The French artist Gustave Courbet Essay Example for Free

The French artist Gustave Courbet Essay In the late nineteenth century faith in science and technology reflected a growing sense that people could observe the facts of everyday life carefully, understand them, and use the understanding to control the world more successfully than ever before. The artists also closely observed contemporary life in their paintings. During the second half of the century their focus included the methods of science and the realities of urban life. The romanticism of the early-nineteenth-century culture – which had idealized love, religion, and the exotic – gave way to a gritty sense of realism. Realists felt free to look modern life full in the face and both praise its successes and criticize its failings. Innovative painters turned to realistic depictions of life on their canvases. The French artist Gustave Courbet (1819-77) who believed that the artist should â€Å"never permit the sentiment to overthrow logic† led the attack on the romantic art by painting sober senses of urban life and rural labor. Gustave Courbet is today known as a â€Å"realist† for his essentially unsentimental portrayal of life in the mid-nineteenth century. One of the most famous of his early works is his vast A burial at Ornans (fig. 1) of 1849. Its acute description of this simple yet profound ceremony seems to have provoked very specific, sometimes vehement, responses in the years immediately after its unveiling, and as a result the realism was thought to be motivated by little more than socialist concerns. The negative reaction to this subject matter should not come as a surprise, as throughout the history of western art few artists had ever considered the plight and devoting of the peasant as a topic worthy of serious attention – other than for overtly sentimental or moralizing reasons . But it would be misleading to view Courbet as principally a politically motivated painter; instead, his work asserts a very modern notion that an artist is first and foremost a social barometer of the age and context. Courbet’s painting technique is not easy to describe because of its variety and disregard for the academic rules governing composition. He often inserted his figures as if they were removable set pieces. In spite of this ‘collage’ technique, many of his pictures look as if they had been painted at a single sitting because of their unity of color. They were in fact often produced very quickly. Courbet prided himself on being able to paint a picture in two hours as well as produce several versions of equal quality. On the other hand Courbet’s pictures frequently form a closed world: landscapes can give the impression of being locked away, and, though they are at close quarters, people may turn away from the viewer like in The Stone-breakers. Thus a stiff composition is often found in conjunction with a fluid use of color. The special quality of Courbet’s work is really achieved by means of color. Courbet initially imitated 17th-century Dutch and Spanish painters (Rembrandt, Hals, Velazquez, Ribera) from whom he derived the use of black as the starting-point. He employed a dark ground throughout his life, but the treatment of surfaces changed. Courbet resorted more and more to using broad brushes: he rejected detailed academic painting. By working increasingly with a spatula and palette knife he gave color a special, substantial quality, which influenced van Gogh and Cezanne . In 1861 Courbet wrote: â€Å"An epoch can be reproduced only by its own artists. I mean artists who have lived in it. I hold that the artists of the century are fundamentally incompetent to represent the things of a past or future century†¦ It is in this sense that I deny the existence of an historical art applied to the past. † This was, of course, an affront to the academic standards of Neo-Classicism, but it also was an artistic call to arms for expression tied directly to the events, traumas, and psychology of the age – art as a dynamic if sometimes uncertain voice within culture, rather than a decorative or didactic tool. This opinion did not go over very well in critical circles, since most influential writers and â€Å"taste-makers† still viewed art as a tool for moral elevation and profound teaching, and consequently saw everyday events as simplistic and unworthy subject matter. As a result, Burial at Ornans was rejected at the Universal Exposition of 1855 . Courbet responded by setting up his own show in a tent next to the official exhibition. In the process, the always flamboyant Courbet sealed his reputation as a master of self-promotion, again a posture considered unworthy of an artist in earlier times, and a politically astute artist. Some critics assert that a dramatically different view of art can alter the way in which the artist, and thus the viewer, comes to appreciate an artwork’s meaning . It is known that there is an important reciprocal relationship between contemporary ideas in other fields of human inquiry and those in the visual arts. If one attentively considers Courbet’s The stone Breakers (fig. 2) of 1849 one can understand that the relationship between form and content is no less important to Courbet, but his choice of conventions to accentuate his message is telling. Though Courbet understood and even utilized a number of traditional compositional devices in his execution of work, the seemingly natural gestures of the figures give the impression of an authentic and perhaps more â€Å"natural† space. Rather than developing an architectural framework or other mathematically derived pictorial structure, Courbet’s painting enables the viewer to enter into the scene with few external or otherwise presumed considerations other that the labors of the two man. As a result, one’s concentration is thrust upon these two solitary figures and their brute activity; if there is any heroism present, it must rest with the travails of the workers, and the elevation of the here and now. The two men’s tattered clothing and averted faces make them seem anonymous and therefore representative of many other workers. While there is dignity in their work, Courbet does not glorify either the stonebreakers or nature. The scene, like the men’s lives, is harsh. Painted only a year after the 1848 revolt in France, it speaks of an art for the masses and a creative process intimately linked to the stresses of the street. This is what â€Å"realism† meant to Courbet. Courbet like other realistic artists depicted everyday life on large canvases, and thereby earned the wrath of those artists and critics who believed that only paintings of historical, mythological religious or exotic scenes should be considered great art. Figure 1 Courbet, Gustave A Burial at Ornans 1849-1850 Oil on canvas 10 3 1/2 x 21 9 (314 x 663 cm) Musee dOrsay, Paris Figure 2 Courbet, Gustave The Stone Breakers 1849 Oil on canvas 10 3 x 8 6 (160 x 259 cm) Formerly Gemaeldegalerie, Dresden (Destroyed 1945) Bibliography Berger, K. â€Å"Courbet in his Century†, Gazette des Beaux-Arts, II (1943): pp. 19–40 Joseph C. Sloane â€Å"The Tradition of Figure Painting and Concepts of Modern Art in France from 1845 to 1870† The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Sep. , 1948), pp. 1-29 Novotny, Fritz. Painting and Sculpture in Europe, 1780 to 1880. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1960. Schapiro M. â€Å"Courbet and Popular Imagery. An Essay on Realism and Naivete†, Journal of the Warburg Courtauld Institutes, IV (1941): pp. 164–91 Weir, David. Anarchy Culture: The Aesthetic Politics of Modernism. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 1997.

