Modern art has its beginnings in the ninteenth century. Many of the artists that today are considered classical were the radicals of the art world during their working years. Here are a few simple tips on better understand the beginning of modern art.
Instructions
1. Take a look at Impressionist painters such as Monet, Seurat, and Cezanne. You have very likely seen works from any one of these artists. Their style of painting, in which light plays a major role, was not the only thing revolutionary in the art world. As you look at the works these artists produced you’ll notice their subject matters, their themes, encompass the everyday, what was, at the turn of the ninteenth century modern life. It was this departure from grand paintings of classical themes and portraits that was the birth of modern art.
2. Take a look at Edouard Manet’s painting “Luncheon on the Grass.” This painting depicts two couples picnicking in the woods. But the women are in a state of undress. It was scandalous to show such casual nudity in 1863. But even more scandalous was that Manet’s work showed ordinary people. Another example is Jean-Francois Millet’s painting “The Gleaners,” painted in 1857. This work depicts peasants, of all things, working in the field.
3. The best approach to understanding the beginning of modern art is to look at the works in progressive order. Starting with Manet and Millet, continue on to the likes of Picasso and Joan Miro in the 1920s. You’ll begin to see that artists were being influenced by political and cultural changes in a rapidly changing world.
4. Once you’ve familiarized yourself with these early modern artists, read about their lives and the times in which they lived. The more you know about the artists, the more you’ll understand the why and how of their art. The best way to understand the beginning of modern art is to go back to the beginning, with the likes of Manet, Monet and Miro.
