Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Art History Discussion: Neoclassical/ David

David's Oath of Horatii

Ideas 

  • A father is telling his son's what to do, morally one should follow what their father tells them.
  • Morality is something that can be known.
  • The father tells his son's to kill the son's of the enemy family.
  • The women do not back the son's up because they are guided by emotions.
  • One of the sons swears an oath to his father to go kill his wife's brother.
  • David wants a political world that is right, perfect, and fair.
  • He believes that everything that is immoral, must be destroyed, and morality must be understood.

Visual Expression

  • The swords are as clear and as sharp as morality.
  • The father's robes are lightly colored, rather than passionately dark colored, showing reason over passion.
  • The women are illustrates by lightly flowing lines and pastel colors to demonstrate that they are Rococo, they are guided by their emotions rather than by reason.

Moral Lesson


  • Teaches the moral lesson that one should follow reason rather than emotion, and that one should lay down their life for what is morally right.

  • Political Background
    • France is a horrible political situation, and many people desire a Roman style of government.
    Jacques Louis David's Death of Socrates

    Ideas and Beliefs
    • Socrates decides that he is going to kill himself, for it is morally right.
    • Socrates followers are emotionally upset about Socrates decision.

    Visually Expressed

    Moral Lesson
    • One should die for what is morally right.

    Political Background

    French Revolution

    David
    • He was a revolutionary painter who was creating paintings that promoted government reform to reflect the government of the Greeks and the Romans.
    Ideas
    • France is in Debt after helping assist the US in the American Revolution.
    • The Business men driving the economy of France are being taxed heavily, so to avoid being taxed heavily, they buy royal titles to avoid being taxed.
    • The Church and Nobility have a lot of money and land.
      • The Church and Nobility don't pay taxes
      • The Church does not farm their land
        • People are starving due to lack of food.
    • No one with money can be taxed, so now only the poor people are able to be taxed. 
    • The Church votes together, and controls the government over the business men, who are the only ones who are truly contributing to the economy. 
    The Goal of the French Revolution
    • To create heaven on Earth through reason
    Jacques-Louis David's Death of Marat

    Ideas and Beliefs
    • Marat wants equality, everything he does is to serve the people.
    • Marat is murdered.
    • Marat died in his journey to serve the people.
    • Marat died to do what he felt is morally right.
    • David is painting the truth, he is painting facts, and these facts are drawing emotion.

    Visual Expression
    • Illustrated as a Martyrd
    • Portrayal of facts in order to invoke emotion
    • Light is drawn across the wall realistically, in a very shocking and jarring way.
    Jacques Louis David's Napoleon at Saint Bernard

    Ideas and Beliefs
    • France is surrounded by people who want monarchies and tyranny.
    • Napoleon spread the idea of Napoleonic law, in which everyone is to be treated equally across everywhere he goes.
    • When Napoleon is defeated, places go back to being monarchies.
    • After all of Napoleon's efforts, everything became a monarchy again.

    Visual Expression
    • Heavy Boroque Style, with inspiration from a Brunellecshi Statue 

    Neoclassical

    Cultural Beliefs

    • You should follow reason and do what is right.
    • Morality is something that can be known.
    • The Template of Morality is the Family, with the Father being the Head of the Family, and Women being unreasonable and passionate.
    • One should not be motivated by passion, but by reason.


    How They Are Visually Expressed

    • Subject matter must be of ancient roman history
    • Must be Archaelogically Accurate
    • Has a High Moral Message
    • Uses Roman style similar to ancient Freezes
    • Individuals who are passionate and very Rococo are drawn with flowing lines and pastel colors.

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