The Magical World of Tonalism and 20th-Century American Modernism
Can paintings express the same emotions and sentiments as music? That’s the question that Tonalism begs.
Tonalism is an art movement that originated in North America in the late 19th century, whose artists sought to imitate the mood and effects of music in their works. It is a movement that created a new aesthetic language and celebrated the beauty of the natural world.
Tonalism Definition and Artists
Tonalism is the style of American art that emerged in the late 19th century and lasted until the early 20th century. It was primarily practiced by American landscape painters who sought to create works that were inspired by music.
The movement emphasized the use of a palette of strongly connected hues to convey an atmospheric mood, creating the feeling of a spiritual presence in nature. The tonalists believed that art has the power to promote introspection and emotional resonance.
Artists who embraced tonalism were interested in exploring the nuances and subtleties of light, often painting elusive moments such as dusk or fog. They favored creating an indeterminate quality that allowed the viewer to draw their own meaning of the painting.
Some of the quintessential Tonalism artists are James McNeill Whistler, George Inness, and Ralph Albert Blakelock. These artists were masterful navigators of light and shade, using realist techniques to create mesmerizing landscapes that illuminated the mood of a scene.
Tonalist Landscapes and Emotional Significance
Tonalism landscapes capture the observer’s sense of place and evoke feelings of serenity, melancholy, or even fear. The paintings often depict nighttime scenes with cool colors, or they can be meditative stillness scenes that suggest spiritual reflection.
The tonalist landscape painter’s goal was to elicit emotions and convey cosmic harmonies through their works. Tonalist artists were keen on harmonizing the visual and the auditory creating paintings that also had melodic qualities.
They recognized that the landscape could embody or inspire the feeling of music, and they created works with the same principles of harmony, rhythm, and tonality found in the music they admired. Painters like Inness translated the beauty of nature into music, and their tonalist landscapes acted as notes played out on a canvas.
20th Century American Modernism and Abstract Art
20th-century American modernism was born out of the industrial revolution and was influenced by European modernist movements such as Impressionism, Cubism, Fauvism, and Surrealism. This period of art was a time of rapid change and innovation, and it created abstract art, which sought to break away from representational art.
In abstract art, artists focus primarily on line and color, and they work towards exploring the communication of emotions and concepts rather than the representation of a subject. This period produced artists like Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Mark Rothko, and their work became a bridge between European and American modernism.
The Observable Environment and Melodic Qualities
20th-century modernism drew inspiration from the observable environment to create paintings with themes of vitality, rhythm, and energy. The artworks mirrored the music of the time, with works of art showcasing mixed colors, rhythms, and melodies that reflected shifts in culture.
Artists who focused on melodic qualities, such as Wassily Kandinsky, believed that color and line can take on a life of their own, and that they can have a direct emotional impact akin to music. Kandinsky believed that color combinations and specific forms can evoke different feelings in the viewer.
This principle merged well with the Hudson River School of painting, which focused on the interrelation between man and nature.
Conclusion
In conclusion, both Tonalism and 20th-century American Modernism were art movements that aimed to break away from the formal representation of nature and of arts. Both movements sought to express emotions and convey cosmic harmonies through their works to create works of art with melodic qualities that promote introspection in art admirers.
The art produced during these movements has continued to shape the way we see, interpret and engage with art to this day.
American Tonalism and Its Focus on Atmospheric Landscapes
American Tonalism, a style of painting that emerged in the late 19th century, created atmospheric landscapes with natural scenes or seascapes, represented using harmonious shades of muted colors. In this movement, the tonal values were crucial, with painting technique taking center stage, providing the optical illusion of depth and mood.
Painters in the Tonalist movement focused on capturing the atmosphere of a particular scene or place. They looked at how the use of color, tonal values, and brushwork could convey the feeling and mood of a landscape.
This movement was searching for a poetic sentiment through their art, rather than just a visual representation of the natural scene. Tonalist artists turned to nature as their inspiration, but not necessarily as their subject matter, rather as a vehicle to evoke a particular emotion or atmosphere.
