In this post, notes of “Unit 4: Cultural Transformation of Europe (1850-1939)” from “DSC- 3: History of modern Europe” are given which is helpful for the students doing graduation this year.
Trends in Painting, Architecture, and National Art Galleries
Painting
Realism and Its Pioneers
- Gustave Courbet and Honoré Daumier were important artists in the Realism movement, which aimed to show everyday life and normal people, moving away from the dramatic style of Romanticism.
- Gustave Courbet: He focused on showing the lives of working-class people, like in his well-known painting The Stone Breakers (1849), which shows laborers breaking stones on a road.
- Honoré Daumier: Famous for his political cartoons, Daumier addressed social issues through his art, criticizing the wealthy and government.
Impressionism and Post-Impressionism
- Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Édouard Manet were key artists in Impressionism, a movement that captured light and color in everyday scenes instead of fine details.
- Claude Monet: His painting Impression, Sunrise (1872) emphasized light and color, giving the movement its name.
- Pierre-Auguste Renoir: Known for bright colors, Renoir often painted joyful scenes, like Luncheon of the Boating Party (1881).
- Édouard Manet: His work, like Olympia (1863), mixed Realism and Impressionism and was bold for its modern themes.
- Post-Impressionism, led by artists like Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, and Georges Seurat, used color and brushstrokes to express deeper feelings and structure.
- Vincent van Gogh: His vibrant colors and emotional depth are seen in works like Starry Night (1889).
- Paul Cézanne: He focused on form and structure in his still lifes and landscapes, influencing modern abstraction.
- Georges Seurat: Known for Pointillism, he created images with tiny dots of color, as seen in A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (1884–1886).
Symbolism and Art Nouveau
- Symbolism and Art Nouveau celebrated beauty and intricate designs, often rejecting industrialization.
- Gustav Klimt: His decorative style, shown in The Kiss (1907–1908), combined sensuality and mysticism.
- Edvard Munch: His work, like The Scream (1893), explored deep feelings of anxiety and human emotion.
- Aubrey Beardsley: An illustrator known for his unique black-and-white designs with erotic and strange themes in the Art Nouveau style.
Cubism and Futurism
- Cubism, created by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, broke down objects and showed them from many angles at once.
- Pablo Picasso: His work, such as Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (1907), changed art with its geometric style.
- Georges Braque: Worked with Picasso to develop Cubism, using fragmented shapes to change how we see things.
- Futurism, led by Umberto Boccioni and Giacomo Balla, focused on speed, technology, and the energy of modern life.
- Umberto Boccioni: His sculptures, like Unique Forms of Continuity in Space (1913), expressed motion in human figures.
- Giacomo Balla: Known for showing movement in his art, like Street Light (1909), capturing the speed of modern life.
Surrealism and Dadaism
- Surrealism, with artists like Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, and Max Ernst, explored dreams and the unconscious mind.
- Salvador Dalí: His painting The Persistence of Memory (1931) featured dreamlike images that questioned time and reality.
- René Magritte: Known for his thought-provoking art, like The Son of Man (1964), which showed ordinary things in unusual ways.
- Max Ernst: A key figure in both Dadaism and Surrealism, he used techniques like frottage and collage to create strange images.
- Dadaism, led by artists like Marcel Duchamp and Hannah Höch, rejected logic and embraced absurdity.
- Marcel Duchamp: His piece Fountain (1917), a signed urinal, challenged traditional ideas of art.
- Hannah Höch: A pioneer of photomontage, she combined images to critique social norms and gender roles.
Architecture
Neo-Gothic and Neo-Renaissance Styles
- The Neo-Gothic style revived medieval Gothic architecture in the 19th century, featuring pointed arches and ribbed vaults. A famous example is the restored Notre-Dame de Paris.
- The Neo-Renaissance style drew from the Renaissance, focusing on symmetry and classical design, often seen in public buildings.
Art Nouveau and Modernisme
- Art Nouveau was known for its flowing lines and nature-inspired designs.
- Antoni Gaudí: The Spanish architect created imaginative buildings like the Sagrada Familia and Park Güell in Barcelona, which are examples of Modernisme, a Catalan version of Art Nouveau.
- Victor Horta: A Belgian architect, Horta’s work, like Hotel Tassel (1893), featured organic shapes, moving away from strict classical styles.
The Bauhaus Movement
- Walter Gropius and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe were key figures in the Bauhaus movement, which supported simplicity and blending art with industry. Bauhaus designs often had clean lines and practical forms.
- Walter Gropius: The founder of the Bauhaus school, he focused on modern design, as seen in the Bauhaus building in Dessau (1925–1926).
- Ludwig Mies van der Rohe: Known for minimalist designs, his buildings like the Seagram Building in New York used steel and glass.
Modernist Architecture
- Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright were important in Modernist Architecture, focusing on function and simplicity.
- Le Corbusier: He emphasized modern materials and urban planning in works like the Villa Savoye (1931), showcasing his Five Points of Architecture.
- Frank Lloyd Wright: His organic architecture, seen in the Fallingwater house (1935), aimed to fit buildings into their natural surroundings.
