Examples of an interpretive essays, written by students in Spring 2011.

First example:

Thesis: Art styles began to challenge the norms and defy the restrictions of the past just as the late 19th century pushed the limits of society.

Topic 1: The shocking new style of eroticism found in paintings are signs of artists breaking free from the acceptable “academy” standards, just as women began to break free from the “house wives” title.
“Danae” painted by Gustav Klimt in 1907 is of a lover of Zues who was impregnated with his child, Perseus. The panting is said to be in reaction and revolt to the conservative lines that were set as standard for the time. Gustav not only used different techniques but he also did not incorporate the natural or religious settings that were exected.
http://www.artchive.com/artchive/k/klimt/danae.jpg
Edouard Manet’s “Olympia” was painted in 1863 was done in the Impressionism style. The style of the painting is not too deviant of the typical style of the time. What is different though is that Manet placed an essentially classical composition and placed it in a contemporary setting with a contemporary women looking right at the viewer. The subject was even questioned as being a Russian prostitute, which brought an outrageous uproar over the painting.
http://jssgallery.org/other_artists/manet/Olympia.htm

Topic 2: The form of expressionism was a new way to challenge the mind of the painter as well as the viewer just as new forms of medicine and technology challenged the mind to open to trying new things
“The Scream” painted by Edward Munch in 1893 was intended by Munch to be a tool in studying himself after an odd almost out of body experience. Munch focused on expressing the inner life of the human mind. His works tended to deal with psychological issues at the same time Frued was calling importance to accessing the subconscious.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f4/The_Scream.jpg
“Starry Night” by Vincent Van Gogh painted in 1889 is one of the most famous paintings of the expressionistic art period. Van Gogh painted “Starry Night” so that the viewer could look at it and their mind could be at ease while at the same time their eyes continued moving about the image, following the curves of the sky.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Van_Gogh_-_Starry_Night_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg

Topic 3: Abstract art of the modern style was perhaps the most defying of them all, providing viewers to examine art from a completely different vantage point. In some ways I see this art form as I see Imperialism, a complete change in the way society saw themselves.
Pablo Picasso’s 1957 “Las Meninas was a transformation of Diego Velazguez painting from 1656. Picasso completely changed the Velazguez painting from something that was more realistic into an entirely abstract and cartoon-like. By adding color and geometry to the original Picasso was able to create something all his own, a complete change is artistic style and view point than the Velazquez painting. Being able to compare the two paintings really allows us to see and compare the difference time makes in artistic styles.
http://mydailyartdisplay.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/meninas-by-picasso.jpg
“Composition No. II” by Mondrian painted in 1913 is an abstract piece of lines and color. This work was a move towards the geometric abstraction we saw in many of Picasso’s paintings. Mondrian believed in divine order in society as well as in art.
http://www.artchive.com/artchive/M/mondrian/mondrian_line_and_color.jpg.html

Second example

Thesis: European imperialism allowed for contact with other cultures and in turn influenced many aspects of their culture, technology, and thought.

Topic 1: Imperialism, allowing increased contact with Africa and Asia, influenced the way European artists interpreted and viewed the world.

The first source I chose for this topic is the one I posted on the forum, a painting called “I Raro te Oviri” by Paul Gauguin in 1891. This painting shows a great representation of colonial influence on French art at the time. The painting can be seen at: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/I_raro_te_Oviri_-_Gauguin.JPG


The Jungle Book written in 1894 is a collection of stories by the British author Rudyard Kipling. This work of art probably wouldn’t have been written if Rudyard Kipling wasn’t born and had lived most of his life in a British ruled India. This source can be found at: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/JunglebookCover.jpg


Topic 2: Because of European Imperialism, European technological advancement and discovery was increased.

This source is a photo is of the structure of morphine. The British East India Company trading in opium from India and China allowed for the invention of morphine. First isolated in 1804 and then distributed in 1817. This invention changed the face of medical technology and research forever. You can see the source at: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Morphin_-_Morphine.svg


Charles Marie de La Condamine is credited with introducing samples of rubber from South America to Europe. But English mass production in India, The Congo, Liberia and Nigeria gathered by forced labor allowed for later 19th century inventions like the automobile. The source is of a photo of rubber trees in India that have been there since the British Planted them in the 19th century. It can be seen at: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Rubber_trees_in_Kerala,_India.jpg


Topic 3: The ease with which Europeans dominated non-European areas of the world was gave many Europeans superior and racist thoughts.

My first source is The White Man's Burden is a poem by the English poet Rudyard Kipling. It was originally published in the popular magazine McClure's in 1899. It the ideas of a European Imperialist are explained perfectly. In the poem Kipling pleads with the United States to take over Control of the recently war stricken Philippines so that the population could be civilized. So then Imperialists took the phrase "white man's burden" as a characterization for imperialism that justified the policy as a noble enterprise. The front cover of the source (a reprint from an 1899 edition of Life Magazine) can be seen at: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/The_white_mans_burden.gif


My second source for this topic is a writing based on the idea of “scientific racism”. It is called Essai sur l'inégalité des races humaines (An Essay on the Inequality of the Human Races) by Joseph Arthur Comte de Gobineau. In this document he explains his beliefs are that the human species are divided into three major groupings, white, yellow and black, claiming to demonstrate that "history springs only from contact with the white races.” Unfortunately his opinion wasn’t isolated. Several other scientists and philosophers of the time such as Friedrich Hegel, Immanuel Kant, and Auguste Comte had similar opinions and writings. All of the writings stated that the non-white man was a scientifically inferior man and needed to be civilized. You can see a copy of the front cover of the text at: http://cambridgeforecast.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/gobineau.jpeg