SEC99 - GED 106

Neoclassicism
5 Major Representative/Canonical Works

Gudez, Kate N.
Guiang, Aliyah Dana M.

Final Formative Assessment 1

 The Death of Marat, 1793

This artwork is a
representative of the
Neoclassical Period
because of its
characteristics and its
purpose.
Many significant
characteristics of a
Neoclassical Artwork can
be seen in this painting,
such as clear shading and
drawing, use of plain
colors, shallow space, and
most importantly, the
employment of a classical
style for a contemporary
subject matter. (Nesic,
2016)

Location:
Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium
Oil on Canvas 165cm x 128cm

For its purpose, the artist created the piece as

a political propaganda while promoting
uniformity and classicism. The subject of the
painting was a Swiss Journalist and Agitator
named Jean-Paul Marat, who was also the
artist’s friend and fellow deputy. Marat was
portrayed as a martyr staged with a
“monochromatic backdrop” (Glover, 2014)
and was said to purposely appear in similar
Jacques-Louis David aura with the image of Jesus Christ.
The Artist
 The Oath of Horatii,
The Toledo Museum of Art
1784

Medium: Oil Painting

Description:
The painting was a royal commission and a manifesto for a new style, neoclassicism. Both
the architecture of the room and the poses of the warriors were extremely geometrical. This
artwork is the first masterpiece of a new style breaking with the rococo style. The
composition of it is broad and simple with life-size figures arranged in a frieze in the
foreground, as on Roman sarcophagi and Greek vases. The painting became prominent
throughout Europe for the new style of art introduced which in neoclassicism (Lerouge,
2009). It represents the neoclassical style because it provides an idealized story which
illustrates the nobility of putting civic duty before personal preference.

Jacques-Louis David
Artist:
The artwork of the Oath of Horatti was created by one of
the most notable painters of neoclassical art during the
18th century, French artist Jacques-Louis David. He
wanted to give his painting an original for, thus, he sought
to emulate the grand style of his 17th century forebears
Poussin and Le Brun. He returned to Rome where he
drew inspiration from ancient art for the Oath of Horatii.
 The Valpinçon Bather, 1808
Initially named as Seated
Woman, this painting
represents the Neoclassicism
period through its subject - a
nude woman painted with
unusual colors and contrasted
by its surroundings. The
mythological characteristic of
Ingres’ subject gave his work
the classic style. As mentioned
by his critics, instead of
representing actual women,
his works, like The Valpinçon
Bather, represent femininity
or womanhood.

Although the subject was

criticized as being deeply
voluptuous, (François, 2010)
the bather was said to exhibit Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres
chastity through the minute The Artist
details that can be observed
from the woman’s
surroundings, such as the
harmony of lines and light,
the visible objects scattered,
paired with calmness and
simplicity of its form.

Location:
Louvre Museum
Oil on Canvas
 Venus Victrix, 1808
Borghese Gallery and Museum

Medium: Marble and Clay

Description:
Pauline Bonaparte as Venus Victrix (or Venus Victorious) is a semi-nude life-size
neoclassical portrait sculpture created by Antonio Canova. The Venus Victrix is one of
the astounding examples of the neoclassical style. The life-sized reclining nude
exemplifies Canova’s superlative technique; the modelling of the form is both idealized
and extraordinarily realistic, while Canova’s treatment of the surface of the marble
captures the soft texture of the skin.

Antonio Canova
Artist:
Antonio Canova is known to be the one of the
greatest sculptors during the neoclassical
movement. He began working on Pauline
Bonaparte as Venus Victrix in 1805, Canova’s
reliance upon classical sourced idealized perfection
of the forms, fluidity of line, graceful modeling, and
exquisitely refined detail had solidly established his
reputation.
 The Death of General Wolfe, 1770

National Gallery of Canada

Oil on Canvas

Similar to “The Death of Marat,” the scene in this masterpiece was

about a death of a significant person at that time. Major-General
James Wolfe’s death was described to be portrayed as “Christ-like.”
(Zygmont, 2015) This made the viewers conclude that Wolfe was an
immaculate person, which again like The Death of Marat, turned the
subject into a martyr.

Since it was created during the Neoclassical

Period, the details that can be found and
analyzed in this painting appear simple yet
meaningful. In addition, the clothing of the
subject was considered as contemporary,
which initially received criticisms because it
did not match with the historical scene. Later
on because of this, the painting had been all
the more considered as a Neoclassical
Artwork Benjamin West
The Artist
 References:

François, D. (2010). Work The Bather, known as the Valpinçon

Bather. Retrieved October 18, 2020, from
https://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/bather-known-valpincon-bat
her

Gersh-Nesic, D. (2016). Neoclassicism, an introduction. Retrieved

October 18, 2020, from
https://smarthistory.org/neoclassicism-an-introduction/

Great works: The Death of Marat, By Jacques-Louis David (1793).

(2014, January 02). Retrieved October 18, 2020, from
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/great-works/gr
eat-works-death-marat-jacques-louis-david-1793-9035080.html

(n.d.). Oil Painting Techniques. Retrieved October 18, 2020, from

http://www.oil-painting-techniques.com/analysis-jean-auguste-ingre
s.html

Tim. (2020, October 17). Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres:

ImpressionistArts. Retrieved October 18, 2020, from
https://impressionistarts.com/jean-auguste-dominique-ingres-biogra
phy

Canova, Paolina Borghese as Venus Victorius (article) | Khan Academy.

(2020). Retrieved 18 October 2020, from
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/rococo-ne
oclassicism/neo-classicism/a/canova-paolina-borghese-as-venus-victorius

Surface beauty: neoclassicism and Napoleon's scandalous sister - Artstor.

(2014). Retrieved 18 October 2020, from
https://www.artstor.org/2014/12/05/surface-beauty-neoclassicism-and-napole
ons-scandalous-sister/

Dr. Bryan Zygmont, "Benjamin West, The Death of General Wolfe,"

in Smarthistory, August 9, 2015, accessed October 18, 2020,
https://smarthistory.org/benjamin-wests-the-death-of-general-wolfe/