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by Tamara Hunter, Staff Writer
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History
In art history, Realism refers to a period in the mid-nineteenth century when artists rejected the dramatic and Neo-Classical themes of Romanticism. Instead, artists began to favor the portrayal of things as they really appeared and subject matter such as ordinary objects, and the common man performing tasks in everyday settings.
As a general artistic term, Realism means a literal representation of people, objects, places and/or situations. With the introduction of Impressionist, Abstract, Surrealist art, etc., Realism is sometimes discounted as playing an important role in the current art world. Yet for classically trained artists, learning to draw realistically from life and nature is fundamental.
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Subject
Realism typically focuses on the depiction of commonplace subjects. This city street scene is painted with a run-of-the-mill diner as its central subject but the billboard advertising a car and the wide expanse of parking lot are as important to the overall theme--a diner off a busy road at night.
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Common Motifs
In this piece, the artist, Robert Hendrickson, has represented exactly what he saw standing outside a diner one evening. Through his close attention to detail we can clearly see the interior of the diner, the people inside and even the soda fountain. The interior and exterior lights reflecting on the cars parked outside add to the feel of accuracy.
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Composition
The composition is balanced. The perspective is not abstracted or distorted in any way.
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Color
Having an almost photographic quality, the colors are more or less true-to-life. Hendrickson catches the evening light with a palette of blues and greys.
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Brushstrokes
As with Pop Art, visible brushstrokes are difficult to find in realism. A smooth surface is achieved with small and carefully applied brushstrokes.
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See more realist artworks on PaintingsDIRECT.com.
Other QuickSketches:
Naive/Folk Art,
Impressionism,
Expressionism,
Cubism,
Surrealism,
Pop Art,
Minimalism, and
Abstract Art
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