The Magpie

• Depicts a lone Magpie (type of black bird) on a fence in the winter
• The painting relies heavily on the use of shadow, and is a sort of experiment with it
• It uses pale colors rather than the bright colors people at the time were used to seeing. Thus, it was considered a daring painting
• Monet painted it out of a desire to capture sensations and render “the effect” to transitory, fleeting states of nature. This can be seen in the feeling of temporariness that the painting gives.
• The painting was rejected by the 1869 Paris Salon for being too unconventional.
• Painted in December 1868 when Monet and his family were at the coast of Normandy.
• Monet refused to allow the weather to confine him to his studio. He then painted a snow landscape.
• The variance of shadows on the snow presented a challenge different from that of the sun casting a shadow on green grass of blue sea. In order to meet this challenge, Monet swapped his usual palette of high key colors for icy colors.
• Shadow is blue-violet, rather than black. Monet advocated using colored shadow and rejected the notion that shadows were black.
• This is an experiment with natural light. Monet uses colored shadow rather than conventional black. A fascination with natural light and understanding how it worked became a core tenet of impressionism, and Monet contributed to this obsession with this painting.

Individual Contribution: Steve Licari

The Dance Class

What is this painting of? Degas is noted for paintings depicting the ballet.

Why was this painted? Commissioned in 1872 as part of an arrangement between Degas and singer/collector Jean Baptiste Faure. It was completed in 1874.

Is there a story to accompany the painting? It depicts 24 women, ballerinas and their mothers, standing in a line, waiting to be tested

What does this painting mean? A ballerina is executing a move in front of a mirror while the teacher looks on. The teacher is supposed to be Jules Perrot, one of Europe’s best known dancers and ballet masters.

Why is this painting important to the movement? It is set in the rehearsal room of the Paris Opera.

Why is it important to the history of Western art? This is interesting because the building had been burnt to the ground for a year at the time the painting was made.

Did this painting impact history? There is a poster for Rossini’s Guillaume Tell on the wall beside the mirror. This would popularize the opera.

Additional Information:

1. There is a window reflected in the mirror, through which it is possible to see the city of Paris. When seen, it becomes clear that this painting is a reflection of the new urban world, which was about performance and leisure.
2. The painting is not a self-contained narrative, clear narrative. This violates tradition in art. It is also asymmetrical.
3. It was outrageous for its time, as the ballerina’s are doing risqué things. The one on the far left is fixing her tutu, while the one in the foreground on the left is putting her finger in her mouth to bite her nails.
4. The viewer is at eye level with the dance master, giving the sense that they are seeing things as he would see them.
5. The image appears unchoreographed and unplanned, capturing a fleeting moment. This is a theme in impressionism.

A Breezy Day off Campbeltown

It was painted in 1886 in Campbeltown of the seascape. The painting conveys the powerful wind blowing the waves and the ships in the background. William McTaggart, who is widely considered to be the best Scottish landscape artist of all time, painted it.

Why?

The piece was painted because the artist grew up near Campbeltown and seascapes are a recurring theme in his artwork.

Is there a story?

No.

What does it mean?

The piece shows the necessity of Nature, for things like fishing and travel, but it also has great powers.  The boats are using the wind to travel but they are listing from the sheer power of the wind.

Why is the painting important?

It is one of the best impressionist paintings from Scotland.

Has it impacted history?

No.

Has history impacted it?

It is still regarded as one of the best Scottish landscape paintings.

 

Individual Contribution: Jeremy Smith

Terrece of Sainte Adresse

Background of Painting: This piece was done during the summer of 1867 at the Sainte-Adresse, a small town near Le Havre on the Normandy coast. This was one of the earliest displays of Impressionism.

What it’s of: In the foreground, the two people are thought to be Monet’s father, Adolphe, and his aunt, Sophie Lecadre. The standing figures are thought to be his cousin, Jeanne-Marguerite, and uncle, Adolphe Lecadre. The terrace was a place for the fashionable to meet and enjoy the fine food and scenery. The two flag poles pull the eye from the foreground to the background where many ships are skimming across the water. Much like in Impression, Sunrise, the darker boat to the middle-left of the painting brings the eye back to the terrace, completing the circuit. The bright flowers also create a sharp contrast to the monolithic sky and sea.

Why it was painted: Monet had moved to Sainte Adresse with his family due to financial difficulties.

Story to it: N/A / see Background of Painting

Meaning of the painting: Many people see this painting as Monet’s first break between the old and the new. It sharply marks the older way of life coming together with the new ideas and creations. Such is demonstrated by the old sailing ships meeting with the large steamers out on the ocean. The painting itself represents this as it is done in the newly emerging Impression style but still has some of the defined lines of the classical way of painting. This contrast can be seen in the defined flags and blurred flowers.

