Art and Culture from Rococo to Romanticism

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to art and culture from the Rococo through the Romantic periods, important for exam preparation.

Rococo

An artistic movement characterized by ornate detail, exuberance, and a focus on pleasure.

What time period is associated with the Rococo movement?

Primarily the 18th century.

Which French monarchs' reign is often associated with the rise of the Rococo style?

Louis XV.

Name a prominent Rococo artist.

Jean-Antoine Watteau (also Fragonard, Boucher).

What were typical subjects in Rococo painting?

Scenes of leisurely aristocrats, often in natural, idyllic settings, with themes of love and myth.

Where did the name "Rococo" originate from?

"Rocaille," a French word for shell-work and pebble-work, reflecting the ornate, curvilinear decorations of the style.

What are characteristics of Rococo architecture and interiors?

Characterized by elaborate ornamentation, asymmetrical designs, and light, airy spaces, often featuring pastoral motifs.

Neoclassicism

A movement that draws inspiration from ancient Greece and Rome, emphasizing order, reason, and moral strength.

How did Neoclassicism contrast with the Rococo style?

It reacted against the Rococo's frivolity and ornamentation, returning to a more serious, structured, and morally uplifting aesthetic.

Name a famous Neoclassical painter.

Jacques-Louis David.

What Enlightenment ideals influenced Neoclassicism?

Emphasis on reason, civic virtue, and classical republicanism.

How did archaeological discoveries contribute to Neoclassicism?

Excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum provided direct inspiration from ancient art.

How did Neoclassicism manifest in architecture?

Emphasis on symmetry, grand scale, use of columns, and pediments (e.g., U.S. Capitol).

Vigée-Lebrun

A prominent portrait artist of the Enlightenment known for depicting the warmth and personality of her subjects.

Who was one of Vigée-Lebrun's most famous subjects?

Queen Marie Antoinette of France.

What was Vigée-Lebrun's primary artistic medium?

Oil painting, primarily portraits.

Hogarth

An artist known for his social commentary and satirical works reflecting the moral contradictions of society.

What form of art was Hogarth particularly known for using to deliver his social commentary?

Print series, such as "Marriage A-la-Mode" and "A Harlot's Progress."

What societal issues did Hogarth frequently criticize through his art?

Corruption, vanity, hypocrisy, and the moral decay of his society.

Enlightenment

An intellectual movement that emphasized reason, individual liberty, and the questioning of traditional authority.

How did the Enlightenment impact political thought?

It promoted ideas such as individual rights, separation of powers, and the concept of a social contract.

Name a key philosopher of the Enlightenment.

John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Voltaire, Montesquieu.

What was the primary goal of Enlightenment thinkers?

To apply reason and scientific methods to all aspects of life, improving society and human condition.

What concept did Enlightenment thinkers advocate regarding church and state?

The separation of church and state, and religious tolerance.

Fêtes galantes

A category of painting popularized by Watteau that depicts scenes of outdoor social gatherings and flirtation.

Which artistic movement is "fêtes galantes" primarily associated with?

Rococo.

What kind of atmosphere is typically depicted in a "fête galante"?

Dreamlike, idyllic, and romantic, often with a sense of melancholic longing.

Portico

A structure consisting of a roof supported by columns at the entrance of a building.

Which ancient architectural styles heavily utilized the portico?

Ancient Greek and Roman architecture.

What is the most famous example of a portico in Roman architecture?

The Pantheon's entrance.

Fortepiano

An early type of piano used in classical and early Romantic music, known for its dynamic range.

How does a fortepiano differ from a modern piano in terms of sound production?

Its hammers are often lighter, and the strings are thinner, resulting in a more delicate sound with quicker decay, and a different feel to the touch.

Name a composer who wrote extensively for the fortepiano.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart or Ludwig van Beethoven.

Who is often credited with inventing the fortepiano?

Bartolomeo Cristofori in Italy around 1700.

Transcendentalism

A philosophical movement emphasizing individual intuition and a spiritual connection with nature.

Name two prominent figures of American Transcendentalism.

Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.

What was a core belief of Transcendentalists regarding society and the individual?

They believed in the inherent goodness of people and nature, advocating for self-reliance and civil disobedience.

What literary form was common among Transcendentalist writers?

Essays and philosophy exploring self-reliance, nature, and spirituality.

Idée fixe

A recurring musical theme representing a character or idea, used prominently in Berlioz's work.

Which composer is most famously associated with the "idée fixe"?

Hector Berlioz.

In which major work by Berlioz is the idée fixe a central structural and narrative element?

Symphonie fantastique.

What emotional state does the idée fixe often represent in Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique?

The protagonist's obsessive love for a woman.

Postimpressionism

An artistic movement that evolved from Impressionism, emphasizing personal expression and structured forms.

How did Postimpressionism differ from Impressionism?

While drawing from Impressionism's use of color and light, Postimpressionists sought more emotional expression, symbolism, and structural rigor rather than just capturing fleeting moments.

Name a key artist of Postimpressionism.

Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Georges Seurat.

What technique did Georges Seurat develop within Postimpressionism?

Pointillism (or Divisionism), using small, distinct dots of color to form an image.

Realism

An art movement focused on depicting everyday life and social realities without idealization.

In what ways did Realism challenge academic and Romantic art?

It rejected the idealized subjects of academic art and the emotional exaggeration of Romanticism, choosing instead to portray ordinary people and contemporary life truthfully.

Name a prominent Realist painter.

Gustave Courbet or Édouard Manet.

What motivated Realist artists to depict ordinary life?

A desire for truthfulness and to highlight the social and economic conditions of the working class.

Manifest destiny

The 19th-century belief that the expansion of the U.S. across North America was justified and inevitable.

What were some consequences of the belief in Manifest Destiny?

It fueled westward expansion, led to conflicts like the Mexican-American War, and resulted in the displacement of Native American populations.

What century did the concept of Manifest Destiny become prominent in the U.S.?

The 19th century.

What was the underlying argument used to justify Manifest Destiny?

The belief in American exceptionalism and a divinely ordained mission to spread democracy and Protestant values across the continent.