Intro to visual art 5 online

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Gin Lane 1743 by Hogarth
William Hogarth was an English painter who is known for the
social and political commentary in his paintings. He was
critical of any person or group he felt was deserving of
rebuking, but it was the aristocratic class that was most often the
target of his biting criticism.
Not that he would hesitate to go after the poor peasants if he
thought they needed attention. In this illustration from a
periodical, peasants are seen in various stages of inebriation,
acting foolishly and even recklessly.
The man seated on the step at the lower right appears emaciated,
as if he hasn’t eaten in weeks. He holds a grocery basket and a
shopping list spills over the edge. But the irresponsible man
hasn’t been to the grocery store. Instead, he went to the liquor
store and is now drunk on the cheap whiskey he bought. If he is
such a sorry state, his family is likely no better off since he is
neglecting everyone.
The woman at the top of the steps drops her baby over the
railing in her drunken stupor. Beyond her we see a man and
woman selling the tools of their respective trades in order to buy
liquor. They are selling their future to drown their misery.

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During the 1730s and 1740s William Hogarth did two series of paintings he called Marriage ála Mode and The Rake’s Progress. These
paintings followed the lives two aristocratic young gentlemen as they receives their inheritances and behave badly and squander their
money.
Some context is required here. Up until now there have been two social classes in European society. The aristocrats and the peasants.
As the Industrial Revolution swings into action, a new social class emerges. These are peasants who become entrepreneurial and start
their own businesses. Many failed, of course, but many others prospered and became wealthy. Unlike the aristocrats who became rich
the old fashioned way (they inherited it) these “business class” people, also known by the French word “bourgeois” (meaning newly
rich) earned their wealth through their own labors. They were not readily accepted by the aristocratic class which viewed them as little
more than “uppity” peasants. The bourgeoisie, seeking increased social standing (although they had money they lacked the family names
and prestige of an aristocratic birth), would willingly link their family to the aristocracy through marriage. For a young aristocratic
gentleman whose family fortunes were depleted by increasing taxes or business losses, marrying a wealthy bourgeois girl (resulting in a
huge dowry from her father) would save him from actually working for a living.
In Shortly After the Marriage (next slide) the house is in a state of disarray following a party that lasted until sunrise. The weary
servants are frustrated by the couple’s inattention to important matters (like the unpaid bills held by the man on the left). The wife
hosted the party enjoying her new status (when she married the count she instantly became the countess) and looks quite satisfied with
herself. In the back room one of the paintings has a curtain over it. But the curtain is partially withdrawn and we can see it’s a nude
portrait and it’s probably the image of the wife. The artist suggests that she was showing off this intimate portrait to her party guests
indicating that she lacks modesty.
The rake (a term that meant a swinging bachelor) has just come home from his night’s entertainment. The dog is agitated (indicating a
lack of loyalty) and sniffs at the man’s coat pocket which contains some frilly undergarment as a souvenir of his adventures. The man’s
sword lays discarded on the floor. The artist is noting how the aristocrats had all the power but did nothing constructive with it.

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Shortly After the Marriage 1730s William Hogarth

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Tavern Scene (next slide) shows us where the rake spent last evening. He his seen in a drunken state consorting with prostitutes.
He thinks that he is quite the ladies’ man, not realizing that the woman lavishing attention on him has actually stolen his pocket
watch and is passing it to an accomplice behind him.
Examine the faces of the women around the table. They all bear black spots on their skin. This is evidence of syphilis. It spread
throughout Europe after English ships returned from Tahiti where local people were carriers of the sexually transmitted disease
had engaged in sex with the visiting sailors. Contracting this ailment was a death sentence as antibiotics would not be developed
until the very late 19th
century. First causing insanity, then death, syphilis was a scourge that swept across Europe in the 18th
century.
To the left we see two household servants, fairly shocked at the behavior they are witnessing. The candle and serving platter that
reminds us of a convex mirror suggest that God and Jesus are also watching.
Tavern Scene 1730s by Hogarth

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Tavern Scene 1730s by Hogarth

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Visit to a Quack 1730s by Hogarth
A quack is an unethical or unskilled physician. This doctor doesn’t look too competent with his unshaven face and a skull…the symbol
for death…sitting on his desk. Behind the patients we see an open closet door revealing skeletons inside. Skeletons in the closet is an
old term meaning bad secrets. This quack seems to have many bad secrets.
The little girl in the scene is most likely the daughter of the prostitute dressed in black (the same woman the rake was consorting with in
the Tavern Scene). Back then prostitutes had children who were raised in the brothels. Often the daughters would start working in the
brothels when they were very young. Perhaps this girl has been brought to the quack to obtain birth control so she can start working.
More likely she is already working and has contracted Syphilis. Note that she holds a handkerchief to her chin, probably concealing an
open sore that is symptomatic of being infected with syphilis.
Since antibiotics were 150 years removed, what “cure” would a quack sell a desperate patient? Many times they were given mercury to
drink. Mercury is one of the most toxic substances known to exist so drinking it probably did prevent death by syphilis as the mercury
would kill you must faster.
Notice that the rake has a large black spot on his neck. He has been infected.

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Visit to a Quack 1730s by Hogarth

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In The Rake in Bedlam we see the gentleman chained to the floor in the asylum, his mind ravaged by syphilis. The barred windows
symbolize his entrapment. There is no escape from his situation. His family doesn’t come to see him. Nor his wife or his friends.
Only two servants from the house are compassionate enough to visit him. Stinging commentary on the rich by the artist.
We do see two wealthy women in the background but they aren’t here to visit the rake. Back then rich people would bribe the guards
in these facilities to let them tour the asylum as they found it entertaining to watch the crazy people.
The Rake in Bedlam 1730s by Hogarth

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The Rake in Bedlam 1730s by Hogarth

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Sometimes Hogarth defended the rich. The next slide depicts a courtroom where an unmarried woman is naming the father of her
unborn child. Since no paternity tests were available, the woman’s testimony was all that was needed for a judge to order the man to
begin paying child support. Since the amount of the payment was based partly on his ability to pay, many women falsely named
wealthy men they had never met as the father to get a bigger support payment.
In the painting we see the pregnant woman giving the court clerk the name as the rich man waves his arms at the injustice.
Meanwhile, the real daddy slinks behind the woman whispering in her ear, likely giving advice on how to soak the wealthy man for
money.
The people who made this law weren’t stupid and had to know that there would be abuses and that the system was inherently unfair.
The purpose was to ensure that there was money given for the child’s benefit and they really didn’t care what the source was for the
funding. This was sort of direct tax to support child welfare programs.
The artist tells us this system was all about the child by showing the little girl in a throne-like chair at the judge’s right hand. The
dog does tricks for her and focuses his attention on her to tell us it was all about the children. Do it for the children…
The Denunciation by Hogarth 1730s

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The Denunciation by Hogarth 1730s

One of the many themes Hogarth focused on in his criticism was infidelity. In the following painting the story
goes that the earl came home and found his wife in the arms of another man. Morally outraged and personally
insulted he drew his sword and challenged the intruder who promptly stabbed him. As the villain escapes out
the window, the repente4nt wife begs her husband’s forgiveness. But it is too late. The wrong has been done
and the earl will die.
The message is to avoid extramarital affairs… and to be in better practice with your sword.
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The Death of the Earl 1743 Hogarth

As the adulterer/killer is hanged in the yard outside the open window, the widow takes her own life. Does she
lack the will to go on due to grief for the dead husband, or for her executed lover? Perhaps the shame of the
entire situation drove her to this end.
Pretty heavy stuff, dude.
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The Suicide of the Countess 1743 Hogarth

The next two slide illustrate the difference in the way marriage arrangements were handled by aristocrats and
peasants. In the first painting (from the Marriage ala Mode series) we see the prospective bride and groom in a
meeting between their respective families and the lawyers each side has retained. The marriage contract would
be extremely detailed and would put any modern “prenuptial” agreement to shame by comparison. The would-
be bride and groom ignore each other during the negotiations. They are here out of duty, much like their
marriage will be.
On the other hand, the poor peasant couple hold hands, actually expressing interest in one another, as the young
man approaches his beloved’s father seeking his permission to marry the man’s daughter.
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Marriage ala Mode 1743 William Hogarth

