Margaux Worrall

Alexa Meade

With Performance art on the rise, new and upcoming artists found interest in exploring new mediums and new canvases. One particular segment of performance art grew very popular; body art. The human body was seen as the ideal extreme canvas as a way to create a “configuration between artist & audience, producing a startling new way to experience art” (Body Art Movement Overview) 

However, as performance arts became less credible, and perceived more as a gimmick of self-expression, body art’s reputation came down with it. Many know it now as a simple practice used during birthday parties or sporting events. Alexa Meade, in spite of pursuing body paint, has been able to make a name for herself, and for her medium in the world of fine arts.

Born on the 3rd of September 1986, at the ripe age of 33, Alexa has had many exploits and has been able to reinvent the art genre of body paint. When you take one look at her art, you might be tempted to believe that it is an abstract figurative painting (fig.1). Take a second look, and you might realize that her “paintings” are only but an illusion created on both a live model and the surroundings (fig.2).

Meade has really owned an ability to create the perfect illusion, taking in consideration the light, shadow and background. Her artwork, blueprint (2010), is the perfect representation of her perfected technique that incorporates both deep knowledge of body painting and fine art.

It is her acquisition of both techniques, that she is able to merge ‘serious’/’fine art’ with body painting thus allowing her to be recognized not as a body painter, but as an artist. Her work had led her to collaborate with companies such as Mercedes Benz (fig.4), Toyota (fig.5), Buick (fig.6), Mini Cooper (fig.7) and most recently has been able to partake in the music video of star sensation Ariana Grande’s God is a woman.

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Work Cited:

“Alexa Meade Art.” Alexa Meade Art, alexameade.com/.

“Alexa Meade.” Concept Artists, conceptartists.com/artist/alexa-meade-speaker/.

“Alexa Meade.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Sept. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexa_Meade.

“Body Art Movement Overview.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/movement/body-art/.

“Hypnotic, Perspective-Bending Body Art Film Brings Painted Portraits to Life.” Designboom, 12 Jan. 2017, www.designboom.com/art/alexa-meade-color-of-reality-body-painting-film-jon-boogz-lil-buck-01-12-2017/.

Images:

Fig.1 “Risen”. Alexa Meade Art, alexameade.com/.

Fig.2 “Behind the scenes of Risen”. Alexa Meade Art, alexameade.com/.

Fig.3 “Blueprint”. Alexa Meade Art, alexameade.com/.

Fig.4 “Coup D`Etat – Mercedes-Benz, 2011”. Alexa Meade Art, alexameade.com/.

Fig.5 “Rosa – Toyota, 2016”. Alexa Meade Art, alexameade.com/.

Fig.6 “Sunset Pack – Buick, 2017”. Alexa Meade Art, alexameade.com/.

Fig.7 “Mini Cooper Car – Mini Cooper”. Alexa Meade Art, alexameade.com/.

David Hockney

Born in Bradford, England in 1937, David Hockney became extremely interested in the arts at a very young age. He especially admired Picasso, Matisse & Fragonard, to which he credits to this day as inspiration in his present artworks. Between 1953 & 1957, Hockney attended Bradford college of arts and continued his studies in 1959 at the Royal College of Arts in London. It was then where Hockney truly began to diversify himself in mediums and subjects, experimenting with both colour and forms thus creating his distinctive style of vivid colours, beautiful scenery and clear shapes (fig.1)

Unlike many artist who’ve had to hustle for the success, or who’ve become successful after their deaths, Hockney rode to fame was quite easy. Immediately, his paintings were very well received and many were even purchased for personal and/or private collections. Some of his early famed work “incorporated his literary leanings and he used fragments of poems and quotations from Walt Whitman” (bibliography).

