1870, Gustave Courbet, The Wave -- Phoenix Art Museum
From the museum label:
In the 19th century, color was considered secondary to drawing because it appealed to the emotions rather than the mind. Drawn elements, however, are absent in this seascape by Gustave Courbet. Instead, the artist emphasizes bold color, thick brushstrokes, and rough texture, rejecting the primacy of drawing and announcing the radical terms for his art.
Courbet's departure from the painting norms of the period paralleled his anarchist tendencies. Although his rejection of societal restrictions resulted in a troubled life marked by imprisonment and an early death, his paintings--the embodiment of his beliefs--inspired the Impressionists and those who created modern art to elevate in their work the importance of light, atmosphere, water, brushstroke, and texture.
1870, Gustave Courbet, The Wave -- Phoenix Art Museum
From the museum label:
In the 19th century, color was considered secondary to drawing because it appealed to the emotions rather than the mind. Drawn elements, however, are absent in this seascape by Gustave Courbet. Instead, the artist emphasizes bold color, thick brushstrokes, and rough texture, rejecting the primacy of drawing and announcing the radical terms for his art.
Courbet's departure from the painting norms of the period paralleled his anarchist tendencies. Although his rejection of societal restrictions resulted in a troubled life marked by imprisonment and an early death, his paintings--the embodiment of his beliefs--inspired the Impressionists and those who created modern art to elevate in their work the importance of light, atmosphere, water, brushstroke, and texture.