Pablo Neruda Essay -- Poet Poetry

"The ‘Fickle’ One"? On his birthday in July of 1954, Pablo Neruda confessed to the University of Chile that "it is worthwhile to have struggled and sung, it is worthwhile to have lived because I have loved" (Neruda 331). In nearly all of his works, Neruda attests to the simplicity, valor, and importance of love, whether for country, "common things," or another human being. Throughout South America, he was known as "un poeta del pueblo," a poet of the people, and his talent for composing such passionate verses propelled him to Nobel Laureate status. In a collection published in 1972, he exemplifies his mastery of language by entwining his own passionate love life with an admiration for nature, producing realistic, yet mystical expressions of devotion. In "The Fickle One," the author creates a paradox confirming that the persona’s sincere affection transcends the physical attraction and lust by which he initially appears imprisoned. Furthermore, Neruda presents an opposition by dividing the poem in to parallel halves, demanding that even the receptive reader peruse the poem more than once to discern the genuine meaning of the experience that the text conveys. Neruda, with much attention to detail and manipulation of language, demonstrates the persona’s inability to control his human, sexual nature, causing the reader to disapprove of him. By stating, "My eyes went away from me," he conjures a persona with eyes that are disconnected from the rest of his body, as though they are a separate entity, acting against the will of the brain, bones, and heart. Seemingly, he desires all the females that pass by him. He gazes longingly at each woman while absorbing all their physical details, corroborating the notion that the only qualitie... ...eruda accentuates the persona’s eternal faithfulness to the third female. The persona, though he may be fickle in his thoughts and cravings, is steadfast in this fidelity. In fact, the persona’s unflinching integrity lends irony to the title of the poem. His flaws are those of the common man, yet he proves the maturity of his affection by honestly admitting his shortcomings. His true love is the paramount interest in his life, and it is through the characterization of the persona in "The Fickle One" that Neruda demonstrates that the struggle that is love makes life worthwhile. Works Cited Neruda, Pablo. "The Fickle One." Discovering Literature: Stories, Poems, and Plays. 2nd edition. Eds. Hans P. Guth and Gabriele L. Rico. Upper Saddle River: Blair Press, 1997. 735-6. Neruda, Pablo. Passions and Impressions. New York: Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux, 1984.

