18th Century Art

Chapter 26

18th Century Art Periods

1. Rococo – characterized by pastel colors, delicately curving forms, dainty figures, and a light-hearted mood.

2. Neoclassicism – arose in reaction to Rococo, with a resurgence of classical influence, served as important way to convey Enlightenment ideas.

3. Romanticism – reaction against Enlightenment. Applauds imagination, emotions, individuality, and subjectivity.

Enlightenment

• “was a cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th-century Europe, that sought to mobilize the power of reason, in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted science and intellectual interchange and opposed superstition, intolerance and abuses in church and state.”

Rococo

• Pastel colors• Curving forms• Dainty figures• Lighthearted moods• Began in French architectural decoration

around 1715.

Rococo Painters

1. Jean-Antoine Watteau2. François Boucher3. Jean-Siméon Chardin4. Jean-Honoré Fragonard

Jean-Antoine Watteau• Epitomizes French Rococo

style• Pilgrimage to the Island of Cythera, 1717• Oil on canvas• Verdant landscape• Lavishly dressed couples with putti.• Mythical island oflove.

• The Signboard of Gersaint, 1721. A sign for an art dealer’s shop. Sold 15 days after installation, later cut in two. Re-united in 20th century.

• Depicts salon-style gallery, which were lavish settings for intimate and intellectual gatherings hosted by educated women of the upper class.

• Portrait of King Louis XIV is put in a case, possibly for passage of time. (died 1715)

François Boucher

• Diana Resting after Her Bath, 1742, Oil on canvas• Boucher most known for painting mythological

scenes.• Soft greens, blues, whites, and pinks of forestry

and tapestry contrast against the golden aura of the nude figures.

The Governess, 1739, oil on canvas.

Moral uplifting genre scenesLimited to still lifes and quiet domestic scenesSmall scale, meticulousSubtle difference in texture and shape

Jean-Siméon Chardin

• “the graciousness, sweetness, and restraint that the governess maintains in her discipline of the young man about his dirtiness, disorder, and neglect; his attention, shame, and remorse; all are expressed with great simplicity.” -contemporary critic

Jean-Honoré Fragonard

• Studied in the studio first with Chardin, then with Boucher.

• Won the Prix de Rome (1752)- a scholarship awarded to top students from French Academy of Art.

• The Meeting, 1771-73• Oil on canvas• One of 14 commissioned

paintings by Madame de Barry, one of Louis XV mistresses.

• Series depicts the vision of lovers, spontaneous and free

• Rapid brushwork, imaginative landscape, and elegant/aristocratic garb

• Madame du Barry rejected the paintings emerging neoclassical style.

• The Swing• 1767

Neoclassicism vs Romanticism

Neoclassicism

• Rome– Anton Raphael Mengs– Antonio Canova– Cardinal Alessandro Albani – leading sponsor of

neoclassical artwork. Built villa outside Rome to house all work.

Anton Raphael Mengs

Parnassus, ceiling Fresco in Albani villa, 1761.

Antonio Canova• Cupid and Psyche, 1787-93,

marble• Most sought after neoclassical

sculptor in Rome.• Specialized in:

– 1. Public monuments– 2. Erotic Mythological scenes

Cupid, Venus’s son, falls in love with Psyche, a mortal. Venus casts Psyche into a sleep from jealousy, Cupid awakens her with a kiss. Jupiter gives Psyche immortality.

Neoclassicism in Britain

• William Hogarth• Joshua Reynolds • Thomas Gainsborough• Angelica Kauffman

William Hogarth• The Marriage Contract

• oil on canvas• Art should improve

society• Combined style of

Dutch Genre painting and Rococo style.

• Young couple to be married sit on left, unloving.

• Lawyer attempts to woo wife

• Father’s arrange marriage for monetary benefit.

• Despised “portraiture” – thought was vain

Joshua Reynolds• Lady Sarah Bunbury

Sacrificing to the Graces• 1765, oil on canvas• Classical

tradition/influence = GRAND MANNER PORTAITURE

• Contrapposto

Thomas Gainborough• Portrait of Mrs. Richard Brinsley

Sheridan• Oil on canvas, 1785-87• Professional singer• Tree frames head, feathered

brushwork, Rococo palette• Echoes new Enlightenment idea:

emphasis on nature being source of goodness and beauty.

Angelica Kauffman• Cornelia Pointing to Her

Children as Her Treasures• 1785, oil on canvas• “history painting”• One of two women artists

named in founding the Royal Academy

• “good mother” popular 18th century theme

Neoclassicism in France

• Jacques Louis David

Jacques-Louis David• Leading French

Neoclassical painting• Won Prix de Rome in

1774• Oath of the Horatii• 1784-85, oil on canvas• Enlightenment belief:

– art = improve society

• Three son of Horace, pledging oath to State.

• Men=loyal to state• Female=loyal to family

ties

• Death of Marat• Marat was a Jacobin,

supported the Reign of Terror in Paris during FRevo

• Partly responsible for 1792 riots

• Combined Neoclassical style with Caravaggesque naturalism

Talk A Mile A Minute

• Partner up!

Each winning group receives one extra credit point

Oath of the HoratiiAngelica Kauffmann

NeoclassicalRococo

painterlygrand manner portraiture

Death of MaratAntonio Canova