French Revolution Essay, Research Paper
The Impact of Graphic Art on the French Revolution
Art has allways been an important part of history. Sometimes it is even able to change or influence
history by acting upon public opinion. Many artists of all ages are known for their political
involvement. Although it is argued that the most important reason for the outbreak of the French
Revolution was the political and economical instability of France during this period, there is place
for an agrument that art also had influence in starting the Revolution.
One of the most famous artists of the French Revolution was Jaques-Louis David. In the early
years of the Revolution, David was a member of the extremist Jacobin group led by Robespierre,
and he became an energetic example of the politically committed artist. He was elected to the
National Convention in 1792, in time to vote for the execution of Louis XVI. By 1793, as a
member of the art commission, he was virtually the art dictator of France and was nicknamed “the
Robespierre of the brush.”
Not all of the people in France at the time of the Revolution could read, and not even those who
could read necessarily understood the writings of Voltaire or Rousseau. However, many more
people could understand visual art. Although the French Revolution is usually treated as a
revolution of the poor, it is also important to take into consideration that it was not started by the
peasantry, but by the nobility and wealthy businessmen of the Third Estate. These were the people
who had the time and money to attend theater and patronize artists. These were the people that
came to the galleries to view David’s works.
His works were of a new style, never seen before. The art of the French Revolution represented a
sharp break with the art of the early part of the eighteenth century, when rococo reigned. Rococo
art glorified the aristocracy, maybe because it coincided with the peak of absolutist monarchy. The
“common people” were nowhere to be seen in rococo paintings. However, influenced by the ideas
of the Enlightenment, a few artists made an abrupt change. Old ideas of republicanism and
democracy were being resurrected among these new artists, known as the neoclassicists. This era
of art was to be known as the neoclassical era due to its heavy reliance on classical Greek and
republican Roman themes. Oath of the Horatii (1784), Death of Marat (1793), Junius Brutus
(1789), and Death of Socrates (1787), all prominent historical pieces by David, were painted in
the middle 1780’s.
The neoclassical era was an important instigator of the French Revolution; not because it depicted ancient scenes, but because of the ideas contained in those paintings. The best known canvases painted by the master Jacques-Louis David portrayed graphically two principles vital to a republican revolution: condemnation of monarchical rule and a willingness to sacrifice oneself or others (whether they want to die or not) for a greater cause. The first Revolutionary principle found in David’s art was a condemnation of monarchical rule. This idea is best expressed in Oath of the Horatii and Junius Brutus. Both of these paintings are derived from the legends surrounding the birth of the Roman Republic.The message shared by them is clear: the monarchy is evil, the republic that replaced it was good. These paintings were completed in the 1780’s, a few years before the Revolution. Almost all of David’s neoclassical art was done before the Revolution. These ideas had time to develop in people’s minds before the Revolution itself erupted in 1789.
The greatest single piece of evidence that points to the importance of
art in provoking the Revolution is the importance placed on David by
revolutionary leaders. David was the artist selected to record the
moment of the Tennis Court Oath, which was when the National
Assembly was constituted. This moment was seen by most people as the
moment that the Revolution began and therefore should be
immortalized. David later became a member of the National
Convention, France’s new representative body, and was appointed to
the Committee for Public Safety, which was responsible for
suppressing political dissent during the Reign of Terror. In this
position, David signed the death warrants of hundreds of people,
including Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. David’s only credentials
were his works of art. He had no experience in government, business,
or any related field. Clearly, Revolutionary leaders such as Robespierre
(who was very close to David) felt David’s art was an important
enough contribution to include him in the government. It was his work
that re-established David’s fortunes and brought him to the attention of
Napoleon, who appointed him his official painter. David became an
ardent supporter of Napoleon and retained under him the dominant
social and artistic position which he had previously held. In the
early1800’s he painted a series of pictures glorifying the exploits of the
Emperor, among them one of the most famous portraits of Napoleon:
Napoleon Crossing the Alps (1800)
David’s art of the early and middle 1780’s provided the necessary
mental preparation needed for the French Revolution to take place. He
showed the ordinary person the importance of individuality and the
role a single man may play in history. The writings of the
Enlightenment had been in existence for forty years, but it was not
until an artist graphically depicted the ideals necessary for revolution to
take place that the french commoners realised that they are just as
important as the emperors and saints. This new idea about the ordinary
people’s place in the world and its graphic depiction by David were one
of the crucial points in the preparation of France for a revolution.
SOURCES USED
“French Revolution” Britannica Online.
“David, Jacques-Louis” Britannica Online.
Web Museum, Paris – Jaques-Louis David
CGFA – Jaques-Louis David
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