The Age of Early Modernism, 1871-1914

1. Impressionism and Post-Impressionism (p. 576-579)
Art > Color > Expressive Qualities > Warm/Cool
http://www.mhhe.com/HumanitiesStudio/1/1/4/3/1.html
The Impressionists’ use of pure, unmixed color and emphasis on effects of light transformed painting away from realism and toward vivid experiments with color relationships and optical sensations. Their attitude toward color led them to experiment with the effects of warm and cool color. To investigate the effects of color in defining spatial form, click on the link above. How does color establish our sense of form in Impressionist paintings? Note how specific color combinations are used and discuss the ways in which these choices create a sense of space in each painting.

2. Early Modern Music and Dance (pp. 591-592)
Dance > Energy > Dynamics
http://www.mhhe.com/HumanitiesStudio/3/2/2.html
Igor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring was a modernist ballet first performed by the Ballet Ruse. Produced by Sergei Diaghilev, this experimental ballet was a landmark for modernist music and dance, with violent rhythms and syncopation. Listen to the Rite of Spring or attempt to find a video of a performance. How would you describe the dynamics of this dance? To investigate ways of describing force and movement quality in dance, click on the link above. How do modern dancers use energy and movement in innovative, expressive ways?