The Neoclassical style is centered around moral virtue, patriotic self-sacrifice, goodly deeds, Roman Ideals, heroism, tributes to self-sacrifice, and the paintings typically were depicted in a somber light and were linear. Both the American and French Revolutions are tied in with the Neoclassical style by means of moral virtue, what people personally believe in (right and wrong). Patriotic self-sacrifice, fighting for their country and the people in it, giving their lives for their cause. Heroism, by putting on a brave face and stepping up and being a part of the cause, and tributes to self-sacrifice by these different artists depicting the aspects of war and highlighting heroic events achieved by specific individuals.
John Trumbull (1756-1843)
John Trumbull was an American artist that was practicing art during the American Revolution (1775-1783). Trumbull was a soldier during the American Revolution and the battles he witnessed were the inspiration for his works. During the Revolution, Trumbull was appointed to “second personal aide to George Washington” (Wikipedia). One of Trumbull’s most well know paintings is titled, The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker Hill, where he actually witnessed this battle with his own eyes.
This piece was created on June 17th, 1775. “Although commonly referred to as the Battle of Bunker Hill, most of the fighting occurred on nearby Breed’s Hill” (history.com). During this battle, Trumbull was there to witness this scene and decided to capture this image to show what was going on during this time. Unfortunately for the Americans, they were unsuccessful during this battle and lost to the British soldiers.
Seen in the center of this piece, there is a man laying on the ground, propped up against a fellow American. This man is General Joseph Warren, an American physician that played a major role during the American Revolution. Trumbull had witnessed this attack from a distance, and later decided to paint this scene of General Warren dying as the American troops were retreating from battle. This painting shows Warren’s body in white dying, and John Small, who was a British Major, in the standard red uniform. This piece shows Small preventing one of his soldiers from stabbing Warren with a British bayonet. Small is self-sacrificing and is being heroic in order for General Warren to not have any more wounds inflicted upon him. In the background, there lay several bodies from both sides during this battle. The painting also shows the Boston Harbor in the background, as well as smoke rising from Charlestown, Massachusetts, because the British troops had set it ablaze.
Trumbull appears to use tenebrism to show his audience what the key points are here. The center focus being the death of General Warren by Major Small. I like the attention to the details that Trumbull uses in this piece. The texture of the flags blowing in the wind and the texture of each individuals clothing is amazing, to me the fabric actually looks more realistic than the people do. The colors that really capture my eye is the red of the British soldiers, they appear to be strikingly pristine and neatly placed. The pastel colors of the Americans’ clothing also catch my attention, because it reminds me of the Rocco style of art, the way the light yellows, blues, and greens flow well gives this image not only some light but life among the dead. An interesting aspect to this painting that Trumbull creates is the depiction of two African American soldiers, showing the audience of their significance during the American Revolutionary War. This work can be found at The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts today.
John Singleton Copley (1738-1815)
Another American artist that emerged during the American Revolution was John Singleton Copley. Copley was most likely born in Boston, Massachusetts and bounced back and forth between both the American colonies and England, before the American Revolutionary War. Although Copley is most famous for his work in portraits, he also painted images of war, much like Trumbull. Unlike Trumbull, Copley was not a part of war himself and brought stories to life by creating his images.
The Death of Major Peirson was painted by Copley on January 6th, 1781 in Tate, Britain. This image was inspired by the French invasion on Jersey against the British during the time of the American Revolution. The French and the Americans we allies during this time due to the rivalry against the British and the French. This dramatic image ties with very dark and unsettling aspect of war. The main focus of this image was to shed light on the heroism of the young Major, Francis Peirson and his death. This dramatic piece was commissioned by John Boydell (a successful British printer and engraver) for Copley to bring to life, because although the overall victory for the Americans was imminent, this was seen a last stand of the British power over Jersey.
Benjamin West (an American born artist) was the one that initially started the theme of the “noble hero expiring at the scene of battle” (tate.org.uk), Copley brought the “drama” with this piece that he created. Copley uses a linear approach in that all of the people seem to be in the same angle and position and seem to be in a straight line. This work by Copley is stunning, in my personal perspective. Again, the textures of the flags waving in the smoke draw my eyes to them immediately. The color of the yellow banner gives this image a break on all of the red that seems to flood the scene. The amount of detail in each character is truly amazing, it is clear that Copley knows how to paint portraits, because each individual has a face that’s not quite like any other in this image. The white pieces of Peirson’s uniform breaks from all of the red of the other British soldiers and forces the viewers eyes to look at his limp body, it forces us to feel the emotional loss that’s taking place. It is said that Copley used his own family and family nurse as models to depict the citizens fleeing the field in the right corner. It pleases my eye to find something that’s not red in this piece, because it shows range and I feel it adds to the drama of war. The sudden pop of green and hint of a pink and shadow of blue adds to the realistic appeal of this artwork. This piece can be found in Tate Britain or National Gallery of British Art in Millbank, London, England.
