![]() Often defying traditional harmonic conventions, Debussy employed exotic scales ( whole-tone and pentatonic), ambiguous tonality, unresolved chords and inventive orchestration to compose his works. Translating into sound the nuanced and subtle colourations of his visual counterparts, Debussy’s music embodies the same dreamlike and ephemeral qualities. ![]() Impressionist composers focused on conveying mood and atmosphere.Ĭlaude Debussy is viewed as one of the central exponents of Impressionist music (though he himself disliked the title of an Impressionist composer). Impressionism in the visual arts soon blossomed into a similar style and aesthetic in music. Rather than painting an exact likeness or strict representation, the Impressionists endeavoured to convey their perceptions of a scene, often playing with light, employing vague outlines, and utilising subtle colours. ‘Impression, Sunrise’ has been hailed as one of the cornerstones of the Impressionist Movement. We feel present, active observers, yet there’s a vagueness, an indistinctness which seductively draws us into the picture and heightens our curiosity. Monet portrays a supremely calm scene with the misty, foggy atmosphere enveloping the harbour. Most notably, the sun shines a vibrant orange, cutting through the haze and industrial smoke. Cranes, other heavy machinery and factory chimneys complete the scene. Two individuals can be seen in the rowboat in the foreground, while in the background, larger ships and boats inhabit the harbour. Painted in the early 1870s, Monet’s ‘Impression, Sunrise’ depicts a view of the port of Le Havre in north-western France. Monet’s ‘Impression, Sunrise’ ‘Impression, Sunrise’ by Claude Monet I’ve always had more than a passing interest in the painting on the cover, but have never really taken the time to investigate fully – until now. I’ve had this collection of Debussy’s piano pieces for many, many years and couldn’t count how many times I’ve opened it, or how many pieces I’ve chosen for my piano students from it. With more generic titles, my students and I have to get a little more creative. Sometimes a composer will give the performer a helping hand with an evocative title like ‘Lavender Fields’ where it’s not difficult to imagine swathes of purple flowers undulating gently in the golden glow of a Summer sunset. It’s a technique I use a lot with my students. In essence, I’m adding a visual connection or stimulus to a piece of music (or vice versa, an aural stimulus to a piece of art). My goal is to have both the art piece and composition amplify and strengthen the emotions and feelings intrinsic to both works. Charles Barry and A.W.N.As part of my ‘In Harmony’ series of blog posts, I want to explore linking an artwork (whether it be a painting or photograph) with a specific piece of music.Sir Edwin Landseer, Windsor Castle in Modern Times.Alphonse Bertillon, Mugshot and Record of Francis Galton.Francis Galton, eugenics, and photography.Lady Clementina Hawarden, Clementina and Florence Elizabeth Maude.Eadweard Muybridge, The Horse in Motion.Muybridge, The Attitudes of Animals in Motion.John Whipple, William Bond, and George Bond, The Moon, No.David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson, Newhaven Fishwives.The Artist’s Studio / Still Life with Plaster Casts.Paris Boulevard or View of the Boulevard du Temple.Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, View from the Window at Le Gras.Early Photography: Niépce, Talbot and Muybridge.John Martin, The Great Day of His Wrath.Rain, Steam, and Speed - The Great Western Railway.The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins.The spiritual form of Nelson guiding Leviathan.Francisco Goya, Saturn Devouring One Of His Sons.Francisco Goya, And there’s nothing to be done from The Disasters of War.Francisco Goya, The Family of Charles IV.Francisco Goya, The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters.Murals in the Chapel of The Holy Angels, Saint-Sulpice.The cost of war: Greece on the Ruins of Missolonghi.Painting colonial culture: La Grande Odalisque.Baron Antoine-Jean Gros, Napoleon Bonaparte Visiting the Pest House in Jaffa.Staging the Egyptian Harem for Western Eyes.Elena FitzPatrick Sifford on casta paintingsīlack Pharaohs: Nubia, Egypt, and Historical Racism… Reframing Art History, a new kind of textbook.Not your grandfather’s art history: a BIPOC Reader.With 503 contributors from 201 colleges, universities, museums, and researchĬenters, Smarthistory is the most-visited art history resource in the world. We believe that the brilliant histories of art belong to everyone, no matter their background. At Smarthistory, the Center for Public Art History, we believe art has the power to transform lives and to build understanding across cultures.
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