Art of Central Asia
99-420: Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition , emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage of time), ordinary subject matter, unusual visual angles, and inclusion of movement as a crucial element of human perception and experience. Impressionism originated with
198-516: A brighter style of painting was gradual. During the 1860s, Monet and Renoir sometimes painted on canvases prepared with the traditional red-brown or grey ground. By the 1870s, Monet, Renoir, and Pissarro usually chose to paint on grounds of a lighter grey or beige colour, which functioned as a middle tone in the finished painting. By the 1880s, some of the Impressionists had come to prefer white or slightly off-white grounds, and no longer allowed
297-446: A brushable solution . The ingredients and processes of violin varnish are very diverse, with some highly regarded old examples showing defects (e.g. cracking, crazing) associated with incompatible varnish components. Some violin finishing systems use vernice bianca (egg white and gum arabic) as a sealer or ground. There is also evidence that finely powdered minerals, possibly volcanic ash, were used in some grounds. Some violins made in
396-522: A colour (while Impressionists avoided its use and preferred to obtain darker colours by mixing), and never participated in the Impressionist exhibitions. He continued to submit his works to the Salon, where his painting Spanish Singer had won a 2nd class medal in 1861, and he urged the others to do likewise, arguing that "the Salon is the real field of battle" where a reputation could be made. Among
495-641: A cream designated for polishing bronze mirrors, and other formulas. Because of flammability concerns, many product containers list safety precautions for storage and disposal for varnishes and drying oils as they are flammable, and materials used to apply the varnishes may spontaneously combust. Many varnishes contain plant-derived oils (e.g. linseed oil ), synthetic oils (e.g. polyurethanes ) or resins as their binder in combination with organic solvents. These are flammable in their liquid state. All drying oils , certain alkyds (including paints ), and many polyurethanes produce heat (an exothermic reaction) during
594-477: A group of Paris -based artists whose independent exhibitions brought them to prominence during the 1870s and 1880s. The Impressionists faced harsh opposition from the conventional art community in France . The name of the style derives from the title of a Claude Monet work, Impression, soleil levant ( Impression, Sunrise ), which provoked the critic Louis Leroy to coin the term in a satirical 1874 review of
693-453: A harder, decidedly tougher and more waterproof film. However, a thick film of ordinary polyurethane may de-laminate if subjected to heat or shock, fracturing the film and leaving white patches. This tendency increases with long exposure to sunlight or when it is applied over soft woods like pine . This is also in part due to polyurethane's lesser penetration into the wood. Various priming techniques are employed to overcome this problem, including
792-482: A major role in this as he kept their work before the public and arranged shows for them in London and New York. Although Sisley died in poverty in 1899, Renoir had a great Salon success in 1879. Monet became secure financially during the early 1880s and so did Pissarro by the early 1890s. By this time the methods of Impressionist painting, in a diluted form, had become commonplace in Salon art. French painters who prepared
891-433: A metal drier to accelerate the drying. However, different types of varnish have different components. After being applied, the film-forming substances in varnishes either harden directly, as soon as the solvent has fully evaporated , or harden after evaporation of the solvent through curing processes, primarily chemical reaction between oils and oxygen from the air ( autoxidation ) and chemical reactions between components of
990-437: A modern note by emphasizing the isolation of individuals amid the outsized buildings and spaces of the urban environment. When painting landscapes, the Impressionists did not hesitate to include the factories that were proliferating in the countryside. Earlier painters of landscapes had conventionally avoided smokestacks and other signs of industrialization, regarding them as blights on nature's order and unworthy of art. Prior to
1089-456: A multitude of lacquers . Synthetic resins such as phenolic resin may be employed as a secondary component in certain varnishes and paints. Over centuries, many recipes were developed which involved the combination of resins, oils, and other ingredients such as certain waxes . These were believed to impart special tonal qualities to musical instruments and thus were sometimes carefully guarded secrets. The interaction of different ingredients
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#17327651810661188-553: A realistic nude in a contemporary setting. The jury's severely worded rejection of Manet's painting appalled his admirers, and the unusually large number of rejected works that year perturbed many French artists. After Emperor Napoleon III saw the rejected works of 1863, he decreed that the public be allowed to judge the work themselves, and the Salon des Refusés (Salon of the Refused) was organized. While many viewers came only to laugh,
1287-486: A role in the development of the style. Impressionists took advantage of the mid-century introduction of premixed paints in tin tubes (resembling modern toothpaste tubes), which allowed artists to work more spontaneously, both outdoors and indoors. Previously, painters made their own paints individually, by grinding and mixing dry pigment powders with linseed oil, which were then stored in animal bladders. Many vivid synthetic pigments became commercially available to artists for
