Baroque Vs. La Grand Odalisque

Compare and Contrast

For this assignment, I chose two paintings from two different art movements- Neoclassical and Baroque. Neoclassicism was a time period in the late 18th century that revitalized interest to and integrated styles and elements of Classical Art. Additionally, Neoclassical art favored long lines to suggest curvature and sensuality. The Baroque movement originated in Europe during the 1600’s. Some of the themes of Baroque art were the dramatic use of light and shadow better known as chiaroscuro, which can simply be defined as an artwork that gives the impression of having a spotlight that draws attention to a specific part of the painting. Baroque style also had a strong sense of realism not only among the figures of the painting,

Both women are illustrated nude and laying on their sides with their back towards the viewer; however, they both represent something different. Diego Velasquez’s subject is none other than Venus- goddess of love, which was a common figure during the Baroque movement, along with her son Cupid propping up a mirror for her. The nude subject in Ingres’ painting is not known by name but she is a female slave of the harem, which is called an odalisque. Thus, giving the painting its name “La Grand Odalisque”. The odalisque in this painting is showing her back side and part of her breast, but her face is also visible as she looks over her shoulder. This demeanor seems to convey a more suggestive tone whereas in The Toilet of Venus the face of Venus is a blurred reflection in the mirror. Art critic, Natasha Wallace, believed the meaning of her indistinct reflection is, “an image of self-absorbed beauty” (Jean

In this case, Ingres elongated the subjects arm and back by lengthening her spine and augmented her hips with long contouring lines. The odalisque’s figure virtually consumes the painting with her seductive, malformed figure. The colors Ingres used for the nude have a much warmer tone with a cooler background. It is obvious the emphasis of the painting is the odalisque. The lighting or shading Ingres uses really draws your attention to the subject and highlights the areas he has distorted and transforms the painting into an illuminating three-dimensional