Modern Art1/28/13, Day 4

Neo-Classicism, Part 1

Movement by artists trying to resurrect the order and balance of Ancient Greek and Roman art

Mengs (German), “Parnassus,” 1761o Quotes from Raphael’s version of the subjecto Winckelmann, a theoretician, comments on the time about

imitation of classical art thinkers like him were interested in the depiction of male

beauty rather than female beautyo by reviving the art of the past, they thought they could also bring

back the past values as well

Mengs, “Jupiter & Ganymede” o Pompeii ruins were discovered so there was a craze for ancient

roman themes

Joseph-Marie Vien, “Temple of Hymen,” 1773o Madame Dubarry rejected the Pursuit of Love series by Fragonard

because she wanted to follow the trends so she commissioned this painting instead

o not as fluffy and frivolous as Rococo but there’s still in interest in tender, sweet gestures and nature

Jacques-Louis David, “Oath of the Horatii Between the Hands of their Father,” 1784o Draws contrast between men as being civic minded and women as

giving into their feelingso Makes the statement that art should have a moral or civic purpose and

not just be for pleasureo David studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and won the Prix de Rome

on his fourth attempto Emphasis on working from male nude not female nudeo Licentious subjects were banned from the Salon (like those of Boucher

and Fragonard)o King Louis XVI commissioned David’s paintingo David’s choice of which part of the story he would paint is

unconventional his scene is unrecorded in literature

emphasizes unyielding loyalty and determination regardless of the consequences

has been hard for scholars to read in political terms; David was very involved in the French Revolution, but this painting was commissioned by king four years before Revolution (at this point nobody thought the revolution would be as radical and bloody as it became)

some argue that David is trying to be harsher than academic practice would’ve called for (compare to Peyron’s “Death of Alcestis”)

Men are kind of flat and not very unique looking

Peyron, “Death of Alcestis,” 1785o shows greater variety of expressions and depth, making it more

academic because it allows artist to display all of his academic technical training

David, “Death of Socrates,” 1787o Shows great variety of expression; David submitted to a later Salon

than “Oath of Horatii” o has archeological detail, still life, antiquity themeo closes off background with a wallo private commission

David, “Lictors Returning to Brutus the Bodies of his Sons,” 1789o Shown at same Salon as his “Paris and Helena”o At this point (year the Bastille fell) David becomes very involved in

Revolution and uses his profession as a painter as his form of weaponry

o voted for death of king and queen once he was elected to governmento part of the Jacobins (under Robespierre)o when Robespierre went to the guillotine, David was imprisonedo decapitated kings sculptures on the façade of Notre-Dame

sold heads for masonry; a closet monarchist bought them and preserved them, and recently they were found in the basement of Notre-Dame