1386-781: A social sphere but confined by the box and the man standing next to her. Cassatt's painting Young Girl at a Window is brighter in color but remains constrained by the canvas edge as she looks out the window. Despite their success in their ability to have a career and Impressionism's demise attributed to its allegedly feminine characteristics—its sensuality, dependence on sensation, physicality, and fluidity—the four women artists, and other, lesser-known women Impressionists, were largely omitted from art historical textbooks covering Impressionist artists until Tamar Garb's Women Impressionists published in 1986. For example, Impressionism by Jean Leymarie, published in 1955 included no information on any women Impressionists. Painter Androniqi Zengo Antoniu
1485-440: A straight oil finish, but because of the relatively slow curing time of oils, the emission of certain chemical byproducts, and the need for exposure to oxygen from the air, care must be taken that the oils are sufficiently cured to accept the polyurethane. One of the disadvantages of a polyurethane-based varnish is the tendency to yellow over time. This is because the hydroxyl groups of a regular alkyd are reacted with TDI to produce
1584-460: A tendency to yellow over a fairly short period of time. Used when a fast-curing, tough, hard finish is desired, such as for kitchen cabinets and office furniture. Comes in two parts: a resin and an acid catalyst. The first is a blend of an amino resin and an alkyd. The acid catalyst is added right before application in a set ratio determined by the manufacturer. Most produce minimal yellowing. There are, however, two downsides to this finish. The first
1683-438: A term with a broader connotation. As the names of many art movements use the -ism suffix (for example cubism and futurism ), they are sometimes referred to as isms . Varnish Varnish is a clear transparent hard protective coating or film. It is not to be confused with wood stain . It usually has a yellowish shade due to the manufacturing process and materials used, but it may also be pigmented as desired. It
1782-758: A true spar varnish maintained its elasticity above other virtues, even if this required a compromise in its UV-resistance. Spar varnishes are thus not necessarily the best choice for outdoor woodwork that does not need to bend in service. Despite this, the widespread perception of "marine products" as "tough" led to domestic outdoor varnishes being branded as "Spar varnish" and sold on the virtue of their weather- and UV-resistance. These claims may be more or less realistic, depending on individual products. Only relatively recently have spar varnishes been available that can offer both effective elasticity and UV-resistance. Drying oils, such as linseed and tung oil , are not true varnishes though often in modern terms they accomplish
1881-399: A urethane-alkyd. This introduces a high degree of aromaticity and hence tendency to yellow. Unlike drying oils and alkyds which cure after evaporation of the solvent and upon reaction with oxygen from the air, true polyurethane coatings cure after evaporation of the solvent and then either by a variety of reactions of chemicals within the original mix, or by reaction with moisture from
1980-425: A varnish effect by themselves. Originally, turpentine or alcohol was used to dissolve the resin and thin the drying oils. The invention of petroleum distillates has led to turpentine substitutes such as white spirit , paint thinner , and mineral spirit . Modern synthetic varnishes may be formulated with water instead of hydrocarbon solvents. Violin varnishing is a multi-step process involving some or all of
2079-470: A wide range of conditions and can be engineered to speed up the cure rate and thus harden faster. Usually this is by the use of metal salt driers such as cobalt salts. Better (and more expensive) exterior varnishes employ alkyds made from high performance oils and contain UV -absorbers; this improves gloss-retention and extends the lifetime of the finish. Various resins may also be combined with alkyds as part of
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#17327651810662178-461: Is Monet's Jardin à Sainte-Adresse , 1867, with its bold blocks of colour and composition on a strong diagonal slant showing the influence of Japanese prints. Edgar Degas was both an avid photographer and a collector of Japanese prints. His The Dance Class (La classe de danse) of 1874 shows both influences in its asymmetrical composition. The dancers are seemingly caught off guard in various awkward poses, leaving an expanse of empty floor space in
2277-474: Is a varnish. Thus, by far most pieces of wooden furniture are lacquered. Lacquer may be considered different from varnish because it can be re-dissolved later by a solvent (such as the one it was dissolved in when it was applied) and does not chemically change to a solid like other varnishes. Acrylic resin varnishes are typically water-borne varnishes with the lowest refractive index of all finishes and high transparency. They resist yellowing. Acrylics have
2376-460: Is co-credited with the introduction of impressionism to Albania. The central figures in the development of Impressionism in France, listed alphabetically, were: The Impressionists Among the close associates of the Impressionists, Victor Vignon is the only artist outside the group of prominent names who participated to the most exclusive Seventh Paris Impressionist Exhibition in 1882, which
2475-419: Is difficult to predict or reproduce, so expert finishers were often prized professionals. Shellac is a very widely used single-component resin varnish that is alcohol-soluble. It is not used for outdoor surfaces or where it will come into repeated contact with water, such as around a sink or bathtub. The source of shellac resin is a brittle or flaky secretion of the female lac insect, Kerria lacca , found in
