Neoplasticism(also known as De Stijl movement) is a pure form of color, line and plane completely away from realism. It is something as an atom is to earth or a cell to life. It involves usage of primary colors (red, blue and yellow along with black and white) and lines (horizontal and vertical lines). Neoplasticisn is the art movement which believes in the expression of absolutes of life rather than art reproduction of real objects.
Theo van Doesburg, founder of the neoplasticism art movement published a journal -De Stijl for spreading the theories of it, and Piet Mondrain an ardent follower of the movement published a manifesto called Neoplasticism in the year 1920.
Cubism, the most important and influential art movement of early twentieth century depicts the subject in the most complete manner focusing it from multiple angles. This art work involves in breaking the objects, analyzing and reassembling them in an abstract form to provide multiple angles of the object in the painting. Cubism then advanced to its own forms of paintings such as analytic cubism and synthetic cubism. Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso are the two important members involved in the invention and advancement of art movement cubism.
Abstract art, the term more often used in the twentieth century is a non representational way of portraying one’s idea with a theme (subject) based on the effects of colors, depth, solidity, lines and other spatial factors on human and their emotions. Abstract art hence does not depict an object precisely. It is the independence given to its artists to represent their views in any form they wish. Wassily Kandinsky known to be the founder of abstract art believed that science deals with dynamic forces ultimately revealing that matter is spiritual in character.
The Quality of a painting or a photograph depends upon the composition of it which sorts out the difference between amateur photos from the professional ones. The same applies for paintings. Abstract painting especially should have a well balanced composition in visual effect (with right gesture) and representation otherwise it would appear boring to its viewers.
People generally have a feeling that abstract paintings are easier to paint than any other type of painting. This is not true because abstract painting needs special attention from both sides, from the artist as well as from its viewers. Artists should take care that the abstract painting has a balanced state of color, line and space with a dynamic tension placed to attract its viewers. The viewer at the same time should not try to find out real world objects in the abstract art rather should relax and enjoy abstract painting. Let your eye wander through the abstract paintings and your mind react to its colors, depth, shape, texture and the force existing in it.
Abstract art is not an invention of the twentieth century but has been in existence long before. In Jewish and Islamic religion depiction of human being was not allowed hence they developed such artistic forms for decorative purposes. Later on famous artist’s works such as Wassily Kandinsky, James McNeill Whistler, Kasimir Malevich were the first to be seen and sorted as abstract painting.
Abstract art even though is a non representational way which does not depict an object precisely but is the one which clearly represents an imaginative mind. Abstract art generally classified as figurative and Emotional abstraction. Figurative abstraction is the simplification of the reality eliminating the details of recognizable objects and providing only the essence of recognition and reality. Emotional abstraction deals with non visual elements such as emotion, sound and spritual matters.
Cubism, Neoplasticism, and Abstract Expressionism are other forms of abstract paintings which came in to existence in the 20th century.
Pieter Brueghel a Flemish painter of 16th century was well known for his paintings on landscape and peasant scenes. He is often credited as the first western painter who painted landscape for its purpose rather than placing it as the backdrop to a religious allegory. His paintings had an obvious influence of the older Dutch master Hieronymus Bosch as Brueghel was much influenced by Bosch art works.
Brueghel specialized in landscape paintings populated by peasants. Hence nick named as peasant Brueghel which was also used to distinguish from other members of Brueghel family. His famous artworks include Landscape with Christ and the Apostles at the Sea of Tiberias, Large Fish Eat Small Fish, Parable of the Sower etc…
Surrealism is an artistic, cultural and intellectual movement focusing on the freedom of mind and emphasizing more on the unconscious mind imagination and critical facts. It involves in attaining the state of more than the reality as it name suggests “Sur–real” or “More than Real”. Surrealists are painters who paint the world of fantasy away from the normal transcending every day reality paintings.
Hieronymus Bosch also known as Jerome Bosch was a prolific painter of 15th and 16th century standing apart from all other painters for his works were unique, striking, symbolic and unforgettably themed. Bosch was especially famous for his fantastic demon filled works depicting the evil world and human sins. He is said to be the inspiration for the Surrealism movement of the 20th century.
