Neoclassical And Romantic Styles Of Art

Arguably the most successful portrait of the military powerhouse, Napoleon Crossing the Alps by Jacques-Louis David is nothing short of political propaganda. Completed in January of 1801, this oil on canvas painting depicts Napoleon as he leads his troops across the Alps in May of 1800, which lead to the defeat of the Austrians at the Battle of Marengo in June of the same year. The portrait, commissioned by the King of Spain, was to hang in the Royal Palace along with paintings of other military leaders. It is an equestrian portrait of the future Emperor of France. Though the painting depicts Napoleon leading his troops through the alps, he actually followed his troops a few days later. Nonetheless, the painting captures Napoleon’s great achievement

Romanticism was a noteworthy global development that was compelling in forming present-day perspectives of artistry, writing, and music. Be that as it may, it came later in a few nations, for example, Italy, Spain, and the United States. It happened first in craftsmanship and writing and later in music. To a limited extent, sentimentalism was a response to the creative styles of traditional vestige. These styles had been resuscitated in the 1600's and 1700's as neoclassicism. Neoclassicists set remarkable significance on the force of reason as a method for finding truth. That is the reason the neoclassical period is frequently called the Age of Reason (Wheatley, K.).

Discuss the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment along with the subsequent reaction as embodied by the Romantic movement. Give specific examples of how these movements affected the arts. What was their eventual impact on the western intellectual world.

French Romanticism developed relatively late because of Neoclassicism being rooted in French art and especially in the society’s structure. Eugène Delacroix’s painting Liberty Leading the People depicts the July Revolution of 1830. Parisian coup d'état resulted in Charles X dethroning and replacement with Louis-Phillipe, the “citizen-king.” Although the painting is historical, it is full of contrasting human emotion, a fundamental characteristic of French Romanticism. In the foreground despair is represented by human death of both sides of the battle. In the central figure, Liberty, an allegorical symbol of freedom, shows grand heroism. Delacroix’s use of brilliant and shocking primary colors opposes classicism’s use of color as subordinate and of subtle modulation. The Death of Sardanapalus by Eugène

In the late 19th century every artist had a desire to be considered as a serious diplomatic artist, also to be recognised, respected and well-known. However, an individual needed to commit to the studies of idealised figures and landscapes. Beyond question, for some artist academic art was considered as a rubbish and they

Introduction The Romantic Era was a creatively knowledgeable movement that started near the conclusion of the eighteenth century. The movement resided in Europe and was sparked by various philosophies of subjective and radical liberty. Inspired by the “real world,” many artists input their thoughts and opinions through literature with hopes of witnessing a change in their society. In order to produce a resolution that was greater than the actions of their society, they would have to speak upon the misconducts.

Jacques Louis David excellently portrays Napoleon in a painting titled Napoleon Crossing the Alps. A golden cape wraps around a prestigious man headed into battle. His expressionless face displays the determination to retake the seized territory. Napoleon is situated on an exquisite white horse perched on its hind legs as if about to charge. The darkness of the background emphasizes the dire situation at hand, but the brightness of Napoleon and his steed depict the victory that is soon to approach. This painting by Jacques Louis David displays the hero character commonly found through history.

They rejected the rationalism and rules-driven orderliness that characterized the Neoclassical style of the Enlightenment. Like Baroque artists, Romantic artists hoped to inspire an emotional response in those who viewed their art; but instead of seeking to inspire faith as their predecessors had, most sought to evoke a nostalgic yearning for rural, pastoral life, the stirrings of life’s mysteries, and a sense of the power and grandeur of nature. Art of this period also depicted the romantic ideal of nationalism, but for reasons of length, we will focus on landscapes in this post.

David’s privileged personal relationship with Napoleon as ‘premier pientre’ of his reign, as well as the extraordinary price he expected for his work, were strong influences on how he represented Napoleon, feeling it was an artist’s duty to present an idealisation of his subject. David's ‘Bonaparte Crossing the Alps’ represents Napoleon as a determined military figure. Napoleon was so taken with this image of himself he ordered replicas to be disseminated throughout Europe. The painting, set in a mountainous landscape, entrenched with pathetic fallacy of a stormy sky and winds, includes a contrast in scale between the General and his men, as well as the natural scene. The centrality of the rearing horse was part of Napoleon’s military vision. This vision, removed Napoleon from specific facts of the event. His Memoirs describe following his armies on a simple mule, and sliding on a sledge. David endeavours to depict Napoleon’s charismatic ideology, by portraying him pointing to the battlegrounds and summoning his followers. The official portrait is, as napoleon wanted, an appeal to chivalry and historical romance, the embodiment of the Romantic Revolutionary

