Neoclassism

What is the Neoclassical art Movement?

- Is a serve and unemotional form of art harkening back to the ancient Greece
and Rome
-Its rigidity came from the overbred Rococo style
-Desired to rekindle the forms of classical art from Greek and Rome
-Principles were to keep European Age of Enlightenment
-Partly stimulated by the discovery of Roman ruins at Herculaneum and
Pompeii

Neoclassical painters
-Anton Raphael Mengs (1728-1779)
-Jacques-Louis David (1748-1807)
J>A>D Ingres (1780-1867)

Characteristics
-Neoclassical artworks were serious, unemotional and sternly heroic
-Neoclassical painters depicted subjects from classical literature
-They used earlier Greek art and Roman art using somber colours, occasional
brilliant highlights
 Neoclassism
Neoclassism emerged in mid-18th century as a reaction against the Rococo and
Baroque period , Drew inspiration from classical art from Greece and Rome

Classical influence: Was influenced by the art, architecture, and philosophy of

ancient Greece and Rome

Rationality and order: Emphasized rationality, logic and order. Rejected frivolity
and emotionalism of Rococo, Neoclassism is characterized by geometric
shapes, symmetry, strict adherence to classical principles of design

Morality and virtue: Conveyed moral and didactic messages promoting,

courage, patriotism and self-sacrifice, elevate viewers morals through noble and
heroic subjects

Simplicity and Restraint: Characterized by sense of simplicity, restraint and

austerity

Historical Revival: Revived interest in classical history, literature and mythology,

historical events and heroic legends

Political and social context: :Flourished during a period of political upheaval and
social change particularly in Europe, used as propaganda

Cross disciplinary influence - Impacted architecture, literature, music and

philosophy
 Neoclassism
Time period: 18th century, reaction against Baroque

Characteristics
Emphasis on rationality, order and symmetry
Inspiration drawn from classical antiquity
Clear, precise lines and forms
Subject matter was historical or mythological with moral themes

Artists
Jacques-Louis David: Known for “The death of Socrates”

In this landmark of neoclassical painting from just before the French

Revolution, David took up a classical story of resisting unjust authority in a
sparse, friezelike composition. The Greek philosopher Socrates (469–399 BCE)
was convicted of impiety by the Athenian courts; rather than renounce his
beliefs, he died willingly, expounding on the immortality of the soul before
drinking poisonous hemlock. Through a network of gestures and expressions,
David’s figures act out the last moments of Socrates’s life. He is about to
grasp the cup of hemlock, offered by a disciple who cannot bear to witness
the event. David consulted antiquarian scholars to create an
archeologically exacting image, including details of furniture and clothing.
His inclusion of Plato at the foot of the bed, however, deliberately
references not someone present at Socrates’s death but rather the author

Jean-Auguste Dominique: Known for “The Grande Odalisque”

In La Grande Odalisque, the concubine is lying on a divan in a suggestive

pose with her face turned towards us. Her arm guides our eye to the
luxurious silk drapes, while her right foot and left elbow highlight the
sumptuous velvet cushions. The cold aquamarine of the silk drape with its
decoration of red flowers intensifies the warmth of the her flesh tones
 Romanticism
Directly contrasting to Neoclassical movement
Artistic intellectual movement originating in the late 1700s in Europe
Heightened interested in nature, emphasis on individuals expression of emotion
and imagination, departure from attitudes and forms classicism, rebellion
against established social rules and conventions
A lot emotion was put into these artworks
No movement captured more drama and storytelling power
Artists interest depicted raw, powerful emotional experience

Originated in Germany, motivated largely by sense of Weltschmerz - feeling of

isolation

Characteristics
Heroic element combined with revolutionary idealism produce emotive
romantic style, emerged in the French revolution as a reaction against
restrained academic art

Tenets include: Return to nature, emphasis on spontaneous plain-air painting,

belief in goodness of humanity , promotion of justice, strong belief in sense and
emotion
Tended to express an emotional personal response to life

