Category: Neo-Classicism

The Oath of the Horatii by Jacques Louis David

~ JezzieG
The Oath of the Horatii by Jacques Louis David

The Oath of the Horatii
1784
Neoclassicism
Oil on canvas
Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

‘The Oath of the Horatii’ is a narrative depiction of early Roman history. The Horatii brothers, seen as young soldiers reach to their father as they pledge to fight for their homeland. Every muscle of their bodies is engaged and described in David’s painting as if confirming their bravery. They are prepared to fight to the death for home and family.

Jacques-Louis David 1748-1825

Jacques Louis David
Neoclassicism
Born: 30 August 1748, Paris, France
Nationality: French
Died: 29 December 1825, Brussels, Belgium

David was a Neoclassical painter and was considered the preeminent painter of the era. In the 1780s his brand of historical painting marked a change from Rococo frivolity towards classical austerity, severity, and feeling harmonized with the moral climate of the last years of the Ancien Régime

Oath of the Tennis Court by Jacques-Louis David

~ JezzieG
Oath of the Tennis Court by Jacques-Louis David

Oath of the Tennis Court
1791
Neo-Classicism
Pen and brown ink, brown wash with white highlights
Collection of Musée du Chateau de Versailles, Versailles, France

‘Oath of the Tennis Court’ was created to celebrate the first anniversary of a moment of solidarity that sparked the Revolution. David’s ambitious project was on a monumental scale requiring nearly life-sized portraits of the main characters, including Jean-Sylvestre Bailly and Maximilien Robespierre

Jacques-Louis David 1748-1825

Jacques-Louis David
Neo-classicism
Born: 30 August 1748, Paris, France
Nationality: French
Died: 29 December 1825, Brussels, Belgium

David was a Neoclassical painter and was considered the preeminent painter of the era. In the 1780s his brand of historical painting marked a change from Rococo frivolity towards classical austerity, severity, and feeling harmonized with the moral climate of the last years of the Ancien Régime

The Vow of Louis XIII by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

~ JezzieG
The Vow of Louis XIII by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

The Vow of Louis XIII
1824
Neoclassicism
Oil on canvas
Montauban Cathedral, Montauban, France

Ingres left Paris for Italy in 1806, determined not to return until he was acknowledged as a serious history painter. “The Vow of Louis XIII” allowed his return, as a celebrated commission for the Montauban Cathedral. The altarpiece, measuring nearly 14 feet high, was a challenging subject that brought together historical and religious iconographies. The scene is an iconic moment from 1638 when King Louis XIII pledged the dedication of France to the Holy Virgin.

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres 1780-1867

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Orientalism
Born: 29 August 1780, Montauban, France
Nationality: French
Died: 14 January 1867, Paris, France

Ingres was a Neoclassical painter, profoundly influenced by past artistic traditions and he aspired to become the guardian of academic orthodoxy and tradition against the rising stylistics of Romanticism. Ingres considered himself a painter of history in the tradition of Nicolas Poussin and Jacques-Louis David. However, it is his portraiture, both paintings and drawings, that are recognized as his greatest legacy and an important precursor of modern art with his expressive distortions of form and space influencing Picasso, Matisse, and other Modernists

Forest of Fontainebleau by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot

~ JezzieG
Forest of Fontainebleau by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot

Forest of Fontainebleau
1846
Neoclassicism
Oil on canvas
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA

Corot’s tranquil depiction of the Forest of Fontainebleau is complete with bovine inhabitants and a cowherd in the distance as he leads the herd to water. At first glance the painting appears to have been composed on location, but its careful combination of horizontals and verticals betray Corot’s meticulous planning of the work.

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot
Neoclassicism, Romanticism, The Barbizon School, Realism, Naturalism
Born: 17 July 1796, Paris, France
Nationality: French
Died: 22 February 1875, Paris, France

Corot’s hazy landscapes and mythological tableaux mark a period of transition in French painting from the academic Neoclassical of the early 19th century to its vanguard development in later decades when truth to life and to feeling became a more valuable artistic marker than historical significance. Although Corot was too old to be directly connected to the movements of Realism and Impressionism the lyrical expressiveness of his art, its focus on nature and the natural world, and its shift away from academic style made it a cornerstone for the artistic radicals of the late 19th century

The Apotheosis of Homer by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

~ JezzieG
The Apotheosis of Homer by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

The Apotheosis of Homer
1827
Neo-Classicism
Oil on canvas
Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

Ingres was commissioned to decorate a ceiling in the Louvre to coincide with the opening of the Musée Charles X. The intention was to demonstrate the cultural superiority of France and reinforce the legitimacy of its monarch. Critical this project was the establishment of a continuum that stretched from the ancient world to modern-day France. Therefore Ingres’ Apotheosis of Homer became an endeavour of political and cultural legitimization

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Orientalism
Born: 29 August 1780, Montauban, France
Nationality: French
Died: 14 January 1867, Paris, France

Ingres was a Neoclassical painter, profoundly influenced by past artistic traditions and aspired to be a guardian of academic orthodoxy against the rise of Romanticism. He considered himself a painter of history but it is his portraits that are recognized as his greatest legacy. With is expressive distortions of form and space he was an important precursor of modern art, influencing Matisse, Picasso, and other modernists

La Fornarina and Raphael by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

~ JezzieG

La Fornarina and Raphael
1814
Neo-Classicism
Oil on canvas
Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Massachusetts, USA

Conceived as part of a series of paintings illustrating the life of Ingres’ idol, Raphael, La Fornarina depicts the Renaissance master in the arms of his mistress. Ultimately Ingres abandoned the project, however he painted five or six versions of this scene, showcasing both his adoration of Raphael and his own mastery of precision and illusionistic styles. In the painting Ingres gives the viewer an intimate insight into both the professional and private lives of Raphael. Located in the Raphael’s studio, a barely started canvas is on the easel before him and his model, la Farnarina, had moved from her pose to embrace the artist. Engrossed in his work the artists gaze is fixed on his painting, while his model looks out to the viewer, giving the moral to the painting that the high calling of art must not be abandoned for the pleasures of love and leisure.

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Orientalism
Born: 29 August 1780, Montauban, France
Nationality: French
Died: 14 January 1867, Paris, France

Ingres was a Neoclassical painter, profoundly influenced by past artistic traditions and aspired to be a guardian of academic orthodoxy against the rise of Romanticism. He considered himself a painter of history but it is his portraits that are recognized as his greatest legacy. With is expressive distortions of form and space he was an important precursor of modern art, influencing Matisse, Picasso, and other modernists.

Napoléon on his Imperial Throne by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

~ JezzieG ~ 5 Comments

Napoléon on his Imperial Throne
1806
Neoclassicism
Oil on canvas
Musée de l’Armée, Paris, France

Possibly the most iconic image of Emperor Napoléon I, this painting by Ingres was initially dismissed as overly gothic, barbaric and archaic. The newly crowned emperor is richly adorned mong a mix-together of Byzantine, Roman, and Carolingian symbolry. The intent to legitimise his claim to power and authority is overshadowed by the strange and imposing frontality; Napoléon’s pallid features emerge from layers of ostentatiousness and regal garb to stare past the viewer with a gaze of stone.

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Orientalism
Born: 29 August 1780, Montauban, France
Nationality: French
Died: 14 January 1867, Paris, France

Ingres was a painter with a daring blend of tradition and experimentation with which he reimagined Classical and Renaissance sources for 19th century tastes. He was a talented draughtsman known for his serpentine line and illusionistic textures. His experimental methods were not always successful and earned him harsh criticism from the art establishment in his early career.