Classical blog exhibit - Revolution and art

Classical blog exhibit - Revolution and art

    A theme I found interesting for the classical era is the Revolutions, more specifically the American Revolution. While searching through various works, I found paintings that I wouldn't mind owning. These artworks of the revolution have mainly tied into classical art with the use of themes such as patriotism and heroes, along with the strong use of lines and accurate details. 

 Washington Crossing the Delaware

    The first piece of classical art I enjoyed is Washington Crossing the Delaware, painted by Emanuel Leutze in 1851 while in Dusseldorf, Germany. The use of art elements such as the lighting, colors, and lines highlight patriotism and George Washington while creating an enjoyable painting. 
    The first notable element is the lighting. The lighting is primarily used to draw attention to George Washington and the American flag. This focus allows for an emphasis on who in the painting was the portrayed hero and the symbol of what they are fighting for, which is a new nation and freedom. The lighting taking the form of a rising sun, bringing the dawn of a new day, also gives the image of a successful revolution bringing the United States into existence. The Symbolism also ties a bit into what Leutze desired the failed German revolution in 1848 to be (Ten Great Paintings of the American Revolution). 
    The use of color also plays a part in the artwork. The primary use of color is to once again highlight George Washington and the flag. This is done by having the main colors of the revolutionary army's clothes being shades of brown and black while he is in red and blue along with the flag. The light colors of the ice also bring them out showing a bit of the number of challenges they are trying to overcome.
    The lines mostly give the feeling of moving forward. The slanted flag gives a feeling of moving forward due to the resistance of the wind while the slant of the oars gives the feeling of them pulling themselves forward toward their first major victory. The strait position of Washington also contributes to the piece by giving a feeling of peril, especially due to the upcoming battle representing a turning point in the war, and the possibility of French support.
     This work is showing a more appealing version of the surprise attack on the military base in Trenton New Jersey. The changes to the lighting and river, along with the overcrowding of the boats. The highlighted flag and overcrowded boats show the support to fight for freedom and show their patriotism. The emphasis on George Washington meanwhile shows who is considered the hero in the work.

Surrender of Lord Cornwallis

    The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis by John Trumbull, painted in 1820, and first shown in Washington D.C., is another piece of art that I enjoyed. The elements that play into the enjoyment while showing patriotism are the use of spacing, lines, and light.
    The first element I would like to draw attention to is the spacing. The organized distance between soldiers of both the French and Americans gives the piece a feeling of the revolutionary side being the superior side in the previously fought battle while also placing a sense of victory. The surrounding of the few British soldiers also created a feeling of superiority. both of these combined factors help portray an overwhelming victory for the last major campaign and give a feeling of pride for their success.
    The use of lines also ties into the work. The lines of soldiers portray strength to the audience considering at this time in history, firing lines were the primary method of combat. It can also be noted that there is also a diagonal line of smoke rising from the battlefield, showing the battle has just finished.
    The lighting is mostly used to show patriotism. This is done by highlighting the British surrender and the Americans, showing that they were the leading factors in the successful campaign, showing their Strength. There are also similarly highlighted flags showing that The French and Americans are in support of each other.
    This piece of art shows the surrender of the British army at Yorktown ending the last major Campain. In this rendition of the surrender, there are multiple examples of patriotism. One of the bigger ones is the organized majority of American and French soldiers shown to be victorious against the British, giving a sense of patriotic pride, due to it being despite the odds against a superior military power. Another point would be the determination to not allow insults as displayed with neither Lord Cornwallis nor George Washington being present for the surrender due to Lord Cornwallis refusing to be present. 

