Impressionism.

I personally like the Impressionistic style very much.  The use of pastel colors is really easy on the eyes so the whole piece can be judged as a whole instead of one specific part being on display.  From every era we have discussed so far, every visual art seems to be emotionally intense.  That’s the main reason why I like Impressionistic art more- Impressionistic art has a very light feel overall.  Impressionism is all about the nature of fleeing light reflecting on surfaces (Gersh-Nesic).  Consider this piece titled Dancing Under the Rain by Leonid Afremov.

Notice the light that seems to “fall” like rain drops.  It’s really just the artist’s way of showing that it’s raining outside and light from the street lamps is reflecting off the wet pavement.  I love Afremov’s use of colors- it’s literally a rainbow of colors.  This painting shows a here in the now moment of two people in love.  It isn’t glorifying war or depicting timeless moments.  Impressionism is all about temporary moments in time.

Contrary to the Impressionistic art movement, the visual arts of the Baroque era are characterized by drama, exaggerated motion, and evident detail.  The Baroque style was encouraged by the Catholic Church so many pieces included divine figures.

Keep Impressionistic characteristics in your mind as you look at the next piece of art:  Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne by Annibale Carracci completed in 1602.

 Greek and Roman mythology play a big role in this visual art piece, which clearly means that Gods, Goddesses, nymphs, and satyrs are going to play a key role in the piece.   It’s obvious that this piece is not Impressionistic.  The strong contrasts of light and shadow are a defining characteristic of the Baroque period.  There is one source of light, the sun;  whereas in Impressionistic art, there is once source of light followed by reflected lights everywhere.  Though this piece is beautiful in its own way, I prefer Impressionism.  Personally, I find almost all art before the Romantic era to be harsh and i find Impressionistic art more moving and meaningful.

Works Cited

1. Gersh-Nesic, Beth. “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Impressionism.” About. About Education, n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2014.
2. “Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne.” Annibale Carracci. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2014. <http://www.wikiart.org/en/annibale-carracci/triumph-of-bacchus-and-ariadne-1602>.