From beginning to end, his paintings were very important to Hockney on an artistic and personal level. Many of his paintings would surround the topic of homosexuality, even before it was legal. (fig.2)

Another huge inspiration for Hockney was Hollywood. From a young age, due to watching movies frequently with his father, Hockey discovered an admiration and love for the glitz and glamour. From the weather to the beautiful beautiful people, Hockney fell head over heels. After getting a change to visit the place of his trams in 1963, he decided to move there only 3 years later. (fig.3)

Paintings were very important to David Hockney but so was photography. After creating a collage of polaroids in order to sketch out a scenery for his paintings, Hockney soon realized that the placement of the single images to create a new one when places together was an artwork itself (fig.4). Hockney became so interested in his new found medium that he gave up painting altogether that is until the late 1980’s.

Hockney to this day still continues to makes art both focusing on painting and photography. He has begun to implement new technology into his art as a way to make it fresh and “new”. His most expensive painting Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) (fig.5) sold for 90 million dollars and he has been named one of Britain most important and influential artists of the 20th century.

Work Cited:

“David Hockney.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 18 June 2019, www.biography.com/artist/david-hockney.

Phillips. “David Hockney: Paper Pools.” Artsy, 4 Jan. 2017, www.artsy.net/article/phillips-david-hockney-paper-pools.

Tate. “David Hockney – Exhibition at Tate Britain.” Tate, www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/david-hockney.

Tate. “Frank Stella Born 1936.” Tate, 1 Jan. 1962, www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/frank-stella-1994.

Tate. “Who Is Frank Stella? – Who Are They?” Tate Kids, www.tate.org.uk/kids/explore/who-is/who-frank-stella.

Zara, Janelle. “Inside the Private World of David Hockney.” Architectural Digest, Architectural Digest, 13 Sept. 2018, www.architecturaldigest.com/story/david-hockney-studio-visit.

Images:

Fig 1. “David Hockney: Gregory in the Pool E (Paper Pool 4) (1978).” Artsy, www.artsy.net/artwork/david-hockney-gregory-in-the-pool-e-paper-pool-4.

Fig 2. “David Hockney: The Beginning (1966): Available for Sale.” Artsy, www.artsy.net/artwork/david-hockney-the-beginning.

Fig 3. Loft, Halina. “The Painting That Started It All: Discover David Hockney’s First Swimming Pool.” Sothebys.com, Sotheby’s, 1 Nov. 2019, www.sothebys.com/en/articles/the-painting-that-started-it-all-discover-david-hockneys-first-swimming-pool.

Fig 4. “David Hockney’s Beautifully Complicated Relationship with Photography.” The Week – All You Need to Know about Everything That Matters, 10 July 2017, theweek.com/captured/708641/david-hockneys-beautifully-complicated-relationship-photography.

Fig 5. Tate. “Frank Stella Born 1936.” Tate, 1 Jan. 1962, www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/frank-stella-1994.

Frank Stella

Frank Stella was bron in Massachusetts in 1936. He attended high school at Phillis Academy and after graduation, went off to Princeton University. While he was studying for a major in history, Stella began to show great interest in art, especially paintings. He would regularly visit art museums in New York and became very fond of the popular minimalistic style of the 1950’s. Such admiration for the movement can be clearly seen in many of his first paintings (fig.1), that some might even call him a minimalism painter.

After finishing his studies, Stella moved to New York to pursue his artistic career. It was not long after did he acheive success. Before the age of 25, some of his paintings had already been displayed in great art galleries and museums, such as the his collection Sixteen Americans (fig.2) which was displayed at MOMA. Around the same time in 1959, Stella joined Leo Castelli’s stable of artists where he produced many of his iconic pieces. One of his most famous was the collection called the Black Paintings (fig.3), which was also bought instantly by the Museum of Modern Art. The collection was the beginning of his style and ability to set “aside illusionistic space for the physicality of the flat surface and deviated from the traditional rectangular shaped canvas” (“Frank Stella.” Guggenheim)

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By 1970-80, Stella was (truly) reputed as a hard-edged painter due to his angular and geometric shapes found in his paintings. Over the years however, he bang to break out of the mold by creating more complex paintings. He would add “curved shapes, Day Glo colours and scrawled paint strokes” (ibid.) (fig.4.) Some of his work took on more sculptural tones swell. For example, he would simply places his paintings on the floor instead of propping them onto a well. He would also use new material such as wood, enabling him to create 3 dimensional pieces (fig.5)

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By 1980-90, Stella became more experimental. In his piece Moby Dick (fig.6), Stella added layers, reliefs, and natural shapes all while keeping the geometrical precision he was well-known for.

