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Paper Abstract: The two styles of the 18th Century. The Rococo, its rejection and return to models of antiquity. The ascendancy of women in 18th Century art. Influence of economic and political factors. Return to smaller paintings. Popularity of portrait painting. Artists Watteau and Fragonard and French Rococo style. Paper Introduction: Following the death of Louis XIV a general reaction occurred to offset the austerity that had characterized the final years of his rule. This change created a new sense of feeling and expression among painters of the day. More specifically, the younger painters of the time tended to pursue the direction that their own feelings and emotions would take them as opposed to the constraint and restriction of artistic freedom that had prevailed prior to this time. The patron as well began to experience a new sense of freedom that permitted them to explore the limits of their own taste and artistic passions (Faniel 11). French painting during the eighteenth century is generally divided into two phases. The rococo, or first phase, dominates the first half of the century. The latter portion of the century is characterized by subjects and forms modeled on antiq Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Women besides Madame Pompadour, contributed as patrons as wellas artists themselves. The patron as well began to experience a newsense of freedom that permitted them to explore the limits of their owntaste and artistic passions (Faniel 11). In the painting, "Sultana TakingCoffee," by Van Loo, a woman dressed as a Sultana, is being attended to byher Negro maid (Faniel 32). More specifically, the younger painters of the time tended to pursuethe direction that their own feelings and emotions would take them asopposed to the constraint and restriction of artistic freedom that hadprevailed prior to this time. This period toward the end of the eighteenth century in Francebecame therefore one of even larger expression as a result of the processof French nationalization. Available on-line. The French painters of this period were expected to deal with nothingbut true-to-life subjects. By carefully blending hiscomposition with juxtapositions of color, he was able to catch the beautyand grace of dancers in motion, again, consistent with the esthetics of thetime. Eighteenth century French painting, especially at the beginning ofthe period, was often an excuse by the artist to display a new approach tostyle and to paint seductive bodies and pretty faces (Faniel 3 -31). A master of nuance, Watteau's ability toexpress specific gestures, attitudes and poses is virtuoso and thesedrawing are still very much sought after today (McDonald). The latter portion of the century is characterized bysubjects and forms modeled on antiquity and by a strong reaction againstthe decorative excesses of the earlier style. These small, brilliantly colored depictions of richly cladParisians enjoying the pleasures of breezy parks and enchanted islesguaranteed his popularity at a young age. To some extent this provided a limitation to France'sfirst experience with democracy (Spencer 64). The latter part of the period, from a social perspective, witnessedextreme shifts in the life of the average French person, women inparticular notwithstanding. 24 November 2 2 .Spencer, Samia (ed.). French Art of the Eighteenth Century. According toSpencer (245) there are numerous indications that Madame Pompadour was notonly aware of the changes taking place in art at mid-century but also hadmuch to do with the encouragement of these changes. For differingreasons, these men concluded that having a governmental structure wasbetter than no structure (Roberts). As such, "easel" painting was used more than in thepast as an art form. Works CitedFaniel, Staephane. Society very definitely demanded viewing atruthful image of it and thus the subjects presented in paintings. Consequently, familylife and its portrayal became a primary focus, as did landscapes. Others painters of thetime, such as Perroneau, Chardin, and LaTour, were more analytical in theirapproach. Indiana, Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1984.________. Similarly, there was a needto create more of a light, airy demeanor to the characters portrayed andthus paintings as well. This was particularly true towardsthe end of the eighteenth century, as middle class attitudes grew morewidespread, as exemplified by the 1787 painting by Boilly entitled "TheGohin Family" (Faniel 25). Sheobtained this dominance by a rather circuitous path that will not beelaborated upon in this discussion. Portrait painting, as well, grew in popularity, where there was now amuch greater emphasis in capturing the "psychological truth" rather thandisplaying the "grandeur" characterized by portraits in the previous era.In Rigaud's work, and that of some of his contemporaries, there is anincreasing influence from Dutch and Flemish painters. Generally speaking, women played much more of a role in eighteenthcentury French painting than having simply been the subject(s) of aportrait. The social contract theory generally saysthat from a state of nature, that is, from a condition prior to anygovernment at all, men decided to come together and form a government. French Women and the Age of Enlightenment. The social contract theory of government, which underlies the UnitedState's political system, has its most developed beginnings in thephilosophies of Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau who wrote from the early 16 'sthrough the late 17 's. While at first the Frenchpaintings of the eighteenth century can be viewed as somewhat pompous, asthe century progressed, the painting transcended to becoming more brilliantand worldly, and finally, ending the period with a note of seriousness,sentimentality and refection (Faniel 12). A large amount of effort went to revealing the details of thesitter's personality in the resulting portrait. The "ideal reality" which