Art Styles: Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Expressionism, and Surrealism

This document provides an overview of four significant art styles: Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Expressionism, and Surrealism. It highlights their historical context, defining characteristics, key artists, and lasting impacts, drawing connections and distinctions between them.

1. Impressionism as one of the Art Styles

Historical Context and Origins:

• Emerged as one of the important art styles in late 19th-century France (1874-1886) during the Industrial Revolution and urbanization, particularly in Paris, which became a cultural hub.
• A direct rebellion against the rigid rules of academic art and the “all-powerful Salon expedition” put on by the Académie des Beaux-Arts.
• A group of artists, including Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and Camille Pissarro, organized independent exhibitions, advocating for more “democratic” art.
• The name “Impressionism” was not self-chosen but given by conservative art critics who rejected the new style as “ugly with an unfinished quality” after seeing Monet’s Impression, Sunrise.
• Pioneered by innovations such as portable paint tubes, allowing artists to paint en plein air (outdoors), and advancements in color theory and new pigments leading to brighter colors.

Defining Characteristics of Art Styles:

• Focus on Fleeting Moments: Sought to capture “fleeting moments of light and life,” creating a “snapshot of a fleeting moment in time.”
• Light and Color: Emphasized “the natural play of light and color as they observed it.” Artists “carefully study[ied] their surroundings to depict the subtle changes in light and atmosphere.”
• Spontaneity and Immediacy: Aimed to convey “the experience of a moment as it appeared in a single glance,” giving a sense of “spontaneity and effortlessness.”
• Loose Brushwork: Characterized by “broad brushstrokes” and “loose brushwork,” which often led critics to deem their work “unfinished or too sketch-like.”
• Contemporary Life: Depicted “calm, mostly peaceful scenes that changed with perspective in natural light,” often featuring “bustling streets, cafes, theaters, and leisure activities” and “ordinary people engaged in daily activities.”
• Color in Shadows: Avoided neutral tones for shadows and highlights, instead rendering them “in color,” reflecting the environment.

Key Artists and Artwork:

• Claude Monet: Known for his Rouen Cathedral series and Water Lilies, demonstrating his study of light’s effect on color and texture.
• Pierre-Auguste Renoir: The Luncheon of the Boating Party and Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette exemplify his capture of “the vivacity of a group of young people enjoying an outdoor lunch” and dappled light.
• Gustave Caillebotte: Paris Street; Rainy Day captures a modern Parisian scene, embodying the “fleeting, momentary qualities of everyday life.”

Lasting Impact of Art Styles:

• “Revolutionized art with its focus on light and fleeting moments,” shifting focus from historical themes to “personal expression and the study of light and atmosphere.”
• Considered a starting point for the concept of modern art, paving the way for later styles.

2. Post-Impressionism as one of the important Art Styles

Historical Context and Origins:

• Emerged as one of the important Art Styles in the late 1880s (roughly 1886-1905) as some artists “decided to break away from the popularity of the impressionist movement.”
• While they shared a common origin with Impressionism, they sought to “break free from the naturalism of Impressionism” and its emphasis on observation alone.
• Not a cohesive group or unified movement, but artists who developed “highly individual styles,” often distorting forms for emotional or structural effect.
• The term “Post-Impressionism” reflects “more of what these artists rejected than what they had in common.”

Defining Characteristics of Art Styles:

• Emphasis on Emotion and Meaning: Main goal was to “use color that would reflect the emotion of the scene and have a viewer experience it for themselves.” They aimed to “express deeper emotions and explore symbolic themes.”
• Personal Approach: Embraced a “more personal approach,” using “bold colors and symbolic forms to convey deeper emotions and meaning.”
• Beyond Surface Appearance: Sought to “go beyond surface appearances, painting with their emotions and intellect as much as with their eyes.”
• Symbolism and Structure: Brought a “renewed focus on symbolism, structure, and even the beginnings of abstraction.” Color could “stand independent of form and composition, acting as an emotional and aesthetic vehicle for meaning.”
• Non-Naturalistic Color: Used “deep and saturated” colors that were “more deep and saturated than what would be found in nature,” and sometimes “vivid, sometimes non-naturalistic colors.”
• Distortion and Abstraction: Experimented with “simplified or distorted shapes” and “abstraction and organization of visual elements.”

Key Artists and Artworks:

• Vincent van Gogh: Used “bold, vibrant colors and swirling brushstrokes to convey raw emotion and energy,” as seen in The Night Cafe and Starry Night. He aimed to “show his feelings deep inside them.”
• Paul Gauguin: Featured “expressive colors, flat planes, and simplified, distorted forms,” using color to “tell the story of his time in Tahiti” in works like When Will You Marry and The Moon and the Earth. He explored “symbolic content and exotic subjects.”
• Georges Seurat: Developed “pointillism,” using “dots or points of different colors” to achieve a unique effect, as in A Sunday on La Grande Jatte.
• Paul Cézanne: Experimented with “geometric shapes and structured compositions,” reducing objects to “geometric forms, creating a ‘solid and durable’ art that paved the way for Cubism.”