Frank Stella is one of the most known living artists of the 20th and 21st century in America. He had a wonderful ability to use his simple, clean and precise geometrical lines to invoke balance, rhythm, as he was a big fan of Jazz, and chaos. He still remains in New York to this day.

Work Cited:

“Frank Stella.” Artnet, www.artnet.com/artists/frank-stella/.

“Frank Stella.” Artsy, www.artsy.net/artist/frank-stella.

“Frank Stella.” Guggenheim, www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/frank-stella.

“Frank Stella: MoMA.” The Museum of Modern Art, www.moma.org/artists/5640.

Tate. “Frank Stella Born 1936.” Tate, 1 Jan. 1962, www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/frank-stella-1994.

Tate. “Who Is Frank Stella? – Who Are They?” Tate Kids, www.tate.org.uk/kids/explore/who-is/who-frank-stella.

Images:

Fig 1. Stella, Frank. “Frank Stella. Ifafa II from the V Series. 1968: MoMA.” The Museum of Modern Art, www.moma.org/collection/works/74798?artist_id=5640&locale=en&page=1&sov_referrer=artist.

Fig 2. “16 Americans.” The Museum of Modern Art, www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/2877.

Fig 3. “Frank Stella. Arbeit Macht Frei from Black Series I. 1967: MoMA.” The Museum of Modern Art, www.moma.org/collection/works/61219?artist_id=5640&locale=en&page=1&sov_referrer=artist.

Fig 4. “Harran II.” Guggenheim, 5 Nov. 2019, www.guggenheim.org/artwork/4003.

Fig 5. Stella, Frank. “Frank Stella. Ifafa II from the V Series. 1968: MoMA.” The Museum of Modern Art, www.moma.org/collection/works/74798?artist_id=5640&locale=en&page=1&sov_referrer=artist.

Fig 6. “Masterworks Fine Art Gallery.” Moby Dick from The Waves, Unique Color Trial Proof by Frank Stella on Artnet, Grisebach GmbH, 1 Jan. 1989, www.artnet.com/artists/frank-stella/moby-dick-from-the-waves-unique-color-trial-proof-a-iyVLn8Lab9PSHafuV-hzOw2.

Paul Klee

Paul Klee was born on the 18th of December, 1879. As a young child, Klee found himself fond of drawing landscapes. He later took more interest into art and decided to study the subject in Munich under the teaching of Heinrich Knirr, great painter of genre and portrait, most known as Hitler’s portraitist and Franz Von Stuck, a decorative sculptor and symbolist painter. During his studies, Klee showed great natural talent for draftsmanship (see fig 1).

Soon after graduating, Paul Klee immersed himself in the Der Blaue Reiter group, founded by painter Wassily Kadinsky in hopes to master color. The group focuses primarily on color and its expressive attributes relating to music and spirituality -a genre that Kadinsky would soon master.

Around 1920, both Klee and Kadinsky taught at the Bauhaus school at the Weimar campus as well as the Dessau campus. Klee would become a major leader in color theory, a topic that he had mastered (see fig 2 &3). His lessons on color theory would later greatly impacting artists of the abstract expressionism movement and color field genre.

It was during that time where Klee would immerse himself in various genres. His subject matters would range from surrealist portraits (see fig 4) to geometric abstraction (see fig 5), in particular Orphic Abstraction which he became very fond of. However, as inconsistent his style would be, he always focuses on his composition and color tones.

