ART ANALYSIS: CLASSICAL ERA ART

 A. DIANA AND ENDYMION

DIANA and ENDYMION is a painting by JEAN HONORÉ FRAGONARD. He was born in 1732, in Grasse, France, and was commonly known for his Rococo style of painting. It is believed that he painted this artwork between 1753 and 1756. In 2009, this beautiful picture was posted to https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.46026.html.

JEAN HONORÉ FRAGONARD, Diana and Endymion, c. 1753/1756, West Building, Main Floor - Gallery 55, oil on canvas, Timken Collection, Accession Number 1960.6.2

ELEMENT OF LINE

The broken lines on the heads of ENDYMION, DIANA, and the CUPID suggest that it is their hair. Another straight line is visible on the ground with ENDYMION’S left hand on it whose form is that of a shepherd’s stick.

ELEMENT OF TEXTURE

Take a keen look at the sheep’s necks, around the top for the two facing on the other side and below on the one facing in front. I am sure you noticed the heavy brush strokes painted on them which bring about the verisimilitude of the heavy fur, a characteristic of such kinds of sheep. Then the optical texture in the flower paintings of the flowers is located in front of ENDYMION which has been done with some rococo swagger.

ELEMENT OF COLOR

The red color is used on the attire that ENDYMION is wearing to symbolize love since the shepherd is sleeping and dreaming of love. Color red has been used on DIANA’S left breast, which is exposed outside, to indicate her nipple. The same has been done on ENDYMION’S chest which of course has a smaller size of breasts.

CONNECTION TO THE MORALITY AND THE ARTS OF THE CLASSICAL ERA

To a conservative person during the classical era, the moral values of this art painting would have been questioned. The three individuals in the picture are not covered in enough clothes. As you can see, ENDYMION’S entire chest and the left breast of DIANA with a red hot nipple are visible. In an African set-up, it is not a picture painting that a parent would proudly and comfortably view in the company of their children! In fact, due to its lack of moral compass, I wouldn’t take this to my house if it was to be given for free!

B. THE LOVE LETTER

The Love Letter is a painting of two shepherdesses by FRANÇOIS BOUCHER who was born on 29^th September 1703, in Paris, France. He painted this artwork in 1750. It was accessed in 1960 and posted to https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.46027.html in 2009.

FRANÇOIS BOUCHER, The Love Letter, 1750, oil on canvas, Credit Line, Timken Collection, Accession Number 1960.6.3

ELEMENT OF TONE

Tone as the contrast of light and dark has been used in the following way: The two shepherdesses and their sheep have been painted using brighter colors against a black painting on the backside, especially the right-hand side which brings about a dark contrast. Take a keen look and see how the dog just on the front of the shepherdesses’ legs has been painted with black color against a background of brighter color, which is actually the reverse.

ELEMENT OF TEXTURE

Once more, the optical texture is in play through the bouquet of flowers that are visible beside the sheep in front of the two shepherdesses. The colorful petals of varied colors are so beautiful and there’s a possibility they’re all an expression of romantic affection.

ELEMENT OF PATTERN

Behind the two shepherdesses, a natural pattern of trees, their branches, and leaves formation can be seen. Some tree branches appear to have fallen down probably as a result of the heavy storms accompanying the rainfall as the background of the painting suggests.

ELEMENT OF COLOR

Color has been used as a pattern in the painting of the dress that has been worn by the shepherdess on the right-hand side. It’s a pattern of vertical lines of pink and white. Take a closer look at their hair and see how color has been used as a decoration in the beautiful ribbons of blue and pink that they have tied on their respective heads. Amazing!

CONNECTION TO THE MORALITY AND THE ARTS OF THE CLASSICAL ERA

The two shepherdesses look at each other admirably as if to suggest that they are in love. “One ties an envelope around the neck of a pigeon with a blue ribbon while looking with admiration at her companion” (RICHARD RAND, 2009). This kind of same-sex love (lesbianism) in the 1750s was surely condemned as going against the moral virtues of the church and the traditions.

C. THE DEATH OF SOCRATES

The death of Socrates is a picture painting of SOCRATES being put to death through poisoning somewhere in Greece, and surrounded by his friends. It was painted in 1787 by JACQUES-LOUIS DAVID in the French city of Paris.

JACQUES-LOUIS DAVID, death of Socrates, 1787, oil on canvas, Paris, France.

ELEMENT OF LINE

Jagged lines that are visible on the hairs and beards of SOCRATES and all the men surrounding him suggest turmoil and anxiety. Indeed these men are going through the turmoil of watching live as their teacher of ethics and a friend is about to undergo execution through the use of poison.

