Towards the turn of the 19th century, the French Revolution sparked an uproar worldwide-not excluding the world of artisans, art, and artists. An era of great change and upheaval was ushered throughout Europe, and the idea of a democratic republic governed by the ideas and thoughts of people was often reflected in the art of the era. This art style became known as Neoclassicism. Neoclassicism is often characterized by by a revival in the interest of the arts of Greece and Rome-and also highlights influence by the ongoing Enlightenment. The Neoclassical style was a direct challenge to the earlier Rococo style, deviating from the portrayals of frivolous court life. Of the great Neoclassicists, the most well known individual would be Jacques Louis David, whose paintings, such as Oath of the Horatii, expressed republican virtues. Following the Revolution, David joined members of the new government as the master
of ceremonies for the grand revolutionary mass rallies. Later he became a dedicated painter to Napoleon Bonaparte, and in this capacity he painted large
propagandistic canvases that seemed to stray from his earlier republican ideals.
David’s pupil, Jean Dominique Ingres (1780–1867), shows the sharp outlines, unemotional figures, careful geometric composition, and rational order that are telltale signs of the Neoclassical art style.
Below is a portrait of Madame Ingres-useful for comparing to the Romanticism mentioned later.
Ingres’s rival, Eugène Delacroix (1798–1863), was a proponent of Romanticism. This style hearkened back to the emotional emphasis of the Baroque and had similar characteristics, though the subject matter was different. Whereas Neoclassical works emphasized line, order, and a cool detachment, Romantic painting tended to be highly imaginative and was characterized by an emotional and dreamlike quality—the
Romantics favored feeling over reason. Romantic works are also characterized by their incorporation of exotic or melodramatic elements and often took awe-inspiring natural wonders as their subject matter. Delacroix’s works are characteristic of the Romantic movement in that they centered on exotic themes and included foreign settings, violence involving animals and historical subject matter. Théodore Gericault and William Blake are also among the noteworthy Romantic-era artists.
Below pictured: Eugene Delacroix-A Greek Horseman. You can see that the painting is much sketchier in quality-but is highly atmospheric, with the background reflecting the colors of dawn.
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