The Enlightenment - Culture/ monarchs

1. Arts and Literature of the Enlightenment

   1. New Styles of Art

      1. In the mid 1700’s art style changed from baroque to rococo

         1. Baroque style is grand colorful and exciting about important events/ people

         2. Rococo style is light and elegant. For example fragile flowers and pastel colors 

         3. Upper/ middle classes liked it while philosophes did not

   2. New Styles of Music

      1. Age of reason → structural organized music

      2. Music was very important to culture

         1. Opera and ballets caused opera houses to be built 
         2. More people can afford musicians

      3. J.S. Bach: Organist, great composer, German Lutheran.

      4. Handel: Popular composer in England, wrote pieces for King George I, joyous music

      5. Mozart: Austrian music prodigy, his operas show how the world had “hypocrisy and lies.”

   3. New Styles of Literature

      1. Novels became popular because middle class people wanted fiction that told stories similar to their own lives. 

         1. Daniel Defoe wrote Robinson Crusoe
         2. Samuel Richardson wrote Pamela

2. The Enlightened Despots

   1. Philosophes tried to persuade monarchs to accept Enlightenment ideas 

      1. Enlightened despots: “Absolute rulers who used their power to bring about political and social change.

   2. Frederick the Great: King of Prussia 1740 to 1786

      1. Worked for the good of his people but also had a lot of control over them
      2. Agreed with Voltaire 
      3. Started an academy of science
      4. Did not mind different religions
      5. Tried to make the government better with the new ideas but also gave himself a lot more power

   3. Catherine the Great: empress of Russia

      1. Agreed with enlightenment ideas and talked to  Voltaire and Diderot

      2. She tried to enforce the Enlightenment ideas 

         1. Abolished torture
         2. Had some religious tolerance
         3. Made a charter of rights for nobles
         4. Similar to frederick she did not want to give up power

   4. Joseph II of Austria: very interested in the Enlightenment

      1. Like the others he used the ideas of the enlightenment to advance/ modernize the government

         1. Chose talented people instead of nobles
         2. Mostly religiously tolerant
         3. Free press
         4. Built hospital

Reflection: It’s inspiring that many of these rulers chose to impose better laws even when there was opposition and it was against tradition. However it is also evident that having power can really influence people since Frederick and Catherine never gave up more of their power to the people and just gave themselves more power.