2574-426: Is not dissolved in alcohol. Lacquer is dissolved in lacquer thinner, which is a highly flammable solvent typically containing butyl acetate and xylene or toluene . Lacquer is typically sprayed on, within a spray booth that evacuates overspray and minimizes the risk of combustion. The rule of thumb is that a clear wood finish formulated to be sprayed is a lacquer, but if it is formulated to be brushed on then it
2673-534: Is quite different from that which men see, and the art which they put in their gestures, in their toilet, in the decoration of their environment is sufficient to give is the idea of an instinctive, of a peculiar genius which resides in each one of them. While Impressionism legitimized the domestic social life as subject matter, of which women had intimate knowledge, it also tended to limit them to that subject matter. Portrayals of often-identifiable sitters in domestic settings, which could offer commissions, were dominant in
2772-486: Is sold commercially in various shades. Varnish is primarily used as a wood finish where, stained or not, the distinctive tones and grains in the wood are intended to be visible. Varnish finishes are naturally glossy , but satin/semi-gloss and flat sheens are available. The word "varnish" comes from Mediaeval Latin vernix , meaning odorous resin, perhaps derived from Middle Greek berōnikón or beroníkē , meaning amber or amber-colored glass. A false etymology traces
2871-401: Is typically available in "clear" and "amber" (or "orange") varieties, generally as "three-pound cut" or three pounds dry shellac to one US gallon of alcohol. Other natural color shades such as ruby and yellow are available from specialty pigment or woodworker's supply outlets. Dry shellac is available as refined flakes, "sticklac," "button lac," or "seedlac." "White pigmented" shellac primer paint
2970-491: Is widely available in retail outlets, billed as a fast-drying interior primer "problem solver", in that it adheres to a variety of surfaces and seals off odors and smoke stains. Shellac clean-up may be done either with pure alcohol or with ammonia cleansers. Modern commercially produced varnishes employ some form of alkyd for producing a protective film. Alkyds have good solvent, moisture and UV light resistance. Alkyds are chemically modified vegetable oils which operate well in
3069-618: The First Impressionist Exhibition published in the Parisian newspaper Le Charivari . The development of Impressionism in the visual arts was soon followed by analogous styles in other media that became known as Impressionist music and Impressionist literature . Radicals in their time, the early Impressionists violated the rules of academic painting. They constructed their pictures from freely brushed colours that took precedence over lines and contours, following
Impressionism - Misplaced Pages Continue
3168-623: The Realism of Courbet and the Barbizon school . A favourite meeting place for the artists was the Café Guerbois on Avenue de Clichy in Paris, where the discussions were often led by Édouard Manet , whom the younger artists greatly admired. They were soon joined by Camille Pissarro , Paul Cézanne , and Armand Guillaumin . During the 1860s, the Salon jury routinely rejected about half of
3267-702: The Renaissance —such as linear perspective and figure types derived from Classical Greek art —these artists produced escapist visions of a reassuringly ordered world. By the 1850s, some artists, notably the Realist painter Gustave Courbet , had gained public attention and critical censure by depicting contemporary realities without the idealization demanded by the Académie. In the early 1860s, four young painters— Claude Monet , Pierre-Auguste Renoir , Alfred Sisley , and Frédéric Bazille —met while studying under
3366-420: The curing process. Thus, oil-soaked rags and paper can smolder and ignite into flames, even several hours after use if proper precautions are not taken. Therefore, many manufacturers list proper disposal practices for rags and other items used to apply the finish, such as disposal in a water filled container. Varnish is traditionally a combination of a drying oil , a resin , and a thinner or solvent plus
3465-425: The "modern" period called contemporary art. The postmodern period began during late modernism (which is a contemporary continuation of modernism), and according to some theorists postmodernism ended in the 21st century. During the period of time corresponding to "modern art" each consecutive movement was often considered a new avant-garde . Also during the period of time referred to as "modern art" each movement
3564-475: The "purest" Impressionists, in their consistent pursuit of an art of spontaneity, sunlight, and colour. Degas rejected much of this, as he believed in the primacy of drawing over colour and belittled the practice of painting outdoors. Renoir turned away from Impressionism for a time during the 1880s, and never entirely regained his commitment to its ideas. Édouard Manet, although regarded by the Impressionists as their leader, never abandoned his liberal use of black as
3663-408: The 'Women Impressionists'. Their participation in the series of eight Impressionist exhibitions that took place in Paris from 1874 to 1886 varied: Morisot participated in seven, Cassatt in four, Bracquemond in three, and Gonzalès did not participate. The critics of the time lumped these four together without regard to their personal styles, techniques, or subject matter. Critics viewing their works at
3762-690: The 1879 exhibition, but also insisted on the inclusion of Jean-François Raffaëlli , Ludovic Lepic , and other realists who did not represent Impressionist practices, causing Monet in 1880 to accuse the Impressionists of "opening doors to first-come daubers". In this regard, the seventh Paris Impressionist exhibition in 1882 was the most selective of all including the works of only nine "true" impressionists, namely Gustave Caillebotte , Paul Gauguin , Armand Guillaumin , Claude Monet , Berthe Morisot , Camille Pissarro , Pierre-Auguste Renoir , Alfred Sisley , and Victor Vignon . The group then divided again over
