Jacques-Louis David: Main Ideas and Influence on the World of the Art
Jacques Louis David was born in prosperous family. His single mother decided to dedicate him to architecture, but David failed in the University of Paris, and eventually came to study painting in the Royal Academy. David is considered to be the founder of the French Neoclassicism. In fact, in his painting style are united three areas: rococo, neo-classicism and romanticism. The artist already in his younger years was honored to be put next to the outstanding French Rococo artist Francois Boucher, the creator of elegant style. The echoes of sensual and frivolous painting elements of Boucher`s style can be clearly seen in the early works of David, such as "The Battle of Mars with Minerva" (1771). Here, the battle scene is overloaded with irrelevant on the field of battle figures of naked goddesses and chubby cherubs. Neoclassicism was a reaction to the Baroque style. Increasingly, critics and philosophers are encouraged artists to apply to the heroic and moral subjects from ancient history, displacing them frivolous, lightweight mythological scenes. There was nothing new or unusual in the revival of interest in classical culture. Classicism predominated in French painting of the XVII century, the founder of this trend was Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665), who David is very much learned from. Compositionally picture of his "Saint Roch, imploring the Virgin Mary for healing plague" (1780) resembles a painting by Poussin "The phenomenon of the Mother of God of St. James" and "The Death of Socrates" (1787) - Poussin painting "Will Evdomadas" (Haskell). Many paintings of neo-classicist artists were written on subjects taken from the history of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. All the historical picture of David can be divided into three categories: the curse, the deathbed scene (for example, "Death of Socrates"), and battle scenes ("Leonid at Thermopylae", 1814). Oaths and death enjoyed particular success in the 1780s, when many of these subjects interpreted in the light of recent political events. Similar picture is a model of devotion, self-sacrifice, heroism and high morality, and thus represent an ideal material for the propagandists of the revolution. However, in those years, sometimes David wrote historical scenes, imbued with romantic spirit, such as "Love of Paris and Helen" 1788 His appearance in neoclassicism owes much to the archaeological excavations of the 1740s in destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum. …show more content…
Surviving are household items, jewelry artists have opened the ancient world. Even more enthusiastic creative people was warmed appeared shortly in books of German archaeologist and a connoisseur of antiquities Johann Winckelmann (1717-1768): voluminous writing "Antiquities of Herculaneum", output from 1755 to 1792, and "The History of Ancient Art" (1764). In his studies, Winckelmann urged artists strive to create the ideal of beauty, based on preserved specimens of ancient art. These books have become cult for all of Europe. "All Paris is playing in Greece, - said one traveler who visited in those years the French capital. Almost all the girls wear the Greek hairstyle. Even the smallest on the status of resident wishes to his snuffbox was "ancient". As the "Portrait of Madame Recamier," written by David in 1800, the fashion for "Greek style" persisted until the end of the XVIII century and served as a source for creating a different style - an empire style, which flourished in the time of Napoleon 's reign. The pictures adherents "Greek-style" new fashion manifested itself in is not always pertinent architectural details written as if the "antique" still lives. I do not avoid this temptation even inveterate supporter of Winckelmann 's theories, the teacher of David - Joseph-Marie Vien. Such elements can be found in the early creations of David - for example, on the canvas, "Antiochus and Stratonice" (1774) or "Belisarius" (1781). the viewer 's eye and then distract from the main plot, numerous details, which is saturated with the composition. However, after a few years things changed. If we look at such paintings of the artist, as "The Oath of the Horatii" (1784) or "The Death of Socrates" (1787), it can be seen that the composition became easier. The first one is the most famous painting by David. It reflects all the stylistic features of the artist. There are traces of the classical manner of Poussin with his passion
Jacques Louis David was born in prosperous family. His single mother decided to dedicate him to architecture, but David failed in the University of Paris, and eventually came to study painting in the Royal Academy. David is considered to be the founder of the French Neoclassicism. In fact, in his painting style are united three areas: rococo, neo-classicism and romanticism. The artist already in his younger years was honored to be put next to the outstanding French Rococo artist Francois Boucher, the creator of elegant style. The echoes of sensual and frivolous painting elements of Boucher`s style can be clearly seen in the early works of David, such as "The Battle of Mars with Minerva" (1771). Here, the battle scene is overloaded with irrelevant on the field of battle figures of naked goddesses and chubby cherubs. Neoclassicism was a reaction to the Baroque style. Increasingly, critics and philosophers are encouraged artists to apply to the heroic and moral subjects from ancient history, displacing them frivolous, lightweight mythological scenes. There was nothing new or unusual in the revival of interest in classical culture. Classicism predominated in French painting of the XVII century, the founder of this trend was Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665), who David is very much learned from. Compositionally picture of his "Saint Roch, imploring the Virgin Mary for healing plague" (1780) resembles a painting by Poussin "The phenomenon of the Mother of God of St. James" and "The Death of Socrates" (1787) - Poussin painting "Will Evdomadas" (Haskell). Many paintings of neo-classicist artists were written on subjects taken from the history of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. All the historical picture of David can be divided into three categories: the curse, the deathbed scene (for example, "Death of Socrates"), and battle scenes ("Leonid at Thermopylae", 1814). Oaths and death enjoyed particular success in the 1780s, when many of these subjects interpreted in the light of recent political events. Similar picture is a model of devotion, self-sacrifice, heroism and high morality, and thus represent an ideal material for the propagandists of the revolution. However, in those years, sometimes David wrote historical scenes, imbued with romantic spirit, such as "Love of Paris and Helen" 1788 His appearance in neoclassicism owes much to the archaeological excavations of the 1740s in destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum. …show more content…
Surviving are household items, jewelry artists have opened the ancient world. Even more enthusiastic creative people was warmed appeared shortly in books of German archaeologist and a connoisseur of antiquities Johann Winckelmann (1717-1768): voluminous writing "Antiquities of Herculaneum", output from 1755 to 1792, and "The History of Ancient Art" (1764). In his studies, Winckelmann urged artists strive to create the ideal of beauty, based on preserved specimens of ancient art. These books have become cult for all of Europe. "All Paris is playing in Greece, - said one traveler who visited in those years the French capital. Almost all the girls wear the Greek hairstyle. Even the smallest on the status of resident wishes to his snuffbox was "ancient". As the "Portrait of Madame Recamier," written by David in 1800, the fashion for "Greek style" persisted until the end of the XVIII century and served as a source for creating a different style - an empire style, which flourished in the time of Napoleon 's reign. The pictures adherents "Greek-style" new fashion manifested itself in is not always pertinent architectural details written as if the "antique" still lives. I do not avoid this temptation even inveterate supporter of Winckelmann 's theories, the teacher of David - Joseph-Marie Vien. Such elements can be found in the early creations of David - for example, on the canvas, "Antiochus and Stratonice" (1774) or "Belisarius" (1781). the viewer 's eye and then distract from the main plot, numerous details, which is saturated with the composition. However, after a few years things changed. If we look at such paintings of the artist, as "The Oath of the Horatii" (1784) or "The Death of Socrates" (1787), it can be seen that the composition became easier. The first one is the most famous painting by David. It reflects all the stylistic features of the artist. There are traces of the classical manner of Poussin with his passion