ARTAPP NOTES ‘
MANNERISM
- Also known as Late Renaissance, Mannerism comes from the Italian word “maniera” which
means “stylishness.” This art movement which originated from Florence, Italy refers to a
stylized, exaggerated approach in painting and sculpture. Mannerist artist stressed the
individual way of painting, the personal vision and pictorial understanding of things (how one
perceives something, which may be different from one another), which is a concept of
individualism. Mannerist artists were followers of Renaissance masters but set their own goals,
created their style, and turned against traditional conventions—breaking the “elitist” form of
art.
- Subjects were portrayed artificial and less naturalistic because Mannerists put high value on the
portrayal of human body that are gracefully, yet oddly positioned. Elongated limbs and stylized
facial features were common motifs, and unlike the preciseness of play between shadow and
light of the Renaissance artforms, Mannerist art tends to look flat in perspective.
BAROQUE
- Baroque comes from the Portuguese word “barocco” which means “irregular pearl or stone.”
The theme of its paintings and sculptures are still religious, however, more of the elements of
the Catholic dogma.
- Baroque art is characterized by drama, movement, energy, and restlessness. A new technique,
chiaroscuro, was developed in this period. This technique is achieved by contrasting light and
shade in painting and management of shadow to create an illusion of depth. The paintings are
open composition, meaning the lines, shapes and elements make the image dynamic as if it was
moving and suddenly frozen. There is this sense of movement in the picture—the eyes of the
viewer move from one area of the painting to another. Painters portray strong movement using
spirals and upward diagonals, and strong color schemes to dazzle and surprise the audience.
- When it comes to architecture, Baroque buildings are highly ornamented which create spectacle
and illusion. Churches, mainly, were adorned with statues to accentuate their glory. Domes and
roofs were enlarged. With music, Baroque is one of the richest and most diverse periods in
music history. The different forms of Baroque music are cantata, concerto, sonata, oratorio, and
opera which all originated from Italy.
ROCOCO
- Rococo is a continuation of the Baroque but in a lighter, more graceful tone and has a more
decorative effect. Rococo comes from the word rocaille meaning “shell.” Artists would mix
seashells, pebbles, and other organic elements to create a naturalistic inspired work. Rococo art
is French style distinguished because of its elaborately designed artworks that aimed to please
rather than to instruct. The paintings were detail-oriented, ornate, and elaborately decorative
and in pastel tone. Jean Antoine Watteau is considered the father of Rococo Art. Its subject is
aristocratic; people are depicted socializing in pastoral landscapes. Other artists, however, like
Francois Boucher is famous for his erotic imagery.
- Rococo architecture has no particular meaning. It is mainly a style of ornament and interior
design. Painted ornaments decorate the interior. Color harmonies based on gold, white, pink,
blue, green, and white are used to generate sunny, light-hearted feeling. The salon, a room for
entertaining guests, was a major innovation in architecture. The furniture and architecture are
focused on secular, asymmetrical designs and maintained the decorative style of the Baroque.
ROMANTISM
- The Romantic Movement came about because of the renewed interest in Medieval stories of
heroism and emotion. It originated in Europe in 18th century as a rebellion against the
, restrictions for painting, sculpture, and architecture; thus, independent artists reacted to it and
created the Romantic Movement.
- Romantic art stressed the individuality and creativity of the artist. The artists are free to express
his/her view of the world in whatever medium or technique s/he is comfortable with. Romantics
valued originality, inspiration, and imagination to promote a variety of style in their artworks—
this view on art is still applied right now. Romantic artists emphasized that sense and emotion,
as well as reason, were equally important in understanding the world.
- Romantic painters favored coloristic and painterly techniques over the linear, cool tone of the
neoclassical style. The common Romantic subjects are nature, the past, and the inner world of
human nature. Artists see it as continually changing and developing. Artists connected nature
with human imagination. Another Romantic subject is the incidents from history. The inner
world of man is also a favorite subject of Romantic artists. They are interested in the depths of
human nature, and they believe that this inner world is not ruled by reason.
- Romantic architecture draws inspiration and is influenced by Greek, Gothic, Renaissance and
Baroque. Different elements are lifted from any source. A famous Romantic architecture is the
Paris Opera, made by Charles Garnier. Like other Romantic artforms, the sculptures are also
inspired by ancient Greek, Medieval times, and Michelangelo. The statue of Liberty by Auguste
Bartholdi is an example of a Romantic sculpture.
