3.25. DBQ

Nineteenth Century Art DBQ

During the late nineteenth century, European art experienced many changes in style and subject. The first of these movements was realism, a style of art that presented its subject matter typically to be common people, performing normal tasks. This was a large change from the former paintings that were concerned with royalty and religion. This movement in art illustrates the movement of power from the economic and social elite towards the common people and the middle class of the time.

In figure two, this painting given represents the realist art of the nineteenth century. It portrays common people walking on a street, in the rain. This painting presents the people as proper and well kempt, going throughout the town. All of those walking are shown in a good light, as if they have enough money and no troubles to worry about. This painting does not accurately depict the real life scenarios of the common people. It shows them as having money, and being able to spend it somewhat luxuriously. They have new suits, bowties, dresses, and hats, all things that common people could not have with their small amount of money from their work.

The painting presented in figure one was created in a style that is more in line with impressionism, rather than realism. Impressionism, from an artistic standpoint, consisted of less precise lines and no finite borders. Those in the picture were somewhat blurry, and it gave a sense of confusion and disillusion, and the aim was to look at the world from a different perspective. This was far different from prior art, which was much more clear and finite in their work. In the subject matter of this art, it also portrayed the life of the common people, however, this tended to be more real than realism itself. Realist art did not show all of the aspects of a common person’s life, and presented them in a favorable light. Impressionism attempted to shine light on a greater truth, depicting the dank nature of common life, and also showing the changes that had occurred to them, such as machinery. In figure one; it illustrates a poor family on a train, crowded with many other people, in a somber mood. The family is disheveled and disorderly, the way typical lower middle class citizens were. Another point that is not thought of to stand out is the fact that the painting takes place inside of a train. Prior to impressionism, art did not generally concern mechanics and the advancements in machinery. Now, not only was a true portrait of a lower middle class family shown, but the painting also shows the advancement in technology present.

In these two paintings shown, they both attempt to depict the common people of their time, but only figure one successfully illustrates the way life really was for these people. Figure two attempts to present the middle class as something which the majority was not, wealthy. They could not afford the suits shown, or hats, or ties, or even umbrellas. The real common folk is similar to the family on the train, in crammed conditions and unkempt. This now realization of the genuine lifestyle of common people represents the shift in power to the middle class. Middle class citizens are now becoming organized and realizing that they are being wronged, and demanding that they see justice. They became inspired by the socialism movement and wish to be equals with the rest of society; no more poor, no more rich, only equals. These people had the manpower to rebel against those in control of them, and demand what they wanted.

During the late nineteenth century, these artistic movements not only affected the way art was depicted, but also represented a shift in power. The common people were now able to demand what they wanted, and began to unite together for equality. These works of art represented how the economic elite, such as kings and social elite were not longer in total control, but now sharing their power with the common people.