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选修6Unit1Art-ReadingASHORTHISTORYOFWESTERNPAINTINGArtisinfluencedbythecustomsandfaithofapeople.StylesinWesternarthavechangedmanytimes.AstherearesomanydifferentstylesofWesternart,itwouldbeimpossibletodescribealloftheminsuchashorttext.Consequently,thistextwilldescribeonlythemostimportantones,startingfromthesixthcenturyAD.TheMiddleAges(5thtothe15thcenturyAD)DuringtheMiddleAges,themainaimofpainterswastorepresentreligiousthemes.Aconventionalartistofthisperiodwasnotinterestedinshowingnatureandpeopleastheyreallywere.Atypicalpictureatthistimewasfullofreligioussymbols,whichcreatedfeelingofrespectandloveforGod.Butitwasevidentthatideaswerechanginginthe13thcenturywhenpainterslikeGiottodiBondonebegantopaintreligiousscenesinamorerealisticway.TheRenaissance(15thto16thcentury)DuringtheRenaissance,newideasandvaluesgraduallvreplacedthoseheldintheMiddleAges.Peoplebegantoconcentratelessonreligiousthemesandadoptamorehumanisticattitudetolife.AtthesametimepaintersreturnedtoclassicalRomanandGreekideasaboutart.Theytriedtopaintpeopleandnatureastheyreallywere.Richpeoplewantedtopossesstheirownpaintings,sotheycoulddecoratetheirsuperbpalacesandgreathouses.Theypaidfamousartiststopaintpicturesofthemselves,theirhousesandpossessionsaswellastheiractivitiesandachievements.Oneofthemostimportantdiscoveriesduringthisperiodwashowtodrawthingsinperspective.ThistechniquewasfirstusedbyMasaccioin1428.Whenpeoplefirstsawhispaintings,theywereconvincedthattheywerelookingthroughaholeinawallatarealscene.Iftherolesofperspectivehadnotbeendiscovered,noonewouldhavebeenabletopaintsuchrealisticpictures.Bycoincidence,oilpaintswerealsodevelopedatthistime,whichmadethecoloursusedinpaintingslookricheranddeeper.Withoutthenewpaintsandthenewtechnique,wewouldnotbeabletoseethemanygreatmasterpiecesforwhichthisperiodisfamous.Impressionism(late19thtoearly20thcentury)Inthelate19thcentury,Europechangedagreatdeal.fromamostlyagriculturalsocietytoamostlyindustrialone.Manypeoplemovedfromthecountrysidetothenewcities.Thereweremanynewinventionsandsocialchanges.Naturally,thesechangesalsoledtonewpaintingstyles.AmongthepainterswhobrokeawayfromthetraditionalstyleofpaintingweretheImpressionists,wholivedandworkedinParis.TheImpressionistswerethefirstpainterstoworkoutdoors.Theywereeagertoshowhowlightandshadowfellonobjectsatdifferenttimesofday.However,becausenaturallightchangessoquickly,theImpressionistshadtopaintquickly.Theirpaintingswerenotasdetailedasthoseofearlierpainters.Atfirst,manypeopledislikedthisstyleofpaintingandbecameveryangraboutit.Theysaidthatthepainterswerecarelessandtheirpaintingswereridiculous.ModernArt(20thcenturytotoday)Atthetimetheywerecreated,theImpressionistpaintingswerecontroversial,buttodaytheyareacceptedasthebeginningofwhatwecallmodemart.ThisisbecausetheImpressionistsencouragedartiststolookattheirenvironmentinnewways.Therearescoresofmodernartstyles,butwithouttheImpressionists,manyofthesepaintingstylesmightnotexist.Ontheonehand,somemodemartisabstract;thatis,thepainterdoesnotattempttopaintobjectsasweseethemwithoureyes,butinsteadconcentratesoncertainqualitiesoftheobject,usingcolour,lineandshapetorepresentthem.Ontheotherhand,somepaintingsofmodernartaresorealisticthattheylooklikephotographs.Thesestylesaresodifferent.Whocanpredictwhatpaintingstylestherewillbeinthefuture?THEBESTOFMANHATTAN’SARTGALLERIESTheFrickCollection(5thAvenueandE.70thStreet)ManyartloverswouldrathervisitthissmallartgallerythananyotherinNewYork.HenryClayFrick,arichNewYorker,diedin1919,leavinghishouse,furnitureandartcollectiontotheAmericanpeople.Frickhadapreferenceforpre-twentiethcenturyWesternpaintings,andthesearewell-representedinthisexcellentcollection.YoucanalsoexploreFrick'sbeautifulhomeandgardenwhicharewellworthaVisit.GuggenheimMuseum(5thAvenueand88thStreet)Thismuseumowns5,000superbmodernpaintings,sculpturesanddrawings.Theseartworksarenotalldisplayedatthesametime.Theexhibitionisalwayschanging.ItwillappealtothosewholoveImpressionistandPost-Impressionistpaintings.TheGuggenheimMuseumbuildingisalsoworld-famous.Whenyouwalkintogallery,youfeelasifyouwereinsideafragile,whiteseashell.Thebestwaytoseethepaintingsistostartfromthetopfloorandwalkdowntothebottom.Therearenostairsjustacircularpath.Themuseumalsohasanexcellentrestaurant.MetropolitanMuseumofArt(5thAvenueand82ndStreet)Thereputationofthismuseumliesinthevarietyofitsartcollection.Thiscoversmorethan5,000yearsofcivilizationfrommanypartsoftheworld,includingAmerica,Europe,China,Egypt,otherAfricancountriesandSouthAmerica.Themuseumdisplaysmorethanjustthevisualdelightsofart.Itintroducesyoutoancientwaysofliving.YoucanvisitanEgyptiantemple,afragrantMinggarden,atypicalroominan18thcenturyFrenchhouseandmanyotherspecialexhibitions.MuseumofModernArt(53rdStreet,between5thand6thAvenues)Itisamazingthatsomanygreatworksofartfromthelate19thcenturytothe21stcenturyarehousedinthesamemuseum.ThecollectionofWesternartincludespaintingsbysuchfamousartistsasMonet,VanGogh,PicassoandMatisse.Afewwordsofwarning:theadmissionpriceisnotcheapandthemuseumisoftenverycrowded.WhitneyMuseumofAmerican