In this course, you will study the various artistic movements that comprise 19th- and 20th-century modern art. You will examine several dozen artists, all of whom helped define their respective artistic styles and eras through their innovative approaches to representation, artistic space, and the role of the artist in society.
Each unit will cover a significant period in the history of modern art and explore the ways in which both the principal figures from each period and the corresponding movements challenged the limits of art through the incorporation of modern life, as each artist addresses the political, philosophical, and personal implications of “modernity” and how it relates to the production of artwork.
This course will begin with a brief review of the artists and movements that immediately preceded French Impressionism and will then take an in-depth look at the key artists and characteristics of Impressionism, widely considered the first “modern” art movement. You will then spend time reading about and examining various other major movements including Post-Impressionism, Art Nouveau, Expressionism, Cubism, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, and Pop Art, among others. As part of our study of these movements and the artists associated with them, you will be expected to learn a number of artistic terms and ideas, along with the people and institutions that were influential in the development of modern art.
As an example, you will be able to look at Pablo Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’ Avignon and explain why this can be considered the first Cubist artwork, and what makes it one of the greatest achievements in modern art. You will view Jackson Pollock’s Abstract Expressionist drip paintings and be able to elaborate on what makes these works a revolutionary achievement that opened up artistic possibilities for many future artists. These examples and many others involving artists, their work, media, and styles will be explored in great detail throughout this course.