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The Village Bride 1761 Jean-Baptiste Greuze

Of course Hogarth ridiculed politicians and elected officials. He often chided those involved with the electoral
process, portraying it as flawed. Can you peruse the painting and identify some of the symbolism used to
illustrate the folly of the electoral process and those running it?
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Election Entertainment 1755 Hogarth

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This is a portrait of a wealthy couple (Robert Andrews and his wife, Frances) on their huge tract of land. The portrait is designed to
highlight their wealth and prestige. The firearm the man carries over his arm replaces the sword as the power symbol. Much like
swords, European nations restricted the ownership of firearms to the socially elite so they become a badge of rank and a symbol of
power.
Gainsborough was known for making all of his female subjects look essentially the same. Indeed, Robert Andrews and his wife,
Frances, bear a striking resemblance to one another suggesting that the artist was limited in his ability to do realistic portraits,
relying on a formula that made everyone look similar. Indeed, the Andrews look very much like the artist himself (see next slide).
One customer complained that the portrait of his wife didn’t look like her at all. Gainsborough simply replied “Two hundred years
from now nobody will know the difference.”
It has been suggested that the painting is actually unfinished, with the area in the woman’s lap intended to depict her plucking a
game bird. The theory goes that this was a symbol for a domineering woman mistreating her husband and when Frances Andrews
realized what the artist was doing she confiscated the unfinished painting and so it remains to this day. The instructor has never
seen the original painting in person and must rely on photos. So far he is undecided as to whether the object in the woman’s lap is
an unfinished area or is a sheet of paper with her holding a pen, symbolizing the fact that she was literate. This practice of holding
objects to say something about the sitter is common in portraits and many women, even wealthy aristocratic women, were illiterate
back then so one who could read and write might want to announce that fact in her portrait.
What do you think, paper or unfinished area?
Robert Andrews and his Wife Frances c. 1750 by William Gainsborough

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Robert Andrews and his Wife Frances c. 1750 by William Gainsborough

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Self Portrait by Thomas Gainsborough
Note the resemblance to Mr. and Mrs. Andrews?

Many artists will use a formula for their paintings. This could refer to the faces of the subjects, in
which case they look similar to one another (recall our recent discussion of William Gainsborough)
or it could refer to favorite pose the artist will position his portrait subjects in.
Examine the next four paintings by Francois Boucher between 1745 and 1753. The supine posture
of all four models is nearly identical. The setting is so similar that surely all the woman were posed
in the same studio stage with the same props. Paintings A and D are so alike it’s difficult to tell
them apart.
It’s possible that the women commissioned the paintings for husbands or lovers and wanted to look
seductive and “sexy” but not really have them appear too revealing. We can only guess at what
their reaction would have been had they known their intimate and personalized paintings were
actually being mass produced.

Brown Odalisque 1745 Francois Boucher
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A

Girl Reclining (Louise O'Murphy) 1751 Francois Boucher
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B

Blond Odalisque 1752 Francois Boucher
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C

Odalisque 1753 Francois Boucher
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D

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The Swing 1768 by Jean-Honore Fragonard
The Rococo style often appears rather whimsical with
subject matter that is less than serious. Although not
everyone would agree that some of the concepts
addressed by the French painter Fragonard are all that
frivolous in nature.
As the young woman swings on the swing, the young
man lays on the ground so that he may look up her skirt.
They are married…although not to each other. The man
in the background pushing the woman to facilitate the
swinging is the local priest. It’s highly unlikely that the
clergyman ever saw this painting. The joke was at
expense and the gentleman patron would have reserved
viewing for his closest friends.

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Young Woman Playing with a Dog 1772 by Fragonard
Another offering from Fragonard shows a mostly naked
young woman lying in an unkempt bed. This image is
about as sexually suggestive as it can be and the fact that
she is toying with a dog, the symbol of faithfulness, tells
us what she thinks about the value of that particular
concept.
She is a party-girl and it’s likely that she commissioned
this painting as a gift for one of her many boyfriends. In
all likelihood, a married boyfriend.

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Neoclassical (18th century to 19th century)
19th
century:
Romanticism
Realism
Impressionism
Post Impressionism

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The Neoclassical period is generally accepted as the beginning of “Modern Art.” The Oath of the Horatii (slide 3) is
often cited as the first painting of the new age.
Neoclassicism uses the stories and legends of ancient Rome to symbolize contemporary issues. Most of the best known
Neoclassical artists were French and many of the paintings refer in some way to the French Revolution (1789–1799).
Jacques Louis David (pronounced Da-veed rather than like the common first name) is perhaps the most prominent of the
Neoclassical painters. He survived the revolution and the terrible years that followed but became the court painter to
Emperor Napoleon and wound up exiled as a result when the emperor was overthrown.
The Oath of the Horatii was actually painted five years prior to the revolution but certainly at this time discontent was
evident amongst the people. This painting is based on a Roman story where Rome got into an argument with another
city-state named Alba. Rather than full-scale warfare, it was agreed that each city to send three champions to meet on the
field of battle and the winning team would earn victory for its city. These three brother are swearing to their father to
fight and die for Rome. The mother and sisters look anguished on the right.
One sister has a real problem. She is secretly married to one of the Alban champions. No matter who wins, she loses
somebody. The Horatii were victorious but upon their triumphant return the sister goes berserk at the news of her
husband’s death and sharply rebukes her brothers and the city of Rome. Of course, the family couldn’t tolerate such an
outrage so the brothers killed her too.
The story, and thus the painting, is a powerful patriotic message demanding the citizens kill and die if they must for their
city (country). The king wanted this painting to remind the French people that they should be loyal to him and support
France.

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Oath of the Horatii 1784 by Jacques Louis David

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Death of Marat 1793 by David
The French Revolution started in earnest on July 14, 1789
and led to a period of anarchy and bloodshed of
monumental proportions. The first 10 years were the
worst but France suffered through several decades of
dictatorial leaders, violence, and warfare.
Jean-Paul Marat, a physician, was one of the instigators of
the revolution. He wrote and spoke of having a dream
where all French people would be equal. He was a
socialist who hated the aristocracy and advocated their
downfall.
On July 13, 1793 (one day short of the revolution’s
anniversary) a political enemy named Charlotte Corday
stabbed him to death as he sat in medicinal tub to ease the
discomfort of a serious skin condition. She went to the
guillotine four days later for the murder.
This painting symbolizes the death of the dream held by
the revolutionaries. They wanted a better France but what
the revolution wrought was violence and suffering. It
could even symbolize the death of the nation if something
wasn’t done to stem the anarchy and violence tearing the
country apart.

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The Sabine Women 1799 by David
David’s The Sabine Women is also based on a Roman legend. When Rome was new, there were only men living there. Realizing this
would not work for long, these men of action solved the problem by going to the city of Sabine and kidnapping a large number of
unmarried women who they brought back to Rome and treated like queens to entice them into marrying Roman men and making their
homes there.
It worked, and the women did marry and start having families. Meanwhile the Sabine fathers and brothers prepared for war. After
several years they marched on Rome to recover their stolen women and exact vengeance on the Romans.
But as the two armies drew near, the women ran out between the Romans and the Sabines, calling for an end to hostilities. In the center
a woman in white holds her arms out to stop the advancing soldiers. One can almost hear her screaming “STOP!” One woman can be
seen holding her infant child aloft as she scans the crowd of Sabine warriors, seeking her father to show him his grandchild. Another sits
on the ground with her breasts exposed in an obvious attempt to symbolize nurturing, home and family.
When the Sabine men realized that the women were not mistreated, but were happy in their new lives, the war was canceled and as a
result Rome and Sabine became friends and allies, with both cities prospering as an added benefit.
Of course, David is speaking to France with this painting. He is calling on the people of France to stop fighting with each other before
the country was utterly ruined. The concept of women as the peacemakers is one that recurs in art.

