Art Criticism In The Oath Of The Horatii

1209 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: David's oath of the horatii analysis

The oath of horatti In 1785 there was one particular painting that visitors were transfixed on, Jacques-Louis David’s Oath of the Horatii. In this Artwork it depicts three men, brothers, saluting toward three swords that are held up by their father, meanwhile the women behind him grieve.The revolutionary painting changed French art. David created an organized painting in a scene set in, what seems be a Roman atrium that is dominated by three arches in the background which keeps our attention focused on the main subject in the foreground. In this Artwork we see a group of three young men that are framed by the first arch that lay in the background behind them. The Horatii brothers, seem bound together with their muscled arms raised in a salute toward their father whom is framed by the central arch. The father holds three swords in his left hand and raises his right hand to signifying a promise or some sort of sacrifice. The male figures create tense, geometric forms that stand in contrast to the softly curved feminine poses of the women who are situated behind the father. The figures have a clinical light that sharply contrasts the heightened drama of the scene portrayed in the artwork, thus requiring the viewer to respond to the scene with rationality. …show more content…

The dramatic gestures of the male figures indicate the main idea of the artwork, oath-taking. The light in the work makes every aspect of the visual story legible. David seems to cut off the space with the use of the arches in the background and pushes the subject matter/story to the foreground in a similar fashion of Roman relief

Show More
Related

  • Book Cover on The Chrysalids

    509 Words  | 2 Pages

    My visual is very obvious to deconstruct. In the bottom half of the foreground, there is a church, a mountain range, several farms, and a buggy pulled by the great horses mentioned in the book. In the top half of the foreground, there are several buildings, a billboard, an airplane, and a giant helicopter-like device. There is also a boy, whom I drew to represent David. The boy has a blindfold on his neck that he had pulled down. This action symbolizes David being showed that True Image comes in many forms, including deviations, and nobody know if there really IS a True Image. There is also a small red bird flying near the border where the two civilizations meet. The red bird on the Labrador half looks...

    Read More

  • A Review of the Materpieve the Monument to Mignard Painted by Francois Boucher

    1366 Words  | 3 Pages

    As you walk into the Los Angeles County Museum of Arts (LACMA), the sheer amount of paintings to view can be overwhelming but each is a masterpiece of its own as you pass by each art frame by frame from all different time. Francois Boucher, one of the greatest artist in the 18th century, was born in Paris, France on 1703 and later died on May 30th 1770. A painting that stands out is the Monument to Mignard, a painting Francois Boucher created around 1735 using oil on canvas with the dimensions of 28 ½ x 22 5/8 in. (72.39 x 57.47 cm). The Monument to Mignard has a lot of visual elements as you take a closer look and with imagination; people can conjure up the content of this masterpiece.

    Read More

  • paper

    1208 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Merode Altarpiece is a triptych painting that represents the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. This work displays the main characteristics of the Northern Late Gothic period. There is so much detail in this work of art. Campin utilizes many symbols in this altarpiec. The setting of the painting is in a Flemish middle class house. The Annunciation theme is being depicted in the central panel. A scene of Saint Joseph at work as a carpenter occupies the right-hand panel. The portraits of the donors are depicted in the left hand panel. Campin failed to understand the scientific perspective. To illustrate, there is no focal point in the painting and the table looks tilted. Campin used no aerial perspective. To illustrate, the background is still very crisp when seen from a distance. The most important aspect of the painting is the symbolism. For example, the lilies represent Mary's purity, the candle represents the Holy Spirit, even the mouse traps represent trapping evil. Campin also made use of bright, rich colors. In the central panel, the drapery of the figures are filled with colors of red and white. Campin has also made a good use of illusion of the space by making the town seem to be far away by distance by making them appear blurry. Furthermore, Campin has created figures that are not in proper proportion. To illustrate, the figure’s head is small and the bodies are big and it seems that if they get will hit their head if they get up. They look very unrealistic. Although they are not in proportion, the figures seem to have very sharp edges. The figures also look very stiff and rigid. In Merode Altarpiece, the light is arbitrary and the figures do not cast any...

