Modern Art as Viewed by T.J. Clark - Essay Example

Modern Art as Viewed by T.J. Clark The 1860-1870 period marks the transformation of the very face of Paris. The medieval streets of houses gave way to tree-lined boulevards, terrace cafes opened up, and racetracks, parks, concerts, balls, opera and ballet came to existence. Even the subjects of paintings changed from the facets of agricultural life and peasantry to the more sophisticated "modern city and age", focusing on the various city workers-street musicians, waitresses, ragpickers, dancers, courtesans, prostitutes and many other more. (Impressionism 1860-1870 2005) Paris is said to be the birthplace of habits of leisure, consumption and commerce that are now named as "modern life"-- explicitly captured in paintings, sculpture and architecture which are collectively called the "modern art." Modern art is a term which is usually associated with forms of art that were done in the spirit of experimentation and in which the traditions and practices of the past have been disregarded. (Gombrich 1958, p.419) These arts are representations of rejection of the established academic tradition in favor of more naturalistic representation of the world. (Esaak 2008) Pioneers of this kind of art were called Romantics, Realists and Impressionists; by the late 19th century, additional movements called Post-Impressionism and Symbolism also emerged. (Arnason 1998, p.22) Connected with the concepts of modernity and modern art is a Marxist art historian named Timothy J. Clark. A native of Bristol, England, Clark received his education at Bristol Grammar School, Cambridge University and at the Courtauld Institute of Art at the University of London. (U.C. Berkeley History of Art 2005) His work experiences include his stint as a lecturer at Essex University from 1967-1969; as a senior lecturer at the Camberwell School of Art from 1970-1974; as a visiting professor and subsequently as an associate professor at the University of California; as chair of the Fine Arts Department of Leeds University in 1976; and as a member of the School of Fine Arts faculty at Harvard University where he encountered quite a number of his detractors who were among the traditional and connoisseurship-based faculty. (T.J. Clark) Currently, he holds the George C. and Helen N. Pardee Chair as Professor of Modern Art at the University of California. (U.C. Berkeley History of Art 2005) Going back to the concept of modern art, this was discussed by T. J. Clark in reference to Paris in his book entitled The Painting of Modern Life: Paris in the Art of Manet and His Followers. In this book, Clark questioned those who view Impressionism only in terms of artistic technique, and likewise describes the works of Manet, Degas, Seurat and others as an attempt to give form to the "modern life" by focusing on its typical representatives, which are basically the various "modern city" workers. (Clark, T.J.: The Painting of Modern Life: Paris in the Art of Manet and His Followers 2008) Concomitantly, Clark views Paris as the birthplace of the "modern art", where changes therein went beyond the cultural and ideological refurbishing to the more encompassing economic transformation. (T.J. Clark: Manet in situ 1986) Samples of the specific arguments and discussion that could be found in the book are the following: 1.) Manet's Olympia caused scandal at the 1865 Salon because the painting disobeyed the "rules of the nude." Furthermore, in addition to the nude body on bed, the woman's hand is considered to be a detail, which the critics wrongly focused on; 2.) Manet's disregard of the so-called "good modeling" and the abruptness which characterized his lights and darks can be seen in the Olympia. Such aspects have been criticized by some writers in 1865, describing such as "circled in black", "drawn in charcoal", and "stripes of blacking"; and 3.) certain paintings suggested the fact that classes coexisted, but never touched. (Clark 1985) As seen in the title of the book, Manet's art is given emphasis in reference to the discussion of the concept of modern art. This person, Edouard Manet, was a French painter and printmaker who, through his works, contributed to the transition from Realism to Impressionism. (Manet, Edouard 2002) Born in Paris on January 23, 1832 to an affluent family, Manet pursued an art education after failing the navy entrance examination for two times.