In 1927, Picasso met Marie-Therese Walter, a 17-year-old French schoolgirl, who became his mistress. No other woman is more intricately woven into the fabric of his art.
Reading at a Table - 1934 |
In 1927, Picasso met Marie-Therese Walter, a 17-year-old French schoolgirl, who became his mistress. No other woman is more intricately woven into the fabric of his art.
Reading at a Table - 1934 |
Le Picador (The Bullfighter) |
Picasso's iconic shirt is a Breton-striped shirt, which in 1858 became the official uniform for French seamen in Brittany. Picasso was also a leader in fashion. His Breton striped t-shirt was designed by Coco Chanel. The 21 horizontal stripes represent each of Napoleon's victories.
Cubism is considered to be the first true abstract art style. Initially, Cubism was considered scandalous, because it didn't objectively replicate reality. Instead, it transformed natural shapes into exaggerated geometric ones. One of the first critics of this art style said that it looked like it was made up of cubes. This is what led to the label Cubism.
The cubist painters used very few colors, because they wanted the viewer to concentrate on the shapes. They often used only shades of black, brown, cream, green, blue and grey.
Girl with Mandolin - 1910 |
The model for this picture is a naked female holding a mandolin. The viewer can only see the top part of her body, from thighs to head. The head is turned to the left, which is the viewer's right. We see a profile view of the lady's face as she looks down at her mandolin slightly, which she is holding across the front of her body, apparently playing it. Note that there isn't a single bright color that stands out.
Picasso breaks down the picture into numerous rectangles, cubes, squares and other geometric shapes. He then arranged these different shapes to reveal various parts of her anatomy that would not have been possible to see in a single moment of time and from a single point in space. In other words, it shows multiple points of view in the same painting simultaneously.
Three Musicians |
Picasso paints three musicians made of flat, brightly colored, abstract shapes in a shallow box-like room. The figures represent Picasso and two of his poet friends. Guillaume Apollinaire who died three years earlier, and Max Jacob who had joined a monastery earlier that year. Picasso is the figure wearing the bright diamond patterned suit in the center. The white figure on the left is Apollinaire, and the dark figure of a monk on the right represents Max Jacob. The figure on the left plays the clarinet (cone-shaped head), the figure in the middle (dome shaped head) plays the guitar, and the monk on the right (slanted shaped head) holds sheets of music as he sings.
There's a fourth figure in the painting. One has to really look hard and long to see the brown dog stretched out onto its stomach with its legs facing the left side of the canvas. The dog's back leg touches the white pant leg of the clarinetist. Note the black silhouette of a dog's head with two pointy ears. This could either be the shadow of the first dog or another dog in the background. If I hadn't read the analysis of this painting, there's no way I'd ever have noticed the dog(s). How 'bout you?
Personally, this is not a style of art that appeals to me. However, this is a learning adventure, so we will continue to find out more about the style of the paintings and their artist, Pablo Picasso.
I'll close today's post with a bit of Picasso trivia: While Picasso is best known by his last name, his full name is 25 names long. At his baptism, he was christened as Pablo Diego Jose Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno Crispin Crispiniano Maria de Los Remedios de la Santisima Trinidad Ruiz Picasso. His long name is a mixture of relatives' and saints' names. Ruiz was his father's surname, Picasso his mother's.
Pablo's family was best known as glovemakers. It was not the occupation a revolutionary artist wanted to be associated with, so he took matters into his own hands. He changed his last name to his mother's maiden name, Picasso.
Pablo Picasso |
Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (The Young Women of Avignon) |
This painting took him nine months to complete. It shows the novelty of Picasso's passion. He created hundreds of sketches to prepare for the final work.
When it was first exhibited in 1916, the painting was considered immoral. The title refers to the red-light district of Avignon Street in Barcelona, Spain, where Picasso frequented prostitutes. The painting depicts five nude or nearly nude prostitutes in a confrontational pose, staring directly at the viewer.
The painting combines different styles and breaks down traditional forms. The female bodies are depicted with angular planes and geometric shapes, and their faces are inspired by African masks and Iberian sculpture. It's an example of how Picasso questioned and transformed accepted art traditions. He rejected the concept that art should copy nature, or that artists should adopt the traditional techniques of perspective and modeling.
The painting is brutally honest with the viewer and doesn't attempt to cover up the gruesome realities of life. Instead of shaping these women into ideal figures of conditioned beauty, Picasso challenges viewers to find the beauty in what is in front of them. Women do not all look one certain way, and every one is uniquely beautiful in their own way. Whether we see these women as beautiful or not, the point is that Picasso has brought raw reality to light in this painting.
