Art and Design – Painting and related media | e-Consult
Painting and related media (1 questions)
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Both Impressionism (late 19th century) and Abstract Expressionism (mid‑20th century) marked radical breaks from academic tradition, yet they differ in purpose, visual language, and technique.
- Historical context & ideas
- Impressionism: Developed in France as a reaction to the polished realism of the Salon; artists sought to capture fleeting effects of light and atmosphere.
- Abstract Expressionism: Emerged in post‑World War II America, emphasizing personal expression, spontaneity, and the subconscious.
- Visual characteristics & subject matter
- Impressionism – loose brushwork, bright palette, everyday scenes (landscapes, cafés, urban life).
- Abstract Expressionism – non‑representational or loosely figurative, large‑scale canvases, emphasis on gesture and surface texture.
- Techniques & materials
- Impressionists used broken colour, rapid “plein‑air” painting, and often painted outdoors.
- Abstract Expressionists employed dripping, pouring, gestural brushstrokes, and sometimes unconventional tools (sticks, squeegees).
- Representative artists & hallmark works
- Impressionism: Claude Monet – Impression, Sunrise (1872); Pierre-Auguste Renoir – Luncheon of the Boating Party (1881).
- Abstract Expressionism: Jackson Pollock – Number 1, 1949; Mark Rothko – No. 61 (Brown, Black, Orange) (1953).