Luminism: Art history
Luminist art and artists
Luminism is a term created in the 20th century to describe a style of art that emerged between 1850 and 1870. Noted Luminist artists include Fitz Hugh Lane and Frederic E. Church.Luminist art uses light and contrast so that many of the landscapes -- or portions of them -- seem to glow with an inner light.
Luminism preceded Impressionism and is more closely aligned with Tonalism, which emerged around 1880 and focused on tone (light and shadow) more than color. [Image at right: Icebergs, by Frederic E. Church, 1861.]
Many -- but not all -- Luminist painters used color and tone to create a glowing effect in their work. Generally, their subjects were landscapes and poetic subjects, sometimes painted from an elevated or aerial perspective. Luminist paintings often include fine details and concealed brushstrokes.
Best-known Luminist painters (19th century)
Hundreds of artists have favored the Luminist style of painting. These are the most well-known among the 19th century Luminists. (All of the following links lead to Wikipedia entries.)
- Fitz Hugh Lane (1804 - 1865)
[Image, upper left: Brace's Rock, Eastern Point, Gloucester, by Fitz Hugh Lane.] - David Johnson (1827 - 1908)
- John Frederick Kensett (1816 - 1872)
- James Augustus Suydam (1819 - 1865)
- Sanford Robinson Gifford (1823 - 1880)
- George Caleb Bingham (1811 - 1879)
- Martin Johnson Heade (1819 - 1904)
- Jasper Francis Cropsey (1823 - 1900)
- Frederic Edwin Church (1826 - 1900)
Luminist art and artists on Amazon
American Luminism
Amazon Price: (as of 12/12/2009) 
Sources of Light: Contemporary American Luminism
Amazon Price: (as of 12/12/2009)
Luminist painting techniques, at Amazon
Fill Your Oil Paintings with Light & Color
Inspiring advice for Luminist glow and color.
Amazon Price: $13.59 (as of 12/12/2009)
Capturing Radiant Light & Color in Oils and Pastels
One of the best books ever for people who want to paint in the Luminist, Impressionist, and/or Cape Cod School styles.
Amazon Price: $16.49 (as of 12/12/2009)
Paint Watercolors That Dance with Light
Amazon Price: (as of 12/12/2009)
Painting the Impressionist Landscape: Lessons in Interpreting Light and Color
Amazon Price: (as of 12/12/2009)
Painting With Light
Amazon Price: $21.09 (as of 12/12/2009)
Luminism v. Tonalism
The biggest differences are often light and focus
One could say that Tonalism was the result of Impressionism's influence on Luminism; specifically, Luminist art often includes fine details while Tonalism's focus is softer.Also, Tonalism includes a broader range of light conditions, and often a more limited palette in its representations.
The image shown at right is Whistler's Nocturne: Blue and Gold. It's a Tonalist painting, and -- though it has a glow -- it is both consistently dark and uses a very soft, almost Impressionist focus that make it different from a Luminist work.
Luminism at Wikipedia
Luminism is an American landscape painting style of the 1850s - 1870s, characterized by effects of light in landscapes, through using aerial perspective, and concealing visible brushstrokes. Luminist landscapes emphasize tranquility, and often depict calm, reflective water and a soft, hazy sky.
The term luminism was introduced by 20th century art historians to describe a 19th century American painting style that developed as an offshoot of the Hudson River school. The artists who painted in this style did not refer to their own work as "luminism", nor did they articulate any common painting philosophy outside of the guiding principles of the Hudson River school.
Luminism shares an emphasis on the effects of light with impressionism. However, the two styles are markedly different. Luminism is characterized by attention to detail and the hiding of brushstrokes, while impressionism is characterized by lack of detail and an emphasis on brushstrokes. Luminism preceded impressionism, and the artists who painted in a luminist style were in no way influenced by impressionism--nor were impressionists in France influenced by luminism in America.
by ElizabethBennet
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