Art in Context: Conflict + Crisis: Imagery of Revolutionary Europe (Part 1 of 6)

Presented by Annalee Andres, Art Historian

October 5 | Prelude to Revolution
The 18th Century and the Age of Enlightenment was a period of great upheaval and revolutionary change. This era experienced two major revolutions: the Political French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution centered in England. This series begins with an overview of the period and a focus on the pre-existing stylistic trends of the time: the Rococo aesthetic and the adoption of Classicism with the discovery of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

October 12 | Jacques Louis David and the French Revolution
The work of David will become synonymous with the ideals of the French Revolution. This lecture examines how, in the hands of Jacques-Louis David, Neoclassicism was appropriated and put into the service of progressive social ideas influenced by the principles of Enlightenment thinkers.

October 19 | Neoclassicism Beyond Revolt
In the later years of the Revolution, Enlightenment ideals will begin to fray. Artists associated with David will begin to break from the master and create sensuous, exotic paintings that take their cues from the emotional tenor of the time. Napoleon Bonaparte will rise to power and will hire David and these artists to create a visual record of his achievements.

October 26 | Napoleon Ascends and Prussia in Crisis | Begins at 11:15 AM
Learn how Napoleon continues to cultivate an image of power and might as the bringer of Enlightenment until his true intentions become clear and Germany cultivates its own visual tradition. Artists like Caspar David Friedrich will create awe inspiring views of the German experience of the world.

November 2 | Spanish Response and the Art of Goya

November 9 | Business as Usual: The Restoration