Autumn in Bavaria, 1908

Kandinsky, Improvisation 28 Founder of the “Blue Rider” school of German Expressionism Representative elements of art eliminated: birth of abstract art Subconscious sensations in art Titles inspired by musical compositions Dominant black lines broadly play horizontally, vertically, diagonally Lines define space, color added at intervals around lines

Kandinsky, Improvisation 28

Founder of the “Blue Rider” school of German Expressionism

Representative elements of art eliminated: birth of abstract art

Subconscious sensations in art

Titles inspired by musical compositions

Dominant black lines broadly play horizontally, vertically, diagonally

Lines define space, color added at intervals around lines

Kirchner, Street, Dresden Founder of “The Bridge” a German Expressionist movement that saw itself as a bridge between traditional and modern art Jarring and dissonant colors and shapes, clashing colors Confrontational art Ghoulish figures, seemingly fashionably dressed but in reality they appear threatening Tilted perspective Bright pink street offset by darker sinister figures Paint thickly applied in broad brushstrokes

Kirchner, Street, Dresden

Founder of “The Bridge” a German Expressionist movement that saw itself as a bridge between traditional and modern art

Jarring and dissonant colors and shapes, clashing colors

Confrontational art

Ghoulish figures, seemingly fashionably dressed but in reality they appear threatening

Tilted perspective

Bright pink street offset by darker sinister figures

Paint thickly applied in broad brushstrokes

1906 'Rouault was a deeply religious man, considered by some to be the greatest religious artist of the 20th century. The terrible compassion with which he shows his wretched creatures makes a powerful impression. A savage indictment of human cruelty; she is a travesty of femininity although poverty drives her still to prance miserably before her mirror in hope of work. Yet the picture does not depress but holds out hope of redemption. This work is for Rouault a profoundly moral one. She is a sad female version of his tortured Christ, a figure mocked and scorned, held in disrepute.' From: D Solle, Great Women of the Bible in Art and Literature (Eerdmans 1994)

"Then came the awesome Les Demoiselles d'Avignon of 1907, the shaker of the art world (Museum of Modern Art, New York). Picasso was a little afraid of the painting and didn't show it except to a small circle of friends until 1916, long after he had completed his early Cubist pictures. Cubism is essentially the fragmenting of three-dimensional forms into flat areas of pattern and color, overlapping and intertwining so that shapes and parts of the human anatomy are seen from the front and back at the same time. The style was created by Picasso in tandem with his great friend Georges Braque , and at times, the works were so alike it was hard for each artist quickly to identify their own. The two were so close for several years that Picasso took to calling Braque, "ma femme" or "my wife," described the relationship as one of two mountaineers roped together, and in some correspondence they refer to each other as "Orville and Wilbur" for they knew how profound their invention of Cubism was.

Picasso, Gertrude Stein 1906 Famed patron of the arts in Paris Said to have posed 80 times for the painting Influence of ancient sculpture, African abstraction, Cézanne Beginnings of Cubism seen in the angularity of the image Heavy-lidded eyes, mask-like face Head painted separately and not from life. Picasso was asked it if looked like Stein. He responded, “It will.”

Picasso, Gertrude Stein 1906

Famed patron of the arts in Paris

Said to have posed 80 times for the painting

Influence of ancient sculpture, African abstraction, Cézanne

Beginnings of Cubism seen in the angularity of the image

Heavy-lidded eyes, mask-like face

Head painted separately and not from life. Picasso was asked it if looked like Stein. He responded, “It will.”

Picasso, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon First cubist painting Heavily influenced by Cézanne, African art Five prostitutes from Avignon Street in Barcelona No movement, an indication that one is standing in a doorframe, one is seated near a table with a still life Most are posing for customers in a living room Three on left: more conservative; other two: more radical, reflects the split in Picasso Multiple views of each person, all seen at the same time: face seen from side, below, frontally, all from different perspectives Angular wedges act like facets Shaded for three-dimensionality

Picasso, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon

First cubist painting

Heavily influenced by Cézanne, African art

Five prostitutes from Avignon Street in Barcelona

No movement, an indication that one is standing in a doorframe, one is seated near a table with a still life

Most are posing for customers in a living room

Three on left: more conservative; other two: more radical, reflects the split in Picasso

Multiple views of each person, all seen at the same time: face seen from side, below, frontally, all from different perspectives

Angular wedges act like facets

Shaded for three-dimensionality

Braque, The Portuguese, 1911 Each object has a fragment of surfaces Simultaneously juxtapose different aspects under various angles Uniform harmony of color: shadings of monochromatic tones Man holding a guitar, elements of the composition have to be reconstructed Cubist interest in using letters and numbers which add and detract from “the meaning” of the work Painting seems to ask you to decode it, but resists a firm conclusion

