Neo vs Roma

        Even before recorded history, art has been a part of human civilization
as evidenced by the discovery of primitive cave paintings and small statues.  As
people get more "civilized," and society changes due to contemporary issues,
their style of art changes as well.  Popular styles in France for example followed
this trend.  This post will discuss two styles in particular: Neoclassicism and
Romanticism and the qualities each style in known for.  Works from each period
will be used as examples to aid in the discussion.

Jacques-Louis David Oath of the Horatii

Jacques-Louis David Marat at His Last Breath

Jacques-Louis David Oath of the Tennis Court

          Neoclassicism was apparently a reaction to the flamboyant Rococo style.
There was also a surge in interest in the antiquated styles of the Greek and
Roman classics (all-art). Neoclassical art is inspired by figures from Classical
Roman stories that stress realistic body proportions and muscle tone.  There is
a great deal of order within the works with most of the figures in the
foreground exhibiting either a strong, rational tone in the example of Jacques-
Louis David's The Oath of the Horatii Between the Hands of Their Father, or a
calmer tone like David's Marat at His Last Breath.  Many of David's works also
show patriotism as during his time, the French Revolution was starting. His Oath
of the Tennis Court illustrated the Jacobins giving an oath with their arms
outstretched similar to the ones given by the three sons in the Oath of the
Horatii.  One can really get a sense of patriotism by looking at the figures.
David's Napoleon at the St. Bernard Pass will be discussed as a representative
of the Neoclassical period.

Jacques-Louis David Napoleon at the St. Bernard Pass

In the painting, David follows all the trends of Neoclassical style.
His figure, Napoleon on a horse, is in the foreground with a strong, heroic pose
with his arm pointing forward and his horse rising on its hind legs.  This pose
makes the viewer know that Napoleon is in charge with his confident gesture and
calm temperament even with his horse bucking backwards in rocky terrain.  The
horse's anatomy and musculature is well illustrated with clever shadowing.
Napoleon's clothing also looks realistic with wrinkles on his pants where he
bends his knee as well as the folding from the drapery around his shoulders.
Although Napoleon is supposed to be in a hectic environment, David portrays the
scene in an classical and orderly fashion.  The rocky terrain just breaks off at
the ends with smooth terrain throughout.  The wind blows in one direction,
making Napoleon look dramatic.  Within a decade, however, a new style will rise:
Romanticism.

Eugene Delacroix The Massacre at Scio

Joseph Mallord William Turner Snow Storm

Theodore Gericault The Charging Light Cavalryman

Romantic art style developed as a response to the aftermath of the
French Revolution (met). Disillusionment with Enlightenment values was met with
emotion and spontaneity, characteristics of Romanticism.  It can also be seen as
a distortion of Classicism.  The subjects of Romantic works were more prone to
legends and nature rather than Greek and Roman influences.  Violent and exotic
themes were depicted to stir emotion in the viewer as seen in Eugene Delacroix's
The Massacre at Scio.  In this painting, bodies are littered all over the
foreground opposite to the orderly composition of Neoclassical art.  The viewer
gets a sense of the suffering the victims experience under the hands of the
oppressors with faces showing anguish and hopelessness.  This sets up a very
dramatic scene.  Romantic art is also characterized by visible brushstrokes and
vivid color.  This is best scene in Romantic landscape paintings for example
Joseph Mallord William Turner's Snow Storm Hannibal and His Army Crossing the
Alps.  Unlike David's Napoleon at St. Bernard's Pass, Theodore Gericault's The
Charging Light Cavalryman uses vivid red in his figure's attire while Napoleon's
red drapery was a dull red.  The rider in Gericault's work is also an unnamed
soldier unlike the well-known Napoleon.  The figure is also twisted diagonally
with the soldier facing one direction and his horse the other.  This gives a
sense of disorder compared to the unified stance the David's figures have with
both Napoleon and his horse facing the same direction.  The ground in
Gericault's painting is also more chaotic and blurry not like David's clearly
drawn mountain pass. All these characteristics distinguish Romantic art from
Neoclassical.
In regards to which style ultimately prevails, I would say Romanticism
did in the long run.  Looking ahead in the art and society of the late 19th-
early 20th century, the fall of monarchical systems gave rise to the power of
the individual and thus his/her own expression in the arts.  Works following the
period of Neoclassicism/Romanticism showed more Romantic qualities like brush
strokes and compositions based on the artists' personal preferences and nature as
seen in Impressionist art as one example.

Claude Monet The Cliffs at Etretat

     
         In conclusion, Neoclassicism and Romanticism both have their own unique
styles.  Societal and political factors serve as an important influence for
these movements. The shifting from works based on the aristocracy and Classical
works to more personal and exotic themes showed the changing interest of the
artist from gaining the favor of the lavish, to his/her own expression.  

Works cited:

all pictures taken from wikipedia

met - http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/roma/hd_roma.htm

all-art -  http://www.all-art.org/history356.html

adjectives used in describing the qualities

http://www2.palomar.edu/users/mhudelson/StudyGuides/NeoCvsRomant_WA.html