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Period: to
Art from 1850-1900
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Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace was built in Hyde Park, London in 1851. It was designed by Sir Joseph Paxton and constructed of cast-iron and plate-glass. It housed the Great Exhibition of 1851 that attracted over 14,000 exibitors from around the world. The building was 990,000 square feet and composed of the largest amount of glass ever used, which astonished the visitors. After the exhibiition, Crystal Palace was rebuilt in an affluent London suburb, where it stood until it was destroyed by fire in 1936. -
Ophelia
Ophelia is a work by the British Pre-Raphaelite artist John Everett Millais, painted between 1851 and 1852, depicting Shakespeare's character Ophelia from the play Hamlet. The piece was done in two stages- first the landscape and then Ophelia. He found the ideal setting on the bank of the Hogsmill River, painting almost nonstop for five months. He faced severe weather and many difficulties. Though the painting did not receive critical acclaim initially, it went on to be renowned worldwide. -
Great Expectations
Great Expectations is the thirteenth novel by English writer Charles Dickens. It is one of the most popular novels of all time and is taught as a classic in many English classes around the world. It is based on the typical Dickensian themes of wealth and poverty, love and rejection, and the triumph of good over evil. It is a coming-of-age story that depicts the growth and personal development of an orphan named Pip. -
Pegasus
Pegasus is a pair of bronze sculptures cast by artist Vincent Pilz of Vienna in 1863. The sculpture was originally intended for the Vienna State Opera but never saw fruition. It was set to be melted down, but was instead placed at the entrance of Memorial Hall in Philadelphia after being purchased with money raised by Robert H. Gretz. -
Dead Confederate Soldier with Gun
Mathew B. Brady was one of the most celebrated 19th century American photographers and was recongnized as the "father of photojournalism." He was most famous for his documentation of the Civil War and his willingness to photograph the grim realities of war, such in the photo "Dead Confederate Soldier with Gun." Photography allowed the artist to replicate the events in an accurate and realistic manner. -
Lady Lilith
Dante Gabriel Rossetti was an English poet, painter, and illustrator. He was a founder of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, an influence to European Symbolists, and a pioneer of the Aesthetic movement. He painted "Lady Lilith" in 1866. Lilith represents a powerful and evil temptress. The painting constitutes a pair with his painting "Sibylla Palmifera." Lady Lilith represents the body's beauty, according to Rossetti's sonnet inscribed on the frame. -
Abraham Lincoln Statue
"Abraham Lincoln" ia a bronze statue created by American Neoclassical sculptor Randolph Rogers in 1871. Rogers lived most of his life in Italy and his works included the Columbus Doors at the U.S. Capitol and American Civil War monuments. The Lincoln statue iwas dedicated in September, 1871 and is located in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia. -
Impression: Sunrise
This masterpiece by Claude Monet gave rise to the artistic movement of Impressionism. Monet was "the most consistent and prolific practioner" of the movement's philosophy- expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially appertaining to plein-air landscape painting. Oil on Canvas, 19 5/8" X 25 1/2"
Marmottan Museum, Paris, France -
Nymphs and Satyr
"Nymphs and Satyr" is a painting created by French artist William-Adolphe Bourguereau in 1873. It was purchased by American art collector John Wolfe and was displayed in his mansion until being auctioned off in 1888. It was then displayed in the bar of the Hoffman House Hotel in New York until 1901 when when it was bought and stored, in order to keep its "offensive" content from the public.
Oil on canvas. 260 cm × 180 cm (100 in × 71 in), Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts -
Le Moulin de la Gallette
"Le Moulin de la Gallette" is an 1876 painting by French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir and is one of Impressionism's most celebrated masterpieces. In the late 19th century, it was customary for working class Parisans to dress up and spend a Sunday afternoon eating gallettes (cakes), drinking, and dancing. Renoir's painting is a realistic depiction of the typical French lifestyle in the late 1800's.
