What we today call American folk art was, art of, by, and for ordinary, everyday I “folks” who, with increasing prosperity and leisure, created a market for art of all kinds, and especially for portraits. Citizens of prosperous, essentially middle-class republics — whether ancient Romans,seventeenth-century Dutch burghers, or nineteenth-century Americans — have always shown a marked taste for portraiture. Starting in the late eighteenth century, the United States contained an increasing number of such people, and of the artists who could meet their demands.
What we today call American folk art was, art of, by, and for ordinary, everyday I “folks” who, with increasing prosperity and leisure, created a market for art of all kinds, and especially for portraits. Citizens of prosperous, essentially middle-class republics — whether ancient Romans,seventeenth-century Dutch burghers, or nineteenth-century Americans — have always shown a marked taste for portraiture. Starting in the late eighteenth century, the United States contained an increasing number of such people, and of the artists who could meet their demands.
Do you often go to art galleries?
Expressionism Expressionism is an art movement that produced a wealth of wonderful works of art, and the lives of the artists who created them were no less colorful and exciting. The word "expressionism" can be used to describe art from different times and places, most of them were part of a movement that took place in Germany from 1905 to 1920. They shared some of the beliefs. Those beliefs were that art should try to change society, to make it less conservative. It should express the energy of nature—following in the footsteps of Vincent van Gogh—-and personal feeling rather than simply representing nature. It should feel "uncomfortable", which means it should challenge the traditional ways of looking at the world. This differed from the opinion of Henri Matisse who believed that art should be "comfortable". Expressionist art should be inspired by folk art, and the art of what were then called "primitive" people, for example from Africa.
The aim of the Expressionists was to express personal feeling about what they were painting rather than representing it exactly as it was. It should have strong colors and shapes, be relatively direct, untutored and unplanned and should still contain recognizable things, but not be realistic. The lines could be distorted, and the colors could be strengthened or changed as in the art movement that began in 1905 called Fauvism.
Expressionism was more than a style in painting. It could be found in theatre and cinema, literature and architecture. It was a sharing of ideas and experiences across all these media. The life stories of the Expressionist artists show just how much they had in common. Many began by studying applied art, such as furniture design, often to please their parents. Although they later made more personal art, they continued to make use of those technical skills. Both art critics and the public received this new movement with derision and outrage. Expressionist artists were trying to shock by challenging the traditional, conservative views held by many people. Gradually, however, it became accepted and even admired.
All the Expressionists were affected by World War I (1914-18). Some fled from Germany and spent the war years in exile. Some never returned to their homeland. Most served in the war and some were killed. At first some of them hoped a war would change society for the better but they were soon disillusioned when they saw the destruction and suffering that it caused. In the years after the war, many Expressionist artist revealed the horrors they experienced in their work.
After World War I, Expressionism became very fashionable in Germany, where art was allowed to flourish. This freedom ended in 1933 when Hitler declared all Expressionists were "degenerate". This led to them being sacked from their jobs or forced to leave Germany. In 1937 the Nazis took thousands of art works from German museums and put them in an enormous exhibition called the Degenerate Art Exhibition, to show how bad and decadent this art was. It presented a view of the world that went against their political and cultural ambitions to rid Germany of all inferior races.
An art gallery owner is hanging paintings for a new show. Of the six paintings she has to choose from, she can only hang three on the main wall of the gallery. Assuming that she hangs as many as possible on that wall, in how many ways can she arrange the paintings?
What we today call American folk art was, art of, by, and for ordinary, everyday I “folks” who, with increasing prosperity and leisure, created a market for art of all kinds, and especially for portraits. Citizens of prosperous, essentially middle-class republics — whether ancient Romans,seventeenth-century Dutch burghers, or nineteenth-century Americans — have always shown a marked taste for portraiture. Starting in the late eighteenth century, the United States contained an increasing number of such people, and of the artists who could meet their demands.
Futurism, ______ early twentieth-century movement in art, rejected all traditions and attempted to glorify contemporary life by emphasizing the machine and motion.
