Claudes Monet Water Lilies and David Alfaro Siqueiros Echo of a Scream - Research Paper Example

Claude’s Monet Water Lilies and David Alfaro Siqueiros’ Echo of a Scream At a first glance, Claude’s Monet Water Lilies and David Alfaro Siqueiros’ Echo of a Scream may not seem to have any semblance at all but in fact shared the same style and use of artwork in advancing a particular activism or movement – in the case of David Alfaro Siqueiros’ Echo of a Scream as an activism against the dictatorship of fascist Francisco Franco (McMillan, 1969) and for Monet, as a departure from the rigidity of neoclassical and traditional art. Both artists used the impressionist style of rough bold brush strokes which was pioneered by “impressionists” such that it is more likely that David Alfaro Siqueiros’ rough and grungy rendering of the surface of Echo of a Scream is actually a method advocated by Claude Monet and his fellow impressionists where he made art address the previously unacknowledged, yet most commonplace, kind of visual experience--the glance. As it defines these artists' primary goal, the term "impression" signified the sensory information registered on the retina prior to thought of any sort” (Stuckey, 1995). Cultural context David Alfaro Siqueiros’ Echo of a Scream was painted against the backdrop of “Prolific cultural activity that arose in Mexico in the decades of the 20th century. It established a proper comparison to the artistic blossoming that Italy experienced in the 15th century” (Lozano, 2007 pg. 127). In a way, David Alfaro Siqueiros’ Echo of a Scream was painted in the midst of Mexico’s Renaissance just like Da Vinci painted his Mona Lisa at the height of Renaissance. The difference however that unlike in Italy where Renaissance flourished due to the economic prosperity and peace during that time, Echo of a Scream was painted by Siqueiros’ activism against the dictatorship Francisco Franco and Mexico was not in peace. The painting obviously depicts a scene after a destructive war where a baby is crying and another head of a baby is enlarged which is similarly crying. One can infer that the baby is crying for the human loss brought by the fascist regime of Francisco Franco. Monet’s Water Lilies may not evoke the same loss or sorrow that Siqueiros Echo of a Scream evokes but it still bears the same activism that David Alfaro Siqueiros’ Echo of a Scream has. Monet’s impressionism through his Water Lilies is actually an activism against the rigidity and rules ridden method of classical painting which the impressionists thought of, to a certain extent, as fascist. Content To understand the similarity of the content of both art works, one must go beyond the obvious and fathom what the symbolisms and intention in the painting. Monet’s Water Lilies “gives the sensation of movement and an illusion of the transparency of water. The painting is extremely tactile, the colour more abstract than realistic, and there is an overall feeling of tranquility” (Davenport, 1992) but this actually represent the disgust of the one track method of classical painting that was pervasive during Monet’s day. To a lesser extent, the classical method, of which all artworks are measured during Monet’s time are the fascist Franco of Monet of which he and his fellow impressionists disagree. Albeit, the content does not kill unlike Franco’s real fascism, both artworks were used as a method of activism or to advance a certain advocacy. David Alfaro Siqueiros’ Echo of a Scream may look cathartic, even depressing with the sight of destruction everywhere heightened by the cry of the baby and the other enlarged head. But it actually has a purpose, not to glorify loss and destruction of war, but to detest it so that peace and tranquility may be had. The double headed crying baby emphasized this detestation about the destructive surroundings wrought by war and dictatorship. Form, composition and style Monet advocated for the advancement of impressionism as an artistic movement. Impressionism is an artistic style that departs from the rigidity of rules of traditional classical painting but rather emphasizes the use of color, light and bold brushstrokes in painting. As a style, impressionism does not emphasize that the artwork should be refined or smooth but interprets the presence of obvious rough brushstroke as part of the creativity of the painting hence coming from the root word “impression”. We can see in Water Lilies that emphasizes the color, light and obvious brush stroke to evoke a feeling from the audience. The same style was used in David Alfaro Siqueiros’ Echo of a Scream that the painting also has an obvious rough even grungy texture. The colors was equally intense just like in Monet’s Water Lilies albeit it is more monochromatic in the background. But the bold, even adventurous use of red as the garment of the crying baby stood out and emphasized the subject and message of the painting that made the artwork very powerful. In a way, the roughness of the painting helped to emphasize the destruction and loss that the painting is trying to portray and this adds feeling to the sorrow and melancholic emotion that one could feel seeing the painting. Techniques As a technique, Impressionism wanted to differentiate itself from traditional and classical art that emphasizes realism and idealized feature of its subject. As an artistic movement, it also spats on the emphasis of requiring artworks to have an even and smooth surface as a standard of an acceptable artwork. Thus, impressionism emphasizes more on the placement of light to evoke emotion rather than putting importance on detail. This technique is very obvious on Monet’s Water Lilies where rough brushstrokes were present to render the lilies and the reflection of light on the water instead of carefully painted details of its leaves and waters. In fact, the roughness added spirituality to the artwork as it communicate Monet’s feelings to its audience. This same technique is used in David Alfaro Siqueiros’ Echo of a Scream where the barren land, the remains of the fighter plane, the metal remains around the crying child added emotion to the painting. In classical method, this technique would not have been unacceptable and not considered as a good art. Historical relevance David Alfaro Siqueiros’ Echo of a Scream historical relevance cannot be denied as it served as one of precursors of using art as a form of political activism. In the case of David Alfaro Siqueiros’ Echo of a Scream, to against the fascist regime of Francisco Franco and its accompanying injustice, destruction and loss. Monet’s Water Lilies may not be as politically heavy in its activism but it still have a cause that it was fighting for. That is, to expand the genre of art and not just limit itself to the rigid rules of neoclassical and traditional painting. That beauty includes the raw emotion of the artist as portrayed by the rough brushstroke and is not limited to the evenness of the surface of the painting. Both art works have achieved something. For David Alfaro Siqueiros, the use of art is not just to portray and inspire beauty, but also as a political vehicle of activism and for Monet, to expand the method of art not just according to the discipline of rules but also in the sheer expression of the artist. Influences Both artwork of Monet and Siqueiros had been influenced or had influenced other art form. They may look disparate but they actually share the characteristic of an influencer. Monet’s Waterlilies (1916) is actually influenced by Japanese art or Japonisme particularly the spirituality of Japanese art (www.metmuseum.org, nd). In the case of David Alfaro Siqueiros’ Echo of a Scream it has actually "greatly influenced Abstract Expressionists like Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning” making its legacy not only in art activism but also in the formation of other art genre such as abstract expressionism. References Davenport, I. (1997, Jan 14). Arts: A brush with genius ian davenport on claude monet's water-lilies. The Guardian Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/245100106?accountid=35812 Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. (n.d.). Retrieved June 29, 2015, from http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jpon/hd_jpon.htm Latin american art: Severing ties to europe. (1993, Aug 24). The Christian Science Monitor (Pre-1997 Fulltext) Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/291207919?accountid=35812 Lozano, L. (2007). The Mexican Artists. New Renaissance, 12(3), 127-136. McMillan,Dougald, I.,II. (1969). 'TRANSITION': A CRITICAL AND HISTORICAL ACCOUNT (Order No. 7000118). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Full Text. (302442396). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/302442396?accountid=35812 Stuckey, C. F. (1995). Claude Monet: Impressionism's leading light. USA Today Magazine, 124(2606), 36. Read More