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NEO-CLASSICAL AMERICAN REALISM

R. Jean Vallieres’ primary style of painting is an amalgam of 18th and 20th Century Neoclassicism and 19th Century Realism - referred to as “Neo-classical American Realism”. NEOCLASSISCISM: According to the Wikipedia Free Dictionary, “Neoclassicism” is the name given to distinct and well defined movement in the visual arts in effect at various times between the 18th and the 20th centuries. “Novelty, self-expression, and blinding inspiration are not neoclassical virtues. Neoclassicism exhibits perfect control and does not recreate art forms from the ground up with each new project, as modernism demands,” state dictionary sources. Neo-classical paintings are factually devoid of pastel colors; instead, they have sharp colors with Chiaroscuro [The ArtLex Dictionary defines “Chiaroscuro” as a word borrowed from Italian ("light and shade" or "dark") referring to the modeling of volume by depicting light and shade by contrasting them boldly.)

Following is a comparative example of the artist’s style as compared against Master Neoclassical Painter Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825): Jacques-Louis David (illustration, Left)                R. Jean Vallieres (illustration, Right) French Neoclassical				        Neoclassical American Realism

REALISM: World Wide Art Resources (www.wwar.com) defines Realism as the accurate, unembellished, and detailed depiction of nature or contemporary life. The movement prefers an observation of physical appearance rather than imagination or idealization. Wikipedia correctly points out that Realism in art was ushered in by the industrial revolution in France [mid -19th century ]. A key distinguishing characteristic of Realism is the attempt to observe nature and reality objectively and to depict  subjects as they appear in everyday life, without embellishment or interpretation.

Following is a comparison of the artist’s style compared against an American Master Painter Alexander Wyant and French Master Painter Jean-Baptiste Corot:

Alexander Wyant (1836-92) American                 R. Jean Vallieres Neoclassical Realism (illustration left)                        American Realism (illustration right)

Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot (1796 –1875)           R. Jean Vallieres (illustration right) French Realism			                   Neoclassical American Realism

Vallieres’ paintings, as seen above, are an incorporation of neoclassicism and realism, his canvases often depict American landscapes and figurative subjects; though ‘American’ refers to those American painters who have abandoned the more “in vogue” and less demanding painting techniques to return to the more demanding tight, tedious brush stroke required in classical realism. Hence: Neoclassical American Realism.

R. Jean Vallieres, Neo-classical American Realism (illustration) from artist’s 2002-2003 Library of Congress project.

[To view several examples of the artist’s portrait, landscape and still life paintings you are invited to log onto his website at www.rjeanvallieres.com. A list of galleries that represent the artist and display his oil paintings may be obtained through his website.] For more information on the Neoclassicism and Realism as they pertain to the visual arts visit http://en.wikipedia.org.