COMPARISON OF ARTWORK

COMPARISON OF ARTWORK

Millet’s paintings The Gleaners which falls within the realism art movement. It is imperative to note that the main objective of this piece of artwork was to demonstrate the reality of the conditions of the working class. The primary doctrine of artwork during the realism period was to show how the contemporary aspects during the time were through depicting truth and accuracy (Haines, 2017). The art is an accurate depiction of Millet’s respect for the dignity of human labor. Gleaning describes the activities of collecting leftover corn and other crops from the fields of farmers after the harvest. The three women in the art search for the years of corn, picking the corn and trying them in a sheaf. It is evident that the task tends to be backbreaking but has a significant contribution to the diet, especially for the rural working class. Moreover, the art represents some of the major tasks that most of the French peasants participated in during the time.

Notably, the accuracy demonstrates the struggles and also the hardships of the French peasants (Joelle, 2018). It is evident that there is no beautification, but rather it is a depiction of truth and the reality of the working conditions and struggles of the working class. Notably, the art might have faced opposition from the working class as it seems to be radical in nature. Conversely, it is more of a realistic appreciation of the rural poor. Composition of the subjects and the usage of various device permeates the issues with a simple but with immense splendor. Angled light of the setting of the sun, highlights showcase the sculptural qualities of gleaners, while the set expressions and thick features emphasize the burden of the work. A different art that is compared to this is the Degas dancing class, which was an artwork during the impressionism movement. A central figure of the Impressionist circle, Berthe Morisot, is an accurate depiction of convincing portraits and essential landscapes. In a Park combines figurative objects and representations of nature in the serene family portrait. The primary focus on art is on the maternal bond between the mother and child. The image demonstrates a loose pastel handling, a medium embraced by the impressionists and an observable application of color and the form were central characteristics of the work.

 

Early impressionist was considered as radicals since they did not follow the rules of academic painting. They painted what they saw at that moment instead of the academic rules, which required one to come up with a picture after a thorough study in the studio. It is critical to note that individuals tend to associate impressionism with the lack of morality in their artistic works. This is because of the deviation that artistic during the period took; that is, they did not integrate Christian values in their artistic works. These artists could carry their canvas out there and paint whatever they see that is there at that moment, which is very different from a regular artist who could come up with a picture from the studio after thorough preparation and research. On the other, realism was an artistic period that rejected the romanticism period and only focused on contemporary subjects and demonstrating truth and accuracy. Realists strived to show daily subjects and situations in contemporary settings, and depicted individuals in diverse social classes in the same manner. It is sufficient to note that most of the artists of the realism period would represent real things, such as untidy elements or even objects without omitting or trying to make something beautiful. Therefore, they took into consideration all the social classes and depicted the working class the same way they depicted other social classes. Furthermore, the objective was also to avoid anything artificial in anything related to human relations and emotions, especially the treatment of some of the subjects in any heroic manner. The gleaners are a piece of art that had a lot of influence on this movement. The art tends to acknowledge the struggles of the working class. During the time, society only focused on individuals from the bourgeois class, such as Kings, while low class was disregarded. The art seeks to focus on the French modernization during the mid 19th century. Often, the burgeoning class would reside in the upcoming urban centers while the peasants labored in rural farms. It is evident that the artwork is a social critic who seeks to correct the bourgeois and the middle class for their continued exploitation of the working class. Berthe Morisot arts tend to influence a movement that would follow the traditional requirements for painting. Impressionism focused on leisure activities and the beauty of nature, such as landscapes (Sun, 2018). They painted what they saw at that moment instead of the academic rules, which required one to come up with a picture after a thorough study in the studio. Thus the primary influence during the time was to ensure they motivate other artists who wanted to paint without following the traditional instructions of art.

References

Haines, L. (2017). The Temporalities of Work and Rest: Camille Pissarro, Realism, and Peasant Woman (Doctoral dissertation, American University).

Joelle, N. (2018). 8 Searching for the Gleaning Fields: Gleaners and Leanness in Jim Crace’s Harvest. In Jim Crace (pp. 131-148). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.

Sun, X. (2018). The Aesthetics of Impressionism from the Perceptive of Phenomenology. Hermathena, (207), 261-268.