Lasting Impact:

• “Laid the foundation for the next wave of groundbreaking styles, such as Cubism and Fauvism, and set the stage for the evolution of modern art.”
• Their “innovations paved the way for major 20th-century styles: Fauvism, Cubism, Expressionism, Abstract Expressionism.”
• Their emphasis on “personal expression, symbolic use of color, and formal invention” shaped the direction of modern art.

3. Expressionism as one of the Art Styles

Historical Context and Origins:

• The term “Expressionism” to describe this from other Art Styles became commonly used in Germany around 1910.
• Began as a “rejection of the Impressionist movement” and its “calm mostly peaceful scenes” that seemed “out of touch with reality” in a Europe experiencing industrialization, urbanization, and a “growing fear of isolation.”
• Coincided with the rise of psychoanalysis and philosophers like Friedrich Nietzsche and Sigmund Freud, who explored “mental processes and the unconscious mind.”
• Drew “heavy inspiration from symbolist artists like Paul Gauguin, Edvard Munch, and James Ensor along with post-impressionist artists like Vincent Van Gogh.”
• Die Brücke (The Bridge): Started in Dresden, Germany, in 1905 by four architecture students (Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Fritz Bleyl, and Erich Heckel). They wanted to “create a bridge towards the art of the future” and break from traditional art, embracing their lack of formal training to create “uniquely authentic” art that expressed “feelings from within.” Dissolved in 1913.
• Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider): Formed in Munich in 1911 by Wassily Kandinsky and Franz Marc. This group had a “more spiritual Focus” and was less formal. Short-lived (1911-1913) due to WWI.
• Spread to other parts of Europe, including Austria (Oscar Kokoschka, Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt) and France (Henri Matisse, Georges Rouault, Marc Chagall, Chaim Soutine). Fauvism, started by Matisse, shared the “radical use of color” with Expressionism, though it focused on “color theory” rather than the “psyche.”
• Dominant in Germany after WWI, with new groups like the Novembergruppe and De Ploeg.
• Declined in the late 1920s and “came to an abrupt end in 1933 when Hitler’s Nazi Party came to power.” The Nazis labeled modern art “degenerate art,” seizing works and forcing artists into exile, some, like Kirchner, committing suicide.

Defining Characteristics of Art Styles:

• Emphasis on Emotion and Inner Experience: Focused on “showing emotions over real looks” and “showing feelings and ideas in a bold way.” It wanted the viewer to “feel something strong.”
• Distortion and Exaggeration: Characterized by “simplified or distorted shapes,” “distorted and exaggerated forms,” and a lack of concern for “making everything look perfect or true to life.”
• Vivid, Unnatural Colors: Used “Vivid un natural colors” and “bold colors and sharp brushstrokes.” Colors are “chosen for their expressive power, not for realism; they may be jarring, dark, or wildly unrealistic.”
• Heavy, Expressive Brushstrokes: Employed “heavy brush Strokes and thick paint that was applied quickly.” Brushwork is “vigorous, imprecise, swirling, and individual.”
• Jagged Lines: Woodcuts and linocuts were preferred mediums, creating “bold and Jagged Line work,” which “enhances tension, instability, and psychological unrest.”
• Common Themes: Included “anxiety, alienation, frustration and violence.” Austrian Expressionists used “more sexually charged imagery that challenged traditional ideals.”
• Rejection of Realism: “Does not care much about making everything look perfect or true to life.”

Key Artists and Artworks:

• Edvard Munch: His The Scream is a key example, capturing “intense emotion” and “deep fear and anxiety” with its “twisted figure against a blood-red sky.”
• Ernst Ludwig Kirchner: A leader of Die Brücke, his early work showed “bold use of colour and exaggerated form.”
• Emil Nolde: Known for heavy brushstrokes and “drawing inspiration from non-western culture.”
• Wassily Kandinsky: Co-founder of Der Blaue Reiter, he “focused on abstract art,” using “colors and shapes that express feelings without showing specific objects” in works like Composition VII.
• Egon Schiele: Stands out for his “many nude self-portraits” and sexually charged imagery.

Lasting Impact of Art Styles:

• “Influenced a broad range of disciplines—including painting, architecture, literature, theater, and music.”
• “Laid the groundwork for later movements like Abstract Expressionism and new Expressionism after the Second World War.”
• Its ideas continued into the Abstract Expressionism movement (Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko) and the Neo-Expressionism movement (Georg Baselitz) in the late 1970s.
• In architecture, defined by “unconventional shapes and structures.” In film, German Expressionism popularized the “Dutch angle” to evoke disorientation or madness, influencing Film Noir and Tim Burton.

4. Surrealism as one of the important Art Styles

Historical Context and Origins:

• Emerged in Paris as an Art Style in 1924, founded by André Breton, in the aftermath of World War I.
• Heavily inspired by Dadaism and the “psychoanalysis work of Sigmund Freud,” particularly his “investigation into the subconscious and how the subconscious affects everything in our waking life.” Freud’s The Interpretation of Dreams was a major influence.
• Artists sought to “escape from the crushing weight of reality” and “deal with that extreme feeling of just depression” after the trauma of the war.
• Breton defined Surrealism as “a pure psychic automatism through which artists expressed their thoughts with no control of the mind.”
• Freud, however, was “skeptical about surrealism,” stating, “I am not able to clarify for myself what surrealism is and what it wants perhaps I am not destined to understand it.”

