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  • Essay / The Effect of the French Revolution on Art

    Table of ContentsIntroductionThe Neoclassical Period in the RevolutionRomantic Period in the RevolutionConclusionReferences UsedIntroductionThe French Revolution lasted about 10 years. It was a time of unrest, despair, courage, patriotism and violence. While audiences of all social classes (except the wealthiest classes of course) suffered and made for quite a depressing environment, art remained a popular way to intrigue, excite and mobilize people and their beliefs. All kinds of artists were inspired by this new theme of the French Revolution that was happening around them and in both the Neoclassical and Romantic eras, artists were creating beautiful works of art in keeping with the news of the time. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The Neoclassical Period in the Revolution A good example of how the French Revolution influenced the neoclassical artistic period is Jacques-Louis David's The Death of Marat. Marat was a publisher who was murdered by Charlotte Corday, presumably a woman whose article he was going to publish. Marat was a dear friend of David and the painting shows in remarkable detail his death and the introduction of Charlotte on whom he was working. David somehow commemorated Marat in his paintings using very Christian aspects of the Crucifixion, which makes us think: was David trying to glorify the people who died during the French Revolution and make them equal to Christian suffering from before? We will never really know.The Romantic Period in the RevolutionThe Romantic Period is one of my favorite periods in Western art so far. The color and excitement that emanates from the art of this era is truly invigorating. A good example of this feeling is when I watch Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix. We can see the obvious influence of Eugene on the French Revolution. This painting shows a beautiful, tall woman holding the tricolor flag of France moving forward with determined and strong determination. This woman, Liberty, is said to show how Eugene felt about the war and how she believed the French people would emerge victorious and strong. She also did not forget to leave aside the sad aspects of this revolution such as the corpses of soldiers and citizens all around. There is an undertone of sadness with a foreground of hope in this painting. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay Conclusion When there is media, there is inspiration, and when there is inspiration, something happens. Environmental factors, social and political events, and internal feelings affect much of what we project. The same goes for artists of the 18th and 19th centuries. A lot of things that were happening at that time were through their art to tell a story or even inform us which side they were taking. As mentioned in the essay, the French Revolution was quite brutal and violent, but it also gave us some incredible works purely because their central theme was the Revolution itself. I wonder how, in the distant future, people will judge our times by the art we produce. References usedDavid and The Death of Marat. At Khan Academy. Accessed July 20, 2015, from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/monarchy-enlightenment/neo-classicism/a/david-and-the-death-of-marat.McCoy, CB. Romanticism in France. At Khan Academy. Retrieved July 20, 2015 from.