ART 311 Midterm 1

What was important about Smibert?

he was an English artist who brought examples of old master paintings, sculpture casts, and knowledge of British art culture

How did Copley's family lead to his interest in art?

his stepdad was an artist who taught him engravings and mezzotints (half tones) stepdad also taught him how to do business

What was Rococo an antidote against?

history paintings about heroes or religious figures

What were some standards for subjects and style for paintings by the French Academy?

history paintings had to have people in historical dress history paintings had to be "exemplum virtutis" or an example of upright conduct everyone had to use foreshortening and perspective the same way they had to use color naturalistically you had to make invisible brushstrokes. Impasto was forbidden and any hint of expressiveness was verboten. A 'licked finish' was the Academy's favorite

What were the restrictions on dress in Puritanical America? Who broke these rules and got away with it?

men can't wear wigs women had to do hair without ribbons no lace rich people with education or political power got away with it - they saw no problem with it and were still religious

Who were the subjects of American portraits before the 1800s?

usually rich merchants, government officials, ministers, and their families

Which artist was the model of "academic style" in France? What were some qualities of his art?

Nicolas Poussin detailed compositions idealized subjects complicated allegorical narratives polished finish

What limited Copley's artistic abilities while in the colonies?

No dissected human bodies or live nude models political unrest there was no market for history paintings low status for artists in colonies

Who painted this and what is the story behind it? Why is it signficant?

Goya Napoleon's French troops invaded Spain It is chaotic, violent, dark and romantic, though very different from The Third of May.

Who was Robert Feke, what did he do, and whom did he influence?

- 1st American born artist with job as portrait painter - 15 signed portraits, plus 50 attributed to him - not much is known about his background - he'd influence John S Copley

How was Jacques Louis David a chameleon and propagandist?

- Chameleon because he hid revolutionary sympathies, then became leader in revolution, then became painter to Napoleon propagandist: got rid of Academy (until 1793) - made history paintings of contemporary events using ideas from classical period - he still followed Academy idea of history painting as a top genre - was part of radical Jacobins (moderates were Girondins) - had government positions, organized events - voted to kill king and queen - was Robespierre's art guy (not officially)

Describe the Grand Tour. Where did they go and what did they do?

- European elite took a trip through Europe - They planned using tour books and sketched what they saw - Visited Herculaneum, Pompeii, Paris, Northern Italy, Florence, Rome - They did NOT go to Greece which was under Ottoman rule

What was Jean Honore Fragonard's art career like?

- He didn't follow Royal Academy - he made a carefree and fluid style - he worked mostly for private commissions - he won the prix de rome - he painted The Swing

How did Antoine Watteau affect French art subjects

- He made the Rococo "fete galante'" - amorous parties of nobility during Louis XV - usually in countryside in paintings where nobility flirted - there were cupids and Venus - usually erotic subtext

What is significant about this piece?

- It's the result of plein air sketches. - Romantic piece by Friedrich

How did this artwork capture Enlightenment principles? Which French philosopher would have approved of this work?

- Jean Jacques Rousseau: idea that people are happiest in their natural state - thus there's a romanticizing of peasant life, which in this image are seen as not polluted by a crooked society - idea that the natural person feels before s/he thinks (feeling and logic) - Rousseau said feeling preceded intelligence and thoughts - feelings here are about love, sadness, joy

Who is the subject and what was the story behind this painting? Who painted it? Why did he pose like this?

- Robert Feke painted it of General Samuel Waldo - Story was that general wanted to memorialize his victory of French in 1745 - Louisborg, Nova Scotia is in the back - Waldo was a very rich Boston merchant - Pose is because there was a system of etiquette and that was the way that "genteel" people posed

What happened to David between the French Revolution and Napoleon?

- Robespierre fell, was accused - didn't kill himself like he said he would - got in prison - forgiven by Directory - met Bonaparte and allied himself with him

What did the nobility do when Louis XIV died and how did they influence art in France at the time?

- They moved back to Paris and made "hotels" or apartments - They paid for Rococo art, which came from "rocaille" about rocks in gardens - They wanted amorous scenes and got it in Rococo

What influence did Johann Joachim Winckelmann have on art and art history?

- as 1st modern art historian, he wrote Thoughts on the Imitation of Greek Art in Painting and Sculpture - idea that Greek art is the best - Also wrote History of Ancient Art - classification of many artworks - Came up with idea of sorting art by subject, style, period (not artist/biography) - was very into Greek art and helped to inspire Neoclassicism (saw Gk art as noble, simple, grand)

How did Oath of the Horatii relate to political conditions?