3861-462: The Americas Art of Oceania An art movement is a tendency or style in art with a specific art philosophy or goal, followed by a group of artists during a specific period of time, (usually a few months, years or decades) or, at least, with the heyday of the movement defined within a number of years. Art movements were especially important in modern art , when each consecutive movement
3960-585: The French Impressionists lasted long after most of them had died. Artists like J.D. Kirszenbaum were borrowing Impressionist techniques throughout the twentieth century. As the influence of Impressionism spread beyond France, artists, too numerous to list, became identified as practitioners of the new style. Some of the more important examples are: Art movement Art of East Asia Art of South Asia Art of Southeast Asia Art of Europe Art of Africa Art of
4059-480: The Impressionists ", Leroy declared that Monet's painting was at most, a sketch, and could hardly be termed a finished work. He wrote, in the form of a dialogue between viewers, "Impression—I was certain of it. I was just telling myself that, since I was impressed, there had to be some impression in it ... and what freedom, what ease of workmanship! Wallpaper in its embryonic state is more finished than that seascape." The term Impressionist quickly gained favour with
Impressionism - Misplaced Pages Continue
4158-441: The Impressionists had captured a fresh and original vision, even if the art critics and art establishment disapproved of the new style. By recreating the sensation in the eye that views the subject, rather than delineating the details of the subject, and by creating a welter of techniques and forms, Impressionism is a precursor of various painting styles, including Neo-Impressionism , Post-Impressionism , Fauvism , and Cubism . In
4257-468: The Impressionists, other painters, notably such 17th-century Dutch painters as Jan Steen , had emphasized common subjects, but their methods of composition were traditional. They arranged their compositions so that the main subject commanded the viewer's attention. J. M. W. Turner , while an artist of the Romantic era , anticipated the style of impressionism with his artwork. The Impressionists relaxed
4356-541: The Salon des Refusés drew attention to the existence of a new tendency in art and attracted more visitors than the regular Salon. Artists' petitions requesting a new Salon des Refusés in 1867, and again in 1872, were denied. In December 1873, Monet , Renoir , Pissarro , Sisley , Cézanne , Berthe Morisot , Edgar Degas and several other artists founded the Société anonyme des artistes peintres, sculpteurs, graveurs, etc. to exhibit their artworks independently. Members of
4455-478: The academic artist Charles Gleyre . They discovered that they shared an interest in painting landscape and contemporary life rather than historical or mythological scenes. Following a practice—pioneered by artists such as the Englishman John Constable — that had become increasingly popular by mid-century, they often ventured into the countryside together to paint in the open air. Their purpose
4554-564: The advantage of water clean-up and lack of solvent fumes, but typically do not penetrate into wood as well as oils. They sometimes lack the brushability and self-leveling qualities of solvent-based varnishes. Generally they have good UV-resistance. In the art world, varnishes offer dust-resistance and a harder surface than bare paint – they sometimes have the benefit of ultraviolet light resistors, which help protect artwork from fading in exposure to light. Acrylic varnish should be applied using an isolation coat (a permanent, protective barrier between
4653-769: The air. Certain polyurethane products are "hybrids" and combine different aspects of their parent components. "Oil-modified" polyurethanes, whether water-borne or solvent-borne, are currently the most widely used wood floor finishes. Exterior use of polyurethane varnish may be problematic due to its heightened susceptibility to deterioration through ultra-violet light exposure. All clear or translucent varnishes, and indeed all film - polymer coatings (e.g. paint, stain , epoxy, synthetic plastic , etc.) are susceptible to this damage in varying degrees. Pigments in paints and stains protect against UV damage. UV-absorbers are added to polyurethane and other varnishes (e.g. spar varnish) to work against UV damage but are decreasingly effective over
4752-608: The artist's hand in the work. Colour was restrained and often toned down further by the application of a thick golden varnish . The Académie had an annual, juried art show, the Salon de Paris , and artists whose work was displayed in the show won prizes, garnered commissions, and enhanced their prestige. The standards of the juries represented the values of the Académie, represented by the works of such artists as Jean-Léon Gérôme and Alexandre Cabanel . Using an eclectic mix of techniques and formulas established in Western painting since
4851-560: The artists of the core group (minus Bazille, who had died in the Franco-Prussian War in 1870), defections occurred as Cézanne, followed later by Renoir, Sisley, and Monet, abstained from the group exhibitions so they could submit their works to the Salon. Disagreements arose from issues such as Guillaumin's membership in the group, championed by Pissarro and Cézanne against opposition from Monet and Degas, who thought him unworthy. Degas invited Mary Cassatt to display her work in
4950-561: The association were expected to forswear participation in the Salon. The organizers invited a number of other progressive artists to join them in their inaugural exhibition, including the older Eugène Boudin , whose example had first persuaded Monet to adopt plein air painting years before. Another painter who greatly influenced Monet and his friends, Johan Jongkind , declined to participate, as did Édouard Manet. In total, thirty artists participated in their first exhibition, held in April 1874 at
