Impressionism vs. Romanticism

Impressionism, to me, is a form of abstract art.  It incorporates vague lines, free brush strokes, and blobs of color that combine to form pictures which portray transitory moments, or “impressions.”  The usual subject matter of Impressionism is the fleeting effects of light and weather, the delights and activities of the middle and upper classes, and enjoyable moments; all of the themes are very nontraditional.  While Impressionism is an emotion-oriented and beautiful style of art, I prefer viewing and critiquing art that is more life-like.  I favor Romanticism over Impressionism, since it is both emotional and realistic.

 

An example of an Impressionistic painting is Water-Lilies by Claude Monet.  It was painted in 1914 in France.  It is lovely and includes a gorgeous blend of colors.  However, the lines are too fuzzy for my taste, which is a main characteristic of Impressionistic paintings.  I prefer clear lines and defined shapes because they allow me to more easily understand the piece.  Another Impressionistic feature of this painting is the blend of colors.  While the color itself is beautiful, the way in which it is applied to the canvas seems a bit confused and muddled.  At first glance, I would not be able to distinguish the subject of the piece as being a lily pond because the colors are tangled and the lines are indistinct.  I enjoy the more realistic pieces of the Romantic style.

 

An example of a Romantic painting is The Oxbow by Thomas Cole of the Hudson River School.  It was painted in 1836 in New York.  I enjoy this piece because it is both whimsical and realistic.  It elicits an emotional response with the splendid use of Luminism, while staying true to the realistic form of the subject represented in the painting.  I can easily tell that this is a painting of a river, but with Impressionistic paintings it can take a minute to realize what the focus of the work actually is.  This painting gives me a calm, happy feeling; it is peaceful.  I love that it is realistic without being too stiff or boring.  Romanticism is the perfect blend of reality and fantasy.

 

Works Cited

http://www.intermonet.com/oeuvre/nymphea2.htm

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~cap/nature/oxbow.html