Impressionism - The Movement That Charged Art Forever

"Wallpaper in its embryonic state is more finished than that seascape." This was the reaction of critic Louis Leroy when he saw Claude Monet’s painting “Impression, Sunrise”, one of the first paintings in what would turn out to be a radical and revolutionary art movement - Impressionism.

In the late 1860s, Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Alfred Sisley, Edgar Degas, and Berthe Morisot  (later joined by Gustave Caillebotte, Mary Cassatt, Paul Gauguin, Georges Seurat and more) began painting in a style that was revolutionary to the world at the time - Impressionism. In their paintings, the Impressionists recorded the colours and forms of objects in natural light at a certain time. They abandoned the traditional colour palette of muted greens, browns and greys, instead painting with lighter and sunnier colours. They dismissed the use of greys and blacks in shadows as inaccurate, and, instead, used complementary colours and painted outdoors, not in a studio (en plein air).

Soon after these artists had honed their skills and developed their style, they decided to hold an exhibition that was specific to their style. It was staged in April 1874, and it was a huge flop. Most viewers criticised it, saying that the artworks were unfinished or even sloppy. Leroy wrote a satire heavily criticising the use of bold, visible brushstrokes. This satire is also where the term “Impressionism” was coined - it was initially used as an insult, but became a rallying cry for the painters.

But why were these scathing reviews published? Why did the public hate Impressionism so much? Well, these artists shared an interest in accurately recording everyday life and experimenting with the effects of light on colour. These concerns may seem banal now, but in the 19th century, it was preferred to paint historical and biblical scenes, and paintings were supposed to have a high finish. Because of this, these artists’ new style was revolutionary. So, because this idea was so new to the art world at the time, most people were shocked and even disgusted, and this led many to hate the style. However, after a few years, people became used to it, and Impressionism became very popular.

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Even within the school of Impressionism, there were many different interpretations of the style, from Monet to Renoir to the Neo-Impressionists, or Pointillists. Monet, known as the Master of Impressionism, was fascinated by the interplay of light and colour. He used loose brushstrokes and vibrant hues to capture the essence of an image. Renoir, on the other hand, used a smooth, blended application of paint to produce a soft and sensual effect, with most of his artworks featuring rich colours, delicate tonal transitions, and a focus on humans and their relationships.

To show the difference between their styles, here are two paintings of the same scene (which the artists painted in parallel on the same day), one by Monet and one by Renoir:

Beauty is not static. Even in Art, the idea of a perfect painting continues to change. It takes someone bold to carve a new path. It often reflects the mood of the times. Impressionism, for example, was tied to a large focus on normal life and nature rather than historical and biblical scenes imagined by an artist in a studio.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - but it is shaped by the Artist. 

Sources: https://www.nga.gov/stories/articles/what-impressionism-4-things-know

https://www.britannica.com/art/Impressionism-art

https://new.artsmia.org/programs/teachers-and-students/teaching-the-arts/art-in-context/the-lasting-impression-of-french-impressionism

https://www.patrickhowe.com/blog/comparing-the-paintings-of-monet-and-renoir

https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/glossary-terms/pointillism

Our Obsession With Advertising

Advertising and advertisements have been around for as long as history has been recorded. The first advertisements were likely little more than word of mouth, but quickly developed. Now, in our modern capitalistic society, advertisements are more present than ever. 

The first recorded advert was in Ancient Egypt circa. 3,000 BC, on a board advertising a shop and seeking a runaway slave. From there, historians began to see more and more advertisements popping up around the world. From the distinguished archaeological site of Pompeii, archaeologists have found boards with political slogans and signs advertising products. After the advent of the Gutenberg printing press, printed pamphlets and flyers started to appear. And now, liquid crystals have made advertising even more widespread. Everywhere we go, we can see advertisements ranging from food to beauty products to jewellery, and much more. 