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The Sabine Women 1799 by David

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Mars Disarmed by Venus and the Three Graces 1824 by David
Here we have one last example of David’s
commentaries on the state of affairs in post-rebellion
France. Using the Roman goddess of love and beauty,
Venus, along with the Roman god of war, Mars, he
pleads with France to set aside the violence and warfare
that had marred the nation since 1789.
Mars was making ready for war, with his bow, spear,
sword, helmet, and shield. But Venus sits with him
and attempts to seduce him into more peaceful and less
bellicose activities. She offers wine, with one of her
helpers (the Three Graces) running forward with a jug
and goblet. Meanwhile, the other two women have
managed to relieve Mars of many of his weapons and
armor. He seems to be giving in to Venus’ wiles, and
we see her son, Cupid, untying the war god’s sandal as
if to say “Take your shoes off and relax a while.”
There was a popular slogan on bumper stickers and
posters during the days of the Vietnam War, “Make
love not war.” This painting seems to be saying just
that. Mars is given the choice of going out to fight or
relaxing and drinking wine with four naked women.
He looks thirsty.
The audience for the painting was French people and
the message is “We are French, for God’s sake. We
should not be fighting. We should be drinking wine
and making love.”

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Romanticism
Romantic art displays emotion, and illustrates pain and suffering as well as
assigning great grandeur in portraits. In some way Romanticism was a
departure from the Neoclassical which paid homage to the ancient ideals and
sought a more contemporary set of values.

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George Washington c. 1840 by Horatio Greenough
When this sculpture was unveiled it was not an immediate
success. It depicts Washington as a Greek hero and
nobody was prepared to accept that. Some of the people
viewing the piece had actually known Washington and they
complained that he never dressed in a Greek toga.
Of course, they were missing the symbolism. Washington
wears the toga to symbolize his wisdom in surrendering
power and turning the army over to the Continental
Congress when the British commander gave up the fight
and the Revolutionary War ended. Washington spared the
nation the usual period of violence and anarchy following a
violent overthrow of the government by placing the
military firmly in the hands of the civil leaders.
Indeed, the artist tells us about his handing over his
military power by the way the figure of Washington seems
to offer his sword, the symbol of power.

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In this view Washington clearly is seen pointing towards
heaven. As a man of faith who believed in God he would
give thanks and credit for good things to the Almighty and
ask for His blessings on the new nation.

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For many years the government didn’t know what to do with the
unpopular sculpture. It was moved from one location to another
for around 150 years.

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The statue was finally moved into the Smithsonian Institution
around 1990. Now, so much time has passed that there is
nobody left alive who knew Washington, but he has mostly
stopped being a man and has assumed the role of historical
figure. Audiences are much more willing now to accept him
as he appears in this piece and the statue has enjoyed
increased popularity.

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The Third of May, 1808 c. 1815 by Francisco Goya
During a period of civil unrest in Spain, France sent troops to occupy some areas in the northern part of the country (France borders
Spain to the north). Some Spanish citizens resisted causing the French commander to order the execution of civilians suspected of
complicity in the violence.
Goya witnessed much violence in his life and this is often reflected in his art, such as the painting in the next slide.
Most authors simply describe the quality of light and other such meaningless drivel when discussing this painting. What they are
missing is the powerful symbolism Goya incorporated into the work.
The Third of May, 1808 is an anti-war statement. The soldiers and most of the civilians are faceless, meaning we cannot assign
specific identities to them. By remaining faceless they represent others, larger groups of people, rather than simply being
individuals.

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The Third of May, 1808 c. 1815 by Francisco Goya

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Saturn Devouring his Children c. 1820 by Goya
The Roman god Saturn was foretold that one of his
children would usurp him (depose him from power and
take his place). Saturn’s reaction to this forecast was to
murder all of his children.
Of course the story and painting is symbolic for any nation
willing to murder its own children to stay in power.
See the previous two slides for an example of this concept.

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Funeral of Atala 1808 by Anna-Louis Girodet-Trioson
The Catholic Church now seems to feel that any sin is unacceptable. Back in earlier times it would excuse sin if committed for a
greater good. Atala was a Vestal Virgin. Teenaged girls would be appointed to serve the Roman goddess Vesta, a deity of the
hearth, home, and homeland (city of Rome). They served for 20 years after which they retired on a pension. It was a nice job but
the title of the position describes the major drawback. The girls were to remain virginal until retirement, which would the mid to
late 30s in age.
Atala fell in love with a young man referred to in the story as “The Savage.” He probably symbolizes lust, or the wildness of
youth. Rather than risk weakening and breaking her vow of chastity, she kills herself.
The Church would now denounce this as the sin of suicide. But when this painting was done the Church used it to express the
concept of self-sacrifice for a greater good. Sex is the major sin to established religion so better to die by one’s own hand then to
succumb to temptation.
The artist has Atala being interred in a cave (next slide) reminding us of the sacrifice of Jesus. A monk helps bury her and the
artist tells us that the Church approves of her actions by placing the cross on the hill looking down on the scene.
The king would see this painting as a patriotic message, urging the people to die for their country should it be needed.

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Funeral of Atala 1808 by Anna-Louis Girodet-Trioson

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Raft of the Medusa 1819 by Theodore Gericault
This painting (next slide) is based on a true story involving a passenger ship called the Medusa which sank in a storm. At this time
French sea captains were appointed by the king rather than being graduates of sea captain school. There was no guarantee of
competence on their part as such appointments were made for any number of reasons not related to the ability of the prospective
captain. In this case the captain was a coward who grabbed a lifeboat and abandoned ship at the first sign of trouble. The crew
quickly followed leaving the passengers to their fate. This ship went down leaving a small number of survivors clinging to wreckage
as a raft.
The captain and crew were soon rescued by a passing ship but they claimed that they were the only ones to get off the ship alive.
They didn’t want the story of their cowardice and dereliction of duty to be discovered so they left anyone floating on the ocean to die
in their cover-up.
Several days later the survivors were spotted. When they returned to France they told a different story than the captain and crew did.
The revelations about the captain reflected badly on the king who had appointed him. Soldiers confiscated the painting and
imprisoned the artist for a time trying to intimidate him.

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Raft of the Medusa 1819 by Theodore Gericault

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Massacre at Chios c. 1824 by Eugene Delacroix
During the years when Greece was under Turkey’s control and part
of the Ottoman Empire, most Europeans felt closer to the Greeks
than they did to the Turks and tended to side with the Greeks when
they demanded their independence. Not all historians agree that the
massacre at Chios where (supposedly) Greek men, women, and
children were abused and murdered by Turkish soldiers after a
failed uprising, even occurred. But European artists treated the
subject as factual.
The purpose of such art was to inflame European passion for a free
Greece. Something very similar has been happening in Hollywood
recently as the people in the entertainment industry have adopted a
free Tibet (which has been under the control of Communist China
for many years) as their “cause du jour.”
Maybe this painting had the desired effect as very shortly after it
was exhibited a unified Europe demanded that Turkey free Greece.

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Realism
As the name implies, realist artists sought realism in their work, insisting on
rendering human figure from live models and eschewing* the use of Gods and
heroic figures in favor of depicting real people.
* The instructor likes using this word.

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The Bathers 1853 by Gustave Courbet
Courbet was among what are known as “Realist painters.”
The title is self-explanatory. These artists wanted to
capture the real world. They insisted on working from live
models to more perfectly duplicate the human form and
they weren’t interested in painting gods and goddesses,
they wanted to paint real people doing real things.
The problem is that many people become uncomfortable
when art becomes too real. Most people prefer fantasy to
reality and feel threatened by too much reality.
Of course in the 19th
century the patrons of the galleries
were the wealthy, and they wouldn’t appreciate this
painting of two working-class women bathing in a stream.

