Neoclassicism And Romanticism Analysis

Throughout history art has been representative of culture, serving as a barometer detecting changes within societies and civilizations of varying scale. During the 18th and 19th centuries the Western Hemisphere faced dramatic changes in politics, economics, and culture as a result of emerging Enlightenment philosophies. These changing times were reflected in the various art movements, which became popular, the most prominent of these movements being Rococo, Neoclassicism and Romanticism. The transitions between these movements were a direct result of shifts in society, and each was in effect a response to its predecessor, therefore having distinctly different characteristics.

Rococo was a movement that occurred in the 18th century, which encompassed

sculpture, painting, interior design, literature, music and theater. It first took root in 18th century Paris as a reaction in opposition to the symmetry and strict regulations of the Baroque period best represented in the Palace of Versailles. Rococo was defined by shell-like curves, the principal motif, and organic form. This movement against Baroque art was lead by the nobles and aristocrats of French society. The death of Louis XIV in 1715 brought change to French high society. The nobles readily abandoned the court of Versailles bringing a resurgence of aristocratic social, political, and economic power. The elite upper class looked to expand its powers in France. The aristocrats reestablished their dominance in art patronage by developing a new style, which clearly contrasted the style previously established by Louis XIV. The nobles looked to set themselves apart from the monarchy and dominate the realms the monarchy had once controlled; Rococo was the means to this end. The hótels of Paris became the center of this new, softer and more frivolous style, and Salon culture was developed. Each hótel commonly contained a Salon decorated in the Rococo style. French Rococo interior design was a “total work of art” covering entire rooms. Hostesses titled Femme Servants competed to attract the attention of famous aristocrats (“The Salons of Paris”). They lined the walls of their Rococo style Salons with pieces from the most known artists of the movement. Rococo interior design expanded outside of France to Germany and surrounding countries. An example of this is the Hall of Mirrors (De Culliviés). Rococo art was purely decorative and had little substance or meaning (Gardner). Paintings commonly depicted leisurely outings of aristocratic couples and were comedic in content, an example being the Swing (Fragonard). The color palette contained mostly pastels reflecting light heartedness. This reflected the blasé attitude of aristocrats countering the extreme poverty facing the commoners they derived their power from. France’s Middle and Lower classes were strained by aristocrats overspending, and never recovered from the expenses of the Versailles. The Rococo style exemplified the ignorance of the upper class, which would prove fatal during the French Revolution.
Neoclassicism replaced the Rococo style during the French Revolution. It represented a renewed admiration for classical antiquity as well as an interest in nationalism. The movement coincided with the Age of Enlightenment during the late 18th century because of its emphasis on rationality, realism, and geometric harmony. This can best be seen in Neoclassical architecture, which rejected the previous extravagance of the Baroque style. Architecture was both simple and seamless with ionic columns and domes reminiscent of Roman and Greek architecture (Jefferson). During times of political upheaval, revolutionaries saw ancient Greece and Rome as the pinnacle of an enlightened democratic government, contributing largely to the movement’s popularity. Classical societies prized qualities such as civil virtue, liberty, morality, and sacrifice, which resonated with revolutionaries who sought to instate governments structured on the same principles and ideals. The Neoclassical style lent itself well to representing revolutionary heroes because of its strong heroic and patriotic subjects. Many influential Neoclassical painters emerged from the French Revolution, inspired by both the Enlightenment idea of participatory and knowledgeable citizenry lay, as well as the clash between the Third Estate, and the First and Second Estates over the economic crisis. The Oath of Horatii was a paragon of Neoclassical style. The narrative is both patriotic and deals with sacrifice, something rioters and revolutionaries sympathized with. The painting depicts the three Horatii brothers as they swear on their swords to win or die for Rome, exemplifying nationalism, a popular political ideology of the time. The females weeping in the background show the men’s’ choice of nationalism and patriotism over family and comfort. This reflected the cultural ideal of nationalism and its importance in society (David). Neoclassicism was in direct opposition of the Rococo style. Rococo was light hearted and whimsical representing only the upper class, while Neoclassicism emphasized courage, sacrifice, and nationalism appealing to the exploited lower and middle classes, who were coming to power at the time. The transition between the two signified a rapid shift in power from the upper class to the lower and middle class.
The Romantic movement came about later in the 18th century and spanned into the 19th century.

The Neoclassical movement coincided with the Romantic movement from 1750 to 1900. Romanticism was a reaction against what defined the Neoclassical movement. Romanticism was fueled by the French Revolution and the ideologies it introduced. John Jacques-Rousseau is considered the father of Romanticism; his ideas expressed the core idea of naturalism, that happiness is brought upon by the natural emotions, and all men are naturally good and society is what corrupts them (Document 11). The nationalism of the French Revolution became a key theme in Romanticism known as Romantic “nationalism”. The most iconic example of Romantic nationalism is “Liberty Leading the People”, which depicts the Parisian uprising against Charles X. The French flag and national landmark are examples of nationalist iconography within the piece, showing the artist, Eugene Delacroix’s, favoritism of France (Gardner). The French Revolution created the context, which allowed for Counter-Enlightenment and in effect Romanticism to occur. Counter-Enlightenment was the greatest factor in the emergence of Romanticism, specifically the German Sturm und Drang movement, which held emotion and subjectivity over rationalism (Hardin). Like Counter-Enlightenment, Romanticism rejected the rigidity that characterized the principles of Enlightenment, which were based off of the scientific revolution. The economic changes in

Europe brought about by the Industrial Revolution also had a great effect on Romanticism. Romanticism produced an escape from the modern realities of the Industrial Revolution. The peak of Romanticism came during the Industrial Revolution when the people began to revolt against mechanization of labor in their art and writing. European countries experienced overcrowding and squalid living conditions (Engels). The burning of coal polluted the air, infrastructure was in need of repair, and the lower and middle classes lived in small unpleasant apartments. Romanticism created an escape from industrialization by depicting the imagination and nature, which had been destroyed by the industrial revolution. Caspar David Reidrich’s “Wanderer above a Sea of Mist” is an example of the theme of nature in Romantic compositions. The piece depicts a solitary man on a rocky ledge gazing out at a panorama of clouds, mist, and mountains, expressing the Romantic idea of the sublimeness of nature (Friedrich). Romanticism stood against everything that defined the Neoclassical movement. Both were polarized responses to the same society.
For centuries society and culture has dictated the various movements in art.

Art transcends language, and provides a depiction of cultural ideologies, fashion, and ideals in a way texts from the time period can not. Rococo, Neoclassicism, and Romanticism were all indicators of a changing time in which economics, politics, and culture were altered. The transition between each gauges the severity of the change depending on how extremely each differs from its predecessor. While the most extreme occurred between the Rococo movement and the Neoclassical, the transition between the Neoclassicism and Romanticism signified a less severe but still influential change in society. A document from a citizen criticizing art during the time of both the Romantic movement and Neoclassical movement would aid in describing public opinion of the two, and the change in popularity dependent on the classes or perception of the time period. Another document from a commoner on nationalism may have also expanded the perspective of how nationalism was prominent during the time, and how this was reflected in art. All of the movements continue to influence modern art. Rococo inspires artists in depicting the wealth gap, Neoclassicism continues to be used in architecture especially relating to government buildings, and principles of Romanticism are still used in idealized landscape paintings or other imaginative

compositions.