Neoclassic and
Empire
Chronology
The Eighteenth Century
•
•
1709
•
Discovery of the ruins of Herculaneum
1714-1820
•
Georgian period in England
1715
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Death of Louis XIV, his great-grandson, becomes king
1733
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John Kay patents the flying shuttle
c. 1720-c. 1770
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Rococo styles in the arts predominate
c. 1770-mid-1800
•
Neoclassical styles in the arts predominate
1740-1786
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Frederick the Great rules in Prussia, builds rococo and neoclassical palaces
1745
Madame Pompadour becomes mistress of King Louis XV and influences arts and fashions of the French court
1748
Discovery of the ruins of Pompeii, which along with excavations at Herculaneum, helps to stimulate neoclassical
revival
Chronology
The Eighteenth Century Continued
1756
•
Birth of Mozart
1764
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James Hargreaves invents spinning jenny
1769
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Richard Arkwright develops the spinning machine
1774
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Death of Louis XV
•
Louis XVI, his grandson, becomes king
1776
•
American Revolution
1789
•
French Revolution
1791
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Death of Mozart
1796
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James Watt invents the steam engine
1789
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Convening of the Estates General in France
•
Storming of the Bastille
•
Declaration of the Rights of Man
1792
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Abolition of the French monarchy
Chronology
The Directoire Period and the Empire Period
1793-1794
•
Eli Whitney invents the cotton gin (1793)
•
“Reign of Terror” in France
1795
•
French “Directoire,” executive council of five men, is established
1799
•
Napoleon stages a “coup d’etat” and becomes First Consul
1803
•
Louisiana Purchase, acquisition of approximately 828, 000 square miles of territory from France, by the US
1804
•
Napoleon crowned Emperor of France
•
Slavery abolished in the states north of the Mason-Dixon Line
1810
•
Prince of Wales named Regent to act for his father, the ailing George III
1811-1820
•
Regency period in England
1812
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War between the United States and Britain
1813
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Publication of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice
1814
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Napoleon abdicates and goes into exile
•
Louis XVIII, grandson of Louis XV, becomes king of France
1815
•
Napoleon escapes from exile, returns to Paris, takes command of the army, and is defeated by the English Duke
of Wellington and the Prussians under Marshal Blucher at Waterloo
The Neoclassic/Empire
Selected European Rulers
England
Spain
Hanoverians 1714–1901
Bourbons 1700–1808
George II 1727–60
George III 1760–1820
George IV 1820–1830
Holy Roman Empire
Maria Theresa 1740–80
Joseph II 1765–90
Leopold II 1790–92
Franz II (Francis II) 1792–1806
France
Bourbons 1589–1792
Louis XVI 1774–92
First Empire1804–1814
Napoleon I 1804-1814
Felipe V (Philip V) 1700–1724 (abdicated)
Luis I (Louis I) 1724
Felipe V (Philip V) 1724–46 (reinstated)
Fernando VI (Ferdinand VI) 1746–59
Carlos III (Charles III) 1759–88
Carlos IV (Charles IV) 1788–1808
Napoleonic Rule 1808-1814
Joseph Bonaparte 1808-1814
Prussia
Hohenzollerns 1701–1797
Friedrich I 1701–13
Friedrich Wilhelm I 1713–40
Friedrich II, der Grosse, (the Great) 1740–86
Friedrich Wilhelm II (Frederick William II) 1786–97
The Neoclassicism (Rationally based)
Associationalism: Connection though personal and public emotion with the past.
Classical ideals to foster association propaganda OVER beauty and proportion
Free Expression… Good and Bad art.
Art was no longer "good" because it reflected the harmonious proportions and
balance of the Antique; it was now admired for the sentiments it expressed.
Napoleon’s exploitation of classic symbol as in Imperial Rome (nouveau riche)
Progressive Democratic Middle Class:
Regularity, discipline, and pure clean-cut uncomplicated lines
vs.