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The Stone Breakers 1849 by Courbet
Another aspect of Realist painting is that it allows for social commentary. In the painting shown in the next
slide, two men are working at breaking stones for concrete and gravel use. Certainly low-paying and back-
breaking work. The young man, seemingly a teenager, and the older man may in fact be meant as the same
individual. This would illustrate how in the classed society of Europe where one was born was exactly where
one would be at the time of one’s death. There was no upward mobility in European culture.
Most likely the vast majority of rich people had no idea such people even existed. As they were working by the
side of the road the wealthy folks riding by in the carriages kept their shades drawn specifically so that they
wouldn’t have to see these workers. Courbet is shouting at the wealthy aristocracy who patronized the art
galleries, “Hey! You need to take a look at these people and maybe do something to improve their situation.”
This painting was lost during World War II. In February of 1945 British and American bombers dropped
thousands of tons of explosives and incendiary bombs on the city of Dresden, Germany. The Stone Breakers was
in a Dresden museum that was burned to the ground as a result of the attack.

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The Stone Breakers 1849 by Courbet

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Woman with a Parrot 1866 by Courbet
Woman with a Parrot caused a stir when it was exhibited. It wasn’t nudity of the figure, or the bird, or the
seductive pose. What viewers found too shocking for public consumption was the woman’s hair.
Hair is a sexual signal. Body hair is nature’s way for us to tell others that we have reached physical maturity
and are now available for marriage and reproduction. The hair on our heads is often used to signify our status,
as with the Amish men who are clean-shaven until they marry at which time they grow a beard. Body
language experts tell us that when woman plays with her hair during interaction with a man it’s a signal that
she is sexually interested in him.
The woman in the painting’s hair is all wild and free, spread out over the bedding. A proper woman would
have her hair covered with a scarf or tied up.
So while the nudity was fine with art patrons, the unrestrained hair was not.

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Woman with a Parrot 1866 by Courbet

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Indigent Family 1865 William by Adolphe Bouguereau
Indigent Family (next slide) shows a woman with three children who are apparently homeless and in
dire straights. The man of the family may be dead, in jail, or perhaps pressed into military service
leaving his family to fend for themselves.
They sit against a large building that the artists has left ambiguous as to what type of structure it may
be. It could be a church, a government building, or even a bank. Those three possibilities would
reflect the three groups buying art; the Church, the state, and the wealthy.
This painting must be seen as social commentary, highlighting the plight of the indigent poor. The
artist is calling on all three of the afore mentioned groups to do something to help them.
At this time the Church did quite a lot to help poor people, using donations from the wealthy. The
government offered little if any assistance. Of course, when government does get involved in programs
for poor it’s funded with tax dollars taken from the rich so they always wind up paying.

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Indigent Family 1865 by William Adolphe Bouguereau

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Nymphs and Satyr 1873 by Bouguereau
At first it may seem odd that the same artist who did
Indigent Family with its strong social commentary could
also produce a piece such as this, which uses
mythological themes as an excuse to portray nude women
for the enjoyment of male art patrons. But its not hard to
understand that the paintings with a social conscience
didn’t sell very well. Who would buy art that was often
critical of their social group? This painting would sell
quickly, allowing the artist to survive and do the other
paintings to satisfy himself.
Note the classic image of the satyr from Greek
mythology, with small horns and goat’s legs. He has
stumbled into “nymph central” with four of them
(rendered to look more human than mythical) wrestling
with him. On gestures for help from an even larger group
of nymphs close by. Their aim is to have sex with him
but note how the satyr struggles to get away. He knows
that if they have their way with him, he will not survive
the encounter.
In the days before racy magazines and movies on late-
night cable channels, paintings such as this were intended
to satisfy the desire for images of attractive, naked
women.

61
Prof. Thomas Eakins
Thomas Eakins was not only a successful painter, he was also an art
professor at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art in Philadelphia.
He was a controversial educator who admitted minority students
(starting just a few years after the end of the Civil War when
prejudice was rampant) and women to his classes. It was the latter
who finally did him in as many people were horrified at the notion
of virginal (assumed in that Victorian Age) young women gazing at
nude male models in painting classes.
Forced to resign in disgrace, Eakins suffered because of the
notoriety and didn’t achieve the fame he deserved until after his
death.

62
The Gross Clinic 1875 by Eakins
This is Eakins’ most famous piece. It depicts Dr. Gross, a
professor of surgery at the medical school in Philadelphia,
instructing students. A dedicated realist, Eakins has captured the
horror and emotion of 19th
century surgery. Note the lack of
gowns, masks, and hair coverings on the surgeons. They didn’t
even know they should wash their hands. Medical science at this
time was unaware of bacteria and the need for cleanliness.
The image is brutal in its realism and most people were
uncomfortable with it. It hung for decades at the medical school
until being sold to a museum being built in Bentonville, Arkansas
for $68,000,000. The people of Philadelphia were outraged at
the painting leaving that city (and going to… ARKANSAS!) that
the school reneged on the deal and sold it instead to a consortium
of PA buyers.

63
Before the Operation 1887 by Henri Gervex
While the subject matter is similar to Eakins’ painting, the
treatment and execution are vastly different. Whereas
Eakins’ painting was stark in its realism, this one is really
little more than an excuse for depicting a nude woman.
Notice the “patient’s” hair. See the similarity to the
woman seen in Courbet’s Woman with a Parrot? In this
case the hair was clearly meant to be sexually suggestive
as that was the purpose for the painting.

64
Henry Rush Carving his Allegorical Figure of the Schuylkill River by Eakins 1877
Realist artists like Courbet and Eakins would insist on working from models for realistic human figures. However, the idea of naked models
offends many people and some wish to stop the practice. Even today, some parts of the United States are dominated by religious beliefs that
drive people to strenuously oppose artists working from nude models.
It was no different in the late 19th
century. Thomas Eakins did this painting showing the sculptor Henry Rush working in his studio to address
the concerns raised by some regarding the use of models in art. In the scene the artist works while the model poses. Nothing inappropriate is
occurring. The older woman seated near the model is either the artist’s wife or the model’s mother (most likely the latter) and she becomes
the chaperone in the image, guaranteeing that nothing inappropriate happens.
One question. Why is the model nude when the sculptural figure Rush is working on is clothed?

65
Henry Rush Carving his Allegorical Figure of the Schuylkill River by Eakins 1877

66
Impressionism
If I wanted an exact reproduction I’d buy a camera and take a photo of it.
Don’t draw what you see… draw what you feel.
-Anonymous drawing instructor who favored the Impressionist style.

67
Pointillism is the technique of making painted image with countless dots rather than with brush strokes. Georges Seurat was the leading
proponent of this style of painting and Sunday on Le Grande Jatte is his most recognized work. However, there is another painting done
at the same time that is really meant to go with this one and they should be seen as a set to understand the social commentary contained
in the works.
A Bathing Place shows a scene from the same river as viewed in Sunday on Le Grande Jatte.
Sunday on Le Grande Jatte depicts wealthy people recreating by the riverbank. They are recognizable as aristocratic by their fine dress
as well as their rigid posture and measured behavior. The most deplorable thing to the aristocracy was wild or uncouth behavior in
public. Indeed, the woman on the right holds a small monkey on a leash. The monkey symbolizes wild and rash behavior but she
controls these urges and keeps them in check as represented by the leash.
A Bathing Place shows the more casual and relaxed working class. They are a couple miles downstream from where the previous scene
was based. In the background can be a seen a factory built along the river. It was common before the introduction of environmental
protection laws for factories to dump waste into rivers. Since the working class people are downstream, they are swimming in toxic
waste while the wealthy folks remain safely upstream from the pollutants. The poor suffered much higher rates of cancer and perhaps
Seurat was suggesting why with this painting.

68
Sunday on Le Grande Jatte 1884 by Georges Seurat

69
A Bathing Place 1884 by Seurat

70
Paul Gauguin was a Parisian stockbroker who dreamed of being a painter. One year after moving with his wife and five children
to Copenhagen, Denmark to work in a brokerage house, he abandoned his family there and returned to Paris to pursue his painting
career. He became known as a leading painter in the Post-Impressionist style.
Over the next several years he painted scenes such as seen in the next slide. But he found the current style and subject matter of
European art to be uninspiring so he went to Tahiti. Apparently he enjoyed the more relaxed and sexually casual attitude in this
island paradise (remember that this is where syphilis originated due to the sexual permissiveness of the culture) and he is most
famous for his paintings of island girls like the one in the slide following the next slide.
Gauguin dumped his family and fled the morally uptight society of Europe for the sexually liberated women in Tahiti but there’s
an old saying about “pay-backs.” Gauguin died of syphilis at the age of 54.
At the time of his death Gauguin was under prison sentence for sedition against the colonial government. Apparently the
numerous underage sex partners Gauguin had in Tahiti (two of his three known illegitimate children were born to Tahitian
mothers, the third to a German woman he had an affair with before leaving France) didn’t concern the government but speaking
out against its rule did draw the attention of the authorities.

