Versailles, Rococo, Neoclassical, and Romantic Art Test Review



Versailles, Rococo, Neoclassical, and Romantic Art Test Review

I. Age of Louis XIV (Late 1600s-Early 1700s)

A. Basic characteristics

1. The purpose of art was to glorify Louis XIV and his achievements, developed his image as the Sun King

2. Louis’s lavish patronage made France the center for the arts in Europe

3. The period was also known as French Baroque.

B. Versailles Palace

1. Designed by Louis Le Vau, Charles Le Brun, Andre Le Notre, and Jules-Hardoine Mansart

2. Famous for the Hall of Mirrors and beautiful gardens complete with classical-style statues and luxurious fountains

C. Portrait of Louis XIV

1. Painted by Hyacinthe Rigaud in 1701

2. Depicts the regal power of the “Sun King”

3. Painted during the Baroque period, contains tenebrism and has a dramatic quality

II. Rococo (Early to mid-1700s)

A. Basic points

1. Light-hearted frivolous themes

2. Fete galante – a type of scene invented by Watteau in which refined gentleman and ladies relax and party in an outdoor setting

3. Appealed to the interest of French and Spanish aristocrats – “nobles at play”

4. Use of pastel colors as well as light brushwork to create beautiful paintings

5. Rococo buildings and interior design is known for being very ornate and decorative

6. Aristocrats also enjoyed decorating their homes with small terracotta sculptures such as those done by Clodion (ex. Nymph and Satyr)

B. Cupid a Captive

1. Painted by Francois Boucher in 1754

2. Demonstrates playfulness and frivolity of Rococo art

3. Boucher’s use of pastel colors typical of the style

4. Influenced by the work of Watteau

C. Self-Portrait with Two Pupils

1. Painted by Adelaide-Labille Guiard

2. Demonstrates her interest in being recognized as artist and teacher

3. Her style was popular with French aristocrats

4. Was a contemporary of Elisabeth-Vigee Le Brun

D. Giambattista Tiepolo

1. Italian painter famous for his ceiling frescoes

2. Worked in the Late Baroque into the Rococo era

3. Known for his bright and cheery color usage as well as his illusionistic scenes – fitting for Late Baroque and ornate Rococo ceilings

E. Marriage a la Mode

1. Series of satirical paintings by William Hogarth during 1740s (while Rococo is still popular)

2. Hogarth is considered the father of English painting.

3. The series exposed problems with the frivolous lifestyles of English nobles.

4. Hogarth also created engravings of the paintings which were published in newspapers.

III. Neoclassical (Late 1700s-early 1800s)

A. Basic points

1. Late 18th century – 19th century

2. The period was inspired by the discovery of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

3. French Revolution and Napoleon promoted Neoclassical values in art.

4. Emphasis on line over color

5. Themes drawn from classical civilization – myths, great stories, heroic figures – meant to inspire

6. Napoleon was the figure depicted most frequently during that time.

B. Cornelia Presenting Her Children as Her Treasures

1. Painted by Angelica Kauffmann around 1785

2. Kauffman portrays Cornelia eschewing worldly treasure in exchange for the virtue of raising children.

3. The morality of Kauffmann’s painting demonstrates an affinity with the work of Jacques-Louis David.

C. Oath of the Horatii

1. Painted by Jacques-Louis David in 1785

2. Based on an ancient Roman story

3. Reflects the calling of individuals to sacrifice themselves for the state – meant to inspire people

D. Death of Marat

1. Painted by Jacques-Louis David in 1793

2. Honors a famous figure of the French Revolution, who was assassinated

3. Demonstrates David’s devotion to the French Revolution

4. Contains elements that help viewer to focus on Marat – dramatic lighting with a stark background, David placed Marat close to the viewer, used a pose similar to Deposition scenes

E. The Death of General Wolfe

1. Painted by Benjamin West in 1771

2. Commemorates the death of a famous figure from the French and Indian War

3. West painted General Wolfe in a pose similar to Christ in Deposition scenes

4. Rather than clothe the figures as classical warriors, West used 18th century soldiers uniforms – innovative

5. The presence of the Native American helps to place the scene in the Americas

F. Monticello

1. Designed by Thomas Jefferson (his home)

2. Demonstrates the influence of Palladio and the Pantheon in Rome

3. Neoclassical architecture also known as the Federal Style in America

4. America was a new country and needed a new style of architecture that would convey its values and characteristics. The Federal Style used architecture that would reflect ancient Athenian democracy and Roman Republic, which was appropriate for the representative democracy being established in the United States.