We are absolutely obsessed with and entranced by advertisements. Have you ever seen an advertisement and go “Wow, I want this.” I, for one, have. Why is this? Well, let’s start by defining an advertisement. According to the Oxford dictionary, advertising is “a notice, picture or film telling people about a product, job or service”. But that is a tad simple. I define advertising as “the promotion of a product or service via a physical medium which attempts to influence the customer”.  This fits very well with our modern, capitalist world. Capitalism is all about the individual. While other systems like communism or socialism are about the good of the whole, capitalism is, at heart, self-centred. Any capitalist country, like the U.S. for example, will have large gaps of wealth inequality. We all strive to better ourselves in life, make more money, be prettier, and have the dream life. Advertisements fool you into thinking that their products are the pathway to that. If you see a celebrity advertising Rolex watches, your brain goes “If I had that, I’d be just like this person.”

Humans are very social creatures, and we often find contentment in the approval of others. This ties in directly with my point. If other people see you with the new iPhone, they subconsciously approve, because we’ve been taught to try and obtain as much material wealth as possible and to admire those that have. This suggests that our fixation with advertisements is due to the natural longing of the human to be admired and celebrated by others.

In the end, advertising will be influenced by the rise of new technologies. Already, AI is being used in advertising and endangering work for human artists and graphic designers. Here’s hoping that the world of advertising is not completely taken over by artificial intelligence.

Is Vanity a Sin?

Vanity is the desire to appear beautiful or impressive in the eyes of others, and it has long been viewed as one of humanity’s most persistent moral struggles. In religious traditions such as Christianity, vanity is referred to as the sin of pride. Pride, in this context, elevates the individual above others and even above God, making it the opposite of humility. Vanity, then, can be understood as pride’s synonym. Not so much glorifying oneself, but obsessing over how we are to be perceived. 

It is pride projected outward, seeking admiration as validation.

But also, vanity does not develop in isolation. Humans are just naturally drawn to beauty. We like pretty things, it's as simple as that. This is not just limited to physical beauty either, but to symmetry, color, and harmony in all forms. 

From an evolutionary standpoint, our attraction to ‘pretty things’ once served practical purposes. Symmetry and youth signaled health and fertility, attractive landscapes with clear water and lush greenery suggested safety. Over time, this instinct for beauty expanded beyond survival and we began to create art, architecture, and fashion. Transforming beauty into culture.

So, is it truly wrong to want to be beautiful? To present ourselves as attractive?

Dressing well and caring about how we appear can express respect for ourselves and for the people we interact with. Maybe then, it's better to see the sin of vanity not from the act of beautifying, but from where the motive lies. When beauty becomes a mask to manipulate admiration or hide insecurity, it can pull us away from genuine self-acceptance. 

True confidence enhances beauty while insecurity dressed in vanity only imitates it.

There is an ironic contradiction in our social nature. 

If our society puts value on beauty, is it not just instinct and survival to enhance ourselves?

Psychologists call it the halo effect, the human tendency to assume that someone who looks good must also be good all around, they must be more kind, intelligent and trustworthy. We often make snap judgments without even realizing it, and this affects how we interact with others. At the same time, society encourages us to be genuine and true to ourselves. The problem is that our perceptions aren’t really genuine, they’re influenced by our instincts and biases before we can think logically about them.

So is someone wanting to be ‘less vain’ going to stop trying on their appearance knowing full well it may hinder their social stance, job prospects, relationships and respect given? We live in a society so blinded by looks we cannot go without it. It's deeper than liking pretty things, it comes to prejudice and social standing, so, of course nobody will throw away this privilege. In a time where everyone can be more, we have such easy access to be fitter, better looking, where cosmetics are daily and surgeries are affordable, where is the line now? Is makeup vain? Is getting plastic surgery?

In such a world, can anyone be truly authentic? We might not achieve complete authenticity, but we can aim for it. Nobody is ‘natural’, not a single person on the street is. Toddlers are dressed up by their parents, kids have the newest trends, adults have branded clothing and the distinction between self care and vanity blurs.

Being authentic doesn’t mean caring less about how we look, it means showing who we really are on the outside. Someone can truly enjoy fashion, makeup, or fitness if these things reflect their personality and aren’t just done for approval. Vanity becomes a problem when we measure our worth by looks alone.

