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Art and culture conclusion of french revolution
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Introduction The French Revolution began in 1789, when citizens stormed the Bastille prison in Paris. Within a few years, France had adopted and overthrown several constitutions and executed its former king. The major themes of the Revolution were the economic and political inequities of the ancient regime, accompanied by a general opposition to the status quo; objection to the absolute power of the French monarchy, acerbated by the shortcomings of Louis XV and XVI, and the government's possible danger of bankruptcy. What has been the effect of this revolution on painting and sculpture and to what extend has the work of art contributed in the change of revolution? Let us see. THE EFFECT OF FRENCH REVOLUTION ON PAINTING AND SCULPTURE Essay In …show more content…
In the decades following the French Revolution, art and painting changed profoundly once again. By the 1830's, Romanticism had replaced Neoclassicism, and popular subject matter of paintings was becoming dramatically different. Romanticism was characterized by freedom, imagination, sincerity, spontaneity, individuality, and inner truth, as opposed to collective morals. A prominent painter of the period, Theodore Gericault, brought new depths of emotion into his art. For example, in his painting The Raft of Medusa, he depicts the suffering of the victims of a shipwreck that took place in the early 1800's. THE EFFECT OF FRENCH REVOLUTION ON PAINTING AND SCULPTURE Conclusion The French Revolution dramatically changed many aspects of French art. By altering the makeup of French society, it became impossible for the nobility to retain a monopoly on the artistic scene. In addition, the aesthetic styles changed from the ornate Rococo to the patriotic Neoclassicism, to the emphasized individuality of Romanticism, finally to the genuine Realism. These styles, along with the changes in subject matter, reflected the transformation of the purpose of art. THE EFFECT OF FRENCH REVOLUTION ON PAINTING AND
For my assignment, I will be comparing the two pieces of art titled Louis XIV painted by Hyacinthe Rigaud and Portrait of Marie Antoinette With Her Children by Marie-Louise-Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun. I will be analyzing and breaking down the different techniques used in both paintings and explaining the similarities between them as well. Though the paintings contain the same family throughout both, there is a clear imbalance in power and something very normal for this time period. I will be elaborating on the difference in social status between the two paintings, even though they are the same family.
Beginning in mid-1789, and lasting until late-1799, the French Revolution vastly changed the nation of France throughout its ten years. From the storming of the Bastille, the ousting of the royal family, the Reign of Terror, and all the way to the Napoleonic period, France changed vastly during this time. But, for the better part of the last 200 years, the effects that the French Revolution had on the nation, have been vigorously debated by historian and other experts. Aspects of debate have focused around how much change the revolution really caused, and the type of change, as well as whether the changes that it brought about should be looked at as positive or negative. Furthermore, many debate whether the Revolutions excesses and shortcomings can be justified by the gains that the revolution brought throughout the country. Over time, historians’ views on these questions have changed continually, leading many to question the different interpretations and theories behind the Revolutions effectiveness at shaping France and the rest of the world.
The French Revolution was a period of radical change of political, economic, and social structure in France in the eighteenth century. During this period, King Louis XVI and Queen Marie-Antoinette were in power, but soon were beheaded by the infamous guillotine during the overthrowing of the French monarchy. This was caused by their neglect to address the agrarian distress between the middle class and peasants in France, the lack of trust between the French and their monarchy due to Queen Marie-Antoinette’s suspicious correspondences with Austria, and the sheer and absolute hatred that the French had for the Austrian Empire in which Queen Marie-Antoinette was born in.
Throughout the course of the French Revolution the citizens of France have influenced political change often through violent means, as well as many rulers showed the strongest and weakest points that have provoked the changes. The ideas from the French Revolution had an effect on the political situation of the country as the monarchy was abolished. This then led to a shift of focus from social classes to social equality. Finally with the fall of the old government, the people of the nation were given more rights, as well as power. The French Revolution stirred the politics of France in the right direction through positive change.
The 18th century is well known for its complex artistic movements such as Romantism and Neo-classical. The leading style Rococo thrived from 1700-1775 and was originated from the French words rocaille and coquille which meant “rock” and “shell”; used to decorate the Baroque gardens1. Identified as the age of “Enlightenment”, philosophers would ignite their ideas into political movements1. Associated with this movement is England’s John Locke who advanced the concept of “empiricism”. This denotes that accepting knowledge of matters of fact descends from experience and personal involvement1. Locke’s concept assisted the improvements of microscopes and telescopes allowing art students in the French academy to observe real life1. Science and experience influenced painting more so in Neo-Classicalism. Locke fought for people’s rights and the power or “contract” between the ruler and the ruled. Reasoning that “the Light in Enlightenment referred to the primacy of reason and intellect…and a belief in progress and in the human ability to control nature”1. Hence, the commence of experimental paintings such as Joseph Wright’s (1734-1797) oil on canvas painting: Fig.1 An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump. This image was developed through science by placing a bird in glass container and pumping air to see the effects it would have on the bird (White cockatoo)1. Throughout the late 18th and early 19th century in Western Europe, Neo-Classical art became the “true Style” and was accepted by the French Revolution under Louis XIV. Neo-Classical art was a reaction to Rococo’s light hearted, humour and emotion filled pieces.
