Week 5 Art that Communicates PDF

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Week 5 Art that Communicates by Erin Morris (Instructor) - Wednesday, 27 January 2021, 12:47 PM Number of replies: 1 Both Neoclassical and Romantic art were used as ways for governments, institutions and individuals to convey their messages.   

Which of these two styles do you think is better at getting a message across? How is that style effective? What characteristics help the viewer understand the intent of the image?

Please refer to one or more specific images in your discussion. As always, you may wish to include your image to help your classmates respond to your post.

Neoclassicism and Romanticism, which flourished throughout Western Europe and the United States, are two movements that originated after Rococo. Romanticism originated in the 18th century and was initially associated with music and literature (Black-McCoy, n.d.). It was a revolt against the Age of Enlightenment’s aristocratic social and political norms and a counteraction to the scientific rationalization of nature (Lumen, n.d.). Jacques-Louis David, a French painter, inspired by the Neoclassical style, was known for his classical and realistic themes, and the surface of his paintings was smooth without evidence of the brush strokes (Gersh-Nesic, n.d.). His work included the “Oath of the Horatii”, which showed three brothers who were about to go into battle swearing their oath to the swords held by their father (Zucker & Harris, n.d.). To their right, you could see the wives who displayed emotions of sadness (Zucker & Harris, n.d.). When it came to literature, theatre, music, and architecture, Neoclassicism did a great job expressing the message (Lumen, n.d.). Neoclassicism also coordinates with the French and the American Revolution, as the people wanted to rise against their oppressors, and while they could not openly say it, artists such as Jacques-Louis David achieved this through paintings (Gibbons, 2019). As we examined David’s Oath of the Horatii, we see the repetition of the number three throughout the painting. There are three arches, three women, three men, and three swords: a holy number representing the father, son, and the holy ghost, letting people know it was a righteous decision and the poses are rigid, sending a morality message (Gibbons, 2019). There is also a sense of simplicity, and the pavement created a geometric stage for the figure, with the orthogonal lines of the pavement ending at a vanishing point where the father’s hands clasped the sword (Zucker & Harris, n.d.). This kind of art was in keeping with the ideals of the Enlightenment philosophers and showed how willing they were to sacrifice themselves for their country.

Neoclassical art was characterized by pulling inspiration from ancient Greece and Rome, with a re-emergence of nudity in sculpture and paintings. The works feature clarity of line, colour, shallow space and the powerful horizontal and vertical lines offer the subject matter a timeless quality (Gersh-Nesic, n.d.). The artists sought to create universal moral lessons that would educate and improve the viewer. The composition is also very orderly and balanced with minimal movement. Reference Black-McCoy, C. (n.d.). Romanticism in France. Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/becomingmodern/romanticism/romanticism-in-france/a/romanticism-in-france. Gersh-Nesic, B. (n.d.). Neoclassicism, an introduction. Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/monarchy-enlightenment/neoclassicism/a/neoclassicism-an-introduction Gibbons, E. (2019). Understanding the styles of art: Neoclassical. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwPD8srolXQ Lumen. (n.d.). Boundless Art History. Neoclassicism and Romanticism. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-arthistory/chapter/neoclassicism-andromanticism/. The State Hermitage Museum. (n.d.). Cupid and Psyche. The State Hermitage Museum. https://www.hermitagemuseum.org/wps/portal/hermitage/digitalcollection/06.+Sculpture/56792/?lng=en. Zucker, S., & Harris, B. (n.d.) David, Oath of the Horatii (video). David, Oath of the Horatii. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/later-europe-andamericas/enlightenment-revolution/v/david-oath-of-the-horatii-1784....