Blossoming Art

          There are no exact words to pinpoint what modern art exactly is. The only definition that you would end up geting is that these are the artistic works produced from the 1860s up 'till the 1970s. The modern art is, obviously and like all the other art eras, a product of all the previous eras of art starting from the ancients. This is where different artistic styles were developed. Some of these styles were expressionism, impressionism and romanticism. This is where the art of photography was also developed further. Another point of this era is the use of allegorical figures. These are non-existent people that symbolize or represent something. The modern art was centered in the city of Paris. Among the notable artists of this era were Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Cezanne, Paul Gauguin, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso.

          Neoclassicism was one of the art movements during this era which depicted history, literature and mythology. I think the most recognized art of this movement is the 'Arc de Triomphe' monument in

The Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France.

Paris, France. It was commissioned by Napoleon to commemmorate his victories and was beautifully sculpted by different artists corresponding different parts of the monuments such as the small details and the big sculptures on the outside walls. Romanticism was bold and intensive, especially with colors. The artists of this movement depicted landscapes, religion, revolution and peace. There was a famous school back in this era which is the French Royal Academy, an institution that trained young artists to be great, if not, the best. Realism is another predominant style in this era and depicts ordinary people, their life and whatnot. Among the rest, impressionism, which is a

"Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh

recording of nature; is my favorite. Refer to the "Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh and you"ll immediately understand what impressionism is. Post-impressionism, commonly referred to as "Synthetism" to distinguish from the earlier, is the extension of the style mentioned above and is a result of continuous rejection from the other eras. Expressionism revolved around traditional ideas of youth & harmony and is plenty on distortion & exaggeration. Lastly, photography which is divided into pictorialism and straight photography, may be the most known of all movements; a lot of the youth today are much into photography.

Pictorialism - "Black Bowl" by George Seeley

A straight photography by Helen Levitt.

          The modern art was and is a vital element to the present art we know of today. It has been a great help in the development of art itself.