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Classical Realism

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This article refers to the art movement. For information on Classical Realism in International Relations, see Realism (international relations) Classical Realism (also referred to as "New York Classicism"^[1]) refers to an artistic movement in late 20th century painting that places a high value upon skill and beauty, combining elements of 19th century neoclassicism and realism.^[2] Classical Realist painters have attempted to revive methods of artistic training and techniques that pre-date Modern Art. To this end, they seek to create paintings with a high degree of craftsmanship. Popular subject matter within this genre includes figurative and still life paintings. A central idea of Classical Realism is the belief that the Modern Art movements of the 20th century caused a disruption in the understanding of art production as it was first conceived in the Classical period, resurrected in the Renaissance, and carried down through the academies to the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries^[3]. Classical Realist artists attempt to revive the idea of art production as it was traditionally understood: mastery of a craft in order to make objects that gratify and ennoble those who see them.^[4] This craftsmanship is then applied to drawing, painting or sculpting contemporary subjects which the artist observes in the modern world.

1 History
- 1.1 Origins
- 1.2 Style
2 Schools
3 Major Artists
4 References
5 External links

History

Origins

The term "Classical Realism" was originally used in the title of a 1982 exhibition by Richard Lack, a pupil of R. H. Ives Gammell (1893-1981). The movement traces its lineage from Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824-1904) through William Paxton (1869-1941) of the Boston school.^[5] By 1985 Richard Lack had begun publishing Classical Realism Quarterly, with articles written by Lack and his students, aiming to inform the public about traditional realist painting. Another major contributor to the revival of traditional drawing and painting methods was the art instructor Ted Seth Jacobs (1927 - ), who taught students at the Art Student's League and the New York Academy of Art in New York City.^[6] In 1987 Ted Seth Jacobs created his own art school, L'Ecole Albert Defois in Les Cerqueux, France. Many of Jacobs' students such as Anthony Ryder became influential teachers and acquired their own student following^[7].

Style

Classical Realist style is characterized by a love for the visible world and the great traditions of Western art, including Classicism, Realism and Impressionism. The movement’s aesthetic is Classical in that it exhibits a preference for order, beauty, harmony and completeness; it is Realist because its primary subject matter comes from the representation of nature based on the artist’s observation. ^[5] Artists in this genre strive to draw and paint from the direct observation of nature, and eschew the use of photography or other mechanical aids. In this regard, Classical Realism differs from the art movements of Photorealism and Hyperrealism. Stylistically, classical realists freely borrow techniques from both Impressionism and Academic art.

Schools

The Classical Realist movement is currently sustained through art schools based on the Atelier Method. Richard Lack is generally regarded as the founder of the contemporary atelier movement. His school, Atelier Lack, was founded in 1969 and became a model for similar schools.^[8] These modern ateliers are founded with the goal of revitalizing art education by reintroducing rigorous training in traditional drawing and painting techniques, employing teaching methodologies that were used in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. These schools pass on a method of instruction which melds formal academic art training with the influence of the French Impressionists. Under the atelier model, art students study in the studio of an established master to learn how to draw and paint with realistic accuracy and an emphasis on rendering form convincingly. The foundation of these programs rests on an intensive study of the human figure, renderings of plaster casts of classical sculpture, and the emulation of their instructors. The goal is to make students adept at observation, theory, and craft while absorbing classical ideals of beauty.^[8] Atelier schools founded in this tradition include (in chronological order of founding):

The Atelier Studio Program of Fine Art, Minneapolis (1971)
Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts, Old Lyme, Connecticut (1976)
Charles H. Cecil Studios, Florence (1983)
Gage Academy of Art, Seattle (1989)
Florence Academy of Art, Italy (1991)
School of Representational Art, Chicago (1991)
Mims Studios School of Fine Art, North Carolina (2001)
Harlem Studio of Art (2004)
The New School of Classical Art, Rhode Island (2005)
Grand Central Academy of Art, New York (2006)

Major Artists

Aviano, Michael (1927 -)
Cecil, Charles H. (1945- )
Collins, Jacob (1964 - )
Gottlieb, Adrian (1975 - )
Graves, Daniel (1949 - )
Dana E. Levin (1969 - )
Grimaldi, Michael (1971 - )
Lack, Richard (1928 -)
Samizu Matsuki (1936 - )
D. Jeffrey Mims (1954- )
Parrish, Graydon (1970 - )
Ryder, Anthony (1957 - )
Shanks, Nelson (1937 - )

References

^ New York Classicism Now, Hirschl & Adler Galleries: 2000, ISBN 0915057697.
^ Panero, James: "Interview with Jacob Collins", The New Criterion: Arma Virunque Commentary, Sept 6, 2006.
^ Panero, James: "The New Old School", The New Criterion, Volume 25, September 2006, page 104.
^ Kimball, Roger: "Why the Art World Is a Disaster", The New Criterion, Volume 25, June 2007, page 4.
^ ^a ^b Gjertson, Stephen. Richard F. Lack: An American Master, American Society of Classical Realism: 2001, ISBN 0963618032.
^ Jacobs, Ted Seth. Light for the Artist, Watson-Guptill Pubns (June 1988), ISBN 0823027686.
^ Ryder, Anthony. The Artist's Complete Guide to Figure Drawing: A Contemporary Perspective on the Classical Tradition, Watson-Guptill; 1st edition (June 1, 1999), ISBN 0823003035.
^ ^a ^b Aristedes, Juliette. Classical Drawing Atelier: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Studio Practice, Watson-Guptill Publications: 2006. ISBN 0823006573