In the end, vanity isn’t necessarily the root of all sins, it’s a reflection of our desire to be noticed and our struggle to look deeper than appearances. Being human means dealing with both sides of this.

K-Beauty Dominance

In the past few years, South Korea has surpassed the US in becoming the world’s second-largest cosmetics exporter after France. K-beauty is the skincare and cosmetics from South Korea that emphasise hydrated “glass skin” This movement was driven by the Hallyu wave, or the incredibly rapid rise of South Korean culture globally. These products are affordable, high quality, advanced and definitely TikTok-worthy.

One of the reasons why it’s so popular is because of the packaging. K-beauty brands invest a lot in aesthetic packaging. Minimalist elegance, pastel colours and eco-friendly materials are very common. In addition, they’re functional, collectible and practical. The Haruharu WONDER Black Rice line features their star ingredient (black rice) in the design and the packaging is a rich dark-purple hue. 

“Glass skin” is the term used to describe an exceptionally smooth, hydrated and translucent complexion. It appears poreless and luminous, like a pane of glass, therefore the name. It focuses on hydration, exfoliation and protecting the skin. Key products and steps include double cleanse, hydration essence, exfoliation, antioxidants, moisturizers, hyaluronic acid and SPF.

Most of the products have unique ingredients. Unlike Western cosmetics that emphasise concealment, South Korean cosmetics focus on protecting the skin barrier and preventing problems in the long term rather than solving the problem when it appears. These ingredients include snail mucin, centella asiatica (tiger grass) and fermented extracts from plants.

Another reason why Korean cosmetics are so popular is because they are high-quality and affordable at the same time. Because of the competition in the market, industries are selling their products at major retailers. Examples are Sephora, Walmart and Ulta. Products are also available on Amazon as well as on the official website.

Ultimately, K-beauty has taken the world by storm. But it might not be a bad thing! Instead of concealing our blemishes and faults, we should try to protect ourselves. K-beauty has given the public a new perspective on beauty and what it means to be beautiful. And who knows? Maybe we might be the next generation of kids to start a new beauty trend on Instagram

“Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.” —Coco Chanel

'Finding True Beauty' in Books and Movies

To me, beauty is a myth.

In cultures all around the world, you can see the different factors that contribute to their specific idea of uniqueness in beauty. For example, Japanese beauty is commonly referred to as achieving a smooth, white face along with an overall natural look; whereas Western beauty (in the US) includes having a bronzed, tanned look, along with bold makeup.

Beauty is something that can be found everywhere. You can find a person beautiful in the way that they look, act, and even in the smallest details of their behaviour. A smile or even a laugh can be seen as acts of beauty. You can find beauty in nature, such as the scenery of a mountain, etc.

However, beauty does not define who we truly are, and many people often find themselves feeling discouraged due to different beauty standards or stereotypes. These standards are highly misleading and lower our self esteem and confidence in large amounts.

Therefore, perspective is important, and it is the key to pursuing not only beauty but true, inner happiness. We’ve all been there - admiring someone on screen; thinking “Oh! I wish I had their facial features too…”, sometimes even left wondering,“Am I actually beautiful?”. There’s one answer and one answer only, YES you ARE!

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Hi! I’m Brianna and I now want to share some movies and books that talk about shifting your mindset to find comfort in your own personal beauty.

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ONLINE RESOURCES |  READ MORE ABOUT THESE ARTICLES

Q: Where do I get my information?

A: They’re all listed below!

→ https://int.japanesetaste.com/blogs/japanese-taste-blog/japanese-vs-western-beauty-standards

→ https://nytech.media/feel-good-with-these-7-body-positivity-movies-on-netflix/

→ https://www.girlfriend.com.au/entertainment/best-netflix-disney-plus-movies-rotten-tomatoes/

Thank you for reading my article!

Aside from online research, I went on platforms such as Netflix to find the corresponding genres, maturity ratings and durations.