The 20th century marks the beautiful beginning of a new art period, i.e., Contemporary or Post-Conceptual Art. Everything shifted from an artist’s way of seeing things to leaving the old linear perspective of representing reality. As a result, the significance and representation of paintings were redefined, and the traditional art concepts started being challenged.
Many great artists like Pablo Picasso and Frida Kahlo produced masterpieces that defined the 20th century’s main movements during this time. Some of these famous paintings include the following masterpieces.
Woman With A Hat By Henri Matisse
Painted in 1905, Henri Matisse’s famous painting, the Woman In The Hat, was the center of controversy during the 20th century, and is a source of memorable replica paintings ever since. This painting gave birth to the first art movement of the 20th century, i.e., Fauvism (wild beast). Fauve artists use bright, intense colors to paint, leaving the old traditional realistic style. This gave a non-natural or incomplete look to a painting, making it the main reason for being criticized.
Among Henri’s classic oil paintings, Woman With A Hat was quite different. Leaving his old painting style with regulated brush strokes, he started using a more bright, colorful approach. Its first exhibition was at Salon d’Automne in Paris.
The muse for this painting was Matisse’s wife herself, Amélie. In the painting, Amelie is painted as a representation of the French women of that time, i.e., someone wearing a big hat, gloves, and holding a fan in hand. Although the hue was black, Henri represented the hue of her dress in more vibrant colors.
The Stein family first bought the painting in 1905. In 1990, it was put in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among other masterpieces. One can get reproductions of this painting from only a famous replica art gallery.
Violin and Candlestick by George Braque
George Braque let go of the traditional Renaissance style and adopted Analytical Cubism into his paintings. His painting Violin and Candlestick is among the famous paintings of this art movement.
This painting was made due to George’s passion for stability in forms. Braque painted this picture to create an illusion that the viewer’s mind can move freely within the art.
In this painting, George used still life props. The perceived objects were broken down and reconstructed by moving them towards the center of the grid making, giving a clustered look. Due to this, some props are recognizable, and some are not. The black outline makes the background open up, which helps to distinguish the earthly-colored props.
Using this method, Braque can include multiple surfaces on a single plane allowing the viewers to see more and giving the painting a three-dimensional feel. The painting is available to all at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair by Frida Kahlo
Another famous work by artists in the 20th century is a self-portrait by Frida Kahlo, created in 1940. Frida was a Mexican woman known for paintings of nature, hand-painted portraits, and self-portraits.
As the name suggests, Frida’s Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair is a self-portrait of Frida but with a twist. Instead of distinguishing her feminine features, the artist painted herself as a man in a suit. The painting represents the androgynous persona of the painter. Many depicted this painting as an aggressive response to her divorce from her husband, Rivera. The painting represents the bruised feminine pride of Frida.
In the self-portrait, Frida is wearing a suit (much like Rivera’s style), sitting in a chair with scissors in her hands and hair everywhere. Her husband was fond of her long black hair. This particular scene represents the breaking of the love connection that they had. Moreover, Frida is seen wearing heels and earnings. The presence of both masculine and feminine sides refers to Kahlo’s bisexuality.
Frida’s painting Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair is from the Naive Art movement. Naive Art represents a simple painting style. Most of the paintings included in this are from artists who lack the formal education and training that a professional artist undergoes.
Conclusion
The 20th century was a time when traditions were questioned and challenged. The famous fine art made during that century represents the era’s newness. Many art movements arose, and the painting styles were versatile. These are just some of the most famous paintings of the 20th century. All belong to separate art movements.Â
