Classical Era - The French Revolution and Art

 

The French Revolution

Transitioning into the Classical Era of art, we are able to observe emerging social changes reflected in paintings of the time. Some of the most intriguing are that of the infamous and bloody French Revolution, whose works reflect the polarized social groups that spawned them. 

The conflict was prefaced by growing dissatisfaction of the lowest class of French society ruled under royals and aristocrats, most notably King Louis the XVI and Marie Antionette. The kingdom was divided into three estates: the First Estate consisting of clergymen of the Catholic Church, the Second Estate consisting of nobility, and Third Estate consisting of everyone else, or the peasants. Each of these estates were entitled to, (or disparaged from) certain privileges in society. While the church was technically separated from the other estates, it supported the power of the Second Estate's nobility  through the policy of divine right of the king to rule, or his God-given right. The Third Estate was weighted with the laborious tasks of society and the crushing burdens of the country's debts, eventually building the unrest of the kingdom that would propagate the creation of radicalized political factions and lead to the downfall of the monarchy.

A Capital Execution on the Place de la Révolution (1793). Pierre-Antoine Demachy.

Oil on canvas, 53.5 x 68.5 x 6.5 cm. Carnavalet Museum, Paris, France.

After the Storming of Bastille, a prison and weapons armory in 1789, the revolution was in full swing with a struggle for power. The fall of the monarchy was accompanied by mass public execution of aristocrats and of course, Louis the XVI and Marie Antoinette. The new revolutionary government violently feuded during The Reign Of Terror, a time of war and bloodshed by opposing factions that had several establishments and abolitions of control.

In Pierre-Antoine Demachy's painting, A Capital Execution on the Place de la Révolution (1793) we can witness one of many countless executions from this historical time. The guillotine, a wooden decapitation device with a falling blade, is emblematic of the French Revolution, and this scene was created one year after it's introduction in 1792. Demachy effectively utilizes texture, paint is layered which emphasizes the mass of the crowd. The further the scene goes, the more opaque the colors become, creating depth in the perspective. Although there are no fires to be seen, I interpret that the crowd is partially obscured by smoke, perhaps from neighboring burning buildings. The crowd is surrounded by a halo of dark clouds, with the sky opening to witness the execution by guillotine. Arguably, the opening of the sky signifies the day of judgement from God in heaven. The emotions elicited are of triumph, retribution and victory by the long oppressed masses. 

Rococo Period & The Status of the Aristocracy

To examine the power imbalance of the Second and Third Estates we must look back at the lives of the nobility. The lavish lifestyle of the aristocracy is explicitly evident in works of the Rococo art movement. Rococo was originally called rocaille, and referred to a style of ornamental design on architecture made from pebbles, seashells and cement. The designs invoked a refined yet naturalistic element, with abstract bending curves resembling anything from waves of water to the bending of foliage. Naturally, these began incorporating into drawings, and then into paintings. From this came the painting genre fête galante, which is marked by depictions of playful subject matter, parties in natural settings, and whimsical elements. The genre celebrated elegance, mortal pleasures and fun, which were only indulged by the wealthy aristocrats of the time who lived far from the peasant class in their estates. Despite being natural flora, in a sense the naturalist settings and gardens of the genre were indicative of wealth, since these environments belonged or depicted these estates too. 

The Swing (1967). Jean-Honoré Fragonard.
Oil on canvas, 81 x 64 cm. Wallace Collection, London.

One of the most famous examples of fête galante, is The Swing painted by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, which depicts a woman joyfully swinging in a forest with a man, presumably her lover gazing up at her from the foliage. While in our modern eyes we might only interpret his gaze as directed to the flowing ribbons of her pink dress, this acts as a double-entendre for something more scandalous in it's time, that the man is deliberately looking up the lady's skirt. The lady in question is undeniably playing to flirtation, as she kicks off her slipper, insinuating undressing. There is a dramatic contrast of light and dark shades, however unlike the Baroque era's usage of chiaroscuro, it depicts a lighthearted scene rather than a highly dramatic one. Fragonard cleverly uses the shadows on the forest floor to create emphasis on the lady swinging into a beam of sunshine. With the medium of oils, the layered pastel colors of the leaves, bushes and dress are given a sheened finish with depth.

