AN ABBREVIATED ART HISTORY WESTERN TRADITIONS FROM THE RENAISSANCE TO THE PRESENT First Edition By Donna Voronovich Oakland University Bassim Hamadeh, CEO and Publisher John Remington, Acquisitions Editor Gem Rabanera, Project Editor Berenice Quirino, Associate Production Editor Emely Villavicencio, Senior Graphic Designer Trey Soto, Licensing Associate Gustavo Youngberg, Interior Designer Natalie Piccotti, Director of Marketing Kassie Graves, Vice President of Editorial Jamie Giganti, Director of Academic Publishing Copyright © 2019 by Cognella, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information retrieval system without the written permission of Cognella, Inc. 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Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 978-1-5165-2936-0 (pbk) / 978-1-5165-2937-7 (br) TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION VII THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK: A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR VII CHAPTER 1: THE RENAISSANCE 1 INTRODUCTION 1 14th CENTURY ITALY 2 FLORENCE: THE “BIRTHPLACE” OF THE RENAISSANCE, C. 1400 3 THE AGE OF HUMANISM 6 HIGH RENAISSANCE 23 THE REFORMATION AND COUNTER-REFORMATION 41 MANNERISM 42 NORTHERN EUROPEAN PAINTING 49 CHAPTER 2: BAROQUE AND ROCOCO 59 INTRODUCTION 59 ITALIAN BAROQUE ARCHITECTURE 61 ITALIAN BAROQUE SCULPTURE 64 BAROQUE PAINTING IN ITALY 66 BAROQUE BEYOND ITALY 69 SPANISH BAROQUE PAINTING 77 BAROQUE ARCHITECTURE OF FRANCE 80 FRENCH BAROQUE PAINTING 85 ROCOCO AND THE 18th CENTURY 87 ROCOCO PAINTING 87 LATE BAROQUE AND ROCOCO ARCHITECTURE 92 CHAPTER 3: NEOCLASSICISM AND ROMANTICISM 99 INTRODUCTION 99 THE NEOCLASSICAL STYLE IN FRANCE 101 NEOCLASSICISM IN AMERICA 106 THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT 112 THE ROMANTIC STYLE IN ARCHITECTURE 113 THE ROMANTIC STYLE IN PAINTING 117 THE ROMANTIC STYLE OF PAINTING IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 127 CHAPTER 4: 19TH-CENTURY REALISM, PHOTOGRAPHY, AND ARCHITECTURE OF THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION 135 INTRODUCTION 135 FRENCH REALISM IN PAINTING 136 PHOTOGRAPHY 143 ENGLISH REALISM 146 AMERICAN REALIST PAINTING 148 FRENCH REALISM IN THE 1860s 148 ARCHITECTURE AND SCULPTURE 151 CHAPTER 5: IMPRESSIONISM AND POST-IMPRESSIONISM 161 IMPRESSIONISM 161 IMPRESSIONIST PAINTING 163 IMPRESSIONIST SCULPTURE 175 POST-IMPRESSIONISM 176 CHAPTER 6: EARLY 20TH CENTURY MODERNISM 189 EXPRESSIONISM 190 CUBISM 198 DE STIJL 205 SUPREMATISM 208 EARLY 20th CENTURY ARCHITECTURE 211 DADA 215 SURREALISM 217 SURREALIST SCULPTURE 223 AMERICAN REGIONALISM AND SOCIAL REALISM 226 CHAPTER 7: MID-20TH CENTURY MODERNISM 233 INTRODUCTION 233 ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM 235 POP ART 245 MINIMALISM 253 CHAPTER 8: LATE 20TH AND EARLY 21ST CENTURY ART 257 DEVELOPMENTS IN ARCHITECTURE 257 ENVIRONMENTAL ART AND LAND ART 264 OTHER ARTISTS 268 WHAT NEXT? 277 INTRODUCTION THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK: A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR An Abbreviated Art History was conceived as the result of many years of teaching the history of art, architecture, and graphic design to university students. Through that ex- perience, I found that students learn best when given clear and concise information with the opportunity for self-directed in-depth learning based on their interests. A certain degree of freedom encourages students to discover aspects of the subject matter that relate to their own life experience, while still satisfying the required learning objectives of a university course. Therefore, this textbook is intended to serve as an outline and a starting point for the exploration of the subject. It is intentionally brief and limited in content. The language is meant to be straightforward and comprehensible for students at a university level. The text should not under any circumstances be considered as a substitution for any of the very highly regarded textbooks on the subject matter. However, it can function well as an introduction to the study of art history for a general audience, and as a main text in a course supplemented by other resources such as videos, class discussions, papers, and student projects. ART AND HISTORY OF ART DEFINED The word art has many definitions. Even dictionary definitions vary widely, although they do contain some common ideas. For the purpose of this book, the definition will be left up to the reader. Prior to studying art history, most people have a definition of art naturally based on their own experience. After studying art history, however, an individual’s definition of art will likely expand. Similarly, the term History of Art or Art History has certain connotations. It is commonly defined as the study of art of a certain time period, cultural tradition(s), and/or stylistic category. Due to the difficulty of defining the wordart , however, the VII VIII | AN ABBREVIATED ART