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Unit1ASHORTHISTORYOFWESTERNPAINTINGArtisinfluencedbythecustomsandfaithofapeople.StylesinWesternarthavechangedmanytimes.AstherearesomanydifferentstylesofWesternart,itwouldbeimpossibletodescribealloftheminsuchashorttext.Consequently,thistextwilldescribeonlythemostimportantones.StartingfromthesixthcenturyAD.TheMiddleAges(5thtothe15thcenturyAD)DuringtheMiddleAges,themainaimofpainterswastorepresentreligiousthemes.Aconventionalartistofthisperiodwasnotinterestedinshowingnatureandpeopleastheyreallywere.Atypicalpictureatthistimewasfullofreligioussymbols,whichcreatedafeelingofrespectandloveforGod.Butitwasevidentthatideaswerechanginginthe13thcenturywhenpainterslikeGiottodiBondonebegantopaintreligiousscenesinamorerealisticway.TheRenaissance(15thto16thcentury)DuringtheRenaissance,newideasandvaluesgraduallyreplacedthoseheldintheMiddleAges.Peoplebegantoconcentratelessonreligiousthemesandadoptamorehumanisticattitudetolife.AtthesametimepaintersreturnedtoclassicalRomanandGreekideasaboutart.Theytriedtopaintpeopleandnatureastheyreallywere.Richpeoplewantedtopossesstheirownpaintings,sotheycouledecoratetheirsuperbpalacesandgreathouses.Theypaidfamousartiststopaintpicturesofthemselves,theirhousesandpossessionsaswellastheiractivitiesandachievements.Oneofthemostimportantdiscoveriesduringthisperiodwashowtodrawthingsinperspective.ThistechniquewasfirstusedbyMasaccioin1428.Whenpeoplefirstsawhispaintings,theywereconvincedthattheywerelookingthroughaholeinawallatarealscene.Iftherulesofperspectivehadnotbeendiscovered,noonewouldhavebeenabletopaintsuchrealisticpictures.Bycoincidence,oilpaintswerealsodevelopedatthistime,whichmadethecoloursusedinpaintingslookricheranddeeper.Withoutthenewpaintsandthenewtechnique,wewouldnotbeabletoseethemanygreatmasterpiecesforwhichthisperiodisfamous.Impressionism(late19htoearly20thcentury)Inthelate19thcentury,Europechangedagreatdeal,fromamostlyagriculturalsocietytoamostlyindustrialone.Manypeoplemovedfromthecountrysidetothenewcities.Thereweremanynewinventionsandsocialchangesalsoledtonewpaintingstyles.AmongthepainterswhobrokeawayfromthetraditionalstyleofpaintingweretheImpressionists,wholivedandworkeinParis.TheImpressionistswerethefirstpainterstoworkoutdoors.Theywereeagertoshowhowlightandshadowfellonobjectsatdifferenttimesofday.However,becausenaturallightchangessoquickly,theImpressionistshadtopaintquickly.Theirpaintingswerenotasdetailedasthoseofearlierpainters.Atfirst,manypeopledislikedthisstyleofpaintingandbecameveryangryaboutit.Theysaidthatthepainterswerecarelessandtheirpaintingswereridiculous.ModernArt(29thcenturytotoday)Atthetimetheywerecreated,theImpressionistpaintingswerecontroversial,buttodaytheyareaccepetedasthebeginningofwhatwecallmodernart.ThisisbecausetheImpressionistsencouragedartiststolookattheirenvironmentinnewways.Therearescoresofmodernartstyles,butwithouttheImpressionists,manyofthesepaintingstylesmightnotexsist.Ontheonehand,somemodernartisabstract;thatis,thepainterdoesnotattempttopaintobjectsasweseethemwithoureyes,butinsteadconcentratesncertainqualitiesoftheobject,usingcolour,lineandshapetorepresentthem.Ontheotherhand,somepaintingsofmodernartaresorealisticthattheylooklikephotographs.Thesestylesaresodifferent.Whocanpredictwhatpaintingstylestherewillbeinthefuture?TheBestofManhattan’sGalleriesTheFrickCollection(5thAvenueandE.70thStreet)ManyartloverswouldrathervisitthissmallartgallerythananyotherinNewYork.HenryClayFrick,arichNewYorker,diedin1919,leavinghishouse,furnitureandartcollectiontotheAmericanpeople.Frickhadapreferenceforpre-twentiethcenturyWesternpaintings,andthesearewell-representedinthisexcellentcollection.YoucanalsoexploreFrick’sbeautifulhomeandgardenwhicharewellworthavisit.GuggenheimMuseum(5thAvenueand88thStreet)Thismuseumowns5,000modernpaintings,sculpturesanddrawings.Theseartworksarenotalldisplayedatthesametime.Theexhibitionisalwayschanging.ItwillapealtothosewholoveImpressionistandPost-Impressionistpaintings.TheGuggenheimMuseumbuildingisalsoworld-famous.Whenyouwalkintothegallery,youfellasifyouwereinsideafragile,whiteseashell.Thebestwaytoseethepaintingsistostartfromthetopfloorandwalkdowntothebottom.Therearenostairs,justacircularpath.Themuseumalsohasanexcellentreaturant.MetropolitanMuseumofArt(5thAvenueand82ndStreet)Thereputationofthismuseumliesinthevarietyifitsartcollection.Thiscoversmorethan5,000yearsofcivilizationfrommanypartsiftheworld,includingAmerica,Europe,China,Egypt,otherAfricancountriesandSouthAmerica.Themuseundiaplaysmorethanjustthevisualdelightsofart.Itintroducesyoutoancientwaysofliving.YoucanvisitanEgyptiantemple,afragrantMinggarden,atypicalroominan18thcenturyFrenchhouseandotherspecialexhibitions.MuseumofModernArt(53rdStreet,btween5thand6thAvenues)Itisamazingthatsomanygreatworksoffromthelate19thcenturytothe21stcenturyarehousedinthesamemuseum.ThecollectionofWesternartincludespaintingsbysuchfamousartistsasMonet,VanGogh,PicassoandMatisse.Afewwordsofwarning:theadmissionpriceisnotcheapanthemeseumisoftenverycrowded.WhitneyMuseumofAmericanArt(945MadisonAvenue,near75thStreet)TheWhitneyhold