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He explains  “Spacial art does not begin with a poetic mood or idea, (…). But with construction of one or more figures, with the harmonizing of several colors and tones, or with the devaluation of spatial relationships and so on.” (Paul Klee, Artnet)

By 1933, which Hitler achieving power, he was forced to flee Germany and moved back to Switzerland. Despite his absence in the country, his art was still exhibited as degenerate art in the Entartete Kunst exhibition in 1937. During his time in Switzerland, the quality and quantity of his art rapidly diminished due to a mix of poor finance and health. By 1935, he was diagnosed with scleroderma which led to a complete halt of painting. However, by 1937, his health improved and he was able to get back to work. His last pieces before his death in 1940 were heavily influenced by Pablo Picasso. He had simplified many of the refined details present in his previous pieces (see fig.6)

What makes Paul Klee a fascinating artists and one of the most important of the 20th century was because he did not belong to any movement. But for each one he dabbled in, he would show extreme skill and expertise.He also had a huge effect on our present knowledge of colour theory which is a principal in every illustration, painting and design. 

Work Cited

Franciscono, Marcel. “Paul Klee.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 23 Oct. 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/Paul-Klee.

“Paul Klee.” 139 Artworks, Bio & Shows on Artsy, www.artsy.net/artist/paul-klee.

“Paul Klee.” Artnet, www.artnet.com/artists/paul-klee/.

“Paul Klee.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 13 Apr. 2019, www.biography.com/artist/paul-klee.

Rewald, Sabine. “Paul Klee (1879–1940).” Metmuseum.org, Oct. 2004, www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/klee/hd_klee.htm.

Tate. “Paul Klee 1879-1940.” Tate, 1 Jan. 1970, www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/paul-klee-1417.

Images:

Fig. 1 “Paul Klee.” Artnet, www.artnet.com/artists/paul-klee/.

Fig 2. Rewald, Sabine. “Paul Klee (1879–1940).” Metmuseum.org, Oct. 2004, www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/klee/hd_klee.htm.

Fig 3. Rewald, Sabine. “Paul Klee (1879–1940).” Metmuseum.org, Oct. 2004, www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/klee/hd_klee.htm.

Fig 4. Rewald, Sabine. “Paul Klee (1879–1940).” Metmuseum.org, Oct. 2004, www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/klee/hd_klee.htm.

Fig 5. “Paul Klee.” Artnet, www.artnet.com/artists/paul-klee/.

Fig 6. “Death and Fire.” Paul-Klee, http://www.paul-klee.org/death-and-fire/

Band-Aids can’t fix this problem

We’ve all seen them, bought them and worn them. Band-Aids have always been a part of our lives, unless you were born before 1920. Most people even know the iconic chant “I am stuck on Band-Aid brand’ cause Band-Aid is stuck on me”. Band-Aids have always come to our savings. They are iconic and a staple in every household.

Band-Aids (fig.1) were invented by Earle Dickson in 1920, an employee at the time at Johnsons and Johnsons Co. The idea came to mind when Dickson noticed his wife struggling to constantly apply new bandages to her hands and fingers as she constantly burned herself while cooking dinner. Bandages before Band-Aid consisted of a separate gauze attached with tape. Both had to be cut and placed by an individual. Bandages never stayed tacky for long and could be removed with the slightest touch of water.

Earle decided then to reinvent bandages by creating a ready-made product, easy to apply and long wearing. By doing so, he also re-invented the process (fig.2). He invented the Band-Aid by attached a gauze the centre of a strip and sterilized it. After the approval of the first prototype by Johnson and Johnson, Band-Aids were sold all across America. Contrary to what many might think, Band-Aids didn’t sell well. So the marketing team led by Harry Webber sold them to Boy Scouts and used that as a publicity stunt. Soon Band-Aids were flying off the shelves.