HISTORY study of art can also vary widely, as can the definition of culture and style. Therefore, flexibility and an open mind will serve the student well, and it will provide opportu- nity to glean personal insights and connections to the artwork that will enhance the learning experience. CATEGORIES OF ART Picture (Painting, Drawing, Photograph, Print) – A two-dimensional work of art that is usually meant to be viewed from one position. Sculpture – A three-dimensional work of art that is carved, modeled, cast, or assembled. Sculpture is usually meant to be viewed from multiple positions. Architecture – A three-dimensional work of art (buildings, structures, monuments) whose function is to provide shelter and accommodate human activity. Architecture is viewed and experienced from multiple exterior and interior positions. Temporal Art – Artwork that exists for a certain period of time, such as performance art, land art, and installation. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF ART? Art is a product of human culture. It exists to please, inform, teach, stimulate, provoke, inspire, awe, and record human beings and the human experience. These ideas are explained in further detail in each of the following: Artistic Impulse – The desire to express oneself is a natural human trait that everyone is born with. It can be observed in very young children and persists throughout adulthood. The choice of whether to act on that impulse is the first factor that determines who becomes an artist. Talent, training, economic factors, and other variables come into play, but we all have the potential to develop our artistic impulse. Art as Historical Record – Art serves as historical record for humanity. It commemo- rates, celebrates, mourns, and documents important and ordinary human experiences. Just as the word “history” contains within it the word “story,” art history is also a story of the development of art throughout the ages. Therefore, it is rich with legends, myths, assumptions, and personal impressions of artists and art historians. INTRODUCTION | IX Art as a Teaching Tool – Art can demonstrate, instruct, and educate. Art can illustrate stories, lessons, traditions, laws, and other ideas, thereby presenting an alternative to written language. Especially in religious traditions, art has played a crucial role in communicating teachings to the faithful. Art as an Expression of Beauty – Art and beauty have long been associated. Most traditional definitions of art contain the word beauty at least once. Indeed, one of the most valued functions of art throughout history has been to provide objects of beauty to contemplate, to serve as ideals to strive for, or simply as respite from the drudgery of daily life. Individuals as well as private and public institutions of all kinds use art to decorate and delight, and to demonstrate an appreciation of beauty. However, beauty in art has been challenged, especially since the 20th century. Many contemporary artists, critics, and scholars dismiss beauty as an artistic consideration, and, in fact, seem to intentionally avoid it. It is a subject of much debate. Art as a Social Statement (Celebration, Commentary, Protest, etc.) – As a product of human culture, art represents society. The successes and failures, joys and sorrows, and benefits and hardships of living in community present many opportunities for commen- tary, and artists have answered that call. WHY DO WE VALUE ART AND HOW DO WE ASSESS VALUE? We value art because we create it. It represents something about us that we, as humans, deem as important and worthy of expression. Individual artworks are valued for different reasons, but most fall into one or more of the following categories: Material Value – The monetary or economic value of a work of art, based on the mate- rials it is made of. Intrinsic Value – The degree to which a work of art represents an important aspect or idea of humanity. It could be based on fact or myth but there is a shared appreciation of it. Religious Value – Representative of a specific religion. Cultural Value/Nationalistic Value – Representative of a particular culture or nation. Artworks of this kind usually incorporate symbols associated with political, ethnic, geographic or military aspects. Psychological Value – Representative of a viewpoint, opinion, set of morals, beliefs, or values. These works of art intend to affect the viewer’s state of mind, and can provoke positive as well as negative emotions. X | AN ABBREVIATED ART HISTORY WHY DO WE STUDY ART? WHAT CAN WE LEARN? We study art because we value it. We can learn about ourselves through the study of art created by people who are often separated from us by many years and great distance. The details of human experience change over time and place, but the core of the expe- rience remains constant. Since the beginning, humans have pondered the meaning of life and tried to maximize pleasure while avoiding misery.