Neoclassicism Flashcards
1
Q
Rise of Neoclassicism
A
- age of reason - the enlightenment
— thoughts and behaviour guided by reasoning and knowledge
— condemned the insincerity and extravagance of Baroque and Rococo art
— revival of classical culture - reasoning(philosophy), search for truth, democracy, back to nature
— Denis diderot - world first encyclopedia, scientific method of ordering knowledge - Archaeological discoveries
— attracted scholars from all over europe to italy
— fascination with classical antiquity and art - Age of Revolution and growth of nationalism
— glorifies civic virtues as well as great leaders and personages
2
Q
The Grand tour
A
- cultural tourism since the 17thcentury a rite of passage for aristocratic young men –part of their education is to learn from the great cultures of the past
- involved three or four years of travel around Europe
- an extensive sojourn in Italy, primary destination was ROME, but stayed also in other places
- new attractions from 18th century –Vesuvian cities, ancient Greek and Roman cities and colonies
3
Q
Anton von Maron - Portrait of Johann Joachim Winckelmann
A
- german art historian
- visited the excavation sites of pompeii, wrote periodic reports on the sites
4
Q
Johann Joachim Winckelmann
A
- father of classical archaeology
— drawings created to record the findings, using linearism - first to make a distinction between original greek works and roman copies
- argued for the superiority of greek art over roman art
— manifests noble simplicity - systematic study of the development of Greek art - divided into four periods
5
Q
Neoclassic style - characteristics
A
- classical themes and subject matter, referencing historical models (later also medieval sources)
- upholds values of civic virtues, e.g. heroism, self sacrifice, honesty etc
- historical accuracy based on detailed drawings of works of antiquity
- idealization to achieve perfection and universality
- formal, straightforward composition
- saturated, sober colours
- manifests austerity and severity
6
Q
Anton Raphael Mengs
A
- pioneers of Neoclassicism
- german painter
- stayed in Rome, intersted in classical and renaissance art
- called for a return to a serene, intellectual art
- published “reflections on beauty and taste in Painting” - a manifesto of neoclassicism
7
Q
Angelica Kauffman
A
- pioneers of Neoclassicism
- swiss born Austrian, trained in Italy
- student of Joshua Reynolds
- founding member of Royal academy of arts
8
Q
Anton Raphael Mengs - perseus and Andromeda
A
- theme taken from greek mythology
- Perseus, son of Zeus and Danae, killed the sea monster and saved Andromeda
- classical ideal beauty and harmony - apollo of belvedere
9
Q
Angelica Kauffman - Corenlia, mother of the Gracchi, presenting her children as her treasures
A
- roman interiors, roman costume, statue-like poses
- Corenelia - mother of two future roman political leaders, was praised as a model of virtue in roman history
10
Q
Jacques-Louis David
A
- French Neoclassicism and Age of Revolution
- consciously detached from the Rococo style of his distant relative Francois Boucher
- trained by an early neo-classicist in Paris, furthered studies in Rome
- joined national assembly, became painter of French Revolution
- arrested and imprisioned with the revolutionaries
- released and became painter of Napoleon Bonaparte
11
Q
Jacques-Louis David - self-portrait
A
- painted during french revolution
12
Q
Jacques- Louis David - oath of the Horatii between the Hands of their Father
A
- grand historical narrative - use of classical elements for the celebration of masculinity and patriotism
— Horatii brothers had to fight against the Curatii brothers of Alba, who happened to be the husband of one of their sisters and brother of one of their wives - choice between love and patriotism - background architecture in greek Doric Order - symbol of masculinity
- composition - Renaissance rationality
- stereotype of gender
— male: proud, heroic and ready to sacrifice
— female: sentimental and pathetic
13
Q
Jacques-Louis David - Lictors returning to Brutus the bodies of his sons
A
- Brutus, founder of Roman republic, ordered the execution of his two sons for treason
- women - grief, stricken, weak and emotional
- brutus - placed in a shadowy corner - self-contained and suffers his grief in silence
14
Q
Jacques- Louis David - oath in the tennis court
A
- chaotic scene treated with clarity and hierarchy - heightened emotion in the center
— french revolution broke out and the national assembly was formed in 1789, the revolutionaries met in a tennis court to draft the constitution
