Neoclassicism free essay sample

Neoclassicism, one of the major art movements, began around the middle of the 18th century and lasted until the first part of the 19th century. Just before the beginning of the Neoclassic movement the publics interest in the Renaissance and Classic Greek and Roman art began to come back to life. Along with the publics newly found interest in the renaissance and Greek and Roman art the public also began to oppose the previous styles of Rococo and Baroque (Sayre, 2010). Along with the publics changing art interests political changes are also thought to have had a hand in the start of the Neoclassic movement.At the time the United States was becoming independent and creating its own democratic political system. At the same time France was becoming a republic. Together France and the United States decided to design their public buildings around the Neoclassic style. Neoclassic style paintings centered around few subjects, the most prominent being virtues. We will write a custom essay sample on Neoclassicism or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Painters at that time thought that men and women always in the public eye should look moralized and emotionless in paintings.In The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries by Jacques Louis David, Napoleon was meant to be seen as an emperor and military leader, both of which were very serious roles always keeping him within the public eye. In the painting Napoleon is seen wearing his military uniform. Napoleons face shows no emotion at all and his eyes seem to have no life in them. The background, the study, seems very bland. The lines and colors used in the painting are simple. These elements together symbolize the morality and virtuous nature of the time period, and can be seen as subject in most paintings during the Neoclassic movement.Impressionism When the Neoclassic movement came to an end in the first half of the 19th century the Impressionism movement began. The Impressionist art movement lasted until the beginning of the 20th century. The beginning of the Impressionist movement was marked by Claude Monets painting Impression-Sunrise (Sayre, 2010). The subjects and techniques used in impressionist work was completely different from previous generations of artwork (Sayre, 2010). Impressionist work didnt focus on social structure or politics, but instead focused on visual pleasure. Henry Sayre (2010) stated, If impressionism is characterized by a way of seeing by the attempt to capture the fleeting effects of light by applying paint in small quick strokes of color- it is also defined by an intense interest in images of leisure. Pierre August Renoir created a wonderful example of Impressionist work when he created Luncheon of the Boating Party. Luncheon of the Boating Party shows a group of men and women, possibly friends, conversing with each other around a table filled with food and drinks. The men and women all seem to be having fun in their leisure time with each other.Abstract Expressionism The times leading up to the Abstract Expressionism movement were very hard and very sad. The Abstract Expressionism movement began in the 1940s. The Great Depression and World War II had not begun all that long before. Five years or so before the movement began President Roosevelt had put a federal art project in motion which gave artists financial support allowing artists to work as they wanted (Sayre, 2010). It was after the federal art project when artists like Ferdinand Leger, Marcel Duchamp, Piet Mondrian, Yves Tanguy, and Andre Breton came to the United States (Sayre, 2010).It was then that Abstract Expressionism was born. The style of Abstract Expressionism is free, open-minded, and without limit. Abstract Expressionist artwork showed emotion, spontaneity, and freedom from previous restrictions of previous art styles. An awesome example of Abstract Expressionism is Autumn Rhythm created by Jackson Pollock. At first glance Autumn Rhythm looks like an art project belonging to a child in kindergarten. Pollock filled the canvas top to bottom side to side with splatters, drips, blots, and swirls of paint. Pollock changed lines by using different tools like sticks and trowels.