History of the Aborigines


Australian Aborigines migrated from Asia about 30,000 years ago. There are 500 to 600 different groups but they all have one thing in common strong spiritual beliefs. These spiritual beliefs are shown through their storytelling and art. They believe there is a close bond between humans and the land. Aborigines believe dreamtime was the beginning of the world. During this time they believe their ancestors rose out of various parts of the earth including the rocks and waters. Unlike most religions the Aborigines do not set themselves above nature. They believe some of the Ancestors changed into things in nature and still live there. Storytelling informs aboriginals of the vibrant cultural life. Songs illustrate the Dreamtime and other tales of the land. Aboriginal art includes sculpture, bark and rock paintings, and also baskets and beadwork. Aboriginal music is often recognized for its most famous instrument, the didgeridoo. A wind instrument typically made from bamboo, it is about five feet long and produces a low, vibrating hum. Aborigines use didgeridoos in formal ceremonies and in events such as sunsets, circumcisions, and funerals.

Children Playing on a Beach-Mary Cassat

There are two girls sitting on the beach concentrating on building sandcastles. One of the girls has a hat with a red ribbon. The ocean and a couple of boats blend into the background. Your eyes go straight to the two girls then to the hat and bow. The brush strokes curve around the girls, which makes them appear solid. The focus is always on the children.

I think the artist was trying to capture the innocence of children. I like this piece because the colors flow very well together. I feel it’s a successful work of art because innocence is captured in the way the children are so focused on what they are doing and the way their chubby little hands are painted holding the shovel and pail the same way real children would do.

Impressionism Movement


Impressionism started in France in 1860. Impressionist art is a style that captures an object as if it had only been seen for a moment. The pictures have vibrant colors, usually outdoor scenes, and the use of sunlight and shadows.

Some of the most famous impressionist artists were Claude Monet, Camille Pissaro, Alfred Sisley, Pierre Auguste Renoir and Edgar Degas.

The Impressionism movement started because several paintings were rejected by the jury of the salon including The Luncheon on the Grass by Edward Manet. After seeing the rejected work, Emperor Napoleon III decided to allow the public to judge the art. That was when the “Salon of the Refused” was organized. It drew more people than the regular salon. Artists then asked for another “Salon of the Refused” in 1867 and 1872, but they were denied. In 1873, a few artists, including Monet, put together an organization called, “Association of Painters, Sculptors, and Engravers.” They showed their art work independently. There were thirty artists that participated in the first exhibit in April 1874.

Critic, Louis Leroy, wrote a newspaper review about the Claude Monet painting Impression Sunrise. He said it looked like unfinished work. He gave Monet, and artists of similar style, the name in which they would be known for, The Impressionists.

The Impressionists put on eight shows between 1874 and 1886. Pissarra was the only one that showed work in all eight exhibits.