- could be read as the Horatii father as the king and his children as the subjects - could also be read as putting state above all else with revolutionary sentiments - also considered most Neoclassical painting ever

What did Caspar David Friedrich aim to do with his landscapes?

- create a religious image without the usual religious imagery - make spiritual pieces using the concept of the sublime - combine landscape with an emotional and spiritual experience

How did the American art market change after 1700?

- educated painters came to America so the quality improved - the "colonial style" developed in engravings and mezzotints - 1700-1775 the population became over 2 million - wealthy people wanted British goods 1689-1760 trade with Britain rose almost 3x - earnings per person got higher (but only a few were elite) - consumers wanted BRITISH style in arts/furniture

What made Copley leave America?

- he relied on commissions from officials, but they were fighting each other over British taxation - Revere, whom he painted, threw tea that belonged to Copley's father in law, a merchant - He wanted to be a history painter - He wanted to have higher standing than an artisan - He didn't take any side politically but his wife's family were loyalists

How did America's economic situation in Copley's time influence his work?

- late 1700s America's traders in North were wealthiest - rich traders wanted possessions and social standing and tried to get it by copying British nobility through costume and showing their material goods - Copley made them false images that made them look confident, relaxed - This way, Copley made over 350 known portraits

What was the "Ancien Regime"?

- life pre French Revolution - upper classes longed for it - lower classes hated it

How did Elisabeth Vigee-LeBrun become a prominent French artist?

- made excellent portraits and supported her family - father was a portraitist and she married a painter and art dealer - French queen had her join French Royal Academy - became 1 of 4 female academicians - had to leave when Fr Rev came

What did Louis XIV do that made French nobility hate him?

- made the Palace of Versailles far away from French cities and made them all live there - He exalted himself as the "sun king" and made them serve him - He was hospitable but expected recipients to be subject to him - He said 'l'etat c'est moi' and decorate Versailles palace to aggrandize his rule

Why was Prix de Rome important? What style did students usually follow?

- needed it to make a living as an artist - it let you study 3-5 years - students usually painted in traditional academic style to please judges - winning meant you can study more

What was life like for French women in the late 1700s?

- not good - Louis XVI made a law 1785 that did not led women art students go to Louvre galleries - 1791 constitution: women were passive, not active citizens - 1793 convention: women, criminals, and insane had no rights; women didn't get suffrage until 1944

What is this about and when was it painted?

- painted the year of the Revolution - caring more about the state than about family - statue of Rome, Brutus has edict in hand - tragedy with women - idea that only men can sacrifice because only they can put feelings second

How was William Hogarthe's series called Marriage a la Mode an extension of Enlightenment ideas?

- satirized the wealthy and powerful and described them as victims of a rotten society - series involved lies, unfaithfulness, killing, suicide - opposed Rococo ideas

Describe the Age of Enlightenment

- scientific revolutions from Newton's writings on physics, math - very hopeful, positive - Europeans saw selves as most civilized people ever - praised reason as replacing ignorance and superstition

What's the background of Jacques Louis David?

- son of merchant who died, related to Boucher but studied with Vien - failed Prix de Rome 3x, entered Royal Academy 1766 - Went with Vien to Rome

What were Francois Boucher's accomplishments as an artist?

- studied Italy art became member of Royal Academy - became First Painter to King - became favorite artist of King's mistress

Why wasn't there much history painting in America in the 1700s?

- there weren't many places to put them, like big public buildings - they didn't have European art to copy - there wasn't much American history to make a big deal about - it was expensive to make

What was special about John S Copley's portraits? What were the occasions in which they would be commissioned?

- they were fictions to legitimize sitters as socially important in Boston - usually commissioned to celebrate events like weddings

What is Francisco de Goya's background?

- trained in a province - was a designer for a tapestry manufacturer - did portraits - made engravings based on Velasquez - went to Italy - got into Academy in Madrid and was a professor - became a court painter and later the first court painter

What did swinging mean in 18th century France?

- was mostly meant for women - represented women's idleness or changeable interests and romantic feelings - the feminine fickleness of the heart (swinging between suitors)

Why did Napoleon steal art?

Art was considered the "spoils of war" and Napoleon wanted to transfer Italian heritage through the masterpieces of the Renaissance and bring them to France. As Napoleon was Corsican and Italian, he was fusing his country of birth and country of choice. He was turning Paris into the center of the "civilized" world rather than Rome.

Explain the background behind this piece and its purpose. How accurate is it? Who painted it?

