The famous British art historian Gombrich said in his “Story of Art” that since the nineteenth century, the word “art” has had different meanings in people’s minds. Because the 19th century was a century of revolution, with endless changes in history, society and art, with all kinds of ideas coexisting in opposition, and people’s choices were endless. As a result, the artist’s taste and the public’s taste are separated, and there is a qualitative difference between an artist who can meet the needs of the public and an independent artist, a successful artist who engages in “official art” and a deviant who is generally appreciated after him. A real gulf has emerged between them. Thus, the history of nineteenth-century art cannot be the history of the most famous and profitable artists of its time, but the history of the lonely few. Because they have the courage and determination to think independently, they can fearlessly criticize and examine the rigid formulas in art creation, thus opening up new prospects for future art. Therefore, when art historians who hold this point of view write art history, they make a brushstroke of many British Victorian painters. Jacques-Joseph Tissot, the artist on the cover of this issue, is just that.
In fact, British Victorian art, no matter which social class it served, was full of joy and confidence. Its poetic feelings between romance and reality, its ancient and elegant charm and aesthetic pursuit still have strong vitality in today’s view.
Queen Victoria, who ruled from 1837 to 1901, was very interested in the development of her artistic career. In order to protect the interests of artists, she organized government collections, founded museums, and established cultural facilities such as the National Gallery, the Victoria Albert Museum and the British Museum. At that time, the works of popular artists occupied an unprecedentedly important position. The attitude of the growing middle class between ancient art treasures and fashionable things seemed to be more inclined to the latter. Therefore, they were full of interest in the works of popular artists. Satisfy your hobbies and home decor. Jacques-Joseph Tissot followed the trend of the times. His works mainly depict daily life and are full of fashion elements that were popular at the time. The models he hired went around the British upper class in the nineteenth century in gorgeous fashion, fully expressing the Victorian style of life. So his works were bought by his admirers at the extremely high prices of the era. French painter Jacques-Joseph Tissot was born in 1836 and died in 1902. He studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Paris when he was young, and had classmates with Degas (1834-1917) and Manet (1832-1883). In the 1860s, after the Paris Commune, he went to England to settle in London, where he lived for 11 years. During this period, many of his works expressed the spiritual pursuit and life details of the people at that time, thus achieving his brilliant achievements in life.
The work “Spring” (91.40cm×127cm oil on canvas), painted in 1865, depicts three young girls resting among the lawns and bushes and enjoying the spring. Their faces were expressionless, and they seemed to be brought into the memory of the past by the full of spring. The flower path reveals the spring light, and the fragrant lingering fragrance remains between the fingers. Although it is speechless, it is still clinging to it. Such a beautiful artistic conception can not help but make the viewers think about it. The three teenage girls, dressed in fashionable Victorian attire, live in harmony with the surrounding spring natural scenery, echoing the scenery and making the picture full of vitality. The artist’s gentle painting techniques and appreciation for clothing are also fully displayed in the painting.
Paintings and realms actually express the painter’s attitude toward people, objects, and scenery. Harmony or not should be an important criterion for judging the superiority of a painting.
