Modern Art or Modernism is the loose term given to the succession of styles and movements in art and architecture which dominated Western culture from 19th Century up until the 1960's. Movements associated withModern art include Impressionism, Cubism, Bauhaus, Surrealism, Futurism, Pop Art and Op Art. Some artists in this period include Umberto Boccioni, Gustave Caillebotte, and Wassily Kandinsky.
Portrait of the Artist’s Sister Reading, Umberto Boccioni, 1909 - 1909, From the collection of: Ca' Pesaro - Galleria Internazionale d'Arte Moderna
This Boccioni is a oil on pastel work, and is obviously of his sister reading. This work reflects back on Realism and Symbolism in the sense that she is doing an every day activity,and the use of shadows to give her an eerie feel. You can't be sure on her features, and the artist did this on purpose.
This is another eerie works of Boccioni. Nudo di spalle means "bare shoulders". He is always very straight forward with what his portraits contain. Some think that this oil painting is one of his mother,and it also very much resembles realism and impressionism by the way it is focusing on a real life subject.
The plain of Gennevilliers, yellow fields, Gustave Caillebotte, (1884), From the collection of: National Gallery of Victoria
This Caillebotte work very much resembles one of Monet's from the Impressionism era. Caillebotte is focused in on a landscape, which he most likely sat out and admired. You can see the quick and light brushstrokes used by the artist,and how he creates a sort of "post impressionism" motion in the field, making it appear to be breezing in the wind.
Paris Street; Rainy Day, Gustave Caillebotte (French, 1848–1894), 1877, From the collection of: The Art Institute of Chicago
Caillebotte brought an unusual compositional control to a typical Impressionist subject, the new boulevards that were changing the Paris cityscape. This is a very interesting painting because of the way the subjects seem to be detatched from it. You almost feel as if the backround is a different painting that the two front people. This was a very interesting this for the artist to do.
Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), Franz Marc and Wassily Kandinsky, published by R. Piper & Co., 1912, From the collection of: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The work of Wassilly definitely resembles cubism with all of the crazy patterns, lines, and colors. It's bvery interesting because he allows the eye to see what it wants. For instance, he saw a blue rider, but others may see a black cat, or a green mountain. There is not a subject of this painting.
Composition, Wassily Kandinsky, 1922/1922, From the collection of: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
This is another piece of work that resembles cubism, or even bits of pop art. You can see that this is obviously about music, but it has a feeling that it gradually spirals out of control,a nd again the viewer can't be sure what the focal point is.
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