G. George Washington

1. Full-portrait sculpted by Jean-Antoine Houdon

2. Contains classical symbols such as the fasces and plow

3. George Washington stands in contrapposto and is an idealized country gentleman.

4. Houdon carved sculptures of other distinguished figures of the 18th century.

H. Pauline Borghese as Venus

1. Sculpted by Antonio Canova

2. Canova is famous for his sculptures based on classical mythology as well as his sculptures for Napoleon Bonaparte (Napoleon arranged for Canova to sculpt a portrait of his sister Pauline). Canova also sculpted the lovely Cupid and Psyche.

3. Canova worked primarily in the early 1800s.

I. Grande Odalisque

1. Painted by Jean-Auguste Dominque Ingres in 1814

2. Demonstrates the highly-finished appearance of Neoclassical art

3. Venetians such as Giorgione and Titian began the tradition of painting recumbent nudes.

4. The subject is an odalisque, a female entertainer for a Turkish sultan, and the hooka pipe and peacock feather fan foreshadow the Romantic interest in the exotic.

5. Elongated proportions and twisted body position demonstrates the influence of Mannerists such as Parmigianino and Cellini

J. Paganini

1. Portrait sketched by Ingres of a famous 19th century violinist

2. Demonstrates Ingres’s interest in the draughtmanship and emphasis on line

IV. Romantic (Early 1800s to mid-1800s)

A. The Slave Ship

1. Painted by Turner in 1840

2. Was inspired by an actual event

3. Demonstrates the power of nature – a popular value among Romantics

4. Innovative for Turner’s free application of paint, emphasis on expressive color foreshadowed Modern Expressionist painting

5. A contemporary of Turner’s was John Constable, a famous English landscape painter

B. Raft of the Medusa

1. Painted by Gericault from 1818 – 1819

2. Based on an actual event

3. Gericault used a interlocking diagonal composition to create two pyramids

4. Contains Baroque qualities such as the lighting effects and sense of dramatic tension

5. Gericault was also interested in painting pictures of people in mental asylums

V. Rolling Review

A. Ancient Near Eastern and Egyptian Art (Beyond European Tradition)

1. Hammurabi’s Code

• Stele with the first comprehensive written law code

• Upper portion contains a bas relief of Hammurabi receiving authority to rule from the god Shamash

2. Dying Lion

• Bas relief created by the Assyrians

• Demonstrated interest in depicting the king’s ritual hunt

3. Stepped Pyramid of Djoser

• Designed by Imhotep, history’s first known architect

• Part of a mortuary precinct, which made the first known use of columns

4. Bust of Nefertiti

• Amarna style

• Carved during the New Kingdom

5. Pylon Temples

• Built by Egyptian pharaohs during the New Kingdom

• Exemplified dedication to the primary Egyptian deities

• The pylon was the monumental entranceway to the temple

• Pylon temples also contained huge hypostyle halls – rooms filled with columns supporting the ceiling

B. Ancient Through Medieval

1. Doryphoros

• Sculpted by Polykleitos during the 5th century

• Established a canon of harmonious human proportions for Greek sculpture

2. Colosseum

• a.k.a Flavian Amphitheater

• Commissioned by Emperor Vespasian in the first century CE

• Glorified the emperor and his family

• Provided mass entertainment for the Romans

3. Imperial Fora

• Created by various emperors such as Trajan to give to the people as glorify their own achievements (Trajan’s Column was a part of his forum).

4. Arch of Constantine

• Borrowed parts of monuments and arches dedicated to Hadrian, Trajan, and Marcus Aurelius, in order to compare Constantine’s achievement to the Good Emperors.

5. Catacombs

• Underground passages used by Christians and Jews for burial and occasionally for worship

• Early Christians painted biblical scenes inside the catacombs.

