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| SOCIAL REALISM / 1920-1950 |
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André Lhote, André Fougeron, Otto Griebel, Amédée de la Patellière, etc.
Gromaire Marcel
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Pignon Edouard
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Bissiere Roger
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Buffet Bernard
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Helion Jean
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Léger Fernand
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Bazaine Jean
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Over centuries, Social Realism has always found one mode of expression or another in different countries, through an impressive diversity of shapes, styles, and with many different artistic objectives. Thus Social Realism is a generic term, which includes such French painters as Gustave Courbet, Honoré Daumier, Jean-François Millet. In Belgium, we find Pierre Paulus, Louis Martin, and especially Constantin Meunier.
At the beginning of the 20th century, capitalist economic systems were affected by successive recessions and crises, which culminated in the 1929 New York stockmarket crash. This ultimately caused a world crisis of an hitherto unknown magnitude. Everywhere in the world, unemployment spread and all international exchanges came to a halt. The artists of this school foresaw the tragic impact these events would have and they felt it their responsibility to become more socially involved. They were also reacting against those who remained uncommitted and those who sold out to Italian or German fascism.
This group of artists suggested the upheavals of civilization through their depictions of various human subjects and scenes. In so doing, they recorded human misery and the harshness of the living conditions then prevailing. Some of them were returning to figurative painting in a style that was sparingly expressive, much in the vein of Synthetic Realism.
It should be noted that even though these artists have remained famous for their social commitment, they never bridged the cultural gap between themselves and popular culture.
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Others movements :
ITALIAN NOVECENTO -
RAYONNISM -
NEW FIGURATION -
Index chosen on the movements, important currents and events in the XX 2nd century art
I wanted to give here, with 46 various short introductions, some general elements on the movements or currents of art, groups or exhibitions, which concern the artists whose works are presented in gallery or were it recently. The table, above, will make it possible to visually locate the periods or dates in time.
Each entry is followed of a list of the principal artists belonging to the movement or current. It may be that there is only one simple relationship between such or such artist and the movement in which in theory one locates it (Click on the names in blue to reveal work or works currently in stock).
It will be understood, some movements are represented much than of others in my gallery. The same artist will be often found in several movements (as each one knows it, it was thus).
Although these some introductions, briefly developed, are not addressed to the specialists, they will forgive me the few lapses of memory or choices which would lend to discussion. I hope that these tiny introductions will be however useful to some of you. Michelle Champetier
