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Ancient Art's theme for 2024 is an exploration of "Flowers in Artwork," blending the timeless beauty of flowers with the expressive power of art. Flowers have been more than just subjects on a canvas; they've been storytellers, capturing the essence of cultural traditions, styles and emotions. They represent life's fleeting beauty and have been a source of inspiration and joy for artists and admirers alike.
Some ideas before we get into the details on what to make with this yarn...
Window into Winter - a lovely crocheted shawl
Sassles - a fun knitted shawl in two colors by NellKnits
Sharon's Pre Game by Casapinka - an assymetrical shawl in two colors with a great stitch!
Now a bit about October's colorway!
the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life and was a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism. Manet was born into an upper-class family with strong political connections. Initially expected to pursue a naval career, he instead chose to become a painter. In his early career Manet was not a proponent of the very popular at that time Realism art movement, and his early masterworks, including The Luncheon on the Grass (Le déjeuner sur l'herbe) or Olympia, "premiering" in 1863 and '65, respectively, caused great controversy with both critics and the Academy of Fine Arts. However, progressive artists viewed his new style as a breakthrough and it lead to a new style, Impressionism! Manet was associated closely with many great artists of his time and his simple and direct style, heralded as innovative and fresh, has served as a major influence for generations of painters. Today his works are considered to mark the start of modern art.
Still life painting became fashionable in the 1860s and symbolized the decline of the old genre hierarchy of style and subject matter including landscapes and historical events depicted with high realism, although it was still sometimes seen as merely decorative and suited to feminine talent. Manet attached great importance to still life painting and found paintings of historical subjects tedious, saying these "pretentious productions" weighed down contemporary artistic production. Manet painted still lifes throughout his career, and these works represent nearly one-fifth of his total production. Contemporary critics and fellow artists recognized the importance of his still lifes, with some considering them the best of his work, although others tried to diminish his work outside his still life paintings as being of little merit.
Like Cézanne and Monet, whom he influenced, Manet saw still life painting as a laboratory for experimenting with color. His still lifes rejected traditional hierarchies and broke away from academic rules. As his health declined, Manet focused more on his still lifes, creating smaller, intimate works that reflected his attraction to femininity, sensuality, and freshness. These late works also served as a distraction from his illness and are now considered a key part of his legacy as the father of modern art.
This still life is one of Manet's notable works. Flowers in a Crystal Vase, 1882, depicts a bouquet of flowers, including white roses and carnations, and hints at other flowers through the use of dashes of delphinium blue, marigold orange, brick red, and butter yellow rendered with a mix of thick and thin paint to emphasize textures. Manet attached great importance to still life painting, which he considered the "touchstone of the painter." He found historical subjects tedious and believed that a painter could express everything through still life, using objects like fruits, flowers, or even clouds!
