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Western art and our consciousness from the Renaissance until today The renaissance in western arts started around the early 14 th century and lasted until the 16 th century. The works of art in sculpture, painting, and poetry that were created during the Renaissance have become timeless masterpieces and the artists, such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Van Eyck, and Raphael are till today looked upon as sources of inspiration. In fact, the styles and techniques followed by these masters and the philosophies behind their work have given rise to major art movements that have sometimes been a major shift away from the Renaissance style. Renaissance Classicism led to the evolution of Baroque. Baroque laid emphasis on the element of grandeur and on elaborate details. It reached its culmination with the Rococo style.
Neoclassicism, which flourished from the 17 th to the 19 th century, was a result of the increasing disillusionment of a section of artists with the excessive ornateness of Rococo. Neoclassicism was a product of the age of Enlightenment. It stressed on a synthesis of styles for a fresh representation of concepts in art that were considered canonical, i. e. , the defining aspects of western arts. The movement grew out of a desire to return to the purity of form as expressed in the arts of Ancient Greece. The paintings of Jacques Louis David, sculptures of John Flaxman, early 18 th century European architecture are all examples of Neoclassicism.
The Lincoln Memorial and the American Museum of Natural History are examples of neoclassical art in the United States. The movement led to a better understanding of the canons of western arts and a revived interest in Greek arts. However, the spread of this movement also led to a schism between the educated and those who felt that this was an elitist movement. In a way, the movement was a precursor to the divide between the capitalist theory and the socialist line of thought. Romanticism, which flourished from the late 18 th century to the 19 th century in Western Europe, did not agree with the aesthetics of the neoclassical movement.
It emphasized liberty to express oneself imaginatively, drew inspiration from nature, Greek literature, and Roman mythology. It sought to free itself from the constraints of established notions in art. Romanticism aimed at redefining the aesthetic values by laying stress on individualism. The English Romantics include Byron, Shelley, Wordsworth, Coleridge etc. The playwright Victor Hugo and painters Delacroix and Gericault contributed to the French Romantic movement. The Romantics extended their philosophy of individualism to their nations as well, particularly in music.
They reasoned that each nation has its own identity, which evolves from its language, history, customs, and art. Thus, in the music of composers such as Schumann and Verdi, we see the nation as a recurrent theme. The movement aimed at establishing a new social order through art and was responsible for the weakening of the aristocracy and prevalent social conventions that were oppressive to the working class. By propagating traditional beliefs and customs, Romanticism helped several societies, most notably those of Central Europe to revisit their indigenous cultures. The enlightenment about their own cultures led to a wave of nationalism in these societies and a conflict with the dominant cultures of bigger nations such as Germany, Russia, and Turkey.
Realism originated in France and gained momentum in the early 19 th century. Its growth was concurrent to the industrial revolution. Realism was a break away from the idealized and optimistic views that Romanticism propagated. In both art and literature, Realism sought to portray facts as they were. It depicted the squalor and poverty of the underprivileged class with the hope of bringing about a change in the society. It rejected the Romantics ideal of seeking inspiration from nature as impractical.
Instead, the Realists portrayed the dilemmas experienced by everyday people in as accurate a manner as possible. They were concerned with elaborating themes that the common people could identify with. Early proponents of realism include Francisco de Goya and Honor Daumier, who sought to further Social Realism through their art. Hubert Herkomer and Luke File carried forward this movement in England.
In the 1900 s, the movement was brought to the United States by the Ashcan school. The artistic sensibilities of the Realists were affected by the writings of authors such as Marx, Engels, and Spencer. The Realists chose to create art that reflected the immediate and verifiable present and eschewed the portrayal of idealized heroes. The writings of Flaubert, George Eliot, and W. D.
Howells are examples of Realism in literature. These authors created characters that communicated in common dialects and existed in a believable and ordinary environment. Realists have been criticized for emphasizing the external and visible elements at the expense of the internal character of their themes. In conclusion, we can state that these major artistic movements, i. e. , Neoclassicism, Romanticism, and Realism contributed to lending greater cohesiveness to our views as inhabitants of this planet. As we move deeper into the 21 st century, these movements and their impact on society have a strong implication for us.
We can learn from them and try to achieve the balance and integration in society that they sought to achieve. In consciously trying to do so, we can preempt the recurrence of the social evils that these movements tried to abolish. Bibliography 24 May 2005 < web > 24 May 2005 < web > 24 May 2005 < web > 24 May 2005 < web realisminliterature. htm > 24 May 2005 < web >
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