The Nabis
Artists have always needed a place to learn about materials, style, and technique; a market for their artworks; and a community of peers with whom to exchange ideas. Until the eighteenth century in Europe, these needs were met largely with the financial support and encouragement of the church, royal families, and aristocrats, and artists were typically trained in academies that set standards for all aspects of art, including appropriate subject matter and style. As these institutions weakened in the nineteenth century, artists began establishing their own colonies and associations to meet these needs. Some groups, like the Pont-Aven school, formed because artists wanted to work in a particular geographical location. Others, such as the Impressionists, prevented from exhibiting their works at prestigious galleries, were driven by economic concerns. The formation of the Nabi society in Paris was ideologically driven. Organized by disgruntled students from the Academie Julian, an art school in Paris, in 1889 (and lasting until about 1900)， the Nabis held meetings at a cafe near the Academie, and founding members Paul Serusier, Paul Ranson, and Maurice Denis shared a studio.
Members were united by an interest in philosophy, innovative ideas about art, and technical experimentation. Convinced of art’s potential to change attitudes and eventually society, Nabi members energetically pursued contacts with art critics, publishers, theater directors, and art dealers. Although they exhibited widely at salons and other venues, art exhibition was a minor aspect of the Nabi enterprise. The Nabis wanted to integrate art with everyday life and did not agree with traditional hierarchical (ranked) notions about the superiority of painting and sculpture to other creative endeavors. As a result, the Nabis collaborated on a wide range of projects, including theater set designs, costumes, programs and posters for Theatre de I’Oeuvre, stained-glass windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany, and limited-edition colored lithographs (prints) for art dealer Ambroise Vollard.
Like some other artists at the time, the Nabis rejected academic principles of painting and favored the expression of ideas instead. Although their styles and individual beliefs varied, all sought to express an idea called the “life force”in a heartfelt manner. For them, the life force represented the unknowable yet fundamental essence of all life. The Nabis also believed in the existence of a universal sense of beauty that expressed a natural and interdependent relationship to the world, a relationship broken down by civilization and progress. According to the Nabis, this sense of beauty emerged most clearly in so-called primitive art produced by non-Western cultures as well as by Europeans up until the early fourteenth century. This art, they maintained, operated on an intuitive, spiritual level, presenting philosophical concepts in visual form. Their assumptions were based on a creative misunderstanding of artworks produced by cultures remote in time and location. In other words, the Nabis interpreted unfamiliar cultures in a manner corresponding to their needs, rather than to a desire to understand artworks in the context of the time and place in which they were produced.
The Nabis considered themselves prophets of a new world view that would reposition humanity on the path to happiness and fulfillment; indeed, the name Nabi means “prophets”in Hebrew, a name suggested by their friend Henri Cazalis, a Hebrew scholar. The Nabis considered painter Paul Gauguin their leader(despite his residence in the South Pacific), a role he gladly assued. These young artists embraced Gauguin’s advice to distance themselves from narrative subjects and from depicting objects realistically and to concentrate instead on patterns of color, a method intended to capture more basic and essential aspects of the world. Because they reversed the usual priority of paying more attention to an artwork’s subject than its form, Nabi members considered themselves more advanced than followers of other schools of art-Naturalism, Realism, Impressionism, and Post- Impressionism-all of whom thought first about their subject. In an 1890 article in Art et Critique, Maurice Denis reminded readers that a painting resulted from a series of decisions on the part of an artist about where and how to apply paint to a flat surface. The presence of recognizable objects in the painting was merely a by-product of the artist’s decision-making process. Twenty years later artists resisted the urge to portray recognizable objects altogether, and abstract art was born.