The Contribution of James McNeill Whistler to Tonalist Landscapes
James McNeill Whistler was one of the pioneers of the American Tonalism movement. He was a gifted artist and a key figure in the Aesthetic movement of the 19th century.
Whistler experimented with tonal values and color harmony, creating Tonalist landscapes that embodied the impression of the musical phrase. He saw the connection of color with musical harmony and introduced that concept to his work.
In his Tonalist landscapes, Whistler broke away from the typical bright and bold colors of the time and created more neutral, muted palettes that conveyed a subtle and gentle tone. The tonal values of his landscapes were essential, and he aimed to use them to evoke a mood or sentimental state.
Whistler’s Tonalist landscapes grew in popularity because of their unique approach to landscape representation. As the tonalist movement grew, artists began to explore atmosphere, composition, and tonal values in their painting to create works that did not merely mimic reality but instead illuminated and heightened the experience, evoking a mood, and increasing our emotional response to what we see.
Early Influences on Artistic Movements
The Tonalism movement arose in the late nineteenth century due to an array of artistic influences. The Aesthetic movement, which focused on the value of beauty over any specific moral or social reform, was a significant influence for the artists in this movement.
Tonalists embraced the Barbizon School of painters, who worked outdoors and painted landscapes that emphasized the play of light and shadow. They were also inspired by Japanese woodblock prints, which emphasized tonal balance and atmospheric effects, and the Symbolist movement, which embraced the use of metaphor and symbolism in art.
James Abbott McNeill Whistler and His Art for Art’s Sake Philosophy
James Abbott McNeill Whistler was a central figure in the Aesthetic movement, and his painting style reflected the movement’s belief that art exists for its beauty alone and has no practical purpose. He coined the famous phrase “art for art’s sake,” which expressed the idea that art should be appreciated purely for its aesthetic qualities, free from the constraints of traditional subject matter or social or political statements.
In his work, Whistler focused on formalist issues such as color harmony, tonal values, and the play of light, rather than representing a subject matter traditionally. His famous painting, “Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl,” is an excellent example of how Whistler’s emphasis on form and tonal values could evoke a mood and feeling without representing a clear object.
The painting features subtle shades of white and gray, creating a harmonious and unified image, with the primary focus on the woman’s figure.
Conclusion
Tonalism and 20th-century American Modernism were significant art movements that aimed to express emotions and create works with melodic qualities that promote introspection in art admirers. Through the use of a muted, harmonious palette of colors and tonal values, Tonalism artists sought poetic and emotional expression in their landscapes.
James McNeill Whistler, a pioneer of the American Tonalism movement, emphasized the musical phrase in his landscapes and embraced the art for art’s sake philosophy. These movements have continued to shape the way we see, interpret and engage with art to this day.
George Inness and the Influence of Other Artistic Movements
George Inness, one of the most prominent Tonalist landscape painters, was heavily influenced by the Hudson River School painters and the Barbizon School of France, which focused on moody atmospheric compositions. Inness’s unique contribution to the Tonalist movement was his ability to infuse his landscapes with emotional meaning beyond mere representation, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.
Inness specifically incorporated the challenges of the Barbizon School painters by relying on sensitively painted tonal colors and the tonal drawing of figures in atmospheric atmospheric effects. His focus on the emotional, spiritual, and mythological significance of nature, along with his use of symbolism, separates him from other Tonalist painters.
The Symbolism of Albert Pinkham Ryder
Albert Pinkham Ryder was a contemporary of Inness and his Tonalist paintings focused on the suggestive and cryptic use of artifacts and mythological storylines to create melancholy landscapes. Often featuring tumultuous skies or moonlit seas, Ryder’s works express feelings of awe, mystery, and the sublime.
Ryder’s Tonalist settings, with their muted, somber tones and wistful melancholy, were a significant influence on the darker side of the Symbolist movement in painting, where artists sought to convey a similar sense of mystery and understated sentimentalism in their works. Ryder contributed to making tones and color harmony key features of symbolic art.
