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Free Galleries and Museums

Year 3

Independent Study. Term I

Module 2. Art

I. Reading

IMPRESSIONISM

Photography in the nineteenth century both challenged painters to be true to nature and encouraged them to exploit aspects of the painting medium, like colour, that photography lacked. This divergence away from photographic realism appears in the work of a group of artists who from 1874 to 1886 exhibited together, independently of the Salon. The name of the movement is derived from the title of a Claude Monet work, Impression, Sunrise, which provoked the critic Louis Leroy to coin the term in a satiric review published in Le Charivari.

Many Impressionists painted pleasant scenes of middle class urban life, extolling the leisure time that the industrial revolution had won for middle class society. In Renoir's luminous painting Luncheon of the Boating Party, for example, young men and women eat, drink, talk, and flirt with a joy for life that is reflected in sparkling colours. The sun filtered through the orange striped awning colours everything and everyone in the party with its warm light. The diners' glances cut across a balanced and integrated composition that reproduces a very delightful scene of modern middle class life.

Since they were realists, followers of Courbet and Manet, the Impressionists set out to be "true to nature," a phrase that became their rallying cry. When Renoir and Monet went out into the countryside in search of subjects to paint, they carried their oil colours, canvas, and brushes with them so that they could stand right on the spot and record what they saw at that time.

Radicals in their time, early Impressionists broke the rules of academic painting. They began by giving colours, freely brushed, primacy over line, drawing inspiration from the work of painters such as Eugène Delacroix. They also took the act of painting out of the studio and into the modern world.

The more an Impressionist like Monet looked, the more she or he saw. Sometimes Monet came back to the same spot at different times of day or at a different time of year to paint the same scene. In 1892 he rented a room opposite the Cathedral of Rouen in order to paint its facade over and over again. He never copied himself because the light and colour always changed with the passage of time, and the variations made each painting a new creation.

Realism meant to an Impressionist that the painter ought to record the most subtle sensations of reflected light. In capturing a specific kind of light, this style conveys the notion of a specific and fleeting moment of time. Impressionist painters like Monet and Renoir recorded each sensation of light with a touch of paint in a little stroke like a comma. The public back then was upset that Impressionist paintings looked like a sketch and did not have the polish and finish that more fashionable paintings had. But applying the paint in tiny strokes allowed Monet, Renoir, or Cassatt to display colour sensations openly, to keep the colours unmixed and intense, and to let the viewer's eye mix the colours. The bright colours and the active participation of the viewer approximated the experience of the scintillation of natural sunlight.



The Impressionists remained realists in the sense that they remained true to their sensations of the object, although they ignored many of the old conventions for representing the object "out there." But truthfulness for the Impressionists lay in their personal and subjective sensations not in the "exact" reproduction of an object for its own sake. The objectivity of things existing outside and beyond the artist no longer mattered as much as it once did.

 

Decide if these statements are true or false.

1. The rise of the Impressionist movement can be seen in part as a reaction by artists to the newly established medium of photography.

2. Initially Impressionism was a derogatory term.

3. The Impressionist paintings are often genre scenes.

4. In Renoir's famous painting Luncheon of the Boating Party dull colours predominate.

5. The Impressionist painters preferred to paint from memory.

6. Monet often painted the same scene for several times in order to improve the original picture.

7. The Impressionists were animated by the will to break with the official art.

8. Most Impressionists used short brushstrokes of pure and unmixed colour.

9. With Impressionism, the meaning of realism was transformed into subjective realism.

10. The Impressionists were fascinated by the changing effects of light on landscapes.

 

 

II. Reading

Amateur Artists

Many famous people have painted as a way to relax from the stresses of their 'day job'. We spoke to four such celebrities, all keen amateur artists who showed their paintings at the “Society of Amateur Artists” (SAA) exhibition earlier this year.

 

A JAN LEEMING, TV PRESENTER

Jan started painting just four years ago. I wanted to do something creative in my spare time. So a friend and I enrolled on a local adult education course and before long I was completely hooked! I go to classes regularly. As I rarely have time to paint at home,' Jan explains. 'The only thing that would make me miss a class is work."