Background: Napoleon's unsuccessful campaign in the Middle East and the plague that affected his troops Purpose: Make Napoleon appear compassionate and brave, touching a sick man though the plague was infectious and deadly. Inaccurate because he ordered the execution of all plague victims in his troops and would never have touched them. Artist: Antoine-Jean Gros

Where did "Grand Manner" paintings start and what were they? Where did the body language in these works come from?

Britain in 1700s Grand Manner portraits included locations and props that were meant to make the sitters look regal and high-class The poses came from ancient Roman sculptures and Italian Renaissance paintings Sir Peter Paul Rubens and Sir Anthony van Dyck from early 1600s English court portraits as well

What does this piece reveal about its artist's interests?

Charles Peale paid a farmer for the bones of the Mastodon. This piece shows Peale's interest in natural science and his belief in reason over faith.

Who painted this and why was the piece important?

Charles Peale painted this of two of his sons. Important because there wasn't art like this in America at the time. It had a real door frame and stair riser, creating a trompe l'eoil that fooled the eye. It was shown at the Columbianum.

What does this piece reveal about the artist that painted it?

Charles W Peale painted himself "peeling" back the curtain to show his legacy. Behind the curtain is the museum he created, containing a stuffed turkey, cases scientifically arranged, and the Mastodon that he helped to exhume. He shows himself as a man of science, proud of his accomplishments.

How might the sublime change how a person encounters suffering?

From the video - the sublime is about being overwhelmed by the expanse of nature relative to the inconsequence of man. Seeing how small our pains are in the context of eternity and the enormity of the natural world can comfort someone who feels overcome by her troubles.

Describe the relationship between Jacques-Louis David and Napoleon Bonaparte.

David was opportunistic and became First Painter to the Emperor, creating Bonaparte's image.

What is the message in this work? What does it say about men and women? Was it or was it not true to the commission? What did this piece do for the artist?

David's Oath of the Horatii - message: Family is less important than the greater good - men: strong, rational, public, active - women: weak, emotional, passive, domestic - not subject he was paid to paint - he invented the moment and painted it in Rome - got David fame, was shown in Salon

Significance of this work to art style?

David's piece was considered one of key statements of Neoclassical style

Who painted this? Who is the subject and what is the significance of this image?

Gilbert Stuart, the artist constantly in debt, painted this. Subject: President George Washington Significance: although the setting is lavish in Grand Manner portraiture, Washington is dressed simply and not as a monarch. His sword referse to his military victories. Books on the table are the Federalist Papers. Books under the table are about his military successes. Back of the chair has the American stars and stripes and a laurel wreath.

Who painted this? How is this an allegory? Who else painted this subject?

Goya Allegory from Greek myth of the titan Saturn eating his children because of a prophecy that one would kill him. It's an allegory of what people will do to keep power as well as madness. Rubens painted it first and he lived in Spain for a bit.

What was the portrait style used here? What do we know about the artist?

Elizabethan, was behind times in Britain but popular in America don't know much but know he was born in England and moved to America

What is significant about this painting?

Friedrich's Two Men Contemplating the Moon The tree root under the moon looks anthropomorphic Viewer is absorbed into the scene by being behind the two men. The two are Friedrich and August Heinrich, his friend. German Romantics were interested in the moon as a subject of spiritual meditation.

What was Goya criticizing through this series (not necessarily this image)? What is happening in this image?

Goya criticized the Spanish Inquisition, which he saw as hypocritical and morally bankrupt. He believed that the ruling class and the Catholic Church were guilty of persecuting the innocent and committing fraud.

How did Friedrich's background influence his choice of subject and approach?

He grew up in the cold climate of Northern Europe and depicted it in his paintings (as opposed to the warm climate of Italy). He had experienced poverty and witnessed the death of his brother, so he kept a motif of grief with the crucifixion of Jesus.

How did John Trumbull contribute to American painting? How were his paintings received?

He made 8 paintings on the Revolutionary War and made 4 large historical paintings for the US Capitol. One was the Declaration of Independence. People didn't like the Declaration because it was not true to history as signers did not meet all together at once to sign. There was only 1 spokesperson who presented the Declaration and not a committee.

Did Goya see the atrocities of war firsthand or not? How do we know?

He named some etchings to indicate that he was an eyewitness. He named this one "I saw it"

What was Theodore Gericault's contribution to art? What historical painting is he famous for?

He pioneered experimentation with Romantic art in France. He painted current events instead of ancient history or mythology. Rather than painting heroes or religious figures, he painted the everyday person. His famous work: Raft of the Medusa

What was Denis Diderot's opinion on French art? Which artist(s) did he like?

