Art During The French Revolution Essay Research

Art During The French Revolution Essay, Research Paper Art as an Influence During The French Revolution And Post Revolution The French Revolution (1789-1799) was not only a time for political and social changes, but also a place for art to develop and influence the revolution as well. Art was such an influential factor on the public that the paintings were able to change and strengthen the revolutionary movement. The artist s main focus before the revolution was romanticism, but Jacques-Louis David s neoclassical style of art was used as a method to influence political thoughts and creative expression. Realism was introduced later on as a method of showing realistic people during realistic events. Other artists who contributed to the revolution and post revolution era were

painters like Jean Auguste Dominique, Eugene Delacroix, and Francisco Jos De Goya Y Lucientes. These artists are Known for their variety of artistic styles : Classicallism, Romanticism, and Realism. During the French Revolution paintings were done purposely, and some not on purpose, to back up the revolutionaries or to scandalize the aristocracy. Such use of art might have changed the outcome of the Revolution, thus demonstating the great impact amongst the French population. Jacques-Louis David was born into a middle-class family in Paris in 1748. In 1774 he was introduced to classical art by the works of Nicolas Poussin. He then developed his own neoclassical style of art which was an excellent medium for political expression during the French Revolution. Jacques-Louis David s

The Oath Horatii was used as art for a political campaign as a patriotic theme. Not all of David s paintings were destined for political expression, but his painting Le Serment des Horaces , who was originally used for moral purposes, was interpreted as an attempt for political expression. When David painted Brutus and his dead sons in 1789, when the revolution had just began, some people interpreted the patriotic roman putting his sons to death as having political significance while the roman s attire and furnishings was an influence on French fashion. David later adopted a realistic painting style to record scenes of the French Revolution. David himself was part of the rising era of turmoil and uncertainty. Member of the extremist Jacobin group headed by Robespierre, David was

elected to the National Convention on September 17th, 1792 and was later appointed to the Committee of General Security, where he signed the release for three hundred people to be guillotined. Being a part of the Convention David was known as the art dictator, so he then abolished the Academy of painting. He also helped found a Museum, which would later become the Louvre. David s greatest political painting was The Death of Marat . Being a good friend of Marat, David did not paint a diseased body, but yet he hid his disease infested body in the tub covered the scars on his face by giving it shadow, therefore he painted that of a healthy, young man who was lying dead in his bath. This painting is world renown for its realism. David s use of shadow, the letter that Charlotte Corday

brought with her and even the knife that she used to kill him added an extremely realistic view to his painting. One of David s greatest paintings adored by critics may be his painting of Madame Recamier , because it s free from influential moral aspects that were used in his neoclassical techniques. David later became the official painter of the emperor of France, Napoleon, from 1799 to 1815 where he may be recognized for The Coronation of Napoleon and Josephine . He finally was exiled to Brussels after Napoleon s defeat and stayed there until he died on December 28, 1794. When the French revolution began the romanticist style of painting was to be forgotten and replaced by the neoclassical and realistic style that was preferred by the public. Jean Auguste Dominique was one of