Art History Overview: America in the Gilded Age
From the 1880s until the First World War, western Europe and the United States witnessed the development of Art Nouveau ("New Art"). It has been said that "it was a bold declaration of the new art for the new century"
(2013, Art Nouveau BBC documentary).
Art Nouveau embraced a return to natural, organic forms, incorporating sensuous curves and elaborate flourishes.Taking inspiration from the unruly aspects of the natural world, Art Nouveau influenced art and architecture especially in the applied arts, graphic work, and illustration. Sinuous lines and "whiplash" curves were derived, in part, from botanical studies and illustrations of deep-sea organisms. Nature was the primary source of inspiration for a generation of artists seeking to break away from past styles. The unfolding of Art Nouveau's flowing line may be understood as a metaphor for the freedom and release sought by its practitioners and admirers from the weight of artistic tradition and critical expectations. (Paraphrased from http://www.metmuseum.org)
"Taking inspiration from the unruly aspects of the natural world, Art Nouveau influenced art and architecture especially in the applied arts, graphic work, and illustration." – The Metropolitan Museum of Art
During this HAT lesson we will focus on master artist Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933), son of Charles Louis Tiffany of the famed Tiffany's jewelry store in New York City. Tiffany's designs represent the unique vision of Art Nouveau. The main emphasis on Art Nouveau was elaborate decoration that was also utilitarian. In a sense, artists of the day aimed to turn everyday objects into fine art. Finally, fine art was available for the masses. Everything from household goods (lamps, rugs, tableware, etc.) to architecture was influenced by the fanciful, swirly, and earthy lines of Art Nouveau at the turn of the nineteenth century. Abstracted edges, softened lines, with an emphasis on nature makes this style attractive.This style emerged prior to World War I and was considered quite modern at the time.
The naturalistic elements and subject matter of Art Nouveau developed in Europe as a reaction to the mechanized world engendered by the Industrial Revolution. The world was changing right before our eyes. America was moving from a nation of pioneers, and becoming a nation of visionaries. Engineers, scientists, and inventors were thinking about ideas that would revolutionize lives. The Industrial Revolution marked a major turning point in history. Almost every aspect of daily life was changed.The First Industrial Revolution evolved into the Second Industrial Revolution in the transition years between 1840 and 1870, when technological and economic progress gained momentum with the increasing adoption of steam-powered boats, ships and railways, the large scale manufacture of machine tools and the increasing use of steam powered factories. Sweatshops, steel mills, and factories replacedpastoral scenes of farms, farmers, and cows across America. The Progressive Era followed the Gilded Age, and lasted from roughly the 1890s to 1920. The Progressives were not a cohesive group with one strategy or even a single agenda. They simply wanted to improve society.
Newton's Third Law of Motion states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. This holds true when we consider what global changes were taking place in the world at the turn of the century (1880-1900). The more industrialized that humans became, the more there seemed to be a need to balance all of these changes out with a return to the natural world. The understanding that machines were taking over the work of hundreds of people must have been riveting. The sounds of moving gears, and the motion of metal mashing was the new ideal of progress. The natural and organic process of making things by hand was slipping away. Hand made things became machine made, often at a fraction of the cost. For the first time in history the living standards of the masses of ordinary people were now on an upward rise of sustained growth that had never been seen before. (Paraphrased from the words of Nobel Prize winner Robert E. Lucas, Jr.).
Philosophically the artistic response to all of this was to directly respond to nature in an active and visceral way. Post-Civil War Romantic art was now replaced by realism in American art and literature. Said more simply, there was a sort of craving to respond to inward feelings relating to nature in real and meaningful ways. We can read about these changing times in the work of American poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson who was most prominent from the mid 1830's -1840's. Emerson held the natural world in the highest regard, and his work greatly influenced many artists and writers of his era. Artisans responded by using nature as a central theme in painting, drawing, sculpture, writing, and music. Nature and the soul were deeply connected in the Art Nouveau movement. Decorative lines and rich materials (e.g., exotic woods, porcelain, bronze, and gold leafing) were signs of the economic upswing that was taking place. Changing economic times bring changes into all areas of the lives of the people living through those times. The ornate and decorative lines taking shape on everything from arm chairs to architecture told everyone that "life is good"in the 20th century.
EXTENSION: 4th grade and up
Some may say that the more things change, the more the need to keep some things the same. Can you think of some ways that our current Technical Revolution has created similar shifts in our world? How do things that are happening in the world shape how we live today? Is life "better" because of all of the recent technological advancements? Discuss some ideas, giving specific examples.
Need more historical information?History Info here
Sources:
America Comes of Age
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/amer/hd_amer.htm
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/artn/hd_artn.htm#thumbnails
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_revolution
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/progress/immigrnt/
Art History Objectives
By the end of Unit of Study 3 students will understand the following:
- Understand that the Art Nouveau movement was a direct reaction to the Industrialization of the world.
- Analyze art from the Gilded Age and conclude that the decorative lines and rich materials were a reflection of the changing economy.
- Analyze the impact that the use of machines had on the reactions of artisans (writers, poets, and painters) of the period.
- Conclude that machines replaced the jobs of many people during the Industrial Revolution changing just about every aspect of everyday life, including the way that artists worked.
- Relate to the concept that with change comes opportunity.
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