Art and Society - Grade: A+ PDF

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Art and Society essay comparing two worls...

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Student Shawn Cheatham ARH 2000 Art & Culture 5 November 2019 Art and Society Artists can use their art as a form of commentary on society. They have the ability to point out societal flaws and past transgressions. With their art they can spark a conversation or create a change. Numerous artists have done so already with their paintings, photography, installation pieces, etc. The problem that sometimes arises with this power is that the compositions meaning can become skewed and biased by the artists own viewpoints. This however does not take away from the impact an artwork can make. Two pieces that are persuasive in conveying their message are The Third of May, 1808 by Francisco Goya and The Execution of Emperor Maximillian by Edouard Manet. The Third of May, 1808 by Francisco Goya is an oil on canvas painted in 1814. The painting depicts Napoleon Bonaparte’s troops executing Spanish citizens during the French occupation of Madrid in 1808. The composition was obviously created after the even occurred, thus not making this an eye-witness account. Goya, however, had lived through the occupation of Madrid. He was commissioned in 1813 by Spanish King Ferdinand VII to memorialize the event. The medium of the painting that Goya chose speaks volumes as to the impact of the work. Oil paintings have been around for centuries since the Renaissance. Those artworks have lasted thousands of years and are still admired today. Due to this, the painting by Goya has more weight because the audience recognizes that the artwork will last a long time and tell later generations of the horrors faced during that time. The painting serves to record history. One reason The Third of

May, 1808 is persuasive in its telling of the horrors and atrocities of French Occupation is due to it’s organization. There is a clear delineation between the firing squad and the innocent civilians. The civilians are in chaos with no structure but the firing squad in perfect order with their guns pointed straight and unwaveringly at the civilians. None of the firing squad members faces can be seen. Meanwhile the civilians are in a halo of light with their faces showing their fear and apprehension. The most emphasized figure in the painting stands with his hands stretched out in a pose that mirrors the lying, dead figure next to him (Debra J. Dewitte 644). Another factor that makes Goya’s painting persuasive is that it is emotionally charged. In 18th century art, battle and death were represented as a bloodless affair with little emotional impact (Goya, Third of May, 1808). However, Goya presents his audience with an anti-hero who isn’t heroically dying in battle but is rather being slaughtered like an animal The Execution of Emperor Maximillian by Edouard Manet is also an oil on canvas painted from 1867 to 1869. The painting shows the execution of Emperor Maximilian of the short-lived second Mexican Empire by firing squad. Emperor Maximillian’s death was the culmination of many events. Chiefly, Napoleon III intervened in Mexico to prevent it from gravitating toward the United States. Thus, French troops invaded Mexico in June 1863, and an assembly of Mexican notables proclaimed Maximilian Emperor. Later, the United States demanded that the French withdraw their army, and Napoleon, in 1866, complied. Deserted by his supporters, Maximilian was captured in 1867 and condemned to death. He was shot in reprisal for the summary executions he himself had ordered (The Execution of Emperor Maximillian, 1867 by Edouard Manet). The materials utilized for this composition serve the same function as in Goya’s painting. Oil paintings lasts a long time and thus, so will the provocative scene that is depicted in the painting that portrays the horrible way in which

Maximilian died. This painting is persuasive in the same way that Goya’s because of the clear delineation between the firing squad and the Emperor and the organization of the figures. In the painting, an execution squad of six Mexican soldiers shooting the first victim, General Mejia, after just being given the order to do so (In the Line of Fire: Manet's 'The Execution of Maximilian). General Mejia is shrouded in smoke. Standing behind the firing-squad is a noncommissioned officer preparing to shoot. The firing squad are collected and detached with noncommissioned officer looking quite bored. Emperor Maximilian seems calm and regal grasping onto the hand of General Miramon whose unyielding gaze is directed towards the firing squad. The people looking over the wall look in on the scene in shock and surprise. The firing squad has their weapons pointed unwaveringly towards the Emperor. There is an ordered chaos contained in the painting from the public setting to the facial expressions. The painting has a detached feeling to it, it feels impersonal. Manet’s painting was inspired by Goya’s. The organization, subject matter, stylistic choices are all similar. Manet borrowed heavily, thematically and technically, from Goya’s The Third of May, 1808. Goya inspired the victims' poses, the decentered composition, the bareness of the landscape setting and the crowd looking over the wall (In the Line of Fire: Manet's 'The Execution of Maximilian). One of the differences between the painting is that Goya does not shy away from showing the bloodshed in his composition while Manet’s is clear of blood and gore. Another difference is that Goya’s image includes absolute heroes and villains. Goya had lived through French occupation of Spain, but Manet was not in Mexico when the execution of the Emperor occurred. Manet seems to have borrowed elements of the work from eyewitness newspaper reports circulating in France (World Art). Goya is also admonishing society in his work for being complicit in acts of violence and is also criticizing countries who wage war

(Goya, Third of May, 1808). Meanwhile, the tone of Manet’s work remains coolly indifferent. The painting seems to resist taking a definitive stance on the controversial events surrounding Maximilian’s execution. Both paintings, however, show a favor for the innocent and a condemnation of the French. I do believe that artists have a responsibility in times of conflict or violence. They have a responsibility to record history. I have always believed that art is what lives on when a society dies. Countless works of art survive from societies and civilizations that no longer exist. No matter what the situation, an artist should record it for future generations so that they can back and learn about the society of that time period. Art can serve as reminders for society, even now, of the atrocities that humans are capable of carrying out and it also has the ability to hold society accountable for their actions. Artists have the ability to capture society at its most vulnerable which can later be used to motivate society to better itself. It can show how far a society has come. In conclusion, The Third of May, 1808 by Francisco Goya and The Execution of Emperor Maximillian by Edouard Manet are both persuasive in conveying their messages by making the victims appear to heroic and regal while being surrounded by indifference and chaos. Both works of art ridicule society and people’s involvement in inhumane acts. They both show a favor for the innocent and the condemnation of countries that engage in acts of violence. Nonetheless, the compositions are different in regard to their tone and the authors personal experience in regard to the tragedies they painted.

Works Cited DeWitte, Debra J., et al. Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts. Thames & Hudson, 2018, Digital Nortons. “The Execution of Emperor Maximillian, 1867 by Edouard Manet.” The Execution of Emperor Maximillian, 1867 by Edouard Manet, www.manet.org/the-execution-of-emperormaximilian.jsp. “Goya, Third of May, 1808.” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/becoming-modern/romanticism/romanticism-inspain/a/goya-third-of-may-1808. The National Gallery, London. “In the Line of Fire: Manet's 'The Execution of Maximilian'.” The National Gallery, www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/learn-about-art/paintings-indepth/in-the-line-of-fire-manets-the-execution-of-maximilian?viewPage=4. “World Art.” Annenberg Learner, www.learner.org/courses/globalart/work/44/index.html....