The three W's of Romanticism: the “what”, the “who”, and the “why”

Romanticism was praised for imagination over reason, emotion over logic and intuition over science making way for a vast body of literature of great sensibility and passion. Jacques Louis David and J.A.D. Ingres inspired this exotic, beautiful and emotionally shaped movement. Romanticism was a reaction against Neoclassicism.

         The French philosopher Denis Diderot says, “ All that stuns the soul, all that imprints a feeling of terror, leads to sublime ”(metmuseum.org). I agree with that quote because most of the paintings in the 18^th century and 19^th century were recreations of shipwrecks or showing a man’s struggle against nature of some sort.

 The Raft of Medusa (figure 1) 1819 Theodore G.  Wikimedia commons-Steven Zucker

  

 I believe this painting shows the struggling men trying to survive a shipwreck. The Raft of Medusa, which is a very emotional image and it shows examples of terror, hope, death, surrender, and a heroic figure. I say that it shows surrender by the man next to the man on top waving his white shirt, which we all know white represents surrender and we used that symbolic color in many wars and battles. I say it shows a heroic figure by the african american man being the one on top showing that he is the significant figure.

Liberty Leading The People 1830 (figure 2)  by Eugene Delacroix Wikimedia commons-Stephane Nay

                Baudelaire says, “ Delacroix was passionately in love with passion…”(Wellington, Hubert, the journal of Eugene Delacroix, introduction, page xiv). Eugene had loose, flowing brushstrokes and he studied visual effects of color. This painting represents a sparking Revolution and that the people and Liberty will stop at nothing to have their freedom.—

                  

                       Seta Ates

At a Cafe with David

I can imagine myself with Jacques-Louis David at a café in 1789. While I sit here with David, I can smell the delicious pain au raisin coming from the kitchen and I can hear people talking. I see David in front of me sipping on his cup of coffee and I am listening to the people that surround me, trying to translate what they are saying. They are talking about the government and that they want to rebel against the king. In my daydream, I am talking to David and asking him about his contributions on the movement of the French Revolution.

David was not only an influential painter, but a political activist during the French Revolution and through his paintings David reflected the neo-classicism movement. His paintings describes political events that happened in France like, “The Oath of Horatii” and “The Tennis Court Oath”.

Jacques-Louis David: Oath of the Horatii, Oil on canvas.Height: 330 cm Width: 425 cm. Paris, Louvre

This painting, by David, shows how three men reach out towards the sward’s from their father. This infers that they are willing to sacrifice for the good of their country. David’s political influence in this painting can be described as a message to the people to rebel against the king and the unjust government.

Jacques-Louis David:The Oath of the Tennis Court, Pen and Brown Ink. Height: 66 cm Width: 101 cm. Palace of Versailles

This painting shows how the third estate gather to demand for change in the government. The story behind this painting is that third estate members wanted to change the government and have their voices heard, so they got together and vowed to stay in the tennis court until a new constitution of France was made. This symbolized unity and self determination for a change in society which lead to the French revolution.

In the beginning, paintings were a way artist made a living along with sharing their talents. Artist would get hired by wealthy individuals, church leaders, or the king to create art. The art reflected on how the individual who hired the artist wanted it to look and where they wanted it to be located. However, Davis along with other artist were able to put in a little of their personality into the art they made by adding little details that are shown indirectly in their art. For instance, in David’s painting "The Oath of the Horatii", that I mentioned before was controversial because he worked for the king and the painting sent a message to the people to rebel against the king. The hand of the second man is around the waist of the third man and it symbolizes unity between the people of France. Some individuals did not notice the message of the painting, due to different perspectives, but at the end people got together and stood up for change.

This got my attention because art is unique and can result in different interpretations that influence people. Today, many people( including myself) are exposed to thousands of images each day, but some of the images we see do not have valuable characteristics like a historical story behind it, like the paintings of David and other influential artists. One thing that I would look forward to see in Paris would be the art museums because I want to see paintings and art that reflect on a historical events and have a meaningful messages.