1
Artists have always needed a place to learn about materials, style, and technique; a market for their artworks; and a community of peers with whom to exchange ideas. Until the eighteenth century in Europe, these needs were met largely with the financial support and encouragement of the church, royal families, and aristocrats, and artists were typically trained in academies that set standards for all aspects of art, including appropriate subject matter and style. As these institutions weakened in the nineteenth century, artists began establishing their own colonies and associations to meet these needs. Some groups, like the Pont-Aven school, formed because artists wanted to work in a particular geographical location. Others, such as the Impressionists, prevented from exhibiting their works at prestigious galleries, were driven by economic concerns. The formation of the Nabi society in Paris was ideologically driven. Organized by disgruntled students from the Academie Julian, an art school in Paris, in 1889 (and lasting until about 1900)， the Nabis held meetings at a cafe near the Academie, and founding members Paul Serusier, Paul Ranson, and Maurice Denis shared a studio.
The word “prestigious” in the passage is closest in meaning to
Vocabulary Questions词汇题
Aprofitable
Bhighly regarded
Ccrazy
Dlarge
2
Artists have always needed a place to learn about materials, style, and technique; a market for their artworks; and a community of peers with whom to exchange ideas. Until the eighteenth century in Europe, these needs were met largely with the financial support and encouragement of the church, royal families, and aristocrats, and artists were typically trained in academies that set standards for all aspects of art, including appropriate subject matter and style. As these institutions weakened in the nineteenth century, artists began establishing their own colonies and associations to meet these needs. Some groups, like the Pont-Aven school, formed because artists wanted to work in a particular geographical location. Others, such as the Impressionists, prevented from exhibiting their works at prestigious galleries, were driven by economic concerns. The formation of the Nabi society in Paris was ideologically driven. Organized by disgruntled students from the Academie Julian, an art school in Paris, in 1889 (and lasting until about 1900)， the Nabis held meetings at a cafe near the Academie, and founding members Paul Serusier, Paul Ranson, and Maurice Denis shared a studio.
According to paragraph 1. before the eighteenth century. European artists were supported in all of the following ways EXCEPT
Negative Factual Information Questions否定事实信息题
Areceiving instruction from art academies
Bbeing paid for their work by members of the nobility
Creceiving funding and encouragement from the church
Dliving in art colonies with other artists
3
Artists have always needed a place to learn about materials, style, and technique; a market for their artworks; and a community of peers with whom to exchange ideas. Until the eighteenth century in Europe, these needs were met largely with the financial support and encouragement of the church, royal families, and aristocrats, and artists were typically trained in academies that set standards for all aspects of art, including appropriate subject matter and style. As these institutions weakened in the nineteenth century, artists began establishing their own colonies and associations to meet these needs. Some groups, like the Pont-Aven school, formed because artists wanted to work in a particular geographical location. Others, such as the Impressionists, prevented from exhibiting their works at prestigious galleries, were driven by economic concerns. The formation of the Nabi society in Paris was ideologically driven. Organized by disgruntled students from the Academie Julian, an art school in Paris, in 1889 (and lasting until about 1900)， the Nabis held meetings at a cafe near the Academie, and founding members Paul Serusier, Paul Ranson, and Maurice Denis shared a studio.
Paragraph 1 suggests that the Nabi society was formed primarily to
Inference Questions推理题
Abring together artists who shared the same ideas about the purposes of art
Bhelp its members sell their works of art
Cobtain the financial backing of the governing elites
Dencourage artists to live and work in the same geographic location
4
Members were united by an interest in philosophy, innovative ideas about art, and technical experimentation. Convinced of art’s potential to change attitudes and eventually society, Nabi members energetically pursued contacts with art critics, publishers, theater directors, and art dealers. Although they exhibited widely at salons and other venues, art exhibition was a minor aspect of the Nabi enterprise. The Nabis wanted to integrate art with everyday life and did not agree with traditional hierarchical (ranked) notions about the superiority of painting and sculpture to other creative endeavors. As a result, the Nabis collaborated on a wide range of projects, including theater set designs, costumes, programs and posters for Theatre de I’Oeuvre, stained-glass windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany, and limited-edition colored lithographs (prints) for art dealer Ambroise Vollard.