The Capture of Major André 

    The final art piece that I enjoyed is The Capture of Major André painted by Asher Durand in 1845,
painted in an unspecified location. This story is told with the use of colors, lines, and contrast showing patriotism while giving an enjoyable feeling. 
    The Colors are a more subtle element that is used. The more intensely colored clothing helps the people stand out and take center stage, drawing you into the story of the piece. Then there are the less intense surroundings showing the bleak situation the Major has found himself in while giving the environment a serene feeling.
    The use of the lines shows who is in the right and the wrong. The Militiamen's' faces being in a horizontal line above the majors is an example of this. It shows the militiamen are unified and in the right of the situation while doing their moral and patriotic duty. The Major's face meanwhile is on the level of the horse showing he is in a morally inferior position.
    The last element plays a part in contrast. The faded nature of the environment gives a sense of calm to the painting. This contrasts with the crisp nature of the people in it giving a tense atmosphere. This shows a bit of how if the Major succeeded there would have been major issues though, due to the successful capture, there is less to worry about.
    This work shows the capture of Major Andre, on his way to deliver plans to capture West Point to the British, by three militiamen, after his suspicious actions lead to being searched (Ten Great Paintings of the American Revolution). During the capture, the militiamen's willingness to ignore the hefty bribes to complete their duty and fight for what they believe in demonstrates their patriotism (Ten Great Paintings of the American Revolution).

Citations

“George Washington Crosses the Delaware.” Education, https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/george-washington-crosses-delaware/. 
“Surrender of Lord Cornwallis.” Architect of the Capitol, https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/art/surrender-lord-cornwallis. 
“Ten Great Paintings of the American Revolution.” The American Revolution Institute, 26 Apr. 2021, https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/treasures-of-the-american-revolution/ten-great-american-revolution-paintings/. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Introduction post

Image
    Hello everyone! I am Matthew Grzybowski, and this is my second year of college. I am on campus, up in Fairbanks, though my home is Kenai. Some of my hobbies are reading, video games, and going for walks, though the walks take the backburner in the winter.     I don't often create art anymore, though I do find painting and drawing to be fun. Over winter break, I also got into creating stained glass art. For me, creating stained glass was a fun and relaxing activity, even if I realized that having a 42-piece project was a bit big for my first project. If you are interested in stained glass, here is a link  to get an idea of how it works.  Finally, here is a picture of some appealing art to me. Citations Scoochmaroo, and Instructables. “How to: Stained Glass.” Instructables , Instructables, 28 July  2022,                  https://www.instructables.com/How-To-Stained-Glass/ . “Stained Glass: Media.” Encyclopædia Britannica , Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.,                https://www
Read more

Baroque: The Syndics of the Clothmakers Guild, 1662

Image
Aesthetic Appreciation with Analysis      A painting from the baroque era that I enjoy is  The Syndics of the Clothmakers Guild , painted by Rembrandt in 1662 while he was in Rozengracht, Amsterdam, portraying the Staalmeesters in a meeting. The elements that make it enjoyable are the use of colors, lines, and spacing. The use of color sets the tone for the artwork. The warmer colors of the reds and browns set a calm and relaxed atmosphere. This creates a feeling that everything is progressing smoothly for the Staalmeesters in the meeting, along with them being relaxed and friendly with each other. The black and white meanwhile creates a more serious tone. this tone shows that even if they are relaxed, they are focused on ensuring the quality of the textiles they're checking. The black also emphasizes the Staalmeesters while highlighting their accounting book, which holds the verdicts on what textile cloths will pass or fail, creating a feeling of importance for the meeting.     Th
Read more

Art Analysis of van Gogh, Vincent. Irises 1889

Image
   I enjoyed the artwork Irises,  created by Vincent van Gogh in 1889 as a study after willingly entering an asylum in Saint-Rémy, France, and after staying a few weeks he found inspiration in the overgrown garden. Some of the artistic elements that helped me enjoy the artwork were texture, contrast, and space in the painting.     The use of texture allows the parts of the painting to feel more like the actual items. An example would be the soil used red, short, and thick lines to make it seem soft and fertile. You can also see that the leaves are smoother to better match their feeling, and the flowers have rougher directional strokes to create a sense of volume.      The use of contrast made the overall painting stick out more. He used color contrast to have the reds and greens  of the soil and leaves enhance each other and make them stand out. There is a similar contrast between the blue-violet irises and the orange-yellow background.     The use of space ties everything together and
Read more