Oil on canvas. 131 cm X 175 cm (52 in X 69 in). Musee d’Orsay, Paris, France -
The Thinker
"The Thinker" is a bronze sculpture set on a marble pedestal created by Auguste Rodin, who is considered the greatest scoulptor of his time. When envisioned in 1880 as the showpiece for "The Gates of Hell," it was initially called "The Poet." His leaning forward symbolized Dante as he peered over to observe the circles of Hell. In 1888, the sculpture was displayed independently and gained worldwide popularity. -
Tragic Overture
"Tragic Overture" is a concert overture for orchestra written by Johannes Brahms in 1880. Brahms called it "tragic" in order to accent the suffering of the characters in the piece. Instead of musical storytelling however, Brahms was more interested in eliciting an emotional response from the audience.
LISTEN: http://youtu.be/TNzaGjo1sNk -
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty was designed and sculpted in 1881 by the French artist Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. It was given to the United States as a gift from the people of France. It is an icon of freedom and America and serves as a welcoming signal to the immigrants arriving from abroad.
Measurements: 151 feet 1 inch (46 meters), Ground to torch: 305 feet 1 inch (93 meters), Liberty Island, New York City, New York. -
La Sagrada Familia
La Sagrada Familia is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Spain, designed by architect Antoni Gaudi. Construction began in 1882 but Gaudi took over the project a year later, porjecting his style onto it- a combination of Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaudi devoted his life to the project until his death in 1926. Since then, the construction has progressed slowly and was only halfway complete by 2010. The projected completion date is 2026, the centennial of Gaudi's death. -
A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte
"A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" is one of Georges Seurat's most recognized and famous paintings. It is an example of pointillism, a technique that relies on the ability of the eye and mind to combine color spots into a fuller range of tones. Seurat believed that the use of vivid dots would make the colors appear more brilliant and powerful than ordinary brush strokes.
Oil on canvas, 207.6 cm × 308 cm (81.7 in × 121.25 in). Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. -
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a Great American Novel written by Mark Twain. It was one of the first novels in American literature to be written in vernacular English. It presents a realistic portrayal of the people along the Mississippi River, utilizing the language and Southern attitude of a society that had ceased to exist after the abolishment of slavery. Despite the fact that the main character is anti-racist, the book has received strong criticism throughout the years. -
Otello
Otello is a four-act opera by Giuseppe Verdi based on Shakespeare's play "Othello." it was first perfromed in Milan at the Teatro alla Scala in February of 1887. Otello was received with great success and enthusiasm as shown by the 20 curtain calls that Verdi took at the end of the opera. Consequent performances took place in the US at the Academey of Music in New York in April of 1888, London in 1889, and Paris in 1894. -
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower was constructed by French engineer Gustav Eiffel in 1889 for the Paris World Exhibition. It is an iconic reminder of the Industrial Revolution and one of the most recognized structures in the world . The iron lattice tower stands an astounding 1,050 feet tall, equivalent to an 81-story building. It is located on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. -
The Starry Night
"The Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh is one of the most recognized pieces of art in the world. Painted in his signature Post-Impressionistic style, it has risen to the peak of artistic achievement. Van Gogh sold only one painting during his lifetime and would never live to see the greatness that his art would go on to achieve.
Oil on canvas, 29" X 36" The Museum of Modern Art, New York City, New York. -
Nutcracker Ballet
The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, which is one of his most famous compositions. It premeired at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg in December 1892 along with Tchaikovsky's opera, Iolanta. Though the production was not successful initially, it gained enormous populartiy in the late 1960's and is now performed by countless ballet companies in the U.S. -
Stripes But No Stars
This is a photo taken in 1892 by photographer Thomas H. Lindsey. It depicts the misuse of convict labor and the economic incentive to keep it alive. After the abolisment of slavery, the only African Americans who could still be legally forced to work were those who were incarcerated. There was a huge increase in the number of convicts due to the new Black Codes that criminalized harmless activities such as standing in one area of town, loitering, and breaking curfew, which led to imprisonment. -
The Scream
The Scream is a four-version composition by Expressionist artist Evard Munch. They were created as both paintings and pastels and all show a figure with an a distressed expression against a landscape with a wild and stormy orange sky. It has been the mark of many high-profile art thefts- one in 1994 and one in 2004, both of which were recovered. The Scream has been called "the Mona Lisa of our time."