IMPRESIONISM
- The movement of impressionism was inspired by Monet‟ s painting “Impression Sunrise.” It
developed in France in the 19th century as a rebellion against conventional and academic
standards. Just like Mannerists, impressionist art is characterized using vibrant and fresh colors
and favors spontaneity. Artist paint more outdoor scenes to capture the natural color and light.
They are concerned with the effect of light on objects because they see the light as an important
element that affects the richness and dullness or the darkness and lightness of colors. How it is
captured is a key to the impressionists‟ work. Artists tend to work quickly to capture what they
see in the moment so they go away from precise details of lines, rather use brush strokes that
favor the quickest way to create impressions of objects when painting is seen from afar.
- A common subject of impressionist art is outdoor scenes, nature, and contemporary everyday
life. The pioneering impressionist artists include Claude Monet (father of Impressionism),
Eduardo Manet, August Renoir, and Edgar Degas. Later in the century, a new movement
emerged. Post-impressionism is an extension and rejection of Impressionists‟ limitations. Post-
impressionists portray more realistic subjects but gave more importance to geometrical forms to
express inner vision. Pointillism, which makes use of tiny dots of color, was developed, this is
pioneered by George Seurat. Other impressionist artists include Paul Cezanne, Gauguin, and
Vincent van Gogh.
ART NOUVEAU
- Art Nouveau, though very prominent in architecture, pervaded all arts. It includes great variety
of fine and decorative arts, like painting, graphic art, interior design, jewelry and furniture,
textiles, ceramics, glass art and metal work. Despite of its translation “new art,” its style was
already in circulation a decade before it gained a specific recognition when in the mid-1890‟ s
Siegfred Bing, a German-born art dealer, critic and entrepreneur established a store and
showroom called “La Maison del Art Nouveau” (The House of New Art).
- Although Art Nouveau suggests that this type is entirely new and unprecedented, the style has
several sources. First, its early proponents found were inspired by natural forms for their
complexity and irregularity—particularly curved lines of plants and flowers. In a nutshell, Art
Nouveau is an intricately designed art. The artist would take a lot of time to perfect very minute
details to impress the audience with its precise details.
CONSTRUCTIVISM
MANNERISM
- Also known as Late Renaissance, Mannerism comes from the Italian word “maniera” which
means “stylishness.” This art movement which originated from Florence, Italy refers to a
stylized, exaggerated approach in painting and sculpture. Mannerist artist stressed the
individual way of painting, the personal vision and pictorial understanding of things (how one
perceives something, which may be different from one another), which is a concept of
individualism. Mannerist artists were followers of Renaissance masters but set their own goals,
created their style, and turned against traditional conventions—breaking the “elitist” form of
art.
- Subjects were portrayed artificial and less naturalistic because Mannerists put high value on the
portrayal of human body that are gracefully, yet oddly positioned. Elongated limbs and stylized
facial features were common motifs, and unlike the preciseness of play between shadow and
light of the Renaissance artforms, Mannerist art tends to look flat in perspective.
BAROQUE
- Baroque comes from the Portuguese word “barocco” which means “irregular pearl or stone.”
The theme of its paintings and sculptures are still religious, however, more of the elements of
the Catholic dogma.
- Baroque art is characterized by drama, movement, energy, and restlessness. A new technique,
chiaroscuro, was developed in this period. This technique is achieved by contrasting light and
shade in painting and management of shadow to create an illusion of depth. The paintings are
open composition, meaning the lines, shapes and elements make the image dynamic as if it was
moving and suddenly frozen. There is this sense of movement in the picture—the eyes of the
viewer move from one area of the painting to another. Painters portray strong movement using
spirals and upward diagonals, and strong color schemes to dazzle and surprise the audience.
- When it comes to architecture, Baroque buildings are highly ornamented which create spectacle
and illusion. Churches, mainly, were adorned with statues to accentuate their glory. Domes and
roofs were enlarged. With music, Baroque is one of the richest and most diverse periods in
music history. The different forms of Baroque music are cantata, concerto, sonata, oratorio, and
opera which all originated from Italy.
