Early Nineteenth Century Art
Neoclassicism and
Romanticism
Neoclassicism
Neo (new) Classicism (refers to Ancient Greek and
Roman times)
The artists of this period admired the work of ancient
Greek and Roman artists and sought to emulate the values
that characterized classical art: simplicity, harmony,
balance, stability, dignity, nobility, and heroism.
Major Neo Classic Artists:
Jacques Louis David
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
A Reaction to Rococo
Every movement is art is a reaction of some kind to what
preceded it. Tastes change and the pendulum swings from
one side of the spectrum to the other.
Although we will be looking primarily at painting, the
architecture of each period reflects the contrast quite
clearly. Compare Rococo extravagance with Neoclassic
austerity (plainness) in these next slides.
A return to austerity
The Rococo period that preceded Neo Classicism was
characterized by excess, by ornamentation, and
frivolity.
The palace of Versailles, where the French kings lived
in the 1700s, is the best example of Rococo tastes.
The Hall of Mirrors at Versailles
Compare this with the Neo Classic taste
for simplicity, order, and restraint.
Jacques Louis David
David was foremost among the painters of the Neo Classic period.
He lived from 1756 to 1825, and was therefore caught up in the
revolution that swept the French monarchy out of power in 1789.
David’s paintings reflect support for the revolutionary ideals that led
to the overthrow of the Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette: liberty,
equality, fraternity
He eventually became a court painter and propagandist for the
Emperor Napoleon 1, who came to power after the French
Revolution and the Reign of Terror.
David- The Oath of the Horatii -1784
David – The Death
of Marat - 1793
David –
Napoleon in his
Study - 1812
David – The Coronation of Napoleon –
1805/1807
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
Ingres was a pupil of David.
Although he too painted large political works, he is best
remembered for his virtuoso portraits.
These portraits, and his classical nudes have a timelessness
and calm that transcend any passing political issues or events.
Ingres believed that line was the most important element in
painting. Look for his superb use of graceful line in the
following paintings.
Ingres – The Bather
of Valpincon - 1808
Ingres – Mme
Moitessier - 1851
Ingres – Mme Moitessier - 1856
Ingres – Comtesse d’Houssonville - 1845
“Romulus—Victory over Acron”
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, 1812
Painted for Napoleon’s palace in Rome.
“The Sabine Women”
Jean Auguste Ingres, 1799
“The Oath of Brutus”
Gavin Hamilton, 1767
The oath was sworn as a promise of individual revenge
against a corrupt monarchy.
“The Death of Socrates”
Jacques-Louis David, 1787
The death of Socrates was a symbol of republican virtue.
“The Oath of the Horatii”
Jacques-Louis David, 1784
A depiction of dutiful patriotism.
“The Consecration of Napoleon & Josephine”
Jacques-Louis David, 1805-1807
A very different theme:
The celebration of worldly splendor and power.
“The Apotheosis of Homer”
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, 1827
This assembly of great artists and writers of all ages gathered
to honor the ancient Greek poet before a classical temple.
Activity: Make a PPT.
Research one work of David or Ingres.
Collect facts about the painting.
Make guesses.
Decide what you think the artist is trying
to express.
Express your personal
Romantic
Period
•Ferdinand Victor Eugene
Delacroix
•Francisco De Goya
Characteristics
The artists of the Romantic period portrayed
dramatic and exotic subjects
Their images were full of intense feeling
Paintings from this period were much livelier than
the work of the Neoclassicists. They were often
full of movement, with more swirling and dynamic
compositional lines.
Romantic
Characteristics
An artistic work reflects the artist - art as
expression - introspection/self-
centeredness
Artists could be nonsocial or even
antisocial
Artists attempted to express emotion
directly and subjectively
Theodore Gericault
Gericault probed the extremes of mental illness in his
portraits of psychiatric patients, as well as the darker side
of childhood in his unconventional portrayals of children.
In his portrait of (41.17), a young boy of about five or
six, the child appears intensely serious, more adult than
childlike, while the dark clouds in the background
convey an unsettling, ominous quality.
Alfred
Dedreux
The Raft of the Medusa - 1819
THEODORE GERICAULT
French Romantic, 1791-1824
Gericault greatly
influenced the work of
Delacroix
Considered one of the
first to “load his
shadows” with emotion
& power
His dramatic, Raft of
Medusa, is considered
a Romantic masterpiece
Ferdinand Victor Eugene Delacroix
EUGENE DELACROIX
French Romantic, 1798-1863
One of the most
famous Romantic
painters, Delacroix
embraced nationalism
(a favorite Romantic
topic)
On the left, his Liberty
Leading the People
expressed French
nationalism, during the
Revolution of 1830
Delacroix’s famous, Death of
Sardanapalus, was based on Lord
Byron’s account of the last dramatic
moments of the Assyrian King
EUGENE DELACROIX
French Romantic, 1798-1863
At right, a guard
slits the throat of
a harem woman
Delacroix was
renowned for his
use of theatrics
and movement
with a dramatic
use of color
Delacroix – The Lion Hunt - 1861
Arabs Skirmishing in the Mountains -
1863
Women of Algiers - 1834
CASPAR DAVID FRIEDRICH
German Romantic, 1774-1840
Preoccupied with God &
nature, Friedrich often
intertwined nature and
the divine
He advised peers to
“Shut your physical eye
and look first at your
picture with your
spiritual eye.”
His, Cloister Cemetery in
Snow, on the right is an
example of this synthesis
CASPAR DAVID FRIEDRICH
For Friedrich, nature
was a manifestation of
the divine
He often portrayed
humans overwhelmed
by their surroundings
and longing for infinity
On the left is his
famous, Chalk Cliffs of
Rugen, an example of
that longing for infinity
Joseph Malford William Turner
English Romantic, 1775-1851
Like many Romantic
artists, Turner painted
dramatic landscapes
He loved ships at sea
being tossed by
nature’s force
At left a ship is thrown
in his Snowstorm
J.M.W.
TURNER
A prolific artist, Turner
skillfully use light and
color to depict the power of
the locomotive
Early in his career he
accurately depicted such
scenes
As he developed he used
general fields of color to
convey power
