Compare And Contrast Romanticism And Neoclassicism

Neoclassicism is an artistic style influenced by the Greek and Roman that students observed the first antique art works and reproduced them. Their inspiration came from the Greek mythology and used it as the resource. The definition of the Neoclassicism is that they emphasized on the historic subject matter, and moreover, the solemnity of composition. The Neoclassical style usually showing order and rational illusion in the works. The color usage is clam and the brushstroke is often being visible. Numbers of outstanding painters in this era, but the best-known painter is Jacques-Louis David. His famous painting is The Death of Socrates, which reveals a rational, solemn scene. In contrast, Romanticism expresses on emotion and imagination more than the Neoclassicism. Painters focus on the nature, violence, and legends of their paintings. In addition, emotional exploration had extended into the animal world that they will used animals as the metaphor of human behavior. Because of the influence of the Baroque eras, Romanticism is usually produces dramatic art

works, which contains large amount of color choices and shows more dynamic on the paintings. A Romanticism painting may create intensity or excitement on the scene, showing its nonconformist tone. One of the best-known painters is Eugène Delacroix, his The Abduction of Rebecca expresses emotional and intensity.
Jacques-Louis David’s painting The Death of Socrates well expresses the rational and order themes, which is completely different with The Abduction of Rebecca.

The color is calm and analogous in The Death of Socrates, and the brushstroke is almost invisible that makes the painting more realistic, which is common in Neoclassicism style. However, the color in The Abduction of Rebecca Is bright and garish that makes the painting really fantastic. The obvious brushstroke helps to achieve this romantic fantasy. Also, the landscape in both paintings reveal different effect. In The Death of Socrates, the background is a stone vault that we can see a few people through it, which is not interrupted, creates a calm, quite vision. In addition, creates a depth in the painting. On the other hand, the background of The Abduction of Rebecca is a castle in flame that reveals an intense feeling, which meets the Romanticism

style.
The techniques used in both painting are different that somehow showing the massive difference in these two styles. Neoclassicism often stressed drawing with lines, which can be seen in The Death of Socrates. The body position of people, the hands and the leg are geometric implicit lines pointing to Socrates, which tells the subject of this painting is. The soft, smooth texture of this painting is exactly the characteristic of the Neoclassicism. Conversely, the Romanticism painting is more emphasizing the dynamic lines that guide the viewer’s eyes to see all over the painting. The texture of this painting is blurred and wet, gives it more romantic illusion.