During the Napoleonic reign, the biggest reform appeared to be the loss of hereditary rights of the upper class citizens. Before Napoleon became a king, a lot of jobs were inherited. The purchase of the offices was rather common and skills were not required. Revolution believed in equality. Napoleon established that equality by granting everyone equal right to attempt the job. Now the positions were given out based on merit only. This change created fairness and limited the rights of the nobles at the same time. France was not the only country that felt the influence of the Napoleonic reform. Italian and German aristocrats were overthrown as well, and the weakening of the Spanish nobility even led to the revolt.
The transition from Neoclassicism to Romanticism arose from a desire for freedom of thought. Romantics truly believed that the pathway to freedom was through imagination rather than logic and functioned based on emotion rather than on cognition. The Romantic Movement recognized passion and sentiment as genuine sources of aesthetic experience, and placed a new emphasis on sensations such as apprehension, awe, horror and the sublimity of untamed nature. Théodore Géricault, who is most famously known for The Raft of the Medusa, was a prominent French painter and one of the most influential pioneers of the Romantic Movement. In The Raft of the Medusa, Géricault, unlike most artists during this stylistic time period, rejected the Neoclassical principles of classical antiquity and embraced the histrionics of Romanticism through the use of natural color, anatomy, emotion and position.
The shift between the Middle Ages and Renaissance was documented in art for future generations. It is because of the changes in art during this time that art historians today understand the historical placement and the socio-economic, political, and religious changes of the time. Art is a visual interpretation of one’s beliefs and way of life; it is through the art from these periods that we today understand exactly what was taking place and why it was happening. These shifts did not happen overnight, but instead changed gradually though years and years of art, and it is through them that we have record of some of the most important changes of historic times.
“Philosophers, writers, and artists expressed disillusionment with the rational-humanist tradition of the Enlightenment. They no longer shared the Enlightenment's confidence in either reason's capabilities or human goodness.” (Perry, pg. 457) It is interesting to follow art through history and see how the general mood of society changed with various aspects of history, and how events have a strong connection to the art of the corresponding time.
The impressionists were greatly influenced by this. This painting shows the division between the romantic style and the neoclassical style. Romantic style emphasizes spirit and color, detachment and line. This painting is a response to the July 1830 revolution against Charles X, the King of France. According to the book Painting in the Lourve romanticisms is a movement that arose in the early nineteenth century in art, literature, and music.
It would not be until 1819 that he would paint three of his most beautiful masterpieces, one being the Raft of the Medusa (1819, Louvre). This type of painting showed his more realistic approach, spending weeks in morgues and hospitals studying both the dead and the dying. This piece of art showed political overtones showed Gericault’s romantic and humanitarian side, as well as the anger he had toward his government and as a result the French government disapproved of his paintings and shortly afterwards he left for
The French Revolution represents a period in history that brought about a major change in not only Europe but the entire world. The French revolution spanned from 1789 to 1799. It brought about several key changes in not only the economic state of France but also the perception of the Christian church, specifically the Catholic church in France. Its impacts both economically and religiously are still felt to this day. The French Revolution may have temporarily destroyed Christianity in France, however, it acted as a savior for the future of Christianity.
Additionally, the styles changed; from Rococo, which was meant to represent the aristocratic power and the “style that (…) and ignored the lower classes” (Cullen), to Neoclassicism, which had a special emphasis on the Roman civilization’s virtues, and also to Romanticism, which performs a celebration of the individual and of freedom. Obviously, also the subject matter that inspired the paintings has changed as wel...
When studying art from the Romantic period, many of the works from that period carry a lot emotion that is desired to be evoked when looking at the different pieces. When I look at the oil painting by Théodore Géricault called The Raft of Medusa I feel the immediate sense of agony and pain very evident by the faces of many of the people on the raft. With further background I understand more about painting; that the Medusa was a ship that wrecked and the raft was the only means for certain crewman to survive the thirteen or so days while they floated to shore. I would say that the main emotion in the painting is that of despair with just a glimmer of hope. The melancholy demeanor of the few who remain on the left of the raft looking to where
During the 19th century, a great number of revolutionary changes altered forever the face of art and those that produced it. Compared to earlier artistic periods, the art produced in the 19th century was a mixture of restlessness, obsession with progress and novelty, and a ceaseless questioning, testing and challenging of all authority. Old certainties about art gave way to new ones and all traditional values, systems and institutions were subjected to relentless critical analysis. At the same time, discovery and invention proceeded at an astonishing rate and made the once-impossible both possible and actual. But most importantly, old ideas rapidly became obsolete which created an entirely new artistic world highlighted by such extraordinary talents as Vincent Van Gogh, Eugene Delacroix, Paul Gauguin, Paul Cezanne, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Claude Monet. American painting and sculpture came around the age of 19th century. Art originated in Paris and other different European cities. However, it became more popular in United States around 19th century.