Artists - Henry Fuseli, Francisco Goya, Caspar David Friedrich, JMW turner

Romantic art didn't displace Neoclassical, but served as a counterbalance

 Romanticism
Artistic , literary and intellectual movement that emerged in the late 18th
century in Europe reached its peak in the 19th century, Reaction against
rationalism, order of the enlightenment era, emphasizing emotion, imagination,
individualism and beauty of nature

Emotion over reason: Prioritized emotions over rationality and logic, sought to
evoke deep emotions from their audience exploring themes of love, longing
melancholy and nostalgia

Individualism: Celebrate unique experiences, perspectives and feelings,

portrayed the inner world of their characters

Imagination: Valued power of imagination in means of moving past reality and

accessing deeper truths. blurring lines between reality and fantasy

Nature and the Sublime: Nature was a source

of inspiration, beauty and spiritual renewal,
They often depicted awe-inspiring
landscapes emphasizing sublime
(overwhelmed by grandeur or nature

Rejection of industrialization: Romantics critiqued the negative effects of

modernization, wanted to return to the simpler way of living.

Spiritual and mystical themes: Often depicted mythology, folklore and the
supernatural

Revolutionary spirit: Characterized by spiritual of revolution and rebellion

against norms, challenged societal conventions

Romantic love: Love was idealized as a force that could transcend barriers and
change lives, Romantic love portrayed as passionate and intense
 Romanticism
Time period: Late 18th century - mid 19th century
Characteristics
Celebration of emotion, imagination, individualism
Nature, the supernatural, the exotic
Sublime and picturesque
Emphasis on individuals experience over reason

Artists
William Wordsworth: Ode: intimations over immortality

Eugene Delacroix: Liberty leading the people

The heroic scene of rebellion was initially received with mixed reviews, but it
became one of Delacroix’s most popular paintings, an emblem of the July
Revolution and of justified revolt.
 Realism
What is the Realism Movement?
- The realism art movement in painting began in France in 1850s, after the 1848
Revolution
- These painters rejected Romanticism, which dominated French literature and
art rooted in the late 18th century
-Realism was recognized as the first modern art movement, rejected traditional
forms of art, literature and social organization
-

Realism revolutionized painting, expanding conception of constituted art

- Realist painters replaced idealistic images and literary concepts of
traditional art with real life events, giving normal society similar weight to
grand history paintings
-Bring everyday life to paintings was an early manifestation of the avant-
garde desire to merge art and life their rejection of the twentieth
century definition and redefinition of modernism
 Realism
The movement emerged in the mid 19th century, reaction against Romanticism
idealized portrayals of life and society, Realism depict the everyday lives of
ordinary people, focusing on social inequality, urbanization and harsh realities
of life

Context : Emerged in Europe(France) response to social and political upheavals

brought about by industrialization, urbanization, and rise of capitalism

Representation of reality : Artist and writers of this aimed to depict life as it

truly was without romanticizing and idealizing, they focused on ordinary
people, working class, everyday struggles, portraying them in a realistic
unembellished manner

Themes : tackled social issues - poverty, inequality, class tension and effects of
industrialization, complexities of human relationships, morality and human
condition

Techniques : precise and accurate representation, attention to detail,

chiaroscuro. Realist writers used straightforward language as well as omniscient
narration

Key figures : Gustave Gourbet, Honore Daumier and Jean-Francois Millet

Impact : layed the groundwork for Naturalism and Social realism challenged
traditional artistic conventions honest and critical examination of society and
human experience
 Realism
Time period: Mid 19th century
Characteristics
Depiction of everyday life
Depicting reality as it was, focus on social issues
Rejection of idealization and romantic notions
Detailed

Artists
Gustave Courbet: The stone breakers

Courbet wants to show what is “real,” and so he has depicted a man that
seems too old and a boy that seems still too young for such back-breaking
labor. This is not meant to be heroic: it is meant to be an accurate account
of the abuse and deprivation that was a common feature of mid-century
French rural life. And as with so many great works of art, there is a close
affiliation between the narrative and the formal choices made by the
painter, meaning elements such as brushwork, composition, line, and color.

Honoré de Balzac: novelist depicted French society realistically