Baroque Era
Name: The Tete a Tete, from Marriage a la Mode
Artist: William Hogarth
Dates: 1743 CE
Material: Oil and canvas
- Part of a six-painting series; painted and then turned into prints (to mass produce)
- Industrial Revolution Occurs- noblemen start losing money as a result of the loss
of the feudal system and incapability to produce, so they have to start marrying
rich merchants
- A couple is forced to get married, neither is happy about the arrangement
- Prints are mass-produced to sell because it is very funny
- Middle class have some leftover money (can’t buy six painting series, but
can afford some prints), so they can buy them
- Marriage is very bad in the print displayed
- Chair is knocked over & home is in disarray
- Active dog next to the man- shows signs of infidelity
- Female nightcap in his pocket (he slept with another woman and has to
hide evidence)
- Servants are in distress and not doing their jobs (one in the back is
yawning)
- Servants aren’t working but are still getting paid; the master of the
house isn’t even there
- One painting on the wall is partially covered (one foot in the painting is
exposed/uncovered)
- Foot exposure is disrespectful so it is covered with a curtain
- Classical elements: gilded frames, pictures of saints, reflection of civic
responsibility
- Classical elements vs exposed foot painting are old money vs new money, old
ideals vs new ideals
- On the mantlepiece, there is a bust of a regal-looking person with a broken nose
(attempted to be fixed) & a painting of Cupid (classical references)
- Sculptures that seem tacky are symmetrical and balanced on the mantlepiece
(tacky, contrast against classical)
- Mantlepiece reflects OLD vs NEW money
- The woman is also sleeping with other men; her top is unbuttoned and she has a
compact mirror
, - The mirror reflects light and is used as a signal to let the other man know it
is safe to leave
- Music is symbolic of love at this point; however, when the music book is open on
the ground and the violin case on the ground, it means that the love affair has
gone wrong
- Their finances have gone wrong (the guy on the left is a financial man, walking
away annoyed b/c they won’t listen)
- Peasants mock the royals
- The husband is sick (syphilis), and when having kids, passes it on to his wife and
children and they all die
Unit 4- Rococo
- Things are going very bad in France (aristocrats hold 90% of wealth)
- France spent all their money on war & colonization (help kick British out of
America)
- Rococo style follows aristocratic vibes- decadent, pastels
- Frivolous, erotic, lighthearted
101
Name: The Swing
Artist: Jean-Honore Fragonard
Dates: 1767 CE
Material: Oil on canvas
- Very small- meaning it was a commission and meant for private viewing
- Assumed that she is attending a party she decides to walk out into the gardens on
the estate and an older man accompanies her, swinging her (should not be out by
herself)
- Grounds are overgrown (not well maintained- estate owners are declining)
- Shoe off represents her not being a proper lady, and was likely planning to meet
the man
- Believed to be leaning on a beehive: “sting of love”
- Cupid is shushing her- sign of a warning
- Active dog barking near the fence as a sign of infidelity
- Woman illuminated by light (usually means saintly) in center of painting
reiniscient of Mary and Eve. She’s also in a Garden, similar to Eve “committing a
sin”
, - Classical (Cupid) and biblical references (light and focal point)
- Most likely commissioned by the man looking up the woman’s skirt; seen as a
power statement
- Societal commentary (people are decadent wasting money on paintings while
others starve)
- Loose, unrefined style (indicative of Rococo)
Comparing the Two Paintings
- The Swing is a commission and meant for private viewing, Tete a Tete is not
- Cupid is seen in both paintings and in both, he is sending a message
- Active dog is seen in both paintings and show signs of infidelity
- Tete a Tete openly mocks society, where mocking the English was acceptable by
society, but the Swing was created in France where openly mocking society was
unacceptable (contrast in societies where it was created)
Unit 4- Age of Enlightenment
- Transition from blindly following faith to questioning
- Rulers are in danger since they are there by “divine right”
- Disliked the art in the Rococo- wanted art appealing to highest morality and heroic
