French Revolution
The French Revolution was a period of far-reaching social and political upheaval in France and its colonies beginning in 1789. The Revolution overthrew the monarchy, established a republic, catalyzed violent periods of political turmoil, and finally culminated in a dictatorship under Napole…
What style of art emerged from the French Revolution?
Style of art emerged with Neoclassicism (18th Century) followed by Romanticism (19th Century) and Impressionism. The French Revolution has inspired famous paintings, including Death of Marat, The Card Players, Napoleon’s Coronation, and La Danse. Here are 10 paintings mostly inspired by the French Revolution.
How has the French Revolution influenced the works of artists?
The French Revolution, especially Napoleon Bonaparte, has influenced the works of various artists. Most of the paintings, inspired by the French Revolution, are painted by one famous neoclassical artist, Jacques-Louis David. There are numerous other paintings created by many French painters.
What happened to French art after the French Revolution?
After being defeated at Waterloo in 1815, Napoleon was exiled and the Bourbon monarchy was restored in the person of Louis XVIII. With the revolution, French painting resumed its moral and political purpose and embraced the style known as neoclassicism.
What are the most famous paintings of the French Revolution?
This list travels through the French Revolution by examining the most famous French Revolution paintings, each with a story to tell. Marie Antoinette with the Rose(1783) by Élisabeth Louise Vigée le Brun
What is the French Revolution painting called?
Liberty Leading the PeopleLiberty Leading the People, oil painting (1830) by French artist Eugène Delacroix commemorating the July Revolution in Paris that removed Charles X, the restored Bourbon king, from the throne.
What role did art play in the French Revolution?
The French Revolution upended the state-based system of educating and rewarding artists, but only for a time. During the Revolution, artists either participated in propagandizing the aims and ideals of the revolutionary cause or risked being denounced and imprisoned by zealots.
How did art change during the French Revolution?
The Neoclassical style of art emerged, While the Rococo style of art had been whimsical and focused mainly on wealthy subjects, “Neoclassical art is characterized by self-sacrifice, nationalism and patriotism” (The French Revolution and Painting). I think The Death of Marat is a perfect example of this.
What was the official style of the revolution?
Neoclassicism became the official style of the Revolution.
How did the French Revolution impact Neoclassicism?
The Neoclassicists wanted to express rationality and sobriety that was fitting for their times. Artists like David supported the rebels in the French Revolution through an art that asked for clear-headed thinking, self-sacrifice to the State (as in Oath of the Horatii), and an austerity reminiscent of Republican Rome .
Who painted the French Revolution?
Liberty Leading the People (French: La Liberté guidant le peuple [la libɛʁte ɡidɑ̃ lə pœpl]) is a painting by Eugène Delacroix commemorating the July Revolution of 1830, which toppled King Charles X of France.
Who was the most famous painter of the French Revolution?
painter Jacques-Louis David“The French Revolution gave an enormous impulse to the painting of heroic subjects,” Gombrich writes. “The leading artist of this neo-classical style was the painter Jacques-Louis David (1748 – 1825), who was the 'official artist' of the Revolutionary Government.
Who adopted the Neoclassical type?
Johann Joachim Winckelmann Neoclassicism began in Rome, as Johann Joachim Winckelmann's Thoughts on the Imitation of Greek Works in Painting and Sculpture (1750) played a leading role in establishing the aesthetic and theory of Neoclassicism.
Which of the following describes the Rococo style?
Rococo style is characterized by elaborate ornamentation, asymmetrical values, pastel color palette, and curved or serpentine lines. Rococo art works often depict themes of love, classical myths, youth, and playfulness.
Is French Baroque classicism?
French Baroque architecture, sometimes called French classicism, was a style of architecture during the reigns of Louis XIII (1610–43), Louis XIV (1643–1715) and Louis XV (1715–74).
How did the French Revolution affect the Rococo movement?
The French Revolution played a large part in the decline of Rococo, which was followed by a revival of classical ideas, or the Neo-Classical period. The painters of this period rejected Rococo ideals and developed exemplum virtutis (Jarrasse 168).
