Art is “the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects” .But the thing about art is that it’s so diverse that there are as many ways to understand it as there are people. That’s why there are scholars who give their own special definition of the word, such the one penned by this famous Russian novelist, which goes:

“Art is the activity by which a person, having experienced an emotion, intentionally transmits it to others” – Leo Tolsto"

Some say, art is boring. But the fact remains that art has the power to take cultural practices from where they are from and then transport and integrate them into different parts of the world without losing their identity.

There, these art forms can be used to entertain, create awareness, and even inspire foreigners to accept these cultures, no matter how strange or alien they may seem.

This is especially important in our highly globalized world. Art has played an important role in helping fight against intolerance of different cultures, racism, and other forms of unjust societal segregation. With immigration becoming a growing trend, the world’s countries are expected to be more tolerant and accepting of those who enter their borders.

Art helps make that happen by making sure that identities and their Cultures are given due recognition around the world.

This is why we at The Artist believe that art is a form of creative human expression, a way of enriching the human experience.

IMPRESSIONISM IN ART

Posted on May 22, 2018

Impressionism in art is to create an impression of the objects, using colour, texture and other techniques. Realism is to create scenes as close as possible to the real life scene. It was said of Claude Monet: “He is just an eye…but, my God, what an eye!” So the essential difference between the two, is that the focus of Realism is on the subject matter…on WHAT is painted, whereas Impressionism was more concerned with looking at the world and HOW to paint it. Though Impressionism may have gotten off on the wrong foot in France, the French did eventually enjoy it. In general, Impressionism is very appealing; especially the works by Monet. Impressionist art was done relatively quickly, and in the moment, with fast, loose brush strokes of colour that would blend together when viewed. Unlike a lot of previous Realistic and Romanticist artwork, impressionist artwork did not depict historic events, heroes, or religious figures. Instead, impressionist art depicted pleasant moments in time and nature. Subjects of impressionism included nature, entertainment of the middle and upper class, and effects of light and weather. Some of the popular Impressionist painters were Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, and Degas. Realistic painting contrasted with impressionist art, and became very popular in France just before the dawn of Impressionism. Realist paintings depicted realistic events as their subject matter, but they were very different in style from Impressionism. Realist paintings were obviously realistic; they would almost look like a photograph at first glance. This is very different from the impressionist paintings which were more abstract. Realist and impressionist paintings were also similar because neither style depicted heroes, kings, or theatrical events, however, realist artists chose to focus on the “ordinary” things in life, such as farming, chores, livestock, while impressionist artists tended to focus on not just ordinary, but the beautifully ordinary things in life, such as nature, city skylines, and ordinary people doing leisurely activities. One clear difference between the two styles of painting is the brush stroke method, which is much more subtle in realist paintings than impressionist. Some of the popular realist painters were Courbet, Bonheur, Manet, and Homer.

Claude Monet – Lady with Parasol 1875 Argenteuil

BERTHE MORISOT

Nationality: French

Movement: Impressionism

You may not know her as a well-known artist, but it is quite likely you know her face. Berthe Morisot was the model and muse to Edouard Manet, the famous painter, appearing in some of his best known works, including ‘The Balcony’.

But Morisot was far more than just a model –she established herself as a distinctive and dedicated artist. Her relationship with Edouard Manet was a mutually beneficial one, each providing inspiration for the other’s work. But unlike Manet, Morisot firmly identified herself with the Impressionist movement, exhibiting with them from the very first show at Nadar’s studio on the Boulevard des Capucines in 1874.

She painted what she knew; comfortable domestic scenes, with hints of the restrictive nature of life as a conventional wife and mother. But in marked contrast Manet portrays her as a symbol of the ‘modern woman’, independent and free-spirited, with a touch of the femme-fatale. In this blog I would like to explore these two aspects of Morisot’s life.