Possibilities of Exploring, Understanding, and Appreciating Art by Tiambria Phillips

         The first time I heard "Romantic Era," I immediately thought that the artwork would be full of people professing their love or having a deep love for their artwork. Instead, it seemed to be full of judgment and change. Several different kinds of art were made during this time. My personal favorites were by pre-Raphaelite painters.  John Everett Millais, Ophelia , 1851–52, oil on canvas, 76.2 x 111.8 cm  Ophelia by John Everett Millais is one of the most well-known paintings from the Pre-Raphaelite period (SmartHistory 2025). It is based on the Hamlet story by William Shakespeare. What Millais chose to paint was the moment in the Hamlet play when Ophelia was "driven mad by Hamlet's murder of her father, drowns herself was very unusual for the time" (SmartHistory 2025). There was so much attention to detail at all points of the painting. At first glance, one may assume it was a photograph of a woman. Instead, it was a painting brought to life t...

     In classical art, various styles come to mind. A personal favorite of mine is the Rococo style, which is "a celebration of joy, wealth, and careless pleasure" (Kirpalov 2024). This art style caused many in the lower classes to start expressing resentment toward the nobility because it showed their lack of care and low morals. A particular piece of art that stands out to me is called The Bolt by Jean-Honore Fragonard, which Louis-Gabriel Véri-Raionard, Marquis de Véri commissioned, but they had to wait four years for it to be completed (Kirpalov 2024). The Bolt , Jean-Honore Fragonard. 1777. Oil on canvas, 73 x 93 cm Musée du Louvre, Paris.           Various themes can be seen within this painting: the Baroque style with the play on light and the diagonal forms that the man and woman make, and the Rococo style through the embrace between the man and woman as he bolts the bedroom door. It is clear to all the viewers what sort of acts will ...