Classical Era Revolution Art

The above painting is from the American Revolution it was painted by John Trumbull in 1786. In this painting you can clearly see and tell by the caption that this is part of the American Revolution portraying the Death of General Montgomery. You can also clearly see the diagonal line that the painting has from the top right where the tree continues down into the soldiers and the bodies down to where the ground ends on the bottom left, also along the clouds if you look you can see they form to diagonal line down. Another art element you can see in the painting is the value of the colors from the white clouds off to the left and the black spaces in the top right corner and the top left.

A famous French Revolution painting done by Jacques-Louis David in 1793. David was heavily influenced by the French Revolution during this painting but looking at it might not make a lot of sense. Marat was a close friend of David who was murdered during the Reign of Terror in France. In this painting you can clearly see the forms of Marat’s body, his arm is clearly three-dimensional as is the pot of ink and quill that is shown in this painting. David has great depth to this painting as well you can see the ending of the tub he is in and the negative space behind him and in front of him.

This is a painting of President George Washington by Gilbert Stuart in 1795. George Washington the man that every American knows and starts to learn about when they are in grade school. He was painted by Gilbert Stuart after the Revolutionary War when Stuart came back to the America’s after the war ended. Stuart is actually the man who painted the iconic version of George Washington that is found on the American dollar bill. In this painting you can tell that there are a lot of lines. Lines coming down from his neck to his chest to form the front of the jacket, a line to show the opening in the curtain behind Washington, a line from his left shoulder to the end of the painting to form his arm. With the colors used in this painting you can make out the different intensities used to create the painting.

The Revolutions that were both fought in America and in France had influences in the art that was being created at the time. While America may not have been the forefront for renown artist and other cultural advances they did set the foundation for enlightenment in Europe were art was heavily influenced by politics and religion. France was one of the many countries that were influenced by enlightenment both artistically and politically.

These are some amazing works of art done to represent the Revolutions that went on during the Classical art period but I think they belong in Museums not in someone’s house they should be for everyone to see not just one person. I would love to visit them in museums but not own a copy. With the backstories of these painting you can see the different emotions that the artists had.

Sources: Metmuseum.org, http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/07.160/ “David and The Death of Marat.” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, http://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/monarchy-enlightenment/neo-classicism/a/david-and-the-death-of-marat “The Death of General Montgomery in the Attack on Quebec, December 31, 1775.” The Death of General Montgomery in the Attack on Quebec, December 31, 1775 | Yale University Art Gallery, artgallery.yale.edu/collections/objects/57