Braque, The Portuguese, 1911

Each object has a fragment of surfaces

Simultaneously juxtapose different aspects under various angles

Uniform harmony of color: shadings of monochromatic tones

Man holding a guitar, elements of the composition have to be reconstructed

Cubist interest in using letters and numbers which add and detract from “the meaning” of the work

Painting seems to ask you to decode it, but resists a firm conclusion

Braque, Bottle, Newspaper, Pipe and Glass, 1913 A collage: strips of paper roughly and oddly cut Charcoal drawing beneath the paper Some of the paper is newspaper with printed words to entice interpretation Some papers have the charcoal drawing continued into their surface The pipe is not drawn, but cut out of brown paper

Braque, Bottle, Newspaper, Pipe and Glass, 1913

A collage: strips of paper roughly and oddly cut

Charcoal drawing beneath the paper

Some of the paper is newspaper with printed words to entice interpretation

Some papers have the charcoal drawing continued into their surface

The pipe is not drawn, but cut out of brown paper

Picasso, Guernica Painted for the Spanish Pavilion of the 1937 Paris World’s Fair Picasso rarely concerned with politics in his art Guernica bombed 26 April 1937 during the Spanish Civil War Town of 7000 with no military infrastructure, 70% of town destroyed News shocked the world Bull: Minotaur, symbol of violence; blood of the bull symbolic of sacrifice; bull symbolic of Spain herself Influence of Grünewald Gaping mouth, bared teeth, tongue sticking out Dagger like forms Pietà: stigmata on the Child, ladder of the crucifixion behind Horse: seems to have newsprint on it Horse is a pyramid shape within an overall pyramid composition Fallen soldier with broken sword indicates futility of war Done in black and white to simulate news photo or newspaper print Largest painting he ever did

Picasso, Guernica

Painted for the Spanish Pavilion of the 1937 Paris World’s Fair

Picasso rarely concerned with politics in his art

Guernica bombed 26 April 1937 during the Spanish Civil War

Town of 7000 with no military infrastructure, 70% of town destroyed

News shocked the world

Bull: Minotaur, symbol of violence; blood of the bull symbolic of sacrifice; bull symbolic of Spain herself

Influence of Grünewald

Gaping mouth, bared teeth, tongue sticking out

Dagger like forms

Pietà: stigmata on the Child, ladder of the crucifixion behind

Horse: seems to have newsprint on it

Horse is a pyramid shape within an overall pyramid composition

Fallen soldier with broken sword indicates futility of war

Done in black and white to simulate news photo or newspaper print

Largest painting he ever did

1937 The Spanish struggle is the fight of reaction against the people, against freedom. My whole life as an artist has been nothing more than a continuous struggle against reaction and the death of art. How could anybody think for a moment that I could be in agreement with reaction and death? When the rebellion began, the legally elected and democratic republican government of Spain appointed me director of the Prado Museum, a post which I immediatley accepted. In the panel on which I am working which I shall call Guernica , and in all my recent works of art, I clearly express my abhorrence of the military caste which has sunk Spain in an ocean of pain and death...

Futurism Begun in 1909 in Italy An interpretation of Cubism Saw artistic heritage of Italy as a strangulation of contemporary art Glorified machines, action, adventure, World War

Begun in 1909 in Italy

An interpretation of Cubism

Saw artistic heritage of Italy as a strangulation of contemporary art

Glorified machines, action, adventure, World War

Boccioni, 1913 Unique Forms of Continuity in Space Boccioni, Unique Forms of Continuity in Space “ Break open the figure and enclose it in its environment” Figure appears to disappear behind a blur of movement Figure dynamically walking in space cf. Nike of Samothrace

Boccioni, Unique Forms of Continuity in Space

“ Break open the figure and enclose it in its environment”

Figure appears to disappear behind a blur of movement

Figure dynamically walking in space

cf. Nike of Samothrace

De Stijl The Style, begun in 1917 Natural outgrowth of Cubism to its most analytical Piet Mondrian (1872 – 1944) Renounced all representation in paintings Concentrated on a severely limited palette and series of shapes Primary colors: red, yellow and blue Neutrals: black, white, grey All forms at right angles Balance of composition

The Style, begun in 1917

Natural outgrowth of Cubism to its most analytical

Piet Mondrian (1872 – 1944)

