Major Art Movements, Part 2

MAJOR ART MOVEMENTS

Contributed by Jacquelyn Olalere.

In our previous article, we introduced you to three major art movements that played crucial roles in developing art, technology, science, and the world as it is today. But that’s not all of them, and so in this article today, we’ll give you other art movements that shaped the world.

1.   Avant-Garde

In the early 19th century, the French term initially referred to as an army vanguard found its way into the art dictionary. It was used to describe any movement, artist, or artwork that doesn’t conform to the traditional or common concepts. In essence, art that delved into experimental ideas and forms. Avant-Garde was first described by Henri de Saint-Simon, who believed in the power of arts and believed there was a firm connection between radical art practices and military strategies and formations. This movement is also considered to be the start of modern art. It is deeply appreciated for its bold, innovative, and constant boundary-pushing.

Famous works of this movement include The Black Square by Kazimir Malevich, Impression Sunrise by Claude Monet, Fountain by Duchamp, and the well-known Cut with the Kitchen Knife Dada through the Last Weimer Beer Belly Cultural Epoch by Hannah Hoch.

2.   Bauhaus

This was a movement that sought to unify all artists and their works. The Staatliches Bauhaus, a German art school commonly known as the Bauhaus, played a significant role in the birth of this art movement founded by an architect named Walter Gropius in 1919. The movement was aimed at using many art forms to create a single piece. This wasn’t limited to one part of art but included many other aspects, including fine arts, architecture, graphic design, calligraphy, and all the different ways arts were expressed. At the Bauhaus School of art, all students collaborated with their peers and teachers to produce designs that could be combined to give aesthetic beauty. Today, we have different calligraphy designs that are used together, multiple art pieces, and designs used in interior design to provide a beautiful finish.

Notable artists of this movement include Walter Gropius, the founder himself, Paul Klee, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Franz Ehrlich, Adolf Meyer, and many others. Significant works include Ghost Chamber with the Tall door, by Paul Klee, the “Wassily” armchair by Marcel Breuer, “Kubus” Stacking Containers by Vereinigte Lausitzer Glaswerke, the New York’s Pan Am Building by Walter Gropius.

Read about the Wassily armchair here.

3.   Cubism

Mainly created by famous artists Pablo Picasso and George Braque in Paris between 1907 and 1914, this movement revolutionized European painting and sculpture, stretching to influence and inspire related movements in music and literature. Cubism is thought by many to be the most influential art movement of the 20th century. It is highly characterized by foreshortening, flat two-dimensional picture planes, straight-line construction, and colors that were considered monochromatic.

Famous artists of this movement include Pablo Picasso, Piet Mondrian, Marcel Duchamp, Le Corbusier, George Braque, and other notable people. Art pieces created from this movement include Les Demoiselles d’Avignon by Pablo Picasso, Portrait of Pablo Picasso by Juan Gris, and Nude Descending a Staircase by Marcel Duchamp, among others.

See cubism works on the website here.

We’ll be bringing more art movements we think you should know about in our next article.

As Leonardo Da Vinci said, “Art is never finished, only abandoned.”

Except we won’t be abandoning you!