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Cézanne and the End of Impressionism: A Study of the Theory, Technique, and Critical Evaluation of Modern Art
Drawing on a broad foundation in the history of nineteenth-century French art, Richard Shiff offers an innovative interpretation of Cézanne's painting. He shows how Cézanne's style met the emerging criteria of a "technique of originality" and how it satisfied critics sympathetic to symbolism as well as to impressionism. Expanding his study of the interaction of Cézanne and his critics, Shiff considers the problem of modern art in general. He locates the core of modernism in a dialectic of making (technique) and finding (originality). Ultimately, Shiff provides not only clarifying accounts of impressionism and symbolism but of a modern classicism as well.
- GenresArt
338 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1984
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January 14, 2024
--- "Cézanne could satisfy a broad spectrum of critical demands." (Shiff: xvii)
--- "the academicism of which nineteenth-century critics so often complained represented an art that had fallen into a state of craft." (Shiff: 227)
--- "But if Cézanne's repetitive (or perhaps systematic) technical procedure is something more than what is found either in the self or in the experience of nature, if it is controlled and made, its repetition would indicate the mastery of an active representation of originality. As a maker, the painter becomes free to employ his technique in any situation". (Shiff: 114)
This book describes how critics received Cézanne. The book is not a detailed study of his oeuvre as only 10 or so of his artworks are included. The author puts forward a few theories of his own and it is good to see an author that is not afraid to use the I-persona. But I felt some of his theories were left undeveloped, which I did not like.
Some people may think the book is too theoretical and packed with so many names of critics. Also, the book's title promises a discussion on the end of Impressionism but no explicit reference to that is made throughout the book. That I hated it. And the author talks about Cézanne's use of colour but all illustrations are in black and white. Despite all this I liked the book because it analyses Cézanne, Impressionism and Symbolism taking into account artists, theory and critics alike.
--- "the academicism of which nineteenth-century critics so often complained represented an art that had fallen into a state of craft." (Shiff: 227)
--- "But if Cézanne's repetitive (or perhaps systematic) technical procedure is something more than what is found either in the self or in the experience of nature, if it is controlled and made, its repetition would indicate the mastery of an active representation of originality. As a maker, the painter becomes free to employ his technique in any situation". (Shiff: 114)
This book describes how critics received Cézanne. The book is not a detailed study of his oeuvre as only 10 or so of his artworks are included. The author puts forward a few theories of his own and it is good to see an author that is not afraid to use the I-persona. But I felt some of his theories were left undeveloped, which I did not like.
Some people may think the book is too theoretical and packed with so many names of critics. Also, the book's title promises a discussion on the end of Impressionism but no explicit reference to that is made throughout the book. That I hated it. And the author talks about Cézanne's use of colour but all illustrations are in black and white. Despite all this I liked the book because it analyses Cézanne, Impressionism and Symbolism taking into account artists, theory and critics alike.
Displaying 1 of 1 review