Band-Aids were sold as “Neat, Flesh-Colored, Almost Invisible” (fig.3) which polarized and discriminated people of colour. They were flesh coloured and almost invisible to only white people. This did not go unnoticed. Many began to protest Johnson and Johnson lack of inclusivity and the blunt and racist disregard for humans of skin tone other then light pink. Artist like Preston Wilcox mocked the brand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX8aK0ZsQHo

Even with all the backlash received, Band-Aid did not change or add any other skin tone. Harry Webber described the problem as a “non-issue” due to the fact that Johnson & Johnson were directing their products to a majority demographic. To this day, with the many varieties of Band-Aids Johnson & Johnson have produced, not one was fit to cater to darker skin tones.

Work Cited

“Band-Aid.” The American Heritage Dictionary of Medicine, edited by Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries, Houghton Mifflin, 2nd edition, 2015. Credo Reference, https://ezproxy.capilanou.ca/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/hmmedicaldict/band_aid/0?institutionId=6884. Accessed 06 Nov. 2019.

Bellis, Mary. “History of Band-Aids: From Earle Dickson to Boy Scouts.” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 2 Mar. 2019, www.thoughtco.com/history-of-the-band-aid-1991345.

Malo, Sebastien. “The Story of the Black Band-Aid.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 7 Feb. 2018, www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/06/the-story-of-the-black-band-aid/276542/.

“ Our History.” BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages – Brand Heritage, web.archive.org/web/20130615114556/http://www.band-aid.com/brand-heritage.

Images and Video

Fig.1 Margaret, et al. “BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages Tins!” Kilmer House, 19 Apr. 2013, www.kilmerhouse.com/2013/04/collect-a-piece-of-johnson-johnson-history-band-aid-brand-adhesive-bandages-tins.

Fig.2 Margaret, et al. “BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages Tins!” Kilmer House, 19 Apr. 2013, www.kilmerhouse.com/2013/04/collect-a-piece-of-johnson-johnson-history-band-aid-brand-adhesive-bandages-tins.

Fig.3 “Band-Aid Plastic Strips Commercial (1955).” YouTube, 1995, www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX8aK0ZsQHo.

Fig.4 Malo, Sebastien. “The Story of the Black Band-Aid.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 7 Feb. 2018, www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/06/the-story-of-the-black-band-aid/276542/.

Otto Dix

Born on the 2nd of December 1889, Otto Dix is one of the most infamous German expressionist painters. Otto began his artistic career as an apprentice for Dresden, a decorative artist. Years later, similar to many expressionistic artists, World War deeply effected and disturbed Otto personally and artistically. The Great War for him had resulted in a “cycle of 50 etchings, aquatints, and drypoint(…) “(Otto Dix, 2018)), all of which showcased the brutality, fear and trauma caused by the war. Through his technique of harsh, quick and aggressive lines and exaggerated expressions, seen in pieces such as The War (1923) and Wounded Man (1924), Otto enabled a reaction from the viewers and evoked a bone chilling sensation.

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A peice that exemplifies this as its simplest is Crater Field (1927). By covering his pieces mostly by pure black, with only few pure white spaces glimpsing through, Dix creates an environment that seems to be swallowed by darkness. His simple open blank lines, contrasting strongly with the overpowering black, translates into trenches of human flesh and bones. Although it might not be obvious to some what exactly is represented in the piece, the simple shapes and perfect use of black always translate into a nightmarish sentiments (see fig.3).

Through his many artworks about war, Otto had become part of the Neue Sachlichkeit movement. He had also been assigned professor of the Academy of Dresden. It was during his time there had be become obsessed with the style and technique of the Old Masters. Amongst his favourite were Durer, Hans Green and Lucas Cranach. He adopted the technique of the Renaissance artists by layering tempera on canvas. And instead of painting morbid scenes of WW1 and the aftermath, Otto painted caricatural portraits (see fig.4) .

