Classical Art Exhibit

The Classical period of art saw a shift in the message behind it's pieces, specifically using works to show just morality and heroic scenes of history. The three paintings below are Neoclassical works that sought to depart from the ideas of the Baroque and Recoco style and instead offer a simpler view and a positive message to society.

The Death of General Wolfe, Benjamin West, 1770, Springfield, Pennsylvania

The Death of General Wolfe is a great example on how virtue and Martyrdom worked to control pieces of the time. During the Seven Years War the British were fighting for control in what is now Canada against the French army. Although the British were victorious on the battlefield, General Wolfe lost his life and was used as the ultimate symbol for the British war effort through his sacrifice. West paints the general bathed in light and makes him the focal point of the action in the piece. Wolfe is seen almost as Christ instead of a war hero and this choice was deliberately made to push the message of morality.

The Death of Marat, Jacques-Louis David, 1793, Paris, France

The Death of Marat, like the previous work by Benjamin West, used subject matter to create a moral message to a righteous cause with the help of a Martyr. The subject, Jean-Paul Marat, was a leader and activist for a political faction called the Montagnard during the French Revolution. The painting depicts his assassination by the opposing political group, the Girondin. David paints Marat with a neutral, almost peaceful expression which works to show the injustice and the divine elements of the work. After his death Marat became the symbol for the Revolution's cause and David's painting made this happen by using virtue and heroism to push this narrative. 

The Martyrdom of Saint Symphorian, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, 1865, France

The Martyrdom of Saint Symphorian, like the previous works from David and West, works to emphasize the greater value on virtue that Neoclassical art held. In this piece Ingres shows the heroic actions of Symphorian, a man who was executed because he refused to depart from his Christian belief to worship a Roman God. Ingres paints the man in the Neoclassical's statuesque style and gives him an air of stoicism in his expression. Like the previous two pieces, Ingres made the subject into a symbol for a righteous cause and played into the popularity of morality and justice during the classical period.

Please feel free to use the links below for more information on each painting!

https://nhallanartblog.wordpress.com/2016/02/29/morality-and-the-art-of-the-classical-era/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Death-of-Marat

https://harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/229866

                                                                    Works Cited:

1. "Morality and the Art of the Classical Era." Noelle Hallan's Art Blog '16, 29 Feb. 2016, nhallanartblog.wordpress.com/2016/02/29/morality-and-the-art-of-the-classical-era/. Accessed 21 Oct. 2024.

2. "The Death of Marat." Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Feb. 2023, www.britannica.com/topic/The-Death-of-Marat. Accessed 21 Oct. 2024.

3. "The Martyrdom of Saint Symphorien" (Saint, Mother, and Proconsul)." Harvard Art Museums, harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/229866. Accessed 21 Oct. 2024.