The french impressionists

From the time that artists first used light in their paintings, they showed form through differences in values (the amount of light and dark in a color) and through modeling (the use of light and shade whereby a three-dimensional effect is achieved).

A French artist, Édouard Manet, introduced a revolutionary method. In The Dead Toreador light strikes the figure head on. There are no shadows. Form is obtained, not with differences of value, but with different patches of color.

This idea was carried even further by artists such as Claude Monet, who painted Sunflowers. Monet developed what is called “broken color” painting; that is, he painted objects by means of brush strokes of various colors placed next to each other. Instead of mixing colors together on a palette, as artists had done for centuries, Monet and his followers put the color strokes on separately and let the eye of the observer mix them. Such paintings have a wonderful vitality and sense of light. The technique that attempts to convey the transient effects of direct and reflected sunlight is known as impressionism.

The word derives from a painting exhibited by Monet in 1874, entitled Impression: Sunrise. The picture was greeted with public derision, the like of which had never been experienced in Paris. Every tradition of European painting seemed to have been thrown aside. Not only form but substance itself has vanished. To the Parisians the picture looked like a mere collection of coloured streaks and blobs on a light blue ground. Today observers have hardly any difficulty in recognising a sailboat and a rowboat in the foreground, masts and equipment, haze and smoke, all reflected in the rippled surface of the water. This revolutionary painting aimed to reproduce the image the eye sees in an instantaneous glimpse of the port of Le Havre at sunrise.

Long before the French artists of the XIX century, Constable and Turner had suggested the use of paint to convey light. But not until the impressionists had the artists reproduced fleeting atmospheric effects so accurately.

Georges Seurat, who is considered a postimpressionist, used the idea of broken color to develop a very characteristic style called pointillism. He painted entirely by means of dots of pure color. The most subtle ranges in form and color could be shown by changing the combination of colors of the dots. This was a very controlled way of painting, and the compositions of his pictures are entirely in keeping with the great care required by the method. The painting Sunday Afternoon on the Island of the Grande Jatte is a view of a gay holiday crowd on an island near Paris. The careful composition gives the effect of great stability, which is in curious contrast to the lively effect of the dots of paint. It has a feeling of rightness and even truthfulness that make it one of the greatest of modern pictures.

In the 1860s an exhibition in Paris of Japanese prints greatly interested the impressionists. They were seeking new subject matter and new color schemes, a fresh point of view, the unexpected and the original. All these they found in the work of the Orient. Edgar Degas was one of the impressionists who found inspiration in Japanese art.

He was particularly interested in showing rhythmic movement from unusual angles. In Prima Ballerina, the point of view is high, as though the artist were looking down from a box above the stage.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir was another of the important French artists who helped develop impressionism, though he later preferred a more formal style. His use of warm colors and rounded figures is evident in his Two Little Circus Girls.

TASKS:

I. Give Russian equivalents of the following:

the amount of light and dark in a color; light and shade; to introduce a revolutionary method; light strikes the figure head on; to obtain a form (with smth); a patch of color; to carry an idea even further; to develop a style of / in / painting; to place smth and smth else next to each other; smb's follower; the eye of the observer; direct and reflected sunlight; a painting entitled … ; rippled surface of the water; to be considered (a postimpressionist or smth else); a controlled way of painting; to be entirely in keeping with smth; the method requires great care; the most subtle range in form and color; the careful composition has a feeling of rightness and even truthfulness; to seek smth; subject matter; color scheme; the unexpected and the original; to show smth from (some) angle; as though smb were doing smth; a box above the stage; smb's characteristic features of style are evident in this particular picture.