Rococo “emptiness”
Neoclassicism
Architecture
The Neoclassic Period (1750-1850)
• A revival of Classical ideals that began in Rome in the 1750s, but found its
purest expression in neo-classical architecture in Britain.
• Classical motifs were adopted as symbols of the French revolutionaries.
•Painting was characterized by formal, serious subject matter from Antique
sources.
• During the reign of Louis XVI, the feminine artificiality of the Rococo style was
tempered by a modest form of Classicism - "le goût grec" (Greek Taste)
Neoclassicism was essentially a reactionary movement,
that sought to evoke and promote the great philosophical
ideals of antiquity through the revival of classical forms.
France
The new style had more effect on
the private residences and interior
decoration of the aristocracy than
on religious and civil architecture.
Le Petit Trianon – (1762-8)
By Ange-Jacques Gabriel
Corinthian Order
Elegant Symmetry
Tholos in Delphi (c. 400 BCE)
French Neoclassic – The Temple of Love (1778)
By Richard Mique
< Gardens of Versailles - Statue of Cupid by Bouchardon
A gift for Marie Antoinette from Louis VXI
French Neoclassic – Church of Sainte-Geneviève in Paris
By Jacques Germain Soufflot (1755-1792)
Corinthian Order with Protico
No known as the “Paris Panthéon” this church became a mausoleum for heroes of
the French nation after the revolution.
French Empire, Arc de Triomphe (1806-1833)
50 meters (164 feet) high, 45 meters (148 feet)
wide, and 22 meters (72 feet) deep.
Triumphal Arches – Roman Influence
Napoleon’s memorial to his military victories
and dictatorial power situated at the Place de
l'Étoile,
Arch of Constantine, Rome (315 CE)
“The Departure of the Volunteers of 1792"
depicts the French people rallying against an
enemy from a foreign nation. It earned its
nickname of "La Marseillaise", the same name
as the French national anthem, written in 1792.
"The Triumph of Napoleon" is a tribute to
Bonaparte's many military victories. The spirit
of Victory crowns Napoleon with a laurel
wreath while multitudes, symbolized by
several bowing and prostrate individuals,
subject themselves to his rule.
Britain
Britain Neoclassic – Chiswick House
(London 1724-29) By Richard Boyle
Greek Influences: Vitruvian principles of the
Italian renaissance
Palladian Temple Front
Villa Rotunda (Venice 1550)
Britain Neoclassic – Chiswick House
(London 1724-29) By William Kent
English landscape style: calculated
imitation of an ideal, "natural" landscape.
Britain Neoclassic – Sir John Soane (England 1788-1833)
Soane Museum & Bank of England
Mirrors and colors play tricks with light and space
Aedicule [ed-i-kyool] : a decorative frame, usually found around a niche, door, or
window.
America
Maison Carré, Nîmes, France, (c. 20 BCE)
American Neoclassic – Virginia State Capitol
(America 1785-1790) By Thomas Jefferson
Roman Ideals (Maison Carre)
Monticello (Palladian villa)
Federal Style - architecture to express the ideals of the new nation
Public Architecture (state and national government buildings) modeled on
neoclassical principles inspired by the archaeological investigations in Pompeii.
Furniture and
Decoration
The Neoclassic Period (1750-1850)
•The Empire Period in France:
• The period of Napoleonic rule, from the establishment of the
Directory in 1795 to the fall of Napoleon in 1815; essentially classical
in inspiration, the style was characterized by an increase in scale and
grandeur, calculated to glorify Napoleon, and associate his reign with
the brilliance of the Roman Empire.
•The Regency Period in England:
• From the 1780s to the 1840s, interior decoration and especially
furniture design followed classical themes, at times based on Antique
Greek artifacts. at other times on Roman or Etruscan models. The
regent, and eventual king, George IV (reigned 1811-1830) was the
supreme arbiter of good taste during the period. English furniture
makers became world renowned and their designs were widely
imitated.
Late Rococo: Louis XVI
The interest in Greek and
Roman classicism began
among the French intellectual
elite in the 1750s, and reached
a peak in the last quarter of the
18th century.