Adding to the rawness, Picasso chooses a risky topic. Prostitution is not something that is made to be seen as artistic, and Picasso decided to use prostitutes as his focus here. Through Cubism, he brought a different approach to depicting the human body in art. Often in early art, women were portrayed as delicate symbols of beauty or temptation, but these women are shown in a rough, distorted element and their feminine features are made to be more masculine.
This painting measures 96 inches x 92 inches and is valued at 1.2 billion dollars. It is located at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Two Sisters (On the Terrace) - 1880-81 |
The terrace railing is directly behind them. The horizontal line of the railing moves the figures further into the foreground, placing emphasis on them as the focal point. Over the terrace railing we see shrubbery and foliage with the Seine River behind it. The little girl is holding onto the edge of a basket filled with different colors of woolen balls, which is on a small table. There is a brilliance of colors in this painting.
Notice some boats along the river painted between the gaps of the branches.
There are three points of focus in "Two Sisters." The first is the sharp red color of the older lady's hat. The second focus is the hat of the younger girl depicted with colorful flowers. The third point is the basket of woolen balls of yarn. The painting presents the beauty of spring and youth. The two sisters were in the springtime of their lives. The bright colors enable us to appreciate a harmonious environment.
Did you wonder why Renoir painted the basket of woolen yarn in this picture? It does seem out of place. It was suggested that Renoir placed the yarn there in response to a critic who compared his painting to knitting and described one of his artworks as "a weak sketch seemingly executed in wool of different colors." While this may be true, there may be other reasons why Renoir placed the yarn in this painting. No one really knows what Renoir was thinking at that time.
This painting is located in the Art Institute of Chicago. Two Sisters is a timeless work honoring the beauty of human connection and the simple pleasures of life. It is a beloved work of art that captivates audiences worldwide.
A Girl With a Watering Can - 1876 |
Lucie Berard (Child in White) - 1883 |
The painting of Lucie is located in the Art Institute of Chicago.
Dancing in the Country - 1883 |
Notice the table in the background on the right, the hat on the ground and a pair of faces below the level of the dance floor. See how he incorporates a dish of ice cream and the half-full glass. The woman holds a fan in her right hand and faces the viewer. Does Renoir paint her holding a fan in one hand as if it were a symbol of her independence? She doesn't take off her gloves, which portrays a barrier between her and her partner. Renoir painted her with a full smile, depicting a very happy woman with a mouth curving upward in a pleasing smile. The couple has just finished dinner, rising from their chairs spontaneously to dance to a familiar song, and their spontaneity is shown by the hat dropped in the foreground. It appears that both dancers are lost in their own thoughts. This painting is both romantic and energetic. Don't you just love how Renoir painted the lady's dress?
The lady in this painting would become his future wife. She was a seamstress, a working class girl. Some years later, Renoir revealed to his son that his mother was a wonderful dancer: "Your mother waltzed divinely. I'm afraid I stepped all over her feet."
Let's move on to Dance in the City, the third in Renoir's series of Dancers....
Dancing in the City - 1883 |
There's a shimmering opulence to this scene. The cut of the woman's dress reveals her back and shoulders. Her partner is wearing formal evening wear and the tails of his long coat swish with the movement of the dance. Both the man and woman wear white gloves, which makes the dance a more formal event, making sure that the man's bare hands do not touch the delicate skin of the lady. Compare the clasp of hands to the couple in the Dance at Bougival that we studied yesterday. This latter picture shows the couple with the lightest coupling of hands. The lady's dress is made of white satin or silk taffeta, with lace, organza or chiffon trim around the neck and shoulders. The classical draping and lack of gaudy ornamentation bring out the lady's youthful glow. Her styled hair is graced with a flower.
We must remember that outdoor dancing is much wilder than its ballroom counterpart. In the country, men don't have to put on gloves. The plants, trees and feelings are real. The ballroom type, with its white columns, potted plants, controlled steps and orchestrated music, pales in comparison.
Dance at Bougival (left) is located in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.Dance at Bougival - 1883 |
The painting has fine color, with the woman wearing a pink dress and red bonnet, the man wearing a deep blue suit, yellow hat, and his shoes are especially eye-catching. Notice how his shoes match the sash around the lady's waist. Her dress portrays movement as the man leads the lady in playful dance. I especially like the flowing layers of the skirt and how the rows of red trim bring the eye upward. The act of dancing is linked with rhythm and transforming time into motion. One of the most basic motives of dance is the expression of emotion. People often dance as a way of releasing powerful human feelings. A slow dance might stir up heartfelt emotions, while fast and wide movements portray energy and excitement.
To give us some idea of the work that went into this painting, here is a preliminary sketch Renoir made of the couple dancing.....
