My Thought on Impressionism vs. Realism

   I was surprised to see the introduction of so many new styles of art from the romantic period. I had a difficult time deciding which styles to compare because each style has many pieces that I enjoy. Some, for the emotional responses, and others for the techniques displayed. Ultimately, I decided to compare impressionism and realism because of how each style's subjects are portrayed on their canvas. Let me begin by looking at my preferred style, impressionism paintings and following up with two pieces of realism work.

Water Lilies and Japanese Bridge

 Artist: Claude Monet

Circa: 1899

Location: Europe, France, Haute-Normandie, Giverny

Image hosted by: https://commons.wikimedia.org/

   When I look at this painting the first thing that I feel is a sense of tranquility wash over me. It encourages me to break away from my electronics and indoor settings and explore the calming atmosphere of nature, such as a park or lakeside. I believe that was one of the reasons Monet was so intent on painting this piece. Like many impressionist painters, he became influenced by Japanese culture and its relation to nature. He would spend many years and resources just cultivating the garden depicted in this painting, and when he put this image down onto canvas I think he would have wanted the viewer to feel a fragment of the experience he had while gazing and working throughout his garden. This emotional response, the painting's setting, and how the painting was created outdoors all tie directly into the ideas behind the romantic period.

   From here I would like to shift my focus to the composition of this work. I believe color, texture, and line are the driving forces for this piece. This piece was created outdoors in the garden so we are witnessing natural light reflected off the plants, flora, and other surfaces displayed. Warm tones overshadow cool tones in the upper section of this painting. This happens to help focus on the plant life represented. However, when we move to the lower section that balance is reversed. Cool tones are used to solidify the image of the water between the lilies and the shadows of the bridge. Next, we have texture which is easily identified by the short brushstrokes used to create the majority of the painting. These brushstrokes have allowed us to see the variety of plants and distinction of their foliage in each section of the piece. There are also dabs of paint used exclusively on the lilies, which give a much softer feel than the surrounding plants and their small, but numerous foliage. The last bit of texture I noticed when zooming in is that of the gaps between the lilies. Vertical lines are used throughout the pond, and horizontal strokes are then used to smooth the texture which enhances the smooth-like surface of the still waters of the pond. The last element I would like to touch on is line. While the background and edges of this painting rely heavily on vertical lines for the trees and other fauna, the lilies and the pond utilize horizontal lines instead, and the bridge is a marriage between the two. Each of these elements enhances the quality and emotions one feels when simply admiring or intently studying this piece.

 

Pont-Neuf, Paris

Artist: Auguste Renoir

Circa: 1872

Location: Pont Neuf, Paris, France

Image hosted by: https://en.wikipedia.org/

   Renoir was able to paint this by occupying an upper floor of a cafe overlooking the oldest bridge in Paris. Being created after the Franco-Prussian war, I feel like Renoir was showing the return to normalcy after a period of strife. We have the feeling of being immersed in one's daily life here. The people cross this bridge seemingly around noon depicted by the shadows being cast. Some are carting what looks to be wares that will be sold, while others seem to be enjoying a social stroll with friends. When looking at this piece I can just feel the warmth of the atmosphere and the excitement radiating from the people.

   I find it interesting that color and form were used to heighten the sense of vibrancy in this painting. Color is easy to see with the bright road and stonework of the bridge and the sky is bathed in a bright blue dotted with fluffy white clouds. Form adds the sounds of the many people walking and talking to one another. Their voices straining to be heard over the noise of the vehicles, other people, and animals traveling alongside them on this crowded street. The line of buildings forms a dividing line between the loud bridge scene and the calm yet bright sky in the background. The drab buildings fade even more as we move further into the painting. This line of buildings helps create a contrast between the busy street and the open afternoon sky.

    From here, I will be discussing two pieces of realism art.

