The Olive Trees: Vincent van Gogh 1889

I chose “The Olive Trees” because I enjoy van Gogh’s swirly art style and how it blends with the trees and mountains in the background of this painting. Despite not being a visually realistic representation of nature, the surrealism of it gives it another layer of beauty. In my opinion only certain things can be twisted and manipulated to fit the style of this painting, things like people wouldn’t hold the same beauty before and after transferring to this style. I also chose it because it just is the theme, just nature and nothing else.

The Dream: Henri Rousseau 1910

I chose “The Dream” because of the background wildlife. There are animals scattered through the background that if you were only looking for a second could be missed. He added full living creatures to the picture, but didn’t put the focus on them. Even the woman in the foreground is off center to allow a better view of the nature around them. I also like the style of having almost every edge be sharp and pointed even if it would normally be rounded.

Château Noir: Paul Cezanne 1903-1904

I chose “Château Noir” due to the nature being used to almost cover the building. The chateau adds to the beauty of the nature by making it a pathway to something else beautiful. To enjoy the man made creation you have to first enjoy the natural beauty of the area by passing through it. It’s also a secluded building putting it in the center of nature opposed to say a city or town. I also like how the colors in the nature blend together instead of being completely separate.

Turning Road at Montgeroult: Paul Cezanne 1898

I chose this painting because it shows nature inlayed with civilization. The nature while being suppressed by man-made creation is still peering through to show itself. There may not be any animals or people in this painting, but there’s still plenty of life through the greenery. The combination of two opposites is beautiful in its own way. Just like the last painting I enjoy how the colors blend together and make a sort of smudge or blotted effect.

Pines and Rocks Paul Cezanne 1897

 

 

 

 

 

 

I chose “Pines and Rocks” because it goes back to just being natural beauty. There’s nothing in the photo but trees and rocks, unlike Cezanne’s later works that I showed previously. In this painting there is some of the smudged effect, but not as much. The trees are much more defined here than in the later works and I wanted to show the differences in paintings between the same artist on mostly the same topic.

Butterflies Odilon Redon 1910

I chose “Butterflies” because it focuses on the smaller parts of nature. All the other paintings I’ve shown were focused on trees or other large shrubbery, so I wanted to show how nature’s beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. I liked how the color was spread throughout the painting, even the sky has multiple colors and shades of colors within it. All the colors are soft as well making the painting easy to look at and no one part draw all the attention.

Washerwomen Paul Gauguin 1888

I chose “Washerwomen” because it shows people interacting with nature in a non-destructive way. These women rely on the river in order to get what they need to do done. This gives nature necessity, which is beautiful in its own way. Something natural being such an integrated part of their society that it can’t be lived without.

Grandcamp, Evening Georges Seurat 1885

I chose this painting because it shows the border between civilization and nature. It also focuses on the ocean, which hasn’t been shown yet in this gallery. This painting is much more realistic than any of those previously shown. Seurat didn’t like the impressionist style, but wanted to use science to develop his art instead. I was interested in his lack of expressiveness, while being famous in a field of expression.

Evening, Honfleur Georges Seurat 1886

I chose this Seurat painting because there’s less civilization in it. It’s just a lone dock on the beach. I like his realistic style in tandem with a natural setting. This painting especially looks almost like a painting at first glance due to the attention to detail he put in. Seurat’s differing style is a nice contrast to the other artist’s work in this gallery in my opinion.

The Sleeping Gypsy Henri Rousseau 1897

I chose “The Sleeping Gypsy” because of the simplicity. It’s the exact opposite of “The Dream”, the living creatures are dead center and in the foreground. There’s no longer a lush area, but a desolate desert. The pointed style is also gone for the most part, many more things are rounded off.