was so characteristic of the seventeenth centurypainters, was no longer desired, being replaced, instead by the desire toenjoy the representation of life as it actually was. In his work, he created an oddly melancholy world of enchanted loversand their ladies, dressed up for a moment in the costumes of Harlequin orColumbine. As such, paintings grew smaller, becoming different withrespect to the decorative function they were expected to produce. Historically, democracy has been studied principally based upon theinfluence it had upon male populations. This meant that many nobles previously housedat Versailles were forced to move themselves back to their private hotelsin Paris. Animportant theme of the time was to show the love of children and theaffection and appreciation of youth in general. The rococo, or first phase, dominates the first half ofthe century. To some extent the art formproduced was stimulated by writers of the day, such as Rousseau. Thischange created a new sense of feeling and expression among painters of theday. Watteau and Fragonard represent, the most "charming and graceful"representation of the period (French Drawings 6). "Jean-Antoine Watteau." Available on-line. the every day people-over such issues as taxcollecting, the administration of justice, and the regulation of foodsupplies. Similarly, according to Faniel (31) "turqueries" were another aspectof the wish of the patron, or buyer of the art, to flee from everyday lifeand escape into a dreamland setting. Pater set his version of the themeagainst a transparent and almost wholly artificial background in hispainting entitled "The Swing" (Faniel 3 ). French Drawings: Masterpieces from Five Centuries. The styles of the period can be traced in the faces of the sitters ofLargilliиre, Nattier and Mme. Suffice to say, however, that becauseof various private and public building programs in which she had directinvolvement, her power over the arts from 1745 to her death in 1764, andindirectly right on up to 1773, was extensive and far-reaching. Those individuals making the government and decisions regardinglaw and policy were brought into very close and frequent contact with thosethat were "governed"-i.e. This influence was clearly felt in eighteenthcentury France, especially with respect to its own revolution andexperimentation with democracy. During the previous 15 orso years, the processes of monarchical centralization, in combination witheconomic, demographic, intellectual, political, and administrative changeaffecting government and people, contributed to the transformation ofissues that once had been regional and local. He developed an art form whose influence pervaded the entire century(Faniel 14). Fragonard's"Rinaldo Diverting Armida" (Faniel 3 -31) is an example of this type ofpainting. Hundreds of his drawingssurvive which show his concentration on the human form. French painting during the eighteenth century is generally dividedinto two phases. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1957.McDonald, Lisa. The approach taken gave thepainter an excuse to display the charms of an attractive woman. It was specifically with this painting that Watteau became knownas the painter of the fetes galante, thus securing his place in eighteenthcentury France art history.[pic] In addition to being a vibrant colorist, he was, as well, veryaccomplished with respect to line drawings. Following the death of Louis XIV a general reaction occurred to offsetthe austerity that had characterized the final years of his rule. Watteau's fame was such that in1717 the Acadйmie Royale de Peinture et Sculpture created a new categoryespecially for him, admitting him as painter of fкtes galantes (Spencer242). In his portrait of the Queen of France ("Portrait of MarieLeczinska"), Nattier abandoned the conventional approach that characterizedhis portraits and focused on the capture of the mood of the queen asopposed to her position. Madame Pompadour was an unusual, but dominant factor in Frenchpainting around the middle of the eighteenth century (Spencer 245). The seventeenth century had favored subjects such as history, religionor those associated with legend. Similarly, the luxury acquired by individuals of the time was oftenevident in the paintings of the time. Becausethe buyers were dealing with smaller spaces, the pictures of the time wereused primarily as over-the-door treatments or in the small space foundabove wall mirrors. The elegant men, the women dressed in their shimmeringsilks, and the rose-cheeked cherubs are all indicative of the style of thismovement. The depleted finances of the crown curtailed themoney spent by the then national art institute, the Direction Gйnйrale desBвtiments du Roi, and the monarchy as well, on large public commissionsduring the last few years of the reign of Louis XIV. Oddly enough, it was through the economic and political factorsassociated with life in France at the time, rather than women, thatdetermined most of the changes that occurred during the first two decadesof the eighteenth century. From Invisibility to Inspiration: Feminism and Philosophy. It is likely, according to Spencer (252) that theyplayed a more important role than has been observed in preceding centuries. Capturing the "vitality" of the subject (regardless of whether or notthe subject was male or female) became very much a dominant characteristicof the period. The most famous ballerinas of the day--Guimard, Saint-Aubin andTaglioni--had Schall paint their portraits. Women of the time clearly picked up onthis subject and played a dominant influence, whether men chose torecognize and accept this or not, in this arena. Cultural concerns for legal reform, a nationalsystem of education, public health, and better systems of transportationand communication all affected women as well as men, however notnecessarily in the same manner. A similar, though less obvious, observation maybe made for the servant. The intent was to re-create in the painting, as much as possible, the essential