Art History Notes

Form:
- Oil on canvas, France, 1743 C.E.
- Married couple sitting together after a night of debauchery.
- Aristocrats in a richly decorated room.
- Husband looks bored, wife seems satisfied.
- Spots on the man's face indicate syphilis.
- Dog sniffing the man represents unfaithfulness.
- Upturned chair and violin signify the wife's unfaithfulness.
- Stains on dress, playing cards on floor, and an undignified pose.
Function:
- Second of six paintings depicting a marriage.
- Satire of aristocrats.
- Made into a popular set of prints.
Content:
- Hogarth makes fun of the aristocrats and the idea of marriage for convenience.
- Messy floor represents a messy marriage.
- Highlights that aristocrats are just people.
Context:
- England has a long history of making fun of the aristocracy.
- Middle class was too powerful to be put in jail.
- Magna Carta (nobility limiting the power of the king) was signed in 1215.

Form:
- Oil on canvas, England, 1763-1765 C.E.
- Orrery - model of the solar system.
- Light from a hidden candle represents the sun.
- Mixed group of middle-class people of different ages with various facial expressions.
- The philosopher is in red to indicate his importance.
Function:
- Illustrates that ‘reason’ will lead to a better understanding of the world.
Content:
- One of a series of ‘candlelit pictures’.
- Each face is lit like the phases of the moon.
- Inspired by the tenebrism of Caravaggio (The Calling of Matthew) but changes the function.
- The philosopher is based on Isaac Newton, demonstrating the eclipse.
Context:
- Influenced by the Lunar Society, which met monthly to discuss scientific discovery.
- 18th-century Enlightenment - finding the truth was more important than following traditions.

Form:
- Oil on canvas, France, 1767 C.E.
- A woman in a pink dress on a swing is kicking off her shoe.
- One lover is pushing/pulling her to the right, while another lover is in the bushes on the left.
- The garden is lush and overgrown.
Function:
- Commissioned by an aristocrat for his mistress.
Content:
- A love triangle between a young woman and two men, one much older.
- A putti statue with a finger to his mouth warns the lady to be discreet.
- A barking dog represents infidelity in action.
Context:
- Rococo takes the decorative Baroque and makes it curvilinear and even more decorative.
- Subject matter is more sensual, with playful scenes of love and romance with sexual overtones.
- After classical Baroque, the elegance of Louis the 14th became stronger and more decadent.

Form:
- Oil on canvas, France, 1790 C.E.
- Woman painting a portrait of Marie Antoinette.
- Looking at the viewer and appears idealized.
Function:
- Self-portrait for herself, though a story says she was asked to do it for an Italian museum.
Content:
- Vigee-Le Brun was the court painter of Marie Antoinette and painted the nobility of Europe, as well as many self-portraits.
- Inspired by Ruben, she demonstrates the colors and style of Late Rococo.
- She was a rare female admitted to the French Royal Academy.
Context:
- Had to flee France during the French Revolution and settled in Italy.
- She painted Marie Antoinette from memory because she had been executed.

Form:
- Brick, glass, stone, and wood, Virginia, U.S., 1768-1809 C.E.
- Brick building with stucco trim to appear like marble.
- Appears to be one story but has a hidden second floor.
- Has an octagonal dome and symmetrical interior.
- Tall French doors and windows that allow air to circulate.
Function:
- Main building on Jefferson family farm, supported by slave labor.
Content:
- Jefferson studied classical architecture.
- Palladio, an Italian architect, wrote about and built many buildings in Europe.
- Monticello means “little mountain” in Italian.
- Sits on a hill.
Context:
- Jefferson was the American ambassador for France.
- He was inspired by the ideals of equality and democracy of the Roman Republic and wanted to go against British architecture.

Form:
- Oil on canvas, France, 1784 C.E.
- A man holding swords for three soldiers reaching for them.
- A mourning woman to the right.
- Males are angular, and women are rounded.
- Geometric vs. organic.
- Background is closed off to emphasize the figures.
- Invisible brushstrokes with clear details.
Function:
- Presentation piece for the Salon, an annual art show for the French Royal Academy.
- Completed for Louis XVI.
Content:
- Instead of armies fighting, Rome and Alba Longa agreed to fight 3 vs 3 to determine the winner.
- The Horatii are three brothers chosen to fight the three brothers of the Curiatii.
- Theme: willingness to sacrifice your life for the good of the city.
- Only one brother survives but defeats the others.
- One sister is betrothed to a brother of the Curiatii.
Context:
- Neoclassicism 'new classicism'.
- Symmetrical with a strong linear perspective.
- Added the requirement of an inspiring message - Exemplum virtutis (a virtuous example).
- Critical of Rococo as unvirtuous (not showing high morals).

Form:
- Marble, France/Virginia, 1788-1792 C.E.
- George Washington has a cane in his right hand and his left hand on the fasces (bundle of wood).
- Dressed in a military uniform; his sword is on the fasces as a symbol of peace.
- A plow on the ground behind him.
- Contrapposto stance.
- Not idealized, a bit fat.
Function:
- Commissioned by the state of Virginia for their new state capitol.
Content:
- Washington was president but retired to his farm.
- Following Cincinnatus, a Roman general who was a farmer, won many battles, and retired to his farm.
- The plow is another symbol, as there is a bible verse mentioning turning weapons into plows.
Context:
- Neoclassical sculpture - classical composition.
- Often would see Roman clothing, but Washington wanted contemporary clothing.
- Houdon was a French sculptor who traveled to the US to sculpt from life.
- Roman sculptures were brightly painted, but because of archeology, they thought the statues were bright white.