What is the difference between Baroque and classicism?
Baroque was a new classicism exaggerated by intense light and shadow, dramatic perspecitves, and a sometimes exuberant use of colour.
How did the French Revolution affect the Rococo movement?
The French Revolution played a large part in the decline of Rococo, which was followed by a revival of classical ideas, or the Neo-Classical period. The painters of this period rejected Rococo ideals and developed exemplum virtutis (Jarrasse 168).
How did the French Revolution influence French culture?
The events of 1789-93 also changed how people lived, dressed and spoke. Shifts in fashion were a noticeable outcome of the revolution. The ornate costumes of the aristocracy and haute bourgeouisie – a trapping of wealth and extravagance – had largely disappeared by 1791.
Who painted the paintings inspired by the French Revolution?
Most of the paintings, inspired by the French Revolution, are painted by one famous neoclassical artist, Jacques-Louis David. There are numerous other paintings created by many French painters.
What style of art did the French create?
There are numerous other paintings created by many French painters. Style of art emerged with Neoclassicism (18th Century) followed by Romanticism (19th Century) and Impressionism.
What is the painting Napoleon Crossing the Alps?
Liberty leading the people. 2. Napoleon in his Study. 1. The Tennis Court Oath. Napoleon Crossing, the St.Bernard Pass, is also known as Napoleon Crossing the Alps. It is an oil painting painted on canvas by the French artist Jacques-Louis David (1800). This painting shows Napoleon riding a horse into the battle.
What is the meaning of the painting "The Death of Marat"?
This painting is a reflection on the causes of the French Revolution and the revolt of the awakened Third Estates against other estates. 6. The Death of Marat. The Death of Marat was painted by Jacques – Louis David in 1793. It is the portrait of one of the most famous murders of the French Revolution.
What were the artists of the French Revolution inspired by?
Artists mostly of the period of the French Revolution were inspired by Napoleon Bonaparte and other major events of that period. Paintings were all made to bring back the incidents that took place during that period.
How long did the French Revolution last?
The French Revolution lasted for 10 years ( 1789 -1799), and it was full of impactful events that changed modern history. It impacted not just the nations but also artists all around the world. Many inspirational paintings that have been inspired by the impactful revolution are mentioned here.
What flag does the French woman hold?
In one hand, she is holding a tricolour flag which is the flag of the French Revolution and in other waving a weapon.
Who was the most important artist of the Revolution?
Neoclassicism, already an important style before 1789, had been employed as the style of the Revolution by David, who was, under Napoleón, the most important artist of the Empire.
What were the two social events that affected artists and art in France?
But two social events would impact artists and art, especially in France, and upend the promise of guarantees. The first event was the French Revolution , which forced artists to choose between King or country, aristocracy or citizens, and, which, during the Terror, eliminated the traditional patrons, the Church and the aristocrats.
Why did artists resist the Salon juries?
Denied political rights and freedom, artists began to resist the demands for the status quo and the edicts issued by the Salon juries and took a more independent path, seeking to attract the attention of the public. Born of political disillusionment, a new attitude began to take shape.
What was the Salon of 1785?
Salon of 1785. For the French artist, the annual Salon was the one chance to show and to become known. To be refused—rejected from the Salon–was to be a failure, a refusée, until the following year. Merely being accepted was not a guarantee of success.
What was the middle class interested in before the French Revolution?
Although impressed by prestigious history painting, this new class was interested in domestic themed art that reflected their ordinary lives suitable for middle class interiors.
What style of sculpture did the Salons use?
Sculpture in the Salons adhered to the Neoclassical style but what the audience saw were small-scale works or casts or maquettes for future public projects. Often the smaller works would be placed upon a crowded table and the sculptors suffered from the same kind of limitations to ideal viewing as the painters.
Why is history painting important?
History painting reigned supreme, prized because the difficult and didactic compositions, crowded with ancient notables, mostly partially nude, displayed the artist’s erudition and education and artistic skills. Only an artist educated in the École would be capable of drawing and composing a group of figures.