Sketch of Dance at Bougival - 1883 |
The Umbrellas - 1880s |
Pierre-Auguste Renoir's paintings, as we will see, were of friends, family, landscapes and scenes from the parks and gardens of Paris. Let's look for the way he used bold combinations of pure complementary colors to capture light, shadow and movement. Renoir once said, "Why shouldn't art be pretty? There are enough unpleasant things in the world."
The son of a tailor and a seamstress, Renoir had a talent for decorative effect that brought him to the attention of a number of wealthy patrons for whom he painted picture hangings and decorations for ladies' fans and other luxury objects. These early successes fed his desire to leave the ceramic factory and pursue fine art painting.
I am not familiar with Renoir's works, so my aim is to showcase a few of his 4,000 paintings. One of the things about art, as I'm learning, is the way color is used to create the atmosphere of the moment. Blue is the main character in this painting.
La Balancoire - The Swing - 1876 |
In the summer of 1869, Renoir painted for two months alongside Monet outside Paris. In the mid-1870s Renoir painted Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette, his most important work shown at the Impressionist exhibition in 1877. His aim was to convey the lively atmosphere of this popular outdoor dance garden in Paris.
Dance at the Moulin de la Galette - 1876 |
The Frog Pond Claude Monet |
The Frog Pond Pierre-Auguste Renoir |
The Manneporte (Etretat) - 1883 |
From this view, Monet positioned his easel facing west to take advantage of the low illumination of the setting sun. His thick brush strokes describe for us the motion of the choppy waters. Monet painted the Manneporte multiple times.
We learn from Claude Monet that things are not always what they seem. The human eye can be tricked and deceived. A busy street in the morning will look like another street altogether when evening comes. Monet created many paintings of the same subject observed under different weather conditions, different seasons, and different times of the day. He held a fascination for the transitory effects of natural light. It was his goal to immortalize fleeting moments. Nature was his main source of inspiration.
One thing about Nature......it provides us all with a continuous cycle of changing inspiration and perception. Art is like a universal language that helps us understand and appreciate the world around us in a richer way.
The Four Trees - 1891 |
Other paintings in this series |
In 1893, Claude Monet, a horticulture enthusiast, purchased land with a pond near his property in Giverny, about 50 miles northwest of Paris, in the Normandy area. He wanted to build something that was pleasing to the eye. The result was his famous water-lily garden. In the summer of 1899, he started painting a series of eighteen views of the wooden footbridge over the pond, completing twelve works.
The Japanese Footbridge and the Water Lily Pool - 1899 |
The Bodmer Oak, Fontainebleau Forest 1865 |
The Bodmer Oak tree was named after Swiss artist Karl Bodmer, who exhibited a painting of the tree in 1850. My first thought when I saw this scene...does the dead gray tree standing beside the thriving oak tree symbolize the death that stands beside each of us throughout our life journey?
Artists often found their inspiration in Nature. They interacted with Nature through their senses and created their works of art incorporating what they observed. The environmental conditions are different from place to place, yet Nature has been, and still is, a universal human experience. We see plants, animals, water and the sky adorning works of art across all cultures. There's something refreshing about being surrounded by the natural world. That's why people visit parks and go hiking in the wilderness. Nature nourishes and nurtures.
Nature provides a sense of harmony and balance. Its colors, textures and shapes work together and provide a sense of calm that artists can translate into art. Being outdoors gives the brain space to think higher thoughts.
Norman Farm Through the Trees - 1886 |
Truth be told, Monet's paintings were not my favorite before this study. Since learning about the painter and his painting style, it's just like in real life....what we don't know.....we don't understand.
The Denver Art Museum is home to the most comprehensive United States exhibition of Monet paintings. The Truth of Nature features over 120 paintings that focus on Monet's enduring relationship with Nature. We will see how Monet, over time, abandons any human presence in the landscapes he created. This is a testimony to his commitment to isolate himself in nature.
The Artist's House at Argenteuil - 1873 (The Art Institute of Chicago) |
This is the backyard of the large house that Claude Monet was renting in the suburban town of Argeneuil, a 15-minute train ride down the river from Paris. We can envision Monet setting up his easel behind the house, deliberately excluding the industrial smoke and steam. Instead, we see a secluded garden, a mid-summer calm.
Since we've started this art adventure, I've grown more eager to visit art museums. Thank heaven for the internet, where virtual museum tours are available at no cost.
Today we'll look at two of Monet's Impressionist paintings. Let's take time individually to study his use of colors to cast shadows, reflections and sunshine....notice the tree on the far left and the brushstrokes of gold. And, the yellow hat with blue ribbon that matches the sky. The presence of the hat makes this painting relatable to the viewer, plus it adds a touch of casual comfort. By now, we are better able, as beginning art students, to study paintings. In this first painting, we see Monet has placed people in the painting who are out enjoying the sunny day.