'Even if you're a beginner, I'd recommend that you use the best materials you can afford. I started off using a box of student-quality watercolours and cheap paper, but once I started to use artist-quality paints and good paper, my work improved dramatically. It doesn't have to cost a fortune; I get six paintings out of one sheet of heavy watercolour paper, and can manage with just five colours in my paint box – the fewer the better, as it makes you learn to mix colours for yourself.'

 

B VERA LYNN, SINGER

Vera loved painting as a child. 'I used to steal my father's house paints and, since his favourite colour was green, my pictures used mostly greens!' she remembers.

'I dabbled with painting for a long time, but only had time to start seriously a couple of years ago. I discovered a local art class and when I saw some of the tutor’s work I thought. Ooh. I'd love to paint like that.'

'I have always loved flowers, and they feature in most of my paintings. I enjoyed painting the magnolia I showed at the SAA exhibition because I liked doing the purple streaks in the petals."

'Nowadays I often get so involved in painting that my husband says 'Are we going to eat today?' Painting takes my mind off other things. And it's a complete contrast with my working life. If I mess it up, it doesn't matter, because I don't have a reputation to keep up.'

 

C ARTHUR ENGLISH, COMEDIAN

Arthur said, "I've been interested in art all my life, but it was only when I was ill 15 years ago that I discovered that I could really lose myself in painting. It helped me a lot. I started off painting in oils, but was always too impatient and couldn't wait for the paint to dry. So I tried acrylics, which were much better as they dry quickly."

'My picture for the SAA exhibition was of ships, and I had great fun experimenting with the colour in the sea and capturing the movement of the waves and the ships.'

"Painting gives me a great sense of achievement. I'm amazed at the way my pictures turn out sometimes, and when a painting's finished, it's there to enjoy."

 

D RICHARD O'BRIEN, ACTOR

Richard has loved painting since he was a boy. 'I got very interested in painting when I was at high school. If I had the chance, I'd give up work and just paint. My wife says, 'Well, why don't you?" But two of my children are still young so I have to earn a living for another 20 years."

'Making time to paint is the biggest problem. But whenever I go to an art exhibition I get so inspired that I rush home and get out my brushes!"

'The clown picture which was shown at the SAA exhibition was drawn with my little daughter's coloured pencils. You can express yourself just as well with crayons as with oil paints.'

 

Which of the people A–D state the following?

 

1. It’s not necessary to spend a lot of money to take up painting.

2. My paintings aren’t always as I’d expected them to be.

3. I neglect other things when I’m painting.

4. The equipment you use affects the standard of your painting.

5. I don’t mind if I do a painting that isn’t very good.

6. I would like to paint full-time.

7. My paintings generally have the same subject matter.

8. I didn’t enjoy a certain type of painting.

9. After taking up painting, I quickly became very keen on it.

10. It’s a good idea to limit the number of colours to buy.

 

III. Reading

Free Galleries and Museums

Since 2001, many UK galleries have become largely free of charge, with a fee only for their newest shows. This is part of an ongoing move to make art accessible to all and not just a well-heeled, highly educated elite. Many galleries run education programmes for schools and their local community, so that people are actively encouraged into cultural spaces. The result has been millions more attendees in the past few years.

So, where can you go?

There are hundreds of museums in the UK. Here we pick out just a few, and show the wide variety of buildings that have become arts spaces in the past few years. Just as former warehouses have turned into stylish loft apartments in many cities across the UK, so many buildings with quite different original uses have been reappropriated as galleries. Often this is linked with regeneration, as cities find new ways of thriving despite the end of the heavy industries like manufacture and shipping.

Regenerated Tate

The Tate Gallery has branches in Liverpool, St. Ives, London Millbank (for UK art, including very recent work) and Tate Modern in an ex-power station on the South Bank (for international modern art). The Liverpool gallery is part of the Albert Dock, which first opened in 1846 and used to store tea, silk and spirits from the Far East. But by 1972 the buildings, already half derelict, were closed. In 1981 the Toxteth riots showed the urgency of regeneration in Liverpool, and as part of that work Tate Liverpool was planned. The gallery was opened in the early 90's, but not finally completed until 1998. The Gallery shows a wide mixture of modern and contemporary art, including photography, printmaking, video, performance and installation as well as painting and sculpture. It covers foreign as well as UK art and has worked with galleries across the world.

