Characteristics of Classical Art

It is considered that the 18th century began in 1715 with the death of Louis XIV and ended in 1815 with the fall of Napoleon I and the Congress of Vienna. The “Enlightenment” is a term that designates a cultural and philosophical movement that dominated in Europe, and more particularly in France. By extension, they gave the name Enlightenment (in French: Lumière) which led to the advent of democracy, in England and the United States with the American Revolution, and in France with the French Revolution. Rococo style was founded during this period in Paris, and was then adopted by Austria and Germany. In order to get a clear idea, I’ll be defining the Rococo Style, then introduce two of its pioneers.

According to Delécluze, the term “rococo” is coined, around 1797, in derision by Pierre-Maurice Quays. It results from an association of the French word “rocaille” which designates an ornamentation imitating rocks and natural stones and the curved shape of certain shells and the Portuguese word Baroco: “baroque.” The term Rococo has long had a pejorative character before being accepted by art historians around the middle of the nineteenth century and considered a full-fledged European artistic movement. This style was involved in architecture, the decorative arts, painting and sculpture. It develops from 1715 to 1780, in France and then in the Holy Roman Empire, and in Southern Europe (Savoy, Italy, Spain, Portugal). Between Rococo and classical art a remarkable difference. I’ll expose it in a grid below.

“Les Grâces présidant à l’éducation de l’Amour,” around 1735, by Francois Boucher, is considered one of the finest examples of French rockery. The decor of the Hotel Soubise was made by François Boucher, Charles Joseph Natoire, and Carle van Loo, among others, and remains intact to this day.

Moreover, William Hogarth and Jean-Baptiste Greuze are two pioneers of Rococo. William Hogarth, child of the Glorious Revolution, was very early recognized by critics and identified in France in 1753 by Denis Diderot as a brilliant spirit. Hogarth is a complete artist, who embraced several modes of expression, and whose influence continues until the early twentieth century. As the first free and singular artist of the English school of painting, he did not hesitate to use the press and his networks of friends to defend his ideas, while expressing, as much by the pen as the brush, the wanderings, the pleasures, and the moral contradictions of his time.

The famous Wedding-à-la-mode series, generously lent to the Louvre Museum by the National London Gallery, is based on real facts but also on a Dryden comedy and a little previously by David Garrick. The paintings are painted in anticipation of their transition to engraving reverse the scenes. This series describes the unhappy marriage of a young man, son of an improvident and impoverished aristocrat shown as an “end of race,” and the daughter of a rich merchant. The ridiculous, the frivolous, the misunderstanding, the ruin then the death punctuate each of the six episodes of the series. But here again, the freedom and vanity of the figures, their gestures and accoutrements, the attention to interiors and pets, revealing the protagonists’ tastes, go beyond social satire and constitute one of the peaks of Lights (Hogarth, 1743).

In addition, Jean-Baptiste Greuze, born in Tournus in 1725, occupied a considerable place in French art of the 18th century. He became famous, a celebrity that is difficult to imagine today. Talented draftsman, prolific painter, he is represented in the collections of many French and European museums, American and Russian. The Broken Eggs was painted in Rome by Greuze. This picture symbolizes the loss of virginity. “The little boy trying to repair one of the eggs represents the uncomprehending innocence of childhood. It attracted favorable comment when exhibited in Paris at the Salon of 1757. One critic noted that the young girl had a pose so noble that she could embellish a history painting. Its pendant was The Neapolitan Gesture of 1757 (Worcester Art Museum) in which the same four models appear, but the seducer is foiled by the old woman” (Greuze, 1757).

In conclusion, the Rococo style was a very famous style during the Glorious Century. Many artists became famous and adopted that style. The Rococo has many unique characteristics that attracted the artists. It was mainly presented by portraiture and by familiar symbolic scenes full of activities. The choice of colors also differs in that style – the pale colors. Greuze and Hogarth shined by presenting paintings of such style and by treating social or holy scenes or bourgeoisie. The Rococo movement, with its emphasis on beauty and emotional expression, played a critical role in shaping European art, influencing future artistic trends and setting a foundation for modern aesthetics.

References

• Delécluze, E. J. (1797). Term “Rococo” coined by Pierre-Maurice Quays. Art History Review.
• Hogarth, W. (1743). Wedding-à-la-mode. National London Gallery.
• Greuze, J. B. (1757). The Broken Eggs. Paris Salon.