Baroque - French Flashcards
1
Q
French Baroque - background and characteristics
A
- learnt from classical, Italian Renaissance and Baroque art
- dominated by Classicism - history and mythology subjects
- classical landscape further developed
- catholic country - some painters work on religious themes
- 2nd half - founding of French Academy - art became propaganda tool of Louis XIV and his court
2
Q
Nicolas Poussin
A
- French Baroque painters in Italy
- most of the time in Rome, worked for Barberini family and noble clients
- emblematic figure of Classicism, an art theorist
- theory - after learning from nature/reality, painter should use reasoning to idealize the composition to create perfection
- style - disciplined and rational
- huge influence on Neoclassicism in 18 and 19th centuries
3
Q
Nicolas Poussin - Self- Protrait
A
- presented himself as a scholar holding his book on art theory “A treatise on painting”
- image of a muse appears in one of his paintings behind him
4
Q
Poussin’s notes for A Treatise on painting
A
- Essential ingredients of painting in the Grand Manner
— subject or theme - grandiose, e.g. bottles, heroic, actions, religious themes etc
— concepts or thought - universal and eternal moral values, e.g. heroism, courage, sacrifice, divine love etc
— structure - rationally controlled and calculated
— style - idealized, grave and restrained in emotion - Influenced Academic Classicism
5
Q
Nicolas Poussin - Death of Germanicus
A
- Ancient Roman General posioned by his father-in-law out of jealousy
- Men of virtue faced death with equanimity
- Values of loyality, righteousness, fraternity
- Rationally structure composition
- Contrast between the stoic attitudes of the soldiers and the weak mourning women and children
6
Q
Nicolas Poussin - Burial of Phocion
A
- An idealised classical landscape used to express noble values and powerful emotions
- Nature - subordinated to the ideal/rational plan of the artist
- Athenian general was unjustly put to death for treason
7
Q
Claude Lorraine
A
- French Baroque painters in Italy
- rival of Poussin
- Created mainly landscape painting, biblical and mythological subjects are subordinate, if any
- idealized atmospheric landscapes suggestive of the countryside of Rome
- transformed Poussin’s rational and structured nature into a continuity of light and space with softer tones extending into infinity
8
Q
Claude Lorraine - Landscape with the Marriage of Isaac & Rebecca
A
- idyllic pastoral scene with a rationally composed landscape moulded by colour
- brightest part on the horizon -> infinite space
- modified Da Vinci’s aerial perspective into a colour perspective (brightest spot above vanishing point)
9
Q
William Turner - Monochrome background drawing of the landscape with the marriage of issac andrebecca
A
- admirer of Claude Lorraine -> draw teh same pic but with one main colour
10
Q
Claude Lorraine - A seaport at sunrise
A
- colour perspective applied to a seascape
- rising sun - atmospheric, romantic
- arch of titus, rome
11
Q
Georges da La Tour
A
- french baroque painters
- learned about Caravaggio from Dutch Utrecht school
12
Q
Louis La Nain
A
- against the main current of classicism
- influenced by Dutch painting
- principle subjects - peasants, dignity of people who worked the soil
13
Q
Georges de la Tour - Magdalene with the Smoking Flame
A
- candlelight painting
- moment of conversion of Magdalene
- theme of “vanity/vanitas” in baroque painting with a number of memento mori
- beauty, skull, candle, mirror and jewels are memento mori
14
Q
Georges de La Tour - The cheat with the ace of diamonds
A
- religious theme: The Prodigal Son
- Card/dice game - Caravaggesque theme (realism: current affair, aims to teach a moral lesson) (3 vs 1 set up)
15
Q
Louis Le Nain - Family of Peasants
A
- grave dignity, hardship of their life made them stoic
- anticipates French Realism
