VII - Early Modern

 

Into the Modern

Oil on Canvas - Fauvism

Landscape Near Antwerp (1906)

Georges Braque (1882-1963)

    While this painting may not be as easily comprehensible as other paintings in different styles, it is definitely a sight to behold. In this painting, I see a pond next to a hill, a high-ceiling sky with a far-out horizon, and even distant structures that could be part of a town. There is a plethora of color in this lovely depiction of a Belgium countryside, which is unnatural to its scene but beautiful in its display.

Fauvism (c.1905)

    Fauvism is a style of art developed in France by Les Fauves, an artist group predominantly known for its expressive subject matter, abstract depictions, and use of vibrant and unrealistic color.

Oil on Canvas - Cubism

Girl Before a Mirror (1932)

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)

    This painting is much more focused on line and shape, though there is plenty of color to be appreciated here, too. Picasso found himself more attuned to painting in this style, depicting figures in a specific fashion and focusing more on simple shapes rather than complex structures. His compilations and organization of shapes and lines give form to his paintings and create defined subjects uniquely and abstractly. 

Cubism (c.1907)

    Cubism is a style of art considered to have been developed by both Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso, known for its abstract interpretations of objects and figures and its heavy use of simple shapes and angles.

Oil on Canvas - Futurism

Elasticità (1912)

Umberto Boccioni (1882-1916)

    I find this painting to be very... moving! It is gorgeous, and I think it perfectly represents the futurist style. A lot of lines and shapes go into creating a painting-in-motion. The scene of a rider on horseback, in a swift trot, passing an industrial plant almost jumps out at you. It almost looks 3 dimensional, especially with the shading. There is texture to the horse's hind legs and tail, and the smoke and clouds in the sky look as though they are curling in the winds.

Futurism (c.1909)

    Futurism is an art style of Italian development (Futurismo) in the Early Modern Era, and it emphasized dynamism, motion and speed, modern life experience, and the celebration of progress and change.

Oil on Canvas - Expressionism

The Yellow Cow (1911)

Franz Marc (1880-1916)

    The Yellow Cow, or Gelbe Kuh, seems to depict a merry cow bovine, leaping and kicking through a golden field near sunset. This painting reminds me of when I used to live on an organic Dairy Farm. The heifers would go gallivanting about their pasture when we'd drive through to spread the alfalfa hay for the day. They would leap and kick in a similar fashion. This painting has a very joyous and adventurous tone to it, as though the yellow cow were on a journey. The color and shade bring the setting sun to life, silhouetting the mountains and casting shadows across the landscape.

Expressionism (c.1905-1920)

    Expressionism is a style of art that found its way onto the canvases of artists across the world at the beginning of the 20th century. In expressionism, reality is distorted within the painting to capture and express the artist's introspections.

    The swift progression of painting styles through the short time that is the Early Modern Era really expresses how much change was happening in these times.

“Elasticità - Umberto Boccioni.” Google Arts & Culture, artsandculture.google.com/asset/elasticit%C3%A0-umberto-boccioni/vgFuugdx8YZ3GQ?hl=en.

Flam, Jack. “Landscape near Antwerp.” The Guggenheim Museums and Foundation, www.guggenheim.org/artwork/671.

MoMA. “Pablo Picasso. Girl before a Mirror. Paris, March 14, 1932 | MoMA.” The Museum of Modern Art, www.moma.org/collection/works/78311.

“Yellow Cow.” Guggenheim, 1911, www.guggenheim.org/artwork/2760.