Art Appreciation December 2014 Mediterranean Inspiration A Trip Around the World

Art Appreciation - A Trip Around the World 3 rd Stop: The Mediterranean Charlotte, NC #1: Latin America #2: Africa #3: Mediterranean “The Mediterranean” refers to the Mediterranean Sea itself and the countries with a boarder on that sea. Its natural beauty and appealing climate make it a popular destination for artists. Mediterranean Sea

Mediterranean Inspiration Claude Monet The Mediterranean, 1888 Claude Monet Oil on canvas As an impressionist painter, Monet strived to “paint light” On a trip to the area with fellow artist Renoir, Monet was impressed by the “extraordinary quality of light” in the Mediterranean Impressionists like Monet preferred to paint “en plein air” (outdoors), for which the Mediterranean climate is ideal much of the year

Mediterranean Inspiration Mary Cassatt The Boating Party, Mary Cassatt Oil on canvas National Gallery, Washington DC Cassatt, an American artist, spent many summers on the Mediterranean coast Under its “intense sun” she began to experiment with harder, more decorative color This painting, one of Cassatt’s most ambitious, was the centerpiece of her first solo art exhibition in the United States

Mediterranean Inspiration Paul Signac The Port of Saint-Tropez, 1901 Paul Signac Oil on canvas National Museum of Western Art - Tokyo, Japan Signac was so impressed with the Mediterranean on his 1 st trip that he ended up spending every summer in the region Often painted Mediterranean scenes in a style called Pointillism, which means using tiny distinct dots of color to form an image Capturing the effects of light was extremely important to this style

Mediterranean Inspiration Paul Signac (con’t) St. Tropez, Pinewood, 1896 Paul Signac Oil on canvas St. Tropez Sunset, 2011 Eupdeia.com – Travel Brochure Photograph Signac bought a villa in St. Tropez and painted this picture nearby in 1896 His goal was show the impact of light, one dot a time Compare Signac’s painted light effects to those in an actual photo of modern day St. Tropez

Mediterranean Inspiration Henri Matisse Open Window, Collioure, 1905 Henri Matisse Oil on canvas National Gallery, Washington DC Matisse first visited the Mediterranean in 1904 when he was 34; he loved it so much he permanently relocated to the area This painting was done looking out of his window into the Mediterranean Sea His use of “unnatural” colors caused outrage when this painting was shown in Paris, where art critics were more accustomed to somber realistic color choices

Mediterranean Inspiration Raoul Dufy Dusk at La Baie des Anges, Nice, 1932 Raoul Dufy Oil on canvas MOMA, New York City This painting was done in a stenographic style using skeletal structures, a foreshortened perspective, and thin quick washes of color Dufy often used Mediterranean views for inspiration, such of this one overlooking the Bay of Angels in France – compare to the modern photo of the same area Bay of Angels, Nice, France, 2009 Brian Lawrence Photograph

Mediterranean Inspiration Raoul Dufy (con’t) Moroccan Café, 1940 Raoul Dufy Oil on canvas Dufy enjoyed painting cheerful events and scenes of leisure, which caused him to be taken less seriously as an artist This painting was inspired by a 1924 trip to Morocco. The trip was given to Dufy by a fashion designer for whom he had painted Also in the stenographic style, it was a step away from the impressionist paintings popular at the time

Mediterranean Inspiration Pablo Picasso Mediterranean Landscape, 1952 Pablo Picasso Oil on panel Albertina, Vienna, Austria By his late 30’s Picasso was spending every summer in the Mediterranean; he moved there permanently in his 60’s and continued to paint there until his death at age 91 Picasso’s later works, like this one painted at age 71, were a mix of his earlier styles (cubism, neoclassical, surrealist, etc.) but with even more daring use of bold color

Art Appreciation - A Trip Around the World Next Stop: RUSSIA Charlotte, NC #1: Latin America #2: Africa #3: Mediterranean #4: Russia