For 19th-century art, start here!

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Yves Laberge reviews two books that introduce students to 19th-century art

Although this era might seem far away or lesser-known for many observers, the 19th century can be seen as the most inventive period in art history since the Renaissance. In cultural terms, this diverse and intense period, which experienced the invention of photography and moving pictures (1895), is also rich in artistic movements, from Impressionism to Symbolism, and these various trends are often seen as the quintessence of European art. 

Even though countless books and catalogues on 19th-century art are available nowadays, I wanted to select the best one on this fundamental subject. My criteria were accuracy, clarity, interdisciplinarity, and of course the richness of content. In fact, I found not only one, but rather two titles among what I see as the most useful textbooks in English about 19th-century art. Each one will be presented separately in this article. Although very well illustrated, these two titles are not meant to serve as mere ‘coffee table books’; they are primarily targeted at undergraduates but can certainly appeal to the interested reader who is willing to explore more than just a series of selected images and captions.

An Introduction to Nineteenth-Century Artby Michelle Facos is a new book centred on 19th-century art and its contexts. The author's aim was to provide a broad perspective on fine arts during this period in much more than just four or five countries (France, Italy, Germany, Great-Britain, the United States); therefore, the reader gets a wider perspective and has the opportunity to discover lesser-known (but not less interesting) artworks, mainly from Central Europe, Russia, and Scandinavian countries. Of course, the essential paintings by French artists are commented on as well.

The 14 chapters focus on core themes such as Romanticism, the representation of historical events in artworks, and landscape painting. A whole chapter is dedicated to the advent of photography, which changed the way artists and critics conceived realism. In all chapters, Michelle Facos usefully includes or quotes from a great variety of original documents (from then and now) that provide the context and the social atmosphere of that era. The author's style and definitions are always clear and elegant, for example when she writes in Chapter 12 that ‘Impressionist art documented in a truthful and dispassionate manner the appearance of life and landscape in the late nineteenth century’.

Her vivid book ends with the famous ‘Exposition Universelle de Paris’ of 1900, which seems logical and appropriate. All in all, I found this book impressive and comprehensive, instructive and attractive. It was a treat to read it. Even university professors, art historians, and scholars will learn from it because of its interdisciplinary approach and numerous references to social history and everyday life in Europe.

As a complement, this Routledge book has an impressive Internet companion with timely comments, accurate excerpts from noted articles, and of course countless reproductions (see Editor’s notes box). It is fascinating to discover these rare studies and articles related to the artworks that have been thoroughly commented upon, both at the time they were produced and in more recent publications. These documents contribute to making this book unique. Undoubtedly, this free-access website provides a representative overview of the book's richness, with a detailed list of selected artists and illustrations (plus the images themselves). 

Stephen Eisenman's team have now produced a fourth edition of their book,  Nineteenth Century Art. A Critical History. The diversity of topics and art movements included here is impressive, from Naturalism to the early expressions of abstraction in art. The book begins with a short but useful recapitulation of the 18th century in order to provide background for the start of the 19th century. A number of chapters are dedicated to several art movements (Romanticism in England, Germany, and in the United States; and later Impressionism; Symbolism; the Vienna Secession around 1900, etc.), but also to single artists such as Manet, Van Gogh, and Toulouse-Lautrec. In addition, the authors acknowledge a few other events that are not primarily about art but provide context for it, such as ‘the encounter of cultures between the Old World and the New World’. And in almost every chapter, selected artworks and artists are encapsulated into theoretical schemes that are clearly taken from current approaches in art history and visual culture, centred on race, class, and gender issues (see Chapter 16). For example, there is (in chapters 8 and 9) an analysis of the representation of Blacks and Whites in American paintings, before and after the Civil War. Even some lesser-known works made by African-American artists are studied here, an inclusion which was not very common in textbooks written in previous decades, as one might guess (see Chapter 9). And theoretical references to ‘mass culture’ as such could not exist during the 19th century; therefore, many artworks can be revisited and analysed from later viewpoints (see Chapter 17). As a consequence, the topics and perspectives brought forward simultaneously in this book make it highly relevant and accurate for today's (and perhaps tomorrow's) readers.

Arguably, Eisenman's concluding remarks indicate the failure and success of Paul Cézanne as the marking point for the end of 19th-century art. For the first time, this fourth edition includes some 245 images in colour, that is, almost half of the book's total number of reproductions, while all previous versions were only in monochrome; if only for that simple reason, this newer edition should replace all the previous ones in libraries. Furthermore, most texts have been updated and some new elements added. It is too bad Eisenman's Nineteenth Century Art does not have a detailed website such as the Routledge one, but Thames & Hudson's web page on that 4th edition features a detailed table of contents. 

What to do?

Potential readers might ask which book to select for a beginning? Despite their differences, both titles are relevant, instructive, and exhaustive; they feature an abundance of wonderful reproductions. Perhaps the Thames & Hudson title would be well suited for the early newcomer to art history because it has a focus on artists and works in many chapters, while the Routledge textbook is broader in its scope, linking art with social life, the history of ideas, wars and other political events. But on the other hand, the Routledge book contains many original perspectives, a detailed analysis for each specific work, with a welcome interdisciplinary approach.

Perhaps some younger students might ask if buying such a book is necessary nowadays, while so many art images that can be found online with countless webpages available. In fact, these two exceptional books clearly prove that nothing can really beat a well-constructed and argued discussion on art, with a grounded theoretical background and a coherent discourse. In sum, these two excellent titles combine essential facts, useful examples, accurate case studies for newcomers and advanced readers. These are the two books with which to begin one’s exploration of 19th-century art. Moreover, academics in other disciplines will find here an excellent entry point to art history. And I believe students of history in general or of visual culture studies will also be rewarded with these two essential books. For university and public libraries, these two books are essential. I hope they will be translated into other languages very soon.

An Introduction to Nineteenth-Century Art : Artists and the Challenge of Modernity by Michelle Facos, is published by Routledge, Abingdon, 2011. 436 pp., over 250 colour illus, £29.99. ISBN-13: 978-0415780728   [Paperback]   

Nineteenth Century Art. A Critical History, 4th edition by Stephen F. Eisenman, Thomas Crow, Brian Lukacher, David L. Phillips and Frances K Pohl is published by  Thames & Hudson, 2011, 500 pp., 245 colour and 265 mono illus, £32.00.  ISBN-13: 978-0500289242  [Paperback]