Traditions in Art, Architecture, Design and the Making of Artifacts, Part 1

Question 1: Prolific 19th century artist Honore’ Daumier (1808 – 1879) produced over 4000 lithographs for Parisian journals during his lifetime. Discuss his work.

Answer 1: Daumier seemed fascinated by the various struggles and conditions of man. As a city dweller, much of his work depicts the discomforts, intellectual limitations, social pretensions and affections of the middle classes of the time. Daumier showed little concern for producing commentary on the impoverished and privileged extremes of the social spectrum.His range of interest and sympathies was also revealed through painting and watercolor. “Six Months of Marriage”, depicts a bored, yawning couple seated in a living room in parody-like style. His oil on canvas, “The Third Class Carriage”, is a much more somber picture of discomfort and lonely endurance.Following an 1832 imprisonment, he was barred from political commentary for the next 38 years. Among his last works are a series of commentary prints from 1870 – 1873 that show signs of his failing eyesight. These include “The Fall of the Empire”, “The Birth of the Third Republic” and “The Commune”.

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Question 2: List several well-known watercolor artists and briefly describe their contributions to the craft.

Answer 2: Albrecht Durer – the first European to produce larger works, particularly landscape paintings, which were marked by the characteristic transparency of watercolor washesJohn White – an early English artist and draftsman who made extensive clean wash drawings of the North Carolina coast during Sir Walter Raleigh’s 1585 expedition. He is sometimes referred to as the father of English watercolor paintingThomas Girtin – innovative artist who intentionally limited his palette to five basic colors and applied paint in characteristically thin washesWilliam Blake – developed a method of painting on an impervious surface such as porcelain or glazed paper and then pressing the surface onto his painting paper for effectJohn Everett Millais – sold watercolor copies of his own larger oil paintingsWinslow Homer – early American artist

Question 3: Discuss the life and work of Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

Answer 3: Renoir was a French painter who originally identified with the Impressionist movement of the mid to late 19th century. Primarily known for his figure painting, particularly of women, much of his work is a study of upper class Parisian society. In this context it’s particularly interesting to note that Renoir was himself often quite poor and frequently had difficulty affording paint.His 1880 painting depicting two young women titled, “At the Concert”, is a study in the opulence and luxury common to a theater box.Similarly, the 1881 painting “Luncheon of the Boating Party” is a view into an upper-crust dining experience of the time. Another work of a similar theme includes “Ball at the Moulin de la Galette”.By the mid-1880’s he became immersed in a study of bathing nudes. One of the more notable examples from this period is a pastel and wash piece titled simply, “Bather”.During this time, the effects of arthritis began to cripple him. In his later years his interest turned toward the supervision of young sculptors where his influence can be seen in early 20th century works such as Venus and Venus Victrix.

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