character of thesitter. In Greuze's work, this type of "sensibility," encouraged byphilosophical writers like Diderot, sometimes became too sentimental andemotional. Watteau's painting, "The Embarkation" is another good depiction of theFrench rococo style. After hisdeath, all poetic qualities disappeared from this type of painting, withsuccessive examples of this type of painting becoming "escapist" fantasiesof elegant, worldly figures posturing in parks. During the eighteenth century there arosein France, a desire to experiment and produce paintings that were more inkeeping with the exploration of change. In this particular painting, the backgroundsetting of the portrait and the queen's costume are far less important thancapturing her features and personality. Thefeminine body has for a long time in the history of humankind been moreidentified with seduction and beauty than that of the male. He drew from lifeand his drawings are studies of hands, fingers, and limbs executed in hisfavorite media, trois crayons. 24 November 2 2 .Roberts, Lani. Consequently, thestyle prevalent and "characteristic" to the seventeenth century gave way tomuch more "careful" treatment of the portrait subject as a person andattention to the specific, individual features of the person sitting forthe artist. As these nobles worked to redecorate their housing spaces, theybecame increasingly concerned with enhancing the intimacy and decorativedetails of their surroundings. Characteristic of the period, the subject ofthe painting (the Sultana) is very tastefully presented with emphasis onher character as a person. Now these issues took uponan entirely different perspective, that which had a national focus andimpact. Certainly the French Revolution was a factor,however, more importantly, as the end of this century approached, women inParis made a major contribution to the Revolution and its achievement ofthe most democratically based popular sovereignty in the eighteenth-centurywestern world. The painter, whose name is most closely linked with this early(rococo) period of the eighteenth century, is Antoine Watteau (1684-1721). Fragonard used such a setting forone of his greatest masterpieces. Her namewas synonymous with the decadence, although her supporters, most notablythe Goncourt brothers openly challenged the argument that Pompadour had hadanything to do with the nascent interest in classical art. The art that was thus popularized wasradically different in scale, form, and content from the art produced forthe environment in Versailles (Spencer 242). Watteau's imitators, Lancret, Pater and Mercier, distort and vulgarizethe peculiarly fragile sensibility which he distilled in his paintings--theloves, the defeats, the melancholy and the regrets of a society that wasbecoming continually more refined and free from the conventional restraintsthat had been endured in the previous century. Instead, the paintings were beingpurchased and/or commissioned by members of the nobility and the upperechelons of the middle class as well to decorate more modest surroundings.As the period advanced, rooms tended to become smaller and more richlydecorated. As an example,Jean-Frйdйric Schall is considered (Faniel 15) to be, together with Watteauand Prud'hon, among the great eighteenth century French painters ofdancers. According to Faniel (14, 3 ) Watteau disguised in his paintingshis colleagues, his friends and the people who were his patrons. Virtually every aspect of human life was captured (Faniel11-12). Issues traditionally adjudicated within the confines of householdand/or the church, were now aired on a national basis and often centrallyresolved. A scholarly traditionestablished in the nineteenth century by the Goncourt brothers attributesto the ascendancy of women the existence of the rococo and the essence ofeighteenth-century art (Spencer 242). But even in his paintings, as well as in the far more astringentand less emotional subjects of Drouais' portraits, the painter's delight inanalyzing the simplest scenes associated with daily life ischaracteristically apparent (Faniel 14). In keeping with thegeneral tendency of French painting style for the time, it was the swingthat established itself as one of the many devices used in the "fкtegalante." Its choice was unique for it allows both performers andspectators to play a part in the scene of the painting and also allows theartist to paint women in graceful poses. The people buying the paintings were definitely now much less inclinedto populate the large wall spaces found in the Versailles environment aswell as in other large palaces. Vigйe-Lebrun. Women were certainly a part of the subject matter,but did not seem to dominate the art of the time, other than to participateas subjects in keeping with the general theme of the period. The people in Watteau'spaintings, though thought to be typically inspired by well-known figuresfrom the Italian Comedy, are in reality, French. After his death in1715, the Regent Philippe, duc d'Orlйans, moved the court from Versaillesto the Palais-Royal in Paris. In late eighteenth century France,male leaders of the Revolution themselves often remarked upon, exploited,and attempted to rein in the activism of the associated femalerevolutionaries. Inthe state of nature, men were free and equal to one another. While feminist claims for civil and political rights neverbecame central to the Revolutionary power struggles and were denied by theNapoleonic Code, the political activities of the "non-elite" women were,nonetheless at the heart of Revolutionary politics. New York: Plantin Press, 1952. Intimate scenes that depicted the home life of individuals havebecome windows showing what interior decoration was like in the time aswell as the quality of life in general. Hence, the artists focused on painting their subjects, as much aspossible, in everyday climes and as basic subjects as opposed to stressingclass, social stature, or their professional attachment. 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