Defining Characteristics of Art Styles:

• Dreams and the Unconscious: Central to the movement, aiming to “mix dreams with real life to surprise us” and “tap into the unconscious mind, creating art that mingled reality with dreamlike, irrational, or fantastical imagery.”
• Automatism: A key technique, involving “automatic writing and drawing” to “bypass conscious control and unlock spontaneous creativity” and “push back our conscious mind to get rid of our want for order and meaning and rational thought.”
• Juxtaposition: The “most scrabble points you can get word,” defined as “combining unlike or unexpected objects to create visual contrast.” This often created a sense of humor or “deeply uneasy” feelings. Examples include a lobster on a telephone.
• Hyper-realistic Techniques: Artists like Dalí and Magritte used “hyper-realistic techniques to portray bizarre or impossible scenes.”
• Symbolic Imagery: Often included “irrational mix of objects that had symbolic meanings and more often than not sexual connotations,” drawing from Freudian dream analysis.
• Object Manipulation/Assemblage: Taking “an object that has a specific purpose and then rendering it completely useless by adding something else to it,” creating “assemblage” from found objects.
• Paranoiac-Critical Method: Developed by Salvador Dalí, involved “self-inducing paranoid or hallucinatory states to access irrational ideas and images.”

Key Artists and Artworks:

• André Breton: Launched Surrealism and wrote the first Surrealist Manifesto.
• Salvador Dalí: Known for his “striking and bizarre images.”
• The Persistence of Memory (“melty clocks”): Explores dreams, decay (ants), and the inevitability of death.
• Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee: A “Freudian dreamscape” with an “irrational mix of objects.”
• The Burning Giraffe: Described as a “masculine cosmic apocalyptic monster” and a “premonition of world war ii.”
• René Magritte: Explored the “treachery of images,” challenging reality and representation.
• The Treachery of Images (“This is not a pipe”): Plays with reality and language.
• Golconda (or Golkonda): Features “more than a hundred figures of identical men falling from the sky like raindrops,” evoking a dreamlike scenario.
• Frida Kahlo: A prominent surrealist whose work often depicted personal struggles and identity.
• The Two Fridas: Explores internal conflict and the aftermath of divorce.
• The Wounded Deer: Reflects her lifelong pain and injuries from a bus accident.
• Meret Oppenheim: Created Object (fur-covered cup, saucer, and spoon) as a joke, which “redefined surrealist sculpture.”
• Man Ray: Known for photography and assembled sculptures like Indestructible Object (later Object to Be Destroyed), often reflecting personal angst.
• Remedios Varo: Inspired by Hieronymus Bosch, her work, like La creación de las aves (The Creation of the Birds), features intricate, alchemical, and dreamlike machines.
• Max Ernst: Famous for his “collage novel” Un Semaine de Bonté (A Week of Kindness), which created “weird dark surreal victorian world[s].”

Lasting Impact as one of the Art Styles:

• “Fueled later movements by emphasizing personal vision and freeing art from strict realism.”
• Its impact extends across “visual arts, literature, theater, design, and modern advertising,” remaining “highly influential in pop culture, fashion, and contemporary art.”
• “Profoundly impacted modern advertising and design by introducing strategies that harness the power of dreams, the unconscious, and the fantastic,” using “bizarre juxtapositions, dreamlike scenarios, and illogical combinations to instantly capture the viewer’s imagination.”
• “Liberated both advertising and design from the confines of logic and realism.”

Art Styles: Interconnections and Evolution

• Rejection as a Catalyst: Many of art styles, including Post-Impressionism and Expressionism, began as a “rejection to the movement that came before it.” Expressionism explicitly “began as a rejection of the impressionist movement.”
• From Observation to Emotion/Intellect: Impressionism focused on “capturing fleeting moments of light and life” and “recording contemporary life” through observation. Post-Impressionism moved beyond this, aiming to “express deeper emotions and explore symbolic themes” and “paint with their emotions and intellect as much as with their eyes.” Expressionism took this even further, prioritizing “showing emotions over real looks” and the artist’s “inner thoughts.” Surrealism delves into the subconscious and dreams to escape reality.
• Color Use: Impressionists used color to accurately depict natural light. Post-Impressionists used color for emotional and symbolic expression, moving towards non-naturalistic hues. Expressionists intensified this, using “bold, un natural colors” for strong emotional impact.
• Influence Across Art Styles: Post-Impressionists influenced Fauvism and Cubism (Cézanne’s geometric approach). Both Post-Impressionism and Symbolism influenced Expressionism. Surrealism was heavily influenced by psychoanalysis and Dadaism, and its “abstract tendencies… influenced countless artists” in the 20th century.
• Modern Art Foundation: All these movements, particularly Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, are credited with “paving the way for modern art” and “revolutionized the art world.” Their innovations in personal expression, symbolism, and abstraction laid the groundwork for much of 20th-century art.