Neoclassicism in Art: From Enlightenment to Revolution
Art
Starting in the late 18th century, a new era begins with the French and American Revolutions and the end of the estate system. In the economic order, the old regime is replaced, and the bourgeoisie emerges as a class that will amass significant wealth thanks to the Industrial Revolution. The figure of the citizen appears, a political being who can vote.
Neoclassicism in the 18th Century
Neoclassicism is heavily influenced by the Enlightenment. This art movement is most directly related to Enlightenment thinkers like Rousseau, Diderot, and Voltaire. These authors emphasize that human beings are rational and capable of reasoning. There is a confidence in science and reason, believing that through reason and scientific progress, we can achieve happiness.
This leads to a questioning of the estate system, a society organized and governed by the law of divine right, that is, by absolutism. Consequently, it challenges the division of society into classes and also challenges superstition and dogma.
All of this culminates in the bourgeois revolutions of the 18th century, such as the French Revolution (1789) and the American Revolution (1776).
* Max Weber stated that the contemporary world ends the mythical vision of the world. This is because a new worldview interferes, transforming what had been subjective in nature for years, such as beauty or certainty, into something objective.
Kant is a product of all this:
- For Kant, art should seek beauty.
- The idea of aesthetic contemplation takes hold of the spectator.
- Art should have no other purpose than beauty.
- Baumgarten is considered the father of aesthetics, the discipline that seeks beauty. For him, tradition is no longer important, and the aesthete will determine what is beautiful or not.
During this time, art academies emerge, teaching techniques deemed appropriate. Additionally, artists believe that art can encourage progress, improving society and the individual. Thus, the political function of art appears.
During the 18th century, two different art movements coexist:
- Rococo: Defends the Ancien Régime and caters to a society where the privileged and aristocratic class has no concern for society. Notable artists include Boucher, Watteau, and Fragonard. In these works, we see gallant scenes, an aristocratic atmosphere, and superficiality. Stain, diffuse edges, and a contrasting color range predominate.
- Neoclassical Art: Defends a bourgeois society that is not superficial and recognizes art’s political and profound function. In this style, the line, well-defined edges, and an austere color range prevail.
Eros and Psyche
General Documentation
- Author: Antonio Canova
- Timeline: 1793
- Size: 60 cm
- Style: Neoclassical
- Type: Free-standing sculpture
- Material: White marble
- Location: Louvre Museum
Biography of the Author
The author, Antonio Canova, is Italian. Neoclassical art attempts to revitalize the classical styles of the Greeks and Romans. The early neoclassical sculptors were Italian because Rome was the center of the Roman Empire. Initially, commissions came from aristocrats, but after the French Revolution, the bourgeoisie became the patrons. The upper bourgeoisie, through these sculptures, gradually sought to distance themselves from the common people, and artists created objects that conveyed a sense of distinction.