Impressionism and Naturalism by Robert Herbert Essay

Impressionism and Naturalism by Robert Herbert - Essay Example Manet, according to Herbert was a different sort of flaneur. He was obtuse in reproducing the flaneur's experience of destruction, transformation, and desolation because he was an active observer. His work The Street Singer (1862) and The Balloon (1862) were examples of the artist's silent commentary in the upheaval of the city and its people (Herbert 36). He exemplified realism through artifice and caricature. Flaneurs were keen in capturing the moment of life in its pure form which was why later works offered glimpses of contemporary urban life not through detailed oil paints but caricatures speedily drawn and executed as in Manet's Rue Mosnier Decorated with Flags and Degas's Martelli. Flaneurs, therefore, were inventors and responsible for innovation in art during the 19th century. Flaneurs were also investigators of history for they were keen observers of urban life, noting spectators, daily occupations, behaviors, professions, and intimate and domestic life of that time. Degas's Women on a Cafe Terrace, Evening and Manet's Railroad which the artists investigated to the extent of scientific naturalism could be said to denote this aspect of flaneurs. Flaneurs were also observers of domestic manners. Their detachment from the public and private arena offered them the advantage of narrating emotions and feelings without romantic interference. This could be observed in Cassatt's Cup of Tea (1880) and Morisot's Interior both depicted the artist's detachment yet interactivity with domestic life.

Cult Cinema Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Cult Cinema - Dissertation Example The content is often offbeat or even transgressive, besides being aberrant or challenging. The central themes tend to be far-fetched and uncanny, but still become the centre of audience’s attention. Thus, cult cinema tends to be categorically different from the mainstream cinema; this dissimilarity is revealed by lack of highfalutin artistic exclusiveness, mass consumerism, and political correctness in cult movies. This dissertation will provide a context for defining cult cinema, by delineating the peculiar characteristics that distinguish it from other genres. This dissertation is based upon information accumulated from a vast array of primary and secondary research sources dealing with cult cinema. The chief source was literature comprising of books, journal articles, articles in periodicals specifically aimed at identifying the underlying factors that drive audience towards cult cinema. Since the dissertation is aimed at exposing the factors that have developed a fan following, so analysis of the narrative, literary techniques, characters, and plot is relevant to this study. In addition to that, secondary methods shall also encompass analysis of box office success and commercial business of the top fifty cult films. Secondary resources such as statistical data concerning commercial revenue reveal that cult films were box office hits. Similarly, reviews of most successful movies based on the viewers’ ability to recall showed that many cult films such as Blade Runner, The Shawshank Redemption, Godzilla, Star Wars, Jaws, Scary Movie were the most favourites of all times. Other literature such as journal articles and books define the textual attributes and enigmatic signifiers that appeal to young and middle aged fans. Furthermore, analysis of movies made during the last two decades revealed how audiences’ demand has accelerated the trend of making of the cult films. In the ultimate analysis, the information contained in the following pages will shed light on how cult cinema, despite being bizarre and farfetched has produced some groundbreaking films and developed a huge fan following. Increasingly, audiences are fascinated by the aesthetic elements of cult movies such as enigmatic sig nifiers: mysterious puzzles that provoke thought and engage audiences throughout the film. Lastly, the process of narrative and characters go under an unexpected transformation to deliver ontological shock to audience’s leaves a mark on the audience. Undoubtedly, these aspects make cult movies the centre of fan debate and discussion. Chapter I: Introduction Although motion pictures have fundamentally