Modern Art, Day 9February 11th, 2013

Romanticism, Part 4: Landscape

Caspar David Friedrich, “Monk by the Sea,” 1809-10 typifies protestant aesthetic in painting: man is very subordinate to

and humbled by nature artist believed that the real source of art came from within one’s art

Friedrich, “Arctic Shipwreck,” 1824

Turner, “Junction of the Thames and the Medway,” 1805-8

Turner, “Dido Building Carthage,” 1815 pessimism about the development of civilization

Turner, “Burning of the Houses of Parliament,” 1835 very descriptive of the architecture, but very painterly rendering of the

fire

Turner, “The Slave Ship,” 1840 Crew killed 40 of the slaves in order to be able to claim insurance

money

An actual shipwreck didn’t occur but the scene is still drenched with chaos

Constable, “Hay Wain,” exh.1821 “Painting is a form of feeling” although there is more attention to detail than in Turner or Delacroix’s

works, there is still emotion involved and no didacticism for Constable, the way to elevate the landscape to the importance of

history painting was to make numerous studies at the actual site of the landscape and work arduously at it in the studio

human figures are in harmony with nature, working with it to make a living—romanticized view of nature

o interesting because at this time in history Napoleon reserved more land for farming, something that Constable’s mill-owning family benefitted from

o after the Napoleonic wars there was an agricultural depression that upset the balance for people living in the country

Thomas Cole, “The Oxbow,” 1836

landscape was a distinctive feature of the U.S., and at the time the U.S. seemed to have endless land—this perspective is reflective of the European settlers, not the Native Americans

European settlers were amazed at all the untilled land and undeveloped rivers

founder of Hudson River School a broken tree struck by lightning was a popular motif in this kind of

painting artist can be seen in lower middle: a kind of autobiographical

statement of the artist interpreting nature—nostalgic, sad view of nature being transformed by human activity

artist

Frederic Church, “Niagara Falls,” 1857 American natural wonders such as this serve as our version of the

great Ancient Greek temples water is transparent, so you can see the rocks in it viewers were invited to bring binoculars to the exhibition of this show

to see the details

Church, “Heart of the Andes,” 1859 composite view of what Church actually saw in South America

little detail in the painting shows a cross with people worshipping, suggesting religion has a place in the world and is part of our experience with nature

Albert Bierstadt, “Rocky Mountains, Lander’s Peak,”1863

Timothy O’Sullivan, “Ancient Ruins in the Canyon de Chelle,” 1873 extremely difficult to make these photographs at this time