Independent work of the students the trends in painting in the 19th century

I. Translate:

art(ist), genre, leader, moral, politician, labour, tradition, favourite, diplomat, master(ly), realism, idealize

II. Translate:

trends in painting — напрямки у живописі; genre school — жанрова школа; landscape — пейзаж; portraiture, portrait painting — портретний живопис; picture — картина; painter—художник; to paint—малювати фарбами; brush- work — манера письма живописця

III. Read the text and answer the questions:

1. What were the trends in painting in England in the 19th century?

2. Who represented the genre school, realistic landscape and portraiture?

The trends in painting in the 19th century

The Industrial Revolution in England greatly influenced art as a whole, and painting in particular. Such trends in painting as the genre school, realistic landscape and por­traiture schools expressed the social contradictions of English life. The new trends may be traced in the works of Wilkie, Lawrence and Constable.

Sir David Wilkie (1785—1841), the leader of the genre school, preferred pictures from which a moral concerning the simple virtues could be drawn. One of his well-known pictures is "Village Politicians". With this trend not only portraits of common people but their life and labour were introduced in art.

David Wilkie dedicated himself to portraying the joys and sorrows of the "little man" — the Scottish farmers, shop­keepers, retired soldiers, etc. His picture "Old Woman with a Dog" is characteristic of the artist's ability to tell a story, be it even in a portrait.

In portraiture Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769—1830) contin­uing the manner of the 18th century introduced more real­ism. Thomas Lawrence, the last of the painters to begin his career in the Reynolds tradition, was a favourite of the English nobility. His magnificent paintings were glorified роrtraits of statesmen, military leaders, and diplomats — always handsome, self-possessed and imperious, a romantic pathos ennobling them more.

"Lady Raglan" is one of Lawrence's earlier works, done when he was still greatly influenced by Reynolds, but it’s easy manner and masterly brushwork are really wonderful, Sometimes Lawrence sacrificed realism to create a mild, idealized portrait. The artist is at his best as a society portraitist in his "Portrait of Count M. S. Vorontsov", a participant in the war of 1812. Lawrence's work was true to the traditions of the final period of a school of portrait painting. The tradi­tion of realistic landscape was represented by John Constable.

Late 19th-20th century art

In the second part of the nineteenth century England entered upon important stages of her artistic development Some known painters — Dante Gabriel Rossetti and others formed themselves into a "brotherhood" with the title of Pre-Raphaelites¹ that expressed their deep admiration for the masters who preceded Raphael.² This school had a great influence on the development of English pictorial art.

A quick survey of English painting about 1880 would reveal a remarkably wide range of subject matter: the landscapes in photographic detail for tired urban eyes; the parade portraits and the costume-pieces like real charades in paint; the anecdote of contemporary life, widening now to include documents more deeply socially-minded; flower pictures, horse-pictures — an art of material prosperity.

Portrait art always occupied an important part in English painting and nowadays there are prominent portraitists who continue the traditions of the famous English masters. These traditions are apparent in the portraits by Graham Sutherland. Sutherland is well-known for his drawings of the destruction caused by the German fascists during World War II.

Realistic traditions found their expression in the works of Ruskin Spear who painted common people, their troubles and joys. Paul Hogarth is known for his drawings of scenes of life in Spain, Greece, China, etc. and greatly respected for the peaceloving motives in his art.

With the twentieth century impressionism, cubism, abstractionism entered English painting and certainly influenced it, though many gifted artists have found and are following their own realistic path in art. Most of the famous British painting collections may be seen in museums and art galleries of London: the Tate Gallery, the national Gallery and others.

Complete the sentences with the words:

Masters, representatives, portraitist, created, landscape, impressionists, outstanding, painted, sitter, countryside, observation, painting, contain, well-known.

Sir Joshua Reynolds was the most ... portraitist of the second half of 18^th century. In December 1768 the Royal Academy was founded and Reinolds became its first president. He ... a whole gallery of portraits of the famous people of that period. He usually ... his characters in heroic ... and showed them the best people of the nation.

But yhe leading ... of his day was Thomas Lawrence. He became painter ti George III in 1792 and president of the Royal Academy (1820-1830). Queen Charlotte is one of his finest portraits.

Thomas Gainsborough, one of the greatest ... of the English school, was a portraitist and a ... painter. His portraits are painted in clear tones. Blue and green are his favourite colours. One of the most famous works is the portrait of the Dutchess of Beaufort. He managed to create a true impression of the ... Gainborough greatly influenced to English school of landscape ... . He was one of the first English artists to paint his native land (Sunset, The Bridge) and others. He was the first English artist to paint his native ... so sincerely. His works ... much poetry and music. He is sometimes considered the forerunner of the impressionists.

John Constable, an English landscape painter, painted many ...works (A cottage in a Cornfield, The Lock). He is the first landscape painter who considered that everu painter should make his scetches directly from nature working in the open air. His technique and colouring are very close to the.... Constable ignored the rules established by Reinolds. He insisted that art should be based on... of nature and feeling. But the realistic qualities of his art are senced very strongly.

Share your opinion using the ideas below.

*Painting of old masters is one of the greatest treasures mankind has collected in the history of its civilisation.

*Old painting reflects the collective experience of human spiritual life of many centuries.

*New times call for new songs. Modern man is naturally interested in the art reflecting his own time and his own experience.

*Workship of old masters is a drag on the development of new progressive art. We should look forward instead of turning back all the time.

Discuss the problem!

We know that many people today reject old art and protect new trends in art. But what shall we do about the great works of Raffael and Leonardo da Vinchi or Rembrandt and Repin? Shall we reject them?