5049-462: The balance of power between women and objects in their paintings – the bourgeois women depicted are not defined by decorative objects, but instead, interact with and dominate the things with which they live. There are many similarities in their depictions of women who seem both at ease and subtly confined. Gonzalès' Box at the Italian Opera depicts a woman staring into the distance, at ease in
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#17327651810665148-399: The boundary between subject and background so that the effect of an Impressionist painting often resembles a snapshot, a part of a larger reality captured as if by chance. Photography was gaining popularity, and as cameras became more portable, photographs became more candid. Photography inspired Impressionists to represent momentary action, not only in the fleeting lights of a landscape, but in
5247-424: The concept of postmodernism , art movements are especially important during the period of time corresponding to modern art . The period of time called "modern art" is posited to have changed approximately halfway through the 20th century and art made afterward is generally called contemporary art . Postmodernism in visual art begins and functions as a parallel to late modernism and refers to that period after
5346-411: The course of 2–4 years, depending on the quantity and quality of UV-absorbers added, as well as the severity and duration of sun exposure. Water exposure, humidity, temperature extremes, and other environmental factors affect all finishes. The word lacquer refers to quick-drying, solvent-based varnishes or paints. Although their names may be similarly derived, lacquer is not the same as shellac and
5445-663: The curing process are emitted from the oil film even after it is dry to the touch and over a considerable period of time. It has long been a tradition to combine drying oils with resins to obtain favourable features of both substances. Many different kinds of resins may be used to create a varnish. Natural resins used for varnish include amber , kauri gum , dammar , copal , rosin ( colophony or pine resin), sandarac , balsam , elemi , mastic , and shellac . Varnish may also be created from synthetic resins such as acrylic , alkyd , or polyurethane . A varnish formula might not contain any added resins at all since drying oils can produce
5544-581: The day-to-day lives of people. The development of Impressionism can be considered partly as a reaction by artists to the challenge presented by photography, which seemed to devalue the artist's skill in reproducing reality. Both portrait and landscape paintings were deemed somewhat deficient and lacking in truth as photography "produced lifelike images much more efficiently and reliably". In spite of this, photography actually inspired artists to pursue other means of creative expression, and rather than compete with photography to emulate reality, artists focused "on
5643-435: The early 1880s, Impressionist methods were affecting, at least superficially, the art of the Salon. Fashionable painters such as Jean Béraud and Henri Gervex found critical and financial success by brightening their palettes while retaining the smooth finish expected of Salon art. Works by these artists are sometimes casually referred to as Impressionism, despite their remoteness from Impressionist practice. The influence of
5742-555: The example of painters such as Eugène Delacroix and J. M. W. Turner . They also painted realistic scenes of modern life, and often painted outdoors. Previously, still lifes and portraits as well as landscapes were usually painted in a studio. The Impressionists found that they could capture the momentary and transient effects of sunlight by painting outdoors or en plein air . They portrayed overall visual effects instead of details, and used short "broken" brush strokes of mixed and pure unmixed colour—not blended smoothly or shaded, as
5841-440: The exhibitions often attempted to acknowledge the women artists' talents but circumscribed them within a limited notion of femininity. Arguing for the suitability of Impressionist technique to women's manner of perception, Parisian critic S.C. de Soissons wrote: One can understand that women have no originality of thought, and that literature and music have no feminine character; but surely women know how to observe, and what they see
5940-641: The exhibitions. The subjects of the paintings were often women interacting with their environment by either their gaze or movement. Cassatt, in particular, was aware of her placement of subjects: she kept her predominantly female figures from objectification and cliche; when they are not reading, they converse, sew, drink tea, and when they are inactive, they seem lost in thought. The women Impressionists, like their male counterparts, were striving for "truth", for new ways of seeing and new painting techniques; each artist had an individual painting style. Women Impressionists, particularly Morisot and Cassatt, were conscious of
6039-472: The first Impressionist exhibit at the invitation of Degas, although the other Impressionists disparaged his work. Federico Zandomeneghi was another Italian friend of Degas who showed with the Impressionists. Eva Gonzalès was a follower of Manet who did not exhibit with the group. James Abbott McNeill Whistler was an American-born painter who played a part in Impressionism although he did not join
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#17327651810666138-416: The first time during the 19th century. These included cobalt blue , viridian , cadmium yellow , and synthetic ultramarine blue , all of which were in use by the 1840s, before Impressionism. The Impressionists' manner of painting made bold use of these pigments, and of even newer colours such as cerulean blue , which became commercially available to artists in the 1860s. The Impressionists' progress toward
