Van Gogh has become very popular here on Tumblr over the past year or so. Understandably it makes sense, “Starry Night” is one of the most famous paintings in the world and is endlessly reproduced, and as a man who suffered from mental illness he is relatable to many people online. However I have, and will always feel that when one chooses to participate in the Art world you must one day cross the threshold from introduction artists (western, universally accepted, white, male) and invest in learning about the endless amount of artists throughout history that are stepped over.
So where can you start? Maybe we can look at other female Neoclassicism/Academics, Impressionists, and Modernism/Post-Impressionists/Expressionists, and (styles most popularly seen in the late 19th and early 20th century)—the movements of art I’ve noticed to be most popular on Tumblr. Many of these artists fall in and out of various styles, so I’ve tried to put them with the style they most closely worked within.
Neoclassicism/Academic:
Impressionists:
Modernism/Post Impressionists/Expressionist:
Or artists who were not white?
Neoclassicism/Academic:
Impressionists:
Moderism/Post-Impressionist/Expressionist:
Dr. Atl (Gerardo Murillo Cornado)
Norman Lewis (Also a part of the Harlem Renaissance)
Charles Alston (Also a part of the Harlem Renaissance)
And specifically women of color?
Neoclassicism/Academic:
Impressionists:
Modernism/Post Impressionists/Expressionists:
Augusta Savage (Also a part of the Harlem Renaissance)
Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller (Also a part of the Harlem Renaissance)
So basically there is absolutely no reason why any of these artists shouldn’t be hanging in your room or adoring your Tumblr feed. This list was created with limited resources, and is obviously incomplete and limited to a small group of Western Canon movements, so feel free to add some of your own favorites!
I spent a lot of time on this so I’m just going to reblog it once incase anyone who was interested in it when I first posted that I was working on this quick brief of artists didn’t see the late afternoon post yesterday.
This is so important. White male artists always get the canon spotlight but there are/were so many equally as great female artists, and artists of colour to be appreciating and inspired by.