 

View of Ornans

Artist: Gustav Courbet

Circa: mid-1850s

Location: France, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Doubs, Scey-en-Varais

Image hosted by: https://www.metmuseum.org/

    Here we see one of Courbet's landscape paintings, View of Ornans, that was more than likely made between his return home in 1849 and his departure to Germany in 1856. He had returned to his hometown to recover from his hectic lifestyle in Paris. This painting is a solid representation of that recovery. A quiet little village nestled below a few low cliffs that hug the sides of a small river. This humble village in the countryside has no history tied to it, no symbolic morality. It's just a peaceful hamlet, inhabited by peasants living out their lives. I feel as though this was painted in the middle of the afternoon. The village looks quiet, no people are walking in the background, and no chimneys are smoking. As I look at this I just have the feeling of wanting to speak in a whisper. I believe this painting was created to show off Courbet's hometown as he deeply cared for the countryside where he was born.

    Unlike the impressionism paintings I have looked at previously, the form of buildings and nature is an important factor in this painting. We don't see an idealized landscape as you can see from the dried riverbed at the base of the painting and the heavily clouded sky. We see this town through the eyes of Courbet himself. The colors he captures display the beauty of this natural landscape joining with man to create a home. The river is shown to have a beige mass just beyond the bridge.  The blue hues of the river only show in the distance where the homes have buildings appear more frequently. The discoloration on the walls and rooftops of the buildings is shown rather than hidden. The various shades of green aid in displaying a different variety of trees and plants. Similar to the impressionism paintings, we will see that shadows and darkness are very rare in this painting. The whole image relies on the natural light captured by being created outdoors.

 

A Bar at the Folies-Bergère

Artist: Édouard Manet

Circa: 1882

Location: Paris, France

Image hosted by: https://en.wikipedia.org/

    The thing I love about this painting is the sharp contrast between the fore and background. The foreground displays various items for sale on the bartop centered around a solemn barmaid. When we move to the background housing the reflection in the mirror, we are showered with a sea of people. They have probably come to partake in the many forms of entertainment of the Folies-Bergère. While it is believed that this painting is a tribute to the life Manet experienced during his life in Paris, I can feel a hint of sadness from the expression of the barmaid. I believe that he used the barmaid to express some of the sadness of having to leave behind the life that he enjoyed and the mirror reflects his experiences of Paris. His memories of happiness blurred into the background and what was looking at him was the sadness he now felt.

    The background of this painting is amazing. Most of what we see is dark and blurred, but I can still feel the excitement and lively despite the lack of warmth usually attained with bright coloration. Even though the majority of the background is blurred to obscurity, we can still easily perceive the figures of people. The use of vertical lines in the foreground and a horizontal line in the background add to that interesting contrast I mentioned earlier. Along with our barmaid, we have many elongated shapes, and except for the fruit dish, every item emphasizes that vertical relationship. When you move to the background we will be able to see that the entire scene is set on one horizontal line, the base of which is the mirror itself.

    Now that I have looked at four different works, I would like to look at what these pieces accomplished. All four pieces are attempting to break away from the tradition of relying on historic events as the primary subject of art. Monet focused on the beauty of nature, Renoir displays the resilience of the people, Courbet shared his beloved homeland, and Manet wanted to express the memories of his life. Each painting invokes various emotions while using different methods and subjects to accomplish their goal. I do find the ambiguity and textures of impressionism more appealing than the images portrayed through realism. However, both styles are successful in breaking traditions and creating meaningful pieces.

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"Monet Japanese Bridge - A Walk Across Monet's Famous Bridge Painting". Artincontext.Org, 2022, https://artincontext.org/monet-japanese-bridge/.

"Pont Neuf, Paris - Auguste Renoir - Google Arts & Culture". Google Arts & Culture, 2022, https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/pont-neuf-paris/WAFRh_vU9ZvTPg?hl=en.

"Gustave Courbet | Biography, Art, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica, 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gustave-Courbet.

Courtauld.Ac.Uk, 2022, https://courtauld.ac.uk/highlights/a-bar-at-the-folies-bergere/.