The Symbolist Movement

Symbolist Movement

• Idealistic movement created by artists discontented with their cultures
• went against exactness and reality as perceived by the senses
• Central Tenant: life is fundamentally mysterious, which should be reflected in art
• Meant to fully engage the viewer not just intellectually but emotionally

Imagism

• Invented in 1909 by American and English poets
• Focused on presentation of concrete images

The Lady and the Panther

- Gustave Moreau

Guernica

-Pablo Picasso

Influential Figures in the Symbolist Movement

What Reacted to Symbolism

Surrealism

Charles Baudelaire

Jean Moréas

1856-1910

1821-1867

• After symbolism, some artists identified with the Dada movement which completely rebelled through chaotic images
• Others stuck with expressing themselves with symbolic and abstract tradition found in Surrealism

• "Les Fleurs du mal" (1857)
• The principal themes of sex and death were considered scandalous
• Prosecuted for his works

• Symbolist Manifesto (1886)
• Reacting against the rationalism and materialism
• Proclaimed the validity of pure subjectivity and the expression of an idea

Gustave Moreau

1826-1898

Dreamweaver

-Night Fate

• Distinctive artist among the Symbolist group
• Dream like classical myths or religious themes
• Bright, seducing colors and luxurious effects

Oedipus and the Sphinx - Gustave Moreau

The Symbolist Movement

From Realism to Symbolism

• Realism focused on portraying everyday activities as accurately as possible
• In response to this concrete representation brought on by realism, symbolism sought to idealize fantasy & imagination.

What was Happening in the World

Characteristics

• Artists used symbols to express their artificial world based on their imagination and emotions
• By expressing themselves the artists would give their subjects mythological or esoteric meanings.

• Second Industrial Revolution, which caused an economic boom in Western countries
• Technological advances, such as the invention of Coca Cola, the dishwasher, etc.
• This denoted the rise of convenience and materialism

Displacement

Openness

Realist style is representational, Symbolist style is presentational

Arbitrary

• our ability to understand that a certain symbol means a certain thing

• our ability to create and use symbols as we see fit

• meaning is a construction of the human mind

• a symbol has no direct connection with the object it refers too

Example of Realism

Sources

• www.ducksters.com/history/art/symbolism.php
• www.gosurreal.com/history.htm
• www.dereksarthistorytimeline.weebly.com/sleeping-gypsy-symbolism.html
• www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/symb/hd_symb.htm
• http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/symbolism.htm
• www.foothill.edu/attach/1395/Chapter3oniline_without_tomb.ppt
• http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/symbolist/symbolist_intro.html

By:

Christopher Rowan

Alexa Booth

Brandon Smith

Alex LaFosse

Lauren Everett

Merrit Luneau

Meghan Babb

Three Fishing Boats - Gustave Courbet