The French Revolution (1789-1799) was
known as a period in France where there was radical social and political
upheaval due to the inequities of the state. The Revolution had a lasting
impact on the French society and as a result there was epic transformation in
society and even in their pervasive artistic style (Wikipedia 2013). Before the
Revolution there was a standard ideology of art that produced the Baroque and
Rococo styles. The Baroque style used exaggerated motion to produce drama,
tension and exuberance while the Rococo style depicted elaborate ornamentation
and the power of aristocracy. When the Revolution came on scene, there was an
increased sense of freedom of expression and individuality that resulted in
Neoclassical and Romantic style of art (University of Berkeley, 2013). This essay seeks to show how the Revolution
influenced and helped to create the Neoclassical and Romantic style of art.
As
a result of the French Revolution
people rejected the
Baroque and Rococo style that represented the power of aristocracy. Neoclassical and Romantic styles
of art were now a new way for institution and individuals to convey their
messages and mirror society.
Neoclassicism was a style that could convey serious moral ideas such as
justice, honor and patriotism, that is, highlighting the virtues of the Roman civilization
(Cullen, 2000). Examples of Neoclassical paintings are the pivotal works of
Jaques-Louis David, Death of Marat which was a revolutionary
call to arms and the Oath of the Horatii
which was commissioned by the King in order to remind Frenchmen of their duty
to the crown.
Romanticism was more about wildness and
expression rather than control used in the Neoclassical style of art, an
example of this type of art is the Raft of the Medusa (1819,
Louvre) by Theodore Gericault who was an important pioneer of the Romantic art
movement in France. His painting the Raft of Medusa depicted “three-dimensionality
of the figures, allied to the meticulous arrangement of the raft, with its
symbolic hopelessness. This symbolic portrayal of a shipwreck (of popular
political aspirations) gives the painting the same drama that marked the works
of Baroque Old Masters like Rubens and Velazquez” (Encyclopedia of Art, 2013).
One painting from both the Neoclassical
period as well the Romantic was the Envoys
of Agamemnon by Ingres (1801).
Though Ingres in his painting is firmly committed to Neoclassical
values, his painting still reflects the Romantic spirit of the times, in fact
it has been stated that many neoclassical painters embodied the Romantic spirit
in their paintings (Wikipedia, 2013).
In
conclusion the French Revolution paved the way for the Romantic style of art
that reflected the thought of Victor Hugo who stated "liberalism in
literature," meaning especially the freeing of the artist and writer from
restrains and rules (Encyclopedia
of Art, 2013).. In
addition it permitted the further evolution of Neoclassicism which sought to
reflect the high moral values of the Roman civilization. Both the Neoclassical and
Romantic style of art celebrated the individual and freedom.
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