Museum Compare and Contrast. Visual & Performing Arts Essay (Essay Sample)

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Museum Compare and Contrast Essay
Introduction
The impressionist period in art history was a period where artists in France sought to experiment with new and foreign artistic techniques. Key personalities in the 19th Century movement are Emile Bernard and Vincent Van Gogh. The two artists were not only contemporaries but, also nurtured a friendship that to some degree influenced their respective artistic pieces. One of the primary aspects of art that came from their association was the painting of self-portraits, a technique borrowed from Japanese artists. A comparison of Bernard’s 1888 self-portrait with a portrait of Gauguin, and Van Gogh’s self-portrait as a painter finished in 1888 brings into perspective various aspects of the impressionism era of art as well as the use of symbolism and foreign-influenced of art in Paris during the period.
Self Portraits Era
Bernard’s self-portrait with a portrait of Gauguin got done in 1888. It was done on an oil canvas measuring 46cm by 56cm (Van Gogh's Museum). Van Gogh’s, also done on an oil canvas, was slightly bigger with a higher resolution of his portrait measuring 65.1cm by 50cm. The use of a much higher length by Van Gogh allowed him to provide more delicate details of the picture and to concentrate on using multiple colors (Van Gogh's Museum).