Grand Salon – Musee Camondo (Paris 1775-80)
Neoclassical-ly inspired decoration and furniture in the 1770s was referred to as
“Style Louis XVI".
It was characterized by a preference for rectilinear forms and motifs over the
curvilinear asymmetry of the Rococo.
Directoire Style
Klismos Chair – Heges Stele (c. 400 BCE)
Klismos Chair – Gilt Beech (Danish 1790)
Popular taste favored "Etruscan" decoration, based on a rather narrow and wrongheaded interpretation of antique Roman furniture.
Sabre Leg: a type of splayed furniture leg, which flares out in a concave shape, like
a saber or curved sword
Directoire Style
^ Roman Couch (c.
100 CE)
< Méridienne
[muh-rid-ee-en]:
Day Bed with
one or two
scrolled ends
Guéridon Table by Georges Jacob (French 1792)
Guéridon [ger-ee-don] Table: Round tables with a tripod base that supported a
carved pedestal.
X-frame stools were common.
Empire Period
The result was a smothering of the
otherwise graceful forms of the Directoire
style with a heavy-handed theatricality.
Napoleonic France seized upon motifs
from ancient Egypt.
Games Room – Chateau de la
Malmaison (French 1805)
Boudoir of Empress Josephine – Chateau de la Malmaison (French 1800)
Napoleon favored pylon forms and vulture wings, contributing a touch of Oriental-ism
to the Greco-Roman.
Syon House by Robert Adam (England 1760)
Great Hall (Below)
Anteroom (right)
Adams was known for his restrained
Rococo interiors
The Regency
The Regency
The delicate swags and turned candelabra recall motifs
found on the walls of Pompeii (1st Century CE)
The Etruscan Room by Robert Adam (Middlesex 1760)
It was called the Etruscan Room, in the belief that it was a faithful representation of
that pre-Roman style. In fact, the decoration is derived from late Greek vase
paintings and early Roman wall painting, but rendered in pastel tints.
The Regency
Chaise Lounge (England 1810)
Sofas were based on the Grecian
model, with outward curving ends
and legs.
Trafalgar chair (England 1811)
Elegant lines flowing from the back rail
through to the sweeping back legs.
Directoire and
Empire Dress
• The marked change in costume reflected the political developments in France and
America, and followed the movements in art and architecture.
• Female costume changed drastically in form and materials, but would revert to a
doll-like artificiality and complexity by the end of the Empire period.
• Male costume retained its basic components but eliminated color and decoration.
This change was to last into the 19th century.
Ackermann's Repository, an English publication launched in
1809 that contained not only the latest fashions in clothing,
furniture and decoration, but also instructions on manners and
deportment.
The French
Revolution
During the French Revolution,
citizens were expected to declare
their revolutionary support by
displaying the appropriate colors:
red, white, and blue.
Beginning September 21, 1793,
wearing a cockade (tricolor ribbon
"flower“) became mandatory. These
are commonly displayed on hats
and lapels. Tricolor ribbon sashes
were also a popular accessory.
Pro-republican stance: the bonnet rouge
or the red cap of liberty
Revolutionary Period
Proletarian Revolutionary
(France 1792)
Carmagnole [kahr-muhn-yohl]:
loose-fitting peasant jacket (with
lapels, wide collar, rows of metal
buttons)
The loose flannel trousers
commonly worn by the working
class replaced the tight satin knee
breeches and stockings of the
aristocracy.
This was the costume of the socalled sans culottes [koo-lots]
(without breeches) and was worn
as a symbol of support for their
cause.
Revolutionary Period
Original Engravings by
By Carle Vernet ( French, 1758 - 1836)
After the fall of Robespierre and the end of the
Terror, a wave of relief and of fashion
giddiness swept Paris.
Young men known as "Incroyables" and their
female counterparts "Les Merveilleuses"
rejoiced in adopting a wildly exaggerated look
which flouted the social conventions of the
time. They were the ultimate dandy set, the
golden youth of their time, arrogant and
outrageous.
