Morality and the Art of the Classical Era
During the 1700s, morality played a large part in arts; the styles of these arts were classified as Rococo and Neoclassical. This was because the commoners found that the Church officials were spending unreasonable money. In Rococo art, morals were not considered the most important thing. Instead, it was enjoyable. Unlike Neoclassical, the arts were backed up by good morals. The goal of this was to inspire people to live with good morals and spread positivity.
The first piece I am displaying today is "Pilgrimage to Cythera" by Jean Antoine Watteua. Some say Jean Antoine was the birth of the Rococo Era. This was created by oils in Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin, in 1717-1718. "This piece takes influences from Flemish master Peter Paul Rubans and Venetian Renaissance giants like Titans" (Artsy)
What sticks out to me the most is the Renaissance landscape. On the right, we are shown a forest. In the middle, we see very light blue, indicating a body of water. We are also presented with human figures. After a detailed analysis, those human figures are paired with a male and female. They each indicate a relationship at different stages. The island separated by the water is named "Love Island," which makes sense. We can see three little cupids flying over the top of it.
This is a prime example of Rococo as we take this piece for a sense of love and enjoyment. This piece gives off a romantic fantasy in this setting; they appear to finish up as all the human figures are paired up and are in "love.” I appreciate the use of lines that make out each figure. The lines also help us decipher the depth of getting a close view of this romantic scene while the island of love appears miles away.
I would not own this piece, as it doesn't seem appropriate to have on my house walls. I have no deep appreciation for it. I enjoy the washy color scheme, but I do not like fantasy love being forced by cupids.
The “Annunciation" was created in 1472-1476 by the master Leonardo da Vinci in Florence. Leonardo demonstrates his works through oil on panels with elements of tempera and wood. The artwork portrays a Christian theme, in which we are presented with two human figures. The one on the right is the Virgin Mary, also known as Jesus's mom; on the left, we see an angel named Gabriel. In this scene, Gabriel delivers the news to Mary that she will now be pregnant, and with God's one and only son, Mary is hit by a wave of shock and disbelief, which we can see in her body language.
The most famous art element is the dove; we see that Gabriel has a pair of dove wings, which comes directly from the bible, an excellent example of symbolism. “I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove and resting upon him” (John 1:32). If we focus on both figures, we will notice a bright gold ray covering both figures. This was not done to add color but to represent the Holy Spirit. As mentioned before, humanism shows each figure's posture extremely well. This is important in this piece as it shows strong emotion.
This is a strong example of Neoclassical art as this painting is a testament to the power, faith, and importance of following God. The moral lesson here is that when faced with unexpected circumstances, we should continue to have faith and obey God. Mary was hit with such an enormous responsibility as she believed in God and accepted her fate with open arms.
At first, I thought this would be a good piece to have in Sunday school to teach children to follow God, but I don't think young kids would appreciate the art enough and would rather have veggie tales. I would not own this as I have nowhere to display religious art.
I have saved the best for last; the final piece I am presenting is “Wanderer Above the Sea Fog,” painted by Casper David Friedrich in 1818. This piece was created with oil paints and originated in Germany. It embodies the character of art movements that represent solid emotions and the sublime beauty of nature. The power of nature is dominant in the canvas. Friedrich used the German landscape as inspiration. This canvas also tells a story about when he was little and his relationship with nature. When Friedrich was 13, his brother and him were skating on a frozen lake when the ice cracked, causing his brother to fall in and drown.
I appreciate the use of color and light in this piece. The sun is the primary light source, suggesting it's out and in front. However, the sun is not quite bright enough, causing fog and clouds to diffuse. This technique allows the viewer to see all the colors without them being too strong and washing out the other colors.
Something that stood out to me was the dimensions of the canvas; compared to my previous pieces, it is much taller, as it is centered around a standing man. As the man's posture plays an important role, he appears to be leaning on one leg, known as contrapposto, which is Italian for “co" enter” or" opposite.”
I believe this piece exemplifies Neoclassical art, as this painting has been interpreted as an emblem of self-reflection on completing life. This piece holds so much intense emotion, and I think it is linked to the accident with his brother. I believe it is almost a scene of a natural battlefield. How hard it can be to forgive yourself for past regrets and to be able to move and count one's journey in peace and not grief and guilt.
If you have read my previous blogs, you will know I have a deep appreciation for water scenes. I would own a copy of this and put it in my office. It doesn't match the theme, but I believe in its message, and I love the color scheme.
Sources:
Zaczek, Iain. “Pilgrimage to Cythera | History, Description, & Facts | Britannica.” Www.britannica.com, 3 Nov. 2023, www.britannica.com/topic/Pilgrimage-to-Cythera.
Parenti, Daniela. “Annunciation | Artworks | Uffizi Galleries.” Uffizi.it, 2019, www.uffizi.it/en/artworks/annunciation.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI like your choices of artwork. Your final one, “Wanderer Above the Sea Fog,” is so cool! It reminds me of the views in the game I play called Elden Ring. They have breathtaking views and make me want to go hike a ridgeline and see something of that magnitude myself. The endless world, traveling forever, such adventure. I had considered writing about morality for my piece, I was going to use “Death of Socrates” (linked below) by Jacques Louis David as one of the works. I’ve been getting interested in this era of art because this is where I see history and art all work together—the changes in art from togas and angelic beings to modern people and times. Big names like George Washington and Napoleon come into the picture. Numerous revolutions happened, and Adam Smith wrote the Wealth of Nations. I also appreciated your analysis of Cupid's love and the couples on Love Island in the first piece of art.
Jacques Louis David | The Death of Socrates | The Metropolitan Museum of Art (metmuseum.org)