Pictorialism and Tonalism Influences in Photography
Pictorialism was a late 19th and early 20th-century movement in photography that aimed to elevate photography to the status of fine art. The movement emphasized artistic possibilities in photography and incorporated the tonal color gradients and atmospheric effects of Tonalism in painting.
Pictorialists experimented with various photographic techniques to produce dreamy, atmospheric photographs that conveyed mood and emotion. The movement was committed to producing photographic art for its emotional, psychological, and aesthetic appeal, rather than merely as a documentary or technical device.
The Old Lyme Art Colony and the Transition to Impressionism
The Old Lyme Art Colony was a group of Tonalist and Impressionist painters that gathered around the village of Old Lyme, Connecticut in the early 20th century. The colony was founded by Henry Ward Ranger, a Tonalist painter who wanted to create a school of painting that fused the best elements of Tonalism and the new Impressionist style.
The Old Lyme painters embraced the natural world, interpreting it through dazzling light effects and tonalist compositions. Artists like Childe Hassam found a sense of freshness and wonder in the natural world, using bold brushwork to capture the fleeting effects of light and shadow.
The Tonalist painters of the Old Lyme Art Colony introduced a new aesthetic language, influencing the trajectory of American painting.
Conclusion
Tonalism was a crucial artistic movement that celebrated nature, mood, and emotional resonance. Painters like George Inness and Albert Pinkham Ryder emphasized atmospheric effects and the mystery of the natural world, while later artists incorporated these Tonalist techniques into photography with Pictorialism.
The Old Lyme Art Colony and its painters such as Childe Hassam blended the tonalist painterly language with Impressionism to create works of art with melodic qualities that promote introspection. The influence of Tonalism in American painting and the art world at large has been substantial and continues to be celebrated to this day.
Critical Response to Tonalist Landscapes
Tonalist landscapes were met with mixed critical responses during their prominence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Charles de Kay, an influential art critic of the time, recognized the nationalistic qualities of Tonalism, praising it as a distinctly American form of art.
Tonalist landscapes represented the beauty and tranquility of the American landscape, resonating with middle-class customers who sought to connect with nature. One of the reasons for the popularity of Tonalist landscapes was their ability to capture the changing seasons, especially the brilliance of autumnal hues.
These paintings, with their warm, earthy tones, offered a sense of nostalgia and comfort, appealing to a society undergoing rapid industrialization and urbanization. Tonalism’s Decline and Influence
Tonalism declined in popularity in the early 20th century, as new artistic movements emerged, challenging its quiet and contemplative aesthetic.
The Armory Show, held in 1913, introduced European modernist movements like Cubism and Futurism to a wider American audience, shifting the focus away from tonal qualities and towards bold experimentation. However, Tonalism had a lasting influence on the art world.
It played a significant role in shaping the network of artists and collectors brought together by Alfred Stieglitz, who sought to promote photography as a fine art. Many photographers, including Edward Steichen and Paul Strand, drew inspiration from the tonal qualities and atmospheric effects of Tonalist painting in their work.
The influence of Tonalism can also be seen in the European and American painters who were inspired by the works of James McNeill Whistler. Whistler’s ideas about color harmony and tonal values were influential and sought after by artists like douard Manet, Claude Monet, and Joaqun Sorolla.
The tonalist approach had a significant impact on modern art, paving the way for the development of abstraction and pushing the boundaries of artistic expression.
Tonalism in Australia and Duncan Max Meldrum
Tonalism also made an impact in Australia, where Duncan Max Meldrum championed the movement during the early 20th century. Meldrum developed “tone on tone” art theories, teaching that art should focus on harmonizing and contrasting tonal values within a restricted palette.
He encouraged artists to explore the effects of soft focus, blurring boundaries and creating a sense of atmosphere in their work. Meldrum’s school, which emphasized tonal values and limited color palettes, had a lasting influence on Australian art.
His teachings enriched the art scene in Australia, encouraging artists to experiment with new techniques and explore the emotional and atmospheric qualities of their subjects.
