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Ralph Albert Blakelock Accomplishments

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An early artist of modernism affected my mental health problems is Ralph Albert Blakelock (1847-1919). Blakelock was a self-taught American painter that suffered from bouts of depression and anxiety, and was eventually diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, spending the later part of his life institutionalized. (National Gallery of Art) He was a romanticist whose landscapes and images of Native Americans delivered intense emotion and an aesthetic experience. Partly a reaction to the industrial revolution and the scientific advances of nature Blakelock pushed past the limits of Impressionism to lay the foundations for Abstract Expressionism. (Camhy)He struggled to make a living off his work and the stress associated with the death of his daughter, stressful experiences with patrons and the struggle of providing for his large family triggered two breakdowns and lead to his diagnoses and being institutionalized. Soon after his paintings began to gain an audience, eventually selling and setting records for American art prices. (National Gallery of Art) …show more content…

(National Gallery of Art) His pieces developed a tinted atmosphere and darker more neutral colors of browns, oranges and blues. His individual style developed, characterized by “thick, uneven brushwork, attention to surface pattern, and a somber, melancholic mood.” (National Gallery of Art) Blakelock was modern because of his capacity to do something different, to reject established traditions and to discover an innovative mindfulness of space, color and form.

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