French & Catalan Art

The Move Towards Abstraction

This exhibition brings together an eclectic collection of artworks in various mediums by artists active in France from 1817- 1964, beginning with works by the Romantics Gericault and Delacroix. These two leading figures played a significant role in initiating a fast-paced transition in the art world whereby Romanticism formed the foundations of what then became the Impressionist movement, further evolving into Cubism, Futurism, Surrealism and finally the Abstract.

The shift towards using line more loosely and expressively, combined with a more investigative approach to colour, can be traced in the treatment of various themes and subjects. How the nude is rendered in movements leading up to abstraction can be seen in both Maillol’s lithograph on stone, Lobo’s sculpture and Gonzalez’s drawing. The culmination of such alternative artistic thought is displayed in the abstract works of Esteve and Lanskoy that signify a complete departure from figuration.

 

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