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The aim of this paper is to discuss the extent of impact Pablo Picasso’s, The Demoiselles d'Avignon has upon the modernist movement.
In order to discuss the effect s of one of Picasso’s works directly to modernism, firstly modernism must be defined, how the Cubist movement evolved and most importantly how was the art received in society.
The modernist movement emerged in the mid-19th century in France. It is suggested that it began specifically in 1863 with the arrival of Edourad Manet’s Dejeuner Sur L’herbe. The oil painting categorically marks a new beginning out of the renaissance. Most noticeably, perspective space was experimented with. From a single view-point the visual planes adjusted to no longer conform to mathematical principles.
Modernism exploded to a cultural movement as a collection of artists and designers who rebelled against academic, historic traditions and conformities.
With the rejection of pre-modern art came the freedom of expression. In the early stages of the avant-garde, women were portrayed with realism and fault, truthfulness unlike the highly polished angels previously depicted. Dante Gabriel Rosseti Venus Verticordia contrasted to Ewourad Manet’s Olympia is a example to the subtle changes that would occur later in art history.
Radical changes occurred gradually in form and content of art. Elements of art, principles of design and physical materials became more flexible in personal choice. Subject matter of content opened up moving away from renaissance themes. The artists portrayal and what it actually portrayed became controversial issues for discussion. Constantin Brancusi Bird in Space, 1923 is a prime example of a new thinking. Brancusi's inspired abstraction realizes his stated intent to capture "the essence of flight." Although the sculpture in no way resembles any of the physical attributes of a feathered creature, I believe in some way, he has captured a specific action and filtered out everything that would obscure this vision. In effect art became more than an aesthetically pleasing visual. Matisse, Henri Le bonheur de vivre (The Joy of Life) 1905. The use of strong vivid colours covers the canvas eloping the viewer into Matisse’s sexual “dreamy” encounter.
In 1908 Cubism was established by the stunned Henri Matisse. The Cézanneist works of George Braque formulated the essential syntax of cubism through use of petit cubes. Together with Pablo Picasso a young Spanish prodigy, a transformation in cubism occurred, creating ‘ligua tranca’ the new language of art. Shattering the conventions of renaissance perspective, it amounted to a break of the ancient system of fixed unitary, hierarchical focus into democratically multiple perspectives. The subject matter was perceived from numerous angels by slicing the planar components and re-shuffling the order. External reality was dismissed now obeying the internal laws of the painting seen strongly in proto-cubism painting such as Picasso’s woman with a mandolin 1909. The new language of communication was flexible enough to accommodate the expressions of utopian aspirations of De Stijl, also the psychosexual sexual dream of surrealists. The movement brought an aesthetic break-through which influenced many artists directly and indirectly. This will be covered in detail later in the paper. Marcel Duchamp, Nude Descending a Staircase 1912.
In 1906, Two Nudes produced by Picasso marks the extreme point of heavy, primitive, sculptural modelling. The geometric angularity of faces accompanied by the plastic simplicity suggests a complete break from Picasso’s Rose period. Woman Ironing 1904.The conceptual form of the Two Nudes is similar to that found in African sculpture, Greek vase painting and Egyptian art. (Source 1&2) This influence is later found in The Demoiselles d'Avignon,1907” Picasso’s first masterpiece”. (quote book). The early sketches of Demoiselles depict an encounter at a brothel with five women, a sailor and a doctor. As Picasso developed his sketches which he posthumerously released, it became apparent in the transition it was a genesis in autobiographical allegory of innocence and experience. However during this process of trial and error Andre Salmon claimed that
“Picasso was unsettled. He turned his canvas to the wall and laid down his brushes…During the long days and as many nights, he drew, giving more concrete expression to abstract ideas and reducing the results to their fundamentals”
It is apparent from Andre Salmom’s words that Picasso clearly wanted to move beyond the mind numbing clichés of old narrative mode. It wasn’t until Picasso’s visit to Paris Musee du Trocadero at the African sculpture exhibition, he had an epiphany
“I realised what painting was all about...They were magic things…They were against everything-against unknown, threatening spirits…I understood why I was a painter…It was my first exorcism painting- yes absolutely.”
