Modern Art Movements

Modern art movements date back to the Industrial Revolution a time of great change in society that was reflected in a rapidly changing art movement. Styles came and went faster than one could track but there wear some movements that were of great importance.

1 Impressionism - Impressionism is where the history of modern art began when a small group of artists began to break away from the very rigid and formal painting styles of Paris. Edouard Manet’s presented his works at the Salon des Refuse an art show organized by those who were rejected by the Academie des Beaux-Arts because of their outward thinking and the beginning of Impressionism was born.

Impressionist artists liked to paint landscapes and scenes of daily life and they like to work with the effect of light on objects. Some of the best known impressionist painters were Monet, Degas, Renoir, and Manet.

2 Fauvism - Just as the French word would indicate this form of art was indeed wild using pure vivid colors and simplified designs. Here is where Gauguin and Vincent van Gough took Impressionism to a new level. The first exhibition occurred in 1905. Some of the best known fauve artists were Matisse, Dufy, van Dongen, and Derain.

3 Expressionism - Was the German version of Fauvism and the movement was organized by two German groups of painters. The Die Bruecke group from Dresden included artist’s Kirchner, Nolde, Heckel, Mueller, Perchstein, and Rottluff. The Munich group was called the Der Blaue Reiter and included artist’s Marc, Munter, Kandinsky, Macke, Yavlensky, and Klee. This form of paintings reflected the state of the artists mind rather than the reality of the external world and favored the same bright and vivid colors of Fauvism but it also included much harsher outlines and stronger linear effects.

4 Art Nouveau Movement - The French worlds Art Nouveau mean new art and that is exactly what this era brought to the planet with highly decorated styles that were closely tied to natural forms. It remained popular from 1880 to around 1910 and was not limited to just paintings but rather included architecture, illustration, glass, furniture, and even jewelry. There are some amazing art nouveau examples at the entrance to the subway in Paris. Artists from the era include Klimt, Galle, and Comfort.

5 Art Deco Movement - Popular through the 1920s and 1930s it was a simplification of art nouveau that was taken to a commercial level with mass production. It was seen throughout architecture, illustration, glass, furniture, jewelry, printmaking, textiles, and of course paintings. The Chrysler building in New York which was constructed in 1930 is an excellent example of art deco architecture.

6 Cubism - Was restricted to sculpture and painting and initiated by Picasso and Braque’s in Paris before WWI. It has very strong root in the tribal arts of Africa. Geometric forms play an integral part of cubism with everything reduced to cubes. Famous cubism artists are Picasso, Braques, Duchamp, Feininger, Delaunay, and Gris.

7 Surrealism - Arrived during the 20th century thanks to the philosophical French poet and writer Andre Breton who in 1924 published the guidelines to Surrealism call the Manifesto. This is an art form that emphasizes the importance of dreams and the unconscious. Some of the most well known surrealism artists include Salvador Dali, Max Ernst, Miro, Magritte, Chagall, and Duchamp.

8 Abstract Art - Abstract art has its roots in Russia where painter Wassily Kandinsky developed his style into an abstract form of painting. Piet Mondrian a Dutch painter also played an important role in the development of abstract art. During WWII many of the artists that worked in abstract made their way to New York making New York the new center for abstract and modern art.

Modern art has a wonderful history that will continue to bloom as time goes by. If time travel were a reality it would be fun to return in a hundred years to follow the path of where art has been and gone.

Deon Melchior is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit ArticleClick.com. Article Click is a free content article directory. This means that as a publisher you may reprint the articles that are included in our site, as long as the article is unedited and the author box is included with it's live hyperlinks.