5 art movements that changed the course of painting
The art scene around the world has progressed in leaps and bounds over the last few centuries. Numerous unique, eclectic art movements have emerged and made their mark in history. These art movements are fundamentally a style in which art is created at a given period in time. Each of them is characterised not merely through the stylistic aspect, but also the broader societal and cultural aspect. This is because these art movements reflected the philosophy, objectives and beliefs of a certain period in time. Here are some of the most popular art movements in history.
Realism
Realism emerged as a consequence of the French Revolution in the year 1848. Painters who adopted the realistic style of painting put more emphasis on representing real-life scenes that took place around them. Through their paintings, they shone light on parts of the society which were usually overlooked in art. Realism rejected the earlier styles of art which represented only the noblemen, upper class, rulers and the Bible. Famous proponents of Realism are Gustav Courbet and Jean François Millet among others.
Impressionism
This art movement was popularised in the 19th century by painters like Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, etc. Impressionist painters were considered to be the art radicals of their time because they departed from the traditional, conventional styles of painting. They painted using visible and relatively small brushstrokes, open composition and placed a lot of emphasis on depicting light accurately. They were more concerned with the overall painting rather than just the details.
Cubism
One of the most celebrated artists of all time, Pablo Picasso was the one who popularised this revolutionary style of art. Cubism employed the use of geometric forms to construct the final representation. The unprecedented characteristic of this movement was that Cubist painters analysed a given object, broke it apart structurally and then reassembled it in an abstract form. Cubism emerged to be the most important art movement of the 20th century.
Surrealism
This art movement developed in Europe during the aftermath of World War I. Surrealists created paintings which aimed at getting to the subconscious of an individual using imaginary imagery juxtaposed with visual realities. The hallmark of this art movement is its departure from the conventional and lack of creative restriction. Salvador Dali and Max Ernst were celebrated surrealists among others.
Abstract expressionism
This art movement was developed by American painters post World War II, primarily in New York. It reached its pinnacle in the 1940s and 50s through painters like Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. Abstract expressionists expressed emotions through gestural brush strokes and marks in an abstract manner. This art movement placed emphasis on the introspection of emotion.