Early Nineteenth Century Art
Neoclassicism and Romanticism
Neoclassicism
• Neo (new) Classicism (refers to Ancient Greek
and Roman times)
• The artists of this period admired the work of
ancient Greek and Roman artists and sought to
emulate the values that characterized classical
art: simplicity, harmony, balance, stability, dignity,
nobility, and heroism.
• Major Neo Classic Artists:
– Jacques Louis David
– Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
A Reaction to Rococo
• Every movement is art is a reaction of
some kind to what preceded it. Tastes
change and the pendulum swings from
one side of the spectrum to the other.
• Although we will be looking primarily at
painting, the architecture of each period
reflects the contrast quite clearly. Compare
Rococo extravagance with Neoclassic
austerity in these next slides.
A return to austerity
• The Rococo period that preceded Neo
Classicism was characterized by excess,
by ornamentation, and frivolity. The
palace of Versailles, where the French
kings lived in the 1700s, is the best
example of Rococo tastes.
The Hall of Mirrors at Versailles
Compare this with the Neo Classic
taste for simplicity, order, and
restraint.
Jacques Louis David
• David was foremost among the painters of the Neo
Classic period.
• He lived from 1756 to 1825, and was therefore caught up
in the revolution that swept the French monarchy out of
power in 1789.
• David’s paintings reflect support for the revolutionary
ideals that led to the overthrow of the Louis XVI and
Marie Antoinette: liberty, equality, fraternity
• He eventually became a court painter and propagandist
for the Emperor Napoleon 1, who came to power after
the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror.
David- The Oath of the Horatii 1784
David – The Death of Marat - 1793
David – Napoleon in his Study 1812
David – The Coronation of
Napoleon – 1805/1807
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
• Ingres was a pupil of David.
• Although he too painted large political works, he
is best remembered for his virtuoso portraits.
• These portraits, and his classical nudes have a
timelessness and calm that transcend any
passing political issues or events.
• Ingres believed that line was the most important
element in painting. Look for his superb use of
graceful line in the following paintings.
Ingres – The Bather of Valpincon 1808
Ingres – Mme Moitessier - 1851
Ingres – Mme Moitessier - 1856
Ingres – Comtesse d’Houssonville 1845
The Romantics
Eugene Delacroix and
Theodore Gericault
– The artists of the Romantic period portrayed dramatic
and exotic subjects
– Their images were full of intense feeling
– Paintings from this period were much livelier than the
work of the Neoclassicists. They were often full of
movement, with more swirling and dynamic
compositional lines
Gericault
The Raft of the Medusa - 1819
Delacroix – The Lion Hunt - 1861
Delacroix – Liberty Leading the
People - 1830
Delacroix – Arabs Skirmishing in
the Mountains - 1863
Delacroix – Women of Algiers 1834