If I could, in real life, be with David at a cafe I would interview him and ask him about his aspirations and how they came to be. However, I wonder how Napoleon would react to my conversation with David?  
 

Jacques-Louis David - The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries. Oil on canvas.Height: 2,039 mm Width: 1,251 mm. National Gallery of Art

-Rebeca

The Van Gogh Perspective

 

Self-Portrait 1887
Van Gogh
Art Institute of Chicago

Art during the Post-Impressionist period was about the perspective an artist had on a subject. The brush strokes were shorter than and not as smooth as the prior art periods. Art began to develop an abstract meaning to subjects and observers created their own interpretation of what is the meaning of the piece. In addition, the Post-Impressionist art was full of multiple styles. Artist like Paul Cezanne, Georges Seurat, and Vincent Van Gogh created art that was full of color and more rounded figures. However Vincent Van Gogh took abstract paintings to a whole other level.

Vincent Van Gogh was the edgy, black sheep of the Post-Impressionist period. Most of Van Gogh's art was not sold. People did not quite understand his pieces. His art, in my perspective, was more emotional than most of the artist in this time. I can feel his emotions throughout his art work. The Woman with a Spade gives me this feeling of a lethargy, depression and unsatisfactory. Van Gogh's use of grey colors in the painting gives me this sense of hopelessness and how dull the subject may have felt or lived. 

On the other hand, Starry Night, portrays a mystical and whimsical presence. His short brush strokes give Moon and stars a glow that is carried out through the night. Van Gogh's use of different shades of blue to creates a wind that allows me to imagine the feeling of a cool evening summer breeze. I also began to think about the Christmas song "Starry Night". The soothing melody gives me this Feeling of serenity and positivity.

Van Goghs' art is captivating and riveting because his abstract paintings gives the observer the freedom to create their own meaning and story behind the paintings. Sadly, Van Gogh's paintings were not appreciated until he died in July 1890. Now you can find his work throughout America and Western Europe. Van Gogh is one the most talented and influential artist for this decade, and more artist allow the observer to create their own story or perspective of the art in life. 


"For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of stars makes me dream". 
                                                                                                                  -  Vincent Van Gogh

Starry Night 1889          
   Van Gogh
The Museum of Modern Art 

La'Shay Hankerson.

Rebllious Soul

Miles H. Hodges, Untitled

When we think of rebelliousness, we think of protests or parents, well do you ever think about art as rebellious; probably not or not as much. Believe it or not but many French artist were rebellious in their own way depending on the time period. There were medieval times, French Baroque, Rococo, French Classicism, Romanticism, Impressionism, Post- Impressionism, and Cubism. But don’t worry; you don’t have to know all about those time periods to understand the rebelliousness that Monet and Picasso have done in their time period in France.

 

Monet appeared in the 19th century, during the impressionist artistic movement. Monet and other impressionist didn't exactly paint realist paintings, but had a great use of color and brush stroke technique.

Monet, Rouen Cathedral Series

Can you see the use of color? From a view like this, you can point out different shades of blue, but Monet technique in color involves more than just blue, but purple, red and yellow; but from a distance his work looks like different shades of blue. Monet studied light and how it impacted color; in other words, he is a landscape dude. Monet was one of the founders of impressionism, leaving romanticism and moving forward to the next thing. At first Impressionism wasn't successful, but within time, it was accepted into society. What a rebellious soul! Since Monet had a heavy interest in different effects of lighting and atmospheric conditions, he painted different versions of the Rouen Cathedral.



 Monet, Rouen Cathedral

 Monet, Rouen Cathedral

What an artist, aren't they all beautiful. Next time you want to be rebellious, do what Monet did: use different lighting and techniques! Monet made different versions of the Rouen Cathedral but they are no longer together; they were all sold to different collectors.

