Romantic Era – Realism & Art Nouveau

Introduction: Realist and Art Nouveau

In this post I will look at artwork by two artists that created art in a realist style and two artists that created art nouveau. I chose these two styles because they stood out to me the most. The captivating emotion of both styles spoke to me, and I appreciate the contrasts in the styles, too.

Realist

The realist style included more details, and would focus on every day life of the margins of society. It focused on the structures of life in a social, economical, political, and cultural manner of the mid-19th century (the Art Story).

Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau was an ornamental style that grew in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. The style is recognized by long and organic lines, often used in architecture, interior design, jewelry, and illustration. Something that distinguishes this style is the long and asymmetrical lines taking form of flower stalks, vines, insect wings, and other delicate natural objects (Encyclopedia Britannica).

Theodore Gericault

The first painting that I have chosen to explore is La Monomane de L’envie by Theodore Gericault. This is my first example of a realist style painting. The title is sometimes translated as “the obsession of envy.” This painting is oil on canvas, and is estimated to have been painted in 1822. This was a part of a series of works that Gericault completed on the mentally ill. What I find so interesting about this is that, like many other artists during the enlightenment, Gericault believed that the face revealed character (Musee Des Beaux-Arts, Lyon).

Portrait of a Woman Suffering from Obsessive Envy by Theodore Gericault, 1822, Salpetriere Hospital, France

I think what I find the most captivating about this portrait is the contrasts in darkness and light. The woman is covered in a fabric that blends with the background, making it look as if her face is floating in thin air. Her white cap creates a strong contrast, placing focus on her face. Her eyes are as dark as the background, surrounded by an eerie redness that is brought out by her scarf. Her mouth is curved into a wicked smile, as if she is thinking about saying something. There is so much emotion in her face, a mysterious and dark anticipation as if she is about to say something wicked. Yet her mouth looks as if she is about to say something that stings yet is hilarious.

This mixture of emotion can be broken down into a phenomenon called chirality (Psychology Today). If we look at the left side of her face, she looks suspicious and kind of sad.

If we look at the right side of her face, she looks almost excited and on the verge of fury.

I really appreciate this work of art because of this attention to detail of emotions that Gericault has included into the portrait. I would think that artists tend to have symmetrical beauty or majesty of a face, while Gericault chose to include the asymmetrical range of mixed emotions that can be seen in this portrait.

Joseph Mallord William Turner

The second work of art that I have chosen from the Realist Style is Crossing the Brook by Joseph Mallord William Turner. This was painted in 1813 while Turner was visiting Devon in England and painted outdoors (Tate).

Crossing the Brook by Joseph Mallord William Turner, 1813

This painting has classical aspects of Romanticism, where we study how humans are in harmony with nature. The deep perspective of this painting, where it looks like the landscape is endless. The amount of space in the painting creates a sense of freedom. Once again, we have some beautiful contrasts between the dark trees and the bright sky. There is some brief architecture in the background, but the human interference with nature is minimal. The people in the water seem so peaceful and harmonious. I think the serenity and the vastness of nature in this painting is what I find so appealing to look at. I would love to have this hanging in my living room, I feel like it would spread the spacious feeling into the room.

Aubrey Beardsley

The first work of art that I have chosen of art nouveau is The Dancer’s Reward by Aubrey Beardsley. Beardsley was a British illustrator and author, born in England and died of tuberculosis in France. He was considered a controversial artist. He created art that was elegant, grotesque, and with humor. He would criticize Victorian concepts of sexuality, gender roles, and consumerism (the Art Story).

“The Dancer’s Reward” by Aubrey Beardsley, 1893, England

The Dancer’s Reward was illustrated for one of Oscar Wilde’s books, Salome. Much like other art nouveau, the series of these prints were adaptations of Japanese prints. Salome was the stepdaughter of King Herod in the Bible, and seduced her stepfather into bringing her the head of John the Baptist because he had denied her advances. We see the executioner’s arm holding the head on a platter. In the play by Wilde, Salome is telling the head that she will kiss its mouth (Harvard Art Museum).

I was drawn to this illustration because of the macabre scene. The head is laying on a platter, dripping with blood. Salome is gripping its hair with a smirk on her face. The elongated lines of the characters make the imagery even more eerie. The strong contrasts make the woman seem even bolder, while decorated with delicate flowers. The white background leaves so much empty space, which brings focus entirely on Salome and the head. This illustration is definitely heavily reliant on lines, which is typical for art nouveau. The long lines is what really makes this image so striking.

Alphonse Mucha

My second art nouveau, and final example, is Clair de Lune by Alphonse Mucha. I would like to begin this one with declaring that Mucha is my new favorite artist. I am beyond captivated with his illustrations. Alphonse Mucha was a Czech painter that became famous in Paris. He often painted women and celebrated femininity with many other artists of the art nouveau movement (the Art Story).

“Claire de Lune” by Alphonse Mucha, 1902

I absolutely adore this painting. The dull and dark colors create such mystery about the young woman. She looks so gentle, as she is holding the fabric covering her. Her hand is slightly covering her mouth, and she looks at the observer with coy and gentle eyes. She looks as if she has a secret, sending off innocent yet sexy vibes. The painting has a border of flowers, something that is very much appropriate for the art nouveau style. This, and of course, the long and winding lines of the cloth the young woman is covering herself with. I can see that this is how moonlight would be illustrated, if we were to give the gentle shine of the moonlight a personality.

This painting is a part of a four-part series of Lune Et Etoiles that Mucha created in 1902. The images were to represent the moon and the stars, each visioned as femme fatale women.

Conclusion

The Romantic era really did produce a bunch of fun and creative art styles, that incorporated a lot of ideas from the enlightenment. I have always been fascinated by philosophy and ideas from the Romantic era, and I have adored many artworks from this time, too. I think this has been my favorite unit so far, and that is probably because I found Mucha.

References

“Alphonse Mucha.” The Art Story, https://www.theartstory.org/artist-mucha-alphonse.htm

Art, P. “Lune Et Etoiles 1902.” Fine Art America, 2016, https://fineartamerica.com/featured/lune-et-etoiles-1902-padre-art.html

“Aubrey Beardsley.” The Art Story, https://www.theartstory.org/artist-beardsley-aubrey.htm

“Claire de Lune.” Art Stack, https://theartstack.com/artist/alphonse-mucha/clair-de-lune

“Joseph Mallord William Turner.” Tate, https://www.tate.org.uk/art/research-publications/jmw-turner/joseph-mallord-william-turner-1775-1851-r1141041

Navarro, J. “Chirality: A Look at Emotional Asymmetry of the Face.” Psychology Today, May 21, 2016. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/spycatcher/201605/chirality-look-emotional-asymmetry-the-face

“The Dancer’s Reward.” Harvard Art Museum, https://www.harvardartmuseums.org/art/297896

“Theodore Gericault: Portrait of a Woman Suffering from Obsessive Envy, also known as The Hyena of the Salpetriere.” Musee Des Beaux-Arts Lyon, http://www.mba-lyon.fr/mba/sections/languages/english/collections/masterpieces/pieces1476/portrait-of-a-woman/