He thought Rococo was frivolous and immoral and preferred didactic art that exalted the working class. He liked the art of Chardin and Greuze

What did Napoleon want to achieve through art?

He wanted to promote himself as a powerful and compassionate ruler. As he was Corsican, he wanted to place himself among French monarchs and justify his reign. He wanted the French to see his rule as stable, in contrast to the French Revolution.

What was significant about Charles Wilson Peale and what was his contribution to American art?

He was an orphan and painted later in life. He studied with West and painted George Washington, with whom he crossed the Delaware as an officer. He created an artistic lineage through his children. His portrait of his family was the most ambitious portrait by an American artist (in the US) at the time. He established the Columbianum, modeled after the Royal Academy, and it later became the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He was an enlightenment thinker who helped unearth a fossil and created a museum.

What was Edmund Burke all about?

He was into the sublime, the idea that the terrifying and painful can be just as valid as beauty. What produced such feelings were experiences like danger, silence, and solitude.

What was Samuel F. B. Morse's contribution to American art?

He was the 1st president of the National Academy of Art, modeled after the Royal Academy. He wanted to raise the standing of American artists and encourage clients to buy from American artists.

Who painted this? What is the subject? What was the Academy's response? How is this a Romantic image?

Ingres Subject: member of harem in the middle east or an "Orientalist" and "exotic" subject Academy criticized the elongated spine and distorted proportions. Romantic because refers to the exotic

What does this portrait reveal about the artist Ingres?

Ingres was best and sought after for portraits. He was good at showing the person's character.

What is the story behind The Disasters of War?

Is about the French invasion of Spain and the Spanish revolt Addresses how brutal war is Wasn't published until 35 years after Goya died He worked on the plates during the war 82 etchings very traumatic

When and where did Goya paint his Black Paintings and what do they reveal? When did the public see these?

In his older age he went to a farmhouse outside Madrid and painted them on its walls. They show his cynicism and disappointment in society as well as a personal mental struggle. The public saw these after his death. These were private paintings for himself.

How does this artwork function as propaganda? How accurate is it? Who painted it?

It creates a parallel between Napoleon and Charlemagne the Great and General Hannibal. It makes him look powerful and large, able to calm a wild horse. It references the equestrian portraits of the Renaissance. It is inaccurate because Napoleon was short, he never actually led his troops but rather followed them on a mule, and his troops were defeated in the battle against the Austrians. Artist: Jacques-Louis David

How does this artwork function as propaganda? How accurate is it? Who painted it?

It shows him as standing and thus higher than the pope and crowning the empress. It makes his family seem united. These were representational portraits of the court and his relatives. It was inaccurate because his mother wasn't actually there and Empress Josephine was in her 40s and looks younger in the painting. Artist: Jacques-Louis David

What is this painting about and what is significant about this painting? Who is the artist?

It's about the victory over the French in the French and Indian War and the death of General Wolfe. Significance: contemporary event in current and not classical dress, presence of the Iroquois scout (not a white figure) Artist: Benjamin West, historical painter to British king

What is important about this work? Media and artist?

It's an etching by Francisco de Goya. It's one of a series called The Caprices. The Caprices were prints criticizing corruption, abuse of power, superstition, and the Inquisition. This print shows how the ideas of the Enlightenment influenced Goya. The idea is that without reason, evil is victorious. However, with reason, imagination gives birth to all the arts. It makes the viewer part of the work by having a creature stare at him/her. It shows the Romantic association between nature and emotion versus the rationalism of the Enlightenment.

What is significant about this painting by Goya?

It's not flattering. The brush strokes are loose and the king does not look strong or noble. Neither is the queen beautiful. One woman's face is turned back. There is no flattery. It's also a quote from Velasquez and Goya painted himself in.

Who painted this and for what? What is it about?

Jacques Louis David he wanted this to get him into the Academy is about Hector giving life for his people and his wife crying

Who painted this and what is it about?

Jacques Louis David is about patriotic sacrifice

Who painted this? How did the Academy respond and why? Which of Ingres's interests are revealed in this painting?

Jean-Auguste Domique Ingres They didn't like it because there was no moral lesson and Oedipus is more of an antihero than a hero. His interest in classical sculptures, like Roman copies of Greek bronze statues.

Who painted this image and what is significant about it?

John Singleton Copley, the American artist who emigrated to Europe. Significance: contemporary and minor historical event as a historical painting, shows the struggles Copley had (never saw shark or this location, was not used to figures in action, and had to paint a nude without access to nude models in the US)

What kinds of paintings did Gilbert Stuart usually make and what was his contribution to American painting?

Portraits He made the first full-body skating portrait. Before him, no one had done it. He also painted portraits of George Washington.