Another French artist with a rebellious soul was Pablo Picasso. Since he lived 90 years, he have been through many artistic periods. Picasso is a well know founder of Cubism that took place in the 20th century. Cubism is the first abstract style of modern art. Picasso was inspired by artist such as Cezanne, Monet, Manet, then Matisse. Most of Picasso's cubism was produced in Paris.

Picasso, Les Demoiselles

Why would Picasso be classified as a rebellious soul you may ask? Great question. Picasso is a rebellious soul because he ignores the traditions of perspectives; his art shows many subjects at a time. This is when collages were first introduced in paintings; this particular painting was influenced by African mask which was also different back then. What a rebellious soul!

Picasso, Untitled

As you see, there are many different viewpoints in just one painting. You can see front and side views of the eyes, nose and face all at the same time! Picasso knew his face looks different from different angles, so why not include these views as well?!

After reviewing over both Monet and Picasso's ways and why they did what they did, I was left thinking: If I had to choose, which rebellious soul would I have been, the impressionist Monet or the Picasso who founded cubism?

 Alaze

Jacques-Louis David: Trick or Treat Painter?



Jacques-Louis David

Wikimedia Commons: Francois-Joseph Navez

 Hey folks it’s that time again! It’s the time when kids  dress up in the attire of princesses and superheroes of every kind, shouting the age old words “Trick or Treat”. These words are written on millions of candy bags, lanterns, and party favors, as Americans succumb to the seasonal craze. These words must also have been painted across the face of Neo-Classical painter Jacques-Louis David, but the aristocratic French government never seemed to notice. Born in 1748, David spent his early years under the tutelage of Neo-Classical pioneer Joseph-Marie Vien. So it was only destiny that, by age 18, the exceptional young artist was enrolled at the Académie Royale (Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture). As he rose to fame, David began to incorporate political messages into his paintings. One of his most famous works is the “Oath of Horatii”, which he painted just preceding the French Revolution.

Face value message (The Treat): David depicts a legend about the founding of Rome. He tells the story of three brothers that make an oath to their father, swearing allegiance in the defense of their city even if it means their death.

The Oath of Horatii by Jacques-Louis David; the Louvre Museum

Wikimedia Commons: Web Gallery of Art

What David was really saying (The Trick): Ah, hey guys, I don’t know if you’ve noticed lately, but the rich are way, way up there and we are kind of way, way down here. We really need to follow the example of the Horatii brothers and be willing to give our lives to guarantee the good of the state. Just a suggestion.

Under absolute monarchs such as King Louis XIV and King Louis XVI, the aristocrats had been given many opportunities to enjoy absolute luxury, while the rest of France waded in poverty, hunger, and disease. In the face of such turmoil and unease between the rich and poor classes, David presents the powerful idea of the willingness to die for the good of one’s country. Even the sharp lines that comprise the bodily figures of the Horatii brothers speaks to the urgency and seriousness that David wants to communicate. Such artwork cannot be seen in any other light: David was calling France to a revolution. Perhaps the most ironic thing is that King Louis XIV didn’t even notice the subtle message of David’s painting. Commissioning this painting himself, King Louis XVI probably gave David a simple pat on the back (in the most honorable and royal way, of course) and said “Here’s another one for the Louvre”. Let’s skip ahead nine years. It was King Louis XVI who walked to the wretched guillotine in the presence of the commoners that he had for so long oppressed. Funny, the only costume he wore on that day was a simple coat, breeches, and short hair so the blade would have a clear shot for his neck! Oh, where would history be without the painters?

The Execution of King Louis XVI

Wikimedia Commons: Hector Fleischmann, La Guillotine en 1793

 

Exploring The Realm of French Art

Yesterday’s French Art seminar with Mrs. Everett was great! To even say it was “fascinating” is an understatement. French art is so vast, that Mrs. Everett couldn't cover it all in the amount of time we had. We didn't even get to go over architecture which is my favorite. However, the many phases of French art were quite enough to satisfy my curiosity.

