Morality and the Art of the Classical Era
The Classical Era consisted of the Rococo and Neoclassical
styles of art. Many great art pieces came from this period. There were many
changes going on during this era throughout Europe and America. Two of which
were the French Monarchy and the creation of the United States. Through the
period of Enlightenment there was an emphasis put on reason, intellect, and
secular concerns. There was also an emphasis on the common man and less on religious
undertones. The first two paintings I have selected are of the Rococo style,
and the sculpture is Neoclassical.
The Stolen Kiss
Fragonard, Jean Honore. Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg,
Russia
The Stolen Kiss was painted by Jean
Honore Fragonard in the 1780s. Fragonard was a student of Boucher and when he painted,
he used rapid brushstrokes. His paintings contained overtly erotic subject
matter. This painting relates to the era because it appears to be a painting of
people who are seeking pleasure and show emotion. There does not appear to be any religious
undertones.
I think this is a beautifully
painted scene. It appears to be showing us a couple who may be in a secret
relationship. The room although it has a mostly dark background shows signs of
elegance and simplicity. You can see on the far right of the painting a door
that is slightly open and people sitting just beyond that, perhaps the reason
for having to steal a kiss. The biggest thing that draws my eye to the painting
is the young lady’s dress. There is so much detail put into it, it is as if I
could reach out and touch it. It looks soft and silky and looks like it would
be a comfortable dress to wear.
I would own this painting if it
were possible. Not so much for the meaning of it but just because I like the
way it looks. It is very appealing to me. I just enjoy looking at it.
Jean-Baptiste Greuze, The Village Bride, 1761
This painting is of a country village wedding. In it we see
a bride, her new husband, the bride’s father and mother, sisters, and other
family members gathered along with a notary who is present to make the marriage
official. The bride and the husband are
the focus of the painting as they are staged in the middle of the work. If we
look closely to the right of the husband, we can see what appears to be the
father of the bride reaching out his hand to shake the hand of his new
son-in-law after what appears to be a dowry.
Now turn to the left of the bride, and we see the bride’s
mother and sister embracing the bride’s arm. They appear to be sad yet content
at the same time since the bride has married some she loves.
The painting implies that the two love each other through
the way theirs arms embrace each other’s. This painting reflects on the natural
aspect of man and the simplicity of life. It is not a wedding based on money,
political power, or convenience. Jean-Baptiste Grueze (1725-1805), the
painter, got his start in the field in 1755 when he painted a group of
paintings at the Salon. Grueze’s paintings were sentimental and melodramatic
and were based on the idea of morality. His paintings stand out in this era
because of the focus on the movement of natural man and moral philosophy.
Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss
Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss was made by Antonia Canova,
an Italian artist, and was commissioned in 1787 by Colonel John Campbell. It is
located at the Louvre Museum.
This sculpture depicts the scene of when Cupid brings Psyche back to life. Venus, the mother of Cupid had Psyche bring back a flask of something from the underworld and told her not to open. However, Psyche as too curios about the flask and decided to open it. As soon as she did, she fell into a death-like sleep. Cupid could not stand to see her that way to he touched her with his arrow and then while holding her in his arms, kissed her.
This sculpture is representative of the Neoclassical style of the classical era because of its godly deeds aspect and it’s representation of heroism. I chose this sculpture because it brings about the emotions of love, passion, and the details throughout it. Who wouldn’t be inspired by a sculpture that shows someone being revived by love? There is a great amount of detail in this work. You can see the passion on the faces of the figures, the flask that was opened, and the arrows on Cupid’s back.
I think this is a beautiful piece of art. I would love to
have it in my home, although I would not have room for it. It shows passion and
great love in my opinion.
Martin, Dana. Greuze, The Village Bride, Khan Academy
Visual Arts in the Classical Era. Art 200x Explorations of
Art
https://art200.community.uaf.edu/2009/04/24/03-visual-arts-2/
Psyche Revived
by Cupid’s Kiss, www.antoniocanova.org
Hawk,
ReplyDeleteI loved reading your blog, I think you did an amazing job! I really loved how you shoed us the painting and sculpture and then did close up pictures so we could see the details even better. I have to agree with you that the classical era was having major changes between the Rococo style and Neoclassical style. I liked how you chose to tie in paintings and sculptures for this assignment and not one or the other. Great post!