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Modern Art, Day 171 March 2013
Moreau, Redon, Gauguin
Gustave Moreau, “Oedipus and the Sphinx,” 1865
Symbolist; deals with broad big questions of human existence and the meaning of life
unlike version that Ingres made of the same subject, the man isn’t center stage in the painting; the sphinx takes up a lot more of a starring role
Moreau, “Thracian Girl Carrying the Head of Orpheus,” 1865
femme fatale narrative here; women who are alluring but also destructive (they killed Orpheus)
Moreau, “The Apparition,” 1874 in the Musée Gustave Moreau in
Paris—Moreau’s house decadence became a symbol for
symbolism at the time sense of fin de siècle at the time;
there was a sense of depression going on at the end of the century so some people tried to live in excess before the “party” ended
“J’ai Baise ta Bouche, Lokamaan,” c. 1893
story of Salome; French translates into “I’ve kissed your mouth”
coiling hair can symbolize how things can overtake the weary
Gustav Klimt, “Judith and Holofernes,” 1901
Judith is recast as a seductress
Odilon Redon, “Orpheus,” after 1903
made in a very fragile medium; in person it appears as if you could blow on it and it would completely dissipate
works asks the big questions, but are also uncertain that they’ll find the answer
Paul Gauguin, “Portrait as Jean ValJean, ‘Les Miserables,’” 1888 distorts his features “To my friend van Gogh” is written on it becomes anti-naturalist over time; thought art should not just focus on depicting
subjects but discovering inner reality explicitly wanted to exaggerate the colors seen in nature to get deeper meaning
Emile Bernard, “Breton Women in Green Meadow,” 1888
same color blocks as Gauguin, but more of a focus on society than Gauguin
Gauguin, “Jacob Wrestling with the Angel/The Vision after the Sermon,” 1888 artist saw people as “primitive”
Gauguin, “We Greet Thee, Mary/Ia Orana Maria,” 1891
Native version of Mary carrying the Christ child
sarongs that the women wear are imported textiles from Europe
at this point Tahiti was heavily Christianized
quotes a temple relief from Borobudur (Java) that was exhibited at the recent World’s Fair
it is Gauguin’s labeling of the culture as primitive, they aren’t actually primitive—European elitism
tourist view of French colony
Gauguin, “The Spirit of the Dead Watching/Manao Tupapau,” 1892
Gauguin, “Whence do we Come Who are We, Where are we Going?/D’ou venons-nous, que sommes-nous, ou allons-nous?,” 1897-8