National Art Galleries
Establishment and Role of National Art Galleries
- The Louvre Museum in Paris: Once a royal palace, it became a public museum after the French Revolution in 1793, showcasing France’s cultural history.
- The National Gallery in London: Founded in 1824, it holds a wide collection of European paintings, reflecting Britain’s cultural pride.
- The Prado Museum in Madrid: Established in 1819, it features Spain’s greatest collection of European art, including works by Velázquez and Goya.
Influence on National Identity and Cultural Heritage
- National art galleries helped shape and promote a nation’s identity. They allowed the public to connect with cultural history and encouraged national pride, especially during movements that focused on preserving heritage.
Patronage and Art Collecting Practices
- Art collecting, often associated with the wealthy, played a big role in defining a nation’s artistic identity. Many galleries were funded by rich patrons, including royalty and nobles, whose collections became part of national museums.
This summary highlights key trends in European painting, architecture, and national galleries from 1850 to 1939, focusing on major movements and their influence on national identity.
New Ways of Expression: Photography, Radio, and Movies
Photography
Invention and Early Steps
- Louis Daguerre: A French artist, Daguerre created the Daguerreotype in 1839, the first popular way to take photos. It used a silver-coated copper plate to make a unique image.
- William Henry Fox Talbot: An English scientist, Talbot invented the Calotype in the 1840s, which allowed for making copies of photos by creating negatives. His work helped shape modern photography.
Photography as Art
- Pictorialism: In the late 1800s, photographers like Julia Margaret Cameron aimed to make photography an art. They used soft focus and special lighting to create emotional images.
- Julia Margaret Cameron: Known for her soft, dreamy portraits, Cameron often captured famous people in a unique way.
- Straight Photography: This approach focused on clear, realistic images without artistic tricks.
- Alfred Stieglitz: An American photographer, Stieglitz created works like The Steerage (1907) that showed everyday life clearly.
- Ansel Adams: Famous for his sharp black-and-white photos of nature, especially in the American West.
Photography’s Role in Society
- Documentary Photography and Photojournalism: Photography became important for capturing real events and social issues. Photojournalism documented everything from daily life to important historical events.
- Photographers like Jacob Riis used photos to highlight social problems like poverty in cities.
- Impact on Culture and Memory: Photography changed how people remembered things. It allowed families and societies to keep a visual record of events and important moments.
Radio
Invention and Early Steps
- Guglielmo Marconi: The Italian inventor Marconi is known for creating wireless telegraphy and radio. In 1895, he sent the first wireless signal over a long distance, starting modern radio.
- Early Radio Stations and Broadcasts: By the early 1920s, radio stations were set up in many countries, broadcasting music, news, and entertainment. KDKA in Pittsburgh began regular broadcasts in 1920.
Radio as a Communication Tool
- News, Music, and Entertainment: Radio gave people a new way to get information and enjoy music and shows from home.
- Radio’s Influence on Public Opinion and Culture: Radio was key in shaping public views. It spread news quickly and created shared experiences through popular shows and music.
Impact on Society and Politics
- Radio Propaganda and Political Communication: Radio was used for propaganda, especially in conflicts. Leaders like Adolf Hitler and Franklin D. Roosevelt used it to connect with the public and sway opinions.
- Radio During World War II: During the war, radio was crucial for military messages and keeping civilian spirits up. Famous broadcasts, like Roosevelt’s fireside chats, helped maintain public support.
Cinema
Invention and Early Steps
- Thomas Edison and the Kinetoscope: Thomas Edison made the Kinetoscope in 1891, which let people watch short films through a small viewer, but it wasn’t a public entertainment yet.
- The Lumière Brothers and Early Film Screenings: In 1895, the Lumière brothers created the Cinématographe, a camera and projector. Their first public screening in Paris marked the start of cinema.
Silent Films and Their Growth
- Key Figures: Silent films thrived in the early 20th century, with famous actors and directors.
- Charlie Chaplin: Known for playing The Tramp, Chaplin mixed humor with social messages in films like The Kid (1921).
- Buster Keaton: Famous for his silent films like The General (1926), showcasing physical comedy.
- D.W. Griffith: A key director, Griffith made The Birth of a Nation (1915), known for its storytelling but controversial for its racist themes.
- Expressionist Cinema in Germany: In the 1920s, German films used unusual sets and lighting to show emotions, like in F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu (1922).
The Shift to Sound Films
- The Jazz Singer and the Start of Talkies: Adding sound changed the film industry. The Jazz Singer (1927) was the first major sound film, ending the silent film era.
- Impact on Film and Viewers: The switch to sound changed filmmaking and gave audiences a richer experience with music and dialogue.
The Golden Age of Cinema
- Hollywood and the Studio System: The 1930s and 1940s are known as the Golden Age of Hollywood, with major studios like MGM controlling film production. Famous films like Gone with the Wind (1939) showed this dominance.
- Cinema’s Influence on Culture and Society: Movies became a major cultural force, affecting public opinions, fashion, and social movements, reflecting themes like love and change.
This summary highlights the rise of photography, radio, and movies as new ways of artistic and mass communication in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Each of these media changed art, society, and politics.