71
The Four Breton Girls 1886 by Paul Gauguin

72
Are You Jealous? 1892 by Gauguin

73
Portrait with Bandaged Ear 1889 by Vincent van Gogh
Certainly one of the most interesting stories in art
has to be that of van Gogh. He never realized
success in his lifetime, selling only one painting
and relying on financial help from his family to
survive, he would become one of the most famous
and celebrated artists in history…after his death.
Not having any more luck in love than he did in art,
van Gogh’s most notorious act, that of severing his
own ear, was done to impress a woman for whom
he had unrequited feelings. When he was invited to
a dinner party where a woman he longed for was in
attendance with her date, van Gogh shot himself at
the dinner table.
He wasn’t very good at suicide either shooting
himself in the stomach. He did eventually die from
the wound, after suffering in agony for three days.
The artist had a relationship with a local prostitute.
Lacking cash, she accepted drawings and paintings
in payment for her services. After van Gogh’s
death, when his work became popular and valuable,
she sold the pieces for a fortune.

74
Three Sunflowers in a Vase 1888 by van Gogh
Van Gogh is famous for his paintings of sunflowers, with a large
number of very similar looking images being done. One of these
sunflower paintings held the record for the highest price ever paid
for a single artwork when it sold at auction for nearly $50,000,000.

75
Vase With Five Sunflowers 1888 Van Gogh
I think this is the painting that sold for the huge sum of money.
But I am not 100% certain, and really, since they are all so
similar does it really matter which one it was?

76
Portrait of Dr. Gachet 1890 by van Gogh
The madness continued in 1990 when a Japanese
businessman paid $82,000,000 for this painting.
The great irony is that an artist who struggled financially,
never achieved fame and success during his lifetime, and
lived and died in abject poverty should be one to have his
paintings fetch such astronomical prices.
It should be noted that when paintings begin fetching these
astronomical prices, the cease being put on public display
since they are far to valuable to risk. They are kept in
protective containers locked in bank vaults until they are
taken out to be sold again. Except when being offered at
auction these paintings never see the light of day.

77
The Banjo Lesson 1893 by Henry O. Tanner
Tanner was the first black American artist to achieve success.
Most of his paintings are of familial scenes such as this one and
the one seen in the following slide. This painting slightly
reminiscent of the Louis Le Naine piece we saw earlier called
Peasant Family. Perhaps Tanner intended a similar message,
that poor people are not dangerous or suspect.
Tanner was a student of Eakins.

78
Thankful Poor 1894 by Tanner

79
The Cry (Scream) 1893 by Edvard Munch
As we get closer to the turn of the 20th
century, art tends
to become more and more about the artists. They
frequently express their own feelings, fears, and opinions
in their art.
Munch (pronounced monk) is a case in point. He was a
rather odd man with numerous idiosyncrasies not the least
of which was his disturbing view of women. Nobody
doubts that it is he in this famous painting screaming in
fear and frustration.
The next four slides are other examples of Munch’s
psychosis in regards to women. In Dance of Life we see
the young, attractive woman on the left wearing white,
then the same woman in the middle all in red dancing
with a partner, then she appears on the right looking older
and dressed in black.
The white is for youth, freshness, and newness. The
black is for despair and impending death. But what of the
red in the middle? And what’s wrong with her dance
partner? He looks like a zombie.
Much is offering the concept of women as vampires,
draining men of their life energy.

81
Woman in Three Stages 1894 Munch
Showing the same person multiple times in the
same image to symbolize change, such as
aging, is an old trick in art. Here Munch uses
it to illustrate his vision of women. On the left
the woman is young and pretty; innocent and
benign. Then she becomes a sexual creature;
alluring and ready to use sex to destroy men.
At the right she is old and hollow looking.
Meanwhile, a man enters the room who looks
like a walking zombie, likely a victim of the
woman’s evil actions.
This is not the product of a healthy mind.

82
Death of Marat 1897 Munch
The neoclassical painter David painted the death of
Marat as a symbol of the death of the ideals that
spawned the French Revolution. Here, Munch uses
a similar composition to decry the power that
women hold over men.
This guy needed some serious couch time.

83
Under the Yoke 1896 by Munch
One final example from Munch. Being “under the
yoke” implies that one is under the control of
someone else. In this case it’s Munch being
controlled and it’s a woman who has him
imprisoned. Her nudity suggests that she uses sex to
manipulate him and get him to do her bidding.
A man who has healthy relationships with women
doesn’t produce something like this.

84
Madam’s Birthday by Edgar Degas

86
Little 14 Year Old Dancer 1881 by Degas
Despite what some authors say, this was not the only sculpture by Degas.
It is the best known, but not the only one.
It caused controversy when exhibited because some aristocratic patrons
were shocked at the notion of a 14 year old dancer. Remember, this was
akin to saying “14 year old prostitute” to many of them. Of course, there
were 14 year old girls dancing in the cabarets, and there were 14 year old
prostitutes in the brothels, for that matter. The rich folks just didn’t want
to be reminded of that fact.
Another aspect of the piece that disturbed some people is the dancer’s
costume. It’s a statue wearing a real dress and this seemed creepy to many
viewers. A little too real, no?

87
Here is a sample of some other sculptures by Degas. There are more so
we can only wonder why some art book authors claim the 14 Year Old
Dancer is his only one.

88
The Tub 1880s Degas
Another example of Degas
sculpture. For some reason Degas
never has his wax sculpture cast into
bronze. All of his pieces were cast
after his death. Some show damage
from having been left in wax (which
is fragile and easily damaged) for so
long.

89
Seated Clowness 1896 by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Toulouse-Lautrec was similar to Degas in that he also seemed
to prefer the company of entertainers to the elite members of
high society who were his peers.
This painting shows an entertainer who is well beyond the
age at which she had hoped to retire. She likely hoped that
some gentleman would marry her and take her away from this
life (as symbolized by the couple behind her) but it never
happened for her.
She could represent anyone with unrealized dreams stuck in a
job or a place where he or she no longer wishes to remain.

90
John the Baptist Preaching 1878 by August Rodin
Although The Kiss (1886) and The Thinker (1902) (see next
slide) are perhaps Rodin’s most famous pieces, the sculpture of
John the Baptist Preaching has a more interesting history. When
it was exhibited a wild rumor somehow got started that it was
created by dipping the model into molten bronze. Anyone
subscribing to this theory must accept that the artist was willing
to murder a man in order to create the statue. The rumor
persisted until Rodin finally called a press conference where he
produced the model.

91
The Kiss 1886 by Rodin The Thinker 1902 by Rodin

92
Camille Claudel
Claudel was a student of Rodin’s and, despite the fact that she was 24
years younger than he, they had a love affair. Rodin was in a long-term
(but unmarried) relationship with another woman* and eventually went
back to her.
A few years after the break-up, Claudel’s erratic behavior (perhaps
sparked by a miscarriage or a forced abortion) caused her mother to have
her committed to an insane asylum. After several years the medical
doctors recommended her release but her mother refused and Camille died
in the institution after having spent 30 years there.
Claudel’s most famous piece is seen in the next slide. It is not difficult to
analyze the symbolic representation in this composition. The male figure
is certainly Rodin. The evil looking female figure is Rose Beuret, Rodin’s
lover of many years taking him away from Claudel, and the nude female
figure looking pathetic and as if she has lost everything is Claudel herself.
*Rodin had a 53 year relationship with Rose Beuret. They had a son
together, but did not marry until Rodin was 76 years old. Rose died two
weeks after the wedding and Rodin was dead within a year.

