The
philosophical movement of the 18th century called the Enlightenment
brought reason to political discussion. The enlightenment
philosophers (philosophes) believed that there were natural
laws to the universe and that these laws could be discovered
through rational thought. The enlightenment did not limit
itself to philosophy. There were similar developments in art.
The frivolous and elaborately decorated Rococo gave way to
the art movement called Neoclassicism.
The movement began in 1765 as a reaction to Baroque and Rococo styles and a desire to return to the classical elements of ancient Rome and ancient Greece. Visual art emphasized austere linear design. Subjects were classical themes.
Aude
Sapere
The
motto of the Enlightenment
was "aude sapere" or dare to think. This
came through in neoclassic art as well. In paintings,
the content was usually meant to be uplifting and
make a moral statement.
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The
Death of Socrates by Jacques Louis David,
1787
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
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The
Death of Socrates is a good example
of this. The painter, Jacques Louis David, was the preeminent
neoclassic artist. He promoted the values of the enlightenment
and French Revolution in his work. The ideals of the Enlightenment philosophy were put into action by the French Revolution. David illustrated these ideals as he chronicled the revolution.
In
the Death of Socrates the subject is the symbol of the
enlightenment himself: Socrates. The ancient Greeks had the
first enlightenment - the struggle between superstition and
reason. They were pioneers in the search for man's nature.
By his death he became a martyr for truth. He chose to take
the cup of poison hemlock rather than stop teaching.
In
this scene Socrates takes the cup of hemlock almost casually
as he continues his teaching to his mourning followers.
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Jacques
Louis David, Self Portrait
David quickly became an avid supporter of the French Revolution. He joined the "Mountain" and then later the "Jacobins", the most radical elements of the revolution. He became the official French painter. He survived the revolution to become Napoleon's offician painter. |