Realism in Black Art and Literature
There are many distinguishing characteristics regarding realism in both art and literature among African-Americans, and this is evidenced most strongly in the slave narrative. These narratives discussed the personal experiences of those that had escaped from slavery in the south and made their way to the north where they were relatively safe. In the nineteenth century and also into the twentieth century the slave narratives were a serious African-American tradition. Nat Turner's "Confessions of Nat Turner," and Frederick Douglass' "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass," both written in the 1800s, were early examples of the slave narrative. These narratives were so popular due in part to the fact that they were so realistic and graphic scenes of violence, pain, and degradation were not that uncommon throughout many of the stories. The slave narrative also worked toward humanitarianism by trying to get the sympathy of readers and by showing the religious ideas in a traditional Christian sense. Religion was very important to many of the slaves during that time, and the religious sense that many Caucasian people had in the north also helped to contribute to the plight of the African-American slave at that time. Important to note as well is that the slave narratives had many things in common with the captivity narrative. In general, those that create slave narratives suffer from being in a society that they consider alien, try to balance the desire for freedom against the danger of trying to escape, and grow both spiritually and morally as a result of the torment and the suffering that they have had to go through. This helps to provide the realism that slave narratives possess, and this realism is also showcased in much of the artwork that comes from that time period where African-Americans and slavery are concerned. Because of the realism that is seen in these slave narratives they were immensely popular during the time that they were written, and they often remain popular with schools and other groups today.
Art Impressionism in art developed in the 19th century. Impressionist paintings were characterized by visible brush strokes, and subject was drawn from ordinary life and outdoors, rather than being confined to still life, or portraits and landscapes drawn in studios. Emphasis was laid on the effect of light changing its qualities as well as movement. These characteristics of impression can be well observed in the works of art by Gustave Caillebotte,
The new woman is scary for many, especially for men. Not only because she personifies a radical change, but because they no longer have the power upon her. Being independent, wise and strong she becomes an adversary, an opponent and therefore a challenge. And it's not only the male pride at stake, but also the acknowledgement that society was really changing. A relevant example for our discussion is the literary character
Art History The clouds gleamed gloriously, as if they were smiling to greet newcomers to heaven Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti. The two artists sat rather impatiently in the heavenly waiting room, and they refused to pick up any of the literature that lay strewn on the gilded coffee table before them. This is ridiculous," grumbled Leonardo, who in spite of his age lacked no luster in his eyes. "I am
Art Critique Critique of Surreal and Post-Impressionist Works of Art Dali's Autumn Cannibalism (1936) http://arthistory.about.com/od/from_exhibitions/ig/dali_retrospective/dali_pma_05_07.htm Salvador Dali is one of the great and mercurial figures in art history. The surrealistic Spanish painter was influenced heavily by the tumultuous period of history in which he lived and by the haunting images in his own psyche. Both are on dramatic display in the 1936 piece, "Autumn Cannibalism." Here, Dali paints a depiction of the military
The dress is refined, but oversized and ill-fitting as befits a young boy. Here too, an Americanism is no doubt being added. Rather than make Henry Pelham appear too formal, as the scion of some great house in a European portrait, Copley reminds us that his subject is quite young and probably wearing hand-me-downs, or else some cost-saving garment into which he will eventually grow. It is a budding
Children need special attention when dealing with traumas they might not fully understand. Thus art therapy has been proven to benefit the increasing number of children dealing with PTSD and other trauma related disorders creating fear and anxiety within the innocent child. Another major benefit of art therapy is that of the informal nature of the expression. Unlike language which is complicated through strict grammatical rules, artistic expression has
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