The word “innovative” in the passage is closest in meaning to
Vocabulary Questions词汇题
Amodern
Bpopular
Coriginal
Dspecialized
5
Members were united by an interest in philosophy, innovative ideas about art, and technical experimentation. Convinced of art’s potential to change attitudes and eventually society, Nabi members energetically pursued contacts with art critics, publishers, theater directors, and art dealers. Although they exhibited widely at salons and other venues, art exhibition was a minor aspect of the Nabi enterprise. The Nabis wanted to integrate art with everyday life and did not agree with traditional hierarchical (ranked) notions about the superiority of painting and sculpture to other creative endeavors. As a result, the Nabis collaborated on a wide range of projects, including theater set designs, costumes, programs and posters for Theatre de I’Oeuvre, stained-glass windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany, and limited-edition colored lithographs (prints) for art dealer Ambroise Vollard.
Why does the author provide the information that “the Nabis collaborated on a wide range of projects, including theater set designs, costumes, programs and posters for Theatre de I’Oeuvre, stained-glass windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany, and limited-edition colored lithographs (prints) for art dealer Ambroise Vollard”?
Rhetorical Purpose Questions修辞目的题
ATo support the claim that the Nabis exhibited widely at salons and other venues
BTo describe ways in which the Nabis’ work challenged traditional notions about art
CTo give examples of projects that helped make the Nabis well-known to the public
DTo provide evidence that the Nabis were not able to support themselves by painting and sculpture alone
6
Like some other artists at the time, the Nabis rejected academic principles of painting and favored the expression of ideas instead. Although their styles and individual beliefs varied, all sought to express an idea called the “life force”in a heartfelt manner. For them, the life force represented the unknowable yet fundamental essence of all life. The Nabis also believed in the existence of a universal sense of beauty that expressed a natural and interdependent relationship to the world, a relationship broken down by civilization and progress. According to the Nabis, this sense of beauty emerged most clearly in so-called primitive art produced by non-Western cultures as well as by Europeans up until the early fourteenth century. This art, they maintained, operated on an intuitive, spiritual level, presenting philosophical concepts in visual form. Their assumptions were based on a creative misunderstanding of artworks produced by cultures remote in time and location. In other words, the Nabis interpreted unfamiliar cultures in a manner corresponding to their needs, rather than to a desire to understand artworks in the context of the time and place in which they were produced.
As described in paragraph 3, the Nabis’ view of art includes which of the following ideas?
Factual Information Questions事实信息题
AThe best way to learn how to paint was to study the rules taught in art schools.
BCivilizing influences were preventing people from appreciating the natural beauty of the world
CIndividual artists should focus on depicting their own culture, rejecting the earlier art forms that were produced by cultures outside of Europe
DThe goal of each artist should be to express the spiritual and social progress of the time in which the artist lived.
7
Like some other artists at the time, the Nabis rejected academic principles of painting and favored the expression of ideas instead. Although their styles and individual beliefs varied, all sought to express an idea called the “life force”in a heartfelt manner. For them, the life force represented the unknowable yet fundamental essence of all life. The Nabis also believed in the existence of a universal sense of beauty that expressed a natural and interdependent relationship to the world, a relationship broken down by civilization and progress. According to the Nabis, this sense of beauty emerged most clearly in so-called primitive art produced by non-Western cultures as well as by Europeans up until the early fourteenth century. This art, they maintained, operated on an intuitive, spiritual level, presenting philosophical concepts in visual form. Their assumptions were based on a creative misunderstanding of artworks produced by cultures remote in time and location. In other words, the Nabis interpreted unfamiliar cultures in a manner corresponding to their needs, rather than to a desire to understand artworks in the context of the time and place in which they were produced.
According to paragraph 3, how did the Nabis respond to the art of other cultures?
