Neoclassic andEmpire

Chronology

The Eighteenth Century 1709

• Discovery of the ruins of Herculaneum

1714-1820• Georgian period in England

1715• Death of Louis XIV, his great-grandson, becomes king

1733• John Kay patents the flying shuttle

c. 1720-c. 1770 • Rococo styles in the arts predominate

c. 1770-mid-1800• Neoclassical styles in the arts predominate

1740-1786• Frederick the Great rules in Prussia, builds rococo and neoclassical palaces

1745• Madame Pompadour becomes mistress of King Louis XV and influences arts and fashions of the French court

1748• Discovery of the ruins of Pompeii, which along with excavations at Herculaneum, helps to stimulate neoclassical

revival

Chronology

The Eighteenth Century Continued1756

• Birth of Mozart

1764• James Hargreaves invents spinning jenny

1769• Richard Arkwright develops the spinning machine

1774• Death of Louis XV

• Louis XVI, his grandson, becomes king

1776• American Revolution

1789• French Revolution

1791• Death of Mozart

1796 • James Watt invents the steam engine

1789• Convening of the Estates General in France

• Storming of the Bastille • Declaration of the Rights of Man

1792• Abolition of the French monarchy

Chronology

The Directoire Period and the Empire Period1793-1794

• Eli Whitney invents the cotton gin (1793)• “Reign of Terror” in France

1795• French “Directoire,” executive council of five men, is established

1799• Napoleon stages a “coup d’etat” and becomes First Consul

1803• Louisiana Purchase, acquisition of approximately 828, 000 square miles of territory from France, by the US

1804• Napoleon crowned Emperor of France

• Slavery abolished in the states north of the Mason-Dixon Line

1810• Prince of Wales named Regent to act for his father, the ailing George III

1811-1820• Regency period in England

1812• War between the United States and Britain

1813• Publication of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice

1814• Napoleon abdicates and goes into exile

• Louis XVIII, grandson of Louis XV, becomes king of France

1815• Napoleon escapes from exile, returns to Paris, takes command of the army, and is defeated by the English Duke

of Wellington and the Prussians under Marshal Blucher at Waterloo

The Neoclassic/Empire

Selected European Rulers

EnglandHanoverians 1714–1901

George II 1727–60

George III 1760–1820

George IV 1820–1830

Holy Roman EmpireMaria Theresa 1740–80

Joseph II 1765–90

Leopold II 1790–92

Franz II (Francis II) 1792–1806

FranceBourbons 1589–1792

Louis XVI 1774–92

First Empire1804–1814Napoleon I 1804-1814

SpainBourbons 1700–1808

Felipe V (Philip V) 1700–1724 (abdicated) Luis I (Louis I) 1724

Felipe V (Philip V) 1724–46 (reinstated) Fernando VI (Ferdinand VI) 1746–59

Carlos III (Charles III) 1759–88 Carlos IV (Charles IV) 1788–1808

Napoleonic Rule 1808-1814Joseph Bonaparte 1808-1814

PrussiaHohenzollerns 1701–1797

Friedrich I 1701–13 Friedrich Wilhelm I 1713–40

Friedrich II, der Grosse, (the Great) 1740–86 Friedrich Wilhelm II (Frederick William II) 1786–97

The Neoclassicism (Rationally based)

Associationalism: Connection though personal and public emotion with the past.Classical ideals to foster association propaganda OVER beauty and proportion

Free Expression… Good and Bad art.

Art was no longer "good" because it reflected the harmonious proportions and balance of the Antique; it was now admired for the sentiments it expressed.

Napoleon’s exploitation of classic symbol as in Imperial Rome (nouveau riche)

Progressive Democratic Middle Class:

Regularity, discipline, and pure clean-cut uncomplicated lines vs.

Rococo “emptiness”

NeoclassicismArchitecture

The Neoclassic Period (1750-1850)

• A revival of Classical ideals that began in Rome in the 1750s, but found its purest expression in neo-classical architecture in Britain.

• Classical motifs were adopted as symbols of the French revolutionaries.

• Painting was characterized by formal, serious subject matter from Antique sources.

• During the reign of Louis XVI, the feminine artificiality of the Rococo style was tempered by a modest form of Classicism - "le goût grec" (Greek Taste)

Neoclassicism was essentially a reactionary movement, that sought to evoke and promote the great philosophical ideals of antiquity through the revival of classical forms.

Le Petit Trianon – (1762-8)By Ange-Jacques Gabriel

Corinthian Order

Elegant Symmetry

France

The new style had more effect on the private residences and interior decoration of the aristocracy than on religious and civil architecture.

French Neoclassic – The Temple of Love (1778)By Richard Mique

< Gardens of Versailles - Statue of Cupid by Bouchardon

A gift for Marie Antoinette from Louis VXI

Tholos in Delphi (c. 400 BCE)

French Neoclassic – Church of Sainte-Geneviève in Paris By Jacques Germain Soufflot (1755-1792)

Corinthian Order with Protico

No known as the “Paris Panthéon” this church became a mausoleum for heroes of the French nation after the revolution.