Startling asymmetry

In Manchester, another former docksite, Salford Quays, has been transformed into a cultural space. The Lowry Gallery is a brand new 21st century building, a startling asymmetrical shape on the skyline, that houses a theatre as well as gallery space. Sculptures of stacks of boxes, and enormous anchor chains casually scatter the path towards the Gallery, haunting the area with its industrial past.

Old and new

In London free galleries include the Serpentine Gallery in a small pavilion-like building in the middle of Hyde Park, specializing in recent work. The Geffrye Museum resides in a former almshouse in East London. It exhibits interior design and marries old and new. The visitor goes through a series of rooms showing fashionable sitting rooms through the centuries from the 16th to the 20th century. You can also see them online. Over Christmas, each of the rooms is decorated as it would have been for Christmas in that century. The Geffrye also has changing exhibitions of recent work, and is involved in community education work. The larger and more famous Victoria & Albert museum also has a mixture of old and new design.

These are just the tip of the iceberg – you can find out about over 3,000 museums and galleries on the 24 hour museum site which showcases the best museums from around the UK.

Decide whether the following statements are true or false.

1. Galleries in the UK have always been free.

2. All shows in all galleries are always free.

3. Not many more people go to galleries now they are free.

4. Lots of galleries are in old buildings which have been converted.

5. Tate Liverpool was once a warehouse on the docks.

6. Tate Liverpool has no connection with Tate Modern in London.

7. The Lowry in Manchester was also a warehouse.

8. The Lowry has a theatre as well as a gallery.

9. The Serpentine Gallery is in the middle of Regents Park.

10. In the Geffrye Museum you can see how it was to live in the past.

 

IV. Vocabulary

Match the following words and word combinations with appropriate explanations.

1. pastel a) a paint which is mixed with water and used to create pictures, or a picture which has been done with this type of paint
2. crayon b) a black substance made of burned wood that can be used as fuel or, in the form of sticks, as something to draw with
3. ink c) a colouring material which can be powdery or slightly shiny and is usually in the shape of a small stick, or a picture made by using this
4. shade d) a coloured liquid that you use for writing, printing or drawing
5. charcoal e) a stick of coloured wax or chalk that children use to draw pictures
6. watercolour f) a type of painting or drawing of an arrangement of objects that do not move, such as flowers, fruit, bowls, etc.
7. fresco g) a view or picture of the countryside
8. landscape h) a painting made on a wall while the plaster is still wet
9. genre painting i) a painting that represents scenes or events from everyday life, such as markets, domestic settings, interiors, parties, inn scenes, and street scenes
10. still life j) a type or degree of a colour

 

V. Vocabulary

Choose the best alternative to complete the sentences.

1. Constable’s early style has many of the qualities associated with his _______ work, including a freshness of light, colour and touch.

a) primary b) monumental c) mature d) life-size

 

2. The museum has an impressive ________ of early 20th century American paintings.

a) exhibit b) exhibition c) auction d) collection

 

3. The artist Hans Holbein was best known _____ painting portraits.

a) by b) with c) of d) for

 

4. The museum also holds many precise and detailed figure ______ done in Picasso’s youth under his father’s tutelage.

a) paintings b) portraits c) studies d) nudes

 

5. Salisbury produced several ____________ including depicting himself whilst painting the 1937 Coronation.

a) sketches b) still lifes c) self-portraits d) ceremonial portraits

 

6. 'Four Women on a Bench', oil on _______, 1991.

a) picture b) canvas c) mural d) easel

 

7. Her paintings __________ the lives of ordinary people in the last century.

a) paint b) draw c) depict d) characterize

 

8. Art collectors and __________ were more interested in Monet's earlier, Impressionist work, and his paintings from the 1910s and 1920s were considered too unstructured and unfinished.

a) colourists b) draughtsmen c) engravers d) historians

 

9. Picasso’s Blue Period (1901–1904) consists of somber paintings rendered in ________ of blue and blue-green, only occasionally warmed by other colours.

a) fades b) shades c) colours d) views

 

10. Perhaps Gainsborough's most famous work, The Blue Boy is thought to be a _____ of Jonathan Buttall, the son of a wealthy hardware merchant, although this was never proved.

a) sitter b) genre painting c) canvas d) portrait


Date: 2016-01-14; view: 1372


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