93
Ripe Age/Maturity 1907 by Claudel

94
The Cry (Scream) 1893 by Edvard Munch
As we get closer to the turn of the 20th
century, art tends
to become more and more about the artists. They
frequently express their own feelings, fears, and opinions
in their art.
Munch (pronounced monk) is a case in point. He was a
rather odd man with numerous idiosyncrasies not the least
of which was his disturbing view of women. Nobody
doubts that it is he in this famous painting screaming in
fear and frustration.
The next slide is another example of Munch’s psychosis
in regards to women. In Dance of Life we see the young,
attractive woman on the left wearing white, then the same
woman in the middle all in red dancing with a partner,
then she appears on the right looking older and dressed in
black.
The white is for youth, freshness, and newness. The
black is for despair and impending death. But what of the
red in the middle? And what’s wrong with her dance
partner? He looks like a zombie.
Much is offering the concept of women as vampires,
draining men of their life energy.

96
Under the Yoke 1896 by Munch
One final example from Munch. Being “under the
yoke” implies that one is under the control of
someone else. In this case it’s Munch being
controlled and it’s a woman who has him
imprisoned. Her nudity suggests that she uses sex to
manipulate him and get him to do her bidding.
This image is not the product of a healthy mind. A
man who has healthy relationships with women
doesn’t produce something like this.

The next slide uses an old trick. Artists will depict an individual multiple times to show a
progression, either age or some other development. But Munch’s vision is disturbing to say the
least. This painting is similar to The Dance of Life in content.
The woman starts out on the left looking young, attractive and pristine. Then she morphs into the
sexual being in the center, using her sexuality to taunt and entice the viewer. Finally on the right
the woman is old and ragged looking.
At the far right a man enters the scene who appears as a zombie-like creature, presumably drained
of life by some evil temptress.

Woman in Three Stages 1894 Munch

This next painting might be seen as Munch’s homage to Jacques Louis David. But of course Munch adds his
own twisted sense of style to the composition. Rather than focusing on the dead man in bed, Munch pushes the
presumed killer to the forefront. Once again Munch depicts the woman as evil, using her sexuality like a
weapon. The artist warns the viewer that sex is dangerous and woman are not to be trusted.

101
Woman Ironing 1904 by Pablo Picasso
Picasso was one of the leading artists of the 20th
century. While he
may have been a great artist, he was a lousy man.
For several years he produced paintings that art historians refer to
as his “blue period.” They are sad and depressing, often showing
working class people in dreary jobs. The most common
misinterpretation of these works is to consider them as social
commentaries from the artist highlighting the plight of the working
class poor. The problem is that Picasso was a totally selfish and
self-centered man who didn’t give a single thought or care about
anyone other than himself. The fact is that he went to Paris from
his native Spain to pursue an art career and for several years his
paintings didn’t sell, he had no money, his girlfriend left him, and
he was thrown out of apartment for not paying his rent. He was
the one who was sad and depressed. When a dealer started selling
his work, he started making money and found new love, then the
blue period was over.
Many artists began producing art around the turn of the 20th
century that was self-referential, that is, the art was mostly a self-
portrait, revealing their own needs and desires. Claudel, Munch
and Picasso are classic examples of this situation.

102
La Vie 1903 by Picasso
Here’s an example of how despicable Picasso truly was. He threw his
wife and infant child out of their home so he could live with his new
girlfriend. Not only did he do this, but he did a painting of the event and
called it La Vie which in a loose translation to English essentially means
“so what?”

103
Le Demoiselles D’Avignon 1907 by Picasso
Picasso is best remembered for developing the Cubist style of
painting. In Cubism, space is nearly eliminated and the image is
very flat and uninviting. The figures are sharp and jagged with
bold, unnatural colors.
This painting shows prostitutes in a brothel. The two faces on
the right were inspired by African masks he saw in the galleries
and one of the other women was originally a portrait of his
girlfriend. But he replaced her face when she dumped him.
The original composition included a young man wearing a naval
uniform but his dealer said that putting the customer in the
scene made it just a bit too real and would make people
uncomfortable. So Picasso painted the sailor out.
The next slide was taken at the Museum of Modern Art in New
York City where this painting hangs.

105
Leaning Male Nude 1910 by Egon Schiele
The German Expressionist style of painting is somewhat shocking in its color
and subject matter. It’s sort of reminiscent of Cubism but with an evil twist.
Schiele’s favorite subject seems to have been sex. Images of himself
masturbating (like this one) were common from him. He got into trouble for
seducing teenaged girls he recruited to model for him and the police seized
many of his paintings and drawings because they considered them to be
pornographic.
The model most often seen in his works is his long-time girlfriend named
“Wally” who dumped him when he became engaged to a woman named Edith
(he suggested that they maintain a part-time relationship after he married
Edith).
The sexuality exhibited in Schiele’s work can be seen in the painting in the
next slide . Note that at first glance it appears to be a woman with her arms
wrapped around her leg but in fact the left hand and arm coming across her
body is masculine meaning there is an intimate friend present we don’t see
except for his arm. Schiele’s obsession with sex extends to suspicions
regarding his relationship with his younger sister, Gerti.

106
Reclining Female Nude 1917 by Schiele

107
Two Nudes (Self-Portrait with Alma Mahler) 1913 by Oskar Kokoschka
Another German Expressionist with some odd quirks was Kokoschka.
While a young man (around 24) he entered into an affair with a
divorced woman about 12 years older than himself. When she left him
a year later, he didn’t take the break-up very well. He did several
paintings reflecting his pining for her such as this one.
Then he did something really crazy. He contracted with a well-known
doll maker to create a life-sized doll that looked like his departed love.
He actually dressed this doll in the clothing his ex had left behind and
took the doll to the theater, restaurants, and other public places. We
can only imagine how friends and relatives reacted to seeing
Kokoschka dragging this doll around with him.
Finally realizing how ridiculous this looked, one night he threw the doll
in the trash can. Unfortunately, a neighbor saw him and in the dark she
thought he was disposing of a dead body; she called the police. He had
to explain the situation to responding officers and show them the doll in
the trash.
I know you want to see the doll. A poor quality photo can be seen in the
next slide .
Yes, it’s very creepy.

109
Streetlight 1909 by Giacomo Balla
Italy was once one the great nations of Europe, wielding power and influence
on the world stage. But by the turn of the 20th
century that nation had fallen to
such a sorry state that it was hardly better than a third-world country.
A group of Italian artists joined together with the stated purpose of encouraging
Italy to rise up, reclaim its former greatness, and become a player in world
politics again. This was the Futurist movement. Futurist art is filled with
movement and dynamism. It’s all about motion and power as these were the
qualities these artists wanted Italy to regain.
This is a painting of a streetlight. The rays of light emanating from the lamp
resemble and explosion of energy.
The City Rises (the next slide ) is all about Italy rising up from its languishing
state and moving forward.

110
The City Rises 1910 by Umberto Boccioni

111
Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash 1912 by Giacamo Balla
This painting illustrates this concept of dynamic
motion in Futurist art. The legs of the dog and
its owner appear to be moving at hyper-speed.
The leash suggests control so perhaps the artist
is seen as controlling the driving force behind
this movement.
Most of us are accustomed to art and artists
being anti-war. But the Futurists were all in
favor of military imperialism as long as it was
Italy pushing around some smaller and weaker
country. Military images are common is
Futurist art and the following slide shows
Italian soldiers operating a cannon.

112
Cannon in Action 1915 by Gino Severini

113
Unique Forms of Continuity in Space 1913 by Umberto Boccioni
There is also Futurist sculpture. Obviously this statue is
standing still but it is designed to appear as if it’s running at
high speed. This perception of movement and motion is the
primary motivation in Futurist art.

