I would say that I am a fan of Impressionism. While it is not my favorite, I do see its beauty. Water-Lilies 1914, (Paris) is one of my favorite paintings. I like all of the colors in Impressionist artwork. Bright pastels are very nice to look at and make the paintings seem lighthearted and joyous. It is interesting how the paintings are blurred but your mind is able to put the image together. While I do like Impressionism, I prefer Baroque era artwork. I like small details and appreciate all of the time, vision, and effort that went into these masterpieces. One of the best examples of the detailed work that I prefer is Fresco with trompe l’œil dome by Andre Pozzo, Vienna 1703.
I am also a fan of light and dark contrasts. I didn’t notice a lot of that in Impressionism. Another thing that I like about the Baroque era artwork is that every time I look at the same picture, I notice something different or another element of the painting. Impressionism seems to me to have a simplicity and straight forwardness.
It’s great to hear that you can appreciate impressionism though you are not a fan, that tells me that you are an open minded person, and can appreciate art of any form. Water lilies was a great choice, this is an amazing composition for the reflections on the water make it realistic and the lilies trail to the vanishing point. Glancing at this picture, it is hard to believe that it is a painting. The pastel used in the picture make it appear real, yet give away that it is indeed a painting.
I agree with you about the Baroque period. I also enjoyed the details but also the rich colors and the techniques they used. The still life’s were my favorite. Unfortunately, the subject matter was often boring. That is what I found interesting about impressionism. The subject matter was fun and interesting. But the technique is what I truly disliked. A good example is the painting you choose by Monet. It has nice subject matter but the the technique makes it look distorted to me. I think it would be nice to see paintings with Baroque technique and the subject matter of Impressionism! You did a good job on the comparison of the 2 periods and explaining what you enjoyed about each.
I liked how straight forward your explanation was; I’m glad there are people who can appreciate an art form even if they don’t favor it. I agree with your opinion on Baroque era works, indeed the amount of planning and the detail that went into these pieces is extraordinary. I would have liked to hear more about the varying technique used in both styles, but overall very nice job.