    Read More

  • Miracle of St. Dominic

    354 Words  | 1 Pages

    He also illustrates principles of design. If you were to place a vertical line on the picture plane the two sides would balance each other out. The painting can also be divided half horizontally by the implied divisional line above the horses head and the sword of the man who St. Dominic has brought back to life. Contour horizontal lines that give the expression that the dead man on the ground is sliding out of the picture plane, and dominate the bottom of the painting. On the top of the picture plane, behind the spectators is the brightest intermediate color, which is red orange that gives the impression of a sunrise.

    Read More

  • Polykleitos: Compare And Contrast Essay

    1094 Words  | 3 Pages

    Anticipated similarities exist between the Roman copy of Doryphorus and Donatello’s David, for the former replicates a product of Classical Greece while the latter is reminiscent of this artistic epoch (The Renaissance was a “re-birth” of this classical form). However, though formal qualities of Classical Greece may be present in David, they are uncharacteristically fashioned; therefore, major degrees of difference are established in terms of characterization. While Doryphorus is a typical example of reconciling idealism and naturalism, Polykleitos does not provide a depth of narrative subtext to this figure. On the other hand, Donatello overtly characterizes David through his effeminate if not androgynous form to deliver a powerful narrative (Duro). From the stance and posture of each sculpture to the use of nudity, Polykleitos’s Doryphorus and Donatello’s David present similarities accountable for in a historical context; however, the obvious structural differences must be

    Read More

  • Comparing Oath Of The Horatii And Goya's Third Of May

    405 Words  | 1 Pages

    Jacques-Louis David’s Oath of the Horatii and Francisco Goya’s Third of May, 1808 are both large scale paintings that contain an intense emotional element by using an oil medium on canvas. David’s Oath of the Horatii is a history painting, meaning that it has a moralizing message along with classical antiquity of a Roman legend. Jacques-Louis David was a member of the French Royal Academy, which was controlled by the monarchy. In contrast, Spanish artist Francisco Goya’s Third of May, 1808 is often referred to as the “world’s first modern painting,” as it shows the distress and suffering of the Spanish at the time. This painting is an example of Romanticism, as it shows Goya’s political sympathies.

    Read More

  • 2 Samuel 11-13

    794 Words  | 2 Pages

    The theme of these three chapters is God’s modeling of King David. This theme develops throughout the three chapters with the disobedience and punishment of David.

    Read More

  • A Comparison Of Donatello's Statue Of David?

    921 Words  | 2 Pages

    Where one is a bronze statue with a singular figure, the other is a painting with a central figure, from which the story is built. However, their contrasts go beyond what they are made of, to their different subjects and their complexity. Donatello’s David shows youthful beauty and strength, which he confidently exudes through his body language. Standing with one foot atop Goliath’s severed head while turning his body to balance his weight to the other leg, this statue is a clear example of Contrapposto, which the Greeks invented and introduced into their sculptures. Donatello’s statue of David stands triumphant and proudly atop his trophy, while telling the audience I am the conqueror of Giants. His expression is stern to match his

    Read More

  • David’s Oath of the Horatii

    963 Words  | 2 Pages

    Painted in Rome in the style of Neo-Classicism, Jacques Louis David’s Oath of the Horatii is one of the better-known examples of art produced by this artist of eclectic styles. This painting was hailed as the manifesto of a new school based on the fervent study of the antique and a return to classical techniques in the late 18th century. In this painting, completed in 1785 as an oil on canvas, David (DA-VEED) successfully coalesces the nascent and confused ideology of the Neo-Classical movement in a dramatic portrayal of the Horatii brothers swearing their allegiance to the state as their father stands with swords held high for them to grasp. An analysis of the painting’s historical background, and an evaluation of the lines, colors, and subject matter, will illustrate why Oath of the Horatii represents the defining characteristics of the Neo-Classical period.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Michelangelo And Bernini's David

