Neoclassicism and Romanticism

~riette Sat, Aug 8, 1998 (05:53) seed

Around the middle of the 18th century artists started to reject Rococo and Baroque styles. They wanted a style that could convey serious moral ideas such as justice and honour. They wanted to re-create the simpler style of art of classical Greece and Rome. While some succeded, the movement suffered from a certain lack of energy and commitment, and was therefore overtaken by Romanticism when it began in the same era. Romanticism was an approach that had to do with the modern rather than the antique, wild and expressive rather than controlled. Romantic artists abandoned the fixed laws relating to beauty and the proprieties of subject matter. It was a creative outlook, a way of life. A vast gulf existed between these two outlooks, but in the end Romanticism emerged as the dominant artistic movement of the first half of the 19th century.

~terry Sun, Aug 9, 1998 (07:23) #1

Is Francois Boucher a neoclassic or rococo artist? Reference: http://www.oir.ucf.edu/wm/paint/auth/boucher/

~riette Sun, Aug 9, 1998 (09:04) #2

Francios Boucher (1703-1770) was a Rococo painter, engraver and designer. He portrayed the superficiality of French court life around the middle of the 18th century. His career was hugely succesful, and he became the favourite artist of Louis XV's most famous msitress, Madamme de Pompadour, tho whom he gave lessons (in all sorts of things, I suspect!) and whose portrait he painted many times. Boucher was extremely versatile, and mastered absolutely every branch of decorative and illustrative painting, ven doing stage settings for the opera. His most important pupil was Fragonard.

~riette Tue, Aug 18, 1998 (05:52) #3

Okay, let's get this topic going properly. Eug�ne Delacroix 'An Orphan Girl in the Graveyard' 1824 65cm x 54cm This painting is so full and alive, despite its grave theme. I love the way the girl in the painting is not a tearful, passive orphan, but a vibrant young beauty, full of life, alamred by death, but nevertheless bare-shouldered as she looks away from the graves - towards rescue? Despite her label she is no victim.

~autumn Wed, Aug 19, 1998 (14:27) #4

There are a lot of question marks surrounding this one.

~riette Thu, Aug 20, 1998 (11:24) #5

Such as?

~autumn Thu, Aug 20, 1998 (18:29) #6

Her expression holds so much emotion: fear, apprehension, bewilderment...it's unsettling.

~riette Fri, Aug 21, 1998 (02:09) #7

Yes, you're right. But I love the energy in her face. The feeling that she WANTS to survive whatever turmoil this tragedy will bring with it. Wonderful painting. Time for another, do you think? To set your mind at ease. I'll go look.

~riette Sun, Aug 23, 1998 (07:45) #8

Here's a strange, sweet example of early neoclassicism. David Allan (1744-96) 'Family of the 7th Earl of Mer at Alloa House' 1783

~autumn Mon, Aug 24, 1998 (21:53) #9

I always love those pictures of the landed gentry smoking their pipes with their dogs at their feet. Makes you kinda miss feudalism, you know?

~riette Tue, Aug 25, 1998 (01:45) #10

ha-ha! Wish I could have seen what it was like to live like that back then.

~riette Sat, Aug 29, 1998 (01:35) #11

Thomas Gainsborough 'Mrs Richard Brinsley Sheridan' 1985-86 220cm x 154cm Mrs Richard Brinsley Sheridan had a pretty tempestuous marriage with the great playwright Sheridan, as well as being renowned for her singing voice and her unearthly beauty. This portrait conveys loneliness to me. Only the grave, beautiful face is solid: everything else, from her dress to the wistful melancholy setting sun is thin and unstable. Very beautiful painting.

~autumn Sun, Aug 30, 1998 (15:48) #12

I am a great admirer of tempestuousness and unearthliness! They make great painting subjects.

~riette Mon, Aug 31, 1998 (01:20) #13

They sure do!

~riette Thu, Sep 3, 1998 (01:30) #14

Here's a very famous one: Francisco Goya 'The Colossus' 1810-12 115cm x 104cm This painting is popularly known under the title, 'Panic'. This painting is an analogy for the monstrous destruction of war, one of the bloodiest in Spain's history when Napoleon invaded the contry and a guerilla war begin between the people of Spain and the French occupying forces. But this painting is more than just a historical document. I find it extraordinary how Goya managed to visualize fear for us, given it conrete form: a huge, hostiile presence, not even looking down at the terrified masses elow - more like the monster of one's nightmares. There is a darkness in this work, an anger and wildness, that represents something within all of us, repress it though we may.

~autumn Thu, Sep 3, 1998 (22:38) #15

It's pretty menacing--you can imagine all those little soldiers wetting their pants when they see Godzilla bearing down on them.

~riette Fri, Sep 4, 1998 (01:02) #16

Yes, only in this case Godzilla is merely a figment of their imagination - which in a way, makes him even more scary of course!

~riette Sun, Sep 6, 1998 (14:59) #17

Ford Madox Brown (1821-93) 'Work' (1852-63) Though this work was completed twelve years after the beginning of the Impressionist period, I find the feel of it neoclassical rather than impressionist. Brown was born in Calais, but settled in his country of origin, England, in 1846 where he became a friend of the Pre-Raphaelites - which is the influence one can see in this work, I think. Rossetti studied briefly with him in 1848, but he never became a member of the Brotherhood. Personal characteristics were his individualism and difficult temperament. I find the colouring of this painting brilliant - no wonder it took him so long to do! The way in which the poor workers are presented is very idealistic though - one can see he was never one of them, and therefore the painting, for all its brilliance, doesn't move me at all. There is no feeling of sympathy for these poor people.

~wolf Sun, Sep 6, 1998 (15:04) #18

i dunno, just wondering what the little boy did that his mother had to grab him by the ear!

~terry Sun, Sep 6, 1998 (17:20) #19

What's he shoveling?

~wolf Sun, Sep 6, 1998 (20:08) #20

yeah, i was wondering what they were doing. looks like they're digging a hole... (nothing like stating the obvious)

~riette Mon, Sep 7, 1998 (01:16) #21

Digging a hole to bury the boy in, once his mother's finished with him, I think!

~riette Sat, Sep 26, 1998 (12:16) #22

Thomas Gainsborough 'Mr. and Mrs Andrews 1749 71 x 120 cm Thomas Gainsborough was one of the artists who led English painting into this great period. I love this painting, though more for the landscape than the way in which he portrays Mr. and Mrs Andrews.

~wolf Sat, Sep 26, 1998 (21:50) #23

mr andrews is a sloppy old chap isn't he? feel sorry for mrs andrews...

~autumn Sat, Sep 26, 1998 (22:07) #24

She knew what he was like when she married him. It was just too good of a match to pass up.

~riette Sun, Sep 27, 1998 (03:42) #25

They look like they deserve each other to me.

~autumn Thu, Oct 1, 1998 (14:20) #26

Exactly.