Blog 5: Morality in the Classical Era

       The mid 1700s brought a major shift in artistic style. The dominant art style at the beginning of the 1700s was a style that came from France called Rococo. Rococo art was characterized by pastels, curving lines, and am emphasis on pleasure and indulgence. These styles of paintings reflected the taste of aristocracy. In the mid 1700s, Rococo went out of style and was replaced by Neoclassical style. This style is drastically different from Rococo. It is often somber and appears to capture a moment frozen in time. Characters are often in the middle of an act. These paintings depicted acts for the good of all, and promoted moral virtues. Morality was a driving factor in this shift, and can be reflected in the paintings themselves. 

        Our first painting is The Swing by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, created in France in 1767. Though it was only 81 cm x 64.2 cm, this oil on canvas painting is incredibly beautiful and grand. On the first look, it appears to only be a beautiful woman on a swing. You may miss the two men in the painting. One is in the bottom right corner, and is using rope to pull the woman on the swing. The other man is in the bottom left and is beneath the woman, looking up her skirt. The use of color in the painting draws attention to her. The use of the trees to filter light onto the woman furthers the contrast between her and her darker surroundings. For example, the shadows almost swallow the man that is swinging her. This is a Rococo style painting. Though it's beautiful, it depicts the self-indulgence and frivolity that was taken into question during this time. The rich attire of the woman on the swing indicates status. The man pushes bushes out of the way, gazing up her skirt while she swings. Her legs split apart and her shoe flies off. Reportedly, this work was commissioned by a gentleman of the court who wanted an image of his mistress swinging while he admired her. Looking closely at the way he gazes up at her, pushing the bushes out of the way, the painting develops a playful, yet oddly sexual aspect. Playfulness and romance and pleasure were common Rococo themes. This contrasts to the themes of Neoclassical style. Our next painting is Death of Socrates, by Jaques Louis David. 

                Death of Socrates was created in 1787 in France by Jacques Louis David. Socrates was a Greek Philosopher who was convicted of impiety by the Athens court. This painting depicts a somber scene, as Socrates opted for self-sacrifice since he was unwilling to renounce his beliefs. You can see the emotion reflected in the characters around Socrates. They look away, have their heads in their hands, or turn towards the sky. They all appear defeated. In contrast, Socrates is the image of strength and confidence, despite his imminent death as he reaches for the cup of poisonous hemlock. The colors are dark and there is heavy use of shadow, which enhances the solemn mood. This painting is an example of a Neoclassical painting. Instead of lighthearted, ornamental luxury, it's a depiction of an important act. Socrates had a heavy influence on philosophy and his self-sacrifice was significant. Furthermore, during the mid 1700s art critics began to call for more history paintings. This is a perfect example of that. This scene would've taken place in 399 BC. This goes to show how the publics distaste of the moral decline changed the subject matter of paintings.  

        Another example of Rococo art is The Blonde Odalisque by François Boucher. This was a French painting created in 1751. Odalisque translates to "female slave or concubine." This particular woman was one of King Louis XV's mistresses. He was around 14-15 years old when this was painted. This painting has Rococo aspects such as the pastel colors and gentle lines. The artist, Boucher, was a prominent Rococo artist. Boucher frequently received criticism on his moral depravity, particularly from Denis Diderot. Denis Diderot was a philosopher and art critic who was a prominent figure during the age of enlightenment. Boucher was highly popular, but his paintings were repeatedly bashed for their frivolity and eroticism. Boucher did a good job using shadow and lines to give the drapes and pillows texture. His use of pastels and gentle lines makes the woman appear soft and a bit hazy, which was common in Rococo. This painting is intimate and delicate. This painting is blatant in it's eroticism and indulgence.

        Our last painting is Oath of the Horatii by Jaques-Louis David. This painting was created in France in 1785. It depicts a Roman scene, where the Horatii brothers are taking an oath to protect Rome, which was under a threat from Alba.  Heroism was common on Neoclassical paintings. These artworks focused on deeds for the good of all, rather than self-benefit and frivolity. This painting has a heavy meaning, as these men will conquer or they will die. They will either be heroes, or they will have sacrificed themselves in effort to protect their home. This reflects the depth and meaning that the Rococo style paintings had been lacking. This is the result of the publics call for morality in art. The Neoclassical shift was certainly a change, in subject and technique and color use. One thing I like about this painting is how organized it is and how the background gives the painting so much depth. The use of shading and shadows does a great job at making the room seem big. The lighting and spread of bold colors on the characters make them stand out. This painting also reflects a moment of history, as art critics wanted. 

        The drastic differences between the subject matter of the Rococo and Neoclassical paintings is a result of the concern over moral depravity. The paintings we've discussed reflect this. Personally, I would not own any of these paintings. 

Sources: 

C. McCoy. David, Oath of the Horatii. Khan Academy. 2016. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/later-europe-and-americas/enlightenment-revolution/a/david-oath-of-the-horatii

François Boucher and Denis Diderot. Spencer Alley. 2016. https://spenceralley.blogspot.com/2016/04/francois-boucher-and-denis-diderot.html

The Death of Socrates. Metropolitan Museum of Art. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436105

A. Bruckbauer. Jean-Honoré Fragonard, The Swing. Smarthistory

https://smarthistory.org/jean-honore-fragonard-the-swing/