German Expressionism after World War I
Not so heroic or romantic visions of war.
114

115
Vanitas 1932 Otto Dix
The First World War had a profound effect on all of Europe due
to the high number of casualties and political ramifications. But
nobody suffered more than the German people who not only lost
the war and suffered terrible loss of life, but had to endure the
lasting socioeconomic effects for years afterwards.
A number of German artists who served in the military during the
war used their art to express their horror at what they had
experienced and the long lasting effects the war caused.
In this painting the image of the beautiful and alluring woman is
shadowed by a dark and sinister image that is likely meant to be
death. He could be saying that what appears wonderful at first
can turn ugly and deadly. This would reflect a common
misconception of war that many people had prior to the
realization of how awful it really is set in.
Often these works depict erotic themes but rather than being
seductive they are ugly, showing low-class prostitutes and sex in
the context of being disgusting and unappealing. More symbolic
twisting of our view of the world.

116
Machine Gunners Advancing 1924 Otto Dix
Rather than the heroic, glorified depictions
of war usually seen in art, these
disillusioned German artists presented
much more realistic visions of conflict.
They were gritty, and disturbing in their
violence.

Hunger 1919 Max Beckmann
117
Not only did these German Expressionist artists illustrate the
trials and tribulations of the soldiers at the front during the
conflict, they also showed us the difficulties experienced by
the people at home. Starvation was a common occurrence in
war-torn Germany and abject poverty was the norm for many
years to follow. It was this depressed economic and social
environment that allowed the Nazi Party, led by Adolph Hitler,
to rise to power in 1933 on promises to improve life for the
average German and to make the nation strong again.

Dorfschlächter 1930 George Grosz
118
Some of the German
Expressionist images
are positively horrific
in their depictions of
brutality, gore, and
inhumanity.

119
The Children are Threatened by a Nightingale 1924 by Max Ernst
The Surrealists sought to explore the subconscious and a great
deal of Surrealism is based on psychoanalysis and particularly
dream images. Unlike Cubism and Expressionism which sought
to flatten the scene, Surrealism expands the horizon as far as
possible as a symbol of the limitless power of imagination and
the endless boundaries of the mind.
Spanish painter Salvador Dali was the best known of the
Surrealists. His enigmatic Persistence of Memory (the next slide)
is perhaps his most famous painting. For decades art critics and
patrons have tried to interpret and analyze the images but the
problem with using dreams for inspiration is that unless it’s your
dream, it likely won’t make any sense to you.

120
The Persistence of Memory 1931 by Salvador Dali

121
Bicycle Wheel 1913 by Marcel Duchamp
The Dada movement started in Europe and spread to the United
Stated. Short lived (1915-1920 or so), the Dadaists were opposed
to pretty much everything. They were anti-war; anti-Nationalism
(seen as a root cause for war), they were even anti-art. As the old
saying goes, as political and social activists, they were pretty good
artists.
One of the memorable trends in Dadaism was the “found
sculpture” they popularized. In an effort to demonstrate that art is
not special or valuable simply because it comes from a famous
artist, they took common objects, literally things they found, and
offered them as sculpture with little or no modification. Of course
they were wrong, being associated with a famous artist always
increases the value and desirability of art so these ridiculous pieces
sold for large amounts of money. This may explain why the Dada
movement did not last very long. The members kept being proven
wrong in all of their theories.

122
Object 1936 Meret Oppenheim
An everyday object is rendered not only useless but nearly unrecognizable. The cup, saucer and
spoon are covered with fur creating something not only unfamiliar but somewhat vaguely
unsettling.

123
Urinal 1917 by Duchamp
One the more famous (or infamous, as the case
may be) of the found sculptures is this offering
by Duchamp. It’s a urinal that is unmodified
save for the R. Mutt signature and 1917 date.
Who the Hell is R. Mutt? He owned the
company that manufactured the urinal. It was
put in the art gallery to make a social statement
but somebody bought it.
This piece was voted the most significant
artwork of the 20th
century by a group of art
critics. Needless to say your instructor is not a
member of this group.

124
In 1991 another artist
revisited the concept of
Duchamp’s Urinal but gold
plated this version because
art has to keep getting bigger
and better… ?
Fountain (after Duchamp) 1991 by Sherrie Levine

125
The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Too 1923 by Duchamp
Painting on a window panes offers some intriguing possibilities. Since we
can see through the unpainted areas and observe what is behind the
painting, the composition changes every time it is moved.
The glass was broken when a clumsy gallery worker dropped the piece.
Duchamp declined to replace it saying he liked it better that way and
would have broken it himself had he thought of it.

126
Virgin and Infant Jesus 1926 by Max Ernst
For the first 95% of art history, art was about religion. Art was
paintings to thank the animal spirits or to appease the gods to ensure
hunting success. It was fertility figures and offerings hoping for
good crops. Art celebrated God and faith. By the 20th
century many
artists had not turned away from religion, but some actively
opposed religion.
This image was meant to be offensive to Catholics who revere the
mother and child image. The young Jesus has lost His halo (seen on
the ground) as His mother spanks Him. Considered a perfect being
by the Church, Jesus could not have misbehaved even as a child and
this painting enraged some viewers. One man in Ernst’s home town
in Germany demanded action and this led to the artist being
excommunicated (expelled from the Catholic Church). The man
who demanded action was the artist’s own father.

127
The next slide is a photograph of the drive wheel on a steam powered locomotive. The floowing image by the same artist is similar
except for some variance in scale. But there is one big difference in the two images. Look at both and try to determine what is
different.
Sheeler was what we call a Precisionist painter. The second image is not a photograph but is in fact a painting. The Precisionists’ aim
was to exactly duplicate the subject so that it looked as much like a photograph as possible. Such paintings are sometimes called
Photorealism.

128
Feline Felicity 1934 by Sheeler
Another example of Photorealism. This is not a photo but
an amazingly realistic looking drawing.

129
Lobster Trap and Fishtail 1939 Alexander Calder
Born into a family of artists, Calder is known for his
kinetic sculpture, that is, sculpture that moves. He
produced many such pieces called “mobiles” with this
example being one of the better known ones. In addition
to the motion being interesting to watch, as the piece
turns and twists it constantly presents a new view to the
observer.

130
Broadway Boogie Woogie 1943 Mondrian
The artist said that this painting was inspired by
looking down at the street from a window high up in
a New York building.

131
The story goes that one day Jackson Pollock noticed
the pattern of spilled paint on the drop-cloth
protecting the studio floor and decided that it was
more interesting than the painting he was working
on. So he developed the technique of dripping paint
onto the canvas seen at right. This style is called
Action Painting or Action Expressionism or
sometimes simply Drip Painting.
This was new and different and became popular.
Pollock sold a lot of paintings and got invited to
many high society parties.
But after five years the public grew weary of this
style and they stopped selling. The invitations
stopped arriving as his celebrity waned. Pollock
became an abusive alcoholic and died when he
crashed his car while driving drunk, also killing a
teenaged neighbor girl riding with him.
The painting in the next slide is classic Pollock and
would sell in the $30,000,000 range today.

132
Autumn Rhythm #30 1950 by Jackson Pollock

133
The next slide is an example of Color Field painting. It’s insanely simple, using stripes created by placing strips of tape on the canvas
while applying layers of different color paint. Any five year old could create such a composition but Newman was the first to do it and
became famous. This painting sold recently for $3,000,000.

134
Vir Herolcus Sublimis 1951 by Barnett Newman

135
Edward Hopper was an American artist who traveled around the country in his car painting scenes that he found interesting. His wife
accompanied him and served as his model.
Hopper’s scenes generally do not feature large numbers of people and are often totally devoid of humans. Critics note that his paintings
are usually sad and almost depressing in nature and that the few people we do see in them are trapped in their surroundings.
Nighthawks (Slide A) is perhaps his most recognized work but look at the paintings is slides B, C & D and see if you agree that the figures
appear trapped in the environment. If you look closely, you will note that in each composition there is an avenue of escape.
In slide B there are stairs just behind the theater usher. If she wants to leave, there is the means right there.
In slide C the woman may seem isolated and stuck in the room, but in this case the open window becomes the means of escape. Certainly
we don’t usually come and go through a window but we are speaking symbolically here.
In slide D the man isn’t trapped in the gas station. All he needs to do is walk away down the road.
Perhaps Hopper is telling us that no matter where we are, we have the means out if we will simply search for it

136
Nighthawks 1942 by Edward Hopper
A

137
New York Movie 1939 by Hopper
B

138
Eleven AM 1926 by Hopper
C

140
This photo was taken in the
Museum of Modern Art in NYC
and shows the Hopper painting
Gas as it is displayed there.
Museums are generally crowded
and this can impact your ability to
view the art. Also, people like the
man on the right are particularly
annoying. I have never
understood why some people tilt
their heads to one side while
viewing art. I have tried it out of
curiosity and it doesn’t improve
the experience. I think they do it
because they believe it makes
them look like art experts. I think
it makes them look like idiots.

