history

What aspects of Impressionism were embraced by Paul Cézanne? What aspects did he reject? Why is Cézanne considered to be “the Father of Modern Art”? Select an image to use in your first post to illustrate your thoughts.

In much of their work Mary Cassatt and Berthe Morisot portrayed women and children. Some scholars suggest that Cassatt’s and Morisot’s subject matter was restricted by their gender, although their paintings also highlight the importance of women as wives and mothers. Select an image of Mary Cassatt or Berthe Morisot and discuss how you feel … Read more

In what ways do Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres and Eugène Delacroix seemingly represent the opposing forces of early nineteenth-century French painting? What specific works by these artists exemplify their attitudes and artistic philosophies?

Discuss the Poussinistes and the Rubénistes. What did each group represent? What artists did these groups follow? What were the fundamental differences between the two groups? Which group do you side with and why?

Implied texture, also known as visual texture, is perceived by the viewer when looking at art.  In his painting The Waterseller of Seville, Diego Velazquez uses color, light, shadow, shape and other techniques to make a flat, two-dimensional canvas appear three dimensional.  The figure and the variety of fabric and objects in the painting have … Read more

Caravaggio often used everyday people as models for his paintings. Often these models portrayed figures from Biblical stories; however, Caravaggio painted them dressed in clothing contemporary to their own day. Do you think that by doing this Caravaggio changes or subverts the meaning of these stories? How does this impact the viewer when viewing these … Read more

Even in situations when it might seem surprising, like the depiction of a biblical hero or a picnic, Renaissance artists thought the nude body an appropriate form to express complex ideas. Consider whether contemporary representations of the nude carry such lofty meanings.