6237-411: The following: primer, sealer, ground, color coats, and clear topcoat. Some systems use a drying oil varnish as described below, while others use spirit varnish made of resin(s) dissolved in alcohol. Touchup in repair or restoration is only done with solvent based varnish. Drying oil such as walnut oil or linseed oil may be used in combination with amber , copal , rosin or other resins . Traditionally
6336-497: The forests of Assam and Thailand and harvested from the bark of the trees where she deposits it to provide a sticky hold on the trunk. Shellac is the basis of French polish , which for centuries has been the preferred finish for fine furniture. Specified "dewaxed" shellac has been processed to remove the waxy substances from original shellac and can be used as a primer and sanding-sealer substrate for other finishes such as polyurethanes, alkyds, oils, and acrylics. Prepared shellac
6435-401: The formula for typical "oil" varnishes that are commercially available. Spar varnish (also called marine varnish or yacht varnish ) was originally intended for use on ship or boat spars , to protect the timber from the effects of sea and weather. Spars bend under the load of their sails. The primary requirements were water resistance and also elasticity , so as to remain adhering as
6534-600: The ground colour a significant role in the finished painting. The Impressionists reacted to modernity by exploring "a wide range of non-academic subjects in art" such as middle-class leisure activities and "urban themes, including train stations, cafés, brothels, the theater, and dance." They found inspiration in the newly widened avenues of Paris, bounded by new tall buildings that offered opportunities to depict bustling crowds, popular entertainments, and nocturnal lighting in artificially closed-off spaces. A painting such as Caillebotte's Paris Street; Rainy Day (1877) strikes
6633-619: The group and preferred grayed colours. Walter Sickert , an English artist, was initially a follower of Whistler, and later an important disciple of Degas. He did not exhibit with the Impressionists. In 1904, the artist and writer Wynford Dewhurst wrote the first important study of the French painters published in English, Impressionist Painting: its genesis and development , which did much to popularize Impressionism in Great Britain. By
6732-446: The imagery of the bourgeois social sphere of the boulevard, cafe, and dance hall. As well as imagery, women were excluded from the formative discussions that resulted in meetings in those places. That was where male Impressionists were able to form and share ideas about Impressionism. In the academic realm, women were believed to be incapable of handling complex subjects, which led teachers to restrict what they taught female students. It
6831-401: The invitations to Paul Signac and Georges Seurat to exhibit with them at the 8th Impressionist exhibition in 1886. Pissarro was the only artist to show at all eight Paris Impressionist exhibitions. The individual artists achieved few financial rewards from the Impressionist exhibitions, but their art gradually won a degree of public acceptance and support. Their dealer, Durand-Ruel , played
6930-659: The late 18th century used ox blood to create a very deep-red coloration. Today this varnish would have faded and currently be a very warm, dark orange. Most resin or gum varnishes consist of a natural, plant- or insect-derived substance dissolved in a solvent, called spirit varnish or solvent varnish. The solvent may be alcohol , turpentine, or petroleum -based. Some resins are soluble in both alcohol and turpentine. Generally, petroleum solvents, i.e. mineral spirits or paint thinner , can substitute for turpentine. The resins include amber , dammar , copal , rosin , sandarac , elemi , benzoin , mastic , balsam , shellac , and
7029-465: The lower right quadrant. He also captured his dancers in sculpture, such as the Little Dancer of Fourteen Years . Impressionists, in varying degrees, were looking for ways to depict visual experience and contemporary subjects. Female Impressionists were interested in these same ideals but had many social and career limitations compared to male Impressionists. They were particularly excluded from
7128-454: The meaning of the new art then being produced. In the visual arts , many artists, theorists, art critics, art collectors, art dealers and others mindful of the unbroken continuation of modernism and the continuation of modern art even into the contemporary era, ascribe to and welcome new philosophies of art as they appear. Postmodernist theorists posit that the idea of art movements are no longer as applicable, or no longer as discernible, as
7227-646: The middle of the 19th century—a time of rapid industrialization and unsettling social change in France, as Emperor Napoleon III rebuilt Paris and waged war—the Académie des Beaux-Arts dominated French art. The Académie was the preserver of traditional French painting standards of content and style. Historical subjects, religious themes, and portraits were valued; landscape and still life were not. The Académie preferred carefully finished images that looked realistic when examined closely. Paintings in this style were made up of precise brush strokes carefully blended to hide
7326-402: The notion of art movements had been before the postmodern era. There are many theorists however who doubt as to whether or not such an era was actually a fact; or just a passing fad. The term refers to tendencies in visual art , novel ideas and architecture , and sometimes literature . In music it is more common to speak about genres and styles instead. See also cultural movement ,
