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PART IV
THE MODERN WORLD
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
ART IN THE AGE OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT,
1750 1789
Google Earth Coordinates:
Chiswick House, near London
The Pantheon (formerly Sainte Genevieve), Paris
Compare and Contrast
Image Flashcards
Term Flashcards
Rome toward 1760: The Font of Neoclassicism
Key Images
Anton Raphael Mengs, Parnassus, p. 788, 23.1
Gavin Hamilton, Andromache Bewailing the Death of Hector, p. 789, 23.2
In the wake of archaeological discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum, there was a
Romanticism in Rome: Piranesi
Key Images
Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Tomb of the Metalli, p. 790, 23.3
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Giovanni Battista Piranesi was a printmaker who explored the use of vedute of Rome
to elicit intense emotions in the viewer. The scale of the monuments, one of which
Neoclassicism in Britain
Key Images
Thomas Banks, The Death of Germanicus, p. 791, 23.4
Materials and Techniques: Josiah Wedgwood and the Neoclassical Jasperware, p. 792
The Death of General Wolfe,
p. 795
In England, Neoclassicism had its roots in the appreciation for and the love of ancient
authors dating to the time of Augustus, as well as a recognition that England was
experiencing a period of peace and prosperity similar to the Golden Age of Augustan
Rome.
In his The Death of General Wolfe (23.6), Benjamin Wolfe updated and transformed
history painting by producing a contemporary history painting. Even though the
painting was not well received by King George III and Joshua Reynolds, the work
was applauded by the public when it was exhibited at the Royal Academy.
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Early Romanticism in Britain
Key Images
Henry Flitcroft and Henry Hoare II, Park at Stourhead, Wiltshire, p. 800, 23.11
Horace Walpole, with William Robinson and others, Strawberry Hill, Twickenham,
p. 801, 23.12
In England, early Romanticism manifested itself in garden design and melancholic
spaces. These gardens were not only picturesque, but they had embedded layers of
literary and historical references.
Neoclassicism in France
Key Images
Jacques-Germain Soufflot, The Panthéon (formerly Sainte-Geneviève), p. 807, 23.20
Marie-Joseph Peyre and Charles de Wailly, façade of the Théatre Français (Théâtre de
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Jacques-Louis David, The Oath of the Horatii, p. 814, 23.27
Jacques-Louis David, The Death of Marat, p. 815, 23.28
Marie-Louise-Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun, Self-Portrait with Daughter, p. 816, 23.29
Jean-Baptise Greuze s genre paintings were an embodiment of Enlightenment ideals
espoused by Rousseau, with an emphasis on virtue and naturalism. Greuze s style
incorporated theatrical elements, such as the tableau vivant, as well as the intensity of
the history painting.
The sculptures of Jean-Antoine Houdin were classical and realistic.
Italian Neoclassicism Toward 1785
Key Images
Antonio Canova, Cupid and Psyche, p. 817, 23.30
Key Terms/Places/Names
Neoclassicism
Voltaire
Romanticism
linearity
Rational Classicism
planarity
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Discussion Questions
1. In what ways did the spirit of Neoclassicism differ from France to England? In your
opinion, what accounts for this shift in emphasis?
4. In what ways did John Henry Fuseli s The Nightmare (23.17) exemplify
Romanticism in England?
5. How did the theme of Angelica Kaufmann s Cornelia Presenting her Children as
Her Treasures (Mother of the Gracchi) (23.5) reflect the Enlightenment teachings of
Jean-Jacques Rousseau?
8. Describe the differences between the painting styles of Thomas Gainsborough
(Portrait of Mrs. Richard Brinsley Sheridan) (23.18) and Joshua Reynolds (Lady
Sarah Bunbury Sacrificing to the Graces) (23.7).
Resources
Books
Abrams, Ann Uhry. The Valiant Hero: Benjamin West and Grand-Style History Painting.
Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1985.
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Roberts, Warren E. Jacques-Louis David, Revolutionary Artist: Art, Politics, and the
French Revolution. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1989.