She went over Baroque, Rococo, Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, and Cubism. The two categories that stood out to me the most were the whimsical and somewhat naughty ideas of Rococo and the strong emotion of Romanticism. I like the rebellious ideas displayed by Rococo paintings because they show how artists are going to paint whatever they want, whether people agree with it or not. For example, one painting we looked at was of a couple, a man and a woman. The woman was on a swing while the man pushed her. In the painting, she is up in the air and you can see another man on the ground looking up into her dress. Many people condemned Rococo paintings as “immoral” but, I honestly find Rococo paintings humors and refreshing from the same ideas displayed in French art.

I find Romanticism paintings appealing because each work of art tells a story through brilliant use of colors which creates a very sensual emotion. Romanticism caught my attention instantly, to the point where I found myself staring at a painting for a long time. The painting that held my attention and had my mind racing with curiosity was none other than the Raft of The Medusa by Gericault. Painted between 1818 and 1819, the artist depicts the struggle of a group of sailors who have survived the wreck of the French frigate the Medusa off the coast of Senegal in 1816. In the painting, Gericault displays the horrors the men faced through his use of lighting and colors and also depicts the sense of hope for a rescue by his use of composition and his placement of a lone ship sailing away in the distance. If you study the painting, you will notice different emotions by different survivors. Some are calm, hopeful, and distraught while others are dying or already dead.

The Raft of The Medusa

Théodore Géricault- The Louvre 

During the seminar we received a slip of paper which had questions about the painting we observed. My favorite question is, “If you could sit down with the artist, what would you ask him?” If I had the opportunity, I would ask Gericault why he decided to make his work of art so large. It’s huge! Seeing a beautiful work of art in person has no comparison to seeing it on a computer screen. To be able to walk inside the Louvre and see this massive painting in person would be absolutely breathtaking. The Raft of The Medusa is by far my favorite Romanticism painting. What your favorite French work of art? 

~DeRael                 

French 101

The French Seminar yesterday with Ms. Bowie was such an educational experience, I learned the basics of the French language and how to pronounce each word. I realized that the anatomy of French is similar to the anatomy of Spanish in that both have a masculine and a feminine ways of ending a French word. I found it slightly easy for me since I am a Spanish speaker and know the different pronunciations and ways of saying words.

At the beginning of the seminar, Ms. Bowie showed the class the common French words in the English language, some words were not even defined because we used the same words regularly such as “bouquet” or “ballet”. I kept reminding myself to not pronounce the last letters, like “genre”, when saying the word; I have to remind myself to say “jan” as an easier way of pronouncing it.

After that lesson, we then learned about the countries that speak French, I was actually surprised to see that many African countries speak French because of colonization centuries ago. Some of the countries include Algeria, Morocco, and even all the way to Cameroon. Ms. Bowie also showed us statistics of France with their 65.8 million people and the 95 “Départements” of France.

Learning the greetings was probably the most fun part of the seminar, we were split into groups of two, and each partner had to say their part. My lines were, Ja m’appelle Julian, Et toi? Which translated to, “My name is Julian, and you?” Then my partner (De’Rael) and I said goodbye in French; I had to say “A plus tar” while my partner said the other way of saying goodbye, but it was just too much of a struggle for me to say, sadly.

Then the best/worst part came of the seminar… The food. Ms. Bowie showed the different types of delicious foods of France, including the éclair which just absolutely worsened my hunger. The chocolate glazed on top the soft fresh bread , man, just thinking about it make me hungry right now… Anyways, we saw the different types of foods from breakfast to dinner, while learning the pronunciation of the foods.  When I heard the food “Poulet Frites” I mistakenly thought it was fried chicken… but it was actually “chicken with fries”, I put my hand to my face while also giggling.

I loved this seminar because I learned French and knew how to pronounce each one, as I learned that you need to use the muscles on your throat to pronounce certain parts, which is a little uncomfortable. I liked how Ms. Bowie described her background by telling us where she came from and how her society was like. It truly saddens me that there will only be two more seminars.

~Julian