Is Recognized as the First Movement in Modern Art Which Started in France in the 1840s?

Art|Modern Art

The first movement in modern art which started in France in the 1840s is recognized as the Barbizon School. The Barbizon School was formed by a group of French landscape painters who gathered around the village of Barbizon, located near the forest of Fontainebleau, in the Ile-de-France region.

The Barbizon School was a reaction against academic painting which was popular at that time. Instead of continuing to paint scenes from classical literature or history, these artists chose to paint landscapes and scenes from everyday life.

These landscapes were often inspired by rural areas and depicted with an intense naturalism. They also often included elements of 19th century Romanticism such as an appreciation for nature and a focus on emotional expression.

The most influential members of the Barbizon School included Jean-Francois Millet, Theodore Rousseau, Charles Jacque, Constant Troyon and Narcisse Virgile Diaz de la Pena. These artists developed an innovative technique known as plein air painting in which they painted directly from nature on location rather than in a studio setting. This style was highly influential as it allowed them to capture the light and atmosphere of their subjects more accurately than before.

Another important development made by the Barbizon School was their use of color theory. They used warm colors such as yellows and reds to convey emotions such as joy or excitement while cooler colors such as blues were used to create a sense of melancholy or sadness. This color theory was later adopted by other modernist painters such as Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin who further developed it into an important element of modern artistic expression.

Conclusion:

The Barbizon School is rightly recognized as the first movement in modern art which started in France in the 1840s. It revolutionized traditional painting techniques with its innovative use of plein air painting and color theory, both of which had a profound influence on later generations of artists.