Modern Art, Day 171 March 2013

Moreau, Redon, Gauguin

Gustave Moreau, “Oedipus and the Sphinx,” 1865

Symbolist; deals with broad big questions of human existence and the meaning of life

unlike version that Ingres made of the same subject, the man isn’t center stage in the painting; the sphinx takes up a lot more of a starring role

Moreau, “Thracian Girl Carrying the Head of Orpheus,” 1865

femme fatale narrative here; women who are alluring but also destructive (they killed Orpheus)

Moreau, “The Apparition,” 1874 in the Musée Gustave Moreau in

Paris—Moreau’s house decadence became a symbol for

symbolism at the time sense of fin de siècle at the time;

there was a sense of depression going on at the end of the century so some people tried to live in excess before the “party” ended

“J’ai Baise ta Bouche, Lokamaan,” c. 1893

story of Salome; French translates into “I’ve kissed your mouth”

coiling hair can symbolize how things can overtake the weary

Gustav Klimt, “Judith and Holofernes,” 1901

Judith is recast as a seductress

Odilon Redon, “Orpheus,” after 1903

made in a very fragile medium; in person it appears as if you could blow on it and it would completely dissipate

works asks the big questions, but are also uncertain that they’ll find the answer

Paul Gauguin, “Portrait as Jean ValJean, ‘Les Miserables,’” 1888 distorts his features “To my friend van Gogh” is written on it becomes anti-naturalist over time; thought art should not just focus on depicting

subjects but discovering inner reality explicitly wanted to exaggerate the colors seen in nature to get deeper meaning

Emile Bernard, “Breton Women in Green Meadow,” 1888

same color blocks as Gauguin, but more of a focus on society than Gauguin

Gauguin, “Jacob Wrestling with the Angel/The Vision after the Sermon,” 1888 artist saw people as “primitive”

Gauguin, “We Greet Thee, Mary/Ia Orana Maria,” 1891

Native version of Mary carrying the Christ child

sarongs that the women wear are imported textiles from Europe

at this point Tahiti was heavily Christianized

quotes a temple relief from Borobudur (Java) that was exhibited at the recent World’s Fair

it is Gauguin’s labeling of the culture as primitive, they aren’t actually primitive—European elitism

tourist view of French colony

Gauguin, “The Spirit of the Dead Watching/Manao Tupapau,” 1892

Gauguin, “Whence do we Come Who are We, Where are we Going?/D’ou venons-nous, que sommes-nous, ou allons-nous?,” 1897-8