Line as structure can be seen on the wall side of the bed where there’s a straight stand. Under the bed, the base of this stand can be viewed with its three feet, which then extends up beyond the height of the bed. And at its top its rounded shape structure as if to hold some kettle in it.

The optical texture is on a top level as all the men surrounding SOCRATES can be seen and felt as being in somber moods. Look at how two dejected men on either end are lifting their hands up to heaven as if to be saying a prayer, so sad! Another one is covering his face in sorrow as though he’s sobbing in tears, so teary! Even the executioner himself is covering his face in shame when passing the poison to SOCRATES!

ELEMENT OF TONE

The tone has been used as a contrast of light and dark in the painting of the humans visible through the corridors at the further end of the house. The painter uses brighter colors in painting the humans against a black painting on the walls to bring about a reflection of the people that we see there.

CONNECTION TO THE MORALITY AND THE ARTS OF CLASSICAL ERA

“SOCRATES, an Athenian philosopher, is representative of moral reasoning and intelligence” (L.D GRAVATT, 2014). It is believed that the Athenian government of the time did not like the moral teachings of SOCRATES and therefore gave him a choice of either being exiled or being executed by use of Hemlock poisoning. SOCRATES chose the latter and ignored the former which is a show of the moral compass of the Athenian great philosopher. “What is inspiring about this image is that Socrates is still teaching and demonstrating his ideals even in the face of death” (L.D GRAVATT, 2014). I would certainly hang this painting on my sitting room wall.

CORNELIA, MOTHER OF THE GRACCHI, POINTING TO HER CHILDREN AS HER TREASURES

CORNELIA, Mother of the Gracchi, Pointing to her Children as Her Treasures is an art painting by ANGELICA KAUFFMANN, a Swiss Neoclassical painter in 1785. It was posted to » Angelica Kauffmann, Cornelia Pointing to her Children as Her Treasures (smarthistory.org) in 2016.

ANGELICA KAUFFMANN, CORNELIA, Mother of the Gracchi, Pointing to her Children as Her Treasures, oil on canvas, circa, 1785.

ELEMENT OF LINE

Line as the structure has been to imply the pillars that are visible behind the two women and children. One pillar is cylindrical shaped while the other is cubic shaped, that is with sharp corners and edges. The two go up together to support the structure which from the look of this seems to be tall enough for a story building.

Curved lines on the hair of the children and the two women suggest comfort and ease. They are surely at ease with each other and at comfort with their souls from the description of the picture painting. Other straight lines forming squares at the floor suggest the floor is made up of tiled ceramics.

ELEMENT OF TEXTURE

On the background, there is ephemeral texture in the form of a dark-greyish painting to represent the clouds forming which has actually been done by use of heavier brush strokes back and forth. There is the use of a blueish painting that resembles the skies. They altogether represent a very calm atmosphere as if it was in the evening just as the sun was setting.

Optical texture is present in the way the children are at ease with their mother.

ELEMENT OF COLOR

The woman in the middle, CORNELIA, is wearing a white dress which is a symbol of peace and purity. White is also a color of calm and tranquility. It not only implies hygiene and cleanliness of the body but also the purity of the soul.

 CONNECTION TO THE MORALITY AND THE ART OF THE CLASSICAL ERA

The woman in red is believed to have shown her “treasures” which consisted of pearls, gems, rings, and other materialistic things to CORNELIA, the Roman mother of Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus. She then asked CORNELIA to tell her the treasures that she possessed and to her surprise, she (CORNELIA) pointed to her children. “One way this painting represents morality is that the mother is depicting an ancient Roman, who was thought of as quite righteous at the time” (LAUREN GRAVATT, 2014), “Also, CORNELIA’S most precious treasure is not material, which shows a great reason and intellect.”

I would definitely do anything within my reach to get this picture painting on my living room wall because I admire the virtues that CORNELIA possesses. It would be a nice pictorial painting to use in instilling moral values in my sons.

CITATIONS

Dana Martin, 2016. “Angelica Kauffmann, Cornelia Pointing to her Children as Her Treasures,” in Smarthistory, https://smarthistory.org/angelica-kauffmann-cornelia-pointing-to-her-children-as-her-treasures/.

Lauren Gravatt, 2014. “Morality of the Classical Era Depicted through Art” https://ldgravatt.wordpress.com/2014/07/03/morality-of-the-classical-era-depicted-through-art/ on her blog

Richard Rand, 2009. “French Paintings 15th–18th Centuries”https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.46027.html & https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.46026.html NGA Online Editions