Factual Information Questions事实信息题
AThey attempted to evaluate it using traditional standards of beauty.
BThey thought it was less intuitive and spiritual than their own art
CThey did not try to understand what it meant to the cultures that produced it.
DThey believed that it was stylistically inferior to Western art.
8
The Nabis considered themselves prophets of a new world view that would reposition humanity on the path to happiness and fulfillment; indeed, the name Nabi means “prophets”in Hebrew, a name suggested by their friend Henri Cazalis, a Hebrew scholar. The Nabis considered painter Paul Gauguin their leader(despite his residence in the South Pacific), a role he gladly assued. These young artists embraced Gauguin’s advice to distance themselves from narrative subjects and from depicting objects realistically and to concentrate instead on patterns of color, a method intended to capture more basic and essential aspects of the world. Because they reversed the usual priority of paying more attention to an artwork’s subject than its form, Nabi members considered themselves more advanced than followers of other schools of art-Naturalism, Realism, Impressionism, and Post- Impressionism-all of whom thought first about their subject. In an 1890 article in Art et Critique, Maurice Denis reminded readers that a painting resulted from a series of decisions on the part of an artist about where and how to apply paint to a flat surface. The presence of recognizable objects in the painting was merely a by-product of the artist’s decision-making process. Twenty years later artists resisted the urge to portray recognizable objects altogether, and abstract art was born.
Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
Sentence Simplification Questions句子简化题
AThe Nabis considered themselves more advanced than other schools of art, including Naturalism, Realism, Impressionism, and Post-Impressionism.
BOnly the Nabis’ most advanced members paid attention primarily to an artistic subject rather than its form.
CThe Nabis advanced beyond other schools of art because unlike the Nabis, those schools paid attention to both subject and form.
DThe Nabis considered themselves more advanced than other schools of art because the Nabis emphasized their art’s form over its subject.
9
Artists have always needed a place to learn about materials, style, and technique; a market for their artworks; and a community of peers with whom to exchange ideas. Until the eighteenth century in Europe, these needs were met largely with the financial support and encouragement of the church, royal families, and aristocrats, and artists were typically trained in academies that set standards for all aspects of art, including appropriate subject matter and style. [■] As these institutions weakened in the nineteenth century, artists began establishing their own colonies and associations to meet these needs. [■] Some groups, like the Pont-Aven school, formed because artists wanted to work in a particular geographical location. [■] Others, such as the Impressionists, prevented from exhibiting their works at prestigious galleries, were driven by economic concerns. [■] The formation of the Nabi society in Paris was ideologically driven. Organized by disgruntled students from the Academie Julian, an art school in Paris, in 1889 (and lasting until about 1900)， the Nabis held meetings at a cafe near the Academie, and founding members Paul Serusier, Paul Ranson, and Maurice Denis shared a studio.
Look at the four squaresthat indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage
They had a variety of reasons for going their separate waysInsert Text Questions句子插入题
Where would the sentence best fit？Click on a square sentence to the passage.
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In the 1890s a society of artists known as the Nabis formed in Paris.
Prose Summary Questions概要小结题
Select 3 answers
AThe Nabis benefited at first from the financial support and encouragement of the church, royal families, and aristocrats, who specified appropriate subjects and styles in newer works
BThe Nabis made contacts with various professionals in the art world and collaborated on a variety of artistic projects that could be enjoyed by the public
CThe Nabis considered themselves similar to prophets who were working to lead the public to greater fulfillment by capturing in their art the basic and fundamental essence of life.
DThe Académie Julian embraced the philosophy of the Nabi society in 1889 and expanded its focus to include nontraditional art projects
EThe Nabis were united by shared ideas about the nature and purpose of art, emphasizing the heartfelt expression of the life force and admiring the so-called primitive art of the past and of other cultures
FThe Nabis stressed the importance of narrative in art, favoring subjects that would be easily recognized and appeal to deeply held cultural knowledge and beliefs.
