Designing with Carol: A lesson in modern art

Carol Collins

Modern art includes artistic works produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s. The term is usually associated with art in which the traditions of the past have been thrown aside in a spirit of experimentation. Some examples are:

The Impressionism Movement, which flourished between 1873 and 1880 and included such noted artists as Claude Monet (1840-1926); Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919); Edgar Degas (1834-1917); Camille Pissarro (1830-1903); Alfred Sisley (1839-1899); Edouard Manet (1832-83); Berthe Morisot (1841-1895) and John Singer Sargent (1856-1925). Between 1880 and 1900 modern artists like Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) and Henri Matisse (1869-1954) were considered The Post-Impressionism Movement.

The revolutionary Abstract art movement was co-founded in 1908 by Georges Braque (1882-1963) and Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). One of the most famous of Picasso’s painting is entitled “Nude, Green Leaves and Bust.” This masterpiece was created in the early months of 1932. The painting was sold for a price of $106.5 million, which was a world record in 2010.

Abstract expressionist painting was the first great American art movement. Also known as the New York school, its leading members included: Mark Rothko (1903-70); Willem De Kooning (1904-97); Clyfford Still (1904-1980); Barnett Newman (1905-70); Jackson Pollock (1912-56); Philip Guston (1913-80); Robert Motherwell (1915-91), Franz Kline (1910-62) and others. Jackson Pollock was probably the most influential American painter and a major figure in this artistic movement. He was well known for his unique style of drip painting.

A couple of other movements include Pop Art with offings by Andy Warhol (1928-1987) and Modern Photography, which included Black and White Landscapes by Ansel Adams (1902-1984).

“Measured by auction sales prices, the world’s most valuable painting of the modern era is: Nude, Green Leaves and Bust (1932), painted by Pablo Picasso, which sold in 2010 for $106.5 million at Christie’s New York. In second place is Garçon à la Pipe (1905), painted by Pablo Picasso, which sold in 2004 for $104.2 million at Sotheby’s, New York. In third place is Dora Maar with Cat (1941) also by Picasso, which sold in 2006 for $95.2 million at Sotheby’s, New York.” From The Encyclopedia of Art.

Do you need help knowing what art to choose and where to hang it? Call Carol’s for expert advice on all your interior needs. We look forward to hearing from you!

And as always, Happy Decorating!