Alternative Fruit
Alternative Fruit
  • Alternative Fruit
  • Grotto
  • Donate
  • Shop Partners
    • Amazon
    • eBay.com
    • eBay.co.uk
    • Posters
    • Sunday Times Wine Club
    • The New York Times Store
  • Alternative Fruit
  • Grotto
  • Donate
  • Shop Partners
    • Amazon
    • eBay.com
    • eBay.co.uk
    • Posters
    • Sunday Times Wine Club
    • The New York Times Store

Choose Love

The New Wave of Artistic Realism | Alternative Fruit

18/9/2017

Comments

 
Picture
“I am not an angel," I asserted; "and I will not be one till I die: I will be myself.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre


The world has seen the age of realism in all its stark nature with the onset of the movement in the 19th Century. Clawing away at the twee and fancy, realism made it clear that art was to represent truth. Truth is cold and bitter at times, which alerted artists to some morbid and dark subject matter such as Hard Times by Sir Hubert von Herkomer (pictured). Initially, to move away from flamboyant imagery, artists took to the shadows and lines in a new way. The form gradually evolved from showing the darker side of existence to simply complimenting reality with accurate mirror-like painting.


Perhaps by learning how to replicate reality to such high quality was seen as a true artistic homage to nature and form. The expert touch required to create realistic looking art is undeniable, and not all have the ability. Those that do have the natural skill can sharpen it until they are painting such realistic images that it can be seen as a form of worship to the truth.


Fashions come and go, and although realism made real headway during the early 20th century with popular artists becoming internationally acclaimed for the works, times moved on and other forms of art began to make themselves heard. The famous people of the day were commissioning their portraits with the brand name artists, which had an effect of over glamorising the form. Perhaps as photography improved and became accessible to more people, the desire for realistic art also became diluted.


It has seen a new wave of interest however, with the internet rewarding artists with exceptional quality. It can be shown that realistic art is always well received by art loving communities, and the skills are celebrated in forums and websites. This has made a new wave of realism begin to crest in the art world, and this year's Edinburgh Art Festival reflected this with a large array of realism on display.


Plying open the vaults to discover what history has to say about realism has revealed a few swept under the carpet secrets. Propaganda of the time relied heavily on realistic images depicting the political ideal. Social realism from the Soviet Union and Nazi Aryan iconography can all be shown to categorise in this form. This clearly raises questions about the influence that super real art can have. Does the expert skill command a level of authority simply by the nature of its required ability level? It's unsure how much was fashion and how much was political theory, if only we could be a fly on the wall in those meetings where such things were agreed upon.
Preptember (Annual Stock-Up Sale)
ARTdiscount Student Art Supplies
Comments
    Picture
     Choose Love on Alternative Fruit is reader supported. Because of you, more people get to discover creativity and art for themselves.  Thank you so much!


    Jewellery Maker's Free Catalogue
    ​
    Shop To Support:

    Signed Photographs

    Antique Books

    Rare Vinyl Records
    ​Choose Love Home

    Alternative Fruit Home
    Alternative Fruit
    Ktafx
    John Academy
    Art.com
    Follow the editor on Twitter
    Join Grammarly's Affiliate Program
    Save $25 and get Free Shipping when you checkout with PayPal and enter code: PAYPALGIFT
    Alternative Fruit
    Homepage
    House of Holland

    RSS Feed

    ARTdiscount Artists Paints Bannerbutton

    Archives

    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    June 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014

Shop to Support Alternative Fruit
  • ​Posters and Prints
  • ​Vintage Clothing
  • Free Education​
  • Flights
​Thanks for supporting Alternative Fruit
Read our Privacy Policy here
For people, for peace, with love.
​Made in the UK by Homunculus Media