The Raft of the Medusa
ROOM 3
ROOM 4
Guernica
The Second of May 1808
ROOM 2
The Death of Marat
We are making a New World
The Execution of Lady Jane Grey
The Third of May 1808
ROOM 1
RECEPTION
ROOM 5
Liberty Leading the People
Entrance
Introduction In this exhibition, there are a range of historical pieces that reflect different significant historical events hence they are created in the styles of romanticism or neoclassicism. Romanticism was a style that was shown visual arts, music, and literature and it first began in the early 1800s until 1850, and for the first time focused on portraying emotion as oppose to recreating important historical events through aesthetic appreciation. The style also focuses on the fact the ideas are irrational making it different from neoclassicism.
Some of the places that were most known for their romanticism pieces were France, England, Germany and Spain as it was a style that become popular in Europe. William Blake and Samuel Palmer where both well-known and were part of the Ancients art group in England. Although, even though they were all part of the same group they had different styles of working even though they were all
presenting it in the style of romanticism. Therefore, through this it helps promote how the image isn’t distinguished by its visuals, but the emotions and ideals it portrays. Whereas, neoclassicism was a style that was developed in 1750 and was inspired by the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture of ancient Greece and Rome. All of the work is considered to be simplistic and traditional as a result of them being directly inspired from the original works.
In this painting (which is also known as The Execution of the Defenders of Madrid), by Francisco Goya, it is shown that some Spanish defendants, pictured on the left, are about to be executed by the French Napoleon, in formation on the right. This image is set at night as it gives a gloomier and mysterious tone to reflect the event that is being pictured; also the lantern that illuminates the foreground creates some dramatic lighting to emphasise the intense feeling felt by the figures in the image.
This mural, painted by Pablo Picasso in 1937, incudes demonstrations the uprising of the Spanish civil war causing death and destruction on innocent civilians in Spain. In the painting there can be seen both animalistic figures as well as human figures of many ages, which Picasso painted in order to portray the wide variety of people effected, that seem to be trapped in a room. Moreover, Picasso’s style of cubism helped to portray the panicked emotion behind the image further, allowing the audience to understand the emotions of the figures in the image at the time and sympathise them, in addition.
In this image, painted by ThĂŠodore GĂŠricault in 1818-19, there are around 18 men pictured to be stranded on a demolished raft in the ocean. All of the men are shown to be wearing rags or nothing at all suggesting they are of a lower class or have been isolated for a long period of time. As well as this, the initial tone of the image is reflecting the storm shown, depressive, dramatic and hopeless, because the colours of the image reflect chiaroscuro to induce a dramatic tone and represent the emotion behind what is happening in the painting, making it a romanticism piece. Although, through the chiaroscuro the figures can be seen to be highlighted with a heavenly light that is shown to be coming from above to foreshadow that they are going to be rescued by a
passing ship in the far distance. Additionally, in the image there are elements of bright red colour shown to help remind the audience of the danger of the individuals in the painting are in, as well as reflect the death and loss in the image.
This painting by Paul Nash was painted in 1918 in reference to the no man lands in Ypres Salient, Belgium during WW1. In the painting Nash has presented a scene of what was once a living forest, however, now, after the war, the area is destroyed and damaged resembling little similarities to the area it was once known as. Furthermore, in the painting there are irregular mounds throughout that have become apparent as a result of the war and the machinery weapons used, therefore these mounds can further reflect the dead soldiers that witnessed the events.
This image, created in 1793, Jacques-Louis David has recorded a single male figure, Jean-Paul Marat, as the main focus. Marat is shown to be slumped over in the bath with blood running down his chest suggesting he is dead, also one of his arms are hanging down with a quill grasped loosely in his hand. Whereas, in the other hand, that is rested on a board on top of the bath, he holds a letter that is addressed to him. Additionally, in the foreground a writing box is shown with additional pieces of paper that reflect a cheque, as well as a knife positioned on the floor below Marat to represent a murder weapon that Charlotte Corday used to kill him, he was writing execution lists during the French Revolution. Although, in reality Marat had a medical skin condition which cause him to have sores over his body and the only way to sooth them was to keep them moist, hence why he is in the bath when he was killed.
This piece is set before ‘the Third of May 1808’ and is about the confusion of the battle in Spain, Madrid against the French armies and when it first began. It reflects the overall brutality of the war and how it came about so suddenly, for instance the Spanish soldiers can be seen being killed brutally or already dead.
In this image, painted in 1833, Paul Delaroche has documented Lady Jane Grey (the former queen of England) a few moments before her execution. She can be found at the centre of the image, dressed in white and wearing a blindfold (which is also white), being guided towards the execution block by an aging Lieutenant. Below the execution block, hay can be seen which would have been positioned there to collect the blood after her execution. As mentioned before Lady Jane is found at the centre of the painting and indicates that it was elements of a neoclassicism piece. Furthermore, the colour of her dress can further induce a sense of innocence towards herself to foreshadow the fact how young she was (she was only 16); the way the paint is applied also help indicate her age, as it has been applied smoothly and further makes the image modulated.
This painting was created by Eugène Delacroix in 1830 and it captures the point in history of the Revolution that took place in France in 1830 against the Bourbon King Charles X. In the image there is a crowd of individuals pictured that are all walking together although, the most apparent figure is the woman in the centre panel of the piece. Furthermore, the traditional technique of subtlety blending colours and been averted with pungent primary colours being used, the most apparent being in the tricolored flag, which could reflect the colours of the French flag. Also, the background is shown to be clouded over suggesting there has been a form of violence through weapons such as guns as well as the fact it is in the city. In the midground there are two men picture who represent two different classes in society for instance the middle class and the working class. Therefore, the fact the two classes have come together to fight in the revolution shows the desire for freedom, and the rage of people that agree with democracy and want to oppose against the aristocracy.
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Email - swinshiregallery@gmail.co.uk Contact Number – 01793 568407 35 Restnow Road Swindon Wiltshire SN1 7JX
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