Who painted Marat as a martyr?
David painted Marat as a martyr who had died for his cause. This was no simple task, as the Frenchman had not died on the battlefield, but while bathing. “Marat was apparently in the habit of working in his bath and his bath tub was fitted with a simple desk,” Gombrich writes.
What did Gombrich describe in his book The Story of Art?
In his renowned study The Story of Art, the great EH Gombrich describes how the revolutionary ructions of the late eighteenth century altered the way artists viewed their own age, and the suitability of certain subjects when painting a historical-style canvas.
What did David and his fellow revolutionaries feel they were living in?
David and his fellow revolutionaries “felt they were living in heroic times , and that the events of their own years were just as worthy of the painter’s attention as the episodes of Greek and Roman history.”
What were the two artistic styles of the French Revolution?
The French Revolution (1789–1799) was flanked by two artistic styles, Rococo and Neo-classicism. Roco co is a decorative style of the early to mid-18th century derived from the French word rocaille meaning shell.
What was the dominant artistic style in France?
Leading up to and following the French Revolution, Neo-classicism was the predominant artistic style in France (and in Europe and the USA from about 1750 to 1830).
What did the French aristocracy do in France?
In France the aristocracy built elegant town houses (in French hôtels) that became salons—intimate areas for the exchange of conversations, intellectual gatherings and entertainment. The work of Jean-Antoine Watteau exemplified the French Rococo style in painting with scenes described as fête galantes or elegant outdoor entertainments.
What was the French Revolution?
The French Revolution began in 1789, when citizens stormed the Bastille prison in Paris. Within a few years, France had adopted and overthrown several constitutions and executed its former king. It found itself at war with most of the Continent and endured horrible violence at home during the Reign of Terror. Finally, in 1799, the successful young general Napoleon Bonaparte seized control and, in 1804, proclaimed himself emperor. Though he made important administrative reforms, he was preoccupied by constant warfare and his heroic but failed attempt to unite all of Europe by conquest. After being defeated at Waterloo in 1815, Napoleon was exiled and the Bourbon monarchy was restored in the person of Louis XVIII.
Who was the artist who helped the revolution?
Neoclassicism triumphed—and became inseparably linked to the revolution—in the work of Jacques-Louis David, a painter who also played an active role in politics. As virtual artistic dictator, he served the propaganda programs first of radical revolutionary factions and later of Napoleon.
Why did the Queen intervene in the painting of Vigée Le Brun?
The queen had intervened to ensure her election to the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, an honor accorded few women. More than two–thirds of Vigée Le Brun's surviving paintings are portraits. Most, like this one, are of women and children who are idealized —flattered—into a kind of family resemblance.
Why did Madame Vigée Le Brun flee Paris?
Madame Vigée Le Brun was part of the world she painted and, like her aristocratic patrons, was under threat of the guillotine after the revolution. She was forced to flee Paris in disguise in 1789. She had been first painter to Queen Marie–Antoinette and her personal confidant. The queen had intervened to ensure her election to the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, an honor accorded few women.
When did Ingres start to pose Madame Moitessier?
Ingres began to pose Madame Moitessier in the 1840s, but the work languished. This second attempt was begun after the aging artist—he was 71—had been roused from depression by the prospect of his remarriage in 1852.
How did David describe Napoleon's tireless dilligence?
David described Napoleon's tireless dilligence: "He is in his study. . . . The candles flickering and the clock striking four remind him that the day is about to break. . . . He rises. . . to pass his troops in review."
What was popular taste before 1789?
Even before 1789, popular taste had begun to turn away from the disarming, lighthearted subjects of rococo ; as revolution neared, artists increasingly sought noble themes of public virtue and personal sacrifice from the history of ancient Greece or Rome.
Introduction
The French Revolution lasted around 10 years. It was a time of turmoil, despair, bravery, patriotism and violence. While the public of all classes (except the higher wealthier classes of course) were suffering and it was quite a dampening milieu, art was still a popular way to intrigue, excite, and mobilize people and their beliefs.
