Lecture 02 set the historical stage for art in the mid-19th century. After providing a brief summary of the social and cultural atmosphere, we discussed the two primary stylistic influences at work during this period: neoclassicism and romanticism as well as the influence of the (art) academies.

After some comparisons of the neoclassical and romantic styles, we viewed a small selection of the work of William-Adolphe Bouguereau who was probably the most famous of the “academic style” artists of the time.

We then moved into an overview of the advent of photography and discussed how this new invention influenced/changed the traditional role of the artist.

Joseph Niepce's photograph from 1826

This was followed by a look at the work of Daumier and the new “realism” in art.

Honore Daumier's "Third-Class Carriage", 1862

Next lecture will delve further into the work of Courbet and early impressionism.

Viewings:

• Slides from Lecture 02

Readings:

• Chapter 2: Realism; Impressionism; and Early Photography