Introduction
The series of paintings Rouen Cathedral of 1894, represents impressionism art. What distinguishes Rouen Cathedral paintings is the dense touch of color at different times of the day. Using thick layers of paint and varying aspects of light and shade, Rouen captures the cathedral’s façade at different times (Young, 2019). Therefore, relative to impressionism art, Rouen’s cathedral paintings emphasize the influence of lighting and color intensity on the perception of an object at a given time. Moreover, the brushwork on Cathedral paintings appears rough with broken, brightly colored patterns that are sketchy and loose. Characteristic of impressionism art, cathedral paintings have a high level of dissonance in regard to coloring, lighting, texture, and brushing patterns.
Discussion
The art collection Bar at the Folies-Bergeres by Eduard Manet is a masterpiece that substantially contributed to impressionism. Notably, scenes of urban leisure, spectacle, and moral deterioration are captured at the moment in the painting hence indicating impressionism features. Moreover, the exhibition creates a visual puzzle at first sight due to the varied multicomponent coloring and lighting. Although the components of the painting are indoors, contrary to impressionism, the color patterns and brushstrokes in Manet’s painting offer the bare impression of form, color, and emphasis (Roy, 2022). Ultimately, Bar at the Folies-Bergeres reflects an impressionism style typified by urban scenes, multi-pattern lighting, and coloring.
Contrastingly, the oil painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat, completed on a large canvas between 1884 and 1886, utilizes the post-impressionism style. Seurat’s art depicts people of different ages and color complexions relaxing in the suburban park of La Grande Jatte. However, the color mix in the painting is closely positioned and relative to create an arbitrary pattern and express forms. For instance, the landscape is distinguishable by the green and blue colorations of the grass and water body, respectively. People and pets in the art have an arbitrary color complexity and are seemingly relaxed. Additionally, the real-life subject of relaxing is highlighted by the geometric positioning of the people and the depiction of shadows. Authenticated by applying autocratic coloring and geometric patterns and conveying real-life subjects, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande is a neo-impressionist art.
I would be most interested in contemporary pop art if I were visiting a museum. Developed in the 1950s, pop art is the latest type of painting characterized by recognizable images, bright colors, and intense use of irony and satire. Therefore, I resonate more with pop art than the other types, considering it is the most adjacent to my age group. The glamorous overall appearance of pop art is pleasant and engaging. Pop art is adopting more advanced mechanical techniques, such as silk screening (Kleiner, 2021). To me, utilizing found social or political phenomena and arranging them utilizing appropriation to express satire is contemporary ingenuity in art.
Conclusion
Abstract art is my last choice of art to view primarily due to undefined subjects and concepts. I find abstract art overhyped and thought-provoking due to the lack of subject. Anything without any subject but instead judged on overall outlook is less if not artistic. My natural desire for a clear meaning would render abstract art frustrating and valueless. Additionally, the lack of recognizable objects makes abstract art lack physical reality, making it challenging to distinguish the depth of thought behind it. Without any subject, representational or realistic visual sense, abstract art is overrated.
References
Kleiner, F. P. (2021). Gardner’s art through the ages: The western perspective, volume II (16th ed.). Cengage. ISBN: 9780357370391. Web.
Roy, U. (2022). The impressionist chronotope: Space and time in Katherine Mansfield and Édouard Manet’s art. IIS Univ.J.A., 11(1), 118-128. Web.
Young, M. (2019). Color in the Age of Impressionism: Commerce, technology, and art, by Laura Anne Kalba, University Park: Penn State University Press. Web.