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- Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes Silence c. 1915 On view The Museum of Modern Art, Floor 5, Collection Galleries
Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes was a French artist and he also was a writer. He was born in Montpellier and died in Saint-Jeannet. He was very enthusiastic about Dada events which is an art movement that seeks to discover the true reality by abolishing traditional forms of culture and aesthetics. The artists expressed their despair for bourgeois values and World War I through anti-aesthetic works and protests. Georges is one of them and he contributed a lot in modernism art.
The art that I present is called Silence. As you can see it is a machine picture created in 1915. During this period, World War was happening and most of the countries have begun to invest a lot of industrial production. This piece is obviously about what was happening in 1915. The first impression that I have is modern and it interested me due to its color. It consists of a very nice contrasting balance between the blues, orange and yellow. There is painted gears, shafts, wires, springs, chainsaws on the picture. Those all kinds of machines were painted in different colors. Although the colors are very bright, it is still suggesting that the forces of production have run amok.
During the World war, countries are committed to the development of industry. Suddenly, a lot of factories were built up so people were forced to work for a long time. Under this movement, I can imagine that the Social atmosphere was boring, depressed and silence. People who work in an industry feel numb because they used to do same thing again and again. This piece shows us how the state of society looks like at that time and the dissatisfaction with excessive industrial development.
Not only the color attracts me, the shape in the art are also very diverse and organized. As you can see, this painting was characterized by strong geometric lines and shapes. There is triangle, circle, rectangular and different lines of various angles in the picture. The subject in the picture looks like they under arrangement so that It makes me feel neat and methodical. I think the author did this for purpose so he could create such an organized picture.
As I see, the color and shapes are making this picture become such a beautiful art. Every artwork has its value. We need to spend a little time to understand them. The tour of the museum has let me see many beautiful things and I really enjoy watching them.
Huimin, I’m so glad you enjoyed your visit to the museum. This painting is a great example of Modernism, and as you’ve indicated in your comments, reminds us of the upheaval caused by industrialization. You can see from the image itself how, even in his choice of subject, the painter is moving away from traditional ideas about art and aesthetics. I am very curious about the painting’s title. You seem to suggest that it is the voice of the individual that’s been silenced. When I look at the painting, I hear the deafening noise of the factory — so the title is extra intriguing to me!