100
Name: A Philosopher giving a Lecture at the Orrery
Artist: Joseph Wright of Derby
Date: 1763-1765 CE
Material: Oil on canvas
- Orrery: a working model of the solar system that operated with a crank
- Caravaggio-esque (murky background with a bright light); light is a focal point
and indicates transformative experience through science
- Curtain and bookshelf are symbolic of educated individuals (often in a corner of
the painting)
- All people are individualized
- Illumination represents being illuminated and being transformed through science
instead of transformation through religion
- Utilized chiaroscuro: the blending of shadow and light
- High contrast to make things seem 3-dimensional (tenebrism used to lluminate)
, Unit 4- Neoclassical
- Renewed interest in classics
- Believed art should have a moral tone
102
Name: Monticello
Architect: Thomas Jefferson
Dates: 1768- 1809 CE
Culture: Virginia, USA
Material: Brick, glass, stone, wood
- Utilized French version of neoclassical, since disliked the English
- Classical references: Columns, dome, pediment, relative symmetry, parapet (low
retaining wall)
- Jefferson was the French Ambassador and was a fan of a French hotel (Hotel de
Salm). His home has many similarities
- Structures reflect those who started democracy (big focus on ideals + foundation
of democracy)
103
Name: The Oath of the Oratii
Artist: Jacque-Louis David
Date: 1784 CE
Material: Oil on canvas
- Horatii swear an oath to fight a duel against the opposing family, and the sisters
cried because they were married to people on opposing family. When brothers
returned home triumphantly, they killed their sisters because of divided loyalty.
- Commissioned by the French King to promote absolute loyalty to the King due to
the lack of loyalty to the French at the time
- Classic references: Roman arches, squares on floor, one point perspective on the
father
- Blue and orange palette used (complimentary), except the colors on the women,
are more muted; reflect their sadness about situation
- Diagonal, sharp, straight lines making up the men while women have curvalinear
lines
- Men standing, triumphant, women are resigned sitting down and leaning
Name: The Tete a Tete, from Marriage a la Mode
Artist: William Hogarth
Dates: 1743 CE
Material: Oil and canvas
- Part of a six-painting series; painted and then turned into prints (to mass produce)
- Industrial Revolution Occurs- noblemen start losing money as a result of the loss
of the feudal system and incapability to produce, so they have to start marrying
rich merchants
- A couple is forced to get married, neither is happy about the arrangement
- Prints are mass-produced to sell because it is very funny
- Middle class have some leftover money (can’t buy six painting series, but
can afford some prints), so they can buy them
- Marriage is very bad in the print displayed
- Chair is knocked over & home is in disarray
- Active dog next to the man- shows signs of infidelity
- Female nightcap in his pocket (he slept with another woman and has to
hide evidence)
- Servants are in distress and not doing their jobs (one in the back is
yawning)
- Servants aren’t working but are still getting paid; the master of the
house isn’t even there
- One painting on the wall is partially covered (one foot in the painting is
exposed/uncovered)
- Foot exposure is disrespectful so it is covered with a curtain
- Classical elements: gilded frames, pictures of saints, reflection of civic
responsibility
- Classical elements vs exposed foot painting are old money vs new money, old
ideals vs new ideals
- On the mantlepiece, there is a bust of a regal-looking person with a broken nose
(attempted to be fixed) & a painting of Cupid (classical references)
- Sculptures that seem tacky are symmetrical and balanced on the mantlepiece
(tacky, contrast against classical)
- Mantlepiece reflects OLD vs NEW money
- The woman is also sleeping with other men; her top is unbuttoned and she has a
compact mirror
, - The mirror reflects light and is used as a signal to let the other man know it
is safe to leave
- Music is symbolic of love at this point; however, when the music book is open on
the ground and the violin case on the ground, it means that the love affair has
gone wrong
- Their finances have gone wrong (the guy on the left is a financial man, walking
away annoyed b/c they won’t listen)
