Sharon Spurling
ART101
November 7, 2010
Caleb Kromer
Throughout the history of art, there are many eras that helped to create many different pieces of art. In these eras, styles of painting changed and many of the different painting styles contrasted one another. Painting styles help to give a sense of the culture and history. Three of these eras: Neoclassicism, Impressionism, and Abstract Expressionism are just a few that reflected the differences in the painting styles, as well how the painting styles show the different ways of life. During the age of Neoclassicism, people were beginning to identify with the values of Greek and Roman heroes, along with their nobility, self-sacrifice, and their moral virtues. In Neoclassical art featuring women, many of the pieces portrayed women as devoted to their family and state. According to Sayre (2010), Neoclassicism was highly favored by France during the rise of Napoleon. Napoleon’s government was modeled Roman precedents. He was responsible for establishing a centralized government and a uniformed legal system. In the painting, The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries, by Jacques Louis David, it portrays Napoleon as a soldier and emperor (National Gallery of Art, 2010). Napoleon’s stance in the painting shows power, and self-confidence. When Napoleon was crowned Emperor, Neoclassical art was used to legitimate his empire. Artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres was known for creating neoclassical art with a “looser” interpretation. Some of Ingres’ work, such as the Grande Odalisque, was with women posing in a similar form to Greek nude women. Neoclassicism even influenced early U.S. presidents, such as Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson utilized the democratic ideals from the Greek, creating a sense of order and harmony, as well as measure and proportion (Sayre, 2010). While Neoclassicism focused on heroic characteristics, another period enjoyed the life of leisure. The
References: Metropolitan Museum of Art. (2010). Works of Art. Retrieved from http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/collection_database/modern_art/autumn_rhythm_number_30_jackson_pollock//objectview.aspx?OID=210009206&collID=21&dd1 National Gallery of Art. (2010). The Collection. Retrieved from http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/gg56/gg56-45831.0.html Phillips Collection. (2010). The Luncheon of the Boating Party. Retrieved from http://(2010). Luncheon of the Boating Party. Retrieved from http://www.phillipscollection.org/collection/boating/index.aspx Sayre, H. M. (2010). A World of Art (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.