Neoclassical Period in the Revolution
A great example of how the French Revolution influenced the Neoclassical period of art is the Death of Marat by Jacques-Louis David. Marat was a publisher who was murdered by Charlotte Corday, presumably a woman he was going to publish a piece of.
Romantic Period in the Revolution
The Romantic period is one of my favorite periods of western art till now. The color and excitement that comes from the art at that time is really invigorating. A great example of this feeling is when I look at Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix. We can see the obvious influence Eugène has had when it came to the French Revolution.
Conclusion
When there is media, there is inspiration, and when there is inspiration, there is something going on. Environmental factors, social and political events and internal feelings affect a lot of what we project. The same goes for the artists of the 18th and 19th centuries.
References Used
David and The Death of Marat. In Khan Academy. Retrieved July 20, 2015, from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/monarchy-enlightenment/neo-classicism/a/david-and-the-death-of-marat.
Marie Antoinette with The Rose (1783) by Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun
- Élisabeth Louise Vigée le Brun was a French painter known for her portraits of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France. Le Brun produced over 30 royalist portraits for the court. After gaining popularity at the Académie de Saint-Luc, she struck up a relationship with the queen and became her offici…
The Storming of The Bastille (1790) by Jean-Baptiste Lallemand
- The life of Jean-Baptiste Lallemand is less documented than other painters in this list. Hailing from Dijon, Lallemand spent much of his early career as a landscape artist in Italy. Enjoying success, he was commissioned by the Pope, and many of his Roman scenes were displayed back in France. Following his return home in the 1760s, Lallemand became a member of the Académi…
The Lictors Bring to Brutus The Bodies of His Sons (1789) by Jacques-Louis David
- It is difficult to describe the French Revolution without considering Jacques-Louis David. He produced some of the most famous French Revolution paintings. An influential figure in the revolution, his work is inescapably political and offers unparalleled insight. A Parisian, the genius of David was noticed early, even if his caretakers initially resisted his artistic fascinations. After t…
The Tennis Court Oath (1790-1792) by Jacques-Louis David
- The Tennis Court Oathis an unfinished French Revolution artwork by Jacques-Louis David, on which he worked between 1790 and 1794. Initially an engraving produced for the Salon of 1791, the painting ran into financial and political trouble in the years following. David wanted to depict the taking of the Tennis Court Oath by members of the Third Estate in 1789, which took place o…
The Death of Marat (1793) by Jacques-Louis David
- One of Jacques-Louis David’s most famous French Revolution paintings, The Death of Marat symbolized a dark turn in the revolution. As fighting between the Girondins and Robespierre’s Montagnardsbecame more aggressive, Jean-Paul Marat was assassinated in July 1793. Marat was known for conveying the revolutionary message in pamphlets and publications. His assassi…
Portrait of A Revolutionary (1794) by Jean-François Sablet
- Jean-François Sablet was born into an artistic family from Morges, Switzerland. After moving to Paris, he and his brother joined the Académie and studied under the same master as Jacques-Louis David – Joseph-Marie Vien. His early work consisted of portraits and genre scenes with a calculated use of color and movement. Despite his revolutionary beliefs, Sablet spent the early r…
Marie Antoinette Being Taken to Her Execution (1794) by William Hamilton
- The only painting on this list not composed by a French artist is Marie Antoinette being taken to her Execution. William Hamilton was a painter from England known for his Shakespearean scenes. He was a member of the Royal Academy in England and also painted contemporary events, such as the piece presented here. The painting is Neoclassical, hesitant towards any gra…
Demolition of The Chateau Meudon (1806) by Hubert Robert
- Hubert Robert was another forerunner of the Romantic movement. Robert enjoyed a bourgeois upbringing in Paris and sharpened his early artistic skill in Rome. There he became infatuated with ruins, becoming his central subject, and he earned the nickname “Robert of the Ruins”. Due to his apolitical stance, Robert was imprisoned for a year under the revolutionary regime and narrowly …