ROCOCO
- Rococo is a continuation of the Baroque but in a lighter, more graceful tone and has a more
decorative effect. Rococo comes from the word rocaille meaning “shell.” Artists would mix
seashells, pebbles, and other organic elements to create a naturalistic inspired work. Rococo art
is French style distinguished because of its elaborately designed artworks that aimed to please
rather than to instruct. The paintings were detail-oriented, ornate, and elaborately decorative
and in pastel tone. Jean Antoine Watteau is considered the father of Rococo Art. Its subject is
aristocratic; people are depicted socializing in pastoral landscapes. Other artists, however, like
Francois Boucher is famous for his erotic imagery.
- Rococo architecture has no particular meaning. It is mainly a style of ornament and interior
design. Painted ornaments decorate the interior. Color harmonies based on gold, white, pink,
blue, green, and white are used to generate sunny, light-hearted feeling. The salon, a room for
entertaining guests, was a major innovation in architecture. The furniture and architecture are
focused on secular, asymmetrical designs and maintained the decorative style of the Baroque.
ROMANTISM
- The Romantic Movement came about because of the renewed interest in Medieval stories of
heroism and emotion. It originated in Europe in 18th century as a rebellion against the
, restrictions for painting, sculpture, and architecture; thus, independent artists reacted to it and
created the Romantic Movement.
- Romantic art stressed the individuality and creativity of the artist. The artists are free to express
his/her view of the world in whatever medium or technique s/he is comfortable with. Romantics
valued originality, inspiration, and imagination to promote a variety of style in their artworks—
this view on art is still applied right now. Romantic artists emphasized that sense and emotion,
as well as reason, were equally important in understanding the world.
- Romantic painters favored coloristic and painterly techniques over the linear, cool tone of the
neoclassical style. The common Romantic subjects are nature, the past, and the inner world of
human nature. Artists see it as continually changing and developing. Artists connected nature
with human imagination. Another Romantic subject is the incidents from history. The inner
world of man is also a favorite subject of Romantic artists. They are interested in the depths of
human nature, and they believe that this inner world is not ruled by reason.
- Romantic architecture draws inspiration and is influenced by Greek, Gothic, Renaissance and
Baroque. Different elements are lifted from any source. A famous Romantic architecture is the
Paris Opera, made by Charles Garnier. Like other Romantic artforms, the sculptures are also
inspired by ancient Greek, Medieval times, and Michelangelo. The statue of Liberty by Auguste
Bartholdi is an example of a Romantic sculpture.
IMPRESIONISM
- The movement of impressionism was inspired by Monet‟ s painting “Impression Sunrise.” It
developed in France in the 19th century as a rebellion against conventional and academic
standards. Just like Mannerists, impressionist art is characterized using vibrant and fresh colors
and favors spontaneity. Artist paint more outdoor scenes to capture the natural color and light.
They are concerned with the effect of light on objects because they see the light as an important
element that affects the richness and dullness or the darkness and lightness of colors. How it is
captured is a key to the impressionists‟ work. Artists tend to work quickly to capture what they
see in the moment so they go away from precise details of lines, rather use brush strokes that
favor the quickest way to create impressions of objects when painting is seen from afar.
- A common subject of impressionist art is outdoor scenes, nature, and contemporary everyday
life. The pioneering impressionist artists include Claude Monet (father of Impressionism),
Eduardo Manet, August Renoir, and Edgar Degas. Later in the century, a new movement
emerged. Post-impressionism is an extension and rejection of Impressionists‟ limitations. Post-
impressionists portray more realistic subjects but gave more importance to geometrical forms to
express inner vision. Pointillism, which makes use of tiny dots of color, was developed, this is
pioneered by George Seurat. Other impressionist artists include Paul Cezanne, Gauguin, and
Vincent van Gogh.
ART NOUVEAU
- Art Nouveau, though very prominent in architecture, pervaded all arts. It includes great variety
of fine and decorative arts, like painting, graphic art, interior design, jewelry and furniture,
textiles, ceramics, glass art and metal work. Despite of its translation “new art,” its style was
already in circulation a decade before it gained a specific recognition when in the mid-1890‟ s
Siegfred Bing, a German-born art dealer, critic and entrepreneur established a store and
showroom called “La Maison del Art Nouveau” (The House of New Art).
- Although Art Nouveau suggests that this type is entirely new and unprecedented, the style has
several sources. First, its early proponents found were inspired by natural forms for their
complexity and irregularity—particularly curved lines of plants and flowers. In a nutshell, Art
Nouveau is an intricately designed art. The artist would take a lot of time to perfect very minute
details to impress the audience with its precise details.
CONSTRUCTIVISM