French Empire, Arc de Triomphe (1806-1833)50 meters (164 feet) high, 45 meters (148 feet) wide, and 22 meters (72 feet) deep.

Triumphal Arches – Roman Influence

Napoleon’s memorial to his military victories and dictatorial power situated at the Place de l'Étoile, Arch of Constantine, Rome (315 CE)

"The Triumph of Napoleon" is a tribute to Bonaparte's many military victories. The spirit of Victory crowns Napoleon with a laurel wreath while multitudes, symbolized by several bowing and prostrate individuals, subject themselves to his rule.

“The Departure of the Volunteers of 1792" depicts the French people rallying against an enemy from a foreign nation. It earned its nickname of "La Marseillaise", the same name as the French national anthem, written in 1792.

Britain Neoclassic – Chiswick House (London 1724-29) By Richard Boyle

Greek Influences: Vitruvian principles of the Italian renaissance

Palladian Temple Front

Britain

Villa Rotunda (Venice 1550)

Britain Neoclassic – Chiswick House (London 1724-29) By William Kent

English landscape style: calculated imitation of an ideal, "natural" landscape.

Britain Neoclassic – Sir John Soane (England 1788-1833)Soane Museum & Bank of England

Mirrors and colors play tricks with light and space

Aedicule [ed-i-kyool] : a decorative frame, usually found around a niche, door, or window.

American Neoclassic – Virginia State Capitol(America 1785-1790) By Thomas Jefferson

Roman Ideals (Maison Carre)

Federal Style - architecture to express the ideals of the new nation

Public Architecture (state and national government buildings) modeled on neoclassical principles inspired by the archaeological investigations in Pompeii.

Monticello (Palladian villa)

Maison Carré, Nîmes, France, (c. 20 BCE)

America

Furniture and Decoration

The Neoclassic Period (1750-1850)

•The Empire Period in France: • The period of Napoleonic rule, from the establishment of the Directory in 1795 to the fall of Napoleon in 1815; essentially classical in inspiration, the style was characterized by an increase in scale and grandeur, calculated to glorify Napoleon, and associate his reign with the brilliance of the Roman Empire.

•The Regency Period in England: • From the 1780s to the 1840s, interior decoration and especially furniture design followed classical themes, at times based on Antique Greek artifacts. at other times on Roman or Etruscan models. The regent, and eventual king, George IV (reigned 1811-1830) was the supreme arbiter of good taste during the period. English furniture makers became world renowned and their designs were widely imitated.

Grand Salon – Musee Camondo (Paris 1775-80)

Neoclassical-ly inspired decoration and furniture in the 1770s was referred to as “Style Louis XVI".

It was characterized by a preference for rectilinear forms and motifs over the curvilinear asymmetry of the Rococo.

The interest in Greek and Roman classicism began among the French intellectual elite in the 1750s, and reached a peak in the last quarter of the 18th century.

Late Rococo: Louis XVI

Klismos Chair – Gilt Beech (Danish 1790)

Popular taste favored "Etruscan" decoration, based on a rather narrow and wrong-headed interpretation of antique Roman furniture.

Sabre Leg: a type of splayed furniture leg, which flares out in a concave shape, like a saber or curved sword

Klismos Chair – Heges Stele (c. 400 BCE)

Directoire Style

Guéridon Table by Georges Jacob (French 1792)

Guéridon [ger-ee-don] Table: Round tables with a tripod base that supported a carved pedestal.

X-frame stools were common.

Directoire Style

^ Roman Couch (c. 100 CE)

< Méridienne [muh-rid-ee-en]: Day Bed with one or two scrolled ends

Boudoir of Empress Josephine – Chateau de la Malmaison (French 1800)

Napoleon favored pylon forms and vulture wings, contributing a touch of Oriental-ism to the Greco-Roman.

Empire Period

The result was a smothering of the otherwise graceful forms of the Directoire style with a heavy-handed theatricality. Napoleonic France seized upon motifs from ancient Egypt.

Games Room – Chateau de la Malmaison (French 1805)

Syon House by Robert Adam (England 1760)

Great Hall (Below)

Anteroom (right)

Adams was known for his restrained Rococo interiors

The Regency

The Etruscan Room by Robert Adam (Middlesex 1760)

It was called the Etruscan Room, in the belief that it was a faithful representation of that pre-Roman style. In fact, the decoration is derived from late Greek vase paintings and early Roman wall painting, but rendered in pastel tints.

The delicate swags and turned candelabra recall motifs found on the walls of Pompeii (1st Century CE)

The Regency

Trafalgar chair (England 1811)

Elegant lines flowing from the back rail through to the sweeping back legs.

The Regency

Chaise Lounge (England 1810)

Sofas were based on the Grecian model, with outward curving ends and legs.

Directoire and Empire Dress

• The marked change in costume reflected the political developments in France and America, and followed the movements in art and architecture.

• Female costume changed drastically in form and materials, but would revert to a doll-like artificiality and complexity by the end of the Empire period.

• Male costume retained its basic components but eliminated color and decoration. This change was to last into the 19th century.

Ackermann's Repository, an English publication launched in 1809 that contained not only the latest fashions in clothing, furniture and decoration, but also instructions on manners and deportment.