- Peasants mock the royals
- The husband is sick (syphilis), and when having kids, passes it on to his wife and
children and they all die
Unit 4- Rococo
- Things are going very bad in France (aristocrats hold 90% of wealth)
- France spent all their money on war & colonization (help kick British out of
America)
- Rococo style follows aristocratic vibes- decadent, pastels
- Frivolous, erotic, lighthearted
101
Name: The Swing
Artist: Jean-Honore Fragonard
Dates: 1767 CE
Material: Oil on canvas
- Very small- meaning it was a commission and meant for private viewing
- Assumed that she is attending a party she decides to walk out into the gardens on
the estate and an older man accompanies her, swinging her (should not be out by
herself)
- Grounds are overgrown (not well maintained- estate owners are declining)
- Shoe off represents her not being a proper lady, and was likely planning to meet
the man
- Believed to be leaning on a beehive: “sting of love”
- Cupid is shushing her- sign of a warning
- Active dog barking near the fence as a sign of infidelity
- Woman illuminated by light (usually means saintly) in center of painting
reiniscient of Mary and Eve. She’s also in a Garden, similar to Eve “committing a
sin”
, - Classical (Cupid) and biblical references (light and focal point)
- Most likely commissioned by the man looking up the woman’s skirt; seen as a
power statement
- Societal commentary (people are decadent wasting money on paintings while
others starve)
- Loose, unrefined style (indicative of Rococo)
Comparing the Two Paintings
- The Swing is a commission and meant for private viewing, Tete a Tete is not
- Cupid is seen in both paintings and in both, he is sending a message
- Active dog is seen in both paintings and show signs of infidelity
- Tete a Tete openly mocks society, where mocking the English was acceptable by
society, but the Swing was created in France where openly mocking society was
unacceptable (contrast in societies where it was created)
Unit 4- Age of Enlightenment
- Transition from blindly following faith to questioning
- Rulers are in danger since they are there by “divine right”
- Disliked the art in the Rococo- wanted art appealing to highest morality and heroic
100
Name: A Philosopher giving a Lecture at the Orrery
Artist: Joseph Wright of Derby
Date: 1763-1765 CE
Material: Oil on canvas
- Orrery: a working model of the solar system that operated with a crank
- Caravaggio-esque (murky background with a bright light); light is a focal point
and indicates transformative experience through science
- Curtain and bookshelf are symbolic of educated individuals (often in a corner of
the painting)
- All people are individualized
- Illumination represents being illuminated and being transformed through science
instead of transformation through religion
- Utilized chiaroscuro: the blending of shadow and light
- High contrast to make things seem 3-dimensional (tenebrism used to lluminate)
, Unit 4- Neoclassical
- Renewed interest in classics
- Believed art should have a moral tone
102
Name: Monticello
Architect: Thomas Jefferson
Dates: 1768- 1809 CE
Culture: Virginia, USA
Material: Brick, glass, stone, wood
- Utilized French version of neoclassical, since disliked the English
- Classical references: Columns, dome, pediment, relative symmetry, parapet (low
retaining wall)
- Jefferson was the French Ambassador and was a fan of a French hotel (Hotel de
Salm). His home has many similarities
- Structures reflect those who started democracy (big focus on ideals + foundation
of democracy)
103
Name: The Oath of the Oratii
Artist: Jacque-Louis David
Date: 1784 CE
Material: Oil on canvas
- Horatii swear an oath to fight a duel against the opposing family, and the sisters
cried because they were married to people on opposing family. When brothers
returned home triumphantly, they killed their sisters because of divided loyalty.
- Commissioned by the French King to promote absolute loyalty to the King due to
the lack of loyalty to the French at the time
- Classic references: Roman arches, squares on floor, one point perspective on the
father
- Blue and orange palette used (complimentary), except the colors on the women,
are more muted; reflect their sadness about situation
- Diagonal, sharp, straight lines making up the men while women have curvalinear
lines
- Men standing, triumphant, women are resigned sitting down and leaning