On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt - 1868 Now in the Art Institute of Chicago |
Woman with a Parasol - 1875 (Madame Monet and Her Son) Now in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. |
Woman with a Parasol shows his wife Camille and son Jeon out for a summer stroll on a windy summer's day. Note how Monet painted this picture from a lower point of view. This has the effect of increasing Camille's importance as she fills the upper parts of the canvas. Her skirt appears to whip around with the wind, adding the element of movement. The painting features flowing ribbons and a small figure of his son to balance the composition.
As for symbolism, the parasol represents shelter, protection and the gentle nurturing presence of a mother. He used bright colors to represent the beams of sunlight hitting the parasol and their clothes. The woman's dress and parasol symbolize her status in society. The grassy slope symbolizes the countryside that Monet preferred to the city and industry. Monet manages to create for us a casual, carefree family day out.
The sky and clouds are painted in mostly white and blue, but he also applied grays to depict the interplay of light and shadow. His use of wider and thicker brush strokes gives the impression of more light.
The parasol was used to protect oneself from sunlight, whereas, the umbrella was used to protect oneself from rain. The difference being the material used.
We have to realize at that time the academy art community had set conventional rules to be followed by artists. Radicals, like Monet, violated those rules. Their pictures consisted of more freely brushed colors, which was more of a priority than maintaining lines and contours. Before this movement, landscapes were painted indoors in a studio. But, the impressionists understood that they could better capture the changing and momentary colors and effects of the sun if they painted outdoors actually experiencing the view. They were more focused on portraying an overall visual effect instead of catering to details.
Note: Have you taken the time to watch a brilliant sunrise? If you have, then you know that the brilliance in color changes quickly. I don't know how an artist could accurately paint a sunrise without actually seeing it. Personal perception is the key.
To begin our study, Monet is pronounced Mo-nay. His first name was Oscar; Claude his middle name. When he was age 15, he drew charcoal caricatures and signed them as "O. Monet." (see one of his caricatures below)
Caricature of a Man With A Snuff Box, 1858 |
Claude Monet was born in 1840 in Paris. When he was five, the family moved to Normandy in northern France. His father wanted him to continue the family grocery and ship handling business, but Claude (supported by his mother) entered the local art school. He attended classes in Le Havre (luh + haav) for about four years. Le Havre translates to "The Harbor."
It was in Normandy that Monet met Eugene Boudin, a French artist who painted seascapes. He became a mentor and friend. It was he who introduced Monet to the concept of painting outdoors, en plein air.
It's important to know that when a groundbreaking group of artists started the Impressionist movement, art critics turned up their noses at it. It was unheard of for an artist not to draw first and then paint the drawing. Critics considered that a lack of skill on the artist's part. However, today we see the movement was an intelligent choice that eventually crowned color as the king of painting.
Claude Monet's painting Impression, Sunrise is considered the first Impressionist painting. It was exhibited at the first Impressionist exhibition in Paris in 1874.
Impression, Sunrise - 1872 |
An astronomer and physics professor at the University of Texas did a topographical, iconographical, meteorological and astrological study that precisely dated the time Monet painted this picture. It was at 7:35 a.m. on November 13, 1872, thirty minutes before dawn, and he painted it in one setting. How cool is that!
The above painting shows a quiet morning at the port, with two small rowboats in the foreground, more fishing boats in the middle ground, and clipper ships in the background. The rising sun is orange and contrasts with the dark vessels. Monet painted this picture while looking out the window and drawing what he saw. Notice the short brushstrokes. Impression, Sunrise is considered a poem to the power and beauty of revitalized France following the Franco-Prussian War.
This painting has an interesting history to tell us. In 1985, three gunmen entered the Marmottan Museum in Paris and stole it. The painting disappeared for five years; and then was discovered in 1990 in an apartment on the island of Corsica, part of France. The search had been launched in Japan using contacts in the Yakuza (organized crime network). It's been said that the thert made this painting a legend, and now the whole world wants to see this pivotal painting. Impression, Sunrise is considered the Mona Lisa of Impressionism.
So, we have left the shore and are now on our way to learning about Claude Monet's life and his artistic accomplishments. I hope my followers can enjoy learning about these incredible humans that lived and loved before us. One can't help but be astounded by their brilliance and passion to create. If only they could know how their passion is passed down for the generations. It would be our loss if we didn't take time to introduce ourselves to their world and the way they expressed their feelings and beliefs. Each one of us has a gift to share, and it's our human duty to make sure we don't squander or simply not use that gift. Part of the fun in life is discovering what that gift is. There are times I learn things about myself through the works of others.
We'll keep going farther out to sea tomorrow, so ta-ta till then.
Example of Impressionism |
The Stone Breakers - Gustave Courbet - 1849 Example of Realism |