REALISM: Naturalism + Social Reality ~ Naturalism is making objects in a painting look lifelike, real, or natural ~ Realism is the same as naturalism but without making it look glorified, perfect, or sensationalized. (Remember Roman portrait busts – if the person was old or in bad shape they looked old and in bad shape! ~ Social Realism relates to subject matter – no more heroes and goddesses and exotic mythological figures. Instead farmers and peasants and every day people are represented.

SOCIAL REALISM Honore Daumier, The Third Class Carriage, 1863, oil on canvas ~ Daumier was well known for political satire directed at the wealthy and the royals. ~He also focused on working class people and showing them as dignified and important even in lower-class settings ~ His work was not “naturalistic” but rather showed people as they appeared in mood and attitude

FRENCH REALISM Rosa Bonheur, The Horse Fair, 1855, oil on canvas ~ Bonheur preferred the company of animals to people and was known for her incredible ability to render horses and other livestock perfectly. ~She did not glorify the animals – rather showed them as they appeared in the setting she was painting – normally local settings like the horse fair ~ Advocate for women’s rights!

Gustav Courbet, The Interior of My Studio, 1855, oil on canvas ~ Would only paint things he had real knowledge of and had actually seen – no painting fictional characters or places. ~This painting is a summary of 7 years of people he had painted or invited to his studio. ~ Academy would not show it so he had the first one-man show. ~An advocate for the working class and oppressed

Winslow Homer, Snap the Whip 1872, oil on canvas ~ Was originally a printmaker – was fully self-taught as a painter and refused to study or look at other painters’ work – particularly European “Masters” ~ Painted everyday life scenes, painted camp life during the civil war, then moved on to nautical (ocean) scenes ~ Watercolor was first used just to create quick studies or sketches for large oil paintings. Homer showed his watercolors as finished pieces creating a new major art medium. American Realism

Thomas Eakins, The Agnew Clinic, 1889, oil on canvas ~ Absolute realism – or harsh reality. He would paint exactly as observed. ~ Most portraits were not nice looking so clients often rejected the commissioned work ~ Considered to be one of the best technical artists ever in America ~First to insist on art instruction that observed nature – drawing from actual nudes

James Abbott McNeil Whistler, Sketch for Rose and Silver and Lady from the Land of Porcelain, 1863, oil on canvas (Both at WAM) ~ Born in Lowell, MA. Moved to Russia and Europe and disclaimed being a New Englander ~ Didn’t attempt to put any meaning into his art – “ART FOR ART’S SAKE” meaning it just has to be aesthetically pleasing – a group of lines, patterns, form, and colors ~ Precursor to the abstract movement ~ Highly influenced by Japonism – while it was exotic – he did not paint Japanism women – but models from life dressed and posed in Eastern garments

John Singer Sargent, Daughters of Edward Darley Boit, 1882, oil on canvas (MFA, Boston) ~ Originally American – but really was educated and trained in Europe, eventually landing in London ~ Famous for painting wealthy people in their casual home settings. Portrayed them glamorously but not glorified ~ Amazing ability to draw the human figure and fabric – drew and then painted from direct observation

The Birth of Photography Nicephore Niepce, View from his Window at Gras, 1826, polished pewter plate exposed for 8 hours ~ Convergence of optical and chemical technology ~ First known photo 1829 ~Daguerre invented a quicker process in minute exposure time (Daguerreotype) ~ 1850’s wet-plate and then dry-plat techniques ~ 1880’s roll film and hand-held cameras became the norm

The Birth of Photography Louis Daguerre, Still life, 1837, Silver plate process Louis Daguerre, Edgar Allen Poe, ~ Portrait photography eliminated the need for “miniatures” a type of small portrait painting that was carried around like wallet size photos are today. ~ Travel and war photography ~Documentary Photography ~ Art Photography

Jacob Riis, Street Arabs in the Area of Mulberry St, 1889 Nadar, Sarah Bernhardt, 1859 ~Documentary photos lead to legislation in housing reform and child labor. ~ Portrait photography lead to the demise of portrait painting – photography was less expensive and more naturalistic!

Julia Cameron, Call, I Follow; I follow; Let me die, 1867 ~ Art photography began with deliberately blurry images, then multiple exposures, special lenses, adding paint or tint to the photo, etc… ~ instead of objectively representing a person or object, the photographer looed to represent a mood or feeling ~ Many painters started using photos as sketches – instead of drawings or watercolors ~ photography directly impacted the movement toward abstract painting – why paint naturalistic objects or people if you can just take a photo?