With the rise of the middle class, the death of Louis XIV at this time, the high society in Paris became the pinnacle of fashion. Rococo was a light, ornamental, and elaborate style of art, identified by elegant and detailed ornamentation and the use of curved, asymmetrical forms. The style appealed to the senses rather than intellect, stressing beauty over depth. The movement portrayed the life of the aristocracy, preferring themes of romance, mythology, fantasy, everyday life. The Rococo style is sometimes considered to be the end of the Baroque period and was eventually replaced by Neoclassicism during the American and French Revolutions at the end of the eighteenth century.
Ryan Lerner The French Revolution is widely regarded as one of the most bizarre times in the history of the world. One of the most bizarre occurrences from this movement came with the adoption of a new French calendar. With the French movement, the phrase, “liberty, equality, and fraternity” became increasingly important. However, the adoption of the revolutionary calendar actually undermined all three of these values. While this calendar may have seemed very logical, promoting religious and social reform, it actually did much more harm than good.
In the following articles, “Beethoven’s Instrumental Music”, written by the music critic and composer, E.T.A. Hoffman, and “On the Concept of Classical and Romantic Music,” written by the music critic and poet, Karl August Kahlert, both authors attempt to define the essence of romanticism. Through their attempts, the idea of the sublime is recognized in their definitions as they distinguish from the classicist and the romanticist. E.T.A Hoffman saw instrumental music as the most ideal Romantic form. He characterized the ideal art as “mighty and immeasurable” (Hoffman, 1813).
Rationality and empirical data became important cornerstones of Enlightenment thought. Meanwhile, John Locke broke with the religious doctrine of Original Sin in his An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. He argued that humans were a blank slate (tabula rasa) upon entering the world, and were subsequently shaped by temporal experiences. Like the later philosophes, Locke believed that the human condition could be improved. Britain’s domestic stability formed another major influence upon the philosophes, especially given the corruption and inefficiancy of the French government.
This Age of Enlightenment saw a shift toward loosened morals and a light-heartedness in the social climate that was, in turn, reflected in the art of that time period. Some characteristics of Rococo art is light, airy colors and delicate, curling themes. In fact, the root word for rococo comes from the French word “rocaille” meaning “shell work” (MindEdge, 3.16). The subjects of Rococo art were usually people depicted in a light-hearted manner and frequently contained themes of indirect eroticism, or elements of love and romance, such as cherubs. Following this art period, a new art movement emerged: Neoclassicism.
His new style was without any doubt Italian, it showed an individual talent and a profound study of Italian painters. Vouet introduced the Italian Baroque style in France with such paintings as The Toilet of Venus, but his late works displayed the soft, idealized modeling, sensuous forms, and bright colors for which he is best known for. In The Toilet of Venus, I noticed that Venus is naked and is only covered with elegant fabrics. I also noticed some cherubs holding the mirror that Venus is looking
Then, briefly summarize the main points of the essay and closely read, summarize, and reflect on the author’s discussion of Benozzo Gozzoli’s Journey of the Magi (found on page 7). Finally, try to connect the author’s discussion of this work to previous class content. “Images of the East in Renaissance Art” held a lot of detail on the movement of the Renaissance. The Renaissance was perceived as a period of enlightenment where there was huge shift in new ideas and developments. As stated in the reading, “Images of the East in Renaissance Art,” the Renaissance built bridges through concepts that have never been spoken about previously.
Research Renaissance Artist Project Paolo Veronese Between 1300 and 1600 there was a big blast of creativity in Europe. This period was called the Renaissance that means the rebirth of art and science. During this period all kind of art flourished: sculpture, painting, literature, music, architecture; and a lot of great artists that we still admire emerged. Painting was one of the most outstanding areas in Renaissance art. Artists retook classical characteristics and also introduced new ones as: realistic features, perfect bodies, background, light perspective, and perfectly proportionate figures.
“Four Stages of Progress and Fear of Decay: The Intellectual Atmosphere of the Age of Enlightenment” The 17th and 18th centuries (1600s and 1700s) saw huge changes throughout the Western world. A “Scientific Revolution” occurred and science began to dominate most intellectuals’ thoughts. This started in the late 16th century and spread and grew throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Major changes that led to this revolution included the development of new methods of observation and data collection and advances in printing which made it easier for scientists to share their work. Empiricism became the buzzword as more and more people began to agree that things must be observed in order to be understood.
Northern art continued to rally through its predecessors of the late medieval period and traditions that followed in the means of great attention to detail. This Italian influence created a greater influence on simple means enthralled into the actions of other characters and surrounding figures rather than the main theme. More tendencies that fell into place in the North were naturalism and realism, a detailed form of portraiture, and a stunning interest in landscape. Jan Gossaert’s painting, Neptune and Amphirite withholds these new standards influenced by the Reformation. Both figures are exquisitely crafted and detailed; their bodies look immaculate and sculpted to a serene perfection.