Morality and the Art of the Classical Era

 The Age of Reason

    During the 18th century, we saw a cultural and artistic shift, with artists, scientists, and philosophers pushing the boundaries of humanism and religion. There was a tidal wave of new ideas, information, and reasoning for how the world around them functioned (or the lack thereof). With new ways of expressing religion, being a free-thinking radical became widely popular. Revolutionizing was all the craze, and many Philosophers were at the head of these movements; Immanuel Kant, John Locke, and Rene Descartes. These new freedoms often leaned away from strict religious thinking and practices, adding pleasure and leisure into the mix. However, it wasn't always rainbows and sunshine because rational thinking brought up so many questions of natural law. Philosophers really shined in this era of art because these new ideals were very influential in art.

The Stolen Kiss By Jean Honoré Fragonard (ca. 1760)

    

    This playful piece depicts a scene involving three individuals playing a card game. The woman on the left has seemingly lost the card game and, in turn, lost the bet against her opponents. The woman on the right is assisting in this stolen kiss by holding the maiden's wrists while the man in the middle pursues her for his prize. The expression on her face is not the main focus, but rather the movement of her body. Her face is somewhat neutral, but her body is in a state of flight, and the movement in this piece sells the liveliness of the painting. The way her fingers clutch at the tablecloth and curl up, and there's a strain from being held captive in the arms of others. Other signs of her attempt to flee exist in this piece when we focus on the woman to our right. She seems to have rushed from her side of the table, causing the tablecloth to bunch further. The scene is elevated by cards falling to the floor, and the hat on the man in the center slides backward off his head. This painting was meant for an ambassador of the Holy See, also known as the Pope of Rome. What makes this such a great piece from the Enlightenment era is the expression of the painting. The scene is thought-provoking, making the viewer consider all of the elements in a painting that make up the story. All individuals are the subject of the piece, the humanist ideals that focus on large groups of people or have a singular main focal point performing an act of desire. In my opinion, a set of new morals surrounds The Stolen Kiss, which implies that romance and desire are multifaceted and are more than what we've been led to believe.

About This Piece

Artist: Jean Honoré Fragonard

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Dimensions: 19 x 25 in. (48.3 x 63.5 cm)

Location: The Met

Storm on a Mediterranean Coast by Claude-Joseph Vernet

    This growth of independent thinkers and the crushing of social norms offered new and often earth-shattering ideals that went against ways of life that were driven by Catholicism. Artists were inclined to paint with more feeling and movement, emphasizing the natural world and how we occupy it. How, in nature, there are no rules. The idea that God was the toy maker and not the puppet master placed life's events into the natural world's hands. This painting is the most excellent reflection of those fears, provoking the physical and emotional toll of having survived a horrible storm on the open sea. The remaining crew and occupants clamor off this rocky shore, likely to have been thrown around over the waves, much like the ship still far out in the distance. Men, women, and children have been affected by this event and are wrestling with the emotions of this ongoing storm. Shouting from rocks, a couple of men are gaining the attention of the others, likely pointing out the capsizing of the ships in the distance, likely spelling the demise for people they are familiar with. Turmoil and a sense of helplessness can be felt in this painting. The individuals in this piece are tiny, almost insignificant to the scene painted around them. This speaks volumes about the morality of man vs. the natural world, where nature cares not for the casualties it causes.

About This Piece:

Artist: Claude-Joseph Vernet (French, 1714-1789)

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 44.5 x 57.4 in. (113 x 145.7 cm)

Location: Getty Center Museum

Self Portrait in a Straw Hat by Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun

    The final pieces in my gallery are ones with the most risque details one could imagine in the Enlightenment era. Vigée was known for breaking the status quo, but her paintings were equally refreshing in their style and revolutionary in their context. Known as a spritely woman, she had a love and talent for art early on in her young life. She studied at the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture with the help of super-fan Marie Antoinette, who vouched for her talents outside of being the wife of a famous art dealer. Vigée fled France at the beginning of the revolution, but continued to paint all across Europe for other high-profile individuals. Most of her works consisted of women, but she was able to capture an essence of someone in a painting no matter who they were.

Marie Antoinette in a Chemise Dress by Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun

    My main focus, however, is on this painting here. Marie Antoinette had a series of portraits completed by Vigée, and this one in particular gained an infamous reputation. Her hair unkept except for her straw hat, curls fall loosely at her shoulders. The gentle yet firm nature of how she handles the rose in her hands, the faint smile tugging at the corner of her mouth gives us this notion that she has untold secrets. Incrdibly regal, no, but undoubtedly feminine, yes. This painting drips with a softness that is not seen in other classical era Roccoco or Neo-classical styles, giving this painting it's own identity. The sheerness and weightless qualities of the fabrics she wears and the ruffles around her neck add to this softness, a sort of vulnerability can be seen here. However, it is these qualities that made this painting so controversial given their subject matter.

    You see, back in 18th century France this gauzy gown with it's large, yellow bow accentuating the queen's natural curves and swerves was seen as too sensual and inappropriate for display. This prompted Vigée to create a different version of the portrait, Marie Antoinette With a Rose, which hung in its place in her Salon. This painting, for me, is symbolic of how the Enlightenment only went so far. The movement of rationalism and free-thought is what set the course for the revolutions to come.

About This Piece:

Artist: Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Dimensions: 35.4 x 38.4 in. (89.8 x 72 cm)

Location: The Met

Resources:

French, Jean Honoré Fragonard. “Jean Honoré Fragonard: The Stolen Kiss.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436325. Accessed 8 July 2024.

Vernet, Claude-Joseph. “A Storm on a Mediterranean Coast (the J. Paul Getty Museum Collection).” Getty, www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/103QT8. Accessed 9 July 2024.

Arts & Sciences, Josh Valeri. “Divining Enlightenment Art and Science.” Arts & Sciences, 21 Nov. 2023, artsci.wustl.edu/ampersand/divining-enlightenment-art-and-science.

Smith, Roberta. “She Painted Marie Antoinette (and Escaped the Guillotine).” The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 Feb. 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/02/12/arts/design/review-vigee-le-brun-metropolitan-museum.html.

“Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun: Marie Antoinette in a Chemise Dress.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/656930. Accessed 9 July 2024.