Homer Winslow And Jules Breton Essays - Gilded Age, Winslow Homer

Homer Winslow And Jules Breton Homer Winslow and Jules Breton, two men painting the canvas of the nineteenth century. Comparing their art gives birth to numerous differences and unique qualities hidden within their work and lives. Dressing For The Carnival, Homer 1877, and The Weeders, Breton 1868, are fine examples of their careers as artists. Beyond the aesthetic merits of his work, Breton is significant as the painter whose vision of French rural life best embodies a set of late nineteenth- century ideals: the charm and wholesomeness of rustic ways, the nobility of living close to the soil, the beauty of preindustrial landscape, and the social harmony of the agrarian community. ( Sturges) Breton's work was unique in content, painting for himself, impressing his personal values to the viewer. Although he did not fit the mold, by producing classical and historical works, there were other artists struggling with expression and values of a newer mind, artists like Winslow Homer. While he was at work in Petersburg, it became known to a group of fine young fire-eaters that he was consorting with the blacks, and they resolved to drive him out of town as a ?d-d nigger-painter.' Word had come to him that the place was to be made too hot for him, but he paid no attention to the warning. ( Hendricks) Both Breton and Homer were leaders for impressionism, however, the two works mentioned above vary greatly. Both artists focused on similar subject matter, figures in a scene or landscape. However a closer observation of specific images, narrative, symbols, sources, and process divide the two pieces to separate sides of late eighteen hundreds paintings. Physical elements such as composition, position of figures in space, brush work, color, viewpoint, and surface treatment all contribute to this separation of similar subject matter. The composition of The Weeders is un cropped, fairly balanced and symmetrical. The foreground is bold, the middle ground is expansive and the back ground strong and deep. Our view is that of perhaps a weeder on the field. Homer's Carnival is cropped and less symmetrical with figures emerging from off the canvas. Less emphasis is placed on use of foreground, in turn creating less depth. Breton's figures hold much movement and expression, women working the field are crouched close to the viewer. Farther back a woman stands alone, basket full, gaze and body positioned toward the setting sun. The women weeding are bent and tired. Homer's figures hold much more static energy, their gestures are held firmly with out a potential for further movement, like a snapshot. They are mimicking and playful with much variation of size, adults and various aged children. This is easily observed because of the placement of the figures all standing in a line, all the same distance from the viewer. The fi gure is the focus of the viewer, with the background less important. The figures feet almost meet the bottom of the canvas, out view eye level. This horizontal linear figure focus creates a flow and path of the viewers eye from right to left. The The Weeders flow moves from foreground figures to middle ground left and finally the expansive deep horizon. Front to back as opposed to side to side. Breton's backward recession is also created using the crop lines in the dirt which carry us off into the distance. Breton's brush work is painterly and general compared to his classic roots, though his figures are quite detailed. The texture of the canvas can be seen because of his thin application of smooth layers of oil paint. Homer's application and use of the brush is notably different. It is rougher, thicker, and much much more suggestive. Both artists use of color plays an important role in the overall effect of the painting on the viewer. Breton's color focuses on contrast, this has much to do with the time of day and setting of a field minutes away from night. The figures are softly silhouetted and lit by the intense setting of the sun. An unearthly peach fights to stick around, caressing the dark earthy greens and sensible cool browns. These natural cooler colors are also used on the figures showing their literal ties and connection to the land.