Importance to the movement/Western Art: The works of Monet, especially those that contain water, would inspire other famous Impressionist artist, chief among them Mante. This work would go on to be one of the trademark pieces of Claude Monet’s earliest period in art when he was just beginning to experiment with what would come to be called impressionism.

 

Individual Contribution: Gina Vandetty

Olympia

What is this a painting of?

Manet’s Olympia. This is a painting of a nude woman lounging on a bed. A black cat and a servant presenting her with flowers accompany her. The woman has a content and has a powerful poise about her. This is enhanced by here sultry stare right at the viewer. The model for this work is Victorine Meurent who was a courtesan (Or is other words, a prostitute). This is the first painting of a “working girl” to be publically displayed, and is therefore contemporarily horrifying but groundbreaking with hindsight.

Why was this painted?

This, like most French art at the time, was painted to be displayed in a “salon” or a gallery of sorts. The artist in question, Edouard Manet, painted this to intentionally break away from the stagnant academic art. He believed that art had reached a standstill and he desired change.

Is there a story to accompany the painting?

Manet finished the work in 1863; in order to avoid uproar chose not to put it on display until the 1865 Paris Salon. Unfortunately, although there were thousands of paintings at the exhibition, the one that drew the most attention was Olympia. Though the attention was quite negative, as people had to be restrained from physically destroying the painting. Onlookers pelted the work with rocks and screamed and gasped when they first laid eyes on the pale figure.

What does the painting mean?

The painting is showing exactly what it looks like, a prostitute receiving gifts from a Parisian admirer. Though she seems rater unimpressed and coy about the exchange, suggesting she is bored of receiving yet another gift. The painting shows a common practice in the bourgeoisie lifestyle. Though it was a shady and well-hidden lifestyle. The blatant disregard for subtlety is part of what enraged people.

Why is this painting important to the movement?

After the Salon des Refuses (the salon for all the art that was initially rejected for the main salon held in 1863) this is one of the first “big impact” pieces of Impressionism. It broadened the possibilities for other artists as it cleared the water for other dissatisfactions in the future.

Why is it important to the history of Western art?

Similar to the previous question, it made way for even more revolutionary and different art to come.

Has history impacted this painting?

This painting aligns nicely with the course of history. After two revolutions and many outspoken radicals in France, a revolution in art was bound to follow. According to Hegelian dialect, this movement (This piece in particular) was the antithesis to the academic tradition of art. “Look at the political history of France, the revolution and the overthrow of the aristocracy, the art world was ripe for a change in the way we view things — though the viewing public (who were often upper class) had to be dragged kicking and screaming. “

Did this painting impact history?

In one word, absolutely. It created an entire group of “impressionist dissenters” and established a new way of doing art. This rebellious, “paint what you see” attitude carries forward an entire genus of art and history alike. This is the time of mass politics and political change; it makes sense that art mirrors that.

Women Ironing

What is this a painting of?

This painting depicts common laborers ironing linen. The seemingly ordinary is made quite appealing in this painting. It shows one woman stretching, yawning, and taking a break with a drink while the other woman is bent over, working diligently.

Why was this painted?

“Degas has concentrated on the women’s gestures trying to catch fleeting, everyday movements in a representation that is neither heroic nor caricatured.” Degas wants to capture everyday life; he does it well here.

Is there a story to accompany the painting?

While there is no spectacular story accompanying this interesting piece, it was one of seven in a set. The entire set displayed working class women ironing while maintaining their womanly poise.

What does the painting mean?

The painting signifies the ability to maintain a proper and acceptable poise while laboring to bring food to your family. The set of painting made “working class women” respectable.

Why is this painting important to the movement?

The thick brush strokes and seemingly insignificant subject make it indicative of impressionist paintings. The fact that this painting is very impressionist makes it an important addition to the movement itself.

Why is it important to the history of Western art?

Laundresses were typically associated with alcoholism and casual prostitution. This new portrayal of their movement and color is important because it shows that beauty for art can be found in unsuspected places.

Has history impacted this painting?

The art is very contemporary with history at the time. “The choice of this subject echoes the naturalist and social concerns of some of the artist’s contemporaries, in literature as well as in painting. Zola’s novel L’Assommoir published in 1877 describes Gervaise’s laundry and gives a bald description of the miserable lot of the poor in Paris.”

Did this painting impact history?

The paintings show the struggle of the lowest working class. This portrayal of the womanliness still held while consistently struggling helped spur class-consciousness and initiated help for the lowest classes.

