At the beginning, Victorian art consisted mainly of portraits of stuffy-looking aristocrats posing in front of thick velvet curtains. But with the growth of industrialism, society was rapidly evolving, and groups of radical young innovators promoted new styles that would turn the British art world on its head.
JMW Turner turned from the classical standards of the Royal Academy to depict his world in a new way, painting vast expanses of light and color in a free and expressive manner. The Pre-Raphaelites scorned the soft, idealized images of their mentors and took their canvases outside to paint nature in highly realistic detail. Unlike Turner, they and their followers detested the negative impact of industrialization and sought inspiration in the art and stories of medieval and early Renaissance (pre-Raphael) times. The Aesthetes, led by Whistler, ignored narrative altogether, believing that a painting should be a thing of beauty, without any deeper meaning. Their motto was ‘Art for Art’s sake.’
William Morris led the Arts & Crafts Movement, reasserting the artistic and functional superiority of handmade objects. Returning to the standards of the medieval craft guilds, artist-designers produced decorative home furnishings that stood out in quality from factory-produced commodities. The response to this movement was the Modern Style, later known as Art Nouveau, which promoted sleek designs that reflected the utility of objects and, in the graphic arts, featured the sinuous curves of plants you will recognize in a Tiffany lamp.
Come and discover the many marvels wrought by the radicals of Victorian art!
Classes will be a blend of presentation and discussion.