Almost all of his paintings depict the evil world using the images of demons, half human animals, machines to evoke fear and confusion of the evil world. Bosch himself must have been a morbid who has had so much concern over pain and torture.
Bosch artworks include triptychs, a style which was followed by him. Triptychs has three paintings painted on wooden panels attached to each other and the fourth painting in its exterior. The most famous triptychs of Bosch is the “Garden of Earthly Delights” where the left panel has a painting “The Earthly Paradise”- Garden of Eden, the centre Panel with “Garden of Earthly Delights” - Ecclesia’s Paradise, the right panel depicting Hell and the exterior when closed (using left and right panels) depict the image of the earth within a sphere with the land floating upon the sea. Some of the other famous artworks of Bosch were The Temptation of Saint Anthony, The Epiphany (The Adoration of the Magi), St. John the Baptist in the Wilderness, The Last Judgement etc…
Jan van Eyck one of the greatest Flemish painters of 15th century is famous for his artistic work for spiritualizing the painting with almost the total details that could be covered within it. He held high positions through out his career, including court painter and diplomat in Bruges. His works were so skillful than once he was traditionally credited as the inventor of oil paints. Even though this was incorrect, van Eyck was the artist who exploited the use of oil paints to the maximum.
Van Eyck real achievement was the development of a stable varnish which would dry at a consistent rate. Van Eyck exploited oil paint in the perfect manner than any other painter who existed before. Van Eyck used the oil paint to represent variety of objects both with microscopic and telescopic realism so much in detail that there exists an glittering inner light in a jewel or precious metal if exists in the oil painting (represents microscopic precision of the painting) and was able to depict landscapes oil painting which seem to stretch for a distance of about 50 miles (giving telescopic details in the oil painting) which was appreciated by a famous 15th century writer. He used oil paints not only for building transparent layers that could capture the minute details of the objects (as discussed already) but also for the preservation of the oil paintings.
By such means of vision and symbolization Van Eyck brought oil paintings in to our vision by sheer intensity of gaze which we do not perceive with in a given field. We tend to scan, select and filter objects.
Mathias Grunewald, original name Matthis niethart is a 17th century German painter popular for his Renaissance artwork. His paintings had a visionary character in it with expressive color and line which was extremely contradicted to the paintings of Albert Durer. Matthis was not only a great painter but was also an engineer who successfully worked on both the fields (as a court painter and engineer) in archbishops of Mainz.
Isenheim Altarpiece is the greatest of his works completed in 1515 is now in the Museum of Colmar, France. Other great art works of Matthis include Mocking of Christ, The Meeting of St. Easmus and St. Maurice.
Lucas Cranach a German painter, edger and wood carver produced some of his finest original art works when he stayed in Vienna. They include portraits of University lecturer, Johannes Cuspinian and his wife Anna. His artworks apart from humanistic paintings also include religious paintings which gives a remarkable feeling for the beauty of landscape of Danube school.
Lucas Cranach was a fine full length independent portraitist perhaps the inventor of it produced various paintings of the sort (eg. The Duke of Saxony). He had another variety of painting developed by him called the erotic nude which was particularly popular among the private bulk collectors of the sort.
His two sons Hans and Lucas the Younger continued with his workshop following his style and Lucas imitated his father’s style so well that it was often difficult to distinguish the paintings of the two.
Albert Durer from Germany is a painter, an engraver, wood carver and a mathematician famous for his wood cuts and is the greatest printmaker of all times. He was also a famous oil painter who was equally successful in all categories of paintings, religious or other worldly paintings. His paintings were magnificent and powerful producing best altarpieces and portraits.
Durer paintings had more into it than simply imitating what other artists were doing. Durer was very innovative and is the first to produce a self-portrait or to have done a landscape painting of a specific scene. But Durer had spent much of his time as a printmaker and engraver as he often complained that oil paintings are time consuming and was poorly paid for the work.