II. Give English equivalents of the following:

валёр (соотношение тонов цвета); достигать трёхмерного эффекта посредством моделирования; то есть; рядом с (чем-л); вместо (чего-л); смешивать краски на палитре; пытаться сделать что-л; передать (на холсте) что-л; что-л известно как что-л ещё; слово происходит от … ; никогда до (кого-л) (кто-л ещё) не делал что-л; посредством чего-л (3 варианта); согласовываться (гармонировать) с чем-л; кто-л считается постимпрессионистом; широчайший диапазон форм и цвета (диапазон едва уловимых очертаний и оттенков); производить впечатление (чего-л); тема / тематика; цветовая гамма (решение); Восток; находить вдохновение в чём-л; интересоваться чем-л;

III. Match the words on the right with their antonyms on the left:

1. light (a) A. same

2. revolutionary B. lifelessness

3. various C. after

4. next to D. at variance with

5. vitality E. dark

6. transient F. dull

7. until G. permanent

8. care (n) H. the Occident

9. in keeping with I. apart from

10. lively J. conventional

11. the Orient K. negligence

IV. Find the odd ones out. Substitute the given words for their synonyms in the sentences of the text where possible.

1. advanced, cutting-edge, innovative, progressive, revolutionary, up-to-date, well-established; 2. by means of, by the by, by the use of, making use of, through, using, with, with the help of; 3. achieve, accomplish, attain, gain, get, obtain, realize, secure, spoil; 4. apart from, adjacent to, adjoining, beside, by, close by, near, next to; 5. blend, compound, mingle, mix, separate; 6. aversion, contempt, derision, disgust, enthusiasm, hostility, scorn; 7. looker-on, monitor, observer, spectator, viewer; 8. for ages, for centuries, for a long time, from time immemorial, lately, time out of mind; 9. cease to be, come, disappear, go, vanish; 10. aim, attempt, endeavor, strive, shun, try.

V. Put the verbs in brackets into suitable forms expressing unreal or problematic actions.

1. The French artists of the XIX century felt it was about time they (to introduce) a new technique into the fine arts. 2. It was important for Monet and his followers that the eye of the observer (to mix) the color strokes put on separately. 3. Monet’s Sunflowers looks as though it (to be) filled with direct and reflected sunlight. 4. The Impressionists’ idea was that objects (to be) painted by means of brush strokes of various colors placed next to each other. 5. To the Parisians, Monet’s Impression: Sunrise looked as if it (to be) painted by a madman or a dabber. 6. Our contemporaries may wish they (to have) a time machine to go back to the time when the impressionistic paintings (can be) bought for a song. 7. Long before the French artists of the XIX century, Constable and Turner (to suggest) that different patches of color (may be) used for showing form. 8. If I (to find) myself in Paris, I (to do) the Louvre. 9. If Edgar Degas (not to be) familiar with Oriental art, he (not to develop) his distictive style. 10. Renoir, though helping to develop impressionism, still preferred a more formal style lest he (to lose) his commisions.

VI. Find in the text all the verbals and identify their syntactical functions.

VII. Here are some actual translations by students. Choose the best translations and comment on the mistakes:

1. In The Dead Toreador light strikes the figure head on.

a) В Мёртвом Тореадоре – лёгкие удары по голове фигуры.

b) В Мёртвом Тореадоре свет бьёт по голове фигуры.

c) В картине Мёртвый Тореадор свет падает плашмя на натурщика.

d) Фигура изображённая на картине Мёртвый Тореадор освещена ярким светом. Тени отсутствуют.

2. This idea was carried even further by artists such as Claude Monet, who painted Sunflowers.

a) Эта идея была отнесена даже ещё дальше художниками, такими как Клауде Монет, кто нарисовал Подсолнухи.

b) Другие художники, среди них Клод Моне со своими Подсолнухами, ещё дальше развили эту идею.

c) В работах других художников, например в картине Клода Моне Подсолнухи, эта идея получила своё дальнейшее развитие.

d) Такие художники как Клод Моне, который написал картину Подсолнухи, пошли с этой идеей ещё дальше.

3. The picture was greeted with public derision, the like of which had never been experienced in Paris.

a) Картину приветствовали публичными насмешками, которые Парижу и не снились.

b) Картина была встречена народным осмеянием, которое Париж никогда не испытывал.

c) Зрители встретили картину презрительным смехом; – никогда еще в Париже так не смеялись.

d) Публика осмеяла картину; – такого смеха Париж ещё не знал.

