Neoclassicism Art Movement

The Neoclassicism Art Movement, Neoclassical Oil Paintings & Artists.

Neoclassicism or the Neoclassical art movement established itself as the predominant style between the last quarter of the eighteenth century and the Napoleonic era at the beginning of the nineteenth century, thus bringing to fulfillment the promise of the Enlightenment. By proposing a rerun of ancient antiquity, Neoclassicism was aimed at bringing an end to the "irrational" exuberance of Baroque art, This cultural movement was supported by vast archaeological campaigns in Italy, Greece, and Egypt. These campaigns gave the cultured public confirmation of the greatness of ancient civilizations and noble figurative models to admire.

A German artist invented it, and French artists popularized it.

The greatest scholars and supporters of Neoclassical culture were from German-speaking countries. The archaeologist and art historian Johann Winkelmann, whose writings directed popular taste toward classical art, particularly that of ancient Greece, and influenced not only Western painting but also literature and even philosophy, and the painter Anton Raphael Mengs, were among the first and most influential champions of a methodical and impassioned revival of ancient art, seen as an indispensable antidote to the excesses of Rococo. During the 18^th century, artists expressed two different emotions that the sight of ancient monuments produced in travelers: regret at seeing such magnificence in ruin or a cultural urge to study them at leisure. Academic painting appreciated by travelers during the Grand Tours was distinguished by a sober, elegant, yet not too restrained formality and intellectual control. Concepts were taken up and developed by Mengs, who trained in Dresden but was active in Rome. While Winckelmann studied classical art in a classifying manner, Mengs studied a scheme within which to fix pictorial references. Thus, toward 1770, a very strict norm was adopted in the choice and application of subjects and models; this marked the beginning of the Neoclassical period of oil painting.

This combination of ancient Rome and Greece opening up to intellectuals and artists from England, France, and Germany, inspired "daydreaming" of what it might be like during those ancient times. There were plenty of stories and legends to keep the imagination alive; all that was needed was for famous artists to bring it to life with original paintings that glorified the past. For example, Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres's painting Homer, or David's Oath of the Horatii, depicts an episode from ancient history from a Roman legend about two warring cities, Rome and Alba Longa, and stresses the importance of political determination and unanimity of intention for one's country. Its popularity exploded in France, as a generation of French and other European art students finished their training and returned from Rome to their home countries with newly rediscovered Greco-Roman ideals.

Well received both by the intellectuals and the courts, Neoclassicism spread throughout Europe. In the field of painting, the French artist Jacques-Louis David became a model for at least two generations of European artists. David was also a very fine portraitist, as can be seen from his painting of Napoleon In His Study.

During the Napoleonic era, Neoclassicism reached its height in the Empire style, which became the sole model of taste and decorum. Although some consider Neoclassical art to be cold and intellectual, it had the distinct merit of drawing from history and classical poetry eternal figures, themes, and feelings. These figures, themes, and feelings have always been part of the human experience.

Napoleon, Neoclassicism, and the Art of Propaganda.

The transition from the eighteenth to the nineteenth century marked a profound change in cultural and figurative realms. This change was a result of both the artist's profession and the tastes and expectations of the public. During this period, the eyes of the world were on Napoleon. Half a century after the Enlightenment and on the precepts of moderation and restraint, Napoleon launched a grandiose and celebratory style of art, of imperial proportions and magnificence. A series of ancient symbols (eagles, laurels, scepters, thrones, monograms, and the allusion to military campaigns from the Roman Empire), repeated, were employed in the emperor's impressive image-boosting campaign. In reviving the splendors and emblems of the past, Napoleon became the first "modern" dictator. The many painted portraits of him also play a key role in the propaganda and strategy of aggrandizement that perhaps reached its pinnacle in the equestrian portrait of Napoleon crossing the Alps (one of five versions) by David.

Other Neoclassical artists: François-Hubert Drouais, Antoine-Jean Gros, Angelica Kauffman, Élizabeth Louise, Vigée-Lebrun, and John William Waterhouse.

Adapted in part from TheArtist.me