(Edouard Manet ) Although influenced by the so-called "old masters", Manet believed that art should represent and show the ideas and ideals of the present rather than of the past. What is pertinent to note here is that simultaneously during this time, Paris was in the process of revitalization and modernization, thus Manet's works were mostly comprised of the different facets and faces of the changes experienced within the city-hence the view that the "modern art" emerged from Paris. (Macdonald) Many of Manet's works caused scandal in the history of art because during his time, the world was accustomed to seeing works that are full of ornaments and metaphors-things that Manet's paintings lacked. Life, in Manet's paintings was represented as it is, and this was perfectly exemplified by his work entitled Olympia, wherein he portrayed a nude prostitute, which is basically a modern and true representation of a woman from contemporary life. (Aragones- Escobar) For Manet, arts should depict observations from everyday life, as opposed to earlier conceptions that associated the act of painting with either the portrayal of a monumental subject or with how beauty is depicted. (Manet's Subject) Manet likewise traveled in Spain in August 1865. His interest in the Spanish culture then became more apparent, as can be seen in his works such as The Spanish Singer, Mademoiselle V, and Young Man in the Custome of a Majo. (Edouard Manet ) When the Salon in 1866 rejected Manet's works and the Exposition Universelle excluded him, Manet, becoming increasingly anxious to find an audience of his art works, utilized his inheritance to construct a pavilion which houses fifty of his works. Among the paintings displayed in the said pavilion are the Young Lady in 1866 (Woman with a Parrot) and A Matador. (Edouard Manet ) Toward the end of the decade, Manet's health started to deteriorate. The last years of his life can be summed as follows: in 1880, he rented a villa in a Parision suburb called Bellevue and painted the last portrait of his wife in the villa's garden; he was able to win a second-class medal at the Salon for his painting which portrays Henri Rochefort; and he was also made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. Manet continued his work until his death in April of 1883. (Edouard Manet ) Among the other works of Manet are the following: Music in Touilleries, Breakfast on Grass, Pyphanus, At the Beach and Bar Folies-Bergre. (Aragones-Escobar) Going back to T.J. Clark's work which basically discussed impressionist painting and the birth of modernity, the said book likewise raised the issue of class representation and in the process, opened up the whole field of Impressionist painting to a wide range of questions and issues that are rarely addressed. The book also establishes that as much as the "impressionists" were concerned to represent the "modern life", they were nevertheless unable to pinpoint its major dynamic, which is the changing nature of class relations. (Edholm 1986) All in all, "modern life" and "modern art," and even the umbrella concept of "modernism" are discussed by different people in varied ways and interpretations. One of the notable discussions of these concepts are those by T.J. Clark's, particularly in his book entitled The Painting of Modern Life: Paris in the Art of Manet and His Followers-for in this book it was seen that claims about class were presented, changes and transformations of the Parisian landscape were discussed, and most especially, the paintings within the period, particularly those that were done by Edouard Manet, were not lost in sight. (The Painting of Modern Life by Timothy J. Clark 2008) References Aragones-Escobar, B. "A Radical Painter" accessed August 26, 2008, . Arnason, H. Harvard. 1998, "History of Modern Art: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Photography," Fourth Edition, rev. by Marla F. Prather, after the third edition, revised by Daniel Wheeler. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Clark, T.J. 1985, "Painting of Modern Life," The New York Review of Books, Volume 32, Number 13, August 15, accessed August 26, 2008, . "Clark, T.J.: The Painting of Modern Life: Paris in the Art of Manet and His Followers," 2008, accessed August 26, 2008, . Edholm, F. 1986, "Class and Impressionism," New Left Review, accessed August 26, 2008, . "Edouard Manet (1832-1883)," Timeline of Art History, accessed August 26, 2008, . Esaak, S. 2008, "What Is Modern Art" accessed August 25, 2008, . Gombrich, E. H. 1958, "The Story of Art," London: Phaidon . "Impressionism 1860-1870," 2005, Bohemian Fine Art, accessed August 25, 2008, Macdonald, L. "Edouard Manet," accessed August 26, 2008, . "Manet, Edouard," 2002, Webmuseum, Paris, July 28, accessed August 26, 2008, . "Manet's Subject," Daniel Webster College, accessed August 26, 2008 Read More