Renounced all representation in paintings

Concentrated on a severely limited palette and series of shapes

Primary colors: red, yellow and blue

Neutrals: black, white, grey

All forms at right angles

Balance of composition

Mondrian imposed rigorous constraints on himself, using only primary colors, black and white, and straight-sided forms. His theories and his art are a triumphant vindication of austerity. Diamond Painting in Red, Yellow, and Blue (c. 1921-25; 143 x 142 cm (56 1/4 x 56 in)) appears to be devoid of three-dimensional space, but it is in fact an immensely dynamic picture. The great shapes are dense with their chromatic tension. The varying thicknesses of the black borders contain them in perfect balance. They integrate themselves continually as we watch, keeping us constantly interested. We sense that this is a vision of the way things are intended to be, but never are.

Composition No. 10 1939-42

De Stijl Rietveld, Schroder House, Utrecht, Netherlands Architectural interpretation of a DeStijl painting Colors in conformity with DeStijl paintings Private rooms on bottom floor Living room upstairs Designed with sliding partitions to open or close space Shifting free-floating interior Large flat areas of space define exterior Vertical flat columns of color break up exterior white spaces

Rietveld, Schroder House, Utrecht, Netherlands

Architectural interpretation of a DeStijl painting

Colors in conformity with DeStijl paintings

Private rooms on bottom floor

Living room upstairs

Designed with sliding partitions to open or close space

Shifting free-floating interior

Large flat areas of space define exterior

Vertical flat columns of color break up exterior white spaces

Malevich, Suprematist Composition: Airplane Flying, 1915 Suprematism Concerned with pure form Very early example of the artist’s work, discarding figuration Non-objective reality “ The supremacy of pure feeling” Geometric patterns dominate on a white ground Universal accessibility of abstract art Arrangement of geometric planes suggests airplane movement Modern Russian Art

Malevich, Suprematist Composition: Airplane Flying, 1915

Suprematism

Concerned with pure form

Very early example of the artist’s work, discarding figuration

Non-objective reality

“ The supremacy of pure feeling”

Geometric patterns dominate on a white ground

Universal accessibility of abstract art

Arrangement of geometric planes suggests airplane movement

Naum Gabo, Column 1920 -21 Constructivism Used synthetic materials: glass, plastic, metal Industrial design methods Forgoes traditional sculpture: stone or bronze Opens up column’s structure, see into interior Viewer can experience interior of volume of space Two intersecting planes rise up through the middle Vertical and horizontal elements balanced by circular looping forms

Naum Gabo, Column 1920 -21

Constructivism

Used synthetic materials: glass, plastic, metal

Industrial design methods

Forgoes traditional sculpture: stone or bronze

Opens up column’s structure, see into interior

Viewer can experience interior of volume of space

Two intersecting planes rise up through the middle

Vertical and horizontal elements balanced by circular looping forms

Tatlin, Monument to the Third International Design principles based on inner behavior and loading capacities of a diverse assemblage of material Formal response to Cubism, Futurism Experimented with glass, iron, sheet metal, wood Believed that non-objective art was the ideal for a new society, free of past symbolism Honors the Russian Revolution of 1917 Huge glass and iron building that would have been world’s largest Center of Moscow, propaganda and news center for the Soviet Union Axis pointed to star Polaris: symbol of universal humanity Three geometrically shaped chambers were to rotate around a central axis inside a titled spiral cage Each chamber housed a facility for a different kind of government activity Each rotated at a different speed Bottom: glass structure for lectures and meetings, rotated once a year Middle: room intended for administrative needs, rotated monthly Top: information center rotated daily Existed only as a metal and wooden model, now lost or destroyed Lacks a main façade; seems to burrow into the earth

Tatlin, Monument to the Third International

Design principles based on inner behavior and loading capacities of a diverse assemblage of material

Formal response to Cubism, Futurism

Experimented with glass, iron, sheet metal, wood

Believed that non-objective art was the ideal for a new society, free of past symbolism

Honors the Russian Revolution of 1917

Huge glass and iron building that would have been world’s largest

Center of Moscow, propaganda and news center for the Soviet Union

Axis pointed to star Polaris: symbol of universal humanity

Three geometrically shaped chambers were to rotate around a central axis inside a titled spiral cage

Each chamber housed a facility for a different kind of government activity

Each rotated at a different speed

Bottom: glass structure for lectures and meetings, rotated once a year

Middle: room intended for administrative needs, rotated monthly

Top: information center rotated daily

Existed only as a metal and wooden model, now lost or destroyed

Lacks a main façade; seems to burrow into the earth

Vladimir Tatlin, Monument to the Third International, 1919-20