Another thing to note about Fête Galante is the reutilization of cherubs, which were associated more with renaissance or religious works in prior eras. This could possibly be where the association of cherubs and love were first popularized. The feelings inspired here are of young love, and the joy and beauty of life and nature. Some have suggested that the woman is the mistress of the man, with a secret love affair in the woods. While I think there is any room of suggestion for anything of the soap-opera caliber, I don't think the light-hearted atmosphere would match infidelity.

Neo-Classicalism & Jacque-Louis David

Jacque-Louis David was considered the artist of the revolution. He was a painter and member of the Jacobin Club, the most influential political faction that contributed to the violent upheaval of the monarchy, and implementation of the National Convention, the first republic of France. He is the most widely cited artist of the Neo-Classical movement, which put emphasis on returning to traditional ideas in Classical architecture, subject matter, anatomy and technical knowledge. It was also marked by values of history and antiquity based on new scientific discoveries. It was influenced by the Enlightenment of the 18th century, where new ideas of politics and philosophy were discussed. 

The involvement of new developments also calls back to the roots of the Renaissance era, which similarly was a time of scientific study and progress. Neo-Classicalism balanced aspects of the old and new, to utilize in the changing political landscape.

The Death of Marat (1793). Jacques-Louis David. Oil on canvas, 162 × 128 cm. 

A famous Neo-Classical work by David is The Death of Marat (1793), which depicts the death of Jean-Paul Marat, a friend of David and fellow revolutionary. Compared to the other two examples, this is the most gruesome painting. There is little textural detail in the painting's rendering, as the oils are blended extremely smoothly. The use of yellow hues invokes an eerie atmosphere, that something wrong has taken place. It's dramatic scene echoes the preceding Baroque period's chiaroscuro where The Swing had not. It has strikingly odd subject matter too, as a man dies bleeding in a bathtub. However, this is inspired by the actual events that played out, where he was assassinated by a political enemy who stabbed him while bathing. He was killed for his involvement in the Reign of Terror, and became an icon of the revolution after his death. David strategically utilized historical motifs of religious artwork to qualify Marat similarly to a saint. His limp body and bloody chest wound could be compared to the bleeding side of Jesus often depicted in Catholic art, where a Roman soldier speared him during the crucifixion. The pose of Marat's body is also parallel to Jesus in Michelangelo's famous Pieta statue. This Neo-Classical work reutilized elements from the Renaissance to transform Marat into a political martyr.

In a way Neo-Classicalism could be seen as a counter-culture response to Fête Galante. While art was utilized to express elegance and wealthy lifestyles of the elite, at the same time they played an important role of historical documentation and expression of the revolution. While depicting scenes they expressed feelings such as loss, as with the grief depicted in The Death of Marat, and victory in championing oppressors as depicted in A Capital Execution on the Place de la Révolution.
When comparing all the works together, the revolutionaries are directly opposed against the former ruling nobility, visually expressing and contrasting perspectives during the French Revolution.

Sources:

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. Montagnard. 30 Jun. 2017. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Montagnard-French-history. Accessed 24 October 2022.

Bruckbauer, Ashley. Jean-Honoré Fragonard, "The Swing". 26 Feb. 2021.  Smarthistory.   https://www.smarthistory.org/jean-honore-fragonard-the-swing/. Accessed on 23 Oct. 2022.

David, Jacques-Louis. The Death of Marat. 1793. Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Death_of_Marat_by_David.jpg. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons. Accessed on 23 Oct. 2022.

Demachy, Pierre-Antoine. A Capital Execution on the Place de la Révolution. 1793. Carnavalet Museum, Paris, France. https://www.parismuseescollections.paris.fr/en/node/151419#infos-principales. Accessed on 23 Oct. 2022.

Doone, Brian, et al. THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. 2018. Alpha History. https://alphahistory.com/frenchrevolution/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2022.

Famous French Revolution Paintings – The Art of the French Revolution. 29 June 2022. Art in Context. https://artincontext.org/famous-french-revolution-paintings/. Accessed on 23 Oct. 2022.

Fragonard, Jean-Honoré. The Swing. 1767. Wallace Collection, London, England. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fragonard_-_swing.jpg. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons. Accessed on 23 Oct. 2022. 

Richman-Abdou, Kelly. Celebrate the Elegance and Exuberance of French Rococo Art. 29 April 2018. My Modern Met. https://mymodernmet.com/rococo-art/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2022.