Revolutionary Period
“Point of Convention”
Original Engraving based on a painting by Louis Boilly (c. 1809)
Chemise Dress
“Empire Waist”
(Peplos)
“Grecian Knot”
(Hair Style)
The Women
~1800-1820, While the French Revolution
(1789) cuts the history of costume like a
knife, the initial effect on women's clothing
is merely a deflating of silhouette.
> Fashion Plate
(1794) Morning
Dresses
Transitional style
from 18th Century
to Neo-Classical
^ The line and construction of this 1790 walking dress closely resembles that of
any other late 18th Century dress (Anglomania).
The Women
Josephine Bonaparte by Francois
Gerard (French, 1801)
During the rule of the Directoire, plain
"Grecian-style" fabrics were popular,
based on the misperception that the
costume of Antiquity was undecorated.
•Lightweight cotton muslins and silks
replaced the stiffer silk damasks of the
Rococo (revealing the natural line of the
body).
•Gowns were tubular in shape, with little
or no petticoat support (high waisted).
•Waistlines were raised to just under the
bust, giving the illusion of an elongated
slimness.
•Necklines were low, round or square;
sleeves were either very short, as at
left, or long and fitted for morning dress.
•Shawls were a necessary accessory.
The Women
> Fashion Plate (French, c. 1798)
v Fashion Plate (French, c. 1805)
Spencer: Abbreviated Jacket (supposedly began when the
third Earl Spencer cut the tails off his coat on a dare.)
The Women
Pelisse [puh-lees]: Full
length coat (high waisted
as the Empire gown)
Jockey Caps: Bonnets
with wide brims that hid
the face.
Reticules/Indispensible:
small pouch-like hand
bags that dangle from
ladies' wrists.
Hats (French, 1808)
Evening gowns were
accessorized with turban
style hats, often including
tall feathers.
> Pelisse (English, 1809)
The Women
La Comtesse Daru (French, 1810)
By Jacques-Louis David
Fichu [fish-oo]: Large cashmere shawls
were a colorful accessory for the plain
white gown, often beautifully patterned
with a motif of Persian origin. We now
call this stylized floral pattern "paisley".
^ The fashion is reminiscent of the pallas and himations used in fashionable GrecoRoman attire. Note the strong Greco-Roman influence in the woman's hairstyles.
The Women
The Coronation of Napolean (French, 1805)
By Jacques-Louis David
Costume became considerably more elaborate
during the Empire period, from 1804 to 1815,
reflecting the pomp and ceremony insisted
upon by the emperor.
The Grecian gown
acquired an open
overgown of a
contrasting color with
a train. This was often
embroidered with gold
and silver thread.
The Men
Huntsmen by Daniel Gardner
(English, 1790)
The "pink" coat and top hat shown in the
painting were absolutely required in order to
participate in the hunt.
~1800-1820, For the remainder of Costume
History, men's fashion changes much more
slowly than women's clothing.
The elements:
• Coat
• Waistcoat
• Breeches (later trousers)
The silhouette remained largely unaltered from
the late 18th century.
The Men
George "Beau" Brummel (France, 1805)
The biggest changes in men's attire were
propelled by George "Beau" Brummel, a
close friend of the English Prince Regent.
Regency Dandy (a man who was well
dressed, circulated in the 'best' of society, who
was always ready with a witty comment and
whose chief preoccupations was with fashion).
• Tail Coats
• Fall-front pantaloons: full-length trouser
(tight fitting)
• Top hats become the most common
headdress, replacing the cocked hats of the
previous century.
• Cravats wrapped around the collar and filled
in the open neck of the coat.
• Gloves and Canes
The Men
Fashion Plates (France, 1807 & 1820)
Frock Coat: considered a
"casual" coat this would be
an appropriate ensemble
for morning or sporting
dress.
Discuss this image in regard to the ELEMENTS OF DESIGN
The Death of Socrates by Jacques-Louis David (1787)
Discuss this image in regard to the ELEMENTS OF DESIGN
The Coronation of Napoleon by Jacques-Louis David (1805-1807)