2. Classicism - Emphasis on reason and rationality as the source for truth and happiness. - Nature is the ultimate source of rationality and reason. - People achieve potential through education and engagement in a healthy society. Romanticism - Emphasis on emotion, passion, and direct contact with experience for the source of truth and happiness. - Nature is wild, ever-changing and sublime. - People achieve potential through personal inspiration outside of the corrupting influence of society.
11. Neo-Classicism Social Classical subject matter Derived from the ancient history Focus on the human events Unemotional Restrained SUBJECT Romanticism Individual and/or nature Exotic subject matter Derived from personal inspiration Human part is only secondary to the larger power of nature Passionate Wild and Chaotic
12. Neo-Classicism Use of clean lines Organized/structured Muted color Symmetrical STYLE Romanticism Lines are often rough and unfinished Wild/Chaotic Vivid color Asymmetrical
Notas del editor
Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog Begin with Friedrich’s Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog Ask students to apply their observation of the painting: solitary man not set in particular time/place not related to history background is an equal part of the painting as the figure no face – who the person is isn’t important edge of cliff, suggesting danger as well as the immensity of the landscape nature is: rugged, serene, mysterious, inspiring man’s relationship with nature is to observe and be inspired by it. Not about social/human engagements Contemplation
Romanticism: Arises from the same origins as the enlightenment, but goes in a different direction, and is in some ways a reaction against it. Both were against controlling social order of monarchy and oppressiveness of the church Enlightenment – saw answer in developing a new order of rationality and reason Romanticism – emphasized the liberation through powerful emotional experience Both share a desire to return to nature – but how they see that nature is very different. Describe differences between Enlightenment and Romanticism world view (on powerpoint) The two are rarely completely split and you will find elements often crossing over.
Liberty Leading the People Tell them to look at Death of General Wolfe for a minute then show Liberty Leading the People. Ask them to observe what is different: Class of people – lower class Not in epic style – not connected to earlier story or allegory Passionate and dramatic Movement – not static Death although noble is grim and ugly
STORY = “Sardanapalus, an Assyrian ruler of the seventh century BCE, held out against his besieging enemies for two years before his palace fell. Delacroix depicted the last moments of Sardanapalus, who watches as all his treasures, horses, and concubines are brought together to be burned with him in a defiant act of self-immolation.” Emphasis on the exotic – not necessarily historical. – not a moral of contemporary world, but the exotic as an end in itself, for its strangeness and passion. Vibrant color Swirling movement – tangled bodies Passionate moment of tragedy, horror and death – This is NOT noble sacrifice Imagine the difference if David had painted this. S. would be much more central and the suffering of the concubines would be sidelined. This is not the nobility of sacrifice.
Another example of dealing with human realm, but also touching on the relationship with nature. Shows a criticism of social institutions. Governmental incompetence that results in the tragedy in 1816 of an unseaworthy ship setting out to sea in a storm and sinking. Survivors on a raft, that was populated by those that weren’t worthy of lifeboats, suffer horrible hardship and resort to cannibalism. To prepare he studied corpses, interviewed survivors and read numerous news accounts. There are elements of classicism and he was a student of David. Neoclassicists thought it vulgar as it took a contemporary event and relegated it in a form that was the realm of the epic and historical. The size of the painting is large – 16/23 feet.
The Slave Ship , Hannibal and His Army Crossing the Alps , Eruption of Vesuvius disjointed diagonals provide fragmented composition space is three dimensional turbulence of events are mirrored in the loose techniques of painting expression of doom dominates form and content. Emphasizes the power of nature over man. Even mankind’s great deeds and civilizations are eclipsed, or decimated by the power of nature. This depicts a slave ship throwing overboard its still living, but dying “cargo” The ship seems to be at the mercy of the waves. The bright sunset suggests the glory of nature in contrast to the despicable actions of mankind. Could it be punishing mankind?
The Slave Ship , Hannibal and His Army Crossing the Alps , Eruption of Vesuvius disjointed diagonals provide fragmented composition space is three dimensional turbulence of events are mirrored in the loose techniques of painting expression of doom dominates form and content. Emphasizes the power of nature over man. Even mankind’s great deeds and civilizations are eclipsed, or decimated by the power of nature. Hannibal’s crossing the Alps is one of the great military accomplishments of mankind. He did what no one though could be done and attacked Rome from the north where it was vulnerable. This epic event is eclipsed by nature’s storm as it blocks out the sun and roars across the mountains. The subject here is nature and the storms. Hannibal is secondary.
The Slave Ship , Hannibal and His Army Crossing the Alps , Eruption of Vesuvius disjointed diagonals provide fragmented composition space is three dimensional turbulence of events are mirrored in the loose techniques of painting expression of doom dominates form and content. Emphasizes the power of nature over man. Even mankind’s great deeds and civilizations are eclipsed, or decimated by the power of nature. The awesome explosion of nature in a devastating display crushes human civilization that is forced to flee like ants from the onslaught of destruction.
Caspar David Friedrich – Polar Sea “ megalithic monument to man’s defeat” technique is impersonal and meticulous – eliminating the artist, nature dominates no heroism or morality – just the unmerciful force of ambivalent nature that makes humanity only a footnote in time’s passing.