The Legacy of Tonalism
The legacy of Tonalism can be seen not only in the development of abstraction but also in the impact it had on photography as an art form. Tonal qualities and atmospheric effects found their way into early photographic practices, with photographers manipulating light and shadow to create moody and contemplative images.
Furthermore, Meldrum’s teachings and the tonal approach continued to shape Australian art, fostering the development of a distinctive Australian tonalist movement with artists like Clarice Majoribanks Beckett. Beckett, whose work had been largely overlooked for decades, was rediscovered and celebrated for her tonalist approach, characterized by her subtle and delicate use of tonal values and restricted color palette.
The legacy of Tonalism extends beyond its own era, influencing subsequent artistic movements and encouraging artists to explore the emotional and atmospheric potential of their work. The quiet beauty and contemplative qualities of Tonalism continue to resonate and inspire artists today.
Key Ideas of Tonalism
Tonalism, as an art movement, was characterized by its focus on the formal elements of art, including color, line, and shape. Tonalist artists believed that these elements could convey symbolic meaning, evoke mood and sentiment, and suggest an emotional response in the viewer.
Color was a vital component in Tonalism. Artists used a muted and tonal palette to create a sense of harmony and unity within their works.
Soft, subtle shades were favored, allowing for a gentle transition from one hue to another. The careful use of color allowed Tonalist artists to create a specific atmosphere or evoke a particular emotion within their paintings.
Line and shape were also crucial elements in Tonalism. Artists carefully considered the placement and direction of lines to guide the viewer’s eye and create a sense of movement or rhythm.
Often, these lines would be gentle and flowing, contributing to the overall tranquility and serenity of the composition. Shapes were simplified or abstracted, allowing for a focus on mood and suggestion rather than detailed representation.
Symbolic meaning played a significant role in Tonalism. Artists sought to convey ideas and emotions beyond literal representation.
They used the natural world as a metaphor, linking it to human experience and the mysteries of life. By suggesting rather than explicitly depicting, Tonalist artists allowed viewers the space to engage with the artwork on a more personal and introspective level.
Tonalism’s Influence on Photography and Modernist Painters
Tonalism had a lasting influence on photography as an art form. Pictorialism, a movement in photography that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, sought to elevate photography to the realm of fine art by incorporating tonal qualities and atmospheric effects.
Pictorialist photographers, such as Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Steichen, and Gertrude Ksebier, drew inspiration from Tonalism in their manipulation of light and shadow to create evocative and emotive images. They also explored the tonal possibilities of different photographic printing techniques, using soft focus and selective development to achieve a painterly effect.
Tonalism’s influence extended beyond photography to the realm of painting. Modernist painters, such as Milton Avery, were influenced by the tonal qualities and atmospheric effects of Tonalism.
Avery’s simplified and abstracted landscapes, characterized by their bold use of color and shapes, drew upon the tonalist approach to evoke mood and emotion. His influence can be seen in the development of Abstract Expressionism, where artists sought to express the inner world of emotion and feeling on the canvas.
The expressive and suggestive nature of Tonalism resonated with the desire of many modernist painters to move beyond literal representation and tap into the deeper realms of human experience and expression. The influence of Tonalism on both photography and modernist painting underscores its lasting impact on the wider art world.
Its emphasis on formal elements, symbolic meaning, and suggestion opened up new avenues for artistic exploration and challenged traditional notions of representation. The appreciation of tonal qualities and atmospheric effects continues to be a valuable artistic pursuit, inspiring contemporary artists to delve into the complexities of mood, sentiment, and suggestion in their own work.
In conclusion, Tonalism was a significant art movement that emphasized the formal elements of art, such as color, line, and shape, to create symbolic meaning, evoke mood and sentiment, and suggest emotional responses. The movement’s influence extended beyond painting and into photography, with Pictorialism embracing tonal qualities and atmospheric effects.
Tonalism also had a lasting impact on modernist painters, shaping their approaches to abstraction and expression. The appreciation of tonal qualities and the exploration of mood and suggestion continue to inspire contemporary artists.
Tonalism reminds us of the power of art to evoke emotions and connect with viewers on a profound level, leaving a lasting impression long after the artwork is seen.