Romanticism reaction to Neoclassicism

         There are many differences between Neoclassicism and Romanticism. Neoclassicism is all about intellectuality, idealism and perfection. It has grand heroic themes and honor as subjects. Romanticism, on the other hand, can be described as a state of mind. Painters connect what they see with what they feel. It’s more expressive and dynamic. There’s no more Neoclassical poses. It’s sentimental (the heart) with the heroic (rebellions and morality). 

    By comparing Jacques-Loius David's Death of Marat and Théodore  Gericault's The Raft of the Medusa, it is possible to identify the differences between Neoclassicism and Romanticism.

Jacques-Louis David,
Death of Marat,1793

            In "Death of Marat," (1793) David paints his friend Marat's assassination. Those are Marat's last moments, last breaths. Marat was a revolutionary writer and was assassinated. He was on his bath tub because he had a skin condition that needed to be soothed in water. Even though he had a skin condition, Marat paints him as if he's not a body anymore. His skin is perfected and smooth. He becomes ideal: David makes him statue-like. Everything is rational and calculated.

     

Théodore Gericault,
The Raft of the Medusa, 1918-9

   


   
     Contrasting with that, we have the expressive and dramatic "The Raft of the Medusa" (1918-9). It's a rescue. It's a desperate situation. Half of them die. There's a possibility of cannibalism. They're hungry and sick. He probably paints the highest drama and emotion. The focus is the moment that they might be rescued. There's a lot of symbolism . He's taking some liberty. There's still some idealism:  the person on top of the pyramid shaking the shirt/flag is still healthy. However, there's a lot of chaos going on. Unlike Marat, who's statue-like, the figures are spontaneous and dynamic. 

            Romanticism comes right after Neoclassicism. It was a reaction to the lack of expression of the Neoclassicism. Romantic artists wanted to bring emotion, fluidity, free form and spontaneity to the works of art. Even though there is not a long time between the movements, we notice a lot of differences between them.

If you would like to see more Neoclassicism works, you can check the Metropolitan Museum of Art web page. http://www.metmuseum.org/search-results?ft=neoclassicism&pg=1&cat=All+Results


Kleiner, Fred S., Gardner's Art Through the Ages,
Thirteenth Edition, Vol. II