Describe Romanticism as a period in art. How did Romantic artists feel about nature and reason?

Romantic artworks did not have a single style or subject but rather included an interest in emotions, imagination, and the "exotic." Artists of this time rebelled against the simple compositions of Neoclassical painting. Some works had intense personal expression and reflected strong beliefs. Romantic artists equated nature with the divine and didn't follow established ways to depict religion. Romatics didn't totally deny reason; they just saw emotions as equally significant.

How does this work compare to the Second of May? What is different?

Same subject and both painted in 1814 Stylistically very different The Third of May has a strong focal point and emotional factor. The brushwork is loose and the facial expressions are more intense. The bodies are not completely naturalistic - the hands in particular. The handling of the paint looks more impressionist than the Second of May. Manet looked at Goya and Velasquez to create his own approach to painting.

What is the story behind this painting?

Samuel Morse put what he thought were the best paintings in a painted room. This wasn't a real room in the Louvre. It's a history lesson. However, the public wasn't interested.

Which artists did the Black Paintings influence?

Surrealists and Expressionists

Who painted this and what's significant about it?

Theodore Gericault It's a Romantic painting because the figures aren't idealized and it's based on a true event from his time. A captain took the lifeboats and left much of the ship's passengers on a raft where many died. He used eyewitness testimony to construct the painting. It was an attack on the political system in which a person with connections rather than skill would get a position. He chose the moment when the passengers get saved. He made many sketches for this and interviewed the ship engineer and physician.

What was the function and structure of Renaissance guilds? Which guilds were the artists and sculptors in?

These groups of artisans started in the 1100s to protect their interests and regulate their activities. Sometimes they paid to make or ornament public facilities. Artists DID NOT have their own guilds but were part of Physicians and Pharmacists. Sculptors were part of Stone and Wood Guild.

How did artists display their work in Britain and France in the mid 1700s? How did artists get paid for their work in 1750 vs 1900? What factors were involved?

They entered work into juried exhibitions In France they were Salons, started 1737 in Louvre Britain's Royal Academy also started in 1768 Most artists made work for patrons who commissioned them By 1900 they ended up making their own works to sell later (on spec) Factors: personality, social class, politics, and historical events had different effects on artists

How did the French Academy feel about contemporary subjects?

They forbade it because they thought only historical events and heroes that died in idealized ways were "good art"

What was the hierarchy of genres and what kind of art did the French Academy want to promote?

a system listing most important to least important types of artworks: 1) history 2) portrait 3) genre 4) landscapes 5) still lifes They wanted intellectual art with a moral lesson and be high minded - "exemplum virtutis"

Describe the structure and content of the French Academy according to its founding document

based on Rome and Florence academies 1 specialist each in geometry, anatomy, and perspective 12 alternating masters who taught drawing drawing was a prerequisite to enrolling as a student there was no painting, which was reserved for private studios of "masters" who had 6 students there was a hierarchy of genrese

What was the process of joining a guild?

enter at age 7, parents pay skilled master to teach children teacher shared working strategies and secrets children mimicked teacher's art style

In the French Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, what kind of drawing was the focus?

figure drawing from classical casts and live nude models

What was the climate for art in America before the 1800s?

no art schools no way to exhibit art no Old Master works to emulate no collectors or church patronage there were some paintings 30-40 years after the first settlements early artists were "limners" who were nomadic and traveled for commissions survival came before art portraiture was most common because artists needed to follow English style

What's the difference between nude and naked in art?

nude: artistic choice like Venus naked: being undressed, shameful and weak (like Adam and Eve)

What were qualities of Neoclassical art and who was its foremost artist?

qualities: - strong contours - modeling like sculpture on forms - smooth and polished surfaces - history paintings as moral lessons artist: Jacques-Louis David

Where and when did the first art academies start? How did it change what artists were?

renaissance Italy - artists wanted to improve artists' prospects and teach before this, artists were the same as craftspeople. NOT meant to teach painting

Describe the subject and formal elements of Rococo art.

subject: carefree life of French nobility style: liberated and elegant movement, carefree use of line, fine colors

For what media did Goya make these cartoons?

tapestries

What did Friedrich say about the meaning in this piece?

the landscape is symbolic The rock on which the cross stands represents immovable faith in Jesus Christ. The fir trees represent the everlasting hope of men in Christ.

What is Theodore Gericault's background?

went to Rome less academic training wealthy and died young

What was the reward for winning the French Academy's most respected competitions?

winning the Prix de Rome, or getting to go to the Fr academy in Rome also becoming a member of the Academy