REACTION PAPERS
About five times each marking period, you’ll be asked to submit a reaction paper
about something that you saw, heard, read, or thought of during the preceding week
or so. Reaction papers must always be about our current unit. The purpose of
reaction papers is to give you a chance to respond to the contents of this course in a
personal and aesthetic way. The paper depends heavily on associations that you
make to other experiences, connections to other classes, memories, feelings, etc.
Feel free to react positively or negatively. Feel free to respond in poetry or
narrative or essay form. As we move through the course, feel free to compare new
material to previous units.
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Your paper is worth 20 points, 15 on ideas, 5 on mechanics.
Your paper should be one full page, double-spaced. If you run over, go to 1.5.
Your paper should be typed, and I should receive a HARD copy.
Your paper should be titled! It will help focus you and the reader!
Your paper should be focused – not a “laundry list”.
AWFUL EXAMPLE:
Jacques Louis David
Jacques Louis David was thought to be the best artist of the neoclassical era.
He drew various paintings, illustrating stories originating from the reign of the
Roman Empire. In his paintings, which were directed to the middle class, he
incorporated messaged of political and social action.
Being a neoclassical painters, David shows Roman aspects in his paintings.
The Oath of the Horatii, David’s great success, illustrates this focus on Rome. In the
painting, Horatius Proclus is holding the swords of his three sons while they swear
to defend the Roman Republic. Apart from being a Roman story, the picture shows
many Roman architectural features such as arches and symmetry. The clothing
worn also reflects its Roman influence. The sons are dressed in the typical Roman
soldier’s outfit of kilt and helmet, while the father is dressed in a robe.
Another neoclassical aspect shown in this painting is the role of men and
women. While the men are getting ready to go off to war with honor, the women are
in the background on the floor crying. This corresponds to the era’s belief that men
were superior to women.
Apart from being a talented painter, David made political strides with his art.
People could look at his paintings and learn the morals he wanted to endure.
GREAT EXAMPLE:
Backsliding?
How is it that a period of unrivaled literature, philosophy, and music
produced such repulsive paintings and interior décor? The paintings of Rococo,
namely The Swing, are so overdone they make me want to vomit. Thomas Kinkade
is Fragonard reincarnate. The interior design of Rococo is best paralleled with the
“Precious Moments” memorabilia of today. Neoclassical art is no better. In
neoclassical architecture, there is no apparent innovation. These buildings are
merely copies of ancient monuments. Nothing new here! One is led to believe that
the designers of this time were uninspired and dull, what they created hardly worth
being called art. I think art is meant to improve upon previous conceptions or take
them in new directions, and these so-called artists bring nothing new to the table.
Furthermore, paintings in the neo-classical style are, in my opinion, a bastardization
of Greek ideals. Where are the independent-minded, strong women of Lysistrata?
At least in the Baroque, we saw Judith Slaying Holofernes; in neoclassical we see
Madame Recamier reclining on a sofa. We see the weak women of David’s paintings,
weeping pathetically. In Rococo, a pink puffball with a woman’s head is too weak to
propel her own swing. Lastly, we have Boucher’s empty but pretty Rococo
equivalent of 40s pin-up girls.
However, there’s something to be said for the philosophical and musical
achievements of this era. That is the triumph of the era. There is no superlative
strong enough for Beethoven’s poignant and meaningful music. And it goes without
saying that Mozart was one of the greatest technical geniuses of all time.