Art Essay: Art 203 Final Exam

Art 203 Final Exam
Art in eighteenth and nineteenth century took many roles in history illustrating the modern world. Courtly art was uninterrupted through the renaissance period until it came to standstill in the eighteenth century antiquated by the rise of the Bourgeois class. With countless revolutions emerging throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth century, ensued by the new found enlightenment, artists became liberated with the subjects used in their art, depicting political ideals of the artist and rebellion inspired propaganda. Art and its role was not only political, but also emotional and conceptual which lead to the art we know of today. The mid-sixteenth century was the beginning of discovery and new ideals, northern Europe being the forefront of this change. In the Dutch Republic the development of a middle class, also known as the Bourgeoisie, became realized. This new class structure was created through self-achievement. The Bourgeoisie was not considered nobility, however they were wealthy enough to be considered a higher class than the peasants. Dutch middle-class art remained unscathed by the surrounding ideals, and ultimately became an isolated phenomenon. The middle class did disappear for a small part of the late fifteenth century. Notwithstanding, in the eighteenth century a new establishment of middle-class art arose through Europe dejectedly lacking the link to the earlier manifestation. The bourgeoisie became the upholders of taste in the eighteenth century. The Bourgeoisie could afford to commission art and in turn created a new role for artists. Artists became autonomous for whom they created their art for. Before this time the artist was restricted to the two main commissioners: the church and the royal family. The middle class commissioned artists like Rubens to paint portraits. With the end of the eighteenth century, art became less a display of wealth and religion and more of an illustrated emergence of the modern world. In