19th Century American Realism

Although at first glance, Realism and Impressionism appear to be completely separate movements in 19th century art, they in fact were both bred as a response to the new order of Europe that had evolved as a result of the marks made by both the Industrial Revolution and a series of European continental wars. Realist painters and Impressionist painters alike faced controversy in challenging the status quo of the Salons, and took risks to no longer romanticize drastic changes within society caused by industrialization, but instead acknowledge them head-on. Edouard Manet in particular exemplified the gradual transitions from Realism to Impressionism and even to

Realism is the period in American literature from 1860 to 1890. This movement in writing focused on writing about how things really appeared and how they really were instead of writing in a dark manner. The stories, Life On The Mississippi and The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County written by Mark Twain best represent the realism movement in American literature at this time.

Realism was a direct result of the social and economic changes of the 19th century in Europe. It originated in France in the after the Revolutions of 1848, which were a series of political outbreaks throughout Europe. It was around 1906, when Jonas Lie discovered the beauty of impressionism in Claude Monet’s paintings when he went on a trip to Paris while visiting Norway to reconnect with the Norwegian side of his family. He was fascinated by Monet’s use of color and light and incorporated that style in his later works. Lie’s artistic talent in mixing the two art styles is evident, as seen in his painting Dusk on Lower Broadway. (See fig 1.) The brushstrokes look like they were made quickly but with precision, creating a piece of art that looks realistic from far

In the early 1800's America began to create their own unique culture. For the longest time, America had been getting their ideas and being influenced by other countries. I believe that they wanted to create a new type of culture that was truly American. They did this by creating new art forms such as literature, music, painting, and architecture. For example, Americans began using characters and setting that fell into the "American" category. Most characters, were "portrayed as strong, brave, resourceful, and honorable" (chapter 6-3, page 323). Another thing Americans did different, is what they built things. "American architects of the early 1800s developed their own forms of building" (chapter 6-3, page 325). Based on ideas from Greece and

In the 19th century, there was an artistic transition from realism to a new form called impressionism. This change originated in France, as the world underwent a transition to industrialization. The impressionist was able to understand how light and color operate hand in hand in a painting. Instead of seeing an image as a whole work, impressionist would see smaller images making up the entire piece. The style was primarily made of the use of intense colors, open composition, light and movement and brush strokes. They were mainly

The following is an analysis and an interpretation of Autumn on the Seine, Argenteuil. This oil on canvas painting can be found in the High Museum of Art. Claude Monet, the artist of this piece painted this in 1873, right as the Impressionism Movement was beginning. Monet played the important role of one of the founders of the Impressionism Movement with his works like Autumn on the Seine, Argenteuil. Autumn on the Seine, Argenteuil is from a series of paintings that Monet did while in Argenteuil. In the artwork Autumn on the Seine, Argenteuil, the lighting used throughout the painting, brushstroke techniques, perspective, and color all play an important role in the piece, as well as in the Impressionism

I have found the realism arts to be very fascinating. The three pieces of art that I will be discussing are Francisco Goya's The Third of May, 1808 oil on canvas 8ft 9 in. x 13ft 4in, Eugene Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People, 1830 oil on canvas 8 ft 6 3/8 in. x 10ft. 8 in. and Honore Daumier, Fight between Schools, Idealism and Realism, 1855 Caricature

Realism is the artistic attempt to recreate life as it is in the context of an artistic medium. It began as a revolt against the conventions of the classic view of art in the late 1800s in America and Europe in the form of an artistic movement (McConnel, R. 1997). There are many themes involved with realism that shall be discussed. These include accuracy and independence.

Realism, in contrast to Romanticism, represents the reality of life in America. From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, America experienced enormous industrial, economic, social, and cultural change. Realism focuses on showing everyday activities and events among the middle and lower class society without romantic ideas. In the early 20th century people started to pull away from fantasy and started focusing on the reality around them. Realism emphasises on truth, class, and social commentary.

Courbet (1819-1877) is a realistic painter, in that a majority of his work is about everyday scenes, often depicting peasants and working people in rural areas. Howerver, Courbet is also an artist who challenged the traditional painting in the middle of the 19th century. Courbet introduced a new kind of realism, which focused on a rugged depiction of nature and people rather than an idealized and artificial one. Most paintings of the time showed wealthy people, whereas Courbet who was politically involved in socialist causes, applied his political beliefs to art. (Crapo: 240-241) Crapo writes that for Courbet “realism posed a direct challenge to the aesthetic of the academic painters. It meant the unadorned depiction of everyday scenes and

Realism was a huge movement in late 1800s to early 1900s. All art forms were influenced by it. Writers, artists, actors and more started taking a more simple direction and tried to depict life as it actually was. In visual art it was common to see ordinary people doing every day

Claude Monet was born in Paris in 1840 and would become known as one of France’s famous painters. Monet is often attributed with being the leading figure of the style of impressionism; but this was not always the case. Monet started out his career as a caricaturist, showing great skill. Eventually “Monet began to accompany [Eugène] Boudin as the older artist . . . worked outdoors, . . . this “truthful” painting, Monet later claimed, had determined his path as an artist.” Monet’s goal took off as his popularity grew in the mid 1870s after he switched from figure painting to the landscape impressionist style. William Seitz supports this statement through his quote, “The landscapes Monet painted at Argenteuil between 1872 and 1877 are

February of 1848 rioting broke out in the streets of Paris because Louise Philippe abdicated and a provisional republican government took control. Even though the political party’s were fighting the salon opened without a selection committee. Gustave Courbet now had ten pieces of his artwork on display as apposed to none just years before. 1848 was the year for Gustave Courbet. The critics loved his paintings and his first major piece was “After Dinner at Ornans” won a gold medal and the government bought the painting. The medal means that at future salons Courbet was exempt from the selection procedure. It was around this time the people were beginning to protest against the realist movement. Courbet started to stray away from his original romantic style paintings and got comfortable making pieces including scenes of Ornan. Courbet’s next major piece was to be “Burial at Ornans” which was shown from 1850-1850 at the salon. This humongous painting was too including almost everyone from the district. The outcome of this piece looked like it was the beginning of his end. The critics all hated the piece and said things like, it was too big, the

Realism was first established in France during the late eighteenth/ early nineteenth century to describe literary and visual works where the aim was to create something that accurately showed the world as it was. Nineteenth century Realism was a response to nineteenth century Romanticism, which caused many novelists to focus on the lives and suffering of middle class citizens (“Realism.” The Bloomsbury Dictionary of English Literature). Realism, though, is not just that simple, because there are different types. For example, the realism that existed in America was different from realism in Europe, but also literature in general.

The 19th century was a time of radical change and innovation in nearly every aspect of society. The Industrial Revolution changed the face of transportation, business, and science. A race for resources and power among European nations led to colonization of the most remote areas of the world. Old political structures stumbled while new ones like Communism took root. The arts were not immune to this climate of change. Literature, music, and fine art all underwent deep shifts in practice and philosophy. One of the most radical of these shifts occurred in the painting world in late 19th century France. Realism, a school established in the mid-1800s and committed to portraying the world in the most accurate detail as possible, gave way to Impressionism, an entirely new artistic philosophy embracing ambiguity and emotion. This profound change can be seen in the comparison of paintings from each period; namely, The Gleaners by Realist painter Jean-Francois Millet and Hay Harvest at Eragny by Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro. A comparative analysis of these paintings shows not only the innovative and reactionary elements of the Impressionist movement, but also how it maintained and developed important characteristics of Realism.