The Beginnings of Modern Realism (Some Historical Context) Colonization of Africa and Southeast Asia led to increasing competition in the building of navies and military forces. The wealthy upper class sought to protect the privileges to which they felt entitled. The working classes used unions and strikes to assure that their worth and dignity be recognized and respected. Public debates were frequent to discuss communism, capitalism, democracy, socialism, etc. Anarchists became powerful and often violent. Most reformers were looking for pragmatic (practical) solutions to social ills, which led to the artistic movement now called “realism.” A women’s debate during the Victorian era. Image: http://www.victorianlondon.org/entertainment2/londonclubsforwomen.htm 1

The Beginnings of Modern Realism (Some Philosophical Context) Auguste Comte (1798-1857) greatly influenced the realism movement. He classified sciences according to their relative simplicity, with sociology being the most complex. To Comte, the ultimate aim of science was the betterment of society. All sciences must therefore contribute to sociology, which could then discover the causes of social problems and remedies for desirable change. He demanded that all explanations of events and behavior be based in observation and analysis. Artists influenced by Comte sought to make art “scientific” and “realistic.” Auguste Comte, the father of modern sociology. Image: http://positivists.org/blog/archives/tag/auguste-comte 2

The Beginnings of Modern Realism (Some Artistic Context) Realism had been attempted sporadically since the time of ancient Greece. Almost all approaches before 1850 emphasizes “beautiful” nature, norms, picturesque local color, or pleasing contrasts. Around 1850, critics began to advocate for a close and objective observation of live, no matter the circumstances. Realism as a conscious movement formally began around 1853 in France and was fully expressed by 1863. Realism has 2 main tenets: Art must depict truthfully the real, physical world Since only the contemporary world can be observed directly, we find truth most fully through impersonal, objective observation and representation of the world around us. The Gleaners, Jean-François Millet, 1857. Art in the realism movement (including theatre) focused on life as it is, instead of an ideal. Image: Wikipedia 3

The Beginnings of Modern Realism (Important Figures) Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen Called the first director, in the modern sense of the word Henrik Ibsen Playwright who explored the relationship between environmental forces and the internal psychological motivations of characters Emile Zola French writer who crafted the theoretical framework for the most extreme form of realism, “naturalism” André Antoine Creator of the Théâtre Libre (“Free Theatre”), which produced controversial plays free from censorship Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen Image: Wikipedia 4

The Beginnings of Modern Realism (Important Figures) George Bernard Shaw English playwright who wrote primarily comedies that challenged perceptions and values Anton Checkhov Russian playwright whose incredibly detailed works are difficult to understand to this day Konstantin Stanislavsky Creator of a classical acting system still commonly studied and used today (NOT “Method acting”) Martha Morton Sometimes called America’s first female professional playwright, author of 35+ plays Konstantin Stanislavsky Image: Wikipedia 5