7425-411: The oil is prepared by cooking or exposure to air and sunlight, but modern stand oil is prepared by heating oil at high temperature without oxygen. The refined resin is sometimes available as a translucent solid and is then "run" by cooking or melting it in a pot over heat without solvents. The thickened oil and prepared resin are then cooked together and thinned with turpentine (away from open flame) into
7524-486: The one thing they could inevitably do better than the photograph—by further developing into an art form its very subjectivity in the conception of the image, the very subjectivity that photography eliminated". The Impressionists sought to express their perceptions of nature, rather than create exact representations. This allowed artists to depict subjectively what they saw with their "tacit imperatives of taste and conscience". Photography encouraged painters to exploit aspects of
7623-422: The painting and the varnish, preferably a soft, glossy gel medium) to make varnish removal and overall conservation easier. Acrylic varnishes used for such a final removable art protection layer are typically mineral-spirit–based acrylic, rather than water-based. Various epoxy resin systems have been formulated as varnishes or floor finishes whereby two components are mixed directly before application. Sometimes,
7722-402: The painting medium, like colour, which photography then lacked: "The Impressionists were the first to consciously offer a subjective alternative to the photograph". Another major influence was Japanese ukiyo-e art prints ( Japonism ). The art of these prints contributed significantly to the "snapshot" angles and unconventional compositions that became characteristic of Impressionism. An example
7821-766: The polyunsaturated portion of the oil and oxygen from the air. Originally, the term "varnish" referred to finishes that were made entirely of resin dissolved in suitable solvents, either ethanol (alcohol) or turpentine . The advantage to finishes in previous centuries was that resin varnishes had a very rapid cure rate compared to oils; in most cases they are cured practically as soon as the solvent has fully evaporated. By contrast, untreated or "raw" oils may take weeks or months to cure, depending on ambient temperature and other environmental factors. In modern terms, boiled or partially polymerized drying oils with added siccatives or dryers (chemical catalysts ) have cure times of less than 24 hours. However, certain non-toxic by-products of
7920-452: The public. It was also accepted by the artists themselves, even though they were a diverse group in style and temperament, unified primarily by their spirit of independence and rebellion. They exhibited together—albeit with shifting membership—eight times between 1874 and 1886. The Impressionists' style, with its loose, spontaneous brushstrokes, would soon become synonymous with modern life. Monet, Sisley, Morisot, and Pissarro may be considered
8019-431: The same thing. Polyurethane varnishes are typically hard, abrasion-resistant, and durable coatings. They are popular for hardwood floors but are considered by some wood finishers to be difficult or unsuitable for finishing furniture or other detailed pieces. Polyurethanes are comparable in hardness to certain alkyds but generally form a tougher film. Compared to simple oil or shellac varnishes, polyurethane varnish forms
8118-748: The solvent but quickly begin to cure, undergoing successive stages from liquid or syrupy, to tacky or sticky, to dry gummy, to dry to the touch, to hard. Environmental factors such as heat and humidity play a large role in the drying and curing times of varnishes. In classic varnish the cure rate depends on the type of oil used and, to some extent, on the ratio of oil to resin. The drying and curing time of all varnishes may be sped up by exposure to an energy source such as sunlight , ultraviolet light, or heat. There are many different types of drying oils, including linseed oil , tung oil , and walnut oil . These contain high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids . Drying oils cure through an exothermic reaction between
8217-407: The spars flexed. Elasticity was a pre-condition for weatherproofing too, as a finish that cracked would then allow water through, even if the remaining film was impermeable. Appearance and gloss was of relatively low value. Modified tung oil and phenolic resins are often used. When first developed, no varnishes had good UV -resistance. Even after more modern synthetic resins did become resistant,
8316-435: The studio of the photographer Nadar . The critical response was mixed. Monet and Cézanne received the harshest attacks. Critic and humorist Louis Leroy wrote a scathing review in the newspaper Le Charivari in which, making wordplay with the title of Claude Monet's Impression, Sunrise (Impression, soleil levant) , he gave the artists the name by which they became known. Derisively titling his article " The Exhibition of
8415-482: The two parts are of equal volume and referred to as 1:1 but not always, as 2:1, 3:1, 4:1 and even 5:1 mixing ratios are commercially available. The individual components are usually referred to as Part A and Part B. All two-part epoxies have a pot-life or working time during which the mixed material can be used. Usually the pot-life is a matter of a few hours or less, but this is highly temperature dependent. Both water-borne and solvent-based epoxies are used. Epoxies do have
8514-446: The use of certain oil varnishes, specified "dewaxed" shellac, clear penetrating epoxy sealer, or "oil-modified" polyurethane designed for the purpose. Polyurethane varnish may also lack the "hand-rubbed" lustre of drying oils such as linseed or tung oil; in contrast, however, it is capable of a much faster and higher film build, accomplishing in two coats what may require multiple applications of oil. Polyurethane may also be applied over