Shortly after his association to the Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity) movement, Otto art was classified as disgraceful as it went against the rising political party. He was consequently banned from exhibiting, teaching and had 260 removed. By 1939, Otto was sentenced life imprisonment for conspiring a plot against Hitler. Luckily, he was drafted as a guard after serving 6 years of his sentence.

Despite the state of Germany during the Second World War, and his own personal treatment within the country, Otto Dix stayed but his style had drastically changed. He began painting simple landscapes and religious, christian specifically, themes all to stay within the traditional style. This change was also consciously done to stay safe from the strict Nazi Regimen and to be able to continue his practice. Otto Dix later died the 25th of July 1969.

Work Cited:

Orley, Heidi. “Otto Dix.” Moma, 2018, www.moma.org/artists/1559?locale=en&page=&direction=.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Otto Dix.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 21 July 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/Otto-Dix.

“Otto Dix.” Artnet, www.artnet.com/artists/otto-dix/?sort=10.

“Otto Dix.” National Gallery of Canada, www.gallery.ca/collection/artist/otto-dix.

Image:

Figure 1. Dix, Otto. The War. 1923. Etching. Moma, Queens.

Figure 2. Otto. Wounded Man. 1924. Etching. Moma, Queens.

Figure 3. Otto. Crater Field. 1927. Etching. Moma, Queens.

Figure 4. Otto. Dr. Mayer-Hermann. 1926. Etching. Moma, Queens.

Figure 5. Otto. Blick auf Öhningen und Stein am Rhein. 1947. Artnet. http://www.artnet.com/artists/otto-dix/blick-auf-öhningen-und-stein-am-rhein-klxnyf_5_RJH6UeN2SxqMA2. Etching. 28 October 2019.

The greedy cause of World War I

World War I, also known as the Great War, ravaged Europe as it hadn’t been seen before. With 37 million causalities, declaring it a catastrophe is an understatement. Although it has been over 100 years since, the debate on what caused WWI has continued. Was it the Austrians? The Germans? The multiple treaties pulling everyone along? It might be easy to point fingers, but the causes are endless. For those reasons, I chose to focus on 1 main geopolitical causes of the war – securing the States politics through geographical space. 

For as long as power and politics have existed, acquiring territory has been a main goal. Expanding a countries region only increases its vitality. More land meant more natural resources (fauna and flora), natural boundaries, a larger population and more sea connections, important for commerce. In the 20th century, Britain and France were leading forces in colonization. With 79.2 million km2 of land colonized, Britain (owned) 41.3%. As the saying goes its “The Empire on which the sun never sets”. This resulted in a high commerce rate, allied forces and diverse natural resources. Furthermore Britain was surrounded by water, easing commerce even more. 

The French were also well off. They had allot of land in Africa, and had recently acquire both Alsace and Loraine territory. But greed for power never ended, and neither did the greed for more territory. It was a race that each and every country in Europe wanted to win. This caused immense conflict and tension between the countries, which in effect, enabled the start of the war. It might have not been a direct cause, but the war was the perfect setting to expand their territory. 

The countries with less colonial and territorial power and influence saw an even greater opportunity to attain more land. Germany in particular with only 3.3% of the 79 million km2 colonized. Germany had the mentality of becoming the greatest European power but didn’t have the resources and allies to do so. The war, contrary to what we now know, was believed to help them gain more land with the help of the Central Powers. In other terms, they bit off more then they could chew.

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Due to the relentless desire to be the greatest, each country was slowly stepping on each others toes. Blinding by greed, they saw war as a economical and political opportunity instead of a threat to humanity.

Work cited:

GPF Staff. “Origins of World War I.” Geopolitical Futures, 19 Apr. 2019, geopoliticalfutures.com/origins-world-war/.

Management, Posted By: Confluence Investment. “WWI Reflections: Geopolitics And Markets.” ValueWalk, 28 Aug. 2014, www.valuewalk.com/2014/08/wwi-reflections-geopolitics-markets/.