    616 Words  | 2 Pages

    Bernini’s “David” is 5 foot, 7 inches tall and was made in the year 1623. It is from the Baroque period, a time of discovery, exploration and increased trade. Bernini’s “David” is a three-dimensional sculpture that gives the viewer the ability to relate the image with one’s body and not only in one’s mind. Bernini wanted to show the intensity and dramatic tension in the hero David as he prepares to cast the stone from the sling. In contrast to the intensity of Bernini’s David, Michelangelo’s “David” looks much more contemplative, statuesque and less “life-like” than Bernini’s. This marble sculpture, unlike Michelang...

    Read More

  • Italian Baroque Characteristics

    498 Words  | 1 Pages

    Michelangelo’s David does not react with the surroundings but it stands alone with the little movements disguised behind it. The sculpture brings out David as a soldier preparing for war and not a person engaged in a battle (Miller, Vandome, & McBrewster, 2010). The hands are larger than normal and the arms are longer than his body. This is meant to illustrate the renaissance period. In contrast, the Bernini’s David has aspects of motion, showing that he was already engaged in the battle with Goliath. The idea of movement is enhanced by the loosely flowing robes. In addition, the sculpture demonstrates that unlike Michelangelo’s David that has longer hands, Bernini’s David has contracted muscles. The Michelangelo’s sculpture was created during Renascence period while the Bernini’s sculpture was done during the Baroque period.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The Death Of Marat And Pieta

    1614 Words  | 4 Pages

    Not only did David want to do this but his artistic viewpoints wanted him to reflect the use of propaganda to others through art in the Neoclassical era. In other words, he wanted to depict through the painting how politics during the French Revolution were taken sternly and had serious repercussions in a sort of misleading way. In the same way, if you did not fit into the rest of society and you stood out you were labeled as a target. As we see Marat was murdered by Corday who was seen as his political enemy. In the meantime, through the style of David’s painting, we see the use of iconography or “the study or description of images and symbols” . Here in this painting of The Death of Marat, we see the main image (i.e. Marat) being used as more than just the centerpiece of the work rather, the symbol of the work which means there is more to this work than just The Death of Marat. Strangely enough, we can see the use of iconography when comparing The Death of Marat to an almost political Christ of his people. Meaning that Marat was killed for his religious beliefs/political beliefs and died for his people as that of Christ did with his religious beliefs. Incidentally, we can say that “David’s clear

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Jacques-Louis David's Portrait Of Monsieur Lavoisier And His Wife Of 1789

    1070 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jacques-Louis David’s Portrait of Monsieur Lavoisier and his Wife of 1788 is a stark departure from his better-known history genre paintings. While this dual portrait is still painted according to neoclassical aesthetics, it is ideologically distinct from most of David’s oeuvre. David’s most praised paintings revolve around male figures and involve masculine duty. However this portrait of Monsieur Lavoisier, a renowned scientist of 18th century France, and his wife instead focuses in on the woman and explores the changing role of women in French society.

    Read More

  • David And Goliath Analysis

    590 Words  | 2 Pages

    The writing style of an author plays a giant role in expressing certain details and letting the reader become more drawn into the piece of literature. In the story summary David and Goliath, which we get from the first book of Samuel chapter seventeen verses one through fifty eight. This popular bible story expresses how a young and weak teenage boy named David can take down a giant with name of Goliath with faith in God. The use of different elements used throughout the summary such as diction, imagery, and language gives off hopeful feel because the main point of the story is for the reader to understand that anything is possible with God.

    Read More

  • The French Revolution & Art

    2050 Words  | 5 Pages

    O’Donnell, Sr., Joseph J.. “Art and the French Revolution”. The Eerie Digest, May 2013. Web. 5th May 2013.

    Read More

More about Art Criticism In The Oath Of The Horatii

Open Document