— declaration of the power of the 3 estates: clergy, nobility and the commons - details
— central group - trio of clerics
— drawing and modelling - excellent anatomical studies of the human body from his academic training
— idealized with strong musculature - reminiscent of the ideal heroic nude of Michelangelo
14
Q
Jacques- Louis David - oath in the tennis court
A
- chaotic scene treated with clarity and hierarchy - heightened emotion in the center
— french revolution broke out and the national assembly was formed in 1789, the revolutionaries met in a tennis court to draft the constitution
— declaration of the power of the 3 estates: clergy, nobility and the commons - details
— central group - trio of clerics
— drawing and modelling - excellent anatomical studies of the human body from his academic training
— idealized with strong musculature - reminiscent of the ideal heroic nude of Michelangelo and classical art
— human body as the principle means of narration - clothes were added to the nudes after the overall composition was completed
15
Q
Jacques-Louis David - Death of Marat
A
- friend of david, murdered by Charloette Corday
- during the reign of terror, Marat prepared long lists of rivalries to be killed brutally
- treated like a saint, a martyr of the revolution
- reference to the religious art of Caravaggio and Michelangelo
- details
— motive of the murder is written on paper
— marat was writing an instruction of benevolence
— like a tombstone, “To Marat, David year- two”
16
Q
Jacques-Louis David - Coronation of Napoleon
A
- Napoleon crowned himself and then his wife Josephine in Notre Dame Cathedral Paris
- fairly faithful reconstruction of the scene
17
Q
Jacques-Louis David - Bonaparte at Saint-Bernard pass
A
- in Grand style - follows the tradition of equestrian portrait or statue - especially for monarchs and noblemen
- majestic pose showing his leadership of the victorious troops across the Alpine pass
- idealized and romantic in mood
- historically untrue - betrayed of the values of enlightenment
- Napoleon’s name is placed with those of Charlemagne and Hannibal
18
Q
Antoine-Jean Gros
A
- french neoclassicists
- student of david
- never stayed in Rome
- soldier artist, followed the troops of Napoleon
- produced history paintings of french battles
- preferred colourism to linearism
- exerted influence on romantic painters
19
Q
Antoine-Jean Gros - Bonaparte at Arcole
A
- Napoleon was still a general - fighting against Austria in Italy
- young and energetic image - in vigorous burshwork and colour
- gros doesnt follow David’s classical style based on drawing
- romantic in mood
20
Q
Anotine-Jean Gros - Napoleon in the Plague house at Jaffa
A
- propaganda of the humanistic and quasi-divine qualities of Napoleon
— touching the sick people - bubonic plague erupted during Napoleon’s near eastern campaign, french troops stopped at Jaffa
- a shaman is trying to cure the sick turks
- reminiscent of a miracle performed by Jesus Christ
21
Q
Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres
A
- French Neoclassicists - student of david
- faithful to Neoclassicist principles, pursued a truer and purer greek style
- admired Raphael - captured highest ideal of humanity
- developed a strongly personal linear style
- linearism - believed to be ancient painting style (e.g. greek vase painting or sketches copying from pompeiian frescoes)
- condemned romanticism, though influenced by their taste for exotic culture
22
Q
jean Auguste Dominique Ingres - Apotheosis of Homer
A
- celebration of Homer and other ancient and modern personages, including artists, writers, poets, musicians, painters and philosophers
- inspired by Raphael’s frescoes in Vatican Palace
- Personification of the iliad and the Odyssey
- Raphael, Dante, Nicolas Poussin, French writers
23
Q
jean Auguste Dominique Ingres - Napoleon on the Imperial Throne
A
- rendered like an ancient Roman emperor - frontal, majestic, quasi-divine image of a world ruler
24
Q
jean Auguste Dominique Ingres - La Grande Odalisque
A
- european slave in an oriental harem
- orientalism - exploration of exotic art and lifestyle - had its boom in 19th century
- body is elongated for geometrical perfection
- raphaelesque female head - light features, soft and sweet
25
Q
jean Auguste Dominique Ingres - Turkish Bath
A
- Turkish Bath - a legacy of ancient roman bath culture
- composition with curve forms of female bodies
- viewer is peeping through a round window
- work of orientalism
26
Q
jean Auguste Dominique Ingres - Valpincon Bather
A
- an anonymous nude study
- female bodies for his composition - from his own studies, Renaissance art, newly discovered frescoes in Pompeii and Herculaneum
