Guarisco Gallery 2012

2 WHY 19 TH AND EARLY 20 TH CENTURIES (The Optimal Period for Collecting) he turn of the 19th century into the 20th has always proven to be one of the most interesting eras in art history. It is the century that witnessed the greatest expression of the Academic tradition and it is the era that launched modernism through the developments of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. * * * * * * * * * * * * Academic: Realism. It is best defined as an artist’s mastery of a variety of painting techniques, including the depiction of atmosphere and natural light, intended to produce a picture that mimicked reality. This style reached its height in the latter part of the 19th century. Major artists of this period include: William Bouguereau, Jean-Léon Gérome, Alexandre Cabanel, Briton Riviere, and Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Modern: Impressionism and Post-Impressionism; the commencement of modern painting. This period is the beginning of experimentation with form, color, brushwork, and subject matter leading to modern art. These artists experimented with depicting the effects of light and using expressive color and brushwork to portray both figures and landscapes. Founding members include: Claude Monet, Eugène Boudin, Camille Pissarro, Pierre Auguste Renoir, and Albert Guillaumin—and their contemporaries—Edmond Petitjean, Henri Lebasque, Henri Martin, and Georges d’Espagnat. These artitsts produced works which continue to be most favored for their market value and aesthetic merit. T