1917 by Egon Schiele, www.egon-schiele.com/reclining-woman-with-green-stockings.jsp.

“Riga.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Oct. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riga.