Passage 1
Literature is a form of art that can be enjoyed without formal instruction. However, people with 1 knowledge of literature may miss a lot 2 reading a novel, short story, poem, play, or 3. These readers are comparable to the 4 at a football game who watch the game and 5 it without really understanding the complex movements 6 on the field. Although they may enjoy the 7, many spectators watch only the ball 8 missing the contribution of other members 9 the total play as well as the intricacies occurring within the 10. A person who understands football 11 better yet has played the game-is more capable12 judging when a team is playing well or 13 and is also likely to enjoy a “good” game more. The 14 is true of reading literature. Most people have read numerous 15 works, but many do not understand or 16 the author’s skill in communicating. This book17 intended to help you learn to 18attentions not on what happens. But on 19 it happens and how the author has 20it-to analyze and evaluate literary works so that you can fully experience and appreciate them.
1. A. abundant B. informal C. necessary D. limited
2. A. if B. when C. by D. upon
3. A. fiction B. poetry C. essay D. art
4. A. audience B. spectators C. coaches D. players
5. A. 1ike B. appreciate C. enjoy D. evaluate
6. A. happened B. taken place C. going D. occurring
7. A. game B. scene C. work D. art
8. A. somewhat B. entirely C. perhaps D. generally
9. A. of B. within C. to D. about
10. A. offence B. game C. defense D. team
11. A. but B. even C. and D. or
12. A. of B. to C. in D. for
13. A. skillfully B. successfully C. poorly D. badly
14. A. same B. reason C. other D. sport
15. A. athletic B. literature C. football D. literary
16. A. realize B. appreciate C. like D. recognize
17. A. will be B. hasbeen C. is D. was
18. A. pay B. call C. draw D. concentrate
19. A. why B. where C. how D. when
20. A. narrated B. presented C. maintained D. explained
Practice 1
Expressionism Expressionism is an art movement that produced a wealth of wonderful works of art, and the lives of the artists who created them were no less colorful and exciting. The word “expressionism” can be used to describe art from different times and places, most of them were part of a movement that took place in Germany from 1905 to 1920. They shared some of the beliefs. Those beliefs were that art should try to change society, to make it less conservative. It should express the energy of nature—following in the footsteps of Vincent van Gogh—-and personal feeling rather than simply representing nature. It should feel “uncomfortable”, which means it should challenge the traditional ways of looking at the world. This differed from the opinion of Henri Matisse who believed that art should be “comfortable”. Expressionist art should be inspired by folk art, and the art of what were then called “primitive” people, for example from Africa.
The aim of the Expressionists was to express personal feeling about what they were painting rather than representing it exactly as it was. It should have strong colors and shapes, be relatively direct, untutored and unplanned and should still contain recognizable things, but not be realistic. The lines could be distorted, and the colors could be strengthened or changed as in the art movement that began in 1905 called Fauvism.
Expressionism was more than a style in painting. It could be found in theatre and cinema, literature and architecture. It was a sharing of ideas and experiences across all these media. The life stories of the Expressionist artists show just how much they had in common. Many began by studying applied art, such as furniture design, often to please their parents. Although they later made more personal art, they continued to make use of those technical skills. Both art critics and the public received this new movement with derision and outrage. Expressionist artists were trying to shock by challenging the traditional, conservative views held by many people. Gradually, however, it became accepted and even admired.
All the Expressionists were affected by World War I (1914-18). Some fled from Germany and spent the war years in exile. Some never returned to their homeland. Most served in the war and some were killed. At first some of them hoped a war would change society for the better but they were soon disillusioned when they saw the destruction and suffering that it caused. In the years after the war, many Expressionist artist revealed the horrors they experienced in their work.
After World War I, Expressionism became very fashionable in Germany, where art was allowed to flourish. This freedom ended in 1933 when Hitler declared all Expressionists were “degenerate”. This led to them being sacked from their jobs or forced to leave Germany. In 1937 the Nazis took thousands of art works from German museums and put them in an enormous exhibition called the Degenerate Art Exhibition, to show how bad and decadent this art was. It presented a view of the world that went against their political and cultural ambitions to rid Germany of all inferior races.
Futurism, ______ early twentieth-century movement in art, rejected all traditions and attempted to glorify contemporary life by emphasizing the machine and motion.