6. Ravenna

• Famous as the location of the best preserved Byzantine mosaics

• Location of San Vitale, a central-plan church, that contains mosaics of Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora

7. Lindisfarne Gospels

• Hiberno-Saxon illuminated manuscript

• Contains a famous carpet page with Celtic cross, interlace pattern, and abstract animal imagery

8. Palatine Chapel

• Commissioned by Charlemagne as his personal chapel

• Central-plan design was influenced by San Vitale in Ravenna

9. Bayeux Tapestry

• Depicts the Norman conquest of England by William the Conqueror

• Created during the Romanesque era (11th and early 12th century)

• Uses continuous narration

10. Gothic Cathedrals

• Popularized the usage of pointed arches and extensive areas of stained glass windows

• Contained large clerestories

• Used ribbed vaults and flying buttresses for support

• The choir section (area of the nave past the intersection with transept but in front of the altar)

C. Fourteenth – Sixteenth Centuries

1. Maesta

• Painted by Duccio for Siena Cathedral in the early 1300s

• Exemplifies a strong Byzantine influence (traditional composition, gold background)

• Duccio is considered a precursor of the Renaissance because his figures have more convincing modeling with light and shadow and demonstrate emotion.

2. Arena Chapel

• Contains a fresco cycle by Giotto

• Giotto is also considered a precursor of the Renaissance. Giotto restored back to art a greater interest in human anatomy, emotion, and interest in creating the illusion of a three-dimensional space. His shading presaged the development of chiaroscuro.

• Real people occupying real space and showing real emotion

3. Early Renaissance

• Donatello created the first free-standing nude since antiquity – David, made for the Medici courtyard in Florence.

• Masaccio was a great Florentine fresco painter who perfected chiaroscuro and the use of perspective in his work. He created a famous series on the life of Peter in the Brancacci Chapel in Florence which includes Tribute Money.

• Brunelleschi created the cupola (dome) for Florence’s Duomo and also discovered the principles of linear perspective.

• Alberti was an architect who designed churches and wrote books on linear perspective.

• Florence was the center of the Early Renaissance. Florence declined in prominence at the end of the 15th century, and with extravagant papal patronage, Rome became the center of the High Renaissance.

4. Cartoon of the Virgin and Child with Saint Anne

• Drawn by Leonardo da Vinci in preparation for a full-sized painting

• A cartoon is a preliminary sketch.

5. Moses

• Carved by Michelangelo

• Centerpiece of the Tomb of Pope Julius II

6. Venetian style

• Famous for using oil paints and rich colors

• Great masters include Bellini, Giorgione, Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese

• Also known for creating sensuality – Giorgione and Titian created recumbent nudes

7. Les Tres Riches Heures de Duc d’Berry

• Painted by the Limbourg Brothers for the Duke of Berry of France

• A book of hours contains prayers for different times of the day

• Renowned for its intricately painted calendar pages

8. The Garden of Earthly Delights

• Northern Renaissance

• Painted by Bosch from 1505 – 1510

• Depicts the Creation and decline of man, and eternal punishment for sinfulness

• Bosch’s fantastic imagery inspired the Surrealists

9. Albrecht Durer

• Famous German painter and engraver

• Created Fall of Man as well as many other engravings and woodcuts

• First Northern European artist to synthesize qualities of the Italian Renaissance with qualities of Northern Renaissance art (extreme attention to detail, hidden symbols)

D. Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries

1. Caravaggio

• Influential Italian Baroque painter

• Popularized the use of tenebrism, in which a raking light is cast onto the main figures while the rest of the painting fades into darkness

• Relied on ordinary people from the street as models for his religious paintings

• His work influenced Artemesia Gentileschi, Velazquez, and Rembrandt among others.

2. Vermeer

• Painted quiet domestic scenes of young women

• The light usually comes from the left side of the painting

• Intricate details in his paintings may be the result of using a camera obscura.

E. Twenty and Twenty-First Centuries

1. New York City replaced Paris as the center of the arts by the 1940s. This broke a tradition going back to the reign of Louis XIV.

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