The French Revolution

During the French Revolution, citizens were expected to declare their revolutionary support by displaying the appropriate colors: red, white, and blue.

Beginning September 21, 1793, wearing a cockade (tricolor ribbon "flower“) became mandatory. These are commonly displayed on hats and lapels. Tricolor ribbon sashes were also a popular accessory.

Pro-republican stance: the bonnet rouge or the red cap of liberty

Carmagnole [kahr-muhn-yohl]: loose-fitting peasant jacket (with lapels, wide collar, rows of metal buttons)

The loose flannel trousers commonly worn by the working class replaced the tight satin knee breeches and stockings of the aristocracy.

This was the costume of the so-called sans culottes [koo-lots] (without breeches) and was worn as a symbol of support for their cause.

Proletarian Revolutionary

(France 1792)

Revolutionary Period

Original Engravings by By Carle Vernet ( French, 1758 - 1836)

After the fall of Robespierre and the end of the Terror, a wave of relief and of fashion giddiness swept Paris.  Young men known as "Incroyables" and their female counterparts "Les Merveilleuses" rejoiced in adopting a wildly exaggerated look which flouted the social conventions of the time. They were the ultimate dandy set, the golden youth of their time, arrogant and outrageous.

Revolutionary Period

“Point of Convention” Original Engraving based on a painting by Louis Boilly (c. 1809)

Revolutionary Period

Chemise Dress“Empire Waist”(Peplos)

“Grecian Knot”(Hair Style)

> Fashion Plate (1794) Morning Dresses

Transitional style from 18th Century to Neo-Classical

The Women

^ The line and construction of this 1790 walking dress closely resembles that of any other late 18th Century dress (Anglomania).

~1800-1820, While the French Revolution (1789) cuts the history of costume like a knife, the initial effect on women's clothing is merely a deflating of silhouette.

Josephine Bonaparte by Francois Gerard (French, 1801)

During the rule of the Directoire, plain "Grecian-style" fabrics were popular, based on the misperception that the costume of Antiquity was undecorated.  

•Lightweight cotton muslins and silks replaced the stiffer silk damasks of the Rococo (revealing the natural line of the body).

•Gowns were tubular in shape, with little or no petticoat support (high waisted).

•Waistlines were raised to just under the bust, giving the illusion of an elongated slimness.

•Necklines were low, round or square; sleeves were either very short, as at left, or long and fitted for morning dress.

•Shawls were a necessary accessory.

The Women

> Fashion Plate (French, c. 1798)

v Fashion Plate (French, c. 1805)

Spencer: Abbreviated Jacket (supposedly began when the third Earl Spencer cut the tails off his coat on a dare.)

The Women

Pelisse [puh-lees]: Full length coat (high waisted as the Empire gown)

Jockey Caps: Bonnets with wide brims that hid the face.

Reticules/Indispensible: small pouch-like hand bags that dangle from ladies' wrists.

Evening gowns were accessorized with turban style hats, often including tall feathers.

The Women

> Pelisse (English, 1809)Hats (French, 1808)

La Comtesse Daru (French, 1810)By Jacques-Louis David

Fichu [fish-oo]: Large cashmere shawls were a colorful accessory for the plain white gown, often beautifully patterned with a motif of Persian origin. We now call this stylized floral pattern "paisley".

The Women

^ The fashion is reminiscent of the pallas and himations used in fashionable Greco-Roman attire. Note the strong Greco-Roman influence in the woman's hairstyles.

The Coronation of Napolean (French, 1805) By Jacques-Louis David

Costume became considerably more elaborate during the Empire period, from 1804 to 1815, reflecting the pomp and ceremony insisted upon by the emperor.

The Women

The Grecian gown acquired an open overgown of a contrasting color with a train. This was often embroidered with gold and silver thread.

The Men

Huntsmen by Daniel Gardner (English, 1790)

The "pink" coat and top hat shown in the painting were absolutely required in order to participate in the hunt.

~1800-1820, For the remainder of Costume History, men's fashion changes much more slowly than women's clothing.

The elements: • Coat• Waistcoat• Breeches (later trousers)

The silhouette remained largely unaltered from the late 18th century.

The Men

George "Beau" Brummel (France, 1805)

The biggest changes in men's attire were propelled by George "Beau" Brummel, a close friend of the English Prince Regent.

Regency Dandy (a man who was well dressed, circulated in the 'best' of society, who was always ready with a witty comment and whose chief preoccupations was with fashion).

• Tail Coats

• Fall-front pantaloons: full-length trouser (tight fitting)

• Top hats become the most common headdress, replacing the cocked hats of the previous century.

• Cravats wrapped around the collar and filled in the open neck of the coat.

• Gloves and Canes

The Men

Fashion Plates (France, 1807 & 1820)

Frock Coat: considered a "casual" coat this would be an appropriate ensemble for morning or sporting dress.

The Death of Socrates by Jacques-Louis David (1787)

Discuss this image in regard to the ELEMENTS OF DESIGN

The Coronation of Napoleon by Jacques-Louis David (1805-1807)

Discuss this image in regard to the ELEMENTS OF DESIGN