4 . Landscape paintings of the 19th century displayed in London’s Tate Britain museum looked rather familiar to Anna Lea Albright, a climate researcher. Artist William Turner’s unique way of painting objects in foggy weather let Albright recall her early research on air pollution.
“I started wondering if there was a connection,” says Albright, who visited the museum on a day off from work. Turner — an English Romantic painter — was painting as increasing industrial plants earned London the name “The Big Smoke”. Turner’s early works were done with sharp details while later works had a dreamier aesthetic (美感).
To figure out to what extent Impressionists were reflecting the environmental conditions of that time, Albright partnered with climatologist Peter Huybers. They analyzed the contrast of 60 works created by Turner from 1796 to 1850 and 38 paintings by Monet between 1864 and 1901. It turned out that as the release of sulfur dioxide (二氧化硫) increased over time, the amount of contrast in both Turner’s and Monet’s paintings decreased. However, works set in Paris by Monet between 1864 and 1872 showed relatively higher contrast compared with Turner’s London-based works created 20 years earlier. This, Albright and Huybers say, can be due to the much slower start of the Industrial Revolution in France.
The researchers also analyzed the paintings’ visibility, or the distance at which an object can be clearly seen. Before 1830, the visibility in Turner’s paintings averaged about 25 kilometers while paintings after 1830 had the average visibility of about 10 kilometers. To strengthen their argument, the researchers also analyzed 18 paintings from four other London-and Paris-based Impressionists. Again, as outdoor air pollution increased, the contrast and visibility in the paintings decreased.
The researchers calculate that air pollution can explain about 61 percent of contrast differences between the paintings. In that respect, “different painters will paint in a similar way when the environment is similar,” Albright says. “But I don’t want to overstep the line and say: Oh, we can explain all of Impressionism.”
1. Why is Albright’s visit to a museum mentioned?
| A．To connect art with research. | B．To introduce previous foggy weather. |
| C．To show impacts of Turner’s painting. | D．To explain inspiration for her new study. |
2. What might lead to lower contrast in Turner’s paintings according to the research?
| A．His personal habits. | B．His drawing techniques. |
| C．The higher level of industrialization. | D．The influence of Impressionists. |
3. What does the paintings’ visibility mainly indicate?
| A．Painting styles vary with time and regions. | B．Air pollution needs to be controlled. |
| C．Lower visibility is more popular in works. | D．Changes in it may relate to air quality. |
4. Which word can best describe Albright’s attitude towards the findings?
| A．Objective. | B．Optimistic. | C．Enthusiastic. | D．Doubtful. |