Royde-Smith, John Graham, and Dennis E. Showalter. “World War I.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1 Nov. 2019, www.britannica.com/event/World-War-I.

Terán, Carlos   E. Flores. The 1914 European Outbreak . Fordham University, Apr. 2013.

Images:

Figure1.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4e/98/3d/4e983dcc4074f8c34bd0212fb22c77d1.jpg

Figure 2.

https://www.vox.com/2014/5/8/5691954/colonialism-collapse-gif-imperialism

Gustave Moreau was born on the 6th of April 1826 in Paris, France. Although he was born into an artistic family, Moreau only began to show interest in art, especially Byzantine and Early Renaissance, by 1841 during his visit to Italy. He decided to pursue a career in art by studying under Neoclassical painter François-Édouard Pico and soon after at the École des Beaux Arts. It was during that time where he met Theodore Chassériau, a former apprentice of Ingres. Moreau was deeply influenced by Chassériau, especially with his manner of “combining elements of neo-classical and romantic aesthetics.” (Gustave, 2018). Chassériau and Moreau became incredibly close friends, until 1856 where Chassériau died. 

Following the death of his close friend, Moreau travelled around Italy, becoming increasingly inspired by Mannerism and Renaissance painting. It was also during his travels where he befriended Edgar Degas. This also was a crucial moment in the development of his style. In 1864, Moreau produced his most important piece – Oedipus and the Sphinx (1864). This piece displays best his subtle yet effective use of symbolism with the fig tree, the snake and butterfly, preserving the mystery of it all. It also presents the heavy influence his Italy trip had on his style,  tying back to the Renaissance period. Best said by Anna Souter from The Art Story, Moreau perfectly presented 

On the one hand, the Realism of Gustave Courbet, which stressed the depiction of real people and subject matter, and on the other, Naturalism, whose concern with capturing precisely what the eye saw culminated in the formal innovations of Impressionism.

Oedipus and the Sphinx stationed Moreau as a concrete member of the art society. Moreau’s style stayed relatively similar till the late 1870 where he began adopting watercolour and an impressionist brushwork. He also began to center his focus on beautiful woman ornate with vivid jewels whilst still keeping to his symbolic and religious elements. My favorite piece of his exemplifying the change is The Toilette (1885). 

The Toilette showcases his perfected watercolour technique. The background is simply leading the eye to the foreground. A sensational woman decorated with jewelled tapestry. The reds, blues and gold are so saturated and not overused. And even with hush quick brushwork, Moreau is able to create shapes, shadows and extreme detail. It is messy yet no element is lost in the chaos. Moreau honed his craft and balance. 

Like Goya, Moreau’s art is one hard to define. Although his brushwork might reflect one of an impressionist, it is countered with Neoclassical elements and symbolic references. But what makes Moreau special is how he creates art  “where everything in it is elevated, inspiring, moral and beneficent; where all is imaginative and impulsive soaring off into sacred, unknown, mysterious lands.” (The Art of Gustave Moreau).

Cited Work

Figure 2. “ Oedipus and the Sphinx.” Metmuseum.org, www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/21.134.1/.

“The Art of Gustave Moreau.” The Art of Gustave Moreau | Musée Gustave Moreau, en.musee-moreau.fr/art-gustave-moreau.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Gustave Moreau.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 14 Apr. 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/Gustave-Moreau.

“Gustave Moreau.” Artnet, www.artnet.com/artists/gustave-moreau/.

Figure 1. “Gustave Moreau.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Oct. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustave_Moreau#/media/File:GustaveMoreau02.jpg.

Souter, Anna. “Gustave Moreau Biography, Life & Quotes.” Edited by Greg Thomas, The Art Story, 10 Feb. 2018, www.theartstory.org/artist/moreau-gustave/life-and-legacy/#biography_header.

Figure 3. “The Toilette – Gustave Moreau.” USEUM, useum.org/artwork/The-Toilette-Gustave-Moreau-1885.