For the duration of French history, those in high positions of power have endeavored to create and control culture in their personal interest. Countless rulers comprehended that the portrayal of power, in contemporary conditions what would be described as an image, is an embodiment of authority in itself. Cleverly, artists, artisans and intellectuals were employed as patrons on behalf of the ruling forms of government, manufacturing pieces that declared the validity of their power, fortified their supremacy, and intensified their stature. Often, the artistic urges of the artists behind the pieces were suppressed, conflicting personal impulse with the goals of ruling government. The correlation between power and politics, and thus the French cultured yielded through such a calculated relationship, is tainted by the very progenitors of the culture itself. The so-called achievements of French history are exacted as much by dissension and censorship as much as they are exacted by collaboration and patronage.

Neoclassical art in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries emerged from both a movement away from the ‘frivolous’ style of Rococo art that came before it, and also the impact of the unprecedented archaeological discoveries of antiquity during this period. Artists drew on the themes of antiquity in order to develop a timeless mode of expression. They did not aim to simply imitate the art of the antiquity but rather strove to create a ‘pure’ or ‘ideal’ form of art inspired by the moral concepts of ancient times, as reflected in their material and stylistic elements. This aim reveals less about the cultures of the Greek and Romans, who Neoclassical artists drew inspiration from, but rather conveys more about the artist and their audience’s historical context. Ultimately, the values of Neoclassicism, which was not only present as an artistic style but also permeated throughout all aspects of society, aimed for a sense of validation of the present in an age of expansion and change through the imitation of the past. This is evident in the sculpture Narcissus (1829) by English artist John Gibson and French artist Jacques Louis David’s painting The Death of Socrates (1787), which, despite obvious differences in material and historical context, both exhibit Neoclassical qualities that strive towards a validation of the dynamic, shaping events of their respective periods.

My first choice of French painter, Jacques-Louis David’s work is Napoleon Crossing the Alps. As important as the Church of the Savor on Blood was and still is important to Russia, Jacques-Louis David was important to revolutionary France. He lived in a very turbulent time in France’s history. He was a passionate supporter of French Revolution and the idea of overthrowing the monarchy. As a French revolution came closer to reality, David turned away from a typical classical subject that he was trained to paint and turned his brushes and an imagination towards depicting political events that were surrounding him and France. One of the most iconic historical paintings has become Napoleon Crossing the Alps. The work is neo-classical, because

This artistic style was a central movement encountered in European art and architecture in the period, the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Neoclassical painters showed invaluable importance to depicting costumes, settings, and details of their classical subject matter with exceptional historical accuracy. A research reveals that this art was a revived interest in classical forms and ideas that filled the European and American intellectual thought. The painters illustrated the incident found in the pages of Homer, but the question of creativity in portraying a modern hero or famous person through contemporary or a classical dress came up. There lacked a perfect solution to this issue as it is evident from portraits of legends wearing the then fashionable antique garb.

The Neoclassical era was known as “The Age of Reason” or “The Enlightenment”. This era started in the mid 1700’s. The neoclassical era was part of the Greek and Roman history.

After the classical period the structure of society was a mess. After the trojan war the Medieval period was the one to bring in the more civilized society. Having a more civilized structure brought in new ideas and a more structured government. The base of the Medieval period was Italian scholars and academics on the base of academics was only making slow progress across the world. The most horrific event of the Medieval period would be the Dark Ages. In the article Dark Ages the author states, “Dark Ages,;the early medieval period of western European history. Specifically, the term refers to the time when there was no Roman or Holy Roman emperor in the West... disappearance of urban life” (Britannica 1). Dark Ages could affect the poetry by making the poetry very dark because there was no established government or established religion until after the Dark Ages. There were many defining characteristics of the medieval period the biggest one of the characteristics were; the building of the Feudalism and Manorial system of Government. . After the classical period there was not actual government but the the medieval period brought in the start of feudalism and manorial. In the article, The Medieval Period: Some Important Points by Rich Larson, for Larson states, “ This was also the time of feudalism and the manorial system. Kings and lords granted their vassals land (called fiefs) in order to secure service and a form of respect called homage” (Larson 1).