8613-404: The varnish. Resin varnishes dry by evaporation of the solvent and harden quickly on drying. Acrylic and waterborne varnishes dry by evaporation of the water but will experience an extended curing period for evaporation of organic solvents absorbed on the latex particles, and possibly chemical curing of the particles. Oil, polyurethane, and epoxy varnishes remain liquid even after evaporation of
8712-493: The way for Impressionism include the Romantic colourist Eugène Delacroix ; the leader of the realists, Gustave Courbet ; and painters of the Barbizon school such as Théodore Rousseau . The Impressionists learned much from the work of Johan Barthold Jongkind , Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and Eugène Boudin , who painted from nature in a direct and spontaneous style that prefigured Impressionism, and who befriended and advised
8811-607: The word to the Greek Berenice , the ancient name of modern Benghazi in Libya, where the first varnishes in the Mediterranean area were supposedly used and where resins from the trees of now-vanished forests were sold. Early varnishes were developed by mixing resin —pine pitch , for example—with a solvent and applying them with a brush to get the golden and hardened effect one sees in today's varnishes. Varnishing
8910-457: The works submitted by Monet and his friends in favour of works by artists faithful to the approved style. In 1863, the Salon jury rejected Manet's The Luncheon on the Grass ( Le déjeuner sur l'herbe ) primarily because it depicted a nude woman with two clothed men at a picnic. While the Salon jury routinely accepted nudes in historical and allegorical paintings, they condemned Manet for placing
9009-496: The younger artists. A number of identifiable techniques and working habits contributed to the innovative style of the Impressionists. Although these methods had been used by previous artists—and are often conspicuous in the work of artists such as Frans Hals , Diego Velázquez , Peter Paul Rubens , John Constable , and J. M. W. Turner —the Impressionists were the first to use them all together, and with such consistency. These techniques include: New technology played
9108-492: Was a different way of seeing, it is an art of immediacy and movement, of candid poses and compositions, of the play of light expressed in a bright and varied use of colour. In 1876, the poet and critic Stéphane Mallarmé said of the new style: "The represented subject, being composed of a harmony of reflected and ever-changing lights, cannot be supposed always to look the same but palpitates with movement, light, and life". The public, at first hostile, gradually came to believe that
9207-489: Was a technique well known in ancient Egypt . Varnishing is also recorded in the history of East and South Asia; in India , China and Japan , where the practice of lacquer work, a species of varnish application, was known at a very early date. The Tang Chinese used medieval chemistry experiments to produce a varnish for clothes and weapons, employing complex chemical formulas applied to silk clothes of underwater divers ,
9306-522: Was also considered unladylike to excel in art, since women's true talents were then believed to center on homemaking and mothering. Yet several women were able to find success during their lifetime, even though their careers were affected by personal circumstances – Bracquemond, for example, had a husband who was resentful of her work which caused her to give up painting. The four most well known, namely, Mary Cassatt , Eva Gonzalès , Marie Bracquemond , and Berthe Morisot , are, and were, often referred to as
9405-565: Was considered a new avant-garde movement. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an attempt to reproduce an illusion of visible reality ( figurative art ). By the end of the 19th century many artists felt a need to create a new style which would encompass the fundamental changes taking place in technology, science and philosophy ( abstract art ). According to theories associated with modernism and also
9504-584: Was customary—to achieve an effect of intense colour vibration. Impressionism emerged in France at the same time that a number of other painters, including the Italian artists known as the Macchiaioli , and Winslow Homer in the United States, were also exploring plein-air painting. The Impressionists, however, developed new techniques specific to the style. Encompassing what its adherents argued
9603-606: Was indeed a rejection to the previous less restricted exhibitions chiefly organized by Degas. Originally from the school of Corot , Vignon was a friend of Camille Pissarro , whose influence is evident in his impressionist style after the late 1870s, and a friend of post-impressionist Vincent van Gogh . There were several other close associates of the Impressionists who adopted their methods to some degree. These include Jean-Louis Forain , who participated in Impressionist exhibitions in 1879, 1880, 1881 and 1886, and Giuseppe De Nittis , an Italian artist living in Paris who participated in
9702-405: Was not to make sketches to be developed into carefully finished works in the studio, as was the usual custom, but to complete their paintings out-of-doors. By painting in sunlight directly from nature, and making bold use of the vivid synthetic pigments that had become available since the beginning of the century, they began to develop a lighter and brighter manner of painting that extended further
9801-437: Was seen corresponding to a somewhat grandiose rethinking of all that came before it, concerning the visual arts. Generally there was a commonality of visual style linking the works and artists included in an art movement. Verbal expression and explanation of movements has come from the artists themselves, sometimes in the form of an art manifesto , and sometimes from art critics and others who may explain their understanding of
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