External exam questions will be made up using the keywords below...
91181 (meanings paper) example question structure
91182 (context paper) example question structure
KEY CONTEXTS:
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The dramatic political and social changes seen in the 19th century French society were informed by various philosophical ideas. The artists were often amongst the most advanced thinkers who took on the new philosophical thoughts.
e.g. Neoclassical and Romantic art works informed by the ideas of the Enlightenment, Orientalist paintings revealing the philosophy of the French imperialism & socialism influencing the Realist painters |
Technological (e.g. industrialisation, mass production, new materials)
The Industrial Revolution had a huge impact on every aspect of life in the 19th century Europe, not just France. New technologies such as railway, electricity, photography and the mass production of goods and new materials influenced the artists as they started to reflect these changes in their art. The Romantics reacted to the new sights, smells and sounds in an expressive way, though this context is particularly more relevant for art works produced from Realism through to Post-Impressionism, which show various effects of the industrialisation in their choice of subjects and approaches to painting (e.g. modern subjects inspired by Haussmannisation, photography, new pigments...).
The Eiffel Tower and Crystal Palace are also great architecture examples that reflect this context.
The Eiffel Tower and Crystal Palace are also great architecture examples that reflect this context.
KEY MEANINGS:
Depictions of men & women
There are certain ways in which men and women were depicted, often reflecting the traditional gender stereotypes. e.g. Men as strong, rational, dominant protagonists associated with the outdoors while women are depicted as weak, emotional, passive beings in service to men placed in domestic and decorative settings. However, you may get a variation on this keyword as your exam question i.e. depictions of individuals/groups of people, powerful/ordinary men, heroic/suffering men, meanings about women
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Work & Leisure
Meanings about 'work and leisure' often involve the discussion of social classes being depicted and what their life was at the time. e.g. Realists depicted working class men and women hard at work to show the harshness of their life conditions. In contrast, we see many scenes of leisure in Impressionism that often depict middle class life of 'leisure and pleasure'. Meanings about 'work' could also be used to show certain desirable qualities in a portrait. e.g. David depicting Marat and Napoleon at work to serve his propagandist intention.
Contemporary Events
There are many contemporary events that inspired the production of the art works we study. A contemporary 'event' refers to a one-off event over a short period of time and should not be confused with contemporary 'context' - such as Industrial Revolution, which spans across one hundred years. e.g. Diamond Necklace Affair, The French Revolution 1789, The Reign of Terror, The Fall of Napoleon, The July Revolution 1830, The Raft of Medusa, Massacre at Chios, 1889 Exposition Universelle (The Eiffel Tower) etc.
Modernity (e.g. cities, railways, cafés, technological innovations)
Meanings about modernity and/or the modern world will inevitably involve the discussion of how the industrialisation and modernisation has changed the lives of people living in the 19th century. We see different set of reactions to the aspects of modernity in the works of Manet, Realists, Impressionists and the Post-Impressionists. e.g. Realists depicting the dehumanising and harsh impact of industrialisation on the working class people, Manet & Impressionists embracing modern subjects and approaches to painting, Post-Impressionists responding to the modern changes in their own personal ways. You will need to consider the aspects that convey meanings about modernity (e.g. electricity, railway travelling, the nightlife, cafes...) and how you can see their impact in the art works.
Conflict and Suffering
Meanings about conflict and suffering will be discussed more effectively in relation to the contemporary events or social/political contexts that may have caused the conflict and suffering. For example, the physical conflict that happened during the French Revolution and the July Revolution informing the subject matter of David and Delacroix's art works, and the social context of Realism as well as the political context of Rue Transnonain influencing Daumier's decision to show the suffering of the working class people.