Morality and the Classical Era

    Morality in the Classical era focused on glorifying a high moral standard. These standards oftentimes stemmed from the French and American revolution, or classic stories, such as those about Sparta. Themes during this era included patriotism, sacrifice, and moral good, such as family. (Kljaich) If I were to speculate, I would imagine that these themes within artwork were used to enforce a cohesive unit during a time of turmoil, and bring people together on common ground. Between rapidly advancing science, multiple revolutions, and fading religious influence, one can easily see how divided the population may have been.

        

    This piece is called The Settlement by William Hogarth, completed in 1744. This artist specifically focused on British society in his pieces, so I believe it is a safe bet to assume that's where it was painted. 

    This piece is an excellent representation of the high moral standards of this time period. According to the Artsy article, this piece was made in mockery of the moral ills of the era. In this piece, an Earl marries his son off in the hopes of climbing the social ladder. Both children are upset, and disinterested in one another. This piece comes off as unappealing, and I believe that is the genius of it. The individuals in this painting are suffering from a lack of morality, and it is obvious in every detail. Nobody is benefitting from the father's selfish pursuit of social status, and in fact it is causing immense harm.

    One of my favorite parts of this piece is the fact that there aren't an even amount of people. The daughter has someone, the father has someone, and the son is left alone. This asymmetry adds a sense of loneliness, and really pushes the tragedy of the scene. I also think the green background adds a sense of nausea, and for a modern audience pushes a monetary agenda. These are some of my favorite elements of this piece, and I hope that you can bring some more to my attention!

    I think I would own this piece. It's a good reminder that money and status isn't the most important thing. I don't personally relate to the story here, but I think that remaining humble is one of the most important things to do, especially in such a consumeristic culture.

    This painting is called Portrait of the Marquise de Pompadour by Maurice-Quentin de La Tour, completed in 1755. I would also assume that this painting was completed in France, because it is a painting of a famous Parisian, and was created by a French artist.

    There is an obvious moral background to this piece. She is modestly dressed, studying music, and other educational pursuits. Beyond that, she is not wearing jewelry, nor is she surrounded by fancy things. She comes off as extremely humble and wise, which embodies many important moral values. Instead of indulging in a lavish lifestyle, she is committed to bettering her mind. 

    This culture of education was very important to France, and around this time, as they had one of the most well developed public systems, many of which were funded by the church during later years. In fact, there was a mandate that children attend Catholic school until they're 14. Imagine how important education is to our society. Going to school, and even pursuing higher education are seen as almost a moral right, and places certain individuals who do seek education as better than others. Therefore, it is safe to conclude that pursuing scholarly arts was a moral good in French society, as it is portrayed here.

    I think this painting is absolutely stunning. I particularly like the muted use of color. A lot of colors have certain associations, (red with promiscuity, purple with wealth etc) so by muting everything, you really have to focus in on the art itself. The painting also seems blurred, giving it a dreamlike focus that makes it very calming to me.

    I would absolutely own this piece. I think that it's very delicate, and unique when compared to the other Classic era art that I found while researching my blog. It's very calming to look at, and I would enjoy having it in my collection. This painting was made in order to show off the subjects knowledge in worldly arts, which I find to be very inspiring, as an academic myself.

        This final piece is called Oath of the Horatii, painted by Jacques-Louis David in 1785. As with my analysis on his previous piece in this blog, he is a French artist, so I will assume that this painting was done in France, although the article does not specify. 

    This image beautifully exemplifies the moral standards of the time. It represents three brothers swearing to defend Rome, a patriotic and brave act. Essentially, these brothers are taking up arms to fight a symbolic battle, as opposed to a full-scale war between two entities. 

    Artistically, this is very well represented by the compositional choices. The three men seem to be in a darker light than the other figures, casting them as extremely serious and somber. The figures in the back are mourning, according to the Smarthistory article, these are their family members. The sense of sacrifice is obvious with the harsh contrast between the men's stoicism and the womens upset. The final interesting point is the beam of light highlighting the man handing them the swords. It makes him appear to be some form of messenger, and reminds me of the Godly imagery we have previously viewed, where the focus was highlighted as if shone on by heaven. 

    I wouldn't personally own this piece. I think it's very beautiful, and is technically well done, but I am a pacifist and I don't like to keep imagery of violence or war around. I think the backstory around it is very lovely, although I don't have time to go more into depth then what I already have, I suggest reading the smarthistory article, as it explains it pretty thoroughly. 

Citations

Editorial, Artsy, and Rachel Lebowitz. “10 Rococo Artworks You Should Know.” Artsy, 29 May 2018, www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-10-artworks-defined-rococo-style.

“Education Before And After French Revolution History Essay.” UKEssays.com, www.ukessays.com/essays/history/education-before-and-after-french-revolution-history-essay.php.

Kljaich, Lisa. “Classical Influences and Architecture.” Art 200x, art200.community.uaf.edu/classical-influences-and-architecture/.

Kljaich, Lisa. “Neoclassical Traits.” Art F200X, art200.community.uaf.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/654/audio_transcripts/neoclassicaltraits.mp3.pdf.

McCoy, Dr. Claire Black, and Dr. Claire Black McCoy. “Jacques-Louis David, Oath of the Horatii.” Smarthistory, smarthistory.org/jacques-louis-david-oath-of-the-horatii/.

Reiley, Audrey. “Napoleon Crossing The Alps.” The Odyssey Online, The Odyssey Online, 16 Oct. 2019, www.theodysseyonline.com/napoleon-crossing-alps.