William Rubin, art historian, collector and curator pointed out that Picasso recaptured the projects original meaning through medium of style not the narrative illustration. Regenerated, Picasso returned to his canvas with enthusiasm. The finished result was profound; the first
Cubist picture was produced. However it was obscured by the savagery of images, the handling looks more akin to expressionist feeling than early manifestation of Cubism’s calm, methodical procedures and intellectual content.
Concluding why the doctor and sailor were absent from the final painting, Picasso attempted to communicate through his use of style opposed to the narrative which only served as a distraction from the underlying concept. Picasso later discovered that the subject need not be identifiable through use of shape, but left clues to what was deeply disguised. Man with pipe 1911.
Braque, Picasso’s spiritual partner in later developed Analytic Cubism, was working towards breaking down the Demoiselles forms, then reconstructing form in terms of planar components. Braque’s initial opinion of The Demoiselles of d'Avignon was
“Made [me] feel as if someone were drinking gasoline and spitting fire”
A bizarre description for a bizarre painting. It wasn’t until the 1930’s Demoiselles impressed perceptive and informed critics and praised it as “a transitional picture”. Picasso was politically lucky to escape the Soviet Communist views condemning modern art as narcissistic and non-sensencial. The political party claimed that the art was created by mental ill who possessed traits of schizophrenia.
Did Demoiselles begin the aesthetic breakthrough abstract art or was it a break down? Was it the bridge between modernist and pre-modernist linking the primal scene and modern primitivism? Did Picasso psychologically regress until he defragmented a singular perception?
Steinberg commented that the rationale of this transformation occurred due to a
“Trauma of sexual encounter”
Did Picasso suffer from Femme Fatale, a fixation developed from frequently visiting prostitutes?
“if we give spirits form, we become independent”
Picasso’s painted witches would suggest that he himself fears mortality. As stated previously, the doctor and sailor have been replaced by the painted faces of the women which dramatically protrude on the canvas. I would suggest that Picasso has given form to a fear, the fear of death of sexual diseases which is the reason behind the “exorcism painting”.
In order to discuss the effect s of one of Picasso’s works directly to modernism, firstly modernism must be defined, how the Cubist movement evolved and most importantly how was the art received in society.
The modernist movement emerged in the mid-19th century in France. It is suggested that it began specifically in 1863 with the arrival of Edourad Manet’s Dejeuner Sur L’herbe. The oil painting categorically marks a new beginning out of the renaissance. Most noticeably, perspective space was experimented with. From a single view-point the visual planes adjusted to no longer conform to mathematical principles.
Modernism exploded to a cultural movement as a collection of artists and designers who rebelled against academic, historic traditions and conformities.
With the rejection of pre-modern art came the freedom of expression. In the early stages of the avant-garde, women were portrayed with realism and fault, truthfulness unlike the highly polished angels previously depicted. Dante Gabriel Rosseti Venus Verticordia contrasted to Ewourad Manet’s Olympia is a example to the subtle changes that would occur later in art history.
Radical changes occurred gradually in form and content of art. Elements of art, principles of design and physical materials became more flexible in personal choice. Subject matter of content opened up moving away from renaissance themes. The artists portrayal and what it actually portrayed became controversial issues for discussion. Constantin Brancusi Bird in Space, 1923 is a prime example of a new thinking. Brancusi's inspired abstraction realizes his stated intent to capture "the essence of flight." Although the sculpture in no way resembles any of the physical attributes of a feathered creature, I believe in some way, he has captured a specific action and filtered out everything that would obscure this vision. In effect art became more than an aesthetically pleasing visual. Matisse, Henri Le bonheur de vivre (The Joy of Life) 1905. The use of strong vivid colours covers the canvas eloping the viewer into Matisse’s sexual “dreamy” encounter.