A Comparison and Contrast Discussion between the Reading

Women are viewed differently by men in the society today. There are certainly those who are able to view women as delicate vases while there are those who simply see them as material slaves who are supposed to serve and not be served in return, these differentiating view of women has been the focal point of the presentation of the major issues with regards women attention and treatment as per shown through the readings prepared by Kincaid and Wright.Comparison and Contrast  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Starting off with Kincaid’s â€Å"Girl†, she pointed out how particular cultures treat women as mere slaves. Someone who needs to be instructed on how to do things as they are actually expected to accomplish such duties for those whom they are supposed to serve [including their husbands and their families]. It seems like as if, it is through the accomplishment of these duties that they are given the rightful respect that they are due in the house and within the community that they are living in.Everything a girl is for is for the sake of her family and the ones she loves. At some point, some women today are living in this particular trend of treatment as received from their mates as well as from their families. Sadly though, only a few are able to realize that women ought to have their own voices, able to do what they really want to do for the sake of personal growth while accomplishing the tasks that they are expected to complete.Furthermore, no matter what tradition suggests, women are supposed to be viewed as complementary individuals for the success that men are particularly aiming for and not simply the slave driven to follow rules and instructions for better service to the people that they ought to love as women.For this reason, the selection â€Å"Flight† by Wright shows a different version of women treatment that is quite more pleasing than the previous explanation. In this selection, the author points out that he is in dire need of his mate that h e has made her the source of his life. He actually noted that he longed for her companionship and would thus trade anything else just to have her back beside him to share with him the life that they both planned to enjoy back then.Sadly though, there are only a few kinds of men today who would really see women in this manner. However, with the existence of true love and respect, the situation becomes much bearable to deal with.True, women are individuals wanting and needing of attention and respect. They are well aware that they are rather expected to complete different tasks in the house for their mates and their families as well.However, this is not an indication that they are then supposed to carry the burden of being disrespected although they are already doing the best of their efforts to complete their responsibilities as women of their families and their societies as well.It is never easy being a woman. Especially during this era of modernization, everything with regards the role of woman in the society and the family has already changed. It seems as if the responsibilities have changed.Moreover, the situation has already been rearranged by the fact that women now are not only expected to stay at home and do the chores, instead, they are now expected to become highly competitive as they are also expected to work long hours for money for the sake of their families. Imagine the huge amount of responsibilities that women particularly need to carry upon their shoulders, yet they continue to endure the hard times of life as it faces them.Overall Reaction to the ReadingsIf observed closely, the writings of Wright and Kincaid actually pertain to a gradual pattern of realization. Kincaid simply places an emphasis on how women are trained to be accustomed to the responsibilities that they are to face as they grow towards maturity while the writings of Wright uses the situation to be the basis of the thought of actually finding the right reasons to support a woma n and be her strength as a major source of inspiration for her to have the capability of completing her tasks well.ConclusionUnderstandably, the matter depends on the society’s realization of how women actually contributes to the progress of the society as a mother, as a wife, a friend and a worker. Recognizing the importance of women’s existence in this manner would indeed empower the people in becoming more respective and fine-mannered towards the treatment that they imply to the women in their own communities.Source:Jamaica Kincaid. â€Å"Girl†. http://www.turksheadreview.com/library/texts/kincaid-girl.html. (January 28, 2008).Franz Wright – Flight. http://pantasyangbayan.blogspot.com/2007/01/franz-wright-flight.html. (January 28, 2008).

Jean Toomer- An African American Writer - 1188 Words

Jean Toomer was an African American writer. He was known as the leading American writer of the 1920s after he established his book Cane which inspired authors of the Harlem Renaissance. Jean Toomer was born on December 26, 1894 as Nathan Pinchback Toomer. His mother was the governor of Louisiana during Reconstruction and the first U.S. governor of African American descent (Jones 1). In 1985, Toomers father abandoned him and his mother. He forced them to live with his mother cruel father in Washington. P.B.S. Pinchback made a deal to support them only if they changed Toomers name to Eugene Pinchback. Toomer later shortened Eugene to Jean. Toomer appreciated all the major American poets as part of his self-directed education. He was†¦show more content†¦Toomer’s poems enhanced the moods of wistful and mournful pastoralism that pervades the book. His poems provide transitioning from one narrative to another, incorporating myths and symbols. Toomer is a controversial literary and cultural figure who gets criticized by people for rejecting his race. He is praised by others for the confines of rigid ethnic distinctions. Toomer’s rejection of race drew sharp criticism from many people, especially from members of the African American community. They found him being self- loathing rather than racial unification (Claypool 2). Toomer has been criticized for failing to write about the experience after Cane. Many people said he denied his African American heritage out of shame and cowardice (Claypool 4). Many critics have credited his work with ushering in the Harlem Renaissance noting the book’s representations of African American characters and culture. Others have located it within the lost generation owing to its literary experimentation, romantic primitivism, and its critiques of postwar values (Jones 3). The analysis of Cane contains Toomer denying his racial heritage. This book also contains the extracts from most of the important early Cane criticism (Golding 3). As an idealist philosopher, he valued the power of the mind and the imagination of physical reality (Claypool 3). In the summer of 1924 he spent time at Gurdjieffs schools. He became a disciple and led Gurdjieff groups in NewShow MoreRelatedAn Analysis Of Jean Toomer s Georgia Dusk 1849 Words   |  8 PagesStruggle to Rise in Jean Toomer’s â€Å"Georgia Dusk† People struggle with the concept of identity who you are? What do you do? What makes you this way? Why did you chose to be like this? Did you choose to be like this or did somebody choose for you? Why do you do what you do? Is it because of where you grew up or how you were raised? These questions will be asked all throughout your life as you struggle to grasp the concept of identity. Jean Toomer struggled with his identity. 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