April 4th, 2017
Modernism is a movement known to many as 'mode of thinking'. Its the movement which many artists especially women decided to break the norms and prove their place in a patriarchal society. After the 19th Amendment was pronounced, many women were energized to fight and express themselves. As the Guerrilla Girls explains further, "In western art, movements and 'isms' appeared, one after another: impressionism, postimpressionism, fauvism, cubism, futurism, constructivism, dada-ism, surrealism, expressionism, abstract expressionism, etc. Put them all together and what we get? 'Modernism'"(59). As explained in the quote above, Modernism is a period of time that was developed in several different art styles and creativity. Women were trying to find their chance to take over their rights and take over their work that was credited to other men.
As abstraction arose during the 20th century, it viewed many more colorful paintings than ever presented before. As stated "Abstraction in painting and sculpture developed simultaneously in a number of european capitals during the first decade of this century" (Chadwick 252). What made abstraction so different and special was the colors and the vivid lines, some had geometry shapes as well, and other were painting that was very soft and thin brush lines. Sonia Trek Delaunay is actually part of starting on abstraction, she was born 1885 and died 1974. She was born in Russia, but adopted later and was sent off to study art in Paris. She stopped painting for a while, and the reason was her husband, although she was a big part of his paintings she is not credited. After her death she rises up again and starting painting her own. As quoted from Sonia, "I have led three lives: one for Robert, one for my son and grandsons, a shorter one for myself. I don't regret not having given myself more attention. I really did not have the time" (Guerrilla Girls 61).
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Sonia Delaunay, Couverture de Berceau, 1911 |
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Sonia Delaunay, Prismes Electriques, 1913-1914
The painting most important element is the colors, how she brought simple
shapes into life, where w viewer can feel the discs moving.
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Impressionism, is another style that started in the Modernism era. Where painters started to go even further with their imaginations, where the viewer would see a totally different, softer, and even illusionary sometimes. Berthe Morisot, Eva Gonzales, Mary Cassatt and Susan MacDowel Eakins are all impressionist artists whose work still living and incredibly amazing till today. Each and everyone of these artists has a unique and different story that changed and had an impact on all women artists.
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Eva Gonzales, Pink Morning, 1874
The painting is drawn with very thin brush lines, not very focused ones as well.
Although the painting barley has any sharp lines, one can see the painting very clearly.
One can also depict some details that are not clear. What the painting got many confused was the
angle this picture is viewed from. The fact that one can see the back and side of the chair as if the painter is looking
from behind is not matching how we can also see the full dress and her front hand. Also the fact the one can see the basket besides the chair.
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Mary Cassatt, A Cup of Tea, C1880
The painting presents a regular sitting between two women, and
of coarse because women's only place in society was at home, that is
how the artist put it, two women wearing many clothes, and drinking tea together.
What is very uncomfortable about the painting is also the angle in which we should view.
One should be sitting with them, so that his view would be the level of these two women's eyes,
although one can see these two women, one can also see the top of plate that is holding the tea.
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Claude Cahun, Self-Portrait, 1929, Zabriskie Gallery.
"Boy and Girl Together"
She gives two different pictures of one person, to contradict what many people
believe about how different women and men are, and how different their roles should be in the society,
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