In 1908 Cubism was established by the stunned Henri Matisse. The Cézanneist works of George Braque formulated the essential syntax of cubism through use of petit cubes. Together with Pablo Picasso a young Spanish prodigy, a transformation in cubism occurred, creating ‘ligua tranca’ the new language of art. Shattering the conventions of renaissance perspective, it amounted to a break of the ancient system of fixed unitary, hierarchical focus into democratically multiple perspectives. The subject matter was perceived from numerous angels by slicing the planar components and re-shuffling the order. External reality was dismissed now obeying the internal laws of the painting seen strongly in proto-cubism painting such as Picasso’s woman with a mandolin 1909. The new language of communication was flexible enough to accommodate the expressions of utopian aspirations of De Stijl, also the psychosexual sexual dream of surrealists. The movement brought an aesthetic break-through which influenced many artists directly and indirectly. This will be covered in detail later in the paper. Marcel Duchamp, Nude Descending a Staircase 1912.
In 1906, Two Nudes produced by Picasso marks the extreme point of heavy, primitive, sculptural modelling. The geometric angularity of faces accompanied by the plastic simplicity suggests a complete break from Picasso’s Rose period. Woman Ironing 1904.The conceptual form of the Two Nudes is similar to that found in African sculpture, Greek vase painting and Egyptian art. (Source 1&2) This influence is later found in The Demoiselles d'Avignon,1907” Picasso’s first masterpiece”. (quote book). The early sketches of Demoiselles depict an encounter at a brothel with five women, a sailor and a doctor. As Picasso developed his sketches which he posthumerously released, it became apparent in the transition it was a genesis in autobiographical allegory of innocence and experience. However during this process of trial and error Andre Salmon claimed that
“Picasso was unsettled. He turned his canvas to the wall and laid down his brushes…During the long days and as many nights, he drew, giving more concrete expression to abstract ideas and reducing the results to their fundamentals”
It is apparent from Andre Salmom’s words that Picasso clearly wanted to move beyond the mind numbing clichés of old narrative mode. It wasn’t until Picasso’s visit to Paris Musee du Trocadero at the African sculpture exhibition, he had an epiphany
“I realised what painting was all about...They were magic things…They were against everything-against unknown, threatening spirits…I understood why I was a painter…It was my first exorcism painting- yes absolutely.”
William Rubin, art historian, collector and curator pointed out that Picasso recaptured the projects original meaning through medium of style not the narrative illustration. Regenerated, Picasso returned to his canvas with enthusiasm. The finished result was profound; the first
Cubist picture was produced. However it was obscured by the savagery of images, the handling looks more akin to expressionist feeling than early manifestation of Cubism’s calm, methodical procedures and intellectual content.
Concluding why the doctor and sailor were absent from the final painting, Picasso attempted to communicate through his use of style opposed to the narrative which only served as a distraction from the underlying concept. Picasso later discovered that the subject need not be identifiable through use of shape, but left clues to what was deeply disguised. Man with pipe 1911.
Braque, Picasso’s spiritual partner in later developed Analytic Cubism, was working towards breaking down the Demoiselles forms, then reconstructing form in terms of planar components. Braque’s initial opinion of The Demoiselles of d'Avignon was
“Made [me] feel as if someone were drinking gasoline and spitting fire”
A bizarre description for a bizarre painting. It wasn’t until the 1930’s Demoiselles impressed perceptive and informed critics and praised it as “a transitional picture”. Picasso was politically lucky to escape the Soviet Communist views condemning modern art as narcissistic and non-sensencial. The political party claimed that the art was created by mental ill who possessed traits of schizophrenia.
Did Demoiselles begin the aesthetic breakthrough abstract art or was it a break down? Was it the bridge between modernist and pre-modernist linking the primal scene and modern primitivism? Did Picasso psychologically regress until he defragmented a singular perception?
Steinberg commented that the rationale of this transformation occurred due to a
“Trauma of sexual encounter”
Did Picasso suffer from Femme Fatale, a fixation developed from frequently visiting prostitutes?
“if we give spirits form, we become independent”
Picasso’s painted witches would suggest that he himself fears mortality. As stated previously, the doctor and sailor have been replaced by the painted faces of the women which dramatically protrude on the canvas. I would suggest that Picasso has given form to a fear, the fear of death of sexual diseases which is the reason behind the “exorcism painting”.
posted by Zoe @ 10:38 AM
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