Art French Revolution

There is a quote by Oscar Wilde that says something about life imitating art, but in the case of the art created in France around the time of the French revolution, art was imitating life. The French Revolution played a profound role in shaping what was being put on canvasses by the French artist. The paintings that were created during this time had either a Neoclassical style or a Romantic style. These were the two main styles that came after the Age of Enlightenment. The artist created works of art that followed the progression of the revolution. Leading up to the Revolution, art served as a form of propaganda. During the revolution, art documented events of the revolution. Following the revolution, art celebrated the victory of the revolution. …show more content…
This was the beginning of the age of enlightenment when people began to question religion, the divine right of kings, and other traditional ideas (Khan Academy, n.d.). From this movement a new art style was created. This new style is known as Neoclassical. Leading up to the French Revolution, there were works of art that expressed the rationality of what was happening and the seriousness of the people that that was about to revolt against the powers that be (Gersh-Nesic, n.d.) Jacques-Louis David was one of the major artist during this time and his support for the rebels led him to create works of art such as Oath of the Horatii. This painting demonstrated what Neoclassical art at its best looks like. The painting is smooth with no evidence of any brush strokes. The painting has the characteristics of strong horizontal and vertical, sober colors, shallow space and clarity of form that is seen in Neoclassical art. This painting, although it was set in a much earlier time, served a rally call for the people that opposed the rule of the monarchy. David showed his support for the rebellion through his artwork. Some of his most famed work includes paintings of the French leader