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 transpire once the door is fully locked and captures a moment in time. When looking at the dress, its beautiful golden color, and the grand curtains on the bed, it is clear that the woman is of nobility. Whether or not the man is as well is unclear to me, but it does show the morality of those painted in a moment that should be kept behind closed doors, like in the painting. In more recent times this style of art is more welcomed and encouraged to some, but for the period it was painted it was not. When I look at the painting, I am blown away by the exquisite ability to capture all of the textures in fabrics and the expression of passion on the two figures' faces. It is beautiful and deserves its time in the spotlight.
This is not the only way the Rococo style can be represented. Another common way is for people to lounge in parks or gardens surrounded by a dog or several other animals doing leisure activities. An example of this would be The Interrupted Sleep and The Love Letter by François Boucher, which Madame de Pompadour commissioned.
The Interrupted Sleep, François Boucher.1750. Oil on canvas, 82 x 75 cm, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
The Love Letter, François Boucher.1750. Oil on canvas, 81.2 x 75.2 cm, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Both paintings show people sleeping or relaxing in nature and their skin practically glowing in this ethereal light, making them stand out from their background. It is assumed that the women are shepherdesses; however, "they pay little attention to their responsibilities, preferring to idle the day away gathering flowers in a straw basket and sending missives via carrier pigeon" (Rand 2009). This is something that appeals to the nobility but does not appeal to the working class because they themselves do not have the time to put in and leisurely go about their days. Both paintings show that time is unimportant and can be wasted.
This leads to the last painting, Soap Bubbles, by Jean Siméon Chardin.
Soap Bubbles, Jean Siméon Chardin. 1733/1734. Oil on Canvas, 93 x 74.6 cm
Now, this painting has a rather fascinating history. This is not the only version of this painting; Chardin painted multiple versions of the same thing. However, that is not the most interesting thing about the history of this painting. The most interesting thing is how it came to be where it is now, "...seized by the Nazis from Jane Mannheimer in Paris and illegally purchased for the Führer Museum in 1944. It was returned to France by the Service Français de la Récupération following an agreement with the Netherlands Art Property Foundation and was restituted in or after 1948" (TheMet Year Unknown). It shows two younger children where. One young boy is blowing bubbles out of what looks like a straw, and the other is looking at the bubble from within the structure. Again, the main boy is bathed in light, which illuminates him. The vegetation grows around the window along with the rectangular shape, making the viewer focus mainly on the boy blowing the bubble rather than the child in the background. The prior two examples of artwork show someone spending their time doing leisure activities rather than focusing on important tasks and parts of people's lives.
With these examples of the Rococo style, it is also important to add that it was not around for long. This is because the working class "...demanded a new style of art, one that showed an example of moral behavior, of human beings at their most noble" (Zucker and Harris 2016). The nobility was starting to become resented, and instead, the people wanted to focus on actual lives and history, "A shift away from the monarchy, toward the aristocracy characterizes the art of this period" (Zucker and Harris 2016). The Neoclassical style came after the Rococo art, which focused on actual historical events. An example would be a painting showcasing revolutions and other wars.
Personally, I prefer this style of art because it is so eye-catching and also because it provides me with something to look at and relax. I enjoy the Rococo style in my free time, but that is precisely why some do not. If I had a chance, I would have a designated room or space just for this style, especially these paintings. The detail and effort that went into them is something that should be appreciated in itself.
Bibliography
Author Unknown. “Jean Siméon Chardin: Soap Bubbles.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/435888.
Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris, "Rococo art, an introduction," Smarthistory, January 7, 2016, https://smarthistory.org/a-beginners-guide-to-rococo-art/.
Kirpalov, Anastasiia. “Rococo Art & Architecture: Definition, Characteristics, Artists.” The Collector, 2 Mar. 2024, www.thecollector.com/rococo-art-architecture-definition-artists-characteristics/.
Rand, Richard. The Love Letter, National Gallery of Art, 1 Jan. 2009, www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.46027.pdf.
The Rococo style doesn’t appeal to me as much as the Neoclassical style. I prefer more realistic paintings. I think the use of pastel colors and the ornateness, almost theatrical, are some of the Rococo style features that don’t appeal to me. As you point out in your blog, these are all things that likely caused the middle class to start to rebel against the monarchy. However, I can certainly appreciate the artistic ability used to create these pieces. I did some research on The Love Letter by Francois Boucher and found that it is also referred to as The Two Confidantes, The Messenger, and The Lovers' Secret Mail.
ReplyDeleteI really liked your thoughts on "Soap Bubbles"! The history you shared about the painting, especially how it was taken during World War 2, makes it even more interesting. Its amazing how art can have such important stories behind them. Your description of the two kids and how the light shines on the bow blowing bubbles really helped me picture the painting. I appreciate how you pointed out that this and other Rocco paintings focus on having fun instead of showing responsibilities. It gives us a different view of life back then. I also found it interesting when you talked about the shift from Rococo art to the Neoclassical art, the idea that people wanted art to show morals and real life experiences shows how art changes with what society needs. What do you think about Neoclassical art and themes of morality, do you think it still has the same beauty, or does it focus more on serious subjects?
ReplyDeleteThis is such an insightful post. I like to look at more realistic paintings as I can compare them to what I've seen in real life, which means that the neoclassical style is what appeals to me more. I also like what you wrote about Rococo style, more specifically, how it wasn't around for long as the noble class was becoming more and more resented, the working class was looking to focus more on morality and the lives of people outside nobility. On an outside note, I like the way this blog is presented, with the yellow background and formatting. Thank you for creating this.
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