3/10/06 - History of Art - Art and Power

Nineteenth century art. Dynamic. 1800 Europe - ruled by monarchies and empires. Fastest travelling speed was of galloping horse. Canal systems. Gradual technology in Britain. Industrialisation in Manchester. Education not at all widespread.

But in 1900 France republic. Houses of Parliament, left. Democracy, labour force of industrialised economies. Germany, Belgium, quicker than France. Steam engine transformed life experience in Europe. Steamships and railways: efficient, important, reliable, fast. Frozen food transported from more exotic countries. Refrigeration. Tin can 1820s. Summer holidays mid-1800s. Motor cars. Telephone 1878, in London. Lift. Sewing machines. Instant camera. Nineteenth century sped up technological change as it progressed. Growth of education, e.g. every child in France educated up to age 11. Basic reading skills. Therefore newpapers; printers, photos. Learning. So shift in power. More people read and get new ideas for technologies.

Art involved in all these shifts. Engaged, not passively reflecting change. Art itself changed.

Delacroix, Liberty Leading the People 1830 versus Maclise, The Spirit of Justice 1847-9.

Delacroix - energy. Painted quickly. Particular place (Notre Dame). Barricade of corpses. Dynamic. People who want social/political change succeed. Young and socially various belong in this group. Marianne - allegory mixed with realism. Not contemporary clothing.

Maclise - at time of revolution. No change, however, of state. Stable picture, balanced. Allegory of justice - woman liberty holds scales. Needy come to her for advice. Architecture mixes Norman (round) arch with Gothic style (pointed arch). Political and social reading. Sense of continuity. Justice has been virtue for centuries in society. Maclise focuses on stability of society.

Courbet, Le Salut Public. Positive, taken style of Daumier. Republican. The Urban of the Tuilleries. Young boy urchin throned. Positive. Elevated. Lithograph, relatively new. Allowed multiple reproductions on cheap paper. Anyone could view it and read the texts. Propaganda through images and text.

Meissonier. Painting of June days, workers repressed by bourgeoisee. Delacroix: "It's an omelette of men." Image of counter-revolution, what happens when you revolt. Negative.

Gros Battle of Eylau, 1808 versus William Dyce Neptune Resigning to Britannia the Rule of the Sea, 1847 for house of Victoria on Isle of Wight. Gros commissioned by Napoleon. Bloodiest battle. Propaganda. Dyce's is allegorical: Neptune gives crown to Britannia. Power of Britain.

Solferino 1859. Napoleon III. Depicted leading battle but he never did - not a soldier. He is not seen to be "in control" of his men.

In 1857 Indian mutiny. British troops had to reassert power. O'Neil, Eastward Ho. O'Neil shows close up of ordinary soldiers. Brown depicted projection of power subtly. Madox Brown, The Last of England. Colonisation, going to Australia, although not to settle.

Orientalism. Gerome, The Call of the Faithful to Prayer. Power of Islam over its people. Religion and people. Allegory of Western power. Gerome, The Reception of the Siamese Ambassadors. Obeisance. Palace of Napoleon. Continuity of French powers, novelty of French power over colonised nations.

Maximilian, Emperor of Mexico. Mexicans revolted against him successfully. Maximilan shot. Foreign policy dissolved. Manet (republican supporter) painted versions of his execution. Changed it so that French gunners shot Maximilian instead of Mexicans.

Exposition Universelle. 1889 Eiffel Tower resulted. Showed power, daring. Avenue of the Opera. Modern culture. Controls spectator.

Millions of poor. Stevens Begging. Bouguereau. Cliquey, sentimental. Fildes, designed for a wood illustration. Then Fildes painted exhibition picture. Salvation Army hostel at night. Drop of social class. Powerless.

Class visible in pictures. Scale. Large pictures - palace, importance. Small pictures - middle classes. Normandy coast. Outin The Lookout. Monet The Cliff Walk. Outin - middle class family. Visitors. Holidayers. Tourists. Fisherwoman on edge of cliff. Contrast. Monet - on cliffs promenading ladies, parasols. Middle classes. Fishing boats. Dangerous.

The Terrace of St-Adresse and The Breakfast by Monet. Lived next to transatlantic port. Encapsulates this economy. Former, ships show how M. Monet got his money and in foreground how he spent it. Latter articulates power. Maid has laid table and retreats in background. Newspaper and bottle of wine on Monet's vacant chair. Female with child. Class, power, gender.

Redgrave's The Governers. Herman's At Dawn.
Former: attractive, intelligent, but melancholy for position. Children will grow up and marry wealthy.
Latter, ladies and gentlemen outside of restaurant. Working classes get up for work, meagre living.

Pissarro's drawings 1889, Exposition Universelle year. Could have been reproduced but were in fact private. Anarchist. He used them to try to persuade his niece to become an anarachist.
Assumes people are innately good but corrupted by society. Pissarro wanted people to go back to country life.
Turpitudes sociales, former man looking out on anarchy. Latter poor with no bread. Third, suggests violence will be used to convert society. Steinlen Les Petits Sous. Liberty, once again. Refer back to Delacroix.