4. Today observers have hardly any difficulty in recognising a sailboat and a rowboat in the foreground, masts and equipment, haze and smoke, all reflected in the rippled surface of the water.

a) Сегодня наблюдатели едва ли испытывают какую-либо трудность в том, чтобы признать парусник и гребную лодку на переднем плане, мачты и оборудование, дымок и дым, и всё это в отражении слегка волнистой поверхности воды.

b) Вряд ли в наше время публика не различит на переднем плане картины парусник, шлюпку, мачты, оснастку, туман и дымок в отражении воды подёрнутой рябью.

c) Сегодня зрители вряд ли имеют сложности при узнавании парусного судна и гребного судна на заднем плане, мачт и такелажа, лёгкого тумана и дыма, отражённых в рябой поверхности воды.

d) В наши дни, скорее всего, зрителю не сложно будет различить на переднем плане, в лёгком тумане, парусник и шлюпку, мачты и такелаж, отражающиеся в подёрнутой рябью воде.

5. This revolutionary painting aimed to reproduce the image the eye sees in an instantaneous glimpse of the port of Le Havre at sunrise.

a) Эта революционная картина имела целью воспроизвести тот образ, который видит глаз при мгновенном взгляде на порт Ле Гавр на восходе солнца.

b) При создании этой новаторской картины, целью художника было передать мимолётный образ порта Гавр на восходе солнца.

c) Эта революционная техника живописи должна была запечатлеть мимолётный образ порта Гавр на восходе солнца.

d) Создавая эту новаторскую картину, художник хотел воспроизвести впечатление от быстрого взгляда на Гаврский порт на на восходе солнца.

VIII. Translate into English.

Известно, что на протяжении веков для передачи на холсте трёхмерных объектов художники смешивали краски на палитре. Но в 19 веке во Франции возникла школа так называемых «Импрессионистов», которые решили, что пора пересмотреть каноны живописи и придумать инновационную технику передачи формы.

Клод Моне, видимо, был первым, кто стал изображать объекты посредством мазков краски разной тональности нанесённых один подле другого. Эта техника ярко представлена в его картине «Впечатление: Восход Солнца». Когда картина была впервые показана парижской (Parisian) публике, последняя осмеяла её. Многие негодовали. Если бы не полиция, картину разорвали бы в клочья. Впрочем, неприятие картины зрителями можно легко объяснить: конечно, неподготовленная публика не поняла авторский замысел – она увидела лишь какое-то собрание цветных пятен, полос, клякс и точек на голубом фоне. Казалось, что все вековые традиции европейской живописи были отброшены прочь.

IX. Give comprehensive answers to the following questions:

1. What was the traditional way of rendering a form? 2. What is Édouard Manet known to introduce? 3. Who were the Impressionists? 4. What was so revolutionary about the technique used by the Impressionists? 5. What did the technique aim to convey? 6. Do you remember the artists who were anticipated the impressionists about a century before? 7. How can you describe the style called “pointillism”? 8. What art was inspiration for Edgar Degas? 9. What was Edgar Degas particularly interested in as a painter? 10. What is characteristic of Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s style?

X. Work in groups. The class splits into two teams to advocate the contrary viewpoints as to the following statements. Each sensible argument wins a point. The team with the most points is the winner. Make use of the phrases for discussing the topics (p. 88).

1. The artists of the other half of XIX century felt it was time to come out with a revolutionary method of painting because the traditional ones had grown too stale to arouse the public interest. 2. Never before the Impressionists had any artist succeeded in conveying the transient effects of direct and reflected sunlight. 3. Impressionism seems to be more in keeping with the essence of Art, as it directly appeals to the heart and involves the viewers into the creative process. 4. Impressionism helps to capture the elusive images we live among; it makes us admire the fleeting moments of our life inaccessible for Realism. 5. The painting Sunday Afternoon on the Island of the Grande Jatte was intended to demonstrate the innovative technique; as for its artistic value, it is rather dubious. 6. But for the Oriental art, the European painting would not have been infused with new life.

XI. Speak on the following points:

1. The traditional European painting and the Impressionism compared.

2. An impressionist painting of your choice: describe what is depicted in the picture and what impression it produces on you.