Individual Contribution: Emily Pedano

Gare St. Lazare

What is this a painting of?

Monet’s painting is of a main train station located in Paris, France, named Gare St. Lazare.  It shows the trains going in and out of the station, people waiting to get onto the trains, and shows the great city of Paris behind the station.

Why was this painted?

This painting was painted because Monet wanted to capture the vital link between the capital of the country and the very important countryside.  He wanted to capture not only the great architecture of the station and its surroundings, but also the interaction between the smoke and steam from the trains with these great structures.

Is there a story to accompany the painting?

The story behind this particular piece of art is that Monet lived in the suburbs of Paris, and he took the train into the city for when he worked, and he would go through this train station when he did.

What does this painting mean?

The meaning behind his great painting seems to be that Monet wants to show the beauty of Paris and the beauty of modernism through the steam and smoke and also through the light that comes from no type of modeling or lines in his artwork.  He wanted to show the grittiness of the city and the railroad station through the steam and smoke mixing with the structures in the painting, like the train itself and roof of the station.

Why is this painting important to the movement?

This painting is important to the impressionistic movement because it shows the beauty of the movement and it captures some of the most intangible elements on canvas, fog and wind. This was usually a great challenge for the Impressionists to do, but Monet is able to show it in this one painting.

Why is it important to the history of Western art?

This piece is important to the history of Western art because it is a very unique type of painting, which does not use perspective lines like painters always used to, but where Monet changes colors and makes the painting very abstract.  He also did not give the people a sense of space in his work, which was the opposite of the traditional style of painting.

Has history impacted this painting?

The new renovations on Paris by Baron Haussmann affected the painting because Monet’s painting is the epitome of the modern renovations that Haussmann made.  The train stations were part of the renovations in order to create better trade and transportation of goods between the city and country side.  The buildings in the back ground are Haussmann style buildings.  He shows modernism with the trains coming in and all of the steam coming out of the train. Also, a lot of painters had already captured to beauty of this station in other paintings, like Manet’s The Railway.

Did this painting impact history?

This painting, although it was very unique, did not seem to impact history to big other then showing the beauty of impressionism through this style of work.

 

Individual Contribution: Chris Pokorny

Impression Sunrise

Artist History: Claude Monet was born November 14^th, 1840. During his lifetime, he would pursue art like his singer mother instead of becoming a Parisian grocer like his father. As he began his work, he began to break from the classical ideas of what art was meant to be and instead painted everyday scenes as he saw them. Lines would suggest, rather than define the subject while allowing light to play a large role in perception.

Background of painting: Claude Monet, along with other young Impressionist artist, held an art viewing in 1874 with this as one of the main pieces. The group, called Societe anonyme, focused their art on quick brushstrokes, the perception of light, and blurred lines. This painting was criticized immediately upon display as was said to “have certainly left an impression” on many who saw it. It was this criticism that gave the movement its name.

What it’s of: The picture is of the harbor of Le Harve, France. In the foreground, two row boats are moving towards to docks. The water on which they sit blends into the shapes of large steamers or other ships already tied up at the docks. A scarlet-orange sun provides the focal point of the painting, as it is in sharp contrast to the blues and greens in muted tones the surround it. The light it throws on the water directs the eyes attention to the row boats back in the foreground.

Meaning: The painting exhumes a sense of mystery, but still keeps a firm grasp on the reality that it is portraying. The slightly gloomy, muted colors, paired with the vividness of the sun, create a contrast that is relevant to the time period in which it was painted.

Why it was important to the movement: This was the piece of art that gave the movement its name as well as embodying all of the traits and characteristics of the movement.

Importance to the History of Western Art: Impression Sunrise was the first groundbreaking work in Impressionism. It also allowed future artists free experimentation with brushstrokes, color, and especially light. Content was no longer limited to the religious, mythological, or otherwise classical themes in art. Everyday life was suddenly made interesting and worth looking at exactly as it is. This piece and the new movement it helped create would inspire some of the greatest artists of all time, among them Degas, Cezanne, and Van Gogh.

History’s impact on the work: Impression Sunrise was a reaction to the art that had come before it. The classic way of painting no longer fitted the moods of a new generation of people. Previously, art had been a way of depicting and idealized form, now, it would be used to depict the way artists actually saw life.

Paintings impact on history: This painting has become a focal point in many art schools as the original free expression of art. In its own time, it was a liberation point for artists to depict what they saw as they saw it. Today, this same idea can be seen in many parks around the world on beautiful days with artists of all kinds depicting their version of what is beautiful. Impressionism has become one of the most recognizable types of art in the world and, with this piece as a main display, continues to be showcased in art exhibits in some of the finest galleries in the world.