The French Revolution (1789-1799)
Inspired by the American Revolution, this was France’s way of wanting to break free of their monarch. Some causes for the French Revolution was a growing belief in self-governance, a huge and growing national debt, tension between the Clergy, Aristocrats, and the Middle Class or the French term, bourgeois. This revolution started with riots in the streets, and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and of course the rise of the famous Napoleon Bonaparte (Coup D’Etat).
Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825)
This French born and raised artist started his career as an artist at the age of 18, when he was accepted into the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. David’s work was quickly on the rise and was one of the most well know artists in France during this time. His artwork was later associated with the French Revolution, because he was a member of the extremist group called “Jacobin” that was led by Maximilien de Robespierre. “He [David] became an active, politically committed artist involved in a good deal of revolutionary propaganda” (biography.com).
The Death of Marat (1793) is one of David’s most famous pieces and was believed to be the start of his series of paintings associated with the French Revolution. What sets this artist apart from the other two (Copley and Trumbull), is that David did not seem to paint depictions of the grotesque side of war, yet he still seems to get his message across. “His [David] majestic historical paintings were universally hailed as artistic demands for political action” (bc.edu). Marat was a Jacobin activist himself and a friend of Robespierre and was murdered by a young, female Royalist. Marat is in his seen in his bathtub, where the scene of his murder took place, he was known for taking baths quite frequently because it helped soothe his skin condition and when he was at his most vulnerable.
This unfortunate, somber piece is remarkably detailed. It’s easy to see that David pays very close attention to his works. The wooden box just beside Marat looks incredibly real, almost as if it was a photograph, the box also adds dimension by giving the audience geometric shapes to play with. An interesting detail that David throws into this image is the paper that Marat’s lifeless corpse clutches. In French this letter reads”Il suffit que je sois bien malheureuse pour avoir droit a votre bienveillance” or “Given that I am unhappy, I have a right to your help” in English. David plays with the different shades and tints with this piece, the way the light is reflected off of Marat’s body gives a soft and subtle approach to death, and I feel that the shadow and dark background that David gives his audience also pays homage to the absence of life. The green of the rug gives the audience a taste of something different than the monochromatic of white, along with the hints of bright red found on Marat’s chest, arm, letter, sheets and the murder weapon just at the bottom of the image. This piece I think, can be depicted as an act of patriotic self-sacrifice in a way, because here lies Marat, an elite activist during the French Revolution, being murdered over his thoughts and ideas of a better France. Here is someone that was most likely wanted dead by a lot of people (Royalists, monarchy, etc.) and he took a stranger in his home and took the risk that she very well could be someone other than who she led him to believe. I like the fact that David doesn’t overwhelm his viewers with blood and gore, it reminds us that even though this was murder, it can be peaceful. The Death of Marat can be found at Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium today.
Out of the three paintings I chose, I think the only one I would personally own, would be Trumbull’s The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker Hill. I do take pride in the fact that I am American and the Revolutionary War was our way of setting ourselves apart from, at the time, the most powerful force in the world, the British Empire. It is a piece of American history and I would definitely take pride in owning such an iconic work of art. However each one of these different images speaks to me, as I mentioned above, the work made by Trumbull gives me a sense of national pride and makes me proud to call myself an American. The piece made by Copley makes me feel the sense of accomplishment that the British felt, since this was truly one of their last stands for their “claim” on the American Colonies and they managed to defeat the French. David’s Death of Marat, makes me feel saddened, because he was murdered in his own home and in his own bathtub. This murder scene makes me feel the same pain and anger that David had when he found out about the untimely death of his friend and fellow activist.
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The neoclassical period is harder for me to personally enjoy because of the deep focus in war. I think the three pieces you had picked to write about all show various sides of war and they compliment each other so well. The death of general Warren really focuses on emotions, you can see the sorrow spread throughout the piece as it centers on warrens death. This piece is so influential because the artist witnessed it himself. The death of Marat was originally going to be a piece I wanted to write about but I felt that it was too dark for me when I prefer art from the Rococo period. I thought that your assessment on this piece was very well written and you go over the details that may be over looked. You could tell how vulnerable David did look as he was in his bath writing with great focus.
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