Nineteenth Century Response
March 13, 2011
In the nineteenth century many rules and traditions were broken on Academic paintings. A unique artist in my opinion was Eduoard Manet whose technique on the painting Luncheon on the Grass broke the fourth wall. The two characters in the middle of the painting are looking directly at the viewer. It gives you the feeling you might be present at this lunch or picnic. This itself was a drastic because no art really ever did this. It freaked people out most likely, probably like how the paintings eyes would follow you which was a whole new move. But another interesting thing is the man in the middle is supposedly Eduoard Manet which is interesting when an artist represents himself in a work of his own. Another outside the box move by Manet. But even if that wasn’t unique in his own he portrayed the woman half naked or almost completely nude. This back in the nineteenth century created a stir because the women were not goddesses or queens but prostitutes. The church and its followers probably saw it as degrading or something which is probably why it was not accepted at the festival in France. The art was refused but later put on display at another festival called Salon des Refuses for just refused paintings which actually became more popular than the committee picked artwork. In conclusion Manet was pushed boundaries, broke rules and created a noise with his artwork which is basically the best accomplishment an artist can have.
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