Thomasin,
A lot of art was coming into the West from Asia during the 1900's. It was what inspired artists to look at design and color in an entirely different way. The rigid aspects of the Atelier method and Classicism were abandoned by the most adventurous of the 19th century painters such as Turner and Manet. Manet was completely bored with Couture.
These artists wanted to free themselves from the tight strictures, not only of form but of ideas. Gad! all those Venuses on the half-shell and wretched Alma-Tadema/Gerome slave markets painted to satisfy the prurient tastes of a Victorian art market.
Coming upon a Turner is a powerful experience.
That Munch is wonderful, the purples around the hands are exquisite.
Monet's landscapes have made me see color in a completely different way. They not the dull renderings of the pedantic pleine-aire artists, but of a painter who has complete command of his means and can take full delight in the exquisite play of color.
Thanks for posting these.
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