141
By the latter half of the 20th
century, artists were mimicking culture with not only the images but also the materials.
Acrylic paint became popular with many artists as it is plastic based and gives the painting a shiny, manufactured look
that reflected the culture of mass production.
Roy Lichtenstein used acrylic paint to create a classic image seen in the following slide. This seems to be a mixing of
concepts to paint a Greek temple in the mass produced look of acrylic.

142
Temple of Apollo 1964 by Roy Lichtenstein

143
Wham! 1963 by Lichtenstein
Mostly Lichtenstein is known for
painting cartoon-like images, such
as this one.

144
David Hockney was a British painter who spent some time with Hollywood celebrities. This next painting may be a commentary
of the hollowness of their lifestyle.
The acrylic paint is plastic based. Plastic was a term used at the time to denote someone who was fake, not real. The medium
might symbolize how the Hollywood folks measure success by how well they pretend to be somebody else.
Also, the title A Bigger Splash is interesting. An old saying goes that someone out succeed or make a name for himself intends to
“make a big splash.” Well, the owner of this luxury home has certainly made a big splash, but we don’t see the person. It’s
almost as if the artist is saying that this person really isn’t there at all. His life is filled with phony accomplishments and grand
rewards for creating nothing that is real.

145
A Bigger Splash 1967 by David Hockney

146
Soup I 1968 Andy Warhol
Warhol was a commercial artist who did advertising images. He
came to realize that such images could become fine art and the
Campbell’s soup can is perhaps his most famous adaptation of a
product into art. This style came to be called Pop Art.
If you think about it, this is a total role reversal. The soup
company used the art to make money off its soup while the artist
used the soup to make money off his art.

147
Turquoise Marilyn 1962 Andy Warhol
Warhol also produced paintings of celebrity portraits,
with Marilyn Monroe being his most subject. He did
these paintings shortly after Monroe’s death, which
was ruled a suicide but many believe she was
murdered in a plot involving President John Kennedy,
and his brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy
(she was having affairs with both men). In a
precursor to PhotoShop alterations, he would use
unnatural colors to give the portraits a surreal flavor.
Some show the same image multiple times, perhaps
suggesting the mass produced quality of stardom and
the entertainment industry.

149
Self-Portrait with Model 1979 by Duane Hanson
This is Precisionist sculpture. Realistic figures painted and dressed to look like actual human beings.

150
Nude Woman Telephoning 1965 by Micheangelo Pistoletto
Here’s a gallery having some fun with one of these realistic
looking statues. Placed in one of the hallways, it is startling
to see something like this when you don’t expect it.
Remember how people get uncomfortable when art becomes
too real? These artists really push the envelope on that
concept, striving to represent reality as closely as possible.

151
Triumphe Poiel mural 1983 by Richard Haas
This is a painting on the side of an apartment building in Cincinnati,
Ohio. There are no stairs, or columns, or statues. It is meant to be an
optical illusion.
The next two slides are recent exercises in this sort of illusionary
painting (actually drawing with chalk). There is no water-filled
pothole in the street nor is there a boat. It’s just a drawing. The
same is true of the second image. The sidewalk has not been torn up
at all. But note the man on the left walking around the “hole.”

154
These optical illusion paintings are not new. Artists have been doing them for hundreds of years. The next slide is the ceiling of
a church painted to appear three-dimensional with clouds and heavenly beings floating by.

155
Glorification of St. Ignatious 1694 by Andrea Pozza

156
Umbrellas 1991 by Christo
Christo is what we call an Environmental artist. He makes interesting installations in outdoor spaces. These huge
umbrellas were erected in the hills just south of the Central Valley in California. Tragically, a man was killed when
a gust of wind threw one of the 200 pound umbrellas into the air and it fell on him.

157
Anthro of Blue Period 1960 by Yves Klein
The medium is paint on paper. The somewhat unusual aspect (at least at
this time) was the “brush” used to apply the paint to the paper. Klein
painted the model’s body and had her lie on the paper.
Of course, any time you have naked women, smeared with paint and
rolling around on sheets of paper, somebody will pay good money to
watch and that’s exactly what happened. In the 1960s art patrons
decided they wanted to watch the art being created. In the following
slide we see a couple of Klein’s models frolicking in the paint as an
audience looks on.
Note the musicians present. This has become quite an art event.
Of course, once there are people on hand to watch, what is the next
logical step?
Go to the photo after the next slide for the answer.

159
A Happening
Audience participation. In the 1960s art events were staged in which
audience members were invited to become part of the show. In this
case, a piano was rolled out onto the stage but rather than having a
musician play it, the audience came up on stage and smashed it.
These wild events came to be called Happenings. Not all were
destructive as this one is, but they were meant to be energetic and
stimulating to the senses.

160
People who don’t understand that all art is symbolic and can never be real have a difficult time understanding Renee Magritte’s painting
called Ceci n'est pas une pipe (French for “this is not a pipe”). It certainly looks like a pipe. But just like that train we saw way back
near the beginning of the course, there is no pipe in the room (unless you brought one with you). This is a painting of a pipe.
Magritte was trying to tell us that art is symbolic; it represents something else. In this case the image represents exactly what it appears
to be: a pipe. But that is certainly not true in every case.

161
Ceci n'est pas une pipe 1929 by Rene Magritte

162
Attempting the Impossible 1928 by Magritte
The main concept in art that Magritte tried to illustrate
is that art is not real. The pipe was not a real pipe. It
was a representation of a pipe, a symbol.
Magritte also tried to tell us that creating reality was
beyond the reach of the artist. No matter how gifted or
talented the best that any artist can hope to do is
recreate the real world in symbolic representation. This
painting shows the artist “attempting the impossible,”
which is for him to create reality. He cannot possibly
create a real person; he can only create a symbol that
represents a real person.

163
In this course I have tried to emphasize a number of concepts that apply to art. There are two concepts I would like to illustrate that
are applicable to life. They are 1) that not everything is what it first appears to be, and 2) that everything (and certainly everyone) has
the capacity to change.
The photograph in the next slide was taken in September of 1979. The event was a Renaissance Faire (explaining the dress of some
of the people seen). The photo was taken at sunrise on Sunday morning following a Saturday filled with games and fun and the
consumption of large amounts of alcohol. Nobody pictured had gotten any sleep the night before.
The large fellow standing second from the right is your erstwhile instructor. At this time I was a community college drop-out
working as a truck driver. I rode my Harley on the weekends (the black one on the right is mine and, yes, I still have it and ride it),
hung out with my friends, and generally raised Hell as young people are wont to do.
Had you approached me on that day and told me that seven years later I would decide to return to school and would complete my
associate degree, two bachelors degrees, a masters degree, and doctorate I would have thought you insane. The disbelief would have
been worse if you had informed me that one day I would be a college professor teaching art and art history. At that time I had
absolutely no interest in art at all.
But I had the capacity to change. I became more than what I was, and it was something in a whole new direction. Apparently I was
more than the Harley riding truck driver you see in that photograph. I just hadn’t realized it yet.
You also have the capacity for change. This isn’t Medieval Europe where your status at birth is your status at death. You can change
and grow and be more than you are.
Nobody can stop you except you.
Nobody can make you fail except you.
Nobody can make you succeed…except you!
You have to decide how badly you want what it is you seek. Are you prepared to do whatever it takes to accomplish your goals? If
so, then you can do it.
Thank you for your participation and good luck.

165
PS: Don’t do anything stupid.

Intro to visual art 5 online

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Intro to visual art 5 online