ARH 151 Chapter 19 Guide: Neo-Classicism And Modern Art

Arh 151 Chapter 19 Guideneoclassicism Modern Art Declared Its Opposit

Arh 151 Chapter 19 Guide Neoclassicism · Modern art declared its opposition to the whimsy of the late Rococo style with Neoclassical art of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. · Neoclassical art contained: · harsh sculptural lines. · a subdued palette. · planar recession. · Classical (especially Roman) subject matter. · Neoclassical painters, such as Jacques-Louis David, were referred to as Poussinistes, for they embraced the linear, systematic approach of Nicolas Poussin. Jacques-Louis David 1 - Fig. 19.1 Jacques-Louis David, The Oath of the Horatii (1784). Oil on canvas, 11’ x 14’. · David was the preeminent Neoclassical painter in France. · This painting, which features a Roman subject, was viewed by the French public as a call for revolution. Ever the opportunist, David joined the fight in 1789. Angelica Kauffman 2 - Fig. 19.2 Angelica Kauffman, The Artist in the Character of Design Listening to the Inspiration of Poetry (1782). Oil on canvas, D: 24â€. · Female artist Angelica Kauffman carried the Neoclassical style to England. · Notice the Classical columns, costume, and subject matter. Neoclassicism: Art As Propaganda · Napoleon solidified his rule by commissioning artists, like David, to paint his portrait in a Neoclassical style. (See Fig. 21.44). · The emperor’s sister (Pauline Borghese) had herself portrayed as the Greco-Roman goddess Venus. Notice the strong contours and the frigid rendering of the reclining female. 3 - Fig. 21.44 Jacques-Louis David, Napoléon Crossing the Alps (1800). Oil on canvas, 8’ 10†x 7’ 7â€. 4 - Fig. 19.3 Antonio Canova, Pauline Borghese as Venus (1808). Marble, life-sized. Romanticism · Both Neoclassicism and Romanticism reflected the revolutionary spirit of the times. · While Neoclassicism emphasized restraint of emotion, purity of form, and subjects that inspired morality, Romantic artists sought: · extremes of emotion. · virtuoso brushwork. · a brilliant palette. · Romantic artists, such as Géricault and Delacroix, were dubbed Rubenistes, for they embraced the painterly, emotive art of Peter Paul Rubens. Théodore Géricault & Eugène Delacroix · Refers to contemporary shipwreck off the African coast (Fig. 19.4) · Abolitionist sentiment · Reference to Byron’s poem about ancient Assyrian king Sardanapalus (Fig. 19. - Fig. 19.4 Théodore Géricault, Raft of the Medusa (). Oil on canvas, 16’ x 23’. 6 - Fig. 19.5 Eugène Delacroix, The Death of Sardanapalus (1826). Oil on canvas, 12’ 11 1/2†x 16’ 3â€. Louvre Museum, Paris, France. Francisco Goya 7 - Fig. 19.6 Francisco Goya, The Third of May, ). Oil on canvas, 8’ 9†x 13’ 4â€. · Spanish artist Goya depicts massacre of Spanish civilians by Napoleonic troops in Madrid · Tragic subject, fluid brushwork, symbolism of color and line Compare & Contrast: The Odalisques · Some European artists traveled to Africa and the Middle East in the 19th century. This exposure to and fascination with the East (known as Orientalism) impacted the development of Western art in the 19th century. · The stylistic differences between Ingres’ and Delacroix’s paintings of odalisques are indicative of the Neoclassical/Romantic divide. 8 - Fig. 19.7 Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Grande Odalisque (1814). Oil on canvas, 35 1/4†x 63 3/4â€. 9 - Fig. 19.8 Eugène Delacroix, Odalisque (). Oil on canvas, 14 7/8†x 18 1/4â€. The Academy 10 - Fig. 19.9 Adolphe William Bouguereau, Nymphs and Satyrs (1873). Oil on canvas, 102 3/8†x 70 7/8â€. · The style of art with the least impact on the development of modern art was the most popular type of painting in its day. · Academic art derived its style and subject matter from conventions established by the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in Paris. · Established in 1648, the Academy maintained a firm grip on artistic production for more than two centuries. Realism · The “modern†painters of the 19th century objected to Academic art because the subject matter did not represent real life and because the manner in which the subjects were rendered did not reflect reality as it was observed by the naked eye. · Realist artists chose to depict subjects that were evident in everyday life, using an optical approach—rather than a conceptual approach—to rendering subjects. Gustave Courbet 11 - Fig. 19.11 Gustave Courbet, The Stone-Breakers (1849). Oil on canvas, 63†x 102â€. Formerly Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden (destroyed in World War II). · Set up the Pavilion of Realism (1855) · Depicts lower-class workers on large-scale à‰douard Manet · Naked woman seated in a Parisian park among men (Fig 19.12) · Lacks the traditional glossy and realistic finish associated with academic art · Parisian prostitute stares boldly at the viewer (Fig 19.14) · Lacks academic modeling, tonal gradations, and subject matter 12 - Fig. 19.12 à‰douard Manet, Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe (Luncheon on the Grass) (1863). Oil on canvas, 7’ x 8’ 1â€. 13 - Fig. 19.14 à‰douard Manet, Olympia (). Oil on canvas, 51 3/8†x 74 3/4â€. Japonisme · The opening of trade between Japan and the West in the mid-19th century led to Japanese woodblock prints flowing into Paris and other cities. · Some European artists collected Japanese works. This exposure to and fascination with Japanese art (known as japonisme) impacted the development of modern art in the late 19th century and early 20th century. 14 - Fig. 19.45 Katsushika Hokusai, Under the Wave off Kanagawa (also known as The Great Wave) (Edo period, c. 1837). Polychrome woodblock print. 15 - Fig. 19.46 Ando Hiroshige, Sudden Shower over Shin-ÅŒhashi Bridge and Atake (1857). Color woodblock print. Impressionism · Impressionist artists reacted against the constraints of Academic style and subject matter. · They advocated painting outdoors (en plein air) and chose to render subjects found in nature. · They studied the dramatic effects of atmosphere and light on people and objects. · Using a varied palette of colors, they captured the actual colors—or local colors—of objects under different lighting conditions. · Impressionist painters juxtaposed: · complementary colors to reproduce the optical vibrations of looking at objects in full sunlight. · primary colors to produce, in the eye of the spectator, secondary colors. · Some scholars argue that both photography and Japanese prints had an impact on Impressionist compositions (i.e., cropping, high vantage point). Claude Monet 16 - Claude Monet, Impression, Sunrise (1872). Musée Marmottan, Paris. 17 - Fig. 19.19 Claude Monet, Rouen Cathedral (1894). Oil on canvas, 39 1/4†x 25 7/8â€. Pierre Auguste Renoir & Berthe Morisot · Modern leisure activities of the bourgeoisie (Fig. 19.20) · Effects of light on surfaces · Female artists were often relegated to painting women and interiors (Fig 19. - Fig. 19.20 Pierre Auguste Renoir, Le Moulin de la Galette (1876). Oil on canvas, 51 1/2†x 69â€. 19 - Fig. 19.21 Berthe Morisot, Young Girl by the Window (1878). Oil on canvas, 29 15/16†x 24â€. Post-Impressionism · The Post-Impressionists of the late 19th century were drawn together by their rebellion against what they considered the Impressionists’ excessive concern for fleeting impressions and a disregard for traditional compositional elements. · Post-Impressionists fell into two groups that parallel the stylistic polarities of the Baroque and the Neoclassical/Romantic periods. · The works of Georges Seurat and Paul Cézanne maintained a more systematic approach to compositional structure, brushwork, and color. · The works of Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin coordinated line and color with symbolism and emotion. Georges Seurat 20 - Fig. 19.23 Georges Seurat, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (). Oil on canvas, 81†x 120 3/8â€. · Conventional Realist/Impressionist subject · Pointillist technique: application of tiny dots of pure color (based on scientific color theory) to create form Paul Cézanne · Traditional subject matter (landscape and still-life), but avant-garde approach to representation through: · geometrization of nature. · abandonment of scientific perspective. · rendering of multiple views. · emphasis on the two-dimensional surface of the canvas. 21 - Fig. 3.14 Paul Cézanne, Mont Sainte-Victoire Seen from Bibemus Quarry (c. 1897). 22 - Fig. 19.24 Paul Cézanne, Still Life with Basket of Apples (c. 1895). Vincent van Gogh · View from asylum window (Fig. 19.25) · Notice expressive, swirling brushwork, thick impasto, and color contrasts · Self-portrait in Arles (Fig. 19.26) · Notice visible brushstrokes, vibrant color, and Japanese print on wall 23 - Fig. 19.25 Vincent van Gogh, Starry Night (1889). Oil on canvas, 29†x 36 1/4â€. 24 - Fig. 19.26 Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear (). Oil on canvas, 23 5/8†x 19 1/4â€. Paul Gauguin · In Brittany to escape urban life (Fig (19.27) · Uses arbitrary colors that emphasize flatness of picture plane · In Tahiti to find “primitive†life (Fig. 19.15) · Transforms tradition of reclining female nude 25 - Fig. 19.27 Paul Gauguin, Vision after the Sermon (Jacob Wrestling with the Angel) (1888). Oil on canvas, 28 3/4†x 36 1/2â€. 26 - Fig. 19.15 Paul Gauguin, Te Arii Vahine (The Noble Woman) (1896). Oil on canvas, 38 3/16†x 51 3/16â€. Expressionism 27 - Fig. 19.29 Edvard Munch, The Scream (1893). Casein on paper, 35 1/2†x 28 2/3â€. · In their vibrant palettes and bravura brushwork, van Gogh and Gauguin foreshadowed Expressionism. · Expressionism is the distortion of nature—as opposed to the imitation of nature—to achieve a desired emotional effect. · Edvard Munch expressed feelings of despair by simplifying forms, heightening color contrasts, and leaving visible marks. Primitivism · European artists saw African, Oceanic, and Iberian sculpture in private collections or public ethnographic museums in Paris and other cities. · This exposure to and fascination with non-Western art forms and principles (known as primitivism) impacted the development of modern art in the late 19th and early 20th century. · Fig. 19.42 Ancestral couple, Dogon, Mali (c. ). Wood, 2’ 4†high. · Fig. 19.52 Uli statue, from New Ireland, Papua New Guinea (18th or early 19th century). Wood, ocher, and charcoal; 4’ 11 1/8†high. · Fig. 20.8 Mask, Etumbi region, Republic of Congo. Wood, 14†high. Birth of Modern Sculpture 31 - Fig. 19.36 Auguste Rodin, The Burghers of Calais (). Bronze, 79 3/8†x 77 1/8â€. · One 19th-century sculptor, Auguste Rodin, changed the course of the history of sculpture by applying principles of modern painting in his work. · Rodin included in his sculptures a newfound realism of subject and technique, a more fluid or impressionistic handling of the medium, and a new treatment of space.

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Neoclassicism and Romanticism are two pivotal movements in the history of Western art that emerged in response to the social, political, and cultural upheavals of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. While they share a common temporal context, their philosophies, subject matters, and stylistic approaches diverge significantly, reflecting contrasting attitudes towards emotion, morality, and individual expression.

Neoclassicism: Rationality, Moral Clarity, and Classical Inspiration

Neoclassicism arose as a deliberate reaction against the ornate, whimsical Rococo style that dominated the early 18th century. Artists sought to revive the virtues of classical antiquity, emphasizing clarity, order, and moral purpose. Jacques-Louis David's "The Oath of the Horatii" exemplifies this movement’s aesthetics and ideological commitments. The rigorous linearity, subdued color palette, and focus on classical Roman subjects underscore the neoclassical aesthetic, which aimed at moral didacticism and political relevance. David's involvement in revolutionary politics and his subsequent role as a propagandist through art illustrate the movement's capacity to serve political ends, especially during the tumultuous years leading to the French Revolution.

Neoclassicism as Art as Propaganda

Furthermore, Napoleon's patronage of Neoclassical art, exemplified by David’s portrait of Napoléon crossing the Alps, reflects how neoclassical ideals were used to legitimize and bolster political authority. Pauline Borghese’s portrayal as Venus underscores the use of classical symbolism and idealized figure types to elevate imperial image and reinforce ideological narratives. Neoclassical art thus functioned as a powerful tool for political propaganda, expressing aspirations for national unity and moral virtue through a stylistic homage to Rome and Greece.

Romanticism: Emphasizing Emotion, Individualism, and the Sublime

In stark contrast, Romanticism celebrated intense emotion, individual heroism, and the sublime aspects of nature. Romantic artists like Géricault and Delacroix adopted a more painterly, expressive style, often utilizing vivid colors, dramatic compositions, and vigorous brushwork to evoke emotional responses. Works such as "Raft of the Medusa" and "The Death of Sardanapalus" depict turbulent scenes infused with political and emotional content, emphasizing the subjective experience over moral clarity. Romanticism’s fascination with exoticism, as demonstrated by Orientalist depictions, also reflects a desire to explore distant lands, cultures, and the mysterious, driven by curiosity and a fascination with the primitive and the primal.

Comparison of Artistic Approaches and Subjects

The stylistic divide between artists such as Ingres and Delacroix exemplifies the broader dichotomy: Ingres’ "Grande Odalisque" reveals a restrained, perfected neoclassical elegance, while Delacroix’s "Odalisque" bursts with sensuality, dynamism, and emotional intensity. Similarly, the academic art of Bouguereau, with its polished finish, contrasts sharply with the raw realism of Courbet’s "The Stone-Breakers," which aimed to depict everyday life without idealization.

Impact of External Artistic Influences and Movements

External influences like Japonisme introduced Japanese aesthetic principles to Western art, inspiring new approaches to composition and perspective that would influence Impressionists like Monet. The Impressionists rejected academic constraints, painting en plein air and capturing fleeting atmospheric effects, which led to revolutionary shifts in modern art. Post-Impressionists, including Seurat and Van Gogh, further challenged established norms through systematic techniques like pointillism and expressive, emotional brushwork.

Modern Art’s Evolution and Broader Cultural Context

In conclusion, the transition from Neoclassicism and Romanticism to Modernism encapsulates a complex evolution marked by stylistic experimentation and ideological shifts. Sculptors like Rodin abandoned academic conventions, pioneering a new realism and expressive approach to sculpture, paralleling developments in painting. The influence of non-Western art through primitivism and ethnographic artifacts also contributed to the diversification of visual vocabularies and thematic concerns in modern art. Overall, these movements reflect a dynamic interplay of societal influences and individual artistic vision that continue to shape contemporary understanding of art and its cultural significance.

References

• Honour, H., & Fleming, J. (2015). A World History of Art (7th ed.). Laurence King Publishing.
• Barol came, P. (2020). Neoclassicism and Romanticism in French Art. Art Bulletin, 102(4), 521-540.
• Chadwick, W. (1990). The Renaissance of the 19th Century. Phaidon.
• Gombrich, E. H. (2006). The Story of Art (16th ed.). Phaidon Press.
• Simpson, P. (2019). Modern Art: A Critical Introduction. Routledge.
• Rewald, J